The well, which appeared to Mr. Davidson and Capt.  Caviglia to descend no lower than where it was intersected by the descending passage, its depth there being 155 feet, was afterwards cleared out by the French to the depth of near 208 feet, of which 145 feet are in the solid rock; so that the base of the pyramid being 164 feet above the low water level of the Nile, the present bottom of the well is 19 feet above the Nile; but the actual bottom does not appear to have been reached.  The temperature within the body of the pyramid was found to be 81 deg. 5’, Farenheit, and in the well it was still higher.  Herodotus was informed that the chambers cut in the solid rock, were made before the building of the pyramid was commenced.  It is evident it was intended that the pyramid should not be entered after the body or bodies were deposited in it, as blocks of granite were fixed in the entrances to the principal passages, in such a manner as not only to close them, but to conceal them.—­There are evidences, however, that this pyramid was entered both by the Roman and Arab conquerors of Egypt.

The materials of all the pyramids are limestone, and, according to Herodotus, were brought from the mountains near Cairo, where there are ancient quarries of vast extent; but Belzoni is of opinion that a part of them, for the second pyramid at least, was procured immediately on the spot; others think that the greatest part of the materials came from the west side of the Nile.  The granite which forms the roofing of the chambers, etc., was brought down the Nile from Syene.  The stones of which it is built, rarely exceed 9 feet in length, and 61/2 in breadth; the thickness has already been stated.

The ascent to the great pyramid, though not without difficulty and danger, is frequently accomplished, even by females.

The pyramid of Cephren, the second in size, according to Belzoni, has the following dimensions: 

  Side of the base, 684 feet. 
  Vertical height, 456 "
  Perpendicular, bisecting the face of
    the pyramid, 568 "
  Coating from the top, to where it
    ends, 140 "

Belzoni, after great exertion, succeeded in opening the second pyramid, and after traversing passages similar to those already described in the great pyramid, reached the main chamber, which is cut in the solid rock, and is 46 feet 3 inches long, 16 feet 3 inches wide, and 23 feet 6 inches high.  The covering is made of blocks of limestone, which meet in an angular point, forming a roof, of the same slope as the pyramid.  The chamber contained a sarcophagus, formed of granite, 8 feet long, 3 feet 6 inches wide, and 2 feet 3 inches deep, on the inside.  There were no hieroglyphics on it.  Some bones were found in it, which were sent to London, and proved to be those of a bull or an ox.  From an Arabic inscription on the wall of the chamber, it appears that some of the Arab rulers of Egypt had entered the pyramid, and closed it again.  Belzoni also discovered another chamber in this pyramid.