A popular account
of discoveries at Nineveh
Austen Henry Layard
wese.








4


i
f





POPULAR ACCOUNT.
or
DISCOVERIES AT NINEVEH.
by AUSTEN HENRY LAYARD, esq. d.c.l.
ABRIDGED BY HIM FROM HIS LARGER WORK.
WITH NUMEROUS S00DC3U,
NEW YORK:
rfAttPER & BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS
3S» * 331 PEARL 5TREF T, ^ _ ^--





PREFACE TO THE ABRIDGMENT.
The interest felt in the discoveries on the site of Nine-
?eh having been so general, it was suggested to me that
an abridgment of my work on "Nineveh and its Remains,"
published in a cheap and popular form, would be accept-
able to the public. I had already commenced such an
abridgment, when I was called away on a second expedi-
tion into Assyria, which left me no leisure for literary
occupations.
On my return to England, I found that several inaccu-
rate and incomplete accounts of my first researches had
already been published. I determined, therefore, to com
plete without delay the abridged work which is now
presented to the public.
In this abridgment I have omitted the second part of
the original work, introducing the principal Biblical and
historical illustrations into the narrative, which has thus,
I hope, been rendered more useful and complete.
As recent discoveries, and the contents of the inscrip-
tions, as far as they have been satisfactorily deciphered,
have confirmed nearly all the opinions expressed in the
original work, no changes on any material points have
been introduced into this abridgment. I am still inclined


iv
FKEFACE.
to believe that all the ruins explored represent the site
of ancient Nineveh, and while still assigning the later
monuments to the kings mentioned in Scripture, Shalma-
nezer, Sennacherib, and Essarhadon, I am convinced that
a considerable period elapsed between their foundation
and the erection of the older palaces of Nimroud. The
results of the attempts to decipher the inscriptions are
still too uncertain to authorize the use of any actual names
for the earlier kings mentioned in them.
September, 1851.


INTRODUCTION.
Before submitting the following narrative of my labors
in Assyria to the reader, it may not be uninteresting to
give a slight sketch of what had been done in the field
of Assyrian antiquities, previous to the recent discoveries
on the site of Nineveh.
A few fragments scattered among ancient authors,
and a list of kings of more than doubtful authenticity, is
all that remains of a history of Assyria by Ctesias; while
of that attributed to Herodotus not a trace has been pre-
served. Of later writers who have touched upon Assyrian
history, Diodorus Siculus, a mere compiler, is the princi-
pal. In Eusebius, and the Armenian historians, such as
Moses of Chorene, may be found a few valuable details
and hints, derived, in some instances, from original sources
not altogether devoid of authenticity.
It is remarkable that in profane history we meet with
only three Assyrian monarchs of whose deeds wc have any
account,—Ninus, Semiramis, and Sardanapalus. Ninus
and his queen, like all the heroes of primitive nations,
appear to have become mythic characters, to whom all
great deeds and national achievements were assigned.
Although originally historic personages, they were sub-
sequently invested to some extent with divine attributes,
and were interwoven with the theology of the race of


VI
INTRODUCTION.
which they were the first, or among the earliest, cli s.
Above thirty generations elapsed between Semiramis id
Sardanapalus, during which more than one dynasty >f
kings occupied the Assyrian throne, and maintained le
power of the empire. Yet of these kings nothing la
been preserved but doubtful names.
The Assyrians are not particularly alluded to in H ly
Writ, until the period when their warlike expeditions to
the west of the Euphrates brought them into cont ct
with the Jews. Pul, the first king whose name is record >d
in Scripture, having reigned between eight and nine h\ a-
dred years before the Christian era, and about two hu a-
dred previous to the fall of the empire, must have bei :n
nearly the last of a long succession of kings who had ruled
over the greater part of Asia. The later monarchs are
more frequently mentioned in the Bible on account of
their wars with the Jews, whom they led captive into
Assyria. Very little is related of even their deeds unless
they particularly concern the Jewish people.
Of modern historians who have attempted to reconcile
the discrepancies of Assyrian chronology, and to restore
to some extent, from the fragments to which I have al-
luded, a history of the Assyrian empire, I scarcely know
whom to point out. From such contradictory materials,
n is not surprising that each writer should have formed
a system of his own; and we may, without incurring the
charge of skepticism, treat all their efforts as little better
than ingenious speculations. In the date alone to be
assigned to the commencement of the Assyrian empire,
they differ nearly a thousand years; and even when they
treat of events which approach the epoch of authentic
history,—such as the death of Sardanapalus, the invasion


Vili INTKODUCTION. s
Babylon, and could afford a clew to the site and nature of
those cities. There is, at the same time, a vague mystery
attaching to remains like these, which induces travelers
to examine them with more than ordinary interest, and
even with some degree of awe. A great vitrified mass
of brick-work, surrounded by the accumulated rubbish of
ages, was believed to represent the identical tower, which
called down the divine vengeance, and was overthrown,
according to an universal tradition, by the fires of heaven.
The mystery and dread, which attached to the place, were
kept up by exaggerated accounts of wild beasts, who
haunted the subterraneous passages, -and of the no less
savage tribes who wandered among the ruins. Other
mounds in the vicinity were identified with the hanging
gardens, and those marvelous structures which tradition
has attributed to two queens, Semiramis and Nitocris.
The difficulty of reaching these remains, increased the
curiosity and interest with which they were regarded;
and a fragment from Babylon was esteemed a precious
relic, not altogether devoid of a sacred character. The
ruins which might be presumed to occupy the site of
the Assyrian capital, were even less known, and less
visited, than those in Babylonia. Several travelers had
noticed the great mounds of earth opposite the modern
city of Mosul, and when the inhabitants of the neighbor-
hood pointed out thetomb of Jonah upon the summit of
one of them, it was natural to conclude, at once, that it
marked the site of Nineveh.*
* It need scarcely be observed, that the tomb of Jonah could not stand
on the ruins of a palace, and that the tradition placing it there is not au-
thenticated by any passage in the Scriptures. It is, however, received by
Christians and Mussulmans, and probably originated in the spot having
been once occupied by a Christian church or convent, dedicated to the pro-


INTRODUCTION.
i.X
The first to engage in a serious examination of the ruins
within the limits of ancient Assyria was Mr. Rich, many
years the political resident of the East India Company at
Baghdad,—a man whom enterprise, industry, extensive
and varied learning, and rare influence over the inhabi-
tants of the country, acquired as much by character as
position, eminently qualified for such a task. The re-
mains near Hillah, being in the immediate vicinity of
Baghdad, first attracted his attention; and he commenced
his labors by carefully examining their position, and by
opening trenches into the various mounds. It is unne-
cessary to enter into a detailed account of his discoveries.
They were of considerable interest, consisting chiefly of
fragments of inscriptions, bricks, engraved stones, and a
coflin of wood; but the careful account which he drew
up of the site of the ruins was of greater value, and has
formed the ground-work of all subsequent inquiries into
the topography of Babylon.
In the year 1820, Mr. Rich, having been induced to
visit Kurdistan for the benefit of his health, returned to
Baghdad by way of Mosul. Remaining some days in this
city, his curiosity was naturally excited by the great
mounds on the opposite bank of the river, and he entered
upon an examination of them. He learned from the in-
habitants of Mosul that, some time previous to his visit,
a sculpture, representing various forms of men and ani-
mals, had been dug up in a mound forming part of the
great inclosure. This strange object had been the cause
of general wonder, and the whole population had issued
phot The building, which is supposed to cover the tomb, is very much
venerated, and few Christians have been allowed to enter it. The Jews,
in the time of St Jerome, pointed out the sepulcher of Jonah at Gath-
hepher, in the tribe of Zabulon.
1*


