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Remarkable Form of one of the Pyramids of Saccára.

CHAP. V.

PYRAMIDS OF SACCARA.

Illustrious Travellers who have visited the Pyramids-Audience of the Vizier-Voyage to Saccára-Nocturnal Festivities of an Arab Village -Appearance of the Country to the South of Cairo-Indigofera-Situation of MemphisTumulus seen among the Pyramids-The most antient Sepulchres not pyramidal-Village of Saccara-Difference between the Pyramids of Saccára and those of Djiza-Descent into the Catacombs-Notion founded on a passage in Herodotus-Evidence for the Horizontal Position of the Bodies-Difficulty of ascertaining the truth-Repository of Embalmed Birds-Cause of their Interment-Hieroglyphic Tablet-Antelope- Antiquities found by the Arabs-Horses of the Country-Theft detected-History of the Pyramids

VOL. V.

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Pyramids-Manner of the Investigation-Age of those Structures--Their Sepulchral OriginPossible Cause of the Violation of the principal Pyramid-Historical Evidence concerning the building of Pyramids in Egypt-Further view of the subject-Hermetic Stéla-Mexican Pyramids.

CHAP. IT is impossible to leave the Pyramids of Djiza without some notice of the long list of PhilosoIllustrious phers, Marshals, Emperors, and Princes, who,

Travellers

who have in so many ages, have been brought to view the

visited the

Pyramids. most wonderful of the works of man.

There

has not been a conqueror pre-eminently distinguished in the history of the world, from the days of Cambyses down to the invasion of Napoleon Buonaparte, who withheld the tribute of his admiration from the Genius of the place. The vanity of Alexander the Great was so piqued by the overwhelming impression of their majesty, that nothing less than being ranked among the Gods of Egypt could elevate him sufficiently above the pride of the monarchs by whom they were erected. When Germanicus had subdued the Egyptian empire, and seated "a Roman præfect upon the splendid throne of the Ptolemies," being unmindful of repose or of triumph, the antiquities of the country engaged

V.

all his attention'. The humblest pilgrim, pacing CHAP. the Libyan sands around them, while he is conscious that he walks in the footsteps of so many mighty and renowned men, imagines himself to be for an instant admitted into their illustrious conclave. Persian satraps, Macedonian heroes, Grecian bards, sages, and historians, Roman warriors, all of every age, and nation, and religion, have participated, in common with him, the same feelings, and have trodden the same ground. Every spot that he beholds, every stone on which he rests his weary limbs, have witnessed the coming of men who were the fathers of law, of literature, and of the arts. Orpheus, Musaus, Homer, Lycurgus, Solon, Pythagoras, Plato, Plutarch, contributed by their presence to the dignity of the place. Desolate and melancholy as the scene appears, no traveller leaves it without regret, and many a retrospect of objects which call to his mind such numerous examples of wisdom, of bravery, and of virtue. To this regret, on our part, was added the consciousness that we had now

(1)" Cæterum Germanicus aliis quoque miraculis intendit animum, quorum præcipua fuere Memnonis saxea effigies, ubi radiis solis icta est, vocalem sonum reddeus: disjectasque inter et vix pervias arenas, instar montium eductæ Pyramides, certamine et opibus regum." Tacit. Annal. lib. ii. c. 6. tom. I. p. 306. Paris, 1682.

CHAP. reached the utmost limit of our travels in this

V.

interesting country; for, with the exception of a visit to the Pyramids of Saccára, our journey towards the south was here terminated. We had now traversed about forty degrees of latitude, and principally by land; through countries, however, in which little of the refinements of civilized nations had ever been experienced : and we returned from Djiza to Cairo, to conclude our observations in Egypt, previous to the rest of our travels in Greece.

The next day we all dined with Signor Rosetti, who sent a messenger to the Sheik of the Bedouin Arabs at Saccára, stating that we were desirous of seeing the Pyramids and Catacombs of that place, and begging to be informed on what day we might find guides and horses ready for us. On the following evening, August the twenty-fifth, his answer arrived. The Sheik sent two men of his tribe, one to conduct us, and the other to return with our message, fixing the time for our visit. The Arab who was to be our conductor ran away, but we procured another who happened to be then in Cairo. In all the great houses of this city, the earthen vessels for containing water are perfumed. This becomes quite a ceremony. They

V.

first put into the vase some mastic, and a sub- CHAP. stance called Makourgourivic, which is brought from Upper Egypt. The name is written as it was pronounced; but perhaps it consists of more than one word. They then clarify the water with almond-paste, cool it by the evaporating jars, and thus it is made fit for drinking.

On the twenty-seventh we purchased every variety of seed which we could obtain from the gardeners of Cairo. After this we visited a manufactory of sabres, wishing to learn the art by which the Mamaluke blades are ornamented with a sort of clouded work. Sabres thus enamelled are said to be damascened, from the city of Damascus, where this work is carried on in the greatest perfection. We saw the artificers use a red liquid for this purpose, which appeared to be some powerful acid, from the caution they observed in touching it; but they would not allow us to examine it.

of the

We then paid our long-promised visit to the Audience Vizier. This venerable man had lived so much Vizier. with our artillery officers, that he entertained

very
sincere regard for them. We made our
appearance before him in company with Colonel

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