A Geographical Description of All the Countries in the Known World, Part 1 · Subpart 79 – Subpart 86
The Egyptian Pyramids Described.
In Egypt are diverse stupendious structures called Pyramids, the greatest whereof is situated on the top of a rocky hill, which riseth above the plain about an hundred feet, with a gentle, and easy ascent, the height of the situation adding beauty to the work, and the solidity of the rock giving the superstructure a permanent, and stable support: each side of this Pyramid is six hundred ninety three feet according to the English Standard; so that the whole Basis contains four hundred eighty thousand two hundred, and fourty nine square feet, or eleven English acres of ground. The height is the same with the breadth: viz. six hundred ninety three feet.
The ascent to the top is contrived in this manner: From all the sides without, the ascent is by degrees; the lowermost step or degree is about four foot in height, and three in breadth, which running about the Pyramid in a level, makes on every side of it a long, but narrow walk; the second row is like the first, retiring inward from the first three feet, and so runs about the Pyramid. In the same manner is the third row placed above the second, and so in order the rest like so many stairs rising one above another to the top, which contains about nine foot square. The degrees by which men ascend are not all of an equal depth, for some are about four foot, others scarcely three, and the higher they ascend, the more they diminish, both in breadth, and thicknesse: so that a right line extended from any part of the Basis to the top, will equally touch the outward angle of every degree.
These are all made of Massie, and polished stones, hewn out of the Arabian Mountains, which bound the upper part of Egypt, being so vast, that the breadth and depth of every step, is one single and intire stone, so that in most of them is contained thirty feet of stone: The number of these steps is two hundred and seven.
On the North side ascending thirty eight feet upon an artificial bank of earth, there is a square, and narrow passage, leading into the inside of this Pyramid, containing in length ninety two feet, and an half: The structure of it hath been the labour of an exquisite hand, as appears by the smoothnesse and evennesse of the work, and by the close knitting of the joynts: it is now an habitation for great ugly batts of about a foot long.
At the end of this entrance you must climb up a massy stone, eight or nine foot in height, where you enter into a Gallery, the pavement consisting of smooth, and polished white Marble▪ the breadth is about five foot, and the height the like: the length of this Gallery is an hundred, and ten feet: At the end whereof begins a second Gallery, a very stately peece of work, and not inferiour either in respect of the curiousity of Art, or richnesse of materials, to the most sumptuous or magnificent buildings: Its divided from the former by a wall; at the end whereof is a Well about three feet in the diameter, the sides whereof are lined with white Marble, its eighty six cubits in depth, hewn through the Rock on which the Pyramid stands▪ Beyond the Well about fifteen foot is a square passage, the stones whereof are exceeding massie, and exquisitely joyned, which contains one hundred and ten feet, at the end whereof is an arched Vault, or little Chamber; the length about twenty feet, the breadth seventeen, the height about fifteen.
The length of this second Gallery before mentioned is one hundred fifty and four feet, of white, and polished Marble, both roof, walls, and bottome; the joynts are so well knit, that they are scarce discernable: The height of this Gallery is twenty six feet, the breadth six feet, bounded on both sides with two banks, like benches of polished Marble.
At the end of this Gallery you enter into a square hole which brings you into a little room lined with rich, and speckled Thebaick Marble, out of which through another passage, being all of Thebaick Marble; most exquisitely cut, you land at the North end of a very sumptuous, and well proportioned room, wherein Art seems to contend with Nature, the curious work not being inferiour to the rich materials: It stands in the heart, or center of the Pyramid, equidistant from all the sides, and in the midst between the Basis, and the top: The floor, sides, and roof, are all made of vast, and exquisite tables of Thebaick Marble: from the top to the bottome are but six ranges of stone, all of an equal height. The stones which cover this room are of a strange, and stupendious length, like so many huge beams lying flat, and traversing the room, and bearing up that infinite weight, and Masse of the Pyramid above. Of these there are nine which cover the roof; the length of this room is thirty four English feet: the breadth somewhat above seventeen feet, the height nineteen feet and a half.
