DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70267#0144
122 ORIGIN OF POMPEY’S PILLAR.
nial in the night time found its way on board the ship,
while lying at Madras, by the means of concealing itself in
one of the bags of sugar, or sliding on one of the planks,
into the hold, following the scent of the sugar. Its bite is
always understood to be more venomous than the bite of
a rattle snake.
Discovery of the Origin 0/Pompey’s Pillar.
As this is principally owing to the intrepidity of British
seamen, in the first instance, and the learning and investi-
gation of British soldiers in the next place, a concentration
of the various accounts of their recent enquiries can neither
be devoid of entertainment or interest. It does not appear,
though so much indebted to the French as we are upon so
many other accounts in Egypt, that they have thrown much
light upon this famous pillar. Even Sir Robert Wilson,
taking a recollective view of the ascent of some British
seamen to its top, makes it a matter of doubt whether they
could or could not ascertain the former erection of a statue
upon its summit! But by referring to the account pub-
lished in 1793 concerning this affair, it will appear that one
foot and ancle of this statue was positively remaining in
1781, the time the visit was paid to the column by the
British tars. To begin with a short description of this
monument, it has been justly observed, “ That which
mostly engages the attention of travellers who pass through
Alexandria, is the Pillar of Pompey, as it is commonly
called, situated at a quarter of a league from the southern
gate of the city. It is composed of red granite. The Co-
rinthian capital is nine feet high. The shaft and the upper
member of the base are of one piece of ninety feet long,
and nine in diameter. The base is a square of about fif-
teen feet on each side. This block of marble, sixty feet
in circumference, rests on two layers of stone bound toge-
ther with lead; which, however, has not prevented the
Arabs
nial in the night time found its way on board the ship,
while lying at Madras, by the means of concealing itself in
one of the bags of sugar, or sliding on one of the planks,
into the hold, following the scent of the sugar. Its bite is
always understood to be more venomous than the bite of
a rattle snake.
Discovery of the Origin 0/Pompey’s Pillar.
As this is principally owing to the intrepidity of British
seamen, in the first instance, and the learning and investi-
gation of British soldiers in the next place, a concentration
of the various accounts of their recent enquiries can neither
be devoid of entertainment or interest. It does not appear,
though so much indebted to the French as we are upon so
many other accounts in Egypt, that they have thrown much
light upon this famous pillar. Even Sir Robert Wilson,
taking a recollective view of the ascent of some British
seamen to its top, makes it a matter of doubt whether they
could or could not ascertain the former erection of a statue
upon its summit! But by referring to the account pub-
lished in 1793 concerning this affair, it will appear that one
foot and ancle of this statue was positively remaining in
1781, the time the visit was paid to the column by the
British tars. To begin with a short description of this
monument, it has been justly observed, “ That which
mostly engages the attention of travellers who pass through
Alexandria, is the Pillar of Pompey, as it is commonly
called, situated at a quarter of a league from the southern
gate of the city. It is composed of red granite. The Co-
rinthian capital is nine feet high. The shaft and the upper
member of the base are of one piece of ninety feet long,
and nine in diameter. The base is a square of about fif-
teen feet on each side. This block of marble, sixty feet
in circumference, rests on two layers of stone bound toge-
ther with lead; which, however, has not prevented the
Arabs