X
INTRODUCTION.
from the walls to gaze upon it. The ulema haviLg al
length pronounced that these figures were the idols of the
infidels, the Mohammedans, like obedient disciples, sc
completely destroyed them, that Mr. Eich was unable to
obtain even a fragment.
Ilis first step was to visit the village containing the
tomb of Jonah. In the houses he met with a few stones
bearing inscriptions, which had probably been discovered
in digging the foundations; and under the mosque con-
taining the tomb, he was shown three very narrow and
apparently ancient passages, one within the other, with
several doors or apertures. t
He next examined the largest mound of the group,
called Kouyunjik by the Turks, and Armousheeah by
the Arabs; the circumference of which he ascertained to
be 7690 feet. Among the rubbish he found a few frag-
ments of pottery, bricks with cuneiform characters, and
some remains of building in the ravines. On a subse-
quent occasion he made a general survey of the ruins,
which is published in the collection of his journals, edited
by his widow.
With the exception of a small stone chair, and a few
remains of inscriptions, Mr. Eich obtained no other As-
syrian relics from the site of Nineveh; and he left Mosul,
little suspecting that in the mounds were buried the
palaces of the Assyrian kings. As he floated down the
Tigris to Baghdad, he visited Nimroud, and was struck
by its evident antiquity. The tales of the inhabitants of
the neighboring villages connected the ruins with Nim-
rod's own city, and better authenticated traditions with
those of Al Athur, or Ashur, from which the whole
country anciently received its name, He collected a few


INTRODUCTION.
bricks bearing cuneiform characters, and proceeded with
his journey.
The fragments obtained by Mr. Rich were subsequently
placed in the British Museum, and formed the principal,
and indeed almost only, collection of Assyrian antiquities
in Europe. A case scarcely three feet square inclosed
all that remained, not only of the great city, Nineveh,
but of Babylon itself 1
Other museums in Europe contained a few cylinders
and gems, which came from Assyria and Babylonia; but
they were not classified, nor could it be determined to
what exact epoch they belonged. Of Assyrian art noth-
ing was known The architecture of Nineveh and
Babylon was a matter of speculation, and the poet or
painter restored their palaces and temples, as best suited
his theme or his subject. A description of the temple of
Belus by Herodotus, led to an imaginary representation
of- the tower of Babel. Its spiral ascent, its galleries
gradually decreasing in circumference, and supported by
'innumerable columns, are familiar to us from the illustra-
tions, adorning almost the opening page of that Book,
which is associated with our earliest recollections.
Such was our acquaintance four years ago with Nineveh
—its history, its site, and its arts. The reader will judge
from the following pages, how far recent discoveries are
likely to extend our knowledge.
As inscriptions in the cuneiform character will be so
frequently mentioned in the following pages, a few words
on the nature of this very ancient mode of writing may
not be unacceptable to the reader. The epithets of cunei-
form, cuneatic, arrow-headed, and wedge-shaped—tete-d-
chu in French, and Iceilformig in German—have been


Xll
INTRODUCTION.
assigned to it according as the fancy of the describer saw
in its component parts a resemblance to a wedge, the
barb cf an arrow, or a nail. The term "cuneiform" is
now most generally used in England, and probably best
expresses the peculiar form of the character, each letter
being composed of several distinct wedges combined to
gether. The following may be given as an example:—
a- >;» u -v a- i -s uu*
This inscription contains the names of an Assyrian king,
and his title of king of Assyria. It is not improbable
that these letters were originally formed by mere lines,
for which the wedge was afterward substituted as an
embellishment; and that the character itself may once
have resembled the'picture writing of Egypt, though all
traces of its ideographic properties have been lost. The
Assyrians, like the Egyptians, possessed at a later period
a cursive writing, resembling the rounded character of
the Phoenicians, Palmyrenes, Babylonians, and Jews,'
which was probably used for written documents, while
the cuneiform was reserved for monumental purposes.
There is this great difference between the two forms of
writing, which appears to point to a distinct origin,—the
cuneiform runs always from left to right, the cursive from
right to left.
The cuneiform under various modifications, the letters
being differently formed in different countries, prevailed
over the greater part of western Asia to the time of the
overthrow of the Persian empire by Alexander the Great.
It is to this circumstance that we mainly owe the pro-
gress which has been made in deciphering the Assyrian


INTRODUCTION.
xiii
inscriptions, and tbj hope that we shall ultimately be
able to ascertain, with some degree of certainty, their
contents. The Persian kings ruled over all the nations
using this peculiar form of writing. These nations con-
sisted of three principal races, the Babylonian (including
the Assyrian) speaking a language allied to the Hebrew
and Arabic, the Persian, and the Tatar, the last two
using dialects nearly approaching those still found among
their descendants. When recording their victories, as
was their custom, on rocks and pillars, these monarchs
used the three languages spoken by their subjects. Such
was the origin of what are called the trilingual inscrip-
tions of Persia, which afford the principal clew to the
Assyrian writing. The tablets containing these inscrip-
tions are divided into three columns, each column being
occupied by a version of the same inscription in one of
the three national languages, and each language being
written in the modification of the cuneiform character
peculiar to it. Fortunately, the contents of the Persian
incriptions have long been accurately ascertained, and
the alphabet and grammar reduced to a system. Owing,
however, to the very large number of distinct characters
in the Assyrian inscriptions, there being nearly 400 differ-
ent signs, while in the Persian there are but thirty-nine
or forty, and the great apparent laxity in the use of let-
ters and the grammar, the process of deciphering is one
of considerable difficulty, notwithstanding the aid which a
version of the same inscription in a known tongue natural
ly supplies.
The most important trilingual inscriptions hitherto dis-
covered are those on the palaces of Darius and Xerxes at
Persepoiis, over the tomb of Darius, and in the rock tab-


xiv
INTRODUCTION.
lets of Bekistun. The latter are by far the most exten
sive and valuable. They contain a history of the prin
ripal events of the reign of Darius, and giving a long list
of countries and tribes subdued by that monarch, and
the names of conquered kings and rebels, afford the best
materials for deciphering the Assyrian character, proper
names being the real clew to the value of letters. The
inscriptions of Behistun are upon the face of a lofty pre-
cipice, so difficult of access that Colonel Eawlinson has
alone succeeded in copying them. He has printed the
Persian column with a translation, but the corresponding
Babylonian or Assyrian column is still in his possession,
and the scientific world is anxiously awaiting the pub-
lication of an inscription which can afford the only trust-
worthy materials for deciphering the Assyrian records.
In the meanwhile, Colonel Eawlinson has communicated
to the public, through the journals of the Boyal Asiatic
Society, some of the results of his own inquiries, which
are of great interest and importance; and other scholars,
among whom may be mentioned Dr. Hincks, have made
such progress in deciphering the Assyrian character as
the means at their disposal would permit. It is to Dr.
Hincks we owe the deterrnination of the numerals, the
name of Sennacherib on the monuments of Kouyunjik
and of Nebuchadnezzar on the bricks of Babylon—three
very important and valuable discoveries. The actual
state of our knowledge of the cuneiform character will
enable us to ascertain the general contents of an inscrip-
tion, although probabty no one can yet give a literal
translation of any one record, or the definite sound ol
many words.
The custom of engraving inscriptions on stone, as well


introduction:
XT
as on baked clay, the two methods of perpetuating their
annals adopted by the Assyrians, is of the very highest
antiquity. The divine commands were first given to man
on stone tables; Job is made to exclaim, "Oh that my
words were now written! . . . that Uiey were graven with an
iron-pen and lead in the rock forever;'"* and Ezekiel, when
prophesying on the river Chebar, was directed "to take
a tile and portray upon it the city of Jerusalem." f There
could have been no more durable method of preserving
the national records; and the inscribed walls of palaces
and rock tablets have handed down to us the only authen-
tic history of ancient Assyria.
• CK xix 23, 84. f Ch. it. 1.
'J;





