Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1888-02-09
THE GREAT PYRAMID.
Nov Ii Wa Eat~r-f by Csiipa Al asmsza
and Hts Sarae~a Followers.

and His >arsc-a Followers.
Though mercile~sly hacked and
quarried and dilapiiated. the mouth
Of the entraucc-passaSe gives one
most impressive example Of the stu
pendous construction plan of the whole
grand pile. II held its secret within
its great throat for many long thou
sand years. until A ID. $40. when
Caliph Al Mamoun discovered il in
most unexpected manner. The dis
tinguished Arab Of FoStat. the spn If
Haroun Al Raschid Of the ..Arabian
Nights" with inquiring mind. made 4
journey 10 Gizeh and proceeded 10
ctfcc an entrance into the Great Pyra-
mid. wherein. he hal been led to be-
lieve. great treasures were 10 be found.
large staff Of quarrymen was en-
gagged for the work At which side to
make the attack. and At what
point was a puzzle. A trifing
hint caused the north face 10
be chosen. near the base and at
the center. Two blunders were m ade
Al The beginning. The forced entrance
was started 800 inches below the
proper one. and ESQ inches west of IT,
Night and day. week after week. for
mo tbs. the labor Of tunn cling went
ga. until quite one hundred feet Of the
antique masonry had been broken M
aud brought 20 the light One day.
as some OF them wrought despairingly
NJ the inner end "a their excavation.
they heard a strange noise beyond
them. which resembled the falling Of
great stone in hollow space. HAM
mers. fire and vinegar were employed
with renewed vignr again and again
until 4 walled surface yielding To their
efforts. the way oPeae,l 30 a low. mar
row. descending passage Leapins
into the dark avenue with lighted
torch, they discovered AZ once the
fallen stone which hal led them
on Ii had dropped from the
roof To the hoOr. and re-
vealed the fact that there vas jus, be-
yOnd it another passage, following
southwark like the other ascending
instead Of descending; bat alas, it was
closed by n series of huge granite
plugs. placed there b. the bnilier for
the verv purpose of heading of such
enterprises as that Of the adventurous
Caliph.
Nothing dauntcd. however. the
plucky Saracens broke side pass age
through the western wall If limestone.
cut huge chasm upward. and made
a junction with the wall If the ascend
ing passage where the granite did not
oppose. They cut through the lime
stone wall with comparative ease. but
IS fast as they removed the pieces of
the well-formed blocks others came
down from above and continued To
bar their advance. FINALLY the last one
made lis appearance. Like its pre-
decessors. il was broken aud removed.
and the passage was clear With
lighted fambeaux the eager Arab,
ascended. first on hands and knees.
and then. after reaching the Grand
Gallery. fastened. with might and
main. upward and onward into the
very heart of the mountain OF stone.
Visions Of wealth grew before them
-there where 4 ray Of sunshine never
gave n raw of hopc-untii they came
10 the end Of the passage. THen a
step at ths left. three fee high. ar
rested their attention Climbing to
its top. low doorway was found.
with n splcnsliIly quarrici granite
portcullis hanging over l.. Passing
under this on hands aud knees they
ercpt into small an,c-cham-
Der; through this tn another
low doorway leading into a
surther low passage. which again
caused them. nonplussed. 20 bend.
Thus lhey were led into the Isrx.
apartment known rs the kinSs
chamber. There. on the west side.
stood the hard gained stone treas
ure-boxr' II seemed too good tu be
true. II was without cover 10 pro-
tect It's expected contents. anu ii vas
entirely empty,
Caliph Al Mamoun was dunn
founded. and his workmen were about
10 murder him But he was conn
mander Of the faithful and under
stood human nature Daring the
night he caused to be hidden near the
empty e0ffer ST fiicient store Of gold
10 pay the men, The next day. being
bidden to dig again. they found the
gold and received their wages. A
for the CsIiph. he returned to Fostat.
wiser rs to the clear-headedness of
the E ,yp tians who preceded him some
thousands of years. but no better in
purse. Scri5aer's Magazine.