PYRAMID. 
ascended, being the least damaged, but this 
part is exposed to the deserts of Libya, 
whence vast quantities of sand are driven 
by the wind against it, and the number of 
visible gradations are diminished by its 
accumulation ; it is, therefore, evident that 
all admeasurements should be inade at the 
opposite angle, where it is probable the rise 
in the eartli has been less considerable, and 
yet to arrive at any degree of accuracy 
that should be ascertained by digging. Stra- 
bo mentions that the stone which closed 
the entrance to the apartments within tlie 
pyramid, was situated nearly half way up 
one of the sides, were this the fact, a very 
great rise in the neighbouring earth must 
have occurred, as it now appears to be not 
more than 100 feet from the base. Hero- 
dotus informs us, that the great and next 
pyramid, in size, were covered with white 
marble j and Diodorus and Pliny supposed 
they were wholly formed of that rich mate- 
rial; enough still remains on both to con- 
firm the truth of the former assertion, 
which has escaped the labours of the Arabs, 
to whose indefatigable researches to dis- 
cover supposed treasures within, we are 
indebted for the finding the entrance to the 
passage, and that the pyramid was intend- 
ed as a sepulchral monument for the Egyp- 
tian princes. 
Denon, who accompanied the ever-me- 
morable expedition from France to Egypt, 
is the last visitor of the pyramids, and to 
him we are obliged for the following parti- 
culars of their present state. 
General Buonaparte had determined to 
examine the great pyramids of Gizeh, and 
ordered an escort of near 300 men, Denon 
had the address to become one of the party, 
and they proceeded on the undertaking 
rather late in the day, owing to the difficulty 
of assembling the persons who composed it. 
Boats were procured to convey them, and 
they passed through the inundating trenches 
of the Nile to the boundary of the desert, 
within half a league of the pyramids. As 
they approached them Denon perceived 
that their sloping and angular forms had the 
effect of reducing their real height, which 
the eye was thus prevented from measuring 
with accuracy ; besides as there are no 
other objects in their vicinity by which a 
comparison can be made, the mind is led to 
think of nature’s grandest production, the 
mountain, and in consequence, the pyramid 
shrinks into insignificance. This impression 
was, however, very soon effaced, for as 
Deiion advanced he saw an 100 persons 
assembled near the base, the deception in- 
stantly vanished, a comparison was formed, 
and the stupendous pile assumed all its ap- 
propriate majesty. 
The party ascended a small heap of rub- 
bish and sand, the probable remains of the 
trench of the first of these edifices which 
pi'esents itself, and now conducting to the 
opening through which it may be reached ; 
this aperture, said by Denon to be about 
60 feet from the base, is hidden by a general 
facing of stone, forming the third or inner 
enclosure to the solitary entrenchment sur- 
rounding the pyramid. Large stones are 
laid horizontally on the sides of the en- 
tiance, and above those are others of enor- 
mous size, fitted at the ends so as to lean 
against each othfer, by this means rendering 
their fall or derangement impossible through 
the superincumbent weight. Hence com- 
mences the first gallery wdth a direction to- 
wards the centre and base of the monu- 
ment; this gallery is now greatly clogged 
with the drifted sand of the desart, and the 
rubbish originally made hy the efforts to 
explore the secrets of the edifice, it is con- 
sequently difficult of access. “ At the ex- 
tremity of this gallery,” says Denon, “ two 
large blocks of granite are met with, which 
form a second partition to this mysterious 
passage.” The interruption made by those 
in the progress of past research was such, 
that various fruitless attempts have been 
made to surmount the impediment, and 
some have even had the folly to cut into 
the solid mass composing the pyramid, “ but 
this proving unsuccessful they have return- 
ed some way, have passed round two blocks 
of stone, climbed over them, and thus dis- 
covered a second gallery of so steep an 
ascent that it has been necessary to hew 
steps in the ground in order to mount it. 
This gallery leads to a kind of landing-place 
in which is a hole usually called the well, 
which is the opening to an horizontaf gal- 
lery leading to a chamber known by the 
name of the queen’s chamber, without 
ornament, cornice, or any inscription what- 
ever. 
“ Returning to the landing-place, an aper- 
ture, in a pei peudicular direction, leads to 
the principal gallery, and this terminates in 
a second landing-place where a third and 
last partition is situated ; as this is con- 
structed with a greater degree of architec- 
tural care and propriety than the rest of 
the building, it may be inferred that the 
Egyptians considered it proper to guard the 
immediate deposit of their dead with pecu- 
liar attention. 
“ Lastly comes the royal chamber, con- 