CONTENTS
CHAPTER I.
rial
First Journey in Assyria. Its Ruins. Kouyunjik, Nimroud, and Kalah
Sherghat. M. Botta's Discoveries. Khorsabad. Return to Mosul, 1
CHAPTER II.
Mohammed Pashaw. His Cruelties. The State of the Country. Start
for Nimroud. An Arab Family. Commence Excavations. Discov-
ery of a Chamber—of Inscriptions—of Ivory Ornaments. Return
to Mosul. Conduct of the Pashaw. Excavations commenced among
various Ruins. Return to Nimroud. Further Discoveries. Sela
miyah. Discovery of Sculptures. Description of Bas-reliefs. In-
terrupted by the Pashaw. Further Discovery of Sculptures. Dep-
osition of the Pashaw. Departure for Baghdad 12
CHAPTER III.
Return to Mosul. Ismail Pashaw. Change in the State of the Country.
Return to Nimroud. The Ruins in Spring. Excavations resumed.
Further Discoveries. New Interruptions. Sheikh Abd-ur-Rahman
and the Abou-Salman Arabs. Fresh Bas-reliefs in the N. W. Corner.
Discovery of the Principal Palace. Entire Bas-reliefs. Discovery
of the Colossal Lions. Surprise of the Arabs. Sensation at Mosul,
and Conduct of the Pashaw and Cadi. Excavations stopped. Further
Discoveries. Description of the Human headed Lions. Reflections
on their Antiquity and Object. The Jebour Arabs. Their Sheikhs.
Nimroud in March. Description of the Plain at Sunset The Tun-
nel of Negoub An Assyrian Inscription 3S


xviii
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER IV.
rial
Preparations for a Journey to Al Halher. Gatherii j; ol the Caravan.
Leave Mosul. The Desert. Flocks of Camels. Tho Haddedecn
Arabs. An Arab Repast An Encampment. An Arab tribe mov-
ing. The Tents of Sofuk. Description of tho Shammar Sheikh.
His History. Sofuk*8 Harem and Wives. His Mare. Ride to Al
Ilather. Arab Guides. The Ruins of Al Hather. Return to Mosul
.
Murder of Nejris—and of Sofuk .58
CHAPTER V.
Discovery of Small Objects. Pavement of the Chambers. Au Arab
Feast. Arrival of Tahyar Pashaw. Excavations continued. The
Summer at Nimroud. A Whirlwind. Further Discoveries of Bas-
reliefs. Descr iption of the Sculptures. Painted Plaster. Receipt
of Vizirial Letter. Excavations at Kouyunjik. Fresh Discoveries
at Nimroud. Surprise of the Arabs. First Collection of the Sculp-
tures sent to England. Visit from Tahyar Pashaw. Speculations of
the Turks on the Sculptures. Remove to Mosul. Discovery of a
Building in a Mound near Kouyunjik. New Chambers opened at
Nimroud 16
CHAPTER VI.
Departure for the Tiyari Mountains. Khorsabad. Sheikh Adi. A
Kurdish Encampment. A Chaldean Village. Amadiyah. A Turk-
ish Governor. Albanian Irregulars. An Albanian Chief. The
Valley of Berwari. Chaldean Villages. A Kurdish Boy. Asheetha, 104
CHAPTER VII.
Asheetha. A Nestorian House. The Massacre. Zaweetha. Nesto-
rian Priests. Murghi. Lizan. Scene of the Massacre. A Tiyari
Bridge. Raola. The House of the Melek. The District of Tkhoma.
Alarm of the Inhabitants. Church Service. Tkhoma Gowaia. A
Kurdish Chief. Pass into Baz^ Ergub. Return to Tkhorca. Be-
alatha. Roads of Tiyari. Chonba. Murder of Melik Ismail. Re-
turn to Asheetha. Kasha Auraham. A Copper Mine. Challek.
Ourmeli A Subashi. A Kurdish Saint. Malthayiah. Sculptures.


CONTENTS.
XIX
Alkosh. Tomb of the Prophet Nahum. Kabban Hormuzd. Tclkef
»nd its Christian inhabitants. Return to Mosul. Second Massacre
in the Nestorian Mountains. Capture and Exile of Beder Khan
Bey, 122
CHAPTER VIII.
In7ilation to the Feast of the Yezidis. Departure from Mosul. Baadii.
Hussein Bey, the Yezidi Chief. The Birth of his Soa History of
the Yezidis. Ride to the Tomb of Sheikh Adi. Sheikh Nasr. De-
scription of the Tomb. Arrival of Pilgrims. An Incident. Sheikh
Shems, or the Sun. Votive Lamps. Celebration of Rites. Yezidis
Music. The Doctrine and Religious Observances of the Sect. The
Evil Principle. The probable Origin of their Rites. Their Orders
of Priesthood. Their. Language and Books. Return to Mosul.
Departure for the Sinjar. Abou Maria. Tel Afer. Mirkan. Es-
cape of the Yezidis. The Village of Sinjar. Wild Asses, . . 171
CHAPTER IX.
Excavations undertaken by the British Museum. Choice of Work
men. Dwelling Houses built at Nimroud. Discovery of Bas-re
liefs—of Armor and Helmets—of Vases—of new Chambers—of
the Obelisk. Discoveries in the S. W. Corner of the Mound.
Winged Lions. Crouching Sphinxes. Discovery of Tombs in the
S.E. Corner of the Mound. Arab Workmen. Mode of Irrigation.
Customs of the Arabs. Facility of Divorce. Arab Women. The
Tiyari or Chaldeans. A Raft plundered. Seizure of an Arab
Sheikh. Departure of Sculptures for Busrah, . . 207
CHAPTER X.
Death of Tahyar Pashaw. Discoveries in the N.W. Palace. Ivory
Ornaments and Cartouches with Hieroglyphics. Painted Chambers.
Pottery. Discovery of Upper Chambers. Paintings on the Walls.
Pavement Slabs. Discoveries in the Center of the Mound. Tombs
containing Vases and Ornaments. Sculptures. Further Discoveries
in the S.W. Edifice. Sculptures. Discovery of more Tombs in
the S.E. Corner—of Chambers beneath them—of a vaulted Room 248


