DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.6552#0315
276
APPENDIX.
twenty-six on the western, on account of the entrance of the
well. He does not comprehend the use of the air-channels
in the King's Chamber, which he found to be blackened
with smoke. The sarcophagus, he observes, was quite plain,
without sculpture, and also without a cover; and that an exca-
vation, about eight feet long and two in width, had been made
under it towards the western side of the room. He adds, that
Davison's Chamber was almost unknown before the French expe-
dition ;4 that it has the same dimensions, excepting as to height,
as the King's, which is directly beneath it; and which it was in-
tended to protect from the weight of the building. He adverts to
the echoes produced by the report of fire-arms, which were often
discharged into the air-channels. He describes the horizontal
passage to be of the same size as that from the entrance, and
the Queen's Chamber to be composed of granite, upon which he
observed a considerable quantity of saline incrustation, and says
that it had a pointed roof. He states, that this apartment was
extremely offensive, and much encumbered with the rubbish
produced by a large excavation. As for the well, he did not
examine it himself, but received his information from Colonel
Coutelle, who said, that at the bottom of it an apartment had
been cut in the rock, either for the accommodation of those who
descended, or to catch the debris which might fall from above ;
and that it was so extremely hot, that the thermometer stood
at twenty-five degrees, whilst, in other parts of the Pyramid, it
was at twenty-two. The depth of the shaft was said to be 63m,34,
and the top of it 68m,71 above the level of the Nile; but that
M. Le Pere was of opinion, if it were entirely cleared out, that
it would go down even to the antient level of the river, which
was formerly lower than it then was. He observes, that the
Second Pyramid was built by Chephren ; that the eastern and
southern sides of the foss, by which it was surrounded, are de-
stroyed, while the northern and western yet remain. He says, that
this foss is a wonderful work, and cut in the rock to the depth
of 8™ or 9m (twenty-five or twenty-eight feet); that its width
on the northern side is 59m'5, (about one hundred and eighty-
three feet six inches): and that part of it is hidden under the
sand. Its width on the western side is 31'M, or ninety-six feet nine
* It had been mentioned by Niebuhr, discovered by Davison, and known pre-
viously to M.Meynard (a French merchant).
APPENDIX.
twenty-six on the western, on account of the entrance of the
well. He does not comprehend the use of the air-channels
in the King's Chamber, which he found to be blackened
with smoke. The sarcophagus, he observes, was quite plain,
without sculpture, and also without a cover; and that an exca-
vation, about eight feet long and two in width, had been made
under it towards the western side of the room. He adds, that
Davison's Chamber was almost unknown before the French expe-
dition ;4 that it has the same dimensions, excepting as to height,
as the King's, which is directly beneath it; and which it was in-
tended to protect from the weight of the building. He adverts to
the echoes produced by the report of fire-arms, which were often
discharged into the air-channels. He describes the horizontal
passage to be of the same size as that from the entrance, and
the Queen's Chamber to be composed of granite, upon which he
observed a considerable quantity of saline incrustation, and says
that it had a pointed roof. He states, that this apartment was
extremely offensive, and much encumbered with the rubbish
produced by a large excavation. As for the well, he did not
examine it himself, but received his information from Colonel
Coutelle, who said, that at the bottom of it an apartment had
been cut in the rock, either for the accommodation of those who
descended, or to catch the debris which might fall from above ;
and that it was so extremely hot, that the thermometer stood
at twenty-five degrees, whilst, in other parts of the Pyramid, it
was at twenty-two. The depth of the shaft was said to be 63m,34,
and the top of it 68m,71 above the level of the Nile; but that
M. Le Pere was of opinion, if it were entirely cleared out, that
it would go down even to the antient level of the river, which
was formerly lower than it then was. He observes, that the
Second Pyramid was built by Chephren ; that the eastern and
southern sides of the foss, by which it was surrounded, are de-
stroyed, while the northern and western yet remain. He says, that
this foss is a wonderful work, and cut in the rock to the depth
of 8™ or 9m (twenty-five or twenty-eight feet); that its width
on the northern side is 59m'5, (about one hundred and eighty-
three feet six inches): and that part of it is hidden under the
sand. Its width on the western side is 31'M, or ninety-six feet nine
* It had been mentioned by Niebuhr, discovered by Davison, and known pre-
viously to M.Meynard (a French merchant).