ending portion of the channel, which had apparently 
en during the construction, and amongst this déris 
were found the granite ball and the piece of wooden rod 
and fragments. There was no indication of any draught 
in this north channel, and indeed the untarnished 
- 
Fic. 1 —Bronze hook. 
Lh 
No trace of any outlet or opening to either channel 
could be discovered on the exterior of the Pyramid. 
Experiments were made by firing a pistol in the venti- 
lating channel of the King’s Chamber, at the same time 
holding a lighted candle at the opening of the channel in 
the Queen’s Chamber, and wice versd, with the view of 
ascertaining if there was any communication between 
| them ; but no such connection could be perceived. 
| - Some borings were also made in the stones of the east 
and west walls of the Queen’s Chamber, but without 
finding any cavity behind them.: The discovery of these 
channels, which may be called: “ Dixon’s Channels,” in 
no way tends as yet to solve the enigma of the Queen’s 
Chamber, but rather to increase the difficulties of the 
solution. The mystery of the interior of the Great 
Pyramid remains still to be fathomed. 
1. The bronze hook (Fig. 1) is covered with green 
oxide of copper, but a small notch recently made in it 
with a file shows it to be of bronze or gun metal. The 
two pins have a large rivetted head on both sides, Its 
length is 1°8 inch, and the distance from the two ex- 
tremities of the hooks is two inches. With a wooden 
handle attached by the two pins, it may have been used 
as a tool of some kind. It is probably the most ancient 
specimen of bronze now existing. 
State of its walls, when opened, afforded the strongest | 
proof that it was securely closed up. Hence the certain 
antiquity of the granite ball and wooden rod, 
2. The fragment of the cedar rod (Fig. 2) is 5 inches 
in length, with a rectangular section of o°5 inch by o4 
inch. Its sides are not accurately planed, and they bear 
parallel lines like file marks, It may possibly have formed 
art of a measure of length ; or it may have been part of 
e handle of the bronze hook, the remaining fragments 
showing that it must have been at least 3 inches longer. 
Ti ae gre no lines or marks upon it indicating a measure 
of length. 
3. The gray granite ball (Fig. 3) has a mean diameter of 
2} inches. Its form is that of an orange squeezed somewhat 
out of its natural shape. Its greatest diameter is 2°88 
Inches, and its least 2°65 inches. Its surface is uneven, 
shows no mark of any tool, and it presents the ap- 
arance of having been roughly rounded by being shaken | 
a vessel with other stones. On the surface when found 
were several white spots of lime or plaster. In this con- 
ition it has been accurately weighed in the Standards 
Jepartment, and its weight was found to be 8,324'97 
r After this weighing, the lime or plaster was care- 
lly removed and preserved, when the weight of the 
ite ball was found to be 8,322"4 grains, equivalent to 
539°282 metric grammes. : 
it next remained for consideration how far the weight 
Of this granite ball, which must have remained undis- 
turbed in the Great Pryamid for not much less than 
000 years (the date more generally ascribed to the 
struction of the Great Pyramid, being 2200 B.c.) agrees 
With any of the ancient Egyptian weights. 
_ According to Dr. Arbuthnot, as quoted by Dr. Young 
| his article “ Weights” in the Enclycopzedia Britannica, 
’ the ancient Egyptian Mina weighed 8,236 English grains, 
_ Or 532°683 grammes, thus differing not very much from 
at of the granite ball. But later authorities do not 
gree with this weight of the Egyptian Mina. According 
them the ancient weight nearest to that of the ball is 
the Babylonian Mina=544'5 grammes. 
~ Prof. Miller, inhis account of the New Standard Pound, 
Fig. 2.— Fragment of cedar rod. 
(p. 755) has shown that in frequent instances, the Imperial 
modern pound, or unit of weight, differs very little from, 
and is therefore derived from, the ancient Egyptian 
Fic, 3.—Gray granite ball. 
Mina. It may therefore be interesting to pursue the 
inquiry more closely. 
Perhaps the fullest account of ancient ,weights and 
