DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.33567#0193
97
near its erect sister on the shore of the bay, just east of the peninsula on which stands the town
of Alexandria. It was intended to build out a pier into moderately deep water, and from it introduce
the obelisk into a vessel through the stern. A sunken French frigate was raised for the purpose,
and the pier was partially built; but during a gale that arose the sea washed it away, and, as the
army moved off shortly afterward, the project had to be abandoned.'
It appears, however, that they left a record of their victories there, to be unearthed many years
after. The following is an extract from the of June 9, 1802':
" The pedestal of the fallen Needle of Cleopatra having been heeled to starboard, and a proper excavation
made in the centre of the base stone, this inscription on a slab of marble was inserted, and the pedestal
restored to its former situation. The Needle was likewise turned over, and the hieroglyphics on the side it
had so long lain on found fresh and entire.
" In the year of the Christian era 1798, the Republic of France landed on the shores of Egypt an army
of 40,000 men, commanded by their most able and successful commander, General Bonaparte. The conduct
of the general and the valor of the troops effected the subjection of that country. But, under Divine
Providence, it was reserved for the British nation to annihilate their ambitious designs. Their fleet was
attacked, defeated, and destroyed in Aboukir Bay, by a British fleet of equal force, commanded by Admiral
Lord Nelson. Their intended conquest of Syria was counteracted at Acre by a most gallant resistance, under
Commodore Sidney Smith; and Egypt was rescued from their dominion by a British army, inferior in numbers,
but commanded by General Sir Ralph Abercromby, who landed at Aboukir on the 8th of March, 1801 ;
defeated the French on several occasions, particularly in a most decisive action near Alexandria, on the 21st
of that month ; when they were driven from the held, and forced to shelter themselves in their garrisons of
Cairo and Alexandria, which places subsequently surrendered by capitulation. To record to future ages these
events, and to commemorate the loss sustained by the death of Sir Ralph Abercromby, who was mortally
wounded at the moment of victory on that memorable day, is the design of this inscription, which was
deposited here in the year of Christ 1802, by the British army, on their evacuation of this country and
restoring it to the Turkish empire/'
The exact position of this pedestal is not at present known with certainty, although it was
seen and greatly admired by many travellers in the early part of the century. It is presumably a
block of the same massive dimensions as its sister now in Central Park, and probably lies a few
yards southwest of the spot from where the latter was removed in 1880. During the progress of
the excavations made for the removal of the New York obelisk, indications were found of the presence
of large masses of granite in that relative position. Unfortunately, the fact of a Levantine stone-
cutters house, immediately over it, being somewhat undermined already, prevented making any farther
investigations at that time. It is likely that this point will be settled before long. When the owner
of that ground carries out his expressed intention of building upon it, the plinth, if where supposed,
will certainly be encountered in laying the foundations. In that case the statement in the
may be corroborated and a most interesting relic secured to the British capital.
The first overtures for the peaceable possession of the Needle were made during the reign of
George IV, by Samuel Briggs, Esq., British Consul at Alexandria, as is shown by the following
extract of a letter written by him shortly afterward to the Right Honorable Sir Benjamin Bloomfield.
"UPPER TOOTING, SURREY, II, 1820.
" SIR: Having, on my late visit to Egypt, witnessed the stupendous labors of the celebrated Mr.
Belzoni, and received from him the assurance that he could confidently undertake the removal to England
of one of the granite obelisks at Alexandria; and the Viceroy of Egypt, Mohammed Ali Pacha, having
frequently expressed to me his desire of making some acknowledgment for the handsome equipment of his
corvette, the 'Africa,' and for the presents sent him by His Majesty on the return of that ship to Egypt
in the year 1811, I was encouraged to submit to His Highness my opinion that one of the obelisks at
Alexandria, known in Europe under the appellation of Cleopatra's Needles, might possibly be acceptable to
* It has been stated that lack of co-operation on the part of the fleet had much to do with the failure of this enterprise ;
but that seems hardly worthy of credence.
