The great pyramid passages and chambers

536 We believe that further examination might reveal other distinctive evidences of special masonic construction in the region of the Well; but those we have already noticed, even apart from our belief in the necessity of the Well because of its symbolical importance, are enough to satisfy us that the Well is indeed an integral part of the Great Pyramid’s passage and chamber system as originally designed and completed.

537 The vertical shaft, down which the rope-ladder hangs, lies a few feet to the west of the line of the Grand Gallery, being approached by the small horizontal passage already referred to—Plates XVII & XIII. The floor of this small passage does not appear to be the original one. It is not all on one level, but rises abruptly in a shallow step near the Grand Gallery end. To determine the level of the original surface of the floor might now be a little difficult; probably it was flush with the upper surface of the step, but it may have been a little higher. Our drawings show this floor restored.

538 At the top of the vertical shaft, on the north side, there is a fairly large excavation. It is in the rough floor of this excavation, as I mentioned before, that our men have fixed the iron pin, from which the ladder is suspended. It is difficult to understand what purpose the excavators had in view in forcing their way into the masonry at this point; quite probably it was they who cut the floor of the small passage, to gain more headroom for working.

539 At the foot of the first vertical part (which is about 25 feet deep, and 28 inches square in bore), we noticed a bend in the shaft southward. It still descends very steeply, however, and the rope-ladder hangs down it for yet another ten feet. From this point the shaft looks very fearsome, especially to us who are unaccustomed to such places. We paused here and expressed doubt as to our being able to proceed further, and wondered why Mr. Covington had not made his ladder longer. Judah, seeing our hesitation, told us to ‘‘ wait a minute,” and immediately disappeared down that fearful shaft, using hands and feet, elbows and back in his descent. He went down to the lowest almost vertical part, from the top of which there hangs a rope from another iron pin—Plate IX. This second pin was fixed, to our order, by Judah and an assistant, under the supervision of Mr. Covington, during our absence in Palestine, and Mr. Covington has kindly supplied the rope to aid descent at this final, and very difficult portion of the Well. Judah had gone down to fetch this rope, and in the meantime John and I occupied ourselves squaring, plumbing and measuring the part of the shaft already traversed. On his return, Judah fastened the rope to the end of the ladder, and down we began to go again. We felt much safer with this continuous connection with our iron pin at the top of the shaft, but we proceeded slowly, taking care to place our feet firmly in the footholds, measuring as we descended.

540 The small opening into the Grotto is situated a short distance down the second vertical part. For about seven and a half feet upward from the floor of the doorway, the four walls of the square shaft are composed of masonry built of small stones in ten horizontal courses. This short built part of the shaft goes through the Grotto. Below this, right down to the lower opening into the Descending Passage, the shaft is cut through the solid rock.

541 I gave a sigh of relief when, with the kindly aid of the rope, I reached the small doorway of the Grotto and sat in it with my feet hanging down the shaft. After a few more measurements from above, where John was, down to where I now sat, I crept

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