Imhotep began to object when Merenptah gave him a look that invited no rejoinder. His response was immediate.
“Lord, it shall be done as you instruct.”
Despite this minor difference of opinion, it was clear a wealth of practical experience had been employed in constructing these massive vessels. I queried the possibility of a platform sinking so deeply it might jam on the river bed and become unmoveable once the statue had been dragged on board. This brought a mildly scoffing response from Imhotep. He said one thing all watermen knew was how to manage the problem of displacement caused by cargo. Labourers had dug out a basin adjacent to the new quay deep enough to accommodate the fully laden platform with enough leeway under the vessel to ensure it did not ground. The coffer dam wall, separating the river from the basin, had been broken through, filling it with water. I then asked how they planned to get the platform out of the lagoon and into the river.
“Did you not see the two massive pylons embedded at the end of the quay?” said the carpenter. I had noticed them and thought they might have a religious significance or they were phallic symbols – a favourite subject of coarse riverine humour. “We float the raft in bow first, load the cargo and then attach ropes to two points on its stern. Hauling ropes are wrapped around the two pylons, which have been placed at a point level with the stern, and then taken back towards the shore. As the gangs pull towards the quarry, the raft is hauled stern first out into the river.” he replied with a degree of smugness.
Merenptah, a well seasoned sailor, asked about the chance of the vessel jamming sideways as it was hauled into the river. “The vessel is over sixty metres in length so once the current catches the stern and starts to take it downstream, the vessel will swing against the quay side opposite the flow of the current.”
The waterman answered with more respect than he had shown me. “Master, there are several forces at work here. Firstly, the two barques will be attached to the stern and haul upriver as the raft emerges from the lagoon. This will counter the effects of the current swinging the vessel athwart the basin. Then, the pulling power and agility of the haulers is considerable and vessel should slip like a water fowl from her roost and, for this we can thank the gods, the river is very sluggish at this point and the current weak. We have plenty of men available from the quarry to man the ropes.”
We discussed a number of minor technical matters. The quarry master maintained his silence as his concerns were limited to getting the sleds and their unwieldy cargo onto the rafts. The prince invited his opinions.
“Highness, we have done this many, many times in the past. These statues are the heaviest we have had to handle but we dragged them down from the quarry and we will get them aboard the vessels. I will be of greater assistance at the end of the voyage because that is where I think the royal architect and Master Imhotep will have their work cut out for them.”
The meeting finished with our offering thanks to the artisans. I was tired and still had many matters relating to the loading that required my attention. I politely rebuffed Merenptah’s invitation to dinner, knowing I would be up early the next morning to see theory put into practice and I needed my wits about me. Later in the evening, I had just enough energy to reach my lodgings, eat a hurried meal and kiss my wife goodnight before I fell into a sleep troubled with dreams of rafts sinking and royal displeasure. I could see Ipi wanted to talk about the diadem, my gift and the afternoon with the prince but she knew me well enough to know when conversation was best kept for a more relaxed time.
Chapter 25 – BY LAND AND WATER
Egypt – 1250 BC
The river was almost as smooth as polished alabaster. No breeze ruffled its surface and wisps of mist hung over the banks in the slight morning chill. To the east, a roseate glow heralded the rising of the solar barque. Only the desultory conversation of workmen disturbed the pre-dawn stillness as they tramped down to the river from their encampments - haulers, foremen, rope handlers and boys carrying pitchers filled with lubricant for the sled runners. In the van strutted the man in command of them all- Nebamun, the quarry master.
Out on the river, two heavy transport barques jostled for position upriver, then dropped anchor. A small flotilla of punts moved off shore taking the leader cables out to the raft floating serenely parallel to the shoreline. Watermen wound the light cables around short pylons fixed to the deck and passed them back to the punt men, who rowed back to the shore. The leader cables were woven into the much heavier palm fibre hauling ropes which soon snaked out to the raft and then back to the rope handler’s gangs.