XX
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER XI.
Piei
Excavations at Kalah Sherghat. Departure for the Ruins. The
Bitumen Pits. Abd'rubbou. My Reception. Discovery of a sit-
ting Figure. Arab Encampment Arab Life. Excavations in the
Mound. Discovory of Tombs. Return to Nimroud, . . . 268
CHAPTER XII.
Artificial Irrigation of Assyria. Want of Rain. Preparations for the
Removal of a winged Bull and Lion. The Cart Lowering the
winged Bull . Its Removal from the Ruins. Excitement of the
Arabs. Removal of the Lion. Rafts for the Transport of the Sculp-
tures to Busrah. Embarkation of the Lion and BulL General De-
scription of (he Ruins 282
CHAPTER XIII.
Departure from Nimroud. Excavations at Kouyunjik. Discovery of
a Palace. Bas-reliefs. General Description of the Sculptures. Ex-
cavations carried on by Mr. Ross. His Discoveries. A Sculptured
Slab and Sarcophagus. Preparations for my Return to Constantino-
ple. Leave Mosul, 818


LIST OF WOODCUTS .\ND PLANS.
Lowering the BulL Frontispiece.
Southwest Ruin, Nimroud. Facing page 21
Group from a Bas-relief discovered in the S.W. Palace. In page 27
Northwest Palace, Nimroud. Facing page 42
Winged Figure. (N.W. Palace, Nimroud.) Vessel or Basket carried by
Winged Figures. In pnge 43
Sacred Tree. (N.W. Palace, Nimroud.) In page 44
Assyrian Ornament (Nimroud.) Greek Honey suckle Ornament. Greek
Honey-suckle Ornament. In page 45
Eagle-headed Figure. (N.W. Palace, Nimroud) In page 46
Discovery of the gigantic Head. In page 48
Winged human-headed Lion. In page 5a
A Shammar Lady on a Camel. In page 63
Handles of three Daggers carried in the Girdle. (N.W. Palace, Nimroud.)
In page 84
Winged human-headed Bull. (N.W. Palace, Nimroud.) In page 86
Battering Ram with movable Tower containing Warriors. (N.W. Palace
Nimroud.) In page 81
Sacred Emblems suspended round the Neck of the King. (N.W. Palace,
Nimroud.) In page 94
Ornament on the Dress of Eunuchs. Ornament on the Itobe of King.
In page 95
Ornament on the Robe of Winged Figure. In page 96
Head-Dress of the King. (N.W. Palace, Nimroud.) In page 97
The King's Sandal. (N.W. Palace, Nimroud.) The King's Footstool. (N.W
Palace, Nimroud.) End of a Sword Sheath. (N.W. Palace, Nimroud.)
The King's Throne. (N.W. Palace, Nimroud.) In page 98
Altar, or Tripod. (From Khorsabad.) In page 101
A Nestorian House in the District of Tiyari. In page 125
A Wicker Bridge across the Zab near Lizan. In nage 13ft


xxii LIST OF PLATES, WOODCUTS, AND PLANS.
Assyrian Deity. On a Rock Tablet at Malthaiyali. In page 164
Assyrian chaiis. In page 165
Tel Afer. In page 190
Emblem of the Deity. (N.W. Palace, Nimroud.) In page 211
Emblem of the Deity. (N.W.'Palace, Nimroud.) In page 212
A Table. (N.W. Palace, Nimroud.) Tables, or Stands for Jars. (N.W.
Palace, Nimroud.) In page 213
Eunuch Warrior in Battle. (N.W. Palace, Nimroud.) In page 214
Horeemen—one drawing the Bow, the other holding the Reins of both
Horses. (N.W. Palace, Nimroud.) In page 216
A Boat carrying a Chariot, and Men swimming oil inflated Skins. (N.W
Palace, Nimroud.) In page 220
Flying Warrior turning back to discharge an Arrow. (N.W. Palace, Nim
roud.) In page 221
The Obelisk. In page 225
Elephant and Monkeys. (Obelisk, Nimroud.) Bactrian or Two humpeo
Camels. (Obelisk, Nimroud.) In page 226
The Bull, the Rhinoceros, and an Antelope. (Obelisk, Nimroud.) Large
Monkey and Ape. (Obelisk, Nimroud.) In page 227
Figures on Lions. (S.W. Palace, Nimroud.) In page 228
Figures on Lions. (S.W. Palace, Nimroud.) In page 229
Sphinx from S.W. Palace. (Nimroud.) In page 230
The King. (N.W. Palace, Nimroud.) In page 245
Plan 4.—Upper Chambers on the West Side of the Mound. (Nimroud.)
In page 249
Pottery found in the Tombs above the Ruins at Nimroud. In page 253
Assyrian Horsemen pursuing a Man, probably an Arab, on a Camel.
(Center Palace, Nimroud.) In page 254
Helmets. (Center Palace, Nimroud.) In page 255
Warriors before a besieged City. A Battering Ram drawn up to the Walls,
and Captives impaled. (Center Palace, Nimroud.) In page 257
Assyrian Warriors fighting with the Enemy. An Eagle is carrying away
the Entrails of the Slain. (Center Palace, Nimroud.) In page 258
Captive Women in a Cart drawn by Oxea (Center Palace, Nimroud.)
Walled City standing on a River or on the Sea. (Center Palace, Nim-
roud.) In page 259
Enemy asking quarter of Assyrian Horsemec. (S.W. Palace, Nimroud.)
In page 261
Tart of a Bas-relief, showing a Pulley, and a Warrior cutting a.Bucket
from a Rope. In page 262


LIST OF PLATES, WOODCUTS, AND PLANS. XXU1
Idols carried in Procession by Assyrian Warriors. (S.W. Ruins, Nimroud.)
Facing page 263
Sitting figure in Basalt, from Kalah Shergbat. In page 272
Assyrian Warriors hunting a Lion. (N.W. Palace, Nimroud.) In page 288
Procession of the Bull beneath the Mound of Nimroud. Facing page 297
Emblem of the Deity. (N.W. Palace, Nimroud.) In page 310
A House. (Kouyunjik.) The interior of a Tent (Kouyunjik.) In page 317
Head of Winged Bull. (Khorsabad and Kouyunjik.) Head of Winged
Monster. (Persepolis.) In page 322
Excavated Ruins at Kouyunjik. Facing page 323
Warrior -with Shield. (Kouyunjik.) In page 324
Head-Dress of the King. (Kouyunjik.) Manacles for the Feet. (Khorsabad
and Kouyunjik.) Manacles for the Hands. (Khorsabad and Kouyunjik.)
In page 325
A Galley. (Kouyunjik.) In page 327
A Galley. (Kouyunjik.) A Galley. (Khorsabad.) In page 328
Coin probably of a City on the Syrian Coast during the Persian Occupa-
tion. In page 329
Castle of a Maritime People, probably the Tyrians. (Kouyunjik.)
In page 330
An Archer. (Kouyunjik.) A Spearman. (Kouyunjik.) A Slinger.
(Kouyunjik.) In page 332
Scribes writing down the Number of the Slain. (Kouyunjik.) In page 333
The King in his Chariot returning from Battle. (Kouyunjik.)
Facing page 334
A City taken by Assault, and the Inhabitants led away Captive. (Kou-
yunjik.) In page 335
Warriors forming a Phalanx before the Walls of a besieged City.
(Kouyunjik.) In page 336
A Horseman pursued by Assyrian Warriors. (Kouyunjik.) In page 338
Enemies of the Assyrians discharging their Arrows behind them. (Kou-
yunjik.) Head-Dress of a riding Horse. (Kouyunjik) Groom leading
Horses. (Khorsabad.) In page SS9


