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EGYPT. 



endeavour, if possible, to mount up to the hole I had discovered at 

 the top of the gallery the last time I was there. For this purpose I 

 had made seven short ladders in such a manner as to fasten one to 

 another by means of four wooden pins, the whole together, when 

 joined, being about twenty-six feet long. As soon as the rubbish 

 was cleared from the strait passage at the bottom, I caused the 

 ladders to be brought in by two carpenters who accompanied me. 

 When they had conveyed them to the platform at the top of 

 the gallery, tying two long canes together, I placed a candle 

 at one end, and gave it to a servant to hold near the hole in 

 question. The platform being very small there was no thinking 

 of fixing the ladders on the ground, as it would have been very 

 difficult, not to say impossible to raise them. We took the only 

 method which seemed practicable ; namely, that of placing the first 

 ladder against the wall; two men raising it up, a third placed another 

 below it, and having fastened them together by the wooden pins, 

 the two together were raised from the ground, and the rest in the 

 same manner fixed one after another. The ladder entered enough 

 into the hole, when all parts were joined together, to prevent it 

 from sliding on the side of the gallery. I then instantly mounted, 

 and found a passage two feet four inches square, which turned 

 immediately to the right. I entered a little way, with my face on 

 the ground, but was obliged to retire, on account of the passage 

 being in a great measure choaked with dust, and bats' dung, 

 which, in some places, was near a foot deep. I first thought of 

 clearing it by throwing the dirt down into the gallery, but foreseeing 

 that this would be a work of some time, besides the inconvenience of 

 filling the gallery with rubbish, and perhaps rendering the de- 

 scent more difficult, I determined to make another effort to enter, 

 which was accompanied with more success than the first. I was ena- 

 bled to creep in, though with much difficulty, not only on account 

 of the lowness of the passage, but likewise the quantity of dust 

 which I raised. When I had advanced a little way, I discovered 

 what I supposed to be the end of the passage. My surprize was 



