E G Y P T. 



397 



Pyramids 

 rf Egypt. 



Statistics to the Emperor Dioclesian, under the government of 

 "^"Y"*' Pontius, the prefect of the country. Ignorance might 

 ascribe its origin to different persons of note, and flattery 

 might dedicate the building to persons of influence or 

 authority, in the same manner as Sonnini indulged a 

 hope, that the pillar in question might in time be de- 

 nominated the pillar of the French. But why should 

 not the name lead us to the founder ? It is called the 

 pillar of Pompey, and might be erected to his memory ; 

 for we know that Ctcsar not only lamented his death, 

 but ordained honours to his memory, and, by the assist- 

 ance of Cleopatra, his favourite, he might easily ac- 

 complish the thing which he desired, although ex- 

 pensive and superb. But Dr White of Oxford sup- 

 poses, that it was originally connected with the temple 

 of the god Serapis ; and if his conjecture be true, its 

 erection must have been in the time of the Ptolemies, 

 and it might afterwards be named in honour of Pompey ; 

 and his head, which was presented to Caesar, might be 

 deposited there, and the building afterwards held sacred 

 to his name. 



The vaults in Alexandria are monuments of ancient 

 designs for public convenience. The celebrated well 

 of Joseph, at Grand Cairo, is of the same description; 

 and the mikkeas at Roda for measuring the risings of 

 the Nile, is a building of considerable elegance, and a 

 remnant of the Saracen grandeur. 



The pyramids of Egypt have been more taken notice 

 of than any other ancient monuments of that country. 

 Of the various pyramids of Giza, on the.Lybian side of 

 the hill, and nearly opposite to Grand Cairo, there are 

 three, which, for their size and notoriety, more especial- 

 ly demand our attention. The height of the highest 

 has been differently represented, and owing to incor- 

 rectness, or different standards of measure, it has been 

 'tiiti-d at all the gradations from about eight hundred 

 to five hundred feet. But perhaps the height of the 

 three greatest pyramids may be stated in the following 

 manner : the first at 477 feet high, founded by Cheops; 

 the second at 428 feet, ascribed to Chefrenes ; and the 

 third, which Miserinus is supposed to have built, is 

 about 160 feet high. St Peter's church at Rome is 

 4-37 feet high, and therefore is 4O feet lower than the 

 highest pyramid of Memphis. St Paul's, in London, is 

 iil feet in height, and consequently is 133 feet lower 

 than the first pyramid, and 93 feet lower than St Peter's 

 church at Rome. The stones of the pyramids are sha- 

 ped in the form of prisms, and there are various passages 

 and chambers within ; at least such have been found in 

 the largest one at Gi/a. 



Further to the south there are other pyramids, which 

 shoot far into the deserts of Lybia, and are generally 

 called the pyramids of Saccara. These erections appear 

 to be more ancient than those about Giza. They are 

 less perfect, and some of them are formed of unburned 

 bricks. The most ancient bricks of Egypt were only 

 dried by the heat of the sun ; and that they might stick 

 more closely together, the clay was mixed with chopped 

 Ktraw ; and hence the Israelites, while in slavery in 

 Egypt, made use of straw in making bricks. There 

 are also pyramids in India, and one at Benares is form- 

 ed of earth and covered with bricks. A pyramid at 

 Mtilun, in Egypt, is formed of different stories, every 

 one less than another, as it rises in height ; and in this 

 manner, it is said that the followers of Buddha con- 

 structed their pyramids in India. Such was the form 

 also of the tower of Babel. The antiquity of the pyra- 

 mids is not easily ascertained, and Diodorus Siculus 

 that in bis time some of them were 1000 and 



others 3400 years old. Neither arc men agreed in their Statistic. 

 conjectures about the original design for which the N *^"Y" 1 '' 

 pyramids were built. The greater number are of opi- 

 nion, that they were erected for the tombs of kings and 

 conquerors, which should hand down their memory to 

 the lr,test posterity, and preserve their remains inviolate. 

 Others have imagined, that they were meant for altars 

 of the gods, and that their tapering form was in imita- 

 tion of flame, as the Persians and other nations worship- 

 ped fire. It is well known, that the Brahmins consider 

 them as connected with religious ceremonies. While 

 others imagine that they were constructed as a perma- 

 nent memorial of the proper length of the cubit, of 

 which it is said, that all their dimensions contain a cer- 

 tain number of multiples. But one thing is certain, 

 that they were constructed on scientifical principles, 

 and give evidence of a certain progress in astronomy ; 

 for their sides are accurately adapted to the four cardi- 

 nal points. 



The present inhabitants of Egypt may be divided The people 

 into Copts, Beduin Arabs, Mamelukes, Europeans, Mus- ol Egypt, 

 sulmans, and Jews. The Copts are descended from 

 the original inhabitants of the country, who in early 

 times dwelt in caves, and their descendants are very 

 different in their appearance from the native Africans. 

 Their eyes are dark, and the nose frequently aquiline ; 

 and though the hair be sometimes curled, yet they are 

 evidently a different race of people from the negroes. 

 The present Coptish race have a dusky complexion like 

 the Arabs or Indians, and seem to be the same race of 

 people as those of which the mummies are preserved. 

 The Egyptians, and the people of Hindostan, appear to 

 have one common origin. The Persians and Indians, 

 the people of Egypt and Ethiopia, are said to be de- 

 scendants of Ham, the son of Noah. Different sons of 

 that patriarch are thought to have separated into 

 Ethiopia, India, and Egypt, &c. ; while others main- 

 tain, that the latter country was peopled from Hindos- 

 tan. Several circumstances point out the Persian Irac, 

 and the high country above Thibet, together with other 

 adjoining places, as the regions of the world which 

 were most early inhabited, and from which the people 

 sprung who settled in Egypt, India, and other early 

 civilized countries of the Kast. 



Egypt having suffered so many changes of circum- 

 stances and masters, was exposed to the intrusion of 

 different people ; and we have found, that its present 

 inhabitants are of different nations. The Beduins are 

 a wandering class of Arabs, distinguished from their 

 countrymen, who have become stationary in some situa- 

 tion or other, and join in trade, or in cultivating the 

 fields and other arts of life. The Beduin Arabs are still 

 in the pastoral state, like die patriarchs of old ; but 

 they have not their simple and pure manners, nor the 

 mural and religious principles for which the Jewish 

 patriarchs were renowned. Many relics of ancient ha- 

 bits are still preserved among the Beduins, but they 

 are a predatory race of people, and stand much in need 

 of religion, good laws, and civilized usages. They 

 chiefly dwell in the higher parts of Egypt, removing 

 their tents and their herds, their cuttle and their ca- 

 mels, to the vicinity of wells or streams of water, where 

 they find drink, as well as better pasture ; and at cer- 

 tain seasons they are permitted, upon specified condi- 

 tions, to descend into the lower parts of Egypt, where 

 their herds feed on the luxuriance of the Delta ; but 

 they never penetrate far into the country, for they are 

 always ready to dart into the wilderness, when they 

 have committed any act of violence or injustice, which 