Teams drew the platform bow first towards the loading basin. I was impressed with the dexterity of the gangs and their foremen. Shouted commands put tension on some ropes whilst others were slackened off. Further commands caused all the men to haul in unison as they trudged inland and soon the great raft had been gracefully eased into her berth. Mooring lines were thrown on board and she was secured to stubby timber bollards embedded in the quay.
Imhotep had named the rafts Lady of Favour and Lady of Grace. Now, Lady of Favour floated parallel to the first laden sled. Carpenters laid heavy wooden slide rails at right angles to the sled across the quay and onto the raft’s deck, which rode much higher than the quay surface. I wondered how they would haul the statue up the incline and onto the higher deck, which glistened with palm oil poured upon it by the oilers. I would soon have my answer.
Rope handlers attached heavy cables to the nearside and offside runners of the sled and laid them over the raft’s deck whilst others helped the hauling gangs into their harnesses. I had seen this before. Woven into the ropes, at intervals, were leather breast harnesses and there were hundreds of these on each of the ropes fanned out on the far side of the raft. At some distance from the sled, the ropes divided into three thus trebling the number of men who would be harnessed to the main cables. Fitting harnesses took some time and boys carried buckets of water and drinking vessels up and down the lines to slake the haulers thirst. There was the normal banter of men about to engage in arduous work but no jostling or pushing as these were well disciplined gangs.
Satisfied, Nebamun climbed up onto the statue and stood alone, his feet planted firmly on its stomach. Prince Merenptah arrived by chariot, dismounted and joined me. Our greetings were perfunctory as we were engrossed in watching the activity unfolding before us. The foremen of the hauling gangs turned towards the quarry master and signalled their sections were ready. Stillness fell over the river. Though the sun had not yet burnt off the mist, the clarity of the morning sky threw the scene into sharp relief. The thousands awaited the command to begin and all eyes turned towards Nebamun.
In a stentorian voice, he bellowed ‘TAKE THE STRAIN’. A flock of geese, startled by Nebamun’s command, took flight, honking in protest. Sixteen thousand men bent to their task, backs arched and toes dug into sand. Young boys scampered around, pouring a slurry of water and finely ground sand onto the bearers between the sled and the raft. Camp women offered encouragement with high pitched trills.
‘HAUL’ roared the voice, silencing the women. The men heaved as one. There was yet no sign of movement of the sled. ‘HAUL’ came the order again. Leather and rope creaked as the massed men strained forward, bending to their task. I watched, enthralled as thousands of feet struggled for purchase. The sled moved a fraction. The boys, now in a fever of action, poured more slurry on the runners. ‘HAUL’. The statue moved again, so little you had to peer closely to detect the movement. ‘PULL’. Men grunted with the effort. Muscled bodies glistened with sweat. ‘PULL’ thundered the voice, like the sound of a trumpeting elephant.
More lubricant was hurled onto the runners. Foremen ran along the lines, urging their sections to pull harder. ‘PULL’. Sweat poured from straining bodies. Leather and rope protested as they stiffened under tension. ‘ARE YOU WOMEN? PULL’. The giant statue slid forward. ‘PULL’. The quarry master’s commands had an almost hypnotic effect. ‘PULL’. The sled now moved more fl
uidly on its bearers. The boys raced between the piled pitchers and the sliding juggernaut. Gangs chanted in time with each command from on high and the river rang to the united voice of the thousands. The air quivered with the resonance of the mesmeric chanting. The statue continued to glide forward. The front runner advanced onto the bridging beams. Fascinated, I watched the deck dip as the raft bowed under the burden imposed upon it. ‘PULL’. Snail like, the sled inexorably inched up the timbers.
The far side rose up out of the water as the near side edge dipped further down. Timbers groaned, ropes squealed and creaked against the interlocked logs. ‘PULL’. The nearside runner edged onto the vessel which had sunk to the level of the quay. Naked boys leapt onto the deck with buckets of palm oil which they threw against the runner and onto the planking. Just when I thought the far side of the raft would tip up too much and the statue lose its centre of balance, Lady of Favour shivered as she grounded. ‘PULL’ again, they command echoed by the chanting gangs. The air was full of noise - the protests of tensioned timber and rope, the men’s chorus, commands from the overseers exhorting their men and the oiler’s excited shrieks as they slivered across the deck with their greasy buckets.
