OBELISK OF A SINGLE STONE AT SERINGAPATAM. 313 



Then imagine a strong wall, bnilt at right angles with the line 

 of the shaft, and a few feet beyond its smaller end ; with two 

 lateral retaining walls, parallel to the shaft, and a fourth, of 

 smaller elevation, near the pedestal, to support the mass of 

 earth, and the workmen to be employed. On such a platform, 

 raised lOj feet, you will, in the fii'st instance, conceive the 

 shaft to be horizontally arranged. Two lines of timber, plank 

 or balk, were then ranged along the two sides of the shaft, to 

 serve as fulcra, and two lines of men, with hand-spikes, attend- 

 ed by others ready with chocks, or pieces of timber, of differ- 

 ent thickness, to be inserted under the shaft, for the purpose 

 of keeping the elevation of the smaller end, effected by the 

 hand-spikes, and distributing the pressure so equally, as not to 

 risk the accidents which would otherwise be inevitable, with 

 this very fragile substance. In proportion as elevation was 

 thus gradually obtained for the smaller end, the space below 

 was filled with rammed earth, and the same process was re- 

 peated, with the parallel balks of timber, hand-spikes, and 

 chocks : the small end gradually rising at each successive step, 

 the wall behind increasing in height, arid an inclined plane of 

 solid earth gradually increasing its angle with the horizon, un- 

 til it equalled that at which solid earth could with safety be 

 employed : when the force required being proportionally dimi- 

 nished, timber alone was employed for its elevation. Finally, 

 a scaffolding of timber was erected, embracing three sides of 

 the pedestal, and nearly equal to the ultimate height of the 

 obelisk ; ropes were applied to the summit of the shaft, in 

 such directions as to steady and check it ; hand-spikes gave the 

 requisite impetus, until it felt the power of the ropes, and was 

 ultimately, and safely lodged, in its shallow receptacle. 



There was one part of the process, which greatly arrested my 

 attention, from its extreme simplicity. I was satisfied with the 



R r 2 means 



