of Herodotus that one hundred thousand men were
once employed on this pyramid is plausible, according to
Flinders-Petrie, as these months came during the inundation of the Nile,
when there was no field work to occupy their time.

The ascent of the pyramid is an easy task for any one in good physical
condition and accustomed to gymnastic work. Two Bedouins assist you from
the front while an ancient Sheik is supposed to help push you from the
rear. In my case the Bedouins had a very easy job, while the Sheik
enjoyed a sinecure. The stones are about a yard high, and the only
difficulty of the ascent lies in the straddle which must be made to
cover these stones. The ascent is made on the northeast corner of the
pyramid, and much help is gained by inequalities in the great slabs of
limestone which enable one to get a foothold. Two rests were made on the
upward climb, but we came down without any rest, covering the whole trip
in about fifteen minutes.

The view from the summit is superb. On two sides, the south and west,
sketches the sandy desert, broken only by the groups of pyramids at
Abusir, Sakkara and Dashhur, which mark the bounds of the ancient city
of Memphis.

The average tourist has more curiosity about the Sphinx than about the
pyramids, and here the reality is not disappointing. An impressive
figure is this of a recumbent stone lion one hundred and eighty-seven
feet long and sixty-six feet high, with a man's head that is full of
power and pride. The nose is gone and the face is badly scarred, but
here is the typical Egyptian face, with the fine setting of the eyes and
the graceful head.

The journey to the rock tombs of Sakkara and the site of ancient Memphis
is tedious, as it includes a ride across the sandy desert of eighty
miles. A stop is made at the old house of Mariette, the famous French
Egyptologist, who uncovered many of the finest remains in Memphis. Near
by is the Step pyramid, the tomb of a king of the fifth dynasty and one
of the oldest monuments in Egypt.

Near by are several pyramids and tombs that will repay a visit, as each
gives some new idea of the extraordinary care taken by the ancient
Egyptians to preserve their dead and to assure them proper guidance in
the land beyond the tomb.

In one chapel are exquisitely carved mural reliefs, many of which still
retain their original colors. In these chambers the hot, dry air is like
that of the desert. A hundred years seem like a day in this a