thicke in those places that we did
see: the squarenes is in length about twentie score euery square, being
built as it were a pointed diamond, broad at the foote, and small or narrow
at the toppe: the heigth of them, to our judgement, doth surmount twise the
heighth of Paules steeple: within the said Pyramides, no man doth know what
there is, for that they haue no entrance but in the one of them, there is a
hole where the wall is broken, and so we went in there, hauing torch light
with vs, for that it hath no light to it, and within the same, is as it
were a great hall, in the which there is a costly tombe, which tombe they
say, was made for kinq Pharao in his life time, but he was not buried
there, being drowned in the red sea: also there are certaine vauts or
dungeons, which goe downe verie deepe vnder those Pyramides with faire
staires, but no man dare venter to goe downe into them, by reason that they
can cary no light with them, for the dampe of the earth doth put out the
light: the red sea is but three dayes iourney from this place, and
Ierusalem about seuen dayes iourney from thence: but to returne to Cayro.
There is a Castle wherein is the house that Pharaoes wiues were kept in,
and in the Pallace or Court thereof stande 55 marble pillars, in such
order, as our Exchange standeth in London: the said pillars are in beigth
60 foote: and in compasse 14 foote: also in the said Citie is the castle
were Joseph was in prison, where to this day they put in rich men, when the
king would haue any summe of money of them: there are seuen gates to the
sayd prison, and it goeth neere fiftie yardes downe right: also, the water
that serueth this castle, commeth out of the foresaide riuer of Nilus, vpon
a wall made with arches, fiue miles long, and it is twelue foote thicke.
Also there are in old Cayro two Monasteries, the one called S. Georges, the
other S. Maries: and in the Courts where the Churches be, was the house of
king Pharao. In this Citie is great store of marchandize, especially
pepper, and nutmegs, which come thither by land, out of the East India: and
it is very plentifull of all maner of victuals, especially of bread,
rootes, and hearbes: to the Eastwards of Cayro, there is a Well, fiue miles
off called Matria, and as they say, when the Virgin Marie fled from
Bethleem, and came into AEgypt, and being there, had neither water, nor any
other thing to sustaine them, by the prouidence of God, an Angell came from
heauen,