602 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1818. 



tion above described, shows not 

 on its surface the waving flowery 

 grain by which it is distinguished. 

 If that is the case, it would 

 seem, that the clay corroding 

 only the impure particles of the 

 composition, leaves the veins of 

 steel in all their doublings ex- 

 posed to the view, and in a flight 

 degree to the touch. 



PYRAMID OF CHEFREM OPENED 

 BY M. BELZONI. 



(From the same.) 



" On my return to Cairo, I 

 again went to visit the celebrated 

 pyramids of Ghiza ; and on view- 

 ing that of Cephrenes, I could 

 not help reflecting how many tra- 

 vellers of different nations, who 

 had visited this spot, contented 

 themselves with looking at the 

 outside of this pyramid, and went 

 away without inquiring whether 

 any, and what chambers exist 

 within it; satisfied, perhaps, with 

 the report of the Egyptian 

 priests, « that the pyraniid of 

 Cheops only contained chambers 

 in its interior.' I then began to 

 consider about the possibility of 

 opening this pyramid. The at- 

 tempt was perhaps presumptuous; 

 and the risk of undertaking such 

 an immense work without success 

 deterred me in some degree from 

 the enterprize. I am not certain 

 whether love for antiquity, an 

 ardent curiositj', or ambition, 

 spurred me on most in spite of 

 every obstacle, but I determined 

 at length to commence the opera- 

 tion. I soon discovered the same 

 indications which had led to the 

 development of the six tombs of 

 the kings in Thebes, and which 

 induced me to begin the opera- 



tion on the north side. It is 

 true, the situations of the tombs 

 at Thebes, their form and epochs, 

 are so very different from those 

 of the pyramids, that many points 

 of observation made with regard 

 to the former, could not apply to 

 the latter; yet I perceived enough 

 to urge me to the enterprize. I 

 accordingly set out from Cairo 

 on the 6th of February 1818, 

 under pretence of going in quest 

 of some antiquities at a village 

 not far off, in order that I might 

 not be disturbed in my work by 

 the people of Cairo. 1 then re- 

 paired to the Kaiya Bey, and 

 asked permission to work at the 

 pyramid of Ghiza in search of 

 antiquities. He made no objec- 

 tion, but said that he wished to 

 know if there was any ground 

 about the pyramid fit for tillage ; 

 I informed him that it was all 

 stones, and at a considerable dis- 

 tance from any tilled ground. 

 He nevertheless persisted in in- 

 quiring of the Caschief of the pro- 

 vince, if there was any good 

 ground near the pyramids ; and, 

 after receiving the necessary in- 

 formation, granted my request. 



" Having thus acquired per- 

 mission, I began my labours on 

 the 10th of February, at a point 

 on the north side in a vertical sec- 

 tion at right angles to that side of 

 the base. I saw many reasons 

 against my beginning there, but 

 certain indications told me that 

 there was an entrance at that 

 spot. I employed sixty labouring 

 men, and began to cut through 

 the mass of stones and cement 

 which had fallen from the upper 

 part of the pyramid, but it was so 

 hard joined together, that the 

 men spoiled several of their 



hatchets 



