Perring, John Shae; Howard-Vyse, Richard William Howard: Operations carried on at the Pyramids of Gizeh in 1837: with an account of a voyage into upper Egypt, and Appendix (Band 3): Appendix (London, 1842)

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APPENDIX.

vations by Mr. Perring are only inserted. He remarks, that
the perpendicular height of the Great Pyramid was to the base,
as 5 to 8, and that the inclined height was to the hase, as
4 to 5;3 that the eight plethra, stated hy Herodotus to be the
square of the base, were measures of fifty-six cubits, eight of
which formed an Egyptian juger; that, according to Pliny, the
whole building occupied eight jugera, which measures must
therefore have been nearly three times larger than the Roman
acres; that the height from the base of the Great Pyramid to the
floor of the Queen's Chamber, the height from the floor of the
Queen's to that of the King's, and thence to the top of Campbell's
Chamber, were equal (about 40 cubits); also, that the space
from the ceiling of Campbell's Chamber to the top of the Pyramid
was 160 cubits, and therefore exceeded the three above-men-
tioned distances by 40 cubits ; and likewise, that the space from
the roof of the King's to that of Wellington's Chamber, and
thence to the roof of Lady Arbuthnot's Chamber, were the same,
and that each of them was equal to the height of the King's
Chamber.

Mr. Perring found that the incline of the roof-blocks in the
Queen's Chamber, and of those in Belzoni's Chamber in the Second
Pyramid, was one-third of the width of the respective apartments;
and that the incline of the roof, in the lower chamber in the
Second Pyramid, was one-fourth part of the width of that room.

He also endeavoured to ascertain whether any relative propor-
tions were observed between the angles of the exteriors of the Py-
ramids, and those of the entrance-passages, but they appeared to
have been merely determined by the proportionate extent of the
base and of the perpendicular height of the building. He observes
that the entrance in the Great Pyramid inclines about one foot in
two, but that the ascending passage seems to have been regu-
lated by the height of the King's Chamber above the base, which
was 80 cubits. Mr. Perring also remarks, that, as the build-
ings were not intended for astronomical purposes, but for tombs,
their exterior forms were no doubt adapted for duration and for
grandeur, and their internal arrangements for strength and for
security, according to the facilities, which the rocks, over which
they were erected, and their positions, afforded.

5 A reference to the dimensions will shew the general accuracy of these
observations.