The Wilmingtonian., 1824-04-01
POMPEY'S PILLAR

Is so curious piece of Egyptian antiquity that
the following anecdotc will contribute to amuse-
iment,
"As the public attention has been once more
ldirected 10 this valuable monument OF antiquity,
in consequence of recent events in Egypt; the
following account Of ludcrous adventure of
some English captains, in 1888, by Ey les lrwns
Esq may not prove unacceptable
"These jolly sons of Neptune had been push
ling ,he can on board one Of the ships in the hars
Ibor, until freak entered into one of their brans
IThe exccntr.city of the thought occasioned it
immediately to be carried into execution. The
boat Was ordered, and, with proper imp ements
for the attempt, the Sc en,erprsing heroes pushed
on shore to drink 5Oaci of punch on the top OF
Pompcy's pillar At the spot they arrived, and
lmany contrvances were proposed to accomplish
the desired point. But their labor was in vain
and they began to despair of success when the
genius WHO had struck out the frolic happily suE-
gestrd the means # performing it. A man was
despatched 10 the city for paper kite The in.
h~bans were by this time apprized of what was
going forward, and hccksd in crowds to be wit
of the address and boldness of the English
The Governor of Alexandria was told that these
seamen were about to pull down Pompey's Pill.
lar; but whether he gave them credit for their
respect to the Roman warrior, or to the Turkish
government, he left them to themselves, and po.
iitey answered, that the English were too great
patriots to injuIe the remains of Pompey. He
knew little, however, of the disposition of the Eeo-
pie who were engaged in this undertaking. Had
1.-The Turkish Empire rose i'll opposition, it would
mot, perhaps, at that moment have deferred them.
The kite was brought and flown directly over the
fp liar, that when it fell ON the other side, the
STRING lodged upon the capta. The chief OBJ.
stace was now overcome. two inch rope was
tied to one end of the string, and drawn over the
pillar by the end to which the kite was affixed
By this rope one of the seamen assembled to the
top and in less than an hour, kind of shroud was
constructed, by WHICH the whole company went
up, and drank their punch, amid the shouts Of
the astonished multitude.-To the eye below, the
lcspital of he pillar does not appear capable of
holding more than one man upon it ; but our sea-
men found it could contain eight persons very
conveniently. 1t is astonishing no accident befe!
the madcaps in situation so elevated, that would
have turned landman siddy IN his sober senses
. The only detriment which the pillar received, was
1.-the loss of one OF the voiute', which came down
with laundering sound, and was carried to Eng
land by one ofthe captains as present to a lady
Iwho commissioned him for piece Of the pillar.
: -I'rhe discovery which they made, amply compen'
sat cd for this mischief, AS, without their evidence
= the world would not have known, at this hour,
that there was originally 4 statue on the pillar.
one foot and an ancle of which are still remain
fling. The Statue was probably of Pompey him.
self, and mus, have been of gigantic size, to have
appeared of mans proport,on, and at SO great
an height; being ninety Two feet from the ground"
From the Ne,o Hampshire Historical Collections
| AFFAIR AT BLOOMFIELD.
In January of the year 1772. Joseph Weston,
lwLo was the second settler IN the county olson
)erset, Me. moved into The town OF Canaan, now
ld,gniiietl by tho name of Bloomfield His pre-
| sccssor, in the settlement OF The county, was
Jonathan Emery, wnc ptched his tent in Fat