In the midst of this glorious room stands the Tomb of Cheops of one peece of Marble, hollow within, and sounding like a bell; but empty: For (saith Diodorus) although the Egyptian Kings intended these for their Sepulchres, yet it happened that they were not buried therein: For the people being exasperated against them, by reason of the toilsomenesse of these works, and for their cruelty, and oppression, threatned to tear in peeces their dead bodies, and with ignominy to throw them out of their Sepulchres, wherefore the… commanded their friends when they were dead to bury them in some obscure place. The Tomb is cut smooth, and plain, without any sculpture, and ingraving: The outsides contain in length seven foot, three inches, and a half. In depth its three foot, and almost four inches, and the same in breadth: The hollow part within is something more than six foot long, the depth is somewhat above two feet; whereby it appears that mens bodies are now as big as they were three thousand years ago: For it is almost so long since this Tomb was made. This Pyramid was twenty years in making, and yet there were three hundred threescore, and six thousand men continually working about it, who only in Radishes, Garlick; and Onions are said to have consumed eighteen hundred Talents. Collected out of Mr. Greaves, a curious observer of it.
The Egyptian Mummi's described.
Not far from this Pyramid in Egypt are the Mummi's, which were the graves of the ancient Egyptians, into which are discents not unlike to the narrow mouthes of Wells, some near ten fathomes deep, leading into long vaults, hewn out of the Rock with pillars of the same. Between every Arch lie the Corpses ranked one by another of all sizes, which are innumerable, shrowded in a number of folds of Linnen, and swathed with bands of the same, the breasts of divers being stained with Hierogliphical Characters: The Linnen being pulled off, the bodies appear solid, uncorrupt, and perfect in all their dimensions; whereof the musculous parts are of a brown colour, hard as stone-pitch, and hath in Physick the like operation; only more soveraign.
To keep these from putrefactions, they drew the brains out at the nostrils with an Iron instrument, replenishing the head with preservative spices: then cutting up the belly with an Aethiopian stone, they took forth the bowels, cleansed the inside with Wine, and so stuffing it with a composition of Myrrhe, Cassia, and other odours, they closed it up again: The like the poorer sort effected with Bitumen, fetched from the Lake of Asphaltites in Jury, whereby they have been preserved till this day, having lyen there for about three thousand years.
The Lake of Maeris described.
Maeris, one of the Egyptian Kings, undertook, and finished that most admirable Lake, which for greatnesse, and colour is like a Sea: Its about six hundred furlongs from the City of Memphis, the circumference of it, contains M.M.M.DC. furlongs, the depth of it is fifty fathom, or three hundred feet; many myriads of men were imployed for many years about it.
The benefit of it to the Egyptians, and the wisdome of the King cannot bee sufficiently commended: For seeing the rising of Nilus is not alwayes alike, and the Country is more fruitful by the moderatenesse thereof: Hee digged this Lake to receive the superfluity of the water, that neither by the greatnesse of the inundation, it should cause Marshes, or by the scarcity of water, the earth should not yeeld her strength, hee therefore cut a ditch from the River to this Lake fourscore furlongs long, and three hundred feet in breadth, by which sometimes receiving in, and sometimes diverting the River, hee gave at his pleasure a sufficient quantity of water to the husbandmen. After the Kings name, its called the Lake of Maeris.
In the midst of this Lake hee built a Sepulchre, and two Pyramids, each of them of an hundred fathoms high, placing upon them two Marble statues, sitting on a Throne, one representing himself, the other his wife; seeking hereby to make his memory immortal. The revenews which came by the fish of this Lake, hee gave to his wife to buy her unguents, and ornaments, which was so great, that it amounted to a Talent a day: For it was mightily replenished with fish of twenty sorts, so that very many were continually imployed in catching, and salting of them. Diod. Sion. Herod.
Barbary described.
Barbary hath on the East Cyrenaica: on the West the Atlantick Ocean; On the North the Mediterranean Sea; and on the South the Mountain Atlas. Its now usually divided into the Kingdomes of Tunnis, Algiers, Fess, and Morocco. It produceth Figs, Olives, Dates, Sugar, and horses excellent for shape, and service. The men are comely of feature, of a duskish colour, stately of gate, implacable in hatred, laborious, and treacherous. The women are rich in Jewels, beautiful in blacknesse, and have delicate soft skins.
The Kingdome of Tunis described.
Tunis hath on the East Cyrenaica, and on the VVest Algier: It containeth all that which the Ancients called Numidia antiqua: The soil is fertile, especially the Western part: The Inhabitants are healthful, seldome vexed with any sicknesse; its divided commonly into five parts.
