By William Gowland, F.SA., F.I.C. 29 



century, there are several enormous stones, the largest of which 

 measures 40 feet by 10 feet by at least 5 feet, and must weigh 

 more than 160 tons. 



A picture painted in the eighteenth century, which I have seen, 

 represents the transport of one of these stones. In it the stone is 

 represented resting on a low frame of massive timbers fitted with 

 rude solid wheels of wood. This is being hauled by a vast number 

 of men by means of huge cables to which numerous small ropes 

 are attached. 



In other cases a number of rollers were substituted for the 

 wheels, and this method I have seen in operation. 



The block is placed on the frame by first raising it to the 

 required height by the application of long wooden levers to either 

 end alternately, and packing it up with timber as it is being 

 raised. The frame is then slipped under it and the packing 

 removed. 



The illustration of the transport of a colossus, which was dis- 

 covered on the wall of a tomb of the twelfth dynasty at El Bersheh 

 (figured in memoir III. of the Archaeological Survey of Egypt, El 

 Bersheh, pt. i.. pi. xv.), is especially worthy of note here, as it 

 shows that a precisely similar method, but without the use of 

 wheels or rollers for the frame, was practised in Egypt. 



Another method, which is illustrated in Fig. 12, 1 may be seen 

 in use everywhere in Japan and in China for carrying about stones 

 and timber of much greater weight than the bluestones. In some 

 of the hill districts in India stones of 20 tons weight are thus 

 carried. The huge block which is the pedestal of a tombstone is 

 pierced with a central hole so that a strong beam of timber passed 

 through it is all that is required for the attachment of the bearing 

 poles. 



Generally, however, several horizontal beams are lashed to the 

 stone, and to these, at intervals of about two or three feet, transverse 

 poles are fastened, of sufficient length to accommodate the shoulders 

 of from two to three or more men at each side in the manner shown 

 in the picture. The men keep time by shouting simultaneously at 



1 Kii no Kuni Meisho Zu-e, 1851, iv. 



