DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.6552#0293
254
APPENDIX.
temple is built, he justly remarks, are very fine, being twenty-
seven feet long, eighteen broad, and four thick ; and he concludes
that the Pyramid was covered with granite, as several fragments,
to which cement adhered, were to be observed near it. He after-
wards adverts to the other ruins near the Pyramids, and then
proceeds to describe those at Saccara.
M. NIEBUHR (1761)
Appears to have been greatly annoyed by the Bedouins in both
his visits to Gizeh; in the second he was accompanied by several
persons, and, amongst others, by M. Meynard, but the party was
then under great alarm on account of the Arabs. As far as he
could judge, the Pyramids fronted the cardinal points. The rock,
upon which they were built, was visible at the angles. He says
that he found the height of the Great Pyramid much less than it
was generally supposed to be; at the same time, he observes
that, according to M. Fourmont's account, it was stated by Lord
Charlemont to be four hundred and forty-four feet. He does not
agree with Lucas that the Pyramids had been faced over with
cement, as the casing on the Second Pyramid was of stone ; and
upon examination he found that it had been finished from the top,
by smoothing off the projecting angles of the blocks. He remarks,
that the Pyramids are likely to last for many years, and that as
stones are more easily obtained from the quarries in the Mokattam,
there is less inducement to destroy them on account of their ma-
terials. He agrees with the antient historians, that the Third
Pyramid was partially covered with granite. He never heard
that inscriptions had been found upon the stones that lie scattered
around, nor did he find any upon the buildings, which indeed was
not likely, as the surfaces had been nearly destroyed He searched
in vain for the chamber above the King's, in the Great Pyramid ;
and he remarks that M. Mallet was equally unsuccessful,
although, by his own account, he had visited that edifice more
than forty times.4 According to the information which he re-
ceived from M. Meynard, the chamber is over that in which
4 It is extraordinary that the entrance into Davison's Chamber was not seen, as
it is of considerable size, and not more than twenly-six feet above the entrance into
the King's Chamber. M. Meynard, although of the party, did not, probably, enter
the Pyramid, but he must have known it, as he gave a description of its size.
APPENDIX.
temple is built, he justly remarks, are very fine, being twenty-
seven feet long, eighteen broad, and four thick ; and he concludes
that the Pyramid was covered with granite, as several fragments,
to which cement adhered, were to be observed near it. He after-
wards adverts to the other ruins near the Pyramids, and then
proceeds to describe those at Saccara.
M. NIEBUHR (1761)
Appears to have been greatly annoyed by the Bedouins in both
his visits to Gizeh; in the second he was accompanied by several
persons, and, amongst others, by M. Meynard, but the party was
then under great alarm on account of the Arabs. As far as he
could judge, the Pyramids fronted the cardinal points. The rock,
upon which they were built, was visible at the angles. He says
that he found the height of the Great Pyramid much less than it
was generally supposed to be; at the same time, he observes
that, according to M. Fourmont's account, it was stated by Lord
Charlemont to be four hundred and forty-four feet. He does not
agree with Lucas that the Pyramids had been faced over with
cement, as the casing on the Second Pyramid was of stone ; and
upon examination he found that it had been finished from the top,
by smoothing off the projecting angles of the blocks. He remarks,
that the Pyramids are likely to last for many years, and that as
stones are more easily obtained from the quarries in the Mokattam,
there is less inducement to destroy them on account of their ma-
terials. He agrees with the antient historians, that the Third
Pyramid was partially covered with granite. He never heard
that inscriptions had been found upon the stones that lie scattered
around, nor did he find any upon the buildings, which indeed was
not likely, as the surfaces had been nearly destroyed He searched
in vain for the chamber above the King's, in the Great Pyramid ;
and he remarks that M. Mallet was equally unsuccessful,
although, by his own account, he had visited that edifice more
than forty times.4 According to the information which he re-
ceived from M. Meynard, the chamber is over that in which
4 It is extraordinary that the entrance into Davison's Chamber was not seen, as
it is of considerable size, and not more than twenly-six feet above the entrance into
the King's Chamber. M. Meynard, although of the party, did not, probably, enter
the Pyramid, but he must have known it, as he gave a description of its size.