A Collection of Curious Travels and Voyages, Volume 2 · Observations 2 · Section 8 – Section 9
Of the Pyramids, Sphynx, Mummies, &c. By Father Vanſleb, and others.
IN my firſt Voyage to Aegypt I had ſeen the Pyramids, but having another opportunity offer'd to me, I went thither to view again theſe rare Monuments of Antiquity, to ſee whether I might not obſerve ſomething more than I have taken notice of in my firſt Relation.
On the 27th of April I went thither, in the company of the French Conſul, and many other Merchants, and with almoſt all his Houſhold: We had with us three Janizaries to guard us, ſo that we were in all about fifty Cavaliers well mounted upon Aſſes, taking with us Proviſions ſufficient for three days.
When we were come to the Pyramids, and had obſerv'd exactly every thing, I took notice that the place where they ſtood was a Burying-place. This is plain to any that ſee the place; and doubtleſs it was the Burying-place of the old City Memphis; for all the Arabian Hiſtories inform us, that this City ſtood where the Pyramids now are, over againſt old Cairo.
2. I took notice, that all the Pyramids have an entrance that leads to a low Alley, which is very long, and at the end is a Chamber, where the ancient Egyptians did place the Bodies of thoſe Perſons for whom the Pyramids were built. This Entrance is not to be ſeen in every one of the Pyramids, becauſe the Wind hath ſtopt them with Sand. I ſaw upon ſome of them ſome Hieroglyphick Characters, but I had not time to write them out.
3. I took notice, that all the Pyramids were built in very good order; and that each of the three greateſt were at the head of ten leſſer, which are not well to be diſtinguiſh'd, becauſe of the heaps of Sand: One may yet imagine, to ſee the place, that in former Ages there have been here one hundred Pyramids little and great.
4. I took notice, that they are all built upon an even Rock covered over with white Sand; ſo that it is very probable that the Stones have been taken from the place, and not brought from far, as ſome Travellers imagin, and old Writers, for the greateſt is nothing but a Rock cut as a Pyramid, and covered over with a Wall of Stone.
5. I took notice, that of all the Stones of the greateſt there is ſcarce one entire, but either worn out with the Weather and Time, or broken by ſome other Accident; ſo that though one may aſcend on all ſides to the top, yet not in all places with the ſame eaſe.
6. I have taken notice, that none of the Pyramids are alike, or perfectly ſquare, but that all have two ſides longer than the others. I intended to meaſure the greateſt; for that purpoſe I had with me a String of about thirty Land-yards; but becauſe the Winds have heap'd about it Mountains of Sand, I could not poſſibly draw a line ſtrait from one angle to the other.
On the 28th day of December I went to ſee the Pyramids the third time, with ſome Strangers. In our way we were mightily troubled with a very thick Miſt, which laſted till ten a clock in the morning; and we found a great deal of Mud in the Trenches and Ditches, which was not yet dry ſince the retreat of the River, ſo that we were carried over upon the Moors backs that were with us.
At this time I went up to the top of the great Pyramid, and I obſerv'd, as at the firſt, that the place where the Pyramids ſtand is a pure Rock, cover'd over with white Sand, which appears ſufficiently by the Ditches and Caves round about the Pyramids cut in the Rock.
2. The Rock is to be ſeen, upon which ſtands the greateſt Pyramid, by a hole at one of the Angles, between the Eaſt and the North ſides.
3. The Pyramids are not built with Marble, as ſome ſay, but with a white Sandy Stone very hard.
4. The greateſt hath but two hundred and ſix ſteps; and though Monſieur Th. ſaith that it hath two hundred and eight, this proceeds from his not taking notice that two ſteps are broken into four.
5. On the top of the greateſt Pyramid there was anciently a Statue or Coloſſe. This appears, becauſe it is not ſharp as the others, but plain: And there are yet to be ſeen great Pits, which were to keep faſt the Coloſſe from falling.
