These singular chambers and passages may indeed possibly have had to do with some hydraulic machinery of great power which modern science knows nothing about. The section of the pyramid, showing these galleries, in the pyramid books, has a most hydraulic appearance.
The tremendous strength and regularity of the cavities called the King's and Queen's chambers, the regularity and the smallness of most of the passages or massive stone connecting pipes, favor the idea that the chambers might have been reservoirs, their curious roofs, air chambers, and the galleries or passages, connecting pipes for working water under pressure. Water raised through the passages of this one pyramid nearest to the canal, might have been carried by troughs to the other pyramids, which were in all probability in course of construction at the same period of time. A profane friend of mine thinks that the sarcophagus or "sacred coffer" in the King's chamber may have been used by the chief architect and leading men of the works as a bath, and that the King's chamber was nothing more or less than a delightful bath room.
The following quotation from the writing of an Arabian author (Ibn Abd Alkokm), is extracted from Bonwick's "Pyramid Facts and Fancies," page 72:—"The Coptites mention in their books that upon them (the Pyramids) is an inscription engraven; the exposition of it in Arabicke is this:—'I, Saurid the King built the Pyramids (in such and such a time), and finished them in six years; he that comes after me, and says he is equal to me, let him destroy them in six hundred years; and yet it is known that it is easier to pluck down than to build; and when I had finished them, I covered them with sattin, and let him cover them with slats.'"
The italics are my own. The builder seems to have entertained the idea that his work would be partially destroyed, and afterwards temporarily repaired or rebuilt. The first part has unfortunately come true, and it is possible that the last part of the idea of King Saurid may be carried out, because it would not be so very expensive an undertaking for any civilized nation in the interest of science to re-case the pyramids of Gïzeh, so that they might be once more applied to land-surveying purposes in the ancient manner.
It would not be absolutely necessary to case the whole of the pyramid faces, so long as sufficient casing was put on to define the angles. The "slats" used might be a light wooden framework covered with thin metal. The metal should be painted white, except in the case of Mycerinus, which should be of a reddish color.
§ 12. PRIMARY TRIANGLES AND THEIR SATELLITES;—OR THE ANCIENT SYSTEM OF RIGHT-ANGLED TRIGONOMETRY UNFOLDED BY A STUDY OF THE PLAN OF THE PYRAMIDS OF GIZEH.
TABLE TO EXPLAIN FIGURE 60.
Main Triangular Dimensions of Plan are Represented by the Following Eight Right-angled Triangles.
| AB BJ JA | 28 45 53 | } | × 3 | { | 84 135 159 | } | × 8 | { | 672 1080 1272 | DG GE ED | 3 4 5 | } | × 24 | { | 72 96 120 | } | × 8 | { | 576 768 960 |
| DC CA AD | 3 4 5 | } | × 45 | { | 135 180 225 | } | × 8 | { | 1080 1440 1800 | FW WV VF | 48 55 73 | } | × 1 | { | 48 55 73 | } | × 8 | { | 384 440 584 |
| EB BA AE | 3 4 5 | } | × 21 | { | 63 84 105 | } | × 8 | { | 504 672 840 | FB BA AF | 20 21 29 | } | × 1 | { | 80 84 116 | } | × 8 | { | 640 672 928 |
| FH HN NF | 3 4 5 | } | × 32 | { | 96 128 160 | } | × 8 | { | 768 1024 1280 | Note.—In the above table the firstcolumn is the Ratio, the second the third column represents the length each line in R.B. cubits. | |||||||||
| AY YZ ZA | 3 4 5 | } | × 12 | { | 36 48 60 | } | × 8 | { | 288 384 480 | ||||||||||