;


NINEVEH
AND ITS REMAINS,
CHAPTER I.
riRST JOURNEY IN ASSYRIA.—ITS RUINS.—K0UYUNJ1K, SIMHOUII, AWT
KALAH SHERGIIAT.—M. BOTTA's DISCOVERIES.—KHORSABAD.—RETURN
TO MOSUL.
During the autumn of 1839 and winter of 1840, I had been,
wandering through Asia Minor and Syria,'scarcely leaving
untrod one spot hallowed by tradition, or unvisited one ruin
consecrated by history. I was accompanied by one no less
curious and enthusiastic than myself.* We were both equally
careless of comfort and unmindful of danger. We rode alone;
our arms were our only protection; a valise behind our saddles
was our wardrobe, and we tended our own horses, except when
relieved from the duty by the hospitable inhabitants of a Tur-
coman village or an Arab tent. Thus unembarrassed by need-
less luxuries, and uninfluenced by the opinions and prejudice
of others, we mixed among the people, acquired without effort
fieir manners, and enjoyed witnout alloy those emotions which
* My traveling companion, during a long journey from England to
llarr.adan, was Edward Ledvvich Mitford, Esq., now of !icr Majesty's civil
norvice in the island of Ceylon.


Chap. I.
MOSUL.
.'5
We still traveled as we had been accustomed—without guide
or servants. The road across the desert is at all times im.
practicable, except to a numerous and well-armed caravan, and
offers no object of interest. We preferred that through IJir
and Orfa. From the latter city we traversed tbe low country
at the foot of the Kurdish hills, a country little known, and
abounding in curious remains. The Egyptian frontier, at that
time, extended to the east of Orfa, and the war between the
sultan and Mohammed Ali Pasha -being still unfinished, the
tribes took advantage of the confusion, and were plundering on
all sides. With our usual good fortune, we succeeded in reach-
ing Nisibin unmolested, although we ran daily risks, and more
than once found ourselves in the midst of foraging parties, and
of tents, which, an hour before, had been pillaged by the wan-
dering bands of Arabs. We entered Mosul on the 10th of
April.
During a short stay in this town, we visited the great ruins
on the east bank of the river, which have been generally be-
lieved to be the remains of Nineveh.* We rode also into the
desert, and explored the mound of Kalah Sherghat, a vast ruin
on the Tigris, about fifty miles below its junction with the Zab.
As we journeyed thither, we rested for the night at the small
Arab village of Hammum Ali, around which are still the ves-
tiges of an ancient city. From the summit of an ^artificial
eminence we looked down upon a broad plain, separated from
us by the river. A line of lofty mounds bounded it to the east,
and one of a pyramidical form rose high above the rest. Be-
yond it could be faintly traced the waters of the Zab. Its po-
sition rendered its identification easy. This was the pyramid
which Xenophon had described, and near which the ten thou-
sand had encamped: the ruins around it were those which the
Greek general saw twenty-two centuries before, and which were
even then the remains of an ancient city. Although Xenophoi
had confounded a name, spoken by a strange race, with one
* These ruins include tbe mounds of Kouyunjik and Nobbi Yunus.


1
Chap. I
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
familiar to a Greek ear, and had called the place Larissa, tradi-
tion still points to the origin of the city, and. by attributing its
foundation to Nitnrod, whose name the ruins now bear, connect
it with one of the first settlements of the human race.*
Kalah Shcrghat, like Ximroud, was an Assyrian ruin: a
vast, shapeless mass, now covered with grass, and allowing
scarcely any traces of the work of man except where the winter
rains had formed ravines down its almost perpendicular sides,
and had thus laid open its contents. A few fragments of pot-
tery and inscribed bricks, discovered after a careful searcv
among the rubbish which had accumulated around the base ol
the great mound, served to prove that it owed its constructior
to the people who had founded the city of which Nimroud is the
remains. There was a tradition current among the Arabs, that
strange figures, carved in black stone, still existed among the
ruins; but we searched fbs them in vain, during the greater
part of a day in which wo were engaged in exploring the heaps
earth and bricks, covering a considerable extent of country
on the right bank of the Tigris. At the time of our visit, the
country had been abandoned by the Bedouins, and was only
occasionally visited by a few plunderers from the Shammar or
Aneyza tents. We passed the night in the jungle which clothes
the banks of the river, and wandered during the day undisturbed
by the tiibes of the desert. A cawass, who had been sent with
us by the Pashaw of Mosul, alarmed at the solitude, and dread-
ing the hojtile Arabs, left us in the wilderness, and turned home-
ward. Bui he fell into the danger he sought to avoid. Less
fortunate than ourselves, at a short distance from Kalah Sher-
f?hat, he was met by a party of horsemen, and fell a victim tn
iiis timidity.
Were the traveler to cross the Euphrates to seek for such
ruins in Mesopotamia and Chaldea as he had left behind him
in Asia Minor or Syria, his search would be vain. The
* " He (Nimrorl) went out into Assyria and builded Nineveh, the city
Rehoboth and Calah, and Resen, between Nineveh and Calah; the same
in a great city." (Qen. x. J1, 12.)


Chap f.
XIMEOUD.
3
graceful column rising above the thick foliage of the myrtle,
ilex, and oleander; the gradincs of the amphitheater covering
a gentle slope, and overlooking the dark blue water: of a lake,
like bay; the richly-carved cornice or capital 1 alf hidden
by luxuriant herbage,—are replaced by the stern, shapeless
mound rising like a hill from the scorched plain, the fragments
of pottery, and the stupendous mass of brick-work occasionally
laid bare by the winter rains. lie has left the land where
nature is still lovely, where, in his mind's eye, he can rebuild
the temple or the theater, half doubting whether they would
have made a more grateful impression upon the senses than the
ruin before him. He is now at a loss to give any form to the
rude heaps upon which he is gazing. Those of whose works
they are the remains, unlike the Roman and the Greek, have
left no visible traces of their civilization, or of their arts: their
influence has long since passed away. The more he conjec-
tures, the more vague the results appear. The scene around
is worthy of the ruin ho is contemplating; desolation meets
desolation: a feeling of awe succeeds to wonder; for there is
nothing to relieve the mind, to lead to hope, or to tell of what
has gone by. These huge mounds of Assyria made a deeper
impression upon me, gave rise to more serious thoughts, and
more earnest reflection, than the temples of Balbec, and the .
theaters of Ionia.
In the middle of April I left Mosul for Baghdad. As 1
descended the Tigris on a raft, I again saw the ruins of Nim-
roud, and had a better opportunity of examining them. It was
evening as we approached the spot. The spring rains had
clothed the mound with the richest verdure, and the fertile
meadows, which stretched around it, were covered with flowers
of every hue. Amid this luxuriant vegetation were partly
concealed a few fragments of bricks, pottery, and alabaster,
upon which might be traced the well-defined wedges of the
cuneiform character. Did not these remains mark the nature
of the ruin, it might have been confounded with a natural
eminence. A long line of consecutive narrow mounds, still .


