126 OBSERVATIONS EEGAEDING PYRAMID NUMBERS. 



measurements give a length of 9,137 inches, or 36,648 inchesfor 

 the circuit of the four sides. Ferguson's, Dufell's, and Colonel 

 Howard Vyse's measurements of height are the most reliable, 

 and they only vary between 460| feet and 456 feet, or 5,472 

 English inches. Broadly speaking therefore its circuit re- 

 presents about 100 inches for each day in the year, and its 

 height almost exactly fibs, of its side base. The orientation 

 or eastward aspect is almost true, being for South-East, 

 4- -1 for North-East, + -1 for South-West, and + •0-636 for 

 North- West. Subsequent settlement or earth tremors might 

 easily account for these minute divergences from absolutely 

 true orientation. 



While rejecting the many fanciful interpretations of 

 mystical writers drawn from known facts with respect to 

 shape, dimensions, measurements, and orientation, I have long 

 been convinced by the reasoning of sober minded investi- 

 gators that the principal characteristics were probably 

 determined as a base or fixed standard for measures, 

 of space and capacity; and if so, the shape and 

 dimensions themselves might have been suggested to the 

 skilled geometricians of the time by reference to some 

 astronomical fact of importance known to them, in conjunction 

 with significant properties of number and proportion dis- 

 covered by them to belong to the structure of cubes in 

 pyramidal form. That men who taught the modern world 

 mensuration and astronomy, should strive to attain a sure 

 method for securing uniformity in standards as applied to 

 weights and measurements, is a most reasonable supposition. 

 That these standards should be symbolised by some 

 striking or well-known astronomical fact, is in the 

 highest degree probable, and corresponds exactly with the 

 idea of the French astronomers, who determined the length 

 of their metre in relation to the ascertained length of a. 

 meridian line drawn from the Pole to the Equator. (The 

 metre representing the tenth millionth, or 39 '37079 English 

 inches ; the centimetre being one hundredth of a metre. The 

 gramme or standard of weight is derived from the centimetre,. 

 i.e., a cubic centimetre of distilled water at the temperature 

 of maximum density, nearly equal to "0022054 of an English 

 avoirdupois pound, or 15,438 English grains.) 



Impressed with this idea, and with the conviction that the 

 Egyptian builders were adepts in the construction of models, 

 I sought to obtain some light upon these matters by studying 

 the numerical combinations of simple cubes built upon the 

 pyramid type. I was guided to a considerable extent in these 

 investigations by the wide prevalence of multiples of 7, 12, and 

 10, in the existing subdivisions of time, space, weight and value. 

 How has it come about, for example, that a certain sacredness 

 attaches to the number 7 ? Why was the important division 



