EGYPTIAN.

27

Chap. II.

Y N

IS l

|»i;j l

iH t

■

j,

1 U-U.^L^4>

The several chambers and galleries which conducted to them were finished and decoratedin a similar manner to thehouses or palaces occupiedby the living, which wereusually coated with a finestucco within and with-out, and ornamented withdevices by the painter.

In some of the tombs,bronze pins have been no-ticed in the floors, withinthe openings, on whichthe wooden doors turnedwhich shut in the severalchambers; sometimesholes or mortices in thepavement and stone lintelabove the opening arediscovered, in which thepivot at the top and bot-tom of the door was in-serted. Many bolts andbars, which secured theopenings, have also beenfound, as have iron keys.

The floors not of stonewere covered with acomposition, and theceilings in many instancesexhibit remains of paint- F»g. 83. baccara.

ing; among the designs of some may be traced all that is admired in the ornaments ofGreece and Rome; the fret and other familiar forms are here first met with in all theirvariety.

The fourth Pyramid has not been accurately measured, but it is about 220 feet square,and the height 62 feet, the platform at top being 30 feet.

The fifth Pyramid is the only one entirely constructed with quarried stone, the othersbeing only cased with that material. The base measures 250 feet, and its height is 40 feet.

The sixth Pyramid measures at present at its base 270 feet, and in height, 80 feet.

The seventh Pyramid at its base is 140 feet.

The eighth 240 feet, and the ninth 245 feet: these have most of them causeways, and arcbuilt on steps.

Pyramids of Dashoors are situated near the village of Mensheeh, and are about threemiles from Dashoors: they consist of two of brick, two of stone, and another, northern brick Pyramid , is composed of crude bricks, and has been covered with stone from the Mokattamquarries. This was supposed to have been that described by Herodotus , as built by Asyehis,the successor of Mycerinus .

Many of the stones which formed the casing were at their base 8 feet 3 inches in length,6 feet in width, and 1 foot 11 inches thick ; the ends being sloped with the inclination ofthe pyramid : they were not laid in regular courses, but in the manner termed polygonal;several of them were held together by dovetail cramps, made cf stone. The body of thepyramid was built of bricks, which were about 16 inches in length. 8 inches in width, and from4\ to inches thick : they were mostly composed of alluvial earth ; some with less sand,but containing a quantity of straw; and others made from a dark-coloured tenacious earthwithout any straw : they were all laid in regular courses, occasionally crossed by others, theinterstices being filled up with dry sand.

The original base measured 350 feet, and the height 215 feet 6 inches, the angle at whichthe casing was laid being 51° 20' 25". This pyramid has at present baffled all attempts atdiscovering its chambers.

The northern stone Pyramid has its exterior casing, the lining of its passages, and chambersof a white compact limestone, which was brought along the two causeways from the quarries,lying in a westerly direction, or by two others which conduct to the Nile , where the stonemight have been brought from the opposite side of the river.

The original base measured 719 feet 5 inches, its perpendicular height 342 feet 7 inches,and the angle of its casing 43° 36' 11".

The top was formed of one block of Arabian stone, which rested upon a course formedof four others, 4 feet 9 inches in thickness: those immediately below averaged 2 feet inthickness, and near the bottom 3 feet, and were all laid in regular horizontal courses,