to be human, and, in all probability, those of Cephrenes, the reported builder of this pyramid. On the wall of the western side of this chamber, is an Arabic inscription, testifying that 'this pyramid was opened by the Masters Mahomet El Agar and Otman, and that it was inspected in the presence of the Sultan Ali Mahomet I. Ugloch *. Part of the floor of this chamber had been removed in different places, evidently in search of treasure, by some of those who had found their way into it.

In this pyramid a second chamber has also been discovered, lower than the first, and nearer the entrance, which is 32 feet long, 9 feet 9 inches wide, 8 and 6 feet high.

Shortly after the opening of the pyramid, Major Fitz-Clarence, in his journey over-land from India, arrived at Cairo, and visited the central chamber, and brought away a few fragments of the bones in the sarcophagus; one of which proved to be the lower extremity of the thigh bone, where it comes in contact with the knee joint. This singular relic he presented to the Prince Regent on his return home, and the Prince submitted it to the inspection of that eminent surgeon, Sir Everard Home. Sir Everard, not entertaining a doubt of its belonging to a human skeleton, took it to the Museum of the College of Surgeons, that by adjusting it with the same part of different sized skeletons, he might be enabled to form some estimate of the comparative size of the ancient Egyptians and modern Europeans. On a closer and more laborious inspection, however, the fragment was found to agree with none of them: and it finally appeared, that instead of forming any part of the thigh-bone of a human body, it actually made part of that of a cow.

And to corroborate this evidence, M. Belzoni discovered a grand catacomb at Thebes, in Upper Egypt, called Biban el Moluk, "the tombs," or, rather, "gates of the kings," which extended 309 feet from the entrance in front to the innermost chamber, the whole cut out of the living rock; the sides of which were as white as snow, covered with paintings of well shaped figures in al fresco, as fresh as if they had been just laid on, and with hieroglyphics quite perfect. In one of its numerous chambers, he found a sarcophagus of alabaster, exquisitely beautiful, 9 feet 5 inches long, by 3 feet 9 inches wide, and 2 feet 1 inch deep, carved within and without with hieroglyphics and figures

in intaglio, nearly in a perfect state; sounding like a bell, and as transparent as glass. From the extraordinary magnificence of this tomb, M. Belzoni conceives that it must be the depository of the remains of Apis: in which idea he is the more confirmed by having found the carcass of a bull, embalmed with asphaltum, in the innermost chamber.

This decides the point, that the pyramids of Egypt, and the subterraneous caverns of Thebes, were alike designed as sepulchral monuments of their bestial gods, and probably of their kings and priests also. The celebrated Labyrinth, near the lake Moris, which Herodotus admired still more than the pyramids, in its fifteen hundred subterraneous chambers, which he was not permitted to enter, according to the information of the priests, contained the bodies of the kings who built the Labyrinth, and also of the Holy Crocodiles. B. II. §. 148.

The second pyramid of Cephrenes, is the only one which retains a part of its outside casing, from the top, about a third part of its distance downwards; what remains entire, is of a white calcareous stone, which has been usually called marble, but is, in fact, a fine close-grained lime-stone, susceptible of a high polish.

The remains of the covering of the third pyramid of Mycerinus, are still scattered about its base, and particularly near the angle; they are of red granite.

Behind this stands a fourth pyramid, a hundred feet lower than the third. These four great pyramids are surrounded by an immense number of smaller pyramids and tumuli, like the graves in a church-yard round the church, extending on the north and on the south, along the western bank of the Nile, as far as the eye can reach.

Several of these edifices were cleared of the sand and rubbish with which they were choaked, by M. Caviglia, and found to consist of different numbers of apartments, variously disposed, but similarly decorated with bas-reliefs and paintings, according, perhaps, to the wealth or caprice of those who erected them. One in particular, from the delicacy of its colours, its general pleasing effect, and superior style of execution, was deemed deserving of the closest attention. In all the mausoleums which they opened, were found fragments of bitumen, great quantities of mummy cloth, and of human bones, which seemed to remove all doubt of their having served the purpose of entombing the dead.

It deserves to be noticed, that in some one apartment or another of all these monumental edifices, was a deep shaft or well, from the bottom of which a narrow passage conducted to a subterranean chamber. One of these shafts cleared out by M. Caviglia, was 60 feet deep, and in the chamber a little to the south of the lower extremity, was standing, without a lid, a plain but highly finished sarcophagus, of the same dimensions nearly as that in the pyramid of Cheops, but of a superior polish. This discovery supplies a strong argument in favour of the pyramids being tombs for the kings who constructed them, and also for their animal gods, the Apis, &c.

Many of these sepulchral edifices seem to have been constructed of the dilapidated casing of the great pyramids; for their walls consist of the same sort of stone, and many of the fragments are covered with hieroglyphics, particularly the parts round the door-ways. One of these stones, bearing an inscription of hieroglyphics and figures, was observed to be built into the walls upside down: a curious circumstance, which proves beyond a doubt, that it had constituted part of some other edifice previously to being placed in its present position.