(5 NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS. Chai\ L
retaining the appearance of walls or ramparts, stretched from
its base, and formed a vast quadrangle. The river flowed at
some distance from them: its waters, swollen by the melting
of the snows on the Armenian hills, were broken into a thou-
sand foaming whirlpools by an artificial barrier, built across
the stream. On the eastern bank, the soil had been washed
away by the current; but a solid mass of masonry still with-
stood its impetuosity. The Arab, who guided my small raft,
gave himself up to religious ejaculations as we approached this
formidable cataract, over which we were carried with some
violence. Once safely through the danger, he explained to me
that this unusual change in the quiet face of the river was
caused by a great dam which had been built by Nimrod,* and
that in the autumn, before the winter rains, the huge stones of
which it was constructed, squared, and united by cramps of
iron, were frequently visible above the surface of the stream.f
It was, in fact, one of those monuments of a great people, to be
found in all the rivers of Mesopotamia, which were undertaken
to insure a constant supply of water to the innumerable canals,
spreading like net-work over the surrounding country, and
which, even in the days of Alexander, were looked upon as the
works of an ancient nation.^ No wonder that the traditions
of ihe present inhabitants of the land should assign them to
one of the founders of the human race! The Arab explained
the connection between the dam and the city, built by Athur.
* This dam is called by the Arabs, either Sukr el Nimroud, from the
tradition, or El Awayee, from the noise caused by the breaking of the wa-
ter over the stones. Large rafts are obliged to unload before crossing it,
and accidents frequently happen to those who neglect this precaution.
t Diodorus Siculus, it will be remembered, states that the stones of the
bridge built by Semiramis across the Euphrates were united by similar
iron cramps, while the interstices were filled up with molten lead.
{ These dams greatly impeded the fleets of the conqueror in their navi-
gation of the rivers of Susiana and Mesopotamia, and he caused many kf
them to be removed. (Strabo, p. 1051. ed. Ox. 1807.) By Strabo they were
believed to have been constructed to prevent the ascent of the rivers by
hostile fleets; but thi!r use is evident. Tavernier mentions, in his Travels
(vol. i. p. 226\ tb
 wry dam. He says that his raft went over a cascade
twenty six feet flipt>; but he must have greatly exaggerated.


Chap I.
DISCOVERY OF KHORSABA1).
7
the lieutenant of Nimrod, the vast ruins of which were then
before us, and its purpose as a causeway for the mighty
hunter to cross to the opposite palace, now represented by the
mound of Hammum Ali. He was telling me of the histories
and fate of the kings of a primitive race, still the favorite theme
of the inhabitants of the plains of Shinar, when the last glow of
twilight faded away, and I fell asleep as we glided onward to
Baghdad.
My curiosity had been greatly excited, and from that time 1
formed the design of thoroughly examining, whenever it might be
in my power, these singular remains.
It was not until the summer of 1842 that I again passed
through Mosul on my way to Constantinople. I was then
anxious to reach the Turkish capital, and had no time to ex-
plore ruins. I had not, however, forgotten Nimroud. I had
frequently spoken to others on the subject of excavations in this
and another mound, to which a peculiar interest also attached;
and at one time had reason to hope that some persons in England
might have been induced to aid in the undertaking. I had even
proposed an examination of the ruins to M. Coste, an architect
who had been sent by the French government, with its em-
bassy to Persia, to draw and describe the monuments of that
country.
I found that M. Botta had, since my first visit, been named
French consul at Mosul; and had already commenced excava-
tions on the opposite side of the river in the large mound of
Kouyunjik. These excavations were on a very small scale, and,
at the time of my passage, only fragments of brick and alabaster,
upon which were engraved a few letters in the cuneiform char-
acter, had been discovered.
While detained by unexpected circumstances at Constan-
t'nople, I entered into correspondence with a gentleman in
'England on the subject of excavations; but with this exception,
no one seemed inclined to assist or take any interest in such an
undertaking. I also wrote to M. Botta, encouraging him to
proceed, notwithstanding the apparent paucity of results, and


8
Chap. L
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
.aarticularly calling his attention to the mound of Nimroud,
which, however, he declined to explore on account of its dis-
tance from Mosul and its inconvenient position. I was soon
called away from the Turkish capital to the provinces; and for
xome months numerous occupations prevented me turning my
attention to the ruins and antiquities of Assyria.
In the meanwhile M. Botta, not discouraged by the want of
success which had attended his first essay, continued his ex-
cavations ;n the mound of Kouyunjik; and to him is due the
honor of having found the first Assyrian monument. This
remarkable discovery owed its origin to the following circum-
stances. The small party employed by M. Botta were at work
on Kouyunjik, when a peasant from a distant village chanced
to visit the spot. Seeing that every fragment of brick and
alabaster uncovered by the workmen was carefully preserved,
he asked the reason of this, to him, strange proceeding. On
being informed that they were in search of sculptured stones,
he advised them to try the mound on which his village was
built, and in which, he declared, many such things as they
wanted had been exposed on digging the foundations of
new houses. M. Botta, having been frequently deceived by
similar stories, was not at first inclined to follow the peasant's
advice, but subsequently sent an agent and one or two work-
men to the'place. After a little opposition from the inhabitants,
they were permitted to sink a well in the mound; and at a
small distance from the surface they came to the top of a wall
which, on digging deeper, they found to be lined with sculp-
tured slabs of gypsum. M. Botta, on receiving information
of this discovery, went at once to the village, which was called
Khorsabad. Directing a wider trench to be formed, and to
be carried in the direction of the wall, he soon found that ho
had entered a chamber, connected with others, and surrounded
by slabs of gypsum covered with sculptured representations of
battles, sieges, and similar events. His wonder may easily bo
imagined. A new history had been suddenly opened to him—
the records of an unknown people were before him. He wa»


Chap. I.
KHORSABAK
9
equally at a loss to account for the age and the nature of the
monument. The stylo of art of the sculptures, the dresses of
the figures, the mythic forms on the walls, were all new to him,
and afforded no clew to the epoch of the erection of the edifice,
or to the people who were its founders. Numerous inscrip-
tions, accompanying the has-reliefs, evidently contained the
explanation of the events thus recorded in sculpture, and being
in the cuneiform, or arrow-headed, character, proved that the
building belonged to an age preceding the conquests of Alex-
ander; for it is generally admitted that after the subjugation of
the west of Asia by the Macedonians, the cuneiform writing
ceased to be employed. It was evident that the monument
appertained to a very ancient and very civilized people; and it
was natural from its position to refer it to the inhabitants of
Nineveh, a city, which, although it could not have occupied a
site so distant from the Tigris, must have been in the vicinity of
these ruins. M. Botta had discovered an Assyrian edifice, the
first, probably, which had been exposed to the view of man since
the fall of the Assyrian empire.
M. Botta was not long in perceiving that the building which
had been thus partly excavated, unfortunately owed its destruc-
tion to fire; and that the gypsum slabs, reduced to lime, were
rapidly falling to pieces on exposure to the air. No precaution
could arrest this rapid decay; and it was to be feared that this
wonderful monument had only been uncovered to complete its
ruin. The records of victories and triumphs, which had long
attested the power and swelled the pride of the Assyrian kings,
and had resisted the ravages of ages, were now passing away
forever. They could scarcely be held together until an inex-
perienced pencil could secure an imperfect evidence of their
former existence. Almost all that was first discovered thus
speedily disappeared; and the same fate has befallen nearly
everything subsequently found at Khorsabad. A regret is
almost felt that so precious a memorial of a great nation should
have been exposed to destruction; but as far as tho object of
the monument is concerned, the intention of its founders will


