PYR
348
PYR
this pyramid is by steps, the lowermost being nearly four feethigh and three broad; the second, of the same dimensions,but retiring inward from the first about three feet; and inthe same manner the third row is placed upon the second, andthe rest in the same order, to the top, which terminates in asmall flat or square ; and they are so disposed, that a linestretched from the bottom to the top would touch the angleof every step. These steps are called by Herodotus littlealtars, on account of their form ; and their number has beenvariously assigned : Greaves states them at 207 ; Maillet at208; Pococke at 212 ; Belon at 250 ; Thevenot at 208, andChazelles at 498.222 English feet.
This pyramid is situate on a rocky hill, in the sandy desertof Libya, about a quarter of a mile from the plains of Egypt ,above which the rock rises 100 feet or more, with a gentleand easy ascent. Upon this advantageous elevation, and solidbasis, the pyramid is erected : the height of situation addingto the beauty of the work, and the solidity of the rock afford-ing it a stable support.
We may here observe, that the sides of this pyramid standexactly facing the four cardinal points, and consequentlymark the true meridian of the place: which precise positioncould not have been well owing to chance, but was, probably,the effect of design and art. We may hence infer that theEgyptians had made an early progress in astronomy.
The entrance is nearly in the centre, and a passage descend-ing at an angle of 27° terminates in an unfinished chamber,below the level of the ground. About 100 feet from theentrance, this passage is joined by an upper one, whichascends at the same angle to the great gallery, where it runshorizontally into what is now called the Queen’s Chamber.But the gallery itself, continuing at an angle of 27°, leadsto a larger room, called the King’s Chamber, in which is asarcophagus of red granite, 7 feet 4 inches by 3 feet, beingonly 3 inches less than the width of the door by which itwas admitted. At the bottom of the great gallery is thewell; and it was by this that the workmen descended,after they had closed the lower end of the upper passage,which was done with blocks of granite. And having gonedown by the well, and reached the lower passage, theyfollowed it upwards to the mouth, which they also closed.
Several other chambers and passages, hitherto undiscovered,no doubt exist in the upper part of the pyramid, and one seemsto be connected with the summit of the great gallery. Itappears to run upwards in a contrary direction to the north,from that end which is above the well; where a block, appa-rently of granite, projects at the complement of the usualangle of these passages. It probably turns afterwards, andextends in a southerly direction over the great gallery.Above what is called the King’s Chamber, is a low room,which should support another similar chamber, and the stoneat the south-west corner of it, has probably been let in afterthe workmen had closed the above-mentioned passage; so thatthis room served also as an outlet from the upper apartments,as the well from those about the great gallery.
The second pyramid stands at about a bow-shot from thefirst, towards the south. Herodotus says, after havingmeasured both, that it falls short of the other in magnitude ;that it has no subterraneous chambers, and that the Nile isnot conveyed into it by a channel, as into the former, but thatit is of equal altitude. Diodorus says it resembles the firstin architecture, but is inferior in magnitude ; each side of thebase containing a stadium, or 600 Grecian feet, in length, sothat by his computation each side is less than that of theformer in length by 100 feet. Pliny makes the differenceto be greater by 46 feet. Thevenot makes it but 631 feetsquare. Strabo supposes these pyramids to be equal; and
Greaves assures us, that the bases of both are ahhp T' fir 91 ’the height of the second is not inferior to that of ^ asThis pyramid is built of white stones, not near so ‘ ^tthose of the first: the sides do not rise with gradati 0 ^ ( j,eare smooth and equal, and the whole fabric, except ^ 0 (south side, is quite entire. On the North and 'W'est^ ^j gC e9this second pyramid are two very stately and elabora jnof architecture, about 33 feet in depth, and about aI ]dlength, cut out of the rock in a perpendicular dii' eC jpdginfj 5squared by a chisel; supposed to be designed for the 0<iof the Egyptian priests. The entrance to the in telthe north front. . 0 ut
The first passage is built of granite, the rest are c (■ thethe natural sandstone rock, which rises above the l e 4 feetbasis of the pyramid. This passage is 104 feet ^° n °’ n gle 0high, and 3 feet 6 inches wide ; descending at an °-
26°, at the bottom is a portcullis, beyond which is atal passage of the same height as the first, and at tof 22 feet, it descends in a different direction;
lion
dis tal
Ace
to
the
leading
passages below. Hence it re-ascends toward .centre of the pyramid, by a gallery 84 feet long, 6 fee ( t h«and 3.6 feet wide, leading to a chamber also cut out osolid rock. The chamber is 46 feet in length, J ee „ite.and 23.6 feet high, and contained a sarcophagus of S s jde-8 feet long, 3.6 feet wide, and 2.3 feet deep in tl' e jj e r^Returning from the chamber to the bottom ofa passage descends at an angle of 26° to the extent o ^feet, when it takes a horizontal direction for a lengt ^ jiiefeet ; it then ascends at the same angle, and proceedsbase of the pyramid, where another entrance is f° rHiethe outside. j g a
About the middle of the horizontal passage, ‘he feetdescent into another chamber, which is 32 feet long,wide, and 8 feet 6 inches high. f a fur
The third pyramid stands” at about the distance oi ^long from the second, on an advantageous rising of tho ugJjso that at a distance it appears equal to the forme . ^()0
it is really much less and lower. Herodotus say 9 per-fect on every side, and to the middle, built of E* e «n dble. ~ . _r .fs ;
adds,
that the walla 6 same dimensions of its jstone, like Thebaic ,aised fifteen stories withmaterials as the ml,a “ ^ e ’ ai ! d tbe rest finished wit i , gpiece oC work them,), Pf ram,(ls are built with ; t!,afade, yet f ar excels exceede,i by the two former i« a *°„imagnificence of tl e L"!!? , ,n res P ect to tiie structure, (J)flnorth, the name o f m b6 ’’ and ‘hat on the side towardsthis inacriptio a has .■ yceri,lus > the founder, is engrave ’
‘he same effect, e™ t 7 ff° ed
between the an<r] Pa ^ ‘ ia ‘ he makes this pyramid 3
Dr Q) g
ev er finisheV^Dno"^’ t! ‘ at neitber of these pyra^^dshould have bee/fil| S 'rl' ? t,lat . the steps already meneach side of ed “P Wlf h prismatical stones,
that of Cestius at Rom™^ mi oht he smooth and le'’
Pyramid ' applet " C ',' Ption of Mail,et and Savaf D ° fn>!U 'ble, and thna n . ,’ ave been covered with a c thu f
it has been si nr a on the outside, but closed; g (,ut
orcibly opened, and the stones w 1 j )ee ii- - size, hate
' * nd . n 4
the passage, and were of an enormous ^^le, jin 1removed. This passage was composed o „ oe st v ? 11stones which form its four sides are of 11hardest marble. 0 f the P^ a dot° 3
The ancients inform us, that the st0 ”f t a0 d ly vt e * e
were brought from the mountains of Aia 1 ^pjcb ‘ a
(lib. ii. c. 124.) lias described the manner i ^ e y W erconveyed; but Dr. Shaw imagines, tuo