90 
clarke’s travels* 
morning, March the 14 tli, we passed through Chemale , distant 
one hour from Bergas. Chemale is full of antiquities.* In the 
cemetery I copied several inscriptions; too imperfect for in¬ 
sertion. Some granite columns were lying about, whose surfa¬ 
ces exhibited a very advanced state of decomposition. We 
had observed similar appearances at Mne ; proving that the 
granite had been exposed to the action of the atmosphere dur¬ 
ing a very long period ; and also serving to confirm a fact of some 
importance; namely, that the durability of substances employ¬ 
ed for purposes of sculpture and architecture, is not proportion¬ 
ed to their hardness. Marble, much softer than granite, is ca¬ 
pable of resisting longer the combined attacks of air and moist¬ 
ure. The cause of decomposition in granite columns cannot 
have originated in their interment; since nothing tends more to 
preserve granite than exclusion from external air. Of this we 
had satisfactory evidence, when our troops in Egypt subverted 
the cumbcut obelisk near Alexandria. The hieroglyphlca! 
sculpture, upon the side which had been buried in the soil,-ap¬ 
peared in the highest state of preservation ; but the surface, so 
long exposed to the atmosphere, was considerably decomposed* 
Of all natural substances used by ancient artists, Parian mar¬ 
ble, when without veins, and therefore free from extraneous 
bodies, seems to have best resisted the various attacks made 
upon the Grecian sculpture. It is found unaltered, when gran¬ 
ite, and even porphyry, cbeval as to their artificial state, have 
suffered decomposition. Terra cotta is more durable than 
marble. Works executed in baked clay have been preserved 
during a period of near three thousand years, as fresh as when 
they issued from the hands of the artificer; neither can any 
nation, desirous of transmitting a lasting memorial to posterity,, 
employ a material better suited to the purpose than the plastic 
compound from tire wheel of an ordinary potter. 
After leaving Chemale, in the road leading to a place called 
Lydia Hamam , distant about three quarters of an hour, our 
Greek servant who tvhs before us on horseback, and wandered 
into some underwood, returned suddenly, laughing immoderate¬ 
ly, and say ing, “ As 5 011 are pleased with the sight of columns, 
here is one large enough to gratify your most sanguine expec¬ 
tations.” He then led us a short distance from the road, where, 
concealed among some trees, lay the largest granite pillar in 
the world, excepting the famous column of Alexandria in 
M Rr. Chandler believed this place to have keen the Golonae of the ancient®. Se$ 
y Travels in Asia Miner?” 34 