10
Chap. 1
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
do amply fulfilled, and the records of their might will be more
widely spread, and more effectually preserved, by modern art,
than the most exalted ambition could have contemplated.
This remarkable discovery having been communicated by
M. Botta, through M. Mohl, to the French Academy of Fine
Arts, that body lost no time in applying to the Minister of
Public Instruction for means to carry on the researches. Th
recommendation was attended to with that readiness and munifi-
cence which almost invariably distinguish the French govern,
ment in undertakings of this nature. Ample funds for excava-
tions were at once assigned to M> Botta, and an artist of acknowl-
edged skill was placed under his orders to draw such objects as
could not be removed. The work was carried on with activity
and success, and by the beginning of 1845, the monument had
been completely uncovered. M. Botta did not extend his re-
searches beyond Khorsabad; but, having secured many fine
specimens of Assyrian sculpture for his country, he returned to
Europe with a rich collection of inscriptions, the most important
result of his discovery.
The success of M. Botta had increased my anxiety .to explore
the ruins of Assyria. It was evident that Khorsabad could
not stand alone. It did not represent ancient Nineveh, nor
did it afford us any additional evidence as to the site of that
city. If the edifice discovered had been one of its palaces,
surely other buildings of a vaster and more magnificent char-
acter must exist nearer the seat of government, on the banks of
the river Tigris. It was true that M. Botta had labored un-
successfully for above three months in the great mound opposite
Mosul, which was usually identified with the Assyrian capital;
but that mound much exceeded in extent any other known
ruin; and it was possible that in the part hitherto explored th«
traces of the buildings which it once contained were as com-
pletely lost as they were in many parts of the mound of Khor-
sabad. My thoughts still went back to Nimroud, and to the
traditions which attached to it. I spoke to others, but received little
encouragement. At last, in the autumn of 1845, Sir Stratford


0. <.
EXCAVATIONS PROJECTED.
11
Canning offered to incur, for a limited period, the expense of
excavations in Assyria, in the hope that, should success attend the
attempt, means would be found to carry it out on an adequate scale.
It was now in my power to prosecute a work which I had so
long desired to undertake; and the reader will not, I trust, bo
disinclined tc join with me in feelings of gratitude toward one
who, while he has maintained so successfully the honor and io-
t;rests of England by his high character and eminent abilities,
/las acquired for his country so many great monuments of ancient'
civilization and art.* It is to Sir Stratford Canning we are
mainly indebted for the collection of Assyrian antiquities with
which the British Museum has been enriched; without his
liberality and public spirit the treasures of Nimroud would have
been reserved for the enterprise of those who have appreciated
the value and importance of the discoveries at Khorsabad.
It was deemed prudent that I should leave Constantinople with-
out acquainting any one with the object of my journey. I was
furnished with the usual documents given to travelers when
recommended by the Embassy, and with letters of introduction
to the authorities at Mosul and in the neighborhood. My prepara-
tions were soon completed, and I started from Constantinople by
steamer to Samsoun in the middle of October. Anxious to reach
the end of my journey, I crossed the mountains of Pontus and the
great steppess of the Usun Yilak as fast as post-horses could carry
me, descended the high lands into the valley of the Tigris,
galloped over the vast plains of Assyria, and reached Mosul in
twelve days.
* I need scarcely remind the reader that it is to Sir S. Canning we owe
the marbles of Halicarnassus now in the British Museum. The difficuties
which stood in the way of the acquisition of these valuable relics, and the
skill which was required to obtain them, are not generally knewn. I can
testify to the efforts and labor which were necessary for nearly three years
before the repugnance of the Ottoman government could be overcome,and
permission obtained to extract the sculptures from the walls of a castle,
which was more jealously-guarded than any similar edifice in the empire.
Their removal, notwithstanding the almost insurmountable difficulties
raised by the authorities and inhabitants of Budroon, was most success-
fully effected by Mr. Alison. The Elgin marbles, and all other remains from
Turkey or G reeee now in Europe, were obtained with comparative ease.


12
Chap II.
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
CHAPTER II.
WCIUMMED PASHAW.—HIS CRUELTIES.—THE STATE OF THE COUNTRY.—
START FOR KIMROUD.—AN ARAB FAMILY.—COMMENCE EXCAVATIONS.—
DISCOVERY OF A CHAMBER. OF INSCRIPTIONS. OF IVORY ORNAMENTS.
RETURN TO MOSUL.— CONDUCT OF THE PASHAW.— EXCAVATIONS
COMMENCED AMONG VARIOUS RUINS.—RETURN TO NIMROUD.—FURTHER
DISCOVERIES. SELAMIYAH. DISCOVERY OF SCULPTURES. DESCRIP-
TION OF BAS-RELIEFS.—INTERRUPTED BY THE PASHAW.—FURTHER DIS-
COVERY OF SCULPTURES.—DEPOSITION OF THE PASHAW.—DEPARTURE
FOR BAGHDAD.
My first step on reaching Mosul was to present my letters to
Mohammed Pashaw, the governor ol the Drovince. Being a
native of Candia, he was usually known as Keritli Ugiu (tab
son of the Cretan), to distinguish him from his celebrated prede-
cessor of the same name. The appearance of his excellency
was not prepossessing, but it matched his temper and conduct.
Nature had placed hypocrisy beyond his reach, lie had one
eye and one ear; he was short and fat, deeply marked by the
small-pox, uncouth in gestures and harsh in voice. His fame
had reached the seat of his government before him. On the
road he had revived many good old customs and impositions,
which the reforming spirit of the age had suffered to fall into
decay. He particularly insisted on dish-parasi;* or a com.
pensation in money, levied upon all villages in which a man of
such rank is entertained, for the wear and tear of his teeth in
masticating the food he condescends to receive from the inhabi-
tants. On entering Mosul, he had induced several of the prin-
cipal aghas, who had fled from the town on his approach, to
* Literally, " tooth-money."


Cuxp. II. MOIIAMMED PASHAW. 13
return to their homes; and having made a formal display of
oaths and protestations, cut their throats to show how much
his word could be depended upon. At the time of my arrival,
the population was in a state of terror and despair. Even the
appearance of a casual traveler led to hopes, and reports were
whispered about the town of the disgrace of the tyrant. Of
this the pashaw was aware, and hit upon a plan to test the
feelings cf the people toward him. He was suddenly taken ill
one afternoon, and was carried to his harem almost lifeless.
On the following morning the palace was closed, and the at-
tendants answered inquiries by m}'sterious motions, which
could only be interpreted in one fashion. The doubts of the
Mosuleeans gradually gave way to general rejoicings; but at
mid-day his excellency, who had posted his spies all over the
town, appeared in perfect health in the market-place. A gene-
ral trembling seized the inhabitants. His vengeance fell prin-
cipally upon those who possessed property, and had hitherto
escaped his rapacity. They were seized and stripped, on the
plea that they had spread reports detrimental to his authority.
The villages, and the Arab tribes, had not suffered less than
the townspeople. The pashaw was accustomed to give instruc-
tions to those who were sent to collect money, in three words—
"Go, destroy, eat ;"* and his agents were not generally back-
ward in entering into the spirit of them. The tribes, who had
been attacked and plundered, were retaliating upon caravans
and travellers, or laying waste the cultivated parts of the pashaw-
lie. The villages were deserted, and the roads were little fre-
quented and very insecure.
Such was the pashaw to whom I was introduced two days
after my arrival by the British vice-consul, Mr. Rassam. He
read the letters which I presented to him, and received me with
that civility which a traveller generally expects from a Turkish
functionary of high rank. His anxiety to know the object of
* To eat money, i. c, to get money unlawfully or by pillage, is a com
mon expression in the East.


