The great pyramid passages and chambers

backward into the Grotto, and John came down and joined me. We were now in the Grotto! We had often hoped that we might explore this part of the Pyramid, and take measurements, as most works we had read on the subject of the Great Pyramid seemed rather contradictory and vague when treating of the Well. We measured the Grotto in its length, breadth, height and depth. It is longer from east to west, than from north to south. The roof is low; and except in one spot to the west, where there is a deep hollow in the floor, it is too low to allow one to stand. The floor, walls and roof are composed for the most part of gravel embedded in caked sand, which crumbles in the hands with comparative ease. Here and there the natural rock appears—Plate CL.

542 We photographed the small doorway of the Grotto from the inside, getting Judah to sit on the sandy floor on the west side with his head almost touching the roof —Plate CLI. But before saying more about the Grotto at present, I would like to draw your attention to some interesting matters in connection with the Well-shaft. The walls of the first vertical part are comparatively smooth; but from the bottom of the first down to the top of the second vertical part, the shaft is very uneven indeed, being neither square nor round in section—Plate IX. It looks as if the great irregularity in this part of the shaft is the result of stones having been dislodged from its walls; for the whole of this portion of the Well, from the Grand Gallery down to the top of the second vertical part, descends through the comparatively rough core masonry of the Pyramid. Here and there, one can see the open joints between the core stones; and we found them sometimes large enough to stow away our measuring rods when not required. Situated on the east, at the foot of the first vertical part, there is a crevice large enough at its outer end to allow one to sit in it; and in at its further end, the square corner of one of the core blocks is clearly distinguishable.

543 This thought seems to be supported by some of the older writers on the Great Pyramid, who record that this irregular part of the shaft was in their time much encumbered with large stones. If so, it is evident that to remove these stones without first cutting into the sides of the shaft in order to gain room, would be very difficult, if not impossible in so confined a place. Col. Howard Vyse quotes Mr. Salt’s account of M. Caviglia’s descent of the Well in 1817—‘‘ He descended by means of a rope to the bottom of the first shaft, 20 feet deep [our own measurement, taken from the roof of the small horizontal passage above, down to the lowest part of the vertical shaft, is 25 feet], when the passage, which inclined towards the south, was nearly filled up by some large stones, which he had great difficulty in removing.”

544 M. Caviglia contemplated clearing the whole length of the Well-shaft ; but, owing to the lack of air, his Arab workers were unable to proceed, and he had therefore to abandon the attempt. Later, when working in the Descending Passage, removing some of the rubbish there, he unexpectedly discovered the lower opening of the Well, and was now able to effect his former design ; for by drawing out the loose debris as it fell down the almost perpendicular shaft, he cleared its entire length.

545 Many of the older operators at the Great Pyramid do not appear to have been aware that the Descending Passage proceeds downward in a direct line beyond its junction with the First Ascending Passage. The constant accumulation of loose debris from Al Mamoun’s forced passage must have effectually covered all trace of a subterranean connection. Davison (in 1763 A.D.—See Par. 241) seems to have been the only

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