The second pyramid, called the pyramid of Cephren, was built by that monarch, who reigned, according to lierodotis, 56, and 31anetho, 66, and the Canon of Turin gives the length of his life as 95 years. The lam of this pyramid is elevated 33 ft. 2 in. above that of the great pyramid, or nearly 172 feet above the level of the high Nile. The ancient base measured 707 ft. 9 in., but it is now reduced to 690 ft 9 in. ; the height was formerly 454 ft. 3 in., but is now 447 ft. G in., the inclined was 572 ft. 6 in., now diminished by 9 ft.; the angle is the apex is 9 ft. square, the casing from the top 130 ft.. to 150 ft. It is placed in an excavation made in the solid rock. Belzoni, after great exertions, succeeded in opening this pyramid, which has two inclined entrances, one in the masonry of the pyramid itself 37 ft. 8 in. above the base, at an angle of 25* 55, and 104 ft. 10 in. long; the lower one 96 ft. 4 in. long, at en angle of 21' 40', placed before the base, both leading to a sepulchral chamber of 46 ft. '2 in. by 16 ft.2 in.,and 19 ft. 3 in. high, with a roof of the same shape as the pyramid, in which was found a granite sarcophagus S ft. 7 in. long, 3 ft. in. wide, and 3 ft. high, close to the S. and W. sides of the chamber, on which was found a Curie inscription, recording the visit of the Caliph Otlumm, and the opening of the pyramid by him in A.D. 1196-7. Some bones of a bull, but no human remains were found in this pyramid. The two lower tiers of the exterior and entrance have fresh coatings of granite, the miring is hard atone of Mokattam. The masonry is formed of blocks and rubble.
The third pyramid was built by 3Ienkare, the Mycerinus of Hero dotus, Mencheres of Manetho, and Moecherie of Eratosthenes, the third king of the 4th dynasty. A level for the site was obtained by a sub struction more than 10 ft. deep, laid to the west, consisting of two tiers of immense blockal The entrance of this pyramid was discovered by Colonel Howard Vyse, in July 1S37, at a height of 13 feet above the base, and measuring 3 ft. 54 in. by 3 ft 11 in. The passage appears to have been forced by the Mamelukes. The base measured 354 ft. 6 in., the perpendicular height 213 ft., its angle was 51°. The passage entered at 26° 2', ran for 104 feet, and led to an ante-room of 10 ft. 5 in. by 12 ft. and 7 ft. high, covered with white plaster worked in compartments, passing thence to three portcullises, a passage of 41 ft. 3 in. long, 3 ft. 5i in. broad, and 5 ft. 10 in. high, led thence, at an angle of 4*, to the so-called large apartment, meastir lag 46 ft. 3 in. long by 12 ft. 7 in. broad, about 15 ft. high, in which was a place for a sarcophagus. A passage of 4 ft. 9 in. high thence descended for 30 ft. to a portcullis which closed the sepulchral chamber of 21 ft. 8 in. by 8 ft. 7 in., and 11 ft. 3 in. high, lined with granite, containing a sarcophagus of whinstone, of S ft. long by 3 ft. 1 in. broad, and 2 ft. 11 in. high, ornamented with plain architectural ornaments similar to those seen in tombs of the 4th dynasty. A room 17 ft. 6 in. long by 6 ft. 3 in. broad, and 6 ft. 7 in. high, containing niches, was reached by a series of 7 steps. The Large apartment had an ascending 'avrage similar to the first, of 80 ft. 4 in. in length by 3 ft. 54 in. broad, and almost 4 ft. high.
The sarcophagus in the sepulchral chamber was subsequently re moved by Colonel H. Vyse, and sent to the British 3Ioseum, but lost at sea off Carthagena ; fragments of the lid were found in the entrance of the passage to the large apartment, and close to it portions of a mummy case of cedar, of the usual shape, inscribed with the name of the king Menkare, and a prayer to the goddess Nu, and part of a body with a woollen garment, supposed by sonic to be the body of the monarch, by others that of an Arab. The casing of this pyramid has
been .snarly all removed ; according to Herodotus, it extended half way up of Ethiopian stone, but the greatest height of the black granite is now 36 ft. 9 in. on the west side ; according to Diodoriis there were only 15 layers of granite. The name of its builder, according to the same, was inscribed on its north side. According to 3[anetho, Men cheres reigned 63 years. It is evident that, on account of the increased length of reign, an important alteration took place in the construction of this pyramid, the increasing masonry having extended beyond the mouth of the first or upper passage, rendering necessary the con struction of the second inclined passage and the present sepulchral chamber, in place of the large apartment originally destined for that purpose, the old red granite sarcophagus having been broken in pieces for the purpose of removal, and a new sarcophagus made for the lower chamber. The chiselling of the upper passage, which is from the outside, and that of the lower inclined passage, which is from the Inside, show that this passage was worked after the completion of the masonry. The third pyramid is better constructed than the others, The former height of the fourth pyramid of Cizeh, the central, south of the third, was 69 ft. 6 in., the length of the base on the rock, 102 ft. 6 in. ; it had an inclined passage of 27 ft. leading to an ante-room, and another 11 ft. 8 in. long, leading at an angle of 27' to a small sepulchral chamber, in which was an empty granite sarcophagus 6 ft. 8 in. long; in it. was found the cartonehe of itamenka, or 31yeerinus, and it was supposed to have contained the wife or daughter of that monarch. The fifth, or eastern pyramid, south of the third, formerly had a square base, 145 ft. 9 in., a height of 83 ft. 4 in., an inclined pa.acage of 27' 12', of 86 ft. 9 in., and a horizontal one of 4 ft., leading to an apartment 25 ft. by 10 ft. 5 in., containing a sarcophagus of granite above S ft. long ; part of the 1I2th chapter of the Koran was found to have been formerly scrawled in it by souse Arab visitant. The sixth, or western pyramid, south of the third, is 102 ft. 6 in. square at Lase, 69 ft. 6 in. high, with a passage of 30' running 47 ft. 9 in , with an ante-room and sepulchral chamber. The seventh pyramid, north-east of the great pyramid, was formerly III ft. high, and 172 ft. 6 in. square, with an entrance passage of 55 ft. 3 in. long, inclined 33' 35', leading to an ante-room and sepulchral chamber, without any sarco phagus. The eighth, central, east of great pyramid, of nearly the same dimensions, had had an entrance passage 37 ft. lung, inclined 34°u, leading to an ante-room and sepulchral chamber. The ninth, southeast of the great pyramid, completing the Cizeh group, measures only 101 ft. 9 in. on a base 160 ft. square, with a passage of 53 ft., inclined 25°, to a sepulchral chamber. The entrances of all these pyramids were placed in front of the north face, generally at a little distance from the base.