Briggs and Walmas in Cairo, came the next day to visit the pyramid, and,
having rummaged the rubbish inside of the sarcophagus, found a piece of
bone, which we supposed to belong to a human skeleton. On searching
farther, we found several pieces, which, having been sent to London,
proved to be the bones of a bull. Some consequential persons, however,
who would not scruple to sacrifice a point in history, rather than lose
a _bon mot_, thought themselves mighty clever in baptizing the said
bones those of a cow, merely to raise a joke. So much for their taste
for antiquity. It has been stated also, that it might be supposed these
large sarcophagi were made to contain the bones of bulls, as the
sarcophagus which we found in the tombs of the kings at Thebes was of
enormous size, and more fit for a bull than a human body. I cannot agree
in this opinion, however, for if the person who made the observation had
an opportunity of seeing and examining the cases and sarcophagi in which
the Egyptians were buried, he would find, that the better classes of
people had cases within cases, some nearly double the size requisite to
contain one person; and it is natural therefore to suppose, that the
kings of Egypt had more cases than one or two, consequently the
sarcophagus, which was the outer case, must have been much larger than
the rest, to contain them all.
Outside of the pyramid I observed the rock surrounding it on the north
and west sides to be on a level with the upper part of the chamber; and,
as the rock is evidently cut all round, it appeared to me, that the
stones taken from it must have been applied to the erection of the
pyramid. Accordingly I am of opinion, that the stones which seem to form
these enormous edifices were not all taken from the east side of the
Nile, as is supposed and mentioned by ancient writers. I cannot conceive
why the Egyptians should be thought so simple as to fetch stones at
seven or eight miles distance, and across the Nile, when they could have
them from much nearer points; indeed from the very spot where the
pyramids stand. It is evident, that stones of an enormous size have been
cut out of the very rocks around the pyramids; and for what purpose were
these stones extracted? It might as well be asserted, that they were cut
to build old Babylon of Egypt, or to fill up the vacancies in the
quarries of the Mokatam. If any traveller will go within less than half
a mile of the pyramids, particularly on the east and south sides, he may
see many places, where the rock has been formerly quarried to a great
length; and he will find that there is stone enough to build many other
pyramids if required. It is true, that Herodotus says, the stones to
erect the pyramids were brought from quarries on the other side of the
Nile; but I firmly believe he was misinformed on this subject, unless
what he asserts is to be understood of the granite alone which must have
been brought from Syene. And as to the causeways in front of the
pyramids, said to have been made to convey the stones for the erection
of these masses, I believe they were intended for the accommodation of
visitors, particularly at the time of high Nile; for if they were only
to convey stones, the labour of making them must have been nearly equal
to the erection of the pyramids.
So much has been already said about the pyramids, that very little is
left to observe respecting them. Their great appearance of antiquity
certainly leads us to suppose, that they must have been constructed at
an earlier period than any other edifices to be seen in Egypt. It is
somewhat singular, that Homer does not mention them; but this is no
proof, that they did not exist in his time; on the contrary, it may be
supposed they were so generally known, that he thought it useless to
speak of them. It appears, that in the time of Herodotus as little was
known of the second pyramid as before the late opening, with this
exception, that in his time the second pyramid was nearly in the state
in which it was left when closed by the builders, who must have covered
the entrance with the coating so that it might not be perceived. But at
the time I was fortunate enough to find my way into it, the entrance was
concealed by the rubbish of the coating, which must have been nearly
perfect at the time of Herodotus: notwithstanding this we were as much
in the dark in this present age, as he was in his. We know, however,
now, that it has been opened by some of the rulers or chiefs of Egypt; a
fact that affords no small satisfaction to the inquirer on the subject
of these monuments. Some persons, who would rather let this circumstance
remain in obscurity, regretted, that I should have found the inscription
on the wall, which proved it to have been opened at so late a period, as
very little more than a thousand years ago; but I beg them to recollect,
that the present opening has not only made known this very interesting
circumstance, but has thrown much light on the manner in which these
enormous masses were erected, as well as explained the purposes for
which they were made.