There are no traces of hieroglyphics at present discoverable upon any of the pyramids. But that they formerly abounded with such, may be inferred from the reports of the ancient Historians, Herodotus, Diodorus, Pliny, &c. At a later period, Abdollatiph, an Arabian physician, who visited Egypt in A.D. 1190, found abundance. "On the stones of the two greater pyramids," says he, " are ancient hieroglyphic inscriptions, but unknown: nor is there any person in the cities of Egypt, who can assert that they are now to be understood. The inscriptions are very numerous; so that if such as are found on these two pyramids alone were to be copied, they would fill ten thousand volumes."

These new and curious discoveries, satisfactorily account for the extraordinary dilapidation and spoliation of the original coating of the great pyramids, since the time of Herodotus, and still later, of Abdollatiph. The casing was torn down, and applied to the construction of the small pyramíds, or oblong sepulchral edifices of later ages.

It is probable, however, that the tumuli, or little mounds, which also abound in this vast cemetery, are nothing more than

similar buildings of higher antiquity, mouldered away to their present shape; or that they were constructed, originally, of more perishable materials, like the brick pyramid of DASHOUR, which has every appearance of soon changing its form into that of the rude tumulus. Herodotus, our surest guide, when he speaks from his own information, reports the following remarkable inscription thereon: "Do not compare me with the pyramids of stone; for I excel them as much as Jupiter excels the other gods for those who built me thrust poles into a lake, and collecting the mud which adhered to them, they made bricks of it, and thus they constructed me."

:

This pyramid is generally allowed to have been built by Asychis, or Bocchoris, whose reign began, B.C. 815, according to the ensuing rectification of Egyptian Chronology.

The recent discoveries of Davison, Belzoni, and Caviglia, are circumstantially detailed in the Quarterly Review, September, 1818, in the Article of Light's Travels and Addendum; and January, 1819, under the Article of Antiquities of Egypt.

That the Pyramids were originally cased with marble, or granite, is proved by the testimony of Abdollatiph: who has also demonstrated the stupendous labour and skill employed in the construction of these factitious mountains; by a mad and fruitless project for pulling them down, attempted by Malec al Azir Othman, son and successor of the famous Sultan, Saladin Joseph ebn Job, the real builder of Joseph's famous well at Cairo, vulgarly attributed to the patriarch and prime minister of Egypt.

This young prince, at the persuasion of some foolish favourites, wished to immortalize himself by pulling down the Pyramids. And accordingly began with the smallest, built of red granite. Having collected a great number of engineers, masons, and labourers, he ordered them to demolish that Pyramid, and commissioned the grandees of the kingdom to superintend the execution of it. They immediately pitched their tents upon the spot, collected artists and workmen from all parts, and maintained them at an enormous expence. Here they continued for eight months, with horses and men: pulling down, in the course of an entire day, with the utmost labour and difficulty, one or two stones at the utmost. The labourers above forced out every stone with wedges, levers, and iron crows; while those below

pulled it down with cables and ropes. When it fell, so violent was its fall, that the sound was heard at a surprising distance, the mountain trembled and the earth shook; and the stone buried itself in the sand; whence they extracted it at length, with additional labour and fatigue. Then they broke it in pieces with wedges, and conveyed the fragments in carriages to the further end of the mountain, at no great distance. Having thus spent much time to little purpose, their resources failed, their difficulties increased, and at last they were obliged to desist, filled with dejection, confusion, and despair. All they effected was to deface the Pyramid, and betray the weakness and impotence of the attempt. Should any one view the stones that are taken down, he would imagine that the whole Pyramid had been destroyed, so great is the mass; but if he should then view the Pyramid itself, he would scarcely believe that it had been at all injured; for only a small part of one of its sides is demolished. Perceiving the prodigious toil it cost them to pull down every single stone, I asked the superintendant of the masons, says Abdollatiph, Whether, if they were offered a thousand pieces of gold to replace any stone in its proper and original position, they would be able to do it? He answered, swearing by the living God, that though they should be offered double that sum, the thing would be impossible." This happened in the year of the Hegira 593, [A.D. 1197.] See Abdollatiph's History of Egypt, translated by Professor White, of Oxford, in Latin; or the Monthly Review, April, 1802, p. 344.

THE PASSAGE OF THE RED SEA BY THE
ISRAELITES.

The precise place of this passage, when the Israelites were thrust out of Egypt in haste by the Egyptians, after the last tremendous plague of the destruction of the first-born, has been much contested by Geographers and Travellers. Some place it near Suez, at the head of the Gulph: others, with more probability, about ten hours journey lower down, at Clysma, or the valley of Bedea. See Niebuhr's and Bryant's Maps of the Red Sea.

The day before the passage, by the Divine command, “the Israelites encamped beside Pi-ha-hiroth, between Migdol and