Погребённый с фараонами

           Downtheshoreroadwedrove,betweengreatrowsoflebbakhs andpastthevastZoologicalGardenstothesuburbofGizeh, whereanewbridgetoCairoproperhassincebeenbuilt. Then,turninginlandalongtheSharia-el-Haram, wecrossedaregionofglassycanalsandshabbynativevillages tillbeforeusloomedtheobjectsofourquest, cleavingthemistsofdawnandforminginvertedreplicasintheroadsidepools. Fortycenturies,asNapoleonhadtoldhiscampaignersthere,indeedlookeddownuponus. 

           Theroadnowroseabruptly,tillwefinallyreachedourplaceoftransferbetweenthetrolleystationandtheMenaHouseHotel. AbdulReis,whocapablypurchasedourPyramidtickets, seemedtohaveanunderstandingwiththecrowding,yellingandoffensiveBedouins whoinhabitedasqualidmudvillagesomedistanceawayandpestiferouslyassailedeverytraveler; forhekeptthemverydecentlyatbayandsecuredanexcellentpairofcamelsforus, himselfmountingadonkeyandassigningtheleadershipofouranimalstoagroupofmenandboysmoreexpensivethanuseful. Theareatobetraversedwassosmallthatcamelswerehardlyneeded, butwedidnotregretaddingtoourexperiencethistroublesomeformofdesertnavigation. 

           Thepyramidsstandonahighrockplateau,thisgroupformingnexttothenorthernmostoftheseriesofregal andaristocraticcemeteriesbuiltintheneighborhoodoftheextinctcapitalMemphis, whichlayonthesamesideoftheNile,somewhatsouthofGizeh, andwhichflourishedbetween3400and2000B.C.