DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.11637#0367
338 TRAVELS IN UPPER
scribed with great care and accuracy*. What
Maillet wrote, however, was far from settling men's
opinions respecting the intention of monuments,
which the ancients considered as one of the chief
wonders of the world. But conjecture will soon
give way to certainty : those pyramids, which have
remained untouched, are about to throw light on
the purpose of their construction, and our country-
men are on the point of rending a veil, thickened
by the doubts of thousands of years.
I have had in my hands two drawings of some
parts of the great pyramid, accompanied by a me-
moir in manuscript, which were intrusted to me by
the late Duke de Chaulnes, who had engaged me
to pursue certain inquiries, which he pointed out.
As it was impossible for me to execute this design,
I left the paper at Cairo, that M. de Chaulnes
might be enabled to find out some person there
possessing leisure sufficient to accomplish his views,
onl y taking copies of the two drawings, which have
never yet been published. (See Plate XXV.)
The reader will observe, that the letters refer to
explanations and observations contained in the
paper intrusted to me, which of course I did not
attempt to copy, consequently he will not expect
an explanation of them here.
* See the Description de I'Egypte, par Maillet, partie i. letter
scribed with great care and accuracy*. What
Maillet wrote, however, was far from settling men's
opinions respecting the intention of monuments,
which the ancients considered as one of the chief
wonders of the world. But conjecture will soon
give way to certainty : those pyramids, which have
remained untouched, are about to throw light on
the purpose of their construction, and our country-
men are on the point of rending a veil, thickened
by the doubts of thousands of years.
I have had in my hands two drawings of some
parts of the great pyramid, accompanied by a me-
moir in manuscript, which were intrusted to me by
the late Duke de Chaulnes, who had engaged me
to pursue certain inquiries, which he pointed out.
As it was impossible for me to execute this design,
I left the paper at Cairo, that M. de Chaulnes
might be enabled to find out some person there
possessing leisure sufficient to accomplish his views,
onl y taking copies of the two drawings, which have
never yet been published. (See Plate XXV.)
The reader will observe, that the letters refer to
explanations and observations contained in the
paper intrusted to me, which of course I did not
attempt to copy, consequently he will not expect
an explanation of them here.
* See the Description de I'Egypte, par Maillet, partie i. letter