1. Observations relative to the desirableness of transporting from Alexandria to Britain the prostrate Obelisk presented to George IV. by Mahomed Ali Pacha

Abstract

In the month of September last (1867), when visiting the Great Exhibition in Paris, I was particularly struck with the fine appearance of the obelisk of Luxor in the Place de la Concorde, and I thought that as the French had taken the trouble and gone to the expense of moving this highly interesting monolith, it was a reflection on our nation and on the engineering skill of Britain that the prostrate obelisk at Alexandria (one of Cleopatra's needles, as it is commonly termed), was not occupying a place of honour in England or Scotland.This obelisk was presented to George IV. many years ago by Mahomed Ali Pacha, who also generously offered to move it on rollers to the sea, from which it is 200 or 300 yards distant, and embarking it on rafts and lighters, convey it to a vessel for transport to England.