The circumstance of having chambers and a sarcophagus (which undoubtedly
contained the remains of some great personage), so uniform with those in
the other pyramid, I think leaves very little question, but that they
were erected as sepulchres; and I really wonder, that any doubt has ever
existed, considering what could be learned from the first pyramid, which
has been so long open. This contains a spacious chamber with a
sarcophagus; the passages are of such dimensions as to admit nothing
larger than the sarcophagus; they had been closely shut up by large
blocks of granite from within, evidently to prevent the removal of that
relic. Ancient authors are pretty well agreed in asserting, that these
monuments were erected to contain the remains of two brothers, Cheops
and Cephren, kings of Egypt. They are surrounded by other smaller
pyramids intermixed with mausoleums on burial-grounds. Many mummy pits
have been continually found there; yet with all these proofs, it has
been asserted, that they were erected for many other purposes than the
true one, and nearly as absurd as that they served for granaries.
Some consider them as built for astronomical purposes, but there is
nothing in their construction to favour this supposition. Others
maintain, that they were meant for the performance of holy ceremonies by
the Egyptian priests. Any thing, in short, for the sake of
contradiction, or to have something new to say, finds its advocate. If
the ancient authors had advanced, that they were erected for treasuries,
the moderns would have agreed perhaps more in conformity with the truth,
that they were made for sepulchres; and they would not have failed to
see plainly those circumstances, which clearly prove the facts, and
which are not noticed as they ought to be. I will agree with others thus
far, that the Egyptians, in erecting these enormous masses, did not fail
to make their sides due north and south, and consequently, as they are
square, due east and west. Their inclination too is such as to give
light to the north side at the time of the solstice. But even all this
does not prove in the least, that they were erected for astronomical
purposes; though it is to be observed, that the Egyptians connected
astronomy with their religious ceremonies, as we found various zodiacs,
not only among the temples, but in their tombs also.
By the measurement I took of the second pyramid I found it to be as
follows:
Feet.
The basis 684
Apotome or central line down the front, from the top to the basis 568
Perpendicular 456
Coating from the top to the place where it ends 140
The circumstance of not finding hieroglyphics in or out of it makes it
appear, that they were erected before this mode of writing was invented;
for, strange as it may seem, not a single hieroglyphic is found in all
these enormous masses. Yet I must beg leave to remark a circumstance,
which perhaps will lead to the conjecture, that it might not have been
the custom of the Egyptians in that part of the country, who might
perhaps be even of a different religion from their countrymen, to put
hieroglyphics on their monuments; for there are many mausoleums round
the pyramids, and some of them very extensive, without an hieroglyphic
to be seen within or without them; and I observed, that those which
contain chambers with hieroglyphics are evidently of a later date than
the former. All this would seem to prove, that till a certain period
subsequent to the building of the pyramids hieroglyphics were not known.
But what can be said when I assure the reader, that in one of these
mausoleums, which stands on the west of the first pyramid, and which is
so decayed that it has fallen in, and is in a very ruinous state, I saw
and made others observe some hieroglyphics and figures reversed in one
of the blocks, which formed that mausoleum; and the hieroglyphics so
preserved within, as if they were to be hidden from the view? It
certainly must be concluded, that this stone had been employed in a
building, which was adorned with hieroglyphics, and consequently proves
that they were known previous to the erection of these mausoleums,
though they were without any of these ornaments or inscriptions. This
being the case, it may be supposed, that the people, who built the
pyramids, were of the same way of thinking as those, who built the
mausoleums; consequently nothing can be inferred respecting the age of
the pyramids from the circumstance of their not having any
hieroglyphics.
It has been supposed, that the first pyramid, or that of Cheops, was not
coated. I must agree in this opinion, for there is not the slightest
mark remaining of any coating. As to the coating of the second pyramid,
I had an opportunity of investigating this subject in the excavation I
made on the east side of it, where I found the lower part as rough as
any of the upper, below the remaining coating, which confirms the
account of Herodotus in this respect, who says, that the coating was
begun from above; and I believe myself that it never was quite finished
to the basis, for if it had, I should have met with some below, as the
accumulation of rubbish over the basis would have kept the stones in
their places, or at least enough of them to show there was a coating, as
was the case in the third pyramid, of which I shall have to speak
presently.