At preſent there is nothing on the top but many Letters of the Names of Perſons of all Nations, who have left them to witneſs that they had been there. There is no ſign of the Play at Mancala, which a Coptie told me was there imprinted in the days of the Pharaohs.
6. The Stones of the biggeſt Pyramid are not equal, for ſome of the undermoſt are four foot high, ſome three foot and an half, and five foot long. The Stones of the middle are three foot and five inches high, and the uppermoſt Stones are but two foot high, and three and an half long.
7. The ſides of the Pyramids are not equal; for in the greateſt it is viſible, and ſo in the others, that the North ſide is longer than that which ſtretches from Eaſt to Weſt.
8. In all the Pyramids there are very deep Wells cut in the Rock, ſquare; as I have ſeen in more than ten.
On the 26th day of June I went the fourth time to ſee the Pyramids, in the company of Monſieur Sabatery Vice-Conſul of Alexandria.
In the paſſage to old Cairo, on the other ſide of the River, I took notice of one thing very remarkable in its Channel; the Water was perfectly green, as a Cake covered over with green Graſs. This was the firſt time that I ſaw it of this colour; which cauſed me to ask of the Boatmen what this green colour was: They told me, that the River Nilus did then putrifie, that it had continued ſo fifteen days, and would be ſo five more. Some of them ſaid, that there was none could remember to have ſeen the River ſo green as that year, 1672.
To return again to the Pyramids, I went up this time to the top of the higheſt Pyramid, I enter'd into the Chamber, but ſaw no new thing which could cauſe me either to change or add to my former Obſervations. It is needleſs to ſpeak of its Dimenſions, ſeeing ſo many Travellers have already publiſh'd them, as Monſieur Thevenot in his Levant Travels.
From the Pyramids we went to take a view of the Caves that are adjoyning. There are many, all cut in the ſide of a Rock; their outſides are out of order, without any proportion, but their inſide very equal and poliſh'd. In every one there is a deep Well ſquare, cut in the Rock, where the Egyptians did put the Body of that perſon, for whom the Cave was made; for it was their Sepulchre. The Walls of many of theſe Caves are full of Hieroglyphick Figures, carved in the Rock. In ſome they are but ſmall, in others very lively. In one I number'd ſixteen great Figures, that repreſented eight Men and eight Women, holding one another by the hands, with many other ſmall Figures or Shapes, on both ſides.
The great Pyramid is 520 foot high upon a Baſe of 682 foot ſquare: The Platform at top is 16 foot and two thirds ſquare, and is compos'd of 12 large Stones, yet this from below appears to the Eye a ſharp point. A ſtrong man cannot throw a Stone from the top, ſo as to make it fall beyond the Steps or Baſis of the Pyramid.
Of the Sphynx.
WE ſaw next the Sphynx, near the Pyramids, on the Eaſt ſide. On the top ſtands the Head of a Woman of an extraordinary bigneſs and height. The Arabians call it Abulhon, or Abul-houl.
Pliny ſaith, that it was the Tomb of King Amaſis. I imagine that this Sphynx was a Sepulchre, but we cannot underſtand that it belong'd to Amaſis; for all the Records and Traditions of this Sphynx are loſt.
That it is a Tomb may appear, firſt by its ſituation, which is in a place which was in former Ages a Burying-place; and near the Pyramids and mortuary Caves. Secondly, it is to be imagined that it was a Sepulchre from its building. In the hinder part is a Cave under ground, of a bigneſs anſwerable to that of the Head, into which I have look'd by an entrance that leads into it, ſo that it could ſerve to no other purpoſe, but to keep a dead Corps.
Some Franks have, out of an exceſs of curioſity, climb'd up by the means of Rope-Ladders, to ſee whether this Head was hollow or maſſy, and they have found it to be hollow, but filled at preſent with Sand.
The Neck is worn out round about, which cauſeth men to imagine that it will not be able to ſupport the weight of that great Head.