Philatelic Photograph: Lion At Gun Hill - St. George, Barbados

Interesting Places I've Photographed

Lion At Gun Hill 
St. George, Barbados

Topic: Philatelic Photographs

GPS: N13° 08.551; W059° 33.353

Quick Description: 

The Lion at Gun Hill is located on the cliff southwest of the Gun Hill Signal Station in St. George, Barbados.

Long Description:

The Lion at Gun Hill is a landmark figure carved out of coral limestone in 1868 by Captain Henry Wilkinson, 9th Foot Regiment - Adjutant General, with the aid of four other military laborers. The 7' high rendition of the British Imperial Lion stands on three paws with his left front paw resting on a red globe. The red globe is symbolic of the worldwide British Empire.

Beneath the lion and on the edge of a limestone rectangle is inscribed, in Latin, a verse taken from The Book of Psalms 72:8 

DOMINABITUS A MARI US AD MARE A FLUMINE US AD TERMINOS ORRIS
(IT WILL RULE FROM SEA TO SEA, FROM RIVER TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH)

Within the limestone rectangle is Wilkinson's name, unit, and the date the lion was sculpted. 

HEN IOA WILKINSON
CEN COH PED IX BRITAN
TRIB CASTR SCULPSIT
AD MDCCCLXVIII

To to right of the lion are the names of the four military laborers:

M BROWN
D NICHOLL
D HARRIS
P R WILLIAM
MIL LAB COOP

The stamp was issued by Barbados on May 4, 1970 as part of a 16 stamp set depicting various Barbados sights.