The weekly Butte record., 1861-08-03
From Hon. E. Joy Morriss q Tour in the East.
A Night on the Pyramid Of Cheops.

On landing at Gizeh, the pyramids, though
several miles distant, appeared to be directly
before u.s. In three hours, after a ride across
the intervening plain, we arrived at the base of
the rocky elevation on which the pyramids
are erected. Here begins the descent, the
pyramids marking the limit of cutivable land.
A number of Bedouins, who live around the
pyramids. came running to US and offered
their service as guides. Ascending the rocky
foundation of the pyramids, we stood at their
base, and here for the first time, we had some
idea of their immense mass and size. Standing
at the base of the great pyramid of Cheops,
and looking up its sides, it seemed to lean
against the sky. We were too eager to scale
the summit to stand long at the base We
ascended at one of the corners. A Bedouin
mounted upon stone above, extended his
hand to the person ascending, while another
aided him with lift of bis shoulders from be-
low. The pyramids being built with receding
layers of stone, ledge Of about three feet 10
width is left upon each layer, which affords a
secure landing place. In this manner the as
cent was easily made in fifteen minutes In
stead Of an apex hardly wide enough TO stand
upon, we found the apex of the pyramid oil
Cheops fat square at least fifteen feet broad
A large stone is in the centre, indicating that
the original sharp apex of the pyramid has
been destroyed, which of course has diminished
its hight. According 10 Herodotus, the pyra-
mds were originally covered with smooth
coat of cement, which rendered it next to
impossible to ascend them. The broken, Jag
ged sides of the pyramids show that several
attempts have been made to destroy them, a
labor which one of the Arabian caliphs found
a task equal only to the power of those who
built them.
The view from the top of the pyramid Of
Cheops extends over the whole breadth OF
the valley of the Nile, from the Mokattam
mountains back Of Cairo, to the Libyan Des-
ert. While we were on the pyramid the sun
went down. My companions descended to
sleep in tents at some distance on the plain,
while I remained on the summit of the pyra-
mid, having resolved to pass the night there.
| retained the sheik of the Bedouins and two
of his men, and sent down another to dring up
the pipes and coffee had brought from Cairo.
The promise of a bucksheesh silenccd their
protestatons and fears The Bed0uins kindled
a fire with charcoal under the lee of the stone,
and made me some excellent coffee after their
manner.
The last rays Of light were gradually fading
from the horizon, and the landscape was every
moment becoming darker and darker On one
side stretched a green plain, dotted with villa
ges and clumps of palms; the bright crest of
the Nile, cleaning in the expiring rays of the
sun, and meandering through it in gentle curves
relieved the dark green of the landscape
Beyond, the minarets Of Cairo were indistnctly
seen, tipped with the departing light. Turn
ing to the north, the eye ranged over the great
desert of Libya, which stretched away blanl,
expanse of sand, upon which not a human be-
ing was to be seen. The solitude was as
profund as that which ranged within the
chambers of the pyramid beneath u.s. Across
the plain, as day declined, the villages were
indicated only by fitting lights and the baying
of dogs.
BY midnight the moon was in the Zenith,
and the heavens presented a brilliant host of
planets and stars, such as the old astronomers
gazed upon from this very spot. The Bedou-
ins were all asleep, so, burying myself in the
folds of the Greek capote, l turned my back
against the broken apex and fell asleep. The
bull Apis, Cheops, the transmigration ofsouls,
with speculations on Egyptian theology and
geology occupied my dreams, and l was en-
gagged in very interesting dispute with
Herodotus touching the architects Of the pyr-
amids, when the Bedouin sheiz awoke me, and
told me that the sun was rising. The earth
was yet robed in the twilight of morning.
The horizon. on its eastern rim, was streaked
with pencilings of light, while the rest of the
heavens was almost perfectly dark. As the
sun approached the edge of the horizon, light
shot around it ; in moment more the top of
the suns orb was visible, and instantaneously
afterwards he wheeled up with majestic
bound, and poured flood Of light over heaven
and earth. 1t was as magnificent as the first
sun that rose upon the first morning, when
4" God said let there be light, and there was
light" Immediately afterward, descended
and rejoined my companions, with 10 other
unpleasant effect from my nights sleep on the
top of the pyramid, than purse lightened by
a too liberal bucksheesh and craving appe-
tite.
The length of streets in New York is four
hundred and eighteen and half miles, in ad-
dition to eleven and one-eighth miles Of piers
projecting into the rivers on both sides of the
city.
A GOOD story is told which has not found
its way into the Charleston papers. The light
boat which was captured has been anchored
at the mouth of the creek which leads to Stono
River. The guns have been placed on board