THE PYRAMID.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2030, 26 August 1880, Page 3

THE PYRAMID.

Considerable interest has been excited during the past few days by the display of some hieroglyphical placards having reference to the Great Pyramid of Jeezeb. Chi Wednesday Mr Brunton, of Dunedin, gave the first of a series of lectures on “ The Pyramid ” at the Oddfellows’ Hall, There was a very large audience, Mr Brunton first proceeded to describe by means of diagrams and models the Pyramid and the various sections of the building. The surface, he proceeded to say, was made for the building to be placed on. The area of the base was thirteen acres. [Mr Heywood here gave a description of a similar block in Christchurch, so as to give the audience an idea of the size of the base of the Pyramid.-] Tho manner of the building of the Pyramid was then described, and also the lower chamber in the base of the Pyramid. The building, it was explained, covered the whole area, and, therefore, the building of the base necessitated the covering of tho whole area with large stones. Tho weight of the store in the building was five millions eight hundred thousand tons. It was evident from the records banded down that formerly the building presented a different aspect to what it did now, being smooth on the outside and running up to an apex. Tho dimensions of the passages or galleries were next given. The lecturer then went on to speak of the air passages left by tho builders, which were opened by an explorer in 1838. The debris of the original building was thrown over the cliff on tho edge of which the Pyramid was, and formed a sort of bank. In the year 908 a severe earthquake affected some of the casing otones, and the people living in that period spoiled many of these stones for the building of a city. In 1838 the explorers sinking below tho heaps of rubbish accumulated, found two of the original casing stones and a part of a third. Mr Brunton then exhibited a diagram showing the casing stones discovered in 1838 as stated. The researches of Mr Smyth in 1864 placed beyond doubt that in all the heaps of rubbish around the Pyramid, fragments of the casing stones existed, thus proving that the Pyramid had been cased to the top with those stones. The procedure of Mr Smyth to verify tho fact that these were the casing atones was next described. Mr Dixon had also succeeded in uncovering a nearly perfect easing stone, so that there was no doubt that the Pyramid was originally cased in. The lecturer then proceeded to describe an enlarged diagram of a section of tho Pyramid. Herodotus and Pliny had described the Pyramid as having only one entrance and one passage, which they said was exceedingly small and exceedingly long, leading to a subterranean chamber. They knew nothing of what had come out recently, viz., that there was an ascending passage, only speaking as they did of a descending one. The traditions of the Arabs told them that there was an entrance, and that on the north side. In the year 1009 a Caliph, who had heard a great deal about treasures supposed to be concealed in the Pyramid, sot men to work on the north side. The work was begun, however, too low down, and in the middle of the face, whereas it was high up and n®t in tho centre, Juat as the workmen were beginning to despair of success they heard the fall of a stone on the left of them. The driving was then taken in this direction, and a passage was found which they concluded only went downward. The lecturer then exhibited the diagram of tho passage, explaining how travellers went along it Mr Brunton next gave a very graphic description of the beauty of the passage, comprised as it was of exquisitely worked limestone, and then went on to describe the plates of stone, which were met with in the passage with a kind of arcade out through them, corresponding in size to that of the passage. Passing these plates the visitor came to a passage, very much higher in the ceiling than tho major part, being eight feet high. Diagrams showing the front and sections of the entrance were next exhibited and commented upon by the lecturer, and then views of the Grand Gallery were shown and described. Up this gallery the ascent was for some 150 feet. The wall also consisted of seven layers of stones so placed that the face of each of the stones projected over each other, and thirty-six stones overlapping, which formed the roof of tho Grand Gallery. There was a cavernous looking place in the gallery which was called the well, but which was really the downward passage discovered by an Italian explorer in the early part of the present century. The entrance to the passage had been carefully concealed by the builders, so that Herodotus and others knew nothing whatever about it. The next diagram exhibited was one showing the passage and the peculiar) five holes on each side of the passage which, it was discovered by explorers, were evidently intended for joists for a stone floor, which entirely concealed the passage into tho Queen's Chamber, forming as it were a kind of concealed tunnel of the passage, entirely hiding it. A diagram of tho Queen’s Chamber was next shown, and it was described as being built of limestone, beautifully worked, formed of stones weighing no less than fifty tons each. The characteristics of the chamber were then discoursed upon by Mr Brunton, and tho remarkable horizontal holes, 9 by 8, bored through the blocks of stone to within five inches of the inner surface. In one of these holes was discovered a piece of wood and a brass weight, which was understood to belong to an ancient period. The next diagram was an enlarged one of the view at tho top of the grand gallery. Tho antechamber and approach thereto having been described, Mr Brunton then gave an idea of the King’s Chamber, 34:t. long by 17ft. wide, constructed of solid granite blocks. The coiling was comprised of stones 37 ft. long. In order to prevent tho ceiling from being injured by tho great weight above the builders had placed courses of stones with hollows between them right up to tho top, forming small chambers, five in number. Mr Brunton then proceeded to describe the ante-ohamber to tho King’s Chamber by means of diagrams. Tho antechamber was wainscottod on each side with solid blocks of granite one hundred and eleven inches high. Tho lecturer then went on to call attention to the remarkable grooves on each side, hanging on one of which was tho remarkable granite portcullis. The King’s Chamber was next descanted upon, and a diagram exhibited of it. The remarkable character of tho floor was referred to, as also tho fact that one hundred blocks formed the walls of tho chamber. The ceiling blocks weighed something like seventy tons each. Tho king’s coffer, standing in this chamber, was briefly referred to, and then Mr Brunton brought a highly interesting lectnro to a close, during the whole of which ho was listened to with profound attention. He said he desired to prove that the architect of this vast building was inspired by more than human knowledge. The second' lecture will be given this evening.