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of Edinburgh, Session 1867 - 68 . 
the base of the Great Pyramid, even before they knew that the 
terminal points of those magnificent base lines had been carefully 
marked in the solid rock of the hill by the socket-holes of the 
builders.” But — as in the case of the cubic capacity of the coffer 
these measurers sadly disagree with each other in their measure- 
ments, which, in fact, but vary from some 7500 or 8000 inches to 
9000 and upwards. Thus, for example, Strabo makes it under 600 
Grecian feet, or under 7500 English inches ; Dr Shawe makes it 
8040 inches ; Shelton makes it 8184 inches ; Greaves, 8316 ; Davi- 
son, 8952; Caviglia, 9072; the French academicians, 9163; Dr 
Perry, 9360, &c., &c. 
At the time at which Professor Smyth was living at the pyra- 
mid, Mr Inglis, of Glasgow, visited it, and, for correct measure- 
ment, laid bare for the first time the four corner sockets. Mr 
Inglis’ measurements not only differed from all the other measure- 
ments of “ one-side” baselines made before him, but he makes 
the four sides differ from each other; one of them — namely, the 
north side — being longer than the other three. Strangely, Pro- 
fessor Smyth, though in Egypt for the purpose of measuring 
the different parts of the pyramid — and holding that its base 
line ought to be our grand standard of measure,-— and further 
holding that the base line could only be accurately ascertained by 
measuring from socket to socket — never attempted that linear 
measurement himself after the sockets were cleared. These four 
corner sockets were never exposed before in historic times ; and it 
may be very long before an opportunity of seeing and using them 
again shall ever be afforded to any other measurers. 
Before the corner sockets were exposed, Professor Smyth at- 
tempted to measure the bases, and made each side of the present 
masonry courses “between 8900 and 9000 inches in length,” or 
(to use his own word) “ about ” 8950 inches for the mean length 
of one of the four sides of the base ; exclusive of the ancient 
casing and backing stones — which last Colonel Howard Yyse 
found and measured to be precisely 108 inches on each side, or 
216 on both sides. These 216 inches, added to Professor Smyth’s 
measure of “ about ” 8950 inches, makes one side 9166 inches. But 
Professor Smyth has “ elected ” (to use his own expression) not to 
take the mathematically exact measure of the casing stones as 
