The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1916-10-06

" VERYONE who goes TO Egypt
- sees of the Pyramids more or
less-chiefiy less-to the ac-
compartment of the demand
for 'backsheesh' by the ignorant, lying
Arabs. Thousands have written their
experiences of such sightseeing, says
writer in the New York Herald.
But l made the acquaintance of an
American at the Mena house who had
been everywhere and who knew ev-
erybody. When l told him 1 would
like TO learn something Of Cheops
without the usual nuisance of guides
who knew nothing, telling you every
thing, he smiled the smile of the man
who had been there and knew the
ropes. did you notice." he said, "a
small American flag fiuttering over q
neat, white tent at the north of the
base of old Cheops? For many years
that has been the headquarters of my
American friend, Mr.. Dow Covington.
He knows Cheops, inside and out, as
the mother knows the face of her first
bOIH. nc COulu Nulh tlllOuSll IL DllIu-
folded and tell you its story backward.
He's the only man who can help you,
If you can get him."
/ found Mr.. Covington located In q
large, comfortably furnished tent, act
ually pitched in the very shadow of
the Pyramid. "Come to my tent at
eleven tonight" said Mr.. Covington
when, shortly after, called upon him
and made known my wish. "By that
time the Arab guides will have gone
and we will not be pestered by them.
BY the way, wear your worst suit of
clothes and q pair of heelless, cloth or
rubber-soled shoes, if you possess such
thing. The trip will test your nerve.
/ see you can stand 1T, and it will do
you good; but don't count on keeping
tomorrow's engagements" he added
smilingly.
In the Pyramid at Midnight.
1t was nearly midnight when, with
lighted lanterns, we found ourselves at
or, as 1t is more often called, owing to
the fact that Herodotus, "the father
of history" translated Khufu's name
into Greek, the Pyramid of Cheops.
Opening an iron grill door, to which
only Mr. Covington is authorized to
carry the key we entered n large.
sloping passage some four feet high
and three and half wide, cut for the
most part through solid natural lime
stone. Down this we crawled and
slid for more than 800 feet, finally ar
irving at the lowest cavern of the pyr-
amid, just 100 feet below the center
of it. 1t is probably the chamber Of
which the Egyptian priests spoke to
Herodotus, the one which they tOlG
him contained the mummy of Khufu
the pleasure of seeing. Near the CEN
ter of the cavern, cut in solid rock,
is hole which resembles q deep
grave. One wonders why. On the
southern side Is long, narrow blind
passage, also cut in the rock, and
again one wonders why.
a short distance from the cavern is
the lower end Of an almost perpendic-
ular well, some three feet by two,
extending upward for 1872 feet to the
grand gallery. Through this deep well
shaft Khufu's workmen made their
egress after blocking with granite
plugs the passage by which we en-
tered. Again the question enters one's
mind. WHY this tremendous labor to
construct an entrance and an cgreSs
for tomb receptacle that apparently
was never used?
Placing our feet and hands in the
holes constructed by those workmen
of the remote past and pressing our
backs to the opposite wall of the mar
row well, we slowly and labOri0uSly
began the 192-foot ascent. In 1902
Mr.. Covington had removed some 81
feet of debris which clogged the lower
end of the well. 1t was like Jean Val
jean gettilg out of the cul-de-sac-a
little like II. Using both hands and
feet, back tightly pressed to the wall.
my camera tied around my neck with
a handkerchief, holding in my teeth
the lantern, the heat of which, com
bined with that caused by intense
physical exertion, made me feel as If
/ were In the hot room of Turkish
bath with all my clothes on, my pa
tent companion in the lead unavoida-
bly, kickiLg Gown upon my head the