ANNUAL RECORD OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY 



RESEARCHES IN THE GREAT PYRAMID. 



The investigations that have of late years been made into 

 the mysteries of the Great Pyramid of Ghizeb, have received 

 a great impetus from the accurate measurements and studious 

 labors of Professor Piazzi Smythe, director of the observatory 

 at Edinburgh. Professor H. L. Smith has also taken up the 

 subject, and communicates to the Journal of Science many 

 interesting comparisons and coincidences that have occurred 

 to him, his reports being based mostly upon the measure- 

 ments of his predecessors. Professor Smith has opened a 

 new path of investigation in giving special attention to the 

 "Queen's Chamber," as distinguished from the so-called 

 " King's Chamber," and the passages leading thereto, on 

 which Piazzi Smythe and others bestowed most of their 

 study. It may be known to some of our readers that on en- 

 tering the Pyramid at the opening most easily accessible to 

 visitors, one passes down nearly to the level of the base of 

 the monument, and then rises at an equal angle to the level 

 of the King's Chamber. Half-way up the ascent to this 

 chamber we proceed along a horizontal passage-way to the 

 Queen's Chamber, which is situated more nearly in the very 

 heart of the structure. While Professor Smith is very cau- 

 tious in expressing any opinion as to the original design of 

 the Pyramid, we may safely conclude that he is almost per- 

 suaded to believe that the Great Pyramid was designed for 

 the preservation of certain important metrological standards, 

 and for the purpose of perpetuating in stone to all time some 

 remarkable astronomical truths and hio;h mathematical cal- 

 dilations. As to the source whence the builders of the Pyr- 

 amid derived their knowledge we can only speculate; yet 

 it seems necessary to admit the fact that they actually were 

 in possession of it, whether as the result of their own unaid- 

 ed investigations, or actually given to them by inspiration. 

 The unit of measure adopted by the Pyramid builders seems 

 to have differed but very little from the British inch 926 

 British inches being equal to 925 Pyramid inches. The an- 

 cient builders appear to have endeavored to establish the 

 Pyramid exactly in latitude 30 ; and in their endeavor to 

 do so have found it necessary to extend to the northward 

 the boundary of the hill on which it was established, having 



