Historical publicationV83
Vyse II · p. 83
Movement of the sarcophagus and the beginning of its removal
Checked passage: Vyse’s stated reason for sending it to the Museum
As the sarcophagus would have been destroyed, had it remained in the pyramid, I resolved to send it to the British Museum.
This records Vyse's stated justification. It does not independently establish that destruction would have occurred, or establish the scope of export permission.
Checking notes and source context ↗Checked passage: Extraction equipment and timber casing
One of the ramps in the inclined passage was to be removed in order to get it into the large apartment, where it was placed upon trucks, and the blocks in the anteroom having been got rid of, it arrived at the bottom of the entrance passage. By means of a number of men, and of a crab at the mouth of the pyramid, it had been conveyed half way up, when, owing to the roughness of the bottom, the trucks on one side gave way. As they could not be repaired for want of space, the sarcophagus was slowly lifted by levers, and got out by degrees; which, considering that its weight was nearly three tons, was an arduous undertaking. It was, however, at last safely hauled out, and placed on a proper carriage, in which, with the assistance of planks, it was drawn over the rocks and sands to the tents, and afterwards cased with strong timbers, to be sent to the British Museum.
Continuous excerpt across a printed page break. 'Crab', 'trucks', 'half way' and 'nearly three tons' preserve the wording; the excerpt does not establish modern equipment specifications or a measured mass.
Checking notes and source context ↗Automatically extracted transcription
Uncorrected text. Use the original scan to check quotations and footnotes.
OPERATIONS CARRIED ON AT GIZEH . 83
was discovered , excepting some rude and unconnected
Arabic words and characters scrawled with something like
chalk on various parts of the walls , and on the inside of
the sarcophagus . ' The only words that could be made
out were Mahomet Rasoul over the entrance . The sarco-
یلال هورت
phagus is supposed to have been originally placed in the
centre of the chamber , to which its proportions were
very similar , but it had been moved , and was found
1 * As soon as these writings were discovered , I sent to the Shereef of
Mecca to request permission for the Cadi to examine them , who , on the
2d of July , had explained those found in the Fifth Pyramid . The Cadi was
at Alexandria , but the Shereef was so good as to send two other persons
on the 3d inst ., as will subsequently be seen , but they could only make out
the above words ; and , I was afterwards informed , thought proper to say ,
that I had myself written them . I then endeavoured , but without success ,
to procure persons from Cairo who understood antient Arabic characters .
From the desultory manner in which these writings are scrawled over
the walls and ceilings , I do not however believe that they have any con-
nected meaning . They are probably the names of visitors or of workmen ,
or, perhaps , a few phrases from the Koran . I tried in vain to copy them ;
they were extremely faint , and could not be made out .
As the sarcophagus would have been destroyed , had it remained in
the pyramid , I resolved to send it to the British Museum . The diffi-
culties with which Mr. Raven had to contend in this operation , were not
trifling . One of the ramps in the inclined passage was to be removed in
order to get it into the large apartment , where it was placed upon
trucks , and the blocks in the anteroom having been got rid of, it arrived
at the bottom of the entrance passage . By means of a number of men ,
and of a crab at the mouth of the pyramid , it had been conveyed half way
up , when , owing to the roughness of the bottom , the trucks on one side