The second runner attained the deck and the sled, with its massive burden, crawled its way towards the centre of the platform. The far side of the raft still hung high but as the load crept forward, it began to level off and settle low in the water. ‘PULL’ hammered on our ears. Merenptah was transfixed. He stood unmoving, mesmerised by the action and the primal chanting.
The quarry master periodically looked to a man standing on a raised platform lined up with the middle of the raft. Finally, the man raised his arms, Nebamun bellowed ‘STOP’ and haulers halted, straightening their backs. Boys ran along the rows of sweaty, steaming men with buckets and drinking vessels to quench their thirst. Many stripped off their harnesses and dropped to the ground. The statue and sled squatted firmly in the centre of the almost submerged raft but that the Lady still floated was evidenced by a gentle rocking and slight creaking of her timbers. The colossus appeared to be bobbing on the surface, wavelets lapping its back. A mighty roar rose from the throats of the haulers, overseers, watermen, women and boys. Merenptah turned to me, the spell broken by the cheering. “What I have just witnessed is the most amazing thing I have seen in my life. It stirs the blood like the clash of battle. My father must experience for himself the excitement I felt watching this feat of skill. Surely the gods favour us today.”
The haulers were allowed some time to cool off and relax their strained bodies. Rope handlers gathered up the heavy cables, secured them to bollards on the raft’s bow and then back along the quay, around the timber pylons and laid them out on the ground parallel to the vessel, flanking the statue. Boys washed palm oil off the quay with natron salts and brushes. Finally,the quarry master signalled again, the overseers called for silence and smaller gangs took up their places along the ropes that would warp the vessel into the river. The two barques, attached by ropes to stern posts on the raft, turned upstream under oar power.
At the command, ‘TAKE THE STRAIN’ the haulers leant into their harnesses anew. Nebamun’s voice thundered ‘PULL’ and ‘PULL’ again. The raft glided stern first into the river like a duck swimming upon a pond. The oarsmen in the barques worked hard to ensure she did not jam in the quay as she slid out of the basin when the current embraced the raft. As soon as the bow cleared the quay, Nebamun bellowed ‘STOP’ then ‘TURN’. The haulers reversed in their harnesses and now pulled backward, acting as a brake on the forward momentum of the vessel which came to a gentle halt almost in mid-river.
Urgently, small craft left the shore and headed for the Lady, which began to drift downriver impelled by the current. Men jumped onto her, flung the hauling ropes off the bollards whilst others mounted the heavy stern rudders into their housings. Helmsmen took up their stations. The two barques loosed their lines, smartly reversed and rowed to positions in front of the raft. Watermen attached tow lines to bow posts for the barques would assist the helmsmen steering the clumsy vessel on the long passage to Thebes. The raft bearing its enormous cargo continued to drift with increasing momentum. I said to Merenptah we should board our vessels if we were to overtake her. We offered our congratulations to Nebamun, pledged to meet him at Thebes, then quickly embarked and rowed down river in convoy with the raft, which sailed with all the staid dignity of the royal barque.
I needed to get ahead of the vessel before she attained Thebes to confront the next problem - stopping the Lady when she reached her destination and then manoeuvring her into the unloading quay. The prince decided he wanted to accompany the vessel on her voyage, so my barque sailed on ahead.
After issuing the order to the quarry to begin work on the statues, I asked the watermen how they proposed to bring the raft to a halt. As it was not fitted with sails, it would not be just a simple matter of dropping sails, reducing momentum, turning a rudder and gliding to a quayside. The raft and its cargo weighed in excess of 2,500 tonnes and would be caught in the grip of a moderately strong current. This question generated a lot of excitement as they had no immediate answer but I received assurances they would find a way. I reminded them the consequence of the king’s displeasure was too terrible to contemplate if the raft sailed passed Thebes, floated down the Nile and out into the Great Sea.
