Vyse II · p. 78

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78                OPERATIONS CARRIED ON AT GIZEH .


of the long passage proceeding from them, were filled up
with sand to within two feet of the ceiling ; but the large
apartment , and the rest                     of the pyramid , were only en-
cumbered with stones and rubbish , produced by former
excavations and by decay .                         The inclined entrance has
been already described .                      It was of considerable              length ,
and terminated in a short horizontal passage ( see Plates I.
and      II ) that lead to the anteroom the walls of which were
            .                                          ,

covered with white                      plaster , worked        in compartments .
( See Plate           II   .    Fig .   7   and 8. )        Directly opposite the
entrance          into this room , a door -way                   of the      same       size
opened into a narrow chamber ( Plate                           II ) which had been
                                                                 . ,

filled up with three portcullises , placed                             across     it from
east to west.                  The middle of the anteroom had also been
blocked up by large stones laid across it from north to
south , which had completely closed both door -ways .                                  Two
of them remained in their original position .                              The rest of
the anteroom had not been filled up ;                             and the southern
side of it to the eastward of the door - way into the cham-


     4 The dimensions are given in the Appendix ; but reference is neces-
sary , in this and in many other instances , to                Mr. Perring's " Plans of
the Pyramids, " published               by Mr. Fraser , of Regent      Street , which will
give a clearer idea of them than can be conveyed in this work .

     5   The slabs of granite forming the portcullis , were , according to Mr.
Perring's observations , conveyed down the passage angle - ways , and intro-
duced from the anteroom , by the openings A A , on each side of the door-
way , into the upper part of the chamber of the portcullis B , and there

inserted into grooves prepared for them .                  The openings   A A were after-
wards filled up with masonry .                The holes a b c were probably for the
insertion       of beams to sustain or move the portcullis             : there   are   corre-
sponding holes on the opposite side .             The slabs were destroyed in forcing
the Pyramid , but part of the granite heading was found in the anteroom .
-(   See Plate      II ., south end of room restored , D.)