e abruptly.

The well, which appeared to Mr. Davidson and Capt. Caviglia to descend
no lower than where it was intersected by the descending passage, its
depth there being 155 feet, was afterwards cleared out by the French to
the depth of near 208 feet, of which 145 feet are in the solid rock; so
that the base of the pyramid being 164 feet above the low water level of
the Nile, the present bottom of the well is 19 feet above the Nile; but
the actual bottom does not appear to have been reached. The temperature
within the body of the pyramid was found to be 81 deg. 5', Farenheit, and in
the well it was still higher. Herodotus was informed that the chambers
cut in the solid rock, were made before the building of the pyramid was
commenced. It is evident it was intended that the pyramid should not be
entered after the body or bodies were deposited in it, as blocks of
granite were fixed in the entrances to the principal passages, in such a
manner as not only to close them, but to conceal them.--There are
evidences, however, that this pyramid was entered both by the Roman and
Arab conquerors of Egypt.

The materials of all the pyramids are limestone, and, according to
Herodotus, were brought from the mountains near Cairo, where there are
ancient quarries of vast extent; but Belzoni is of opinion that a part
of them, for the second pyramid at least, was procured immediately on
the spot; others think that the greatest part of the materials came from
the west side of the Nile. The granite which forms the roofing of the
chambers, etc., was brought down the Nile from Syene. The stones of
which it is built, rarely exceed 9 feet in length, and 61/2 in breadth;
the thickness has already been stated.

The ascent to the great pyramid, though not without difficulty and
danger, is frequently accomplished, even by females.

The pyramid of Cephren, the second in size, according to Belzoni, has
the following dimensions:

Side of the base, 684 feet.
Vertical height, 456 "
Perpendicular, bisecting the face of
the pyramid, 568 "
Coating from the top, to where it
ends, 140 "

Belzoni, after great exertion, succeeded in opening the second pyramid,
and after traversing passages similar to those already described in the
great pyramid, reached the main chamber, which is cut in the solid rock,
and is 46 feet 3 inches long, 16 feet