The great pyramid passages and chambers

Ante-Chamber. This limestone portion ends a few inches to the north of the Granite Leaf. John is seen standing on it, his toes touching the first granite floor-stone which is raised a quarter of an inch above the other stones of the Ante-Chamber floor. Before he can rest his feet firmly on solid granite, he will require first to bow down and pass between the granite walls under the Granite Leaf into the AnteChamber proper—Plate KX.

476 Another photograph (Plate CXIX) shows John in the act of passing under the Granite Leaf. By actual trial, we found it impossible to raise our heads on the inner or south side of the Granite Leaf, without first lifting our feet from the limestone floor, and placing them on granite. With the exception of two small limestone blocks in the upper corners of the south and east walls, this, the main portion of the Ante-Chamber, is formed entirely of granite.

477 As there is only a width of about three and a half feet between the east and west walls of the Ante-Chamber, we could not have taken the photograph of the small space to the north of the Granite Leaf, had it not been for Caviglia’s excavation in the west wall. By taking advantage of this excavation, we were enabled to set back the camera far enough to secure a view of sufficiently wide angle to show John at nearly full length.

478 We find it necessary to use our special wide-angle lens, which has a focus of only 31 inches, in nearly all our photographs of the interior of the Great Pyramid; in such confined spaces as that mentioned above, it is of great advantage. For views outside we have another lens with a focus of 6:3 inches, which can also be converted into a focus of 1114 inches by an arrangement lately devised by lens-makers. Both of these lenses were made by Carl Zeiss of Jena, and are in our opinion the best possible for careful work. In addition to these, we have a ‘ Tele-photograph”’ lens (also made by Carl Zeiss) capable of giving up to five magnifications; but so far we have not had many opportunities to make use of it.

479 A third photograph (Plate CXX) taken inside the Ante-Chamber, with the camera placed on the flat upper surface of the east wainscot, shows the upper portion of the west side of the Granite Leaf where it fits into its groove in the granite wainscot of the west wall. Above this, on the right side of the photograph, are seen the upper and middle of the three limestone blocks which form the north wall of the Ante-Chamber, Of the two blocks shown above the west wainscot, the one to the north is limestone, and the other is granite. The extreme blackness of the granite roof is due to the smoke from the torches and candles of the countless visitors who have passed below on their way to and from the King’s Chamber.

480 More of the Granite Leaf would have been shown in the above photograph had it not been for an unfortunate little incident. According to our usual method we had set light to the touch-paper inserted in the powder, and had retired to a safe distance till the flash should be over. After waiting for a longer interval than usual without hearing the explosion, we concluded that the touch-paper had become extinguished, as had happened on certain other occasions. I therefore edged over in the direction of the camera along the top of the east wainscot, so as to cover the lens before adjusting a fresh piece of touch-paper. When quite close to the camera, but before I had time to cover the lens, the powder suddenly ignited. The result is that part of the field

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