"I engaged two Arabs to conduct me to the summit, one an old man, the other about forty, both of a mould which, for combination of strength and agility, I never saw surpassed. We soon turned to the north, and finally that part where the outer casing still remains on the west side. All this was very laborious, though not very dangerous. But here was an obstacle that I knew not how the guides themselves could surmount, much less how I could possibly master; for above our heads jutted out like an eave or coping the lower stones of the coating, which still remain, and retain a smooth polished surface. As considerable precaution was necessary, the guides made me take off my hat, coat, and shoes at this place. The younger then placed his raised and extended hands against the projecting edge of the lower stone, which reached to above his chin; and the elder, taking me up in his arms as I would a child, placed my feet on the other's shoulders, and my body flat on the smooth surface of the stone. In this position we formed an angle with each other, and here I remained full two minutes, till the old man went round, and by some other means contrived to get over the projection, when, creeping along the line of the junction of the casing, he took my hands, drew me up to where he was above me, and then, letting down his girdle, assisted to mount up the younger, but less active and less daring climber of the two. We then proceeded much as follows: one of them got on the shoulders of the other, and so gained the joining of the stone above, which was often five feet asunder; the upper man then helped me in a similar action, while the lower pushed me up by the feet. Having gained this row, we had often to creep for some way along the

joining to where another opportunity for ascending was afforded. In this way we proceeded to the summit ; and some idea of my feelings may be formed, when it is recollected that all these stones, of such a span, are highly polished, are set at an angle of forty-five degrees, and that the places we had to grip with our hands and feet were often not two inches wide, and their height above the ground four hundred feet. A single slip of the foot, and we must all three have been dashed to atoms long before we reached the ground. On gaining the top, my guides gave vent to sundry demonstrations of satisfaction, clapping me on the back, patting my head, and kissing my hands. From all this I began to suspect something wonderful had been achieved; and some idea of my perilous situation broke upon me when I saw my friends beneath waving their hats, and looking up with astonishment, as we sat perched upon the top, which is not more than six feet square. apex stone is off, and it now consists of four outer slabs and one in the centre, which is raised up on its end, and leans to the eastward. I do not think that human hands could have raised it thus from its bed, on account of its size, and the confined space they would have to work in. I am inclined to think the top was struck by lightning, and the position thus altered by it. The three of us had just room to sit upon the place. The heat was intense, and the stones so hot, that it was unpleasant to sit very long, and it would be dangerous to attempt to stand. The descent was, as might be expected, much more dangerous, though not so difficult. The guides tied a long sash under my arms, and so let me slide down from course to course of these covering stones, which are of

The

yellowish limestone, somewhat different from the material of which the steps are composed, and totally distinct from the rock of the base or the coating of the passages."

Dr.

The discoveries made by the Prussian expedition, under Dr. Lepsius, and which have been but recently made known, are of a most astonishing character. The tombs at the foot of the great pyramid, till this investigation, were very imperfectly known, all preceding travellers having but slightly examined them. Lepsius has examined forty-five out of eighty-two he had marked for search, and of these, nearly all were built either during or soon after the construction of the great pyramid, and therefore afford a regular series of dates, of inestimable value, for the knowledge of the oldest determinable civilization of the human race. The architecture of the time is fully developed, as already mentioned; sculpture of whole figures of all sizes, in high and low relief, occurs in surprising abundance. The painting, on walls of the finest lime coating, is often beautiful beyond conception, and in some cases is perfect, and as fresh as if done yesterday. The most magnificent of the tombs were for the families of the kings near whose pyramids they lie, and one buried in the sand is devoted to a son of Cheops. The series of tombs furnishes us with a pedigree of the distinguished families of royalty and nobility of the land. Sir G. Wilkinson had previously expressed his belief, from an examination of one of these tombs, that these sculptures and buildings were the oldest in Egypt.

The pyramid of Mycerinus, or third in size, differs from the other two, being built in almost perpendicular

degrees, to which a sloping face has been afterwards added. The outer coating was of red granite, much of which still remains. Pliny remarks, that the third, though smaller than the other two, was much more elegant, from the Ethiopian stone that clothed it. Blocks and fragments of this granite coating lie scattered about its base. This pyramid was opened by Col. Howard Vyse in 1838, and the coffin and remains of Mycerinus may now be seen in the British Museum. Thus the ghastly remnants of the mortality of one of the great potentates of this earth are now exposed, to the eye of the stranger, dropping away into dust, after a calm and undisturbed entombment of thirtynine centuries. Diodorus informs us that the name of Mycerinus was written on its north face. The height of this pyramid is 174 feet, the side of the base 330 feet.

A fourth pyramid stands south of the third: the base of it is about 130 feet. When the French were in Egypt they attempted to demolish it, but their illdirected efforts proved unsuccessful. Two pyramids to the west of this, similar to the Mexican pyramids, of which hereafter, consist each of four receding platforms, and are ascended by high, narrow steps: on the summit is a platform. There are three small pyramids on the east side of the larger pyramid; the centre one of these is that which Herodotus says was built by the daughter of Cheops.

There are some large pyramids at Sakkára; the base of the largest is 656 feet, and 340 feet high. It is built in degrees, or receding platforms; it has a hollow dome supported by wooden rafters. At the end of the passage opposite to the entrance of this dome is a small

chamber, and on the doorway are some hieroglyphics. The room is lined with blue slabs of vitrified porcelain, similar to what we term Dutch tiles.

Near to the eastward is a vaulted tomb of the second Psammeticus, of hewn stone, the oldest stone arch hitherto discovered, having been erected 600 B.C.

At Dashour, also, there are some large pyramids ; the base of one on each side is 700 feet, a perpendicular of 343 feet, and 154 steps. It has some portion of the outer covering remaining on the top. The entrance is on the northern side, and it has a principal chamber and some smaller chambers and passages, similar to those described in the great pyramid, at Jizeh. Another pyramid has a base of 600 feet; at a height of 184 feet the plane of the side is changed, and a new plane of smaller inclination completes the pyramid. The platform is 30 feet square. This pyramid is built of a hard white stone; its sides face the cardinal points. It was entered in 1760 by a Mr. Melton, who found a single chamber in it. Near these is a large pyramid built of sun-dried bricks, made of loam and chopped

straw.

There are some small pyramids at Thebes, in which the central chambers have vaulted roofs. From the style of the frescoes in these, Sir Gardiner Wilkinson judges their date to be as far back as 1260 B.C.

In Nubia there are at least eighty pyramids, but they are generally of small dimensions. At Assur, near the Nile, there are some of large size; they are built of sandstone, with a propyla, or porch, adorned with sculptures. There is no account of any of them having ever been entered. The sides do not face the cardinal points. There are also some pyramids at a