West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1901-08-29

a iittie knowledge of place, the
average guide is nothing short of a
nuisance. had started out with
the full intention and determination
of not having anything to do with
the guides, and having a good after
noon all TO myself, where | might
fully enjoy the wonders without be-
ing pestered by the song and dance,
book agent yarns the average guide
gives you. "But the best laid plans
of mice and men," &c. had to
succumb. Also, it may be said that
these guides show you their cards
with license, price, &C., and YOU
make what you think is a clear and
distinct agreement as to just how
much you are to pay them, &c. You
will wind up by paying them just
ABOUT twice the amount you agreed
with them to pay them, and you
might just as well not try to get
around it-you will save time and
patience. OF course a Frenchman
would stop and parley with him an
hour or so for sou or two. NV
guide and | went on by the great
Pyramid of Cheops to the second
one. On our way we were met by the
usual swarm of Arabs selling souve-
Mrs, such as beads out of some
noted old fellows sarcophagus, an
clent money, &c. | was the victim
OF one for piece of money said to
be 4, 900 years old. Climbing fifteen
or twenty feet up the side of the
Pyramid TO the entrance TO the pas.
sage way down to the interior. |
bargained with guide No. to take
me down into the interior had
read of how difficult such an under
taking was, and / was ready for
'N'S'"'"S piS'NJ HdIu.
The passage way is about 3 feet
o inches by 5 feet, is faced on all
sides with granite and leads down
at an angle of about 20 degrees.
The facing being smooth and all
the way the same size, the descent
is quite difficult, especially if the
shoes are slick. After going down
about 100 feet, we came to an offset
or jumping off place. Climbing
down some four or five feet and go
ing a short distance over very
rough passage, again we descended
smooth passage way as before for
about 100 feet, which brought us
out into what is called the "King's
Chamber" This room, / should
say, is IS to 80 feet square, and the
floor is covered with rocks and de-
bris. On one side is the sarcopha-
gus, where for hundreds of years
some old Pharoah quietly reposed
from the maddening crowds without.
a calcium light made a wonderfully
wierd impression on me. After
some time in examining this place,
we returned to the outside.
We then went over to the temple
of the Sphinx. But for the exca-
walton this would be entirel, COW
cred with sand. The interior is a
most interesting place. The i'm.
mense blocks of granite so accu-
rately joined that pin can't be run
between them, and their immense
size, makes one stop in amazement
and wonder how such herculean
tasks were accomplished. A cal
cium light made the walls sparkle as
so many thousand. The Sphynx
seemed to me a little better pre-
served than pictures show it. Some
how, in some respects this is a more
wonderful monument than are the
Pyramids, for we look upon the lat
ter as an immense pile of rocks once
in shape not easily disarranged; but
with the Sphinx it is smaller and
hewn out Of solid rock, save the
paw, which, no doubt, is a restora-
ton itself, made even centuries ago.
The greater part of this wonder lies
buried in the sand; only the head,
neck and paw are exposed. To get
some idea of the immense amount
of sand that has been moved in
around it, we find the temple, by
the side, wholly below what is now
the surface. Even while YOU arc
gazing on this silent, rough face,
the wind is throwing sand grains all
over you, impTessing you with the
cause Of these wonders being so
nearly covered up.
The Arabs, with their donkevs.
are ever present to relieve the mo-
notony OF looking at these wonders.
1t seems that a trip to the Pyramids
and Sphinx is not complete without
having had donkey ride.
I paid off my guide and told him
/ didn't need him any more. OF
course he didn't agree with me. but
| lnlI him % Ilnar,nnrn y ~ L.