The obelisk on the Thames Embankment, which has, for some
weeks past, been slowly lifted day by day in a horizontal attitude from the boat which brought it over to England, was dropped without a hitch into a vertical position over its pedestal on
Thursday. It is not yet fixed, as doubts exist as to "the geometrical perpendicularity of the line joining the centre of the pedestal with the monolith's centre of gravity ;" but there is no doubt of success, or of Mr. Dixon's consequent reputation as a most persevering engineer. If no earthquake occurs, the obelisk ought to stand at least 2,000 years ; and if it does, savants may find the apparently meaningless list of articles buried in the pedestal of the highest value. What would we not give if an Egyptian standard measure and an Egyptian text in 250 languages—not to mention an Egyptian newspaper—had been buried under the obelisk when Thothmes III. put it up ?
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