102 On the Removal of the 
in it was found. Various travellers, 
of high character, attentive, intrepid, 
and acute in investigation,—Pocock, 
Norden, Bruce, and others,—had 
passed near without observing it. The 
first notice was reserved for General 
Desaix, who was pursuing the corps 
of Mourad Bey across the Thebais. 
M. Denon, who had attached himself 
to the division of Desaix from an en- 
thusiastic devotion to the arts, was the 
first to make a drawing of the planis- 
phere, and the men of science who 
accompanied the French expedi- 
tion, made known its importance in the 
memoirs they published afterwards. 
As to the possibility of removing it, 
M.S. was satisfied on that head, by 
the plans drawn up under the direction 
of the Commission of Egypt. 
Circumstances retarded the execu- 
tion for some time, when M. Le Lor- 
rain, a friend of M. Saulnier, under- 
took the superintendance of it. This 
office of service was most readily ac- 
cepted, as M. Le L. had given the 
most unequivocal proofs of ability in 
certain difficult enterprises. 
As suitable implements for the ope- 
ration were not to be found in Egypt, 
M. Saulnier purchased or ordered 
them to be made in Paris, Early in 
October 1818, M. Le Lorrain em- 
barked for Alexandria, carrying with 
him not only his tools, a sledge, cord- 
age, rollers, &c. but the instructions 
of an artist well skilled in antiquities, 
together with notes and letters of re- 
commendation from several members 
“of the Institute. Pasquier, minis- 
ter of foreign affairs, gave him a let- 
ter for M. Pillavoine, then doing the 
duties of French consul-general in 
Egypt. 
In the month of November, M. Le 
Lorrain arrived at Alexandria, and 
soon after, in the beginning of Janu- 
ary, repaired to Cairo, where, after an 
audience of the Pasha, he received a 
firman, authorising him to make re- 
searches in Upper Egypt, and, by spe- 
cial fayour, aletter also of recommen- 
dation to Achmet Pasha, governor of 
Upper Egypt. 
M. Le L. was obliged to keep his 
project secret, and, to divert suspi- 
cion, spread a report that bis intention 
was to proceed to Thebes. A spirit 
of rivalry exists among the European 
explorers, and he was jealous of their 
interference. Having hired a_ boat, 
he set out from Cairo, February 12, 
Zodiac of Denderah. [Sept. 1, 
with an intelligent interpreter, and a 
Janissary of the Pasha’s guard. After 
a month’s navigation, he arrived at 
Denderah, in the middle of the night. 
The Scheik received and entertained 
him with all the hospitality of ancient 
times. 
In the interim, some English travel- 
lers had arrived at Denderah, to take 
drawings, intending to stop there. 
This made M. Le L. suspend the un- 
dertaking, and conceal it with an air 
of mystery. He left Tentyra (Den- 
derah), but with an intention of return- 
ing, and plunged into the solitudes of 
the Thebais, visiting successively its 
ancient capital, and Esneb, its mo- 
dern capital, also Latopolis, Assouan, 
and the island of Philoe, on the bor- 
ders of Egypt, towards Nubia; which, 
in a space of 1800 feet, exhibits the 
remains of nine temples. On the 18th 
of April he returned to Denderah, 
whence he found the English visitors 
departed; and he proceeded to the 
ruins, with a drogman, twenty Arabs, 
and ascheik. After some days of ex- 
cessive fatigue, he fell dangerously 
ill, but was cured by an Arab with the 
juice of some plant, the name of which 
he has forgotten. 
The whole of thelabours, with saws, 
pulleys, &c. of detaching the zodiac 
from the ceiling of the temple, and re- 
moving it to a point whence it might 
be transported to the Nile, were com- 
pleted in twenty-two days. This task 
of removing it to the Nile was no less 
operose than that which had been so 
successfully achieved. The distance 
from the boat was two leagues ; and to 
get at it they had to cross over ruins 
covered with rubbish, and afterwards 
a rough, uneven ground, intersected 
by hillocks, and little canals for irri- 
gation. 
However, at the end of the first day, 
the sledge had got over the ruins. The 
second day it advanced half a league, 
but some of the wood-work became 
unserviceable, from the immense pres- 
sure of the load. As wood could not 
be procured, a number of Arabs were 
employed; but the movements were 
slow, and. a remove of fifty or sixty 
paces was the work of ten or twelve 
hours. It took up sixteen days, and 
fifty men, to bring the monument to 
the Nile. 
The waters of the river were low, 
and M. L. had to make a causeway. 
Here, by some accident, the ropes 
burst 
