A Collection of Curious Travels and Voyages, Volume 2 · Observations 2 · Section 10
Of the Wells where the Mummies are.
WHen we had fully viewed this Sphynx, we took the Road that leads to Saccara, a Village, at four hours travelling from the Pyramids, and about eight from Cairo towards the South. The Burying-place of the Mummies is near adjoyning to this Village.
And becauſe it was very late, and that we were to agree with the Arabians of the Village about the Price, the Number and Quality of the Wells, that they were to open for us, we ſtopt there all night, and the next morning we took with us twelve Horſemen, to guard us, of the Arabians; with them we went to this Burying-place, where the Mummies are in Caves under ground.
The firſt Well that we ſaw was that of Birds embalmed: When we had cauſed the Sand that ſtops the Wells mouth to be removed, through which we were to go down, and from thence to enter into the Cave, we cauſed our ſelves to be let down one after another, by tying a double Rope about our middles. As ſoon as we were at the bottom, and that every one had lighted his Taper, and ſeveral Matches that we had brought, we went into the Cave creeping upon our Bellies. The Cave is an Alley in the Rock, about the height of a Man, and about the breadth of a Perch, and of an extraordinary length. We found there many other Alleys on both hands, cut in the Rock, where were many large Stores, full of earthen Pots, covered over with Coverings of the ſame ſubſtance. In theſe Pots were embalmed Birds of all kinds, every Bird in its own Pot. And as I thought that the remembrance of a Cuſtom ſo ancient and ſuperſtitious was worthy of our notice, I brought about half a dozen with me, ſome I have ſent to the Kings Library. We found alſo ſome Hens-Eggs empty, but entire, without any ill ſmell or crack.
When we had viewed ſufficiently this Cave, we returned up in the ſame manner that we went down, and found another open'd, called the Virgin, which is that was never open'd before. According to our Orders to the Arabians, Monſieur Tiger and the others went down in the ſame manner as into the former, I alone could not follow them, becauſe of a Quartan Fever, which had troubled me fourteen months, and took me at that very moment; but I loſt nothing by that; for theſe Gentlemen told me at their return, that they found an horrid ſtench, and a cloſe air, that put out their Cand…es and their Matches alſo, every time that they endeavour'd to light them, which cauſed them to get up again without entring further. They told me that this Well was much deeper than the former.
We cauſed another to be opened, which was not a Virgin Well, as the former, becauſe it was not ſo deep. I ventur'd into that, notwithſtanding my indiſpoſition.
We found there two Mummies, a great one and a little one of a Child, both in Coffins, the greateſt was of Marble, upon the Covering it had the likeneſs of the perſon for whom it was made. We cauſed theſe Biers or Coffins to be open'd, but found nothing extraordinary, therefore we made no account of them, and left them where we found them.
We went down next into a Cave, called, The Church, which was not ſo deep as the former. It was nothing but a long Alley under ground, well plaiſter'd, and painted all over with Hieroglyphick Figures round about the ſides. It was almoſt all full of Sand, which cauſed us to creep along upon our Knees.
If the Reader deſires a Proſpect, and a Deſcription of this ancient Burying-place, let him think upon a boundleſs Champain, even and covered over with Sand, where neither Trees, nor Graſs, nor Houſes, nor any ſuch thing is to be ſeen; let him repreſent to himſelf the Superficies of this large Field full of dry Bones of Arms, Legs, Feet, and Heads; full of ſcattered pieces of Wood of Coffins, of little Idols, ſome of Wood, others of Plaiſter emboliſh'd with green, and mark'd before and behind with Hieroglyphick Letters. Theſe Idols the Arabians have taken from the broken Mummies, which they have caſt away. In ſome places you may ſee great Tombſtones, full of Cyphers and enigmatical Figures, that repreſent ſomething of Chymiſtry, and of other Sciences and Myſteries, and full of ſtrange characters that are no Hieroglyphicks. Whilſt I was looking upon this Spectacle, the Arabians brought me two, whereof I cauſed the Copies to be drawn as ſoon as I was returned to Cairo.
You have here a Deſcription of ſome Relicks of the Grandeur and Vanity of the ancient Egyptians, and the mournful ſigns of man's Mortality. The firſt ſight is able to daſh a perſon newly arrived out of countenance, and to affright him: I mean the ſight of ſo many Bones all ſcattered up and down, one would think that here hath been a grievous fight.
In this Champain or Field here are fifteen Pyramids; three are of an extraordinary bigneſs, which ſeem to have been favour'd by Time; for they appear entire without much decay. Here is alſo an entrance into every one, that ſhews a long Alley which leads to a Chamber; Monſieur de Tiger went into that which is fartheſt from the Village, commonly named The Pyramid of Rodope, where he found nothing in the Chamber.
This Pyramid is built as a Pavillion. The Franks ſay, that Rodope, a famous Strumpet, cauſed it to be built with the Money that ſhe had gotten with the loſs of her Honour. But this is doubtleſs an Error, if it be true what Pliny ſaith, That the Pyramid of Rodope was but ſmall, though very beautiful; therefore this which is one of the greateſt in all Egypt, cannot be that of Rodope. Theſe are the words of Pliny; Supremum que illud ne quis Regum opes miretur, minimam extitiſſe laudatiſſimam à Rodope meretricula factam. Aeſopi fabularum Philoſophi conſerva quondam, & contubernalis haec fuit, majore miraculo tantas opes meretricio eſſe conquiſitas quaeſtu.
For the others that are in the ſame Field, time hath almoſt worn them out; for they are but ſo many heaps of Sand, which have ſcarce the ſhape and ſhadow of what they have been heretofore.
Here is alſo a ſquare heap of very great hewn Stones. The Arabians name it Maſtabet Faraoun; for they ſay, that when the Pharaohs, Kings of Egypt, were to declare and give a new Law to the People, they ſtood on the top of this heap. But theſe are the Traditions of the poor Arabians that have nothing of certainty.
To return to the Wells of the Mummies; As ſoon as the Franks have viſited any, the Wind, or the Arabians fill the Entry again full of Sand, to get a little Money at the ſecond opening: This is the greateſt gain of theſe Wretches. The leaſt they take for to open a Virgin-Well is thirty Piaſters, becauſe they that make the Well to be opened, have the liberty to carry away all the Curioſities and Mummies that he finds there.