Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-06-23
ASCENDING THE PYRAMIDS.
How a Milwaukee Gentleman was
boosted Up CheOps.
From the Milwaukee, Misnnnsin.l

From the Milwaukee Wisconsin,
Leaving the green fields of the
valley we ascend directly up a sand
hill, and are upon the Lybian Des-
ert, and are before the great Pyra-
mid.
A nice little hotel stands near by,
and here our halt is made, and we
at once proceed to the Pyramid,
perhaps forty rods away.
At this point there are three Of
those extraordinary monuments.
On beyond, at the site of old Mem
phis, perhaps three or four miles,
are six or eight more, of inferior
size. For my own part, | was curl
GUS only to visit this of Oheops,
which is seven hundred and fifty
feet square at it's base, and has a
hight of four hundred and eighty
feet, covering about twelve acres Of
land.
AS we approach the place Of as
cent any number of Bedouin Arabs
of the desert are there ready to
assist us in the tremendous climb.
For you need to know that We
the two ladies as well as the two
gentlemen-are to 60 up to the top
of this Pyramid of Cheops; and
further, you need to know that we
had now distanced in the journey
from Cairo all other comers.
THE ASCENT.
The service needed for the as
cent of the Pyramids is quite we'll
regulated. The Sheik of the neigh
boring village has the custody Of
the place, and regulates the service
and collects the fees. 1t costs to
each person for going up a fee Of
fifty cents, and for entering to the
interior another fifty cents. Either
OF both may be taken at the option
of the visitor. To each person as
cending two or three Arabs are as.
signed to help. The general plan
for helpfulness would be for an
assistant to take hold of each hand
and, standing upon a tier of stone
above, would pull, while the one
standing behind would "boost.'
So "He-oo-heaye," and up moves
the visitor to take his widespread
look from the top.
The tiers of stone constituting
the steps Of the monument are,
should Judge, two and one-hal
| feet in thickness. In the main GU
routslay along the northWestangl
of the Pyramid.
| had not gone far before l shool
! off the Arab " boosting" from be
hind. He gave me a fearful "boost
and punched my cheekbone agains
the rock ahead, Nor had / gon
much farther before / dismissed th
man holding and pulling me by m
right hand,
/ was nov left with a young
1.-the, fellow, as springy as q 70,
His hand was small and soft and
could clasp it easily and frml
l within my own.
} We must not be rash, but rathe
I take the journey coolly and easily
One gentleman making the iourne
the same day had full use Of HI
= three helpers, as the ascent pr(
= dueed dizziness and threatened hil
with vertigo.
At one of our stoppages m
helper informed me not only th;
his name was Mahmod, but that i
was q Doctor He desired to kno
nv name and title, and informe
him that | was NJ. Governor, an
that | was also q doctor. 1t was ey
% dent that ! rose at once in D
Mahmod's estimation with the
: distinctions. l was now maxim
= the ascent with comparative eas
! Holding Mahmod's right han
firmly with my left, he wou,
spring with his bare feet upon Il
Block before, while /, using n
right hand and arm as brace al
- helper, would lift my left foot
the block and easily raise myself
it. In this way | came to the tt
y without very great fatigue, thoul
- the perspiration poured as if su
iected to DR., Hansen's highest tel