delineation of the men and animals, the spirit of the grouping, and its extraordinary preservation, is probably the finest specimen of Assyrian art in existence. On the flooring, below the sculptures, were discovered considerable remains of painted plaster still adhering to the sundried bricks, which had fallen in masses from the upper part of the wall. The colors, particularly the blues and reds, were as brilliant and vivid when the earth was removed from them, as they could have been when first used. On exposure to the air they faded rapidly. The designs were elegant and elaborate. It was found almost impossible to preserve any portion of these ornaments, the earth crumbling to pieces when an attempt was made to raise it. About this time I received the vizirial letter procured by Sir Stratford Canning, authorizing the continuation of the excavations and the removal of such objects as might be discovered. I was sleeping in the tent of Sheikh Abd-ur-rahman, who had invited me to hunt gazelles with him before dawn on the following morning, when an Arab awoke me. He was the bearer of letters from Mosul, and I read by the light of a small camel-dung fire, the document which secured to the British nation the records of Nineveh, and a collection of the earliest monuments of Assyrian art. The vizirial order was as comprehensive as could be desired; and having been granted on the departure of the British ambassador, was the highest testimony the Turkish government could give of their respect for the character of Sir Stratford Canning, and of their appreciation of the eminent services he had rendered them. One of the difficulties, and not one of the least which had to be encountered, was now completely removed. Still, however, pecuniary resources were wanting, and in the absence of the necessary means, extensive excavations could not be carried on. I hastened, nevertheless, to communicate the letter of the Grand Vizir to the Pasha, and to make arrangements for pursuing the researches as effectually as possible. Not having yet examined the great mound of Kouyunjik, which, as it has already been observed, has generally been believed by travellers to mark the true site of Nineveh, I determined to open trenches in it I had not previously done so, as the vicinity of the ruins to Mosul would have enabled the inhabitants of the town to watch my movements, and to cause me continual interruptions before the sanction of the authorities could be obtained to my proceedings. A small party of workmen having been organized, excavations were commenced on the southern face, where the mound was highest; as sculptures, if any still existed, would probably be found in the best state of preservation under the largest accumulation of rubbish. The only opposition I received was from the French Consul, who claimed the ruins as French property. The claim not being recognized, he also dug into the mound, but in another direction. We both continued our researches for about a month without much success. A few fragments of sculpture and inscriptions were discovered, which enabled me to assert with some confidence that the remains were those of a building contemporary, or nearly so, with Khorsabad, and consequently of a more recent epoch than the most ancient palace of Nimroud. All the bricks dug out bore the name of the same king, but I could not find any traces of his genealogy. On my return to Nimroud, about thirty men, chiefly Arabs, were employed to carry on the excavations. Being anxious to learn as soon as possible the extent of the building, and the nature of the sculptures it contained, I merely dug down to the top of the slabs and ascertained the character of the sculpture upon them, reserving a completer examination for a more favorable opportunity. I was thus able to form an opinion as to the number of bas-reliefs that could be removed, and to preserve those partially uncovered from injury, by heaping the rubbish again over them. United to the last of the four slabs with small bas-reliefs, beyond the bulls of yellow limestone, was an ornamented cor ner-stone marking the end of hall B, the length of which could now be ascertained. Its dimensions were peculiar-154 feet in length by 33 in breadth―resembling in its narrowness the chambers of Khorsabad, though exceeding them all in its proportions. Adjoining the corner-stone was a winged figure; beyond it a slab 14 feet in length cut into a recess, in which are four figures. Two kings stand facing one another, but separated by the symbolic tree, above which is the divinity, with the wings and tail of a bird, inclosed in a circle, and holding a ring in one hand, resembling the image so frequently occurring on the early sculptures of Persia, and at one time conjectured to be the Zoroastrian "ferouher," or spirit of the person beneath. The fact of the identity of this figure with the Persian symbol is remarkable, and gives rise to new speculations and conjectures, which will be alluded to hereafter. Each king holds a mace or instrument formed by a handle with a ball or circle at the end,* and is followed by a winged figure carrying the fir cone and basket. This bas-relief is well designed and delicately carved, and the ornaments on the dresses and arms of the figures are elegant and elaborate.† This large slab was followed by a winged figure similar to that preceding it, and the end of the hall was formed by a second ornamented corner-stone. The half of both the winged figures adjoining the centre slab, as well as the lower part of that slab, which advanced beyond the sculpture, had been purposely destroyed, and the stone still bore the marks of the chisel. Subsequent excavations disclosed in front of the large basrelief a slab of alabaster, 10 feet by 8, and about 2 feet thick, cut at the western end into steps or gradines. It appeared to be a raised place for a throne, or to be an altar on which sacrifices were made; the latter conjecture was strengthened by a conduit for water or some other fluid, also of alabaster, be A similar object is seen in the hand of a sitting figure on a cylinder, engraved in Rich's Second Memoir on Babylon. + This bas-relief has been sent to England: it is broken in several pieces. |