Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-12-26

"CLEoPATRAs NEEDLES. THE two
obelsks known as "Cleopatra's needles"
date back to her reign, but are far from
being her most magnificent works of this
kind. They weigh about two hundred
tons each, and each is only about sixty
eight feet in height Obelisks have usually
been found in pairs. The "needle-ship"
of iron, expressly built for the transporta-
ton of one of these obelisks to England,
was not as large in size as the vessel bury
bv Caligula for the transportation of the
. Vatican Obelisk' TO Rome, which Pliny
describes as "nearly rs long as the left
side of the port of Ostis-tho largest ship
ever built" This obelsk is one hundred
and thirty-two feet in height, and is one
which has been exercised and dedicated TO
the eros, its shaft is but eghty-three feet.
Although it is not quite certain that
Cleopatra ever saw the obrlisks known by
her name. it is fact of much probability
that tho Ptolemies removed them to Alex
andria. In Ceopatra's time they were
already fifteen hundred years old; the term
needle comes from the Greek significt-
tion of obrlisk-a spit. The obelisk OF
largest shaft now known TO be in existence
is ST. John Lateran in Rome, moved there
from flrliopolis about the commencement
ofthe Christian Era. 1t belongs 10 Hat
asu's reign. Though it has been broken,
and portions removed, its height is now
over one hundred and five feet its weight
four hundred and fifty tons. 1t shows
marks of the Decorating hand of Thoth-
mes ILL.,, his name being found on its face,
that of Thothmes H., in the lateral lines
IL most transparent forgery, as these two
kings were in no way associated together
The most beautiful of all the obelisks
ever set up in Egypt were the two erected
bv Ha-t.asu before The Divine Gate" of
Karnak. They are Of rose colored Syene
granite, are ninety-two feet in height,
each weighing three hundred tons, and
are broad enough for hundred men to
stand upon. They were brought from the
quarry, distance of one hundred and
thirty eight miles, more than three thous-
and four hundred years ago, and are the
largest ever cut from single stone; their
SUBMITS were formerly surmounted with
caps of god-spoil from Ha.t-asu's con-
ouered enemies. One of these obeisks has
fallen, the other still remains, n magniti-
cent monument of Egypt's greatest queen
in the country's palmiest days of art.
Napoleon's engineers took the measure
mens of these obelisks with great exact
ness. Eighteen hnman figures of life-size
are sculptured upon the standing one, with
others in bas.relief; also lion lying
down, several vaieties of birds. the cross
which in Egypt was the sign of eternal
life-and many other hieroglyphics. Even
in sculpture these obelisks are unique, as
no others are found in Egypt decorated in
the same style, and no monument gives
lis equal knowledge of the artistic taste
and skill of that country. The sculptures
are in the highest style of art. No graver's
tool of the present day can cut such work
in granite, it more closely resembling the
finest intaglio of the Greeks than monu..
ments for out door decoration. Rossellini
says: Every figure appears rather to
have been impressed with Il seal than gra-
ven with chisel "-ApplctOn'S Journal