e entrance. The passage was narrow, low,
steep, and extremely slippery. With an Arab to each hand--as a
precaution against a nasty fall--the soldier, breathing a muggy
atmosphere, sweating at every pore, and filled with repulsion at the
close proximity of his yelling conductors, made a crab-like and painful
progress through darkness over the 220 feet of distance to the King's
Chamber. This apartment, viewed by candlelight or a flare now and then
from a piece of magnesium wire, does not present, beyond some carvings
on the walls, anything of great interest.

After a brief rest the party retraced some of its steps and visited the
Queen's Chamber, situated lower down. Here it was necessary to have
another breather, and at this stage some Arab evinced a desire to
foretell the fortune of anyone who would listen to him and, of course,
produce the necessary monetary encouragement. Finally, the open air was
regained, perspiration ceased to pour, and with luck it was possible to
recover those portions of clothing left behind when entering. Now
thoughts were directed to the Pyramids Hotel at Mena--noticed earlier in
the day--where, under the shade of trees, tables were set and lunch
could be obtained, together with much good and cool English ale.
Sometimes the parties had enough energy left to first pay a call on the
Sphinx, which is situated about 300 yards distant from the great tomb.
Very few thoroughly explored this relic of the ancients, but its great
antiquity, alleged by some authorities to date long prior to the
creation as fixed by the Christian calendar, and the riddle associated
with it, demanded that everyone should at least go and gaze on its face
for a little while. Here it was customary to submit to the camera man.
Many photographs were thus secured which, when posted, were of great
interest to the friends at home.

The next place of interest was the site of the City of Memphis--the
ancient capital of Egypt--and its necropolis at Sakkara. Memphis was
reached either by train or donkey ride from Cairo, or by a ride of about
two hours across from the Pyramids at Gizeh. Of the city itself nothing
is left to mark its ancient magnificence except the two giant statues of
Rameses II. However, the country between there and Gizeh is one vast
cemetery containing the tombs of the notables. The most conspicuous of
these is the Step Pyramid--the oldest of such and the resting-place of
the body of King Teheser. Less conspicuous,