Granite for Oniamentat Purposes. 345 



beauty and elegance, such as well executed pedestals foi* busts 

 or vases, of red and grey granite ; chimney pieces of the same 

 material, numerous slabs, tables and seats for halls, and beau- 

 tiful vases, in a considerable variety of forms, rivalling thor.e 

 of classic Italy in shape, mural tablets for monuments, and 

 some altar-formed tombs of magnificent size. These last 

 were made to order. Some of the chimney-pieces are intend- 

 ed for the Earl of Lauderdale's residence, Thirlstane Castle, 

 and some of the slabs for Sir Robert Peel, &c. &c. 



I was surprised at the neatness of the lettering on all the 

 monuments ; and saw the men at work. The monument is first 

 finished in other respects : the letters are carefully traced with 

 a dark or light crayon, according to the colour of the stone, and 

 the workman traces the outline of the letter on the stone by 

 light strokes of a fine-edged chisel, held nearly vertically ; 

 deepens the lines by a succession of similar blows, while the 

 chisel is held very obliquely, removing the stone in the state 

 of powder, so as to avoid chipping. Roman capitals are thus 

 easily formed ; but I saw old English, or German letters, with 

 a superfluity of curved lines, carved on the granite with equal 

 precision. 



But the most remarkable work which I saw in this estab- 

 lishment was, the neatly finished statue of the late Duke of 

 Gordon, intended to be erected in one of the streets of Aber- 

 deen. It is 11 feet high, of a single block of granite. This 

 statue was modelled by Mr Thomas Campbell, the sculptor ; 

 and has been transferred from the model to the granite by 

 Messrs Macdonald and Leslie. Two men were at work on 

 the drapery, at the period of my visit. They worked with 

 fine chisels, held very obliquely, and urged on by iron mallets 

 of tv.'o or three pounds in weight. The attitude of this statue 

 is simple, and the features are said to be very like the original. 

 This, which may be considered as the first specimen of a Bri- 

 tish statue of a single block of granite, in emulation of the 

 durable monuments of ancient Egypt, is a memorial by the 

 County to the late noble and gallant Officer ; and, when erected, 

 will be a distinguished ornament to Aberdeen. 



Another great public work, executed by the same artists, is 

 already erected in that town. In 1842, the splendid public 



