124 Study of the New York Obelisk as a Decayed Boulder. 



almost in the middle, between the New City and the Little Phar- 

 illon. Its pedestal, of which a part is buried, is elevated 20 feet 

 above the level of the sea. Between this monument and the Port 

 runs a thick wall, flanked with a great Tower on either side of the 

 Obelisk ; but this wall is in such a ruined state, that its top is 

 almost level with the pedestal of the Obelisk. The inner part of 

 the wall is but ten feet from this monument, and its outer part but 

 four to five steps from the sea."^ 



In 1787, the pedestal seems to have been visible, according to 

 Savary: " Towards the eastern part of the palace are the two 

 obelisks, vulgarly called Cleopatra's needles, of Thebaian stone, and 

 containing numerous hieroglyphics; one is thrown down, broken, 

 and covered with sand; the other still rests on its pedestal."^ 



In 1801, it was remarked by Mayer: "The Obelisk near Alex- 

 andria, called Cleopatra's needle, is a block of granite, not quite six 

 feet in diameter at it's base, and near seventy feet high originally ; 

 but it's pedestal, and part of it's base, are buried in the sand."^ 



Again, in 1843, Cooley represented* the base of the Obelisk free 

 from sand, but its pedestal still buried, standing in a pit from which 

 the sand had been dug out, for examination by the visitor. 



On old maps, the position of the two monuments is commonly 

 marked by two little squares, whose sides on Pococke's " Plan of 

 Alexandria" face about N.W.,^ but, on most maps, are placed parallel 

 to the shore, which here runs about E.X.E., i. e., they front about 

 N.N.W. 



In the more elaborate and faithful drawings of the many repre- 

 sented in plates, in early works of travel, I have made a careful 

 examination of the hieroglyphs, and of the cartouches, whose posi- 

 tion and number differ greatly on the different sides of the shaft; 

 also in many photographs, taken at Alexandria at various periods, 

 which show clearly the inscriptions and the w^ell-marked nick, which, 

 as already explained, was probably directed nearly to N.N.W., as 

 the Obelisk stood at An. 



[Here the following drawings and photographs were exhibited by 

 lantern projection: Yiew of Alexandria from the sea, in 1755, 

 showing the erect obelisk and remnant of the wall: Tiews of the 

 Obelisk in 1755, showing the present E.S.E. side, then facing the 



1 Norden, idem, I, 5. 2 Savary, idem, I, 36. 



3 Mayer, op. cit., 29. •♦ Cooley, op. cit., 155. 



^ Pococke, idem, I, 2. 