"Appendix to "Cleopatra's Needle and Egyptian Obelisks," by Erasmus Wilson, F.R.S.
near its erect sister on the shore of the bay, just east of the peninsula on which stands the town
of Alexandria. It was intended to build out a pier into moderately deep water, and from it introduce
the obelisk into a vessel through the stern. A sunken French frigate was raised for the purpose,
and the pier was partially built; but during a gale that arose the sea washed it away, and, as the
army moved off shortly afterward, the project had to be abandoned.'
It appears, however, that they left a record of their victories there, to be unearthed many years
after. The following is an extract from the of June 9, 1802':
" The pedestal of the fallen Needle of Cleopatra having been heeled to starboard, and a proper excavation
made in the centre of the base stone, this inscription on a slab of marble was inserted, and the pedestal
restored to its former situation. The Needle was likewise turned over, and the hieroglyphics on the side it
had so long lain on found fresh and entire.
" In the year of the Christian era 1798, the Republic of France landed on the shores of Egypt an army
of 40,000 men, commanded by their most able and successful commander, General Bonaparte. The conduct
of the general and the valor of the troops effected the subjection of that country. But, under Divine
Providence, it was reserved for the British nation to annihilate their ambitious designs. Their fleet was
attacked, defeated, and destroyed in Aboukir Bay, by a British fleet of equal force, commanded by Admiral
Lord Nelson. Their intended conquest of Syria was counteracted at Acre by a most gallant resistance, under
Commodore Sidney Smith; and Egypt was rescued from their dominion by a British army, inferior in numbers,
but commanded by General Sir Ralph Abercromby, who landed at Aboukir on the 8th of March, 1801 ;
defeated the French on several occasions, particularly in a most decisive action near Alexandria, on the 21st
of that month ; when they were driven from the held, and forced to shelter themselves in their garrisons of
Cairo and Alexandria, which places subsequently surrendered by capitulation. To record to future ages these
events, and to commemorate the loss sustained by the death of Sir Ralph Abercromby, who was mortally
wounded at the moment of victory on that memorable day, is the design of this inscription, which was
deposited here in the year of Christ 1802, by the British army, on their evacuation of this country and
restoring it to the Turkish empire/'
The exact position of this pedestal is not at present known with certainty, although it was
seen and greatly admired by many travellers in the early part of the century. It is presumably a
block of the same massive dimensions as its sister now in Central Park, and probably lies a few
yards southwest of the spot from where the latter was removed in 1880. During the progress of
the excavations made for the removal of the New York obelisk, indications were found of the presence
of large masses of granite in that relative position. Unfortunately, the fact of a Levantine stone-
cutters house, immediately over it, being somewhat undermined already, prevented making any farther
investigations at that time. It is likely that this point will be settled before long. When the owner
of that ground carries out his expressed intention of building upon it, the plinth, if where supposed,
will certainly be encountered in laying the foundations. In that case the statement in the
may be corroborated and a most interesting relic secured to the British capital.
The first overtures for the peaceable possession of the Needle were made during the reign of
George IV, by Samuel Briggs, Esq., British Consul at Alexandria, as is shown by the following
extract of a letter written by him shortly afterward to the Right Honorable Sir Benjamin Bloomfield.
"UPPER TOOTING, SURREY, II, 1820.
" SIR: Having, on my late visit to Egypt, witnessed the stupendous labors of the celebrated Mr.
Belzoni, and received from him the assurance that he could confidently undertake the removal to England
of one of the granite obelisks at Alexandria; and the Viceroy of Egypt, Mohammed Ali Pacha, having
frequently expressed to me his desire of making some acknowledgment for the handsome equipment of his
corvette, the 'Africa,' and for the presents sent him by His Majesty on the return of that ship to Egypt
in the year 1811, I was encouraged to submit to His Highness my opinion that one of the obelisks at
Alexandria, known in Europe under the appellation of Cleopatra's Needles, might possibly be acceptable to
* It has been stated that lack of co-operation on the part of the fleet had much to do with the failure of this enterprise ;
but that seems hardly worthy of credence.
"Appendix to "Cleopatra's Needle and Egyptian Obelisks," by Erasmus Wilson, F.R.S.