1 Ezzab in the East, having many Towns and Regions in it.
2 Tripolis, where the chief City is of the same name; and where the Great Turk hath a Bassa, or Vice-Roy: Its at this day a receptacle of Pyrats, that rove and rob in those Seas. Anno Christi 1551. It was wonne from the Knights of Malta by Sinan Bassa.
3 Tunis, where the chief City of the same name standeth, near to the ruines of Carthage: It hath in it about ten thousand housholds, and many Temples, and especially one of singular beauty, and greatnesse. Cairoan also hath been a famous City six and thirty miles from the Sea, and one hundred from Tunis; where is an admirable Temple built upon Pillars of Marble.
4 Constantina, having the chief City of the same name, wherein a… eight thousand families, and many sumptuous buildings, a great Temple, and two Colledges.
5 Bugia, which for one hundred and fifty miles space extends it self by the Sea side to the River Major; the Principal City is called Bugia, sometimes adorned with Temples, Hospitals, Monasteries, and Colledges of students in the Mahometan Law. There is also in Bugia, Necotus a very pleasant City; and Chollo, very rich. In this Country also is seated Bona, formerly called Hippo, where St. Augustine was Bishop.
The Kingdome of Algier described.
Algier formerly called Mauritania Caesariensis, is bounded on the East with Tunis, on the VVest with Fess, and Morocco. It hath in it five Principal Cities. 1 Hubeda. 2 Tegdenit. 3 Guagido. 4 Telesine, which sometimes contained sixteen thousand families, and is adorned with many beautiful Temples, and hath in it five dainty Colledges, curiously wrought with Mosaick work. And 5 Algier.
The City of Algier described.
Algier is seated on the Mediterranean Sea, upon the side of an hill, whereby one house hinders not the prospect of another: Its in fashion like a Bow: the old Town is in compasse three thousand four hundred paces: the Island wherein it stands is walled about, except that part which is open to the Port, and City; where lately they have erected a five cornered Tower to secure both: Its well strengthened with Turrets, Fortresses, and Bulworks: without the Wall is a ditch of sixteen paces broad: without the Town there are three Castles: the Streets are generally narrow, and in the Winter Dirty: The Houses toward the street are dark: but being inwardly built with square Cloisters, it makes them light: the roofs being flat serve them for galleries and Prospect: In the middest is a well, but the water brackish: they use no chimnies, but make fires in Panns. The Kings Palace, and great mens houses have spacious Courts, with specious Pillars about, and many by-rooms spread with Mats, and Carpets, their Custome being to put off their shooes when they enter.
Their houshold furniture is generally mean: their common lodging is upon a Mat, or Carpet upon the ground: Pelts are their Nappery, water their drink, Rice with pulse their meat, &c. five Cisterns without the City supply them with water, fetched in upon the shoulders of their slaves: There are seven fair Mosques, five Colledges of Janizaries, where six hundred of them live together in one house. One Hospital, four fair Baths, whereof two for washing with hot, and cold water, paved with Marble: Two Royall Porches, one of thirty six foot square, with columes for the Janizaries, and the other is before the Palace: within the Walls are neer thirteen thousand houses, many of them containing thirty Families, and some more: There are in all above one hundred Mosques, besides the Oratories of Hermites: Sixty two Baths, fourscore and six Schools, wherein children learn to read, and write, and a few others for the Alcoran: In the Suburbs are fourteen thousand six hundred ninety eight Gardens, each having Christian Slaves to keep them: yea there is scarce a family in the City, wherein they have not one or more Christian Slaves of both Sexes: Besides in the Kings Prison are commonly two thousand, and two or three thousand more in their Gallies, so that in all, there are seldome fewer than thirty thousand of these poor slaves. See what misery these poor captives indure before in the Chapter of Cruelty.
Fesse and Morocco described.
Fesse and Morocco, formerly called Mauritania Tingitana, have on the East Algiers; On the West the Atlantick Ocean: and are parted one from the other by the River Omiramble: The other principal Rivers in them are Tensilt, Sus, Suba, and Lyssus.
Fesse is divided into seven Provinces, in the which the chief City is Fesse, so called from the abundance of Gold that was found at the laying of the foundation of it.