usual sacred tree. They hold in one hand a garland or chaplet; and raise the other towards the symbolical or sacred tree, placed between them. They wear a necklace, to which is appended several circular medallions, having stars cut upon them, probably also symbolical.

The shape of this chamber was singular. It had two entrances, one communicating with the rest of the building, the other leading into a small room, from which there was no other outlet. It resembled a long passage, turning abruptly at right angles, and opening into a wider, though still an elongated, apartment.

In chamber J, nothing of any importance was discovered. The slabs were unsculptured; upon each of them was the usual inscription, which was also cut upon the slabs forming the pavement. It will be observed by a reference to the plan (3), that there was a recess in one of the corners, resembling a doorway or entrance; but the communication with chamber II, was cut off by a single slab. a single slab. As it is not probable that the wall of sun-dried bricks was carried up to the roof in this place, there may have been an opening here, to admit light and air. However, it is difficult to account for half the architectural mysteries in this strange building.

The entrance formed by the pair of small humanheaded lions, discovered in chamber G, led me into a new hall, which I did not then explore to any extent, as the slabs were not sculptured.

It was in the centre of the mound, however, that

one of the most remarkable discoveries awaited me. I have already mentioned the pair of gigantic winged bulls, first found there.* They appeared to form an entrance and to be only part of a large building. The inscriptions upon them contained a name, differing from that of the king, who had built the palace in the north-west corner. On digging further I found a brick, on which was a genealogy, the new name occurring first, and as that of the son of the founder of the earlier edifice. This was, to a certain extent, a clue to the comparative date of the newly discovered building.

I now sought for the walls, which must have been connected with the bulls. I dug round these sculptures, but found no other traces of building, except a few squared stones, fallen from their original places. As the backs of the bulls were completely covered with inscriptions, in large and well-formed cuneiform characters, I was led to believe that they might originally have stood alone. Still there must have been other slabs near them. I directed a deep trench to be carried, at right angles, behind the northern bull. After digging about ten feet, the workmen found a slab lying flat on the brick pavement, and having a gigantic winged figure sculptured in relief upon it. It resembled some already described; and carried the fir-cone, and the square basket or utensil, but there was no inscription across it. Beyond was a similar figure, still more gigantic in its pro

* P. 47.

portions, being about fourteen feet in height. The relief was low, and the execution inferior to that of the sculptures discovered in the other palaces. The beard and part of the legs of a winged bull, in yellow limestone, were next found. These remains, imperfect as they were, promised better things. The trench was carried on in the same direction for several days; but nothing more appeared. It had reached above fifty feet in length, and still without any new discovery. I had business in Mosul, and was giving directions to the workmen to guide them during my absence. Standing on the edge of the hitherto unprofitable trench, I doubted whether I should carry it any further; but made up my mind at last, not to abandon it until my return, which would be on the following day. I mounted my horse; but had scarcely left the mound when a corner of black marble was uncovered, lying on the very edge of the trench. This attracted the notice of the superintendent of the party digging, who ordered the place to be further examined. The corner was part of an obelisk, about seven feet high, lying on its side, ten feet below the surface.

An Arab was sent after me without delay, to announce the discovery; and on my return I found the obelisk completely exposed to view. I descended eagerly into the trench, and was immediately struck by the singular appearance, and evident antiquity, of the remarkable monument before me. We raised it from its recumbent position, and, with the aid of ropes, speedily dragged it out of the ruins. Al

though its shape was that of an obelisk, yet it was flat at the top and cut into three gradines. It was sculptured on the four sides; there were in all twenty small bas-reliefs, and above, below, and between them was carved an inscription 210 lines in length. The whole was in the best preservation; scarcely a character of the inscription was wanting; and the figures were as sharp and well defined as if they had been carved but a few days before. The king is twice represented, followed by his attendants; a prisoner is at his feet, and his vizir and eunuchs are introducing men leading various animals, and carrying vases and other objects of tribute on their shoulders, or in their hands. The animals are the elephant, the rhinoceros, the Bactrian or twohumped camel, the wild bull, the lion, a stag, and various kinds of monkeys. Amongst the objects carried by the tribute-bearers, may perhaps be distinguished the tusks of the elephant, shawls, and some bundles of precious wood. From the nature, therefore, of the bas-reliefs, it is natural to conjecture that the monument was erected to commemorate the conquest of India, or of some country far to the east of Assyria, and on the confines of the Indian peninsula. The name of the king, whose deeds it appears to record, is the same as that on the centre bulls; and it is introduced by a genealogical list containing many other royal names.

I lost no time in copying the inscriptions, and. drawing the bas-reliefs, upon this precious relic. It was then carefully packed, to be transported at once