only could follow the shadows' motions; but in some respects,
the observations in this part of the year could be more readily and
exactly made than in winter, when the shadows' spaces of various width
would range along the entire length of the gallery.

Similar remarks would apply to observations of the moon, which could
also be directly observed. The planets and stars of course could only be
observed directly.

The grand gallery could be used for the observation of any celestial
body southing higher than 26 deg. 18' above the horizon; but not very
effectively for objects passing near the zenith. The Pleiades could be
well observed. They southed about 63-2/3 deg. above the horizon in the year
2140 B.C. or thereabouts when they were on the equinoctial colure.[46]
But if I am right in taking the year 3300 B.C. when Alpha Centauri shone
down the smaller ascending passage in southing, the Pleiades were about
58 deg. only above the horizon when southing, and therefore even more
favourably observable from the great meridional gallery.

In passing I may note that at this time, about 3300 years before our
era, the equinoctial point (that is, the point where the sun passes
north of the equator, and the year begins according to the old manner of
reckoning) was midway between the horns of the Bull. So that then, and
then alone, a poet might truly speak of spring as the time

"Candidus auratis aperit quum cornibus annum
Taurus."

as Virgil incorrectly did (repeating doubtless some old tradition) at a
later time. Even Professor Smyth notices the necessity that the pyramid
gallery should correspond in some degree with such a date. "For," says
he, "there have been traditions for long, whence arising I know not,
that the seven overlappings of the grand gallery, so impressively
described by Professor Greaves, had something to do with the Pleiades,
those proverbially seven stars of the primeval world," only that he
considers the pyramid related to _memorial_ not _observing_ astronomy,
"of an earlier date than Virgil's." The Pleiades also, it may be
remarked, were scarcely regarded in old times as belonging to the
constellation of the Bull, but formed a separate asterism.

The upper end of the great gallery lies very near the vertical axis of
the pyramid. It is equidistant, in fact, from the north and south edges
of the pyramid platform at this level, but lies somewhat to the east of
the true centre of this platform. One can re