The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1880-10-29
HOW THE PYRAMIDS MERE BUILT.

-oIuSScn hey, the eInluont N&yptOlO-
sist, says, in his work on Egypt:
From the far distance you see the
giant forms Of the pyramids, as If they
were regularly crystalized mountains,
which the ever-creating nature has
called forth from the rock, to lift them.
selves up toward the vault of heaven.
And yet, they are but toombs, built by
the hands of men, which have been
the admiration and astonishmcnt alike
of the ancient and modern world.
| Perfectly adjusted to the cardinal
points of the horizon, they differ In
breadth and height, as is shown by the
measurements of the three oldest, as
follows: 1. The Pyramid of Khufa-
height, 45O.75 feet; breadth, TAG feet.
.. Pyramid of Khafra-helght, 447.5
feet breadth, 69O.75 feet. 8. Pyramid
of Menkara-height, 2OS feet breadth,
3i2.7S feet.
The construction of these enormous
masses has long been I'm insOluble mys-
terry, but later generations have suc-
ceeded in solving tho problem. Ac-
cording to their ancient usages AMI
customs, the Egyptians, while they
still soiourned in health and spirits,
were ever mindful to turn their looks
to the region where the departing Ia
took leave of life, where the door of the
grave opened, where the body, we'll
concealed, ut length found rest, to rise
again to u new existence, after an ap-
pointed time OF long, long years, while
the soul. though bound to the body,
was ut liberty to leave tho grave and
return to it during the daytime, In any
form it chose. In such a belief, 1t was
the custom betimes to dig the grave In
the form of u deep shaft in the rock,
and above this eternal dwelling to
raise Il supcrstructurc of sncriflclal
chambers sometimes only hall, some-
times several apartments, and to nGlorn
them richly with colored writings and
painted sculptures, as was becoming
to a house OF pleasure and joy. The
king began his work from his access
sion. AS soon AS he mounted the
throne, tho sovereign gave orders to Il
noblemar, the master of all tho build
ings of his land, TO plan tho work and
cut tho stone. The kernel OF tho future
edifice was raised on tho limestone soil
Of the desert, in the form of Il small
pyramid built in steps, of which the
we'll constructed and finished interior
formed the kings eternal dwelling,
with his stone sarcophagus lying on
the rocky floor. Let us suppose that
this first building was finished while
the Pharaohs still lived In the bright
sunlight. A second covering was
of the kernel Il third to this second,
and to this even Il fourth; and the
mass of tho giant building grew greater
tho longer the king enjoyed existence.
And then, Mt last, when it became al
most impossible to extend the area of
tho pyramid further, II casing Of hard
stone, polished like glass, and fitted
accurately into the angles of tho steps,
covered tho vast mass of tho scpulchre,
presenting gigantic triangle on each
OF its four faces.
More than seventy such pyramids
once rose on the margin of tho desert,
each telling of n king of whom it was
ut once the tomb and monument. Had
not the greater number Of these sepul-
chers of the Pharaohs been destroyed
almost to the foundation, and had tho
names of the builders of these which
still stand been accurately preserved, 1t
would have been easy for tho inquirer
to prove and make clear by calcuIa-
tion what was originally, and OF neccs-
sity, tho proportion between tho mass
es of the pyramids and the years of the
rcigns ol their respective builders.