]46 POMPEY'S PILLAR. 



the capital is of palm leaves, but not indented. The column consists 

 only of three pieces, the capital, the shaft, and the base ; and is poised 

 on a centre stone of breccia, with hieroglyphics on it, less than a fourth 

 of the dimensions of the pedestal of the column, and with the smaller 

 end downward ; from which circumstance the Arabs believe it to have 

 been placed there by God. The earth about it has been examined, 

 probably in hopes to find treasure, and pieces of white marble (which is 

 not found in Egypt) have been discovered connected to the breccia. It 

 is owing probably to this disturbance, that the pillar has an inclination 

 of about seven inches to the southwest. It is remarkable, that while 

 the polish on the shaft is still perfect to the northward, corrosion has 

 began to effect the southern face, owing probably to the winds passing 

 over the vast tracts of sand in that direction. 



The centre part of the cap-stone has been hollowed out, forming a 

 basin on the top ; and pieces of iron still remaining in four holes, prove 

 that this pillar was once surmounted by a figure or other trophy. The 

 operation of forming a rope ladder to ascend the column has been per- 

 formed several times of late years, and is very simple. Clarke describes 

 one of these which he witnessed; a kite was flown with a string to the 

 tail, and when directly over the column, it was dragged down, leaving 

 the line by which it was flown across the capital. With this a rope, and 

 afterwards a stout hawser, was drawn over; a man then ascended, and 

 placed two more parts of the hawser, all of which were pulled tight down 

 to a piece of ordnance ; small spars were then lashed across, commenc- 

 ing from the bottom, and ascending each as it was secured, till the whole 

 was complete, when it resembled the rigging of a ship's lower masts. 

 The ascending this required some nerve even in a seaman, but to the 

 Turks it was fearful. The view from the top is said to be highly 

 interesting, in the associations excited by gazing on the ruins of the city 

 of the Ptolemies lying beneath. Various statements have been published 

 of its altitude, but the following may be relied on for its accurracy. 



feet inches 



Top of the capital to the Astragal (one stone) . 10 4 



Astragal to first plinth (one stone) . 67 7 



Plinth to the ground . . JW . 20 11 



Whole height . . . . 98 10 



Measured by line from top . . . 99 



