Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1819-05-21
ANTIQUITIES OF EGYPT.

consul at Agiers, made visit to Egypt,
resided eighteen months at Cairo, land made
frequent excursions to the pyramids in the
neigLborhood. His papers, which have
lately been collected and published by Mr..
Walpole, contains much curious inorma-
ton respecting those monuments OF anti
guilty. The following extract from the
Quarterly Review, tor December, 1918, is
an account of his descent into well in the
great pyramid -
''In short but comprehensive letter adj
dressed TO NJ. Varsy, the author observes
that, as he conceived the supposed well to
be OF vast depth, he provided himself with
a vast quantity OF rope, which turned out
to be no useless precaution-fOr though be
found sort of steps, or holes in the rock,
yet the lower part OF them were 50 worn
away, as 10 risk fall and consequent de-
struction by trusting to them alone. 10
avoid SO calami.ous an event, MIR. Dawson
tied a rope round his middle; and preVl-
ously to his decent, let down lantern at.
tached to the end oil small cord, which,
on finding it soon to stop, he prepared 10
follow With much persuasion he prevail
ed OH two of his servants and three Arabs
T. hold the rope the Arabs assured him
there were'ghosls below that he never could
hope to return; Mr.. Dawson laughed at
their timidity and taking with him lew
sheets of paper, compass, measure, ana
| another lighted candle, commenced the de-
scent and soon reached the bottom OF the
| first well or shaft. Here he found. on the
| south side, alta distance OF about eight feet
from the first shaft, a second opening
which descended peipendiculary, to the
depth Of five Ieet oul and al tour feet ten
inches from the bottom OF this,a third shaft,
the mouth of which was nearly chpaked up
with large stone, leaving only small o.
penng, barely sufficient TO allow a man t.
pass. Here he thought it prudent to let
down his lantern, not only to discover to
what depth he was about 10 proceed, but
alsu to ascertain il the air was pern!Clous.
The shaft, however, was so tor uuuS that
| the Candle soon became invisible but MIR.
| Dan isun as not he raged-nolhing
| less than journey 10 the bottom would sa-
tisly his eager curiosity: the difficulty was,
how to prevail On the Arabs to come down
and hold the rope. To all his entrealies
they ony answered, that few years Le-
fore, Frank having got to the place where
| he then was, let Gown rope to discover
| the depth, when /. e devil caught hold OF
it and pu,ieu it out of his hands. 1 was
| well aware says MI. Dawson, to whom
thsy were inuepleu TO tor Tins story
| Ouch consul s"ure mat the thing happen
| ed TO himself. Aller many prayers and
| threats, anu promises OF money ana OF all
| the treasure thai might Ue discovered at
the bottom OF the well, the avarice oi one
man COL the better, in some degree, OF his
| lGfiUfS, anu he NGutuItu W utsICHu oi
reaching the bottom. says Mr.. Dawson, he
stared ABOUT him, pale and trembling, ap-
| pearng more like spectre than a human
being.
"Our enterprising adventures now has
tened on his journey, with the rope round
| his body; and the Liz ht of the lantern,
| which he had let down, convinced him that
tlns well was somewhat deeper than the
first. Having proceeded little farther
tnan hall way down to the spot where the
candle rested, as it afterwards appeared,
| he came to grotto about ID feet long,
or 5 wide, and about the height Of man /;
from this place the third shaft or well was
sloping, and by throwing down stone he
asceItained i: TO be OF much greater depth
than the others; pushing the lantern lit
tie before him, he Set out dfresh on bis
| journey ana calling to the Arab to loosen
the rope gently, with the help OF the little
holes made in the rock, he gradually pro-
ceeded, without the least appearance OF
reaching bis journeys end. AT length the
shaft beginning to incline little more to
the perpendicular, brought MIN speedily
to the bottom, where he ascertsined 1t to