Page:A History of Art in Ancient Egypt Vol 1.djvu/371

 The Tomb under the New EiMpire. 281 first violator of the tomb knew the secret of all these arranee- ments, and consequently that its first opening took place in very ancient times, and was the work of some native Egyptian robber. In the sarcophagus-chamber Belzoni discovered a contrivance of the same kind as that which had failed to stop him almost upon the threshold of the tomb. The sarcophagus of oriental alabaster was in place, but empty ; the lid had been raised and broken. ^ From the sound given out by the floor when struck the explorer perceived that there must be a hollow space under the base of the sarcophagus. He cut a hole and brought to light the first steps of a staircase, which led to an inclined plane by which the interior of the mountain was deeply penetrated. A wall had been raised at the foot of these steps, beyond which a settlement of the super- incumbent rock put an end to all advance after a distance of fifty- one yards had been traversed. Is it not possible that Belzoni only discovered a false sarcophagus, placed to deceive unbidden visitors like himself, and that the mummy was deposited, and still lies, in a chamber at the end of this corridor ? The point at which the fallen rock arrested his progress is four hundred and eighty-three feet from the external opening, and about one hundred and eighty below the level of the valley. At such a depth, in these narrow and heated galleries, where there is no ventilation and where the smoke of the torches rapidly becomes stifling, it is not astonishing that, in spite of his admirable perseverance, Belzoni held his hand before completing the exploration.^ These subterranean tombs are hardly less astonishing than the colossal masses of the pyramids for the sustained effort which they imply ; if we take the trouble to reflect upon the peculiarly difficult conditions under which they were constructed, they may even impress our imaginations more profoundly than the artificial mountains of Cheops and Chephren. We have already men- tioned a figure which gives some idea of the surprising length of their passages ; and although no one of the other tombs quite equals that of Seti, many approach it in dimensions. The tomb of Rameses III. is 416 feet long, that of Siptah 370 feet, and ^ This beautiful sarcophagus is now in the Soane Museum. — Ed. 2 Belzoni believed that this passage led again into the open air; that it was, in fact, another entrance to the tomb. " I have," he says, "reasons to think so ;" but he does not give his reasons. VOL. I. 00