few
Arabs in the boat, and some at each side, with a lever of palm-wood,
as I had nothing else. At the middle of the bridge I put a sack filled
with sand, that, if the Colossus should run too fast into the boat, it
might be stopped. In the ground behind the Colossus I had a piece of a
palm-tree planted, round which a rope was twisted, and then fastened
to its ear, to let it descend gradually. I set a lever at work on each
side; at the same time that the men in the boat were pulling, others
were slackening the ropes, and others shifting the rollers as the
Colossus advanced.

"Thus it descended gradually from the mainland to the causeway, when
it sunk a good deal, as the causeway was made of fresh earth. This,
however, I did not regret, as it was better that it should be so, than
that it should run too fast towards the water; for I had to consider
that if this piece of antiquity should fall into the Nile, my return
to Europe would not be very welcome, particularly to the antiquaries;
though I have reason to believe that some among the great body of its
scientific men would rather have seen it sunk in the Nile than where
it is now deposited. However, it went smoothly on board. The Arabs,
who were unanimously of opinion that it would go to the bottom of the
river, or crush the boat, were all attention, as if anxious to know
the result, as well as to know how the operation was to be performed:
and when the owner of the boat, who considered it as consigned to
perdition, witnessed my success, and saw the huge piece of stone, as
he called it, safely on board, he came and squeezed me heartily by the
hand."

On the back of the statue are hieroglyphics describing the titles of
Rameses. Marked 21, is a colossal black granite statue of the third
Amenophis, also called Memnon, found also at Thebes in the year 1818.
The next remarkable object to which the visitor's attention may be
drawn is the sandstone statue of a monarch of the 19th dynasty, known
as Leti Menephta II. (26), found at Karnak by Mrs. Belzoni. Here the
characteristics of ancient Egyptian sculpture are strictly preserved,
the figure having the arms close to the body, the hands resting upon
the knees, and in the hands an altar, upon which is a ram's head.
Hereabouts, also, is the lower part of a kneeling statue of Sesostris,
supporting an altar, with the scarabaeus, or sacred beetle. Of the age
of the 18th dynasty (of which Amenophis III. was the most notable
monarch)