, 1877-04-18

held that the employment OF soldiers on
such q service was detrimental to their
discipline, and destructive to their equip
ments Lord Keith thought it unbecom-
ing to the Navy to use its services for
such an undertaking, especially as the
crew of the transport must leave it SHOULD
the vessel be in any danger of laundering.
The attempt was consequently abandoned,
and3 Oronza plate, cOInmemorating the
principal events of the campaign, was in
serted in the pedestal Of the obelisk. The
inscription of the plate was prepared by
General Sir W. Auchmuty aud Colonel
Montresor. The funds were returned to
the subscribers, the plate and coins pur-
Joined by the Turks, and the pedestal
was seriously injured, Subsequently, in
1919, Mehemet Ali presented it to the
Prince Regent, and the gift was accepted
by the British Government. The cues
ton Of its removal was seriously enter
tained, but the estimate OF the expense,
$4,000, deferred the Government from
the attempt. In 1851 the late Mr.. Joseph
Hume, great economist as he was, advo-
Gated in the House OF Commons it's re.
%aoval, but the supposed expense, $1,000
again appeared too great, and it was subse'
quen1ly offered to the Crystal Palace, but
declined. The Admiralty, however. sent
to Alexandria to examine the shaft and re"
rort on its condition and the practicability
&. its transport to this country.
In 1852 it was examined by Mr.. SCOTT
Tucker, and q small fragment was brought
to England, and presented by him to the
British Museum. In 1867 the subject
OF its removal was again brought under
the notice of the Government, in cSnse-
quence Of u notification from the Khedive,
who had let the land or which it stood
to a Greek merchant; and as he found
that the obelisk was q tenant that paid
no rent, he desired it's absence, and in de.
fault of that buried it under the earth.
But the question of its removal was again
brought forward in 1876 by General Sir
J. e. Alexander, aud there is now every
prospect of its being removed and being
placed on an appropriate site on the
Thames Embanknent. The removal is
to be undertaken by Mr.. John Dixon,
civil engineer, who, assisted by bis
brother. Mr.. Waynman Dixon, proposes
the following means OF transporting this
shaft Of granite THE sand is TO be
cleared away and the Obelisk set square,
parallel with the existing sea wall. An
iron cylinder, finished of to q chlsel edge,
with sufficient diaphragm to give it
strength, is to be constructed round the
obelisk, which is to lie in the long axis
of the cylinder and to be wedged aud
calked where it passes through the dla'
phragms, so as to divide the cylinder into
water tight compartments. The cylinder
is to be est. long by 15ft. diameter, and
will have a draught of Oft. of water when
aAoat. All being rivetted water tight,
it will be rolled into the sea and across
the sandy bed OF the water till it floats
It will then be turned over, and the man
holes at the top opened, and about 80
tors of ballast to keep the ends vertical:
so as to act like stem and stern. It will
then have two bilge keels, q rudder, light
spar deck. mast, and lug sails attached.
and be provided with an anchor and good
chain cables, aud, if necessary, q pump ln
case Of leakage. The cylinder ship. will
then be fit to go to any port Of the world
with its freight, and in any weather.
The cost Of this operation will amount
to about $4,000. The obelisk in its case
will be-towsd over daring the aummer
q months. and laid aside, the Thames EN-.