The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1880-09-29
HoW THE PYRAMIDS WE'RE BUILT

Brugseh Bey, the eminent Psychologist,
says, in his work on Egypt q
From the far distance you see the giant
forms of the pyramids, as IL they were reg
ularly crystalized mountains, which the ever
creating nature has called forth from the
rock, to lift themselves up toward the vault
of heaven. And yet, they are but tonibs,
built by the hands of men, which have been
the admiration and establishment alike of the
ancient and modern world. Perfectly adjust
ed to the cardinal points of the horizon, they
differ in breadth and height, as is shown by
the measurement Of the three oldest, as fol-
lows 1. The Pyramid of Khufa--450. rs
feet breadth, TAG feet 3. Pyramid of Kha-
fra--height, 4475 feet breadth, 600. rs feet.
8. Pyramid Of Menkara--height 203 feet
breadth, 352.7S feet. Il
The construction Of these enormous masses
has long been an insoluble mystery, but later
generations have succeeded in solving the
| problem. According to their ancient usages
and customs, the Egyptians, while they still
sojonrn in health and spirits, were ever mind
full to turn their looks to the region where the
departing IA took leave If his life. where the
body, well concealed, at length found rest, to
rise again to new existence, after an APP
pointed time of long, long years, while the
soul, though bound to the body, was at liber.
ty to leave the grave and return to it during
the daytime, in any form IL chose. In such a
belief, it was the custom bctimes to dig the
grave in the form of d deep shaft in the rock,
and above this eternal dwelling to raise SUI
perstructure Of sacrficial chambers, some
times hall, sometimes only hall, some
times several apartments, and to adorn thcm
richly with colofed writings and painted
sculptures, as was becoming to house of
pleasure and joy. The King began his work
from his accession. As soon as he mounted
the throne, the sovereign gave orders TO a no.
bleman, the master of all the buildings Of his
klpud, to plan the worksand cut the Stone
The kernel Of Che fitnre Alice was raised on
the limestone soil Of the desert, IN the form
Of q small pyramid built 30 steps, Of which
tho well-constfucted and finished interior
formed The Kings eternal dwelling, with his
stone sarcopbagus lying on the rocky floor
Let us suppose that the first building was fin.
ished while the Pharaoh still lived in the
bright sunlight. A second covering was add.
ed, stone by stone on the outside of the kerr
mel ; third to this second, and to this even a
fourth and the mass of the giant building
grew greaterth the longer the King enjoyed ex-
istence. And then, at last, when 1t became
almost impossible to extend the area of the
pyramid further, casting of hard stone, pol
ished like glass, and fitted accurately into the
angles of the steps, covered the vast mass Of
the sepulchre, presenting gigantic triangle
on each Of it's four faces.
More than seventy such pyramids once rose
on the margin Of the desert, each telling Of a
king of whom it was at once the tomb and
monument. Had not the greater number Of
these sepulchres of the Pharaohs been des-
troyed almost to the foundation, and bad the
names Of the builders of these which still
stand been accurately preserved, it would
have been easy for the inquirer to prove and
make clear by calculation what was original
ly and of necessity the proportion between
the masses Of the pyramids and the years Of
the reins of their respective builders.