It is supposed, that the inundation of the Nile surrounded the pyramids,
so that they remained like islands. I cannot say that it was not so, for
the situation of the pyramids is like an island of rocks, separated from
those on the west only by a valley of sand, which might naturally have
been accumulated by the wind in the course of so many centuries. I think
we cannot have a stronger proof of this than the sphinx itself, the
basis of which is so much below the present surface, that if all the
sand around the pyramids were removed on a level with it, I have no
doubt the Nile must run round them, which probably was the case in the
early ages.
Having thus finished my operation on the second pyramid, I felt a great
inclination to have a cursory view of the third. I observed, that some
one had made an attempt to penetrate it by excavations on the east side.
I commenced my labours on the north side, and, after removing a great
quantity of materials, found a considerable accumulation of enormous
blocks of granite, which had evidently formed the coating.—Proceeding
yet lower, as I cleared away the rubbish I found that part of the
coating still remained in its place down to the bases. The removal of
these blocks would evidently have brought me to the entrance into the
pyramid, but it required more money and time than I could spare.
By this time the consul, who was at Thebes, hearing of the opening of
the pyramid, wrote to me, that he was coming down the Nile; and at the
same time Lord Belmore and family arrived at Cairo. It is somewhat
singular, and I mention it with much satisfaction, that his Lordship
arrived at Thebes one month after my discovery of the celebrated tomb of
Psammuthis, and was the first British traveller who entered it. On his
return from Nubia, he arrived at Cairo a little more than a month after
my opening the second pyramid, and was the first British traveller who
entered this also. His Lordship and family had been at Thebes for some
time, and had accumulated no small collection of antiquities; indeed, I
esteem it the largest ever made by any occasional traveller. Dr.
Richardson had taken the opportunity of observing the ruins of ancient
Thebes at leisure; and I believe, by his minute remarks, he must have
made himself well acquainted with many interesting points not yet
explained, and I have no doubt his account will be highly interesting.
The Earl and family set off for Jerusalem by way of the Desert; and I
prepared for my departure for Thebes, my old residence, which I knew
better than any other place in Egypt. A few days after, the consul
arrived, and, in half an hour after him, Colonel Fitzclarence, with
despatches from India for England. The consul, Mr. Salt, would have been
kind enough to have paid all the expenses I had incurred in opening the
pyramid; but this I positively refused, as I thought it would not be
fair and right that he should pay for what he had nothing to do with.
I had the pleasure of accompanying the Colonel in a visit to the
pyramid, as described by himself in his account of his journey from
India to England through Egypt. He had suffered many hardships on his
journey, but did not appear fatigued in the least. His short stay in
Cairo did not permit me to write a full account of my labours; but at
night I made a hasty sketch as well as I could, and addressed it to the
Antiquarian Society of London, which he was kind enough to take to
England for me. Mr. Salt, the consul, took the same opportunity of
sending an official account of my operations in Egypt and Nubia to the
ministers in England, I suppose because he had no opportunity of sending
any correct account before that time.
My next and principal object was to make a small collection on my own
account, and to take drawings of the tomb of Psammuthis, with
impressions in wax of all the figures, emblems, and hieroglyphics, the
whole of which are in basso relievo; taking the colours exactly as in
the originals, so as to enable me to erect a facsimile in any part of
Europe. This project deserved my serious consideration, not only in
calculating the time that it would require to complete it, but the
expense I must incur. However, though I was only in Cairo, I did not
want means of finding supplies for what I intended to execute, and in a
few days all was ready for my departure on my third voyage up the Nile;
when, having arranged my affairs with the consul, I set off for my old
habitation among the tombs of Thebes.
END OF VOL. I.
LONDON:
PRINTED BY THOMAS DAVISON, WHITEFRIARS.
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TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES
● Typos fixed; non-standard spelling and dialect retained.
● Enclosed italics font in _underscores_.
● The caret (^) serves as a superscript indicator, applicable to
individual characters (like 2^d) and even entire phrases (like
1^{st}).