A few days later a grimy messenger delivered an invitation to visit Imhotep’s office on the western side of the river. I arrived to find the watermen gathered around a slate drawing board on which was drafted a rough diagram of the platform, a number of vessels and lines of travel spreading out in various directions. Imhotep asked if I could get them three warships.
“Why do you want warships at Thebes? Are you planning a revolution?” I asked innocently. Egyptian warships were the heaviest vessels afloat, manned by parallel banks of rowers and employed to transport soldiers and military cargo to battle fields along the Great Sea coastline. The kingdom had a naval fleet but it saw little action apart from patrolling the sea and islands off the Delta in search of pirates who periodically proved troublesome to merchant’s ships.
“Well,” he replied with the forbearance a father showed a son. “We can slow the raft by turning two of the three of the rudders inwards, thereby increasing resistance. When the vessel arrives just upriver from the quay and almost alongside the bank, we will drop large granite anchor blocks into the river.”
“That sounds reasonable. Why do you need the warships? Perhaps you want to spear the raft like a hippopotamus?”
Imhotep became serious. “Sennefer, we may have a problem in stopping the Lady. We have never had to stop anything as cumbersome and heavy as this vessel and her cargo. So we need to take another step to ensure success and to ease the task of manoeuvring the raft into its unloading basin. We think that if we attach three warships to the raft, they can turn upriver and, with their oarsmen rowing, they will considerably increase the drag on the vessel. The combination of rudders, anchor blocks and warships should bring the raft to a halt. One of watermen here served in the navy and he calculates three warships will provide enough stopping power. If more are available, that would be better.”
I thought the king would grant his assent to my request. One of his eldest sons was the admiral of the royal fleet and he might find the project an amusing diversion for his officers and crews. Imhotep explained further. “Once we have stopped the raft, we will use shore gangs, assisted by the greater manoeuvrability of the naval vessels, to push and pull it to its final anchorage.”
“I will send you one of my scribes. Please tell him exactly what type of naval vessels and any other equipment you require and when you want them at Thebes. I shall pass your requirements onto the king and let you know his answer. As an alternative, have you considered throwing a fowling net over the raft? You may be able to snare it like a duck?” I left quickly before being assailed by ribald comment.
Having attended to that matter and believin
g it well in hand, I began the construction of the mooring basin, reinforced quay and the ramp from the dockside up to the Ramesseum, which was a lot further from the river than the quarries at Aswan. The existing ramp was neither wide nor strong enough for this new task, even though we had already moved some very heavy granite and limestone blocks and statues along the route. Manpower was not one of my limitations as there were enormous numbers of men involved in construction projects around Thebes. If needed, I could always use my authority to impress additional labour from the city and farming communities.
Nebamun sent one of his foremen to assist with the building of the coffer dam that would receive the raft. The quay was strengthened and there was time enough to assemble the hauling teams. The vizier suggested I wait until the king reached Thebes before we began to unload and place the colossus. I politely advised him to inform Ramesses to be here well before the statue arrived, otherwise he might pass his image floating down river as he made his passage upriver.
I then turned my attention to the next task, raising the statue onto its base and moving it into place against the pylons. The basic technique was well known but it involved some very careful planning to minimise unnecessary movement of the 1,000 tonne behemoth. Despite the density and apparent solidity of granite, it is a stone prone to cracking if dropped or heavily jarred, so every aspect of positioning the statues had to thought through with the utmost care. Both statues would ultimately sit on granite pedestals which were well polished to allow them to be slid off the sleds onto their mountings.
I had raised several obelisks in the past and, whilst they presented their own unique difficulties, they have a smaller base making them relatively easy to erect though Horemheb’s architect had lost control of an obelisk he was raising. When it toppled and broke, his career finished in the same manner. Kings tended to reward failures harshly.
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