SACARA. 



363 



on which the pyramids are built. Behind this place we rode up a 

 rising ground, leading to an opening between the hills. In ten 

 minutes we reached the catacombs of birds. Mr. M. was escorted 

 here by above 100 Arab horsemen ; most of them armed with a 

 long spear ; some with fire arms. As men had been sent out the 

 night before to clear the mouth of the pit from the sand, we found 

 when we arrived that they had placed a tree across the top of it, to 

 which they fixed the rope of cords made by order of Mr. M. in 

 Cairo. The pit we found twenty-two feet deep the descent was 

 bad, on account of the sand and stones which fell from above. 

 Here lighting our candles, we crept on our faces through a long 

 passage choked up with dirt and broken pots ; we then turned to 

 the right, where we could easily walk without stooping. On each 

 side of the passage are large rooms, in which the jars containing the 

 bird mummies were formerly planed. We found some that were 

 almost filled with them. We took the dimensions of all these places 

 foot by foot. They are entirely cut out of the rock, but less 

 magnificent than those at Alexandria. We then went a little further 

 west, where there seems to be a grand entrance to some tomb ; 

 the mouth of it is formed of four or five very large white stones, 

 finely ornamented with hieroglyphics in relievo.* Mr. M. gave 

 orders to have this cleared as much as possible for the next day. 



9th. — Went out this morning with Mr. Varsy, and copied the 

 hieroglyphics. 



10th. — We went early to Sacara, which is an hour and a quarter 

 distant to the S.W. At^ten o'clock we set out for the pyramids, and 

 in about an hour's time we came to the furthest but one.f It is no 

 less than 700 feet square. It is the largest of all the range of pyramids 

 at Sacara and Dashour. The perpendicular height is 343 feet ; there 

 are in all 154 steps. In that side which faces the north, 180 feet up, 



* Some figures in relief on obelisks are mentioned by Niebuhr, i. 167. 

 j- Called in Pococke " The great pyramid to the north." 



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