14
Chap. IL
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
my journey was evident, but his curiosity was not gratified for
the moment.
Many reasol s rendered it necessary that my plans should be
concealed, until I was ready to put them into execution. Al-
though I had always experienced from M. Botta the mosl
friendly assistance, there were others who did not share his sen-
timents; from the authorities and the people of the town I could
cnly expect the most decided opposition. On the 8th of Novem-
ber, having secretly procured a few tools, I engaged a mason at
the moment of my departure, and carrying with me a variety
of guns, spears, and other formidable weapons, declared that 1
was going to hunt wild boars in a neighboring village, and
floated down the Tigris on a small raft constructed for my jour-
ney. I was accompanied by Mr. Ross (a British merchant of
Mosul*), my cawass, and a servant.
At this time of the year nearly seven hours are required
to descend the Tigris, from Mosul to Nimroud. It was sunset
before we reached the awai, or dam across the river. We
landed and walked to the village of Naifa. No light appeared
as we approached, nor were we even saluted by the dogs, which
usually abound in an Arab village. We had entered a heap of
ruins. I was about to return to the raft, upon which we had
made up our minds to pass the night, when the glare of a fire
lighted up the entrance to a miserable hovel. Through a
crevice in the wall, I saw an Arab family crouching round a
heap of half-extinguished embers. The dress of the man, the
ample cloak and white turban, showed that he belonged to
one of the tribes which cultivate a little land on the borders
of the Desert, and are distinguished, by their more sedentary
habits, from the Bedouins. Near him were three women, lean
and haggard, their heads almost concealed in black handker-
* Mr. Ross will perhaps permit me to acknowledge in a note the valua-
ble assistance I received from him, during my labors in Assyria. His
knowledge of the natives, and intimate acquaintance with the resources
of the country, enabled him to contribute much to the success of my un-
dertaking ; while to his friendship I am indebted for many pleasant
hours, which would have been passed wearily in a land of Btrangers.


Chap. II.
NIJIROUD.
15
chiefs, and the rest of their persons enveloped in the striped
aba. Some children, nearly naked, and one or two mangy
greyhounds, completed the group. As we entered, all tho
party rose, and showed some alarm at this sudden appearance
of strangers. The man, however; seeing Europeans, bid us
welcome, and spreading some corn-sacks on the ground, in
vited us to be seated. The women and children retreated
into a corner of the hut. Our host, whose name was Awad
or Abd-Allah, was a sheikh of the Jehesh. His tribe having
been plundered by the pashaw, and being now scattered in differ-
ent parts of the country, he had taken refuge in this ruined vil-
lage. He had learnt a little Turkish, and was intelligent and
active. Seeing, at once, that he would be useful, I acquainted
him with the object of my journey; c Fering him the prospect
of regular employment in the event of the experiment proving
successful, and assigning him fixed wages as superintendent
of the workmen. He volunteered to walk, in the middle of the
night, to Selamiyah, a village three miles distant, and to some
Arab tents in the neighborhood, to procure men to assist in the
excavations.
I had slept little during the night. The hovel in which we
had taken shelter, and its inmates, did not invite slumber; but
such scenes and companions were not new to me; they could
have been forgotten, had my brain been less excited. Hopes,
long cherished, were now to be realized, or were to end in dis-
appointment. Visions of palaces under-ground, of gigantic
monsters, of sculptured figures, and endless inscriptions floated
before me. After forming plan after plan for removing the
earth, and extricating these treasures, I fancied myself wander-
ing in a maze of chambers from which I could find no outlet.
Then, again, all was reburied, and I was standing on the grass-
< overed mound. Exhausted, I was at length sinking into sleep,
when hearing the voice of Awad, I rose from my carpet, and
joined him outside the hovel. The day already dawned; he
had returned with six Arabs, who agreed for a small sum t»
work under my direction.


16
Chap. II
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
The lofty cone and broad mound of Nimroud broke like a dis-
tant mountain on the morning sky. But how changed was the
scene since ^iy former visit! The ruins were no longer clothed
with verdure and many-colored flowers; no signs of habitation,
not even the black tent of 'the Arab, were seen upon the plain.
The eye wandered over a parched and barren waste, across
which occasionally swept the whirlwind, dragging with it a
cloud of sand. About a mile from us was the small village of
Nimroud, like Naifa, a heap of ruins.
Twenty minutes' walk brought us to the principal mound.
The absence of all vegetation enubled me to examine the
remains with which it was covered. Broken pottery and
fragments of bricks, both inscribed with the cuneiform char-
acter, were strewed on all sides. The Arabs watched my
motions as I wandered to and fro, and observed with surprise
the objects I had collected. They joined, however, in the
search, and brought me handfuls of rubbish, among which 1
found with joy the fragment of a bas-relief. The material on
which it was carved had been exposed to fire, and resembled,
in every respect, the burnt gypsum of Khorsabad. Convinced
from this discovery, that sculptured remains must still exist in
Bome part of the mound, I sought for a place where excavations
might be commenced with a prospect of success. Awad led
me to a piece of alabaster which appeared above the soil. We
could not remove it, and on digging downward, it proved to
be the upper part of a large slab. I ordered all the men to
work around it, and they shortly uncovered a second slab. Con-
tinuing in the same line, we came upon a third; and, in the
course of the morning, discovered ten more, the whole forming
a square, with a slab missing at one corner. It was evident
that we had entered a chamber, and that the gap was its en-
trance. I now dug down the face of one of the stones, and an
inscription in the cuneiform character was soon exposed to view
Similar inscriptions occupied the center of all the slabs, which
were in the best preservation; but plain, with the exception of
the writing. Leaving half the workmen to remove the rubbish


Chap. II.
DISCOVERIES.
17
from the chamber, I led the rest to the S. VV. corner of the
mound, where I had observed many fragments of calcined ala.
baster.
A trench, opened in the side of the mound, brought me almost
immediately to a wall, bearing inscriptions in the same charac-
ter as those already described. The slabs, which had been
almost reduced to lime by exposure to intense heat, threatened
to fall to pieces as soon as uncovered.
Night interrupted our labors. I returned to the village well
satisfied with their result. It was now evident that the remains
of buildings of considerable extent existed in the mound; and
that although some had been injured by fire, others had escaped
the conflagration. As inscriptions, and the fragment of a bas-
relief had been found, it was natural to conclude that sculptures
were still buried under the soil. I determined, therefore, to ex-
plore the N. W. corner, and to empty the chamber partly un-
covered during the day.
On returning to the village, I removed from the crowded
hovel in which we had passed the night. With the assistance
of Awad, who was no less pleased than myself with our success,
we patched up with mud the least ruined house in the village,
and restored its falling roof. We contrived at least to exclude,
in some measure, the cold night winds; and to obtain a little
privacy for my companion and myself.
Next morning my workmen were increased by five Turco-
mans from Selamiyah, who had been attracted by the prospect
of regular wages. I employed half of them in emptying the
chamber, and the rest in following the wall at the S. W.
corner of the mound. Before evening, the work of the first
party was completed, and I found myself in a room* paneled
with slabs about eight feet high, and varying from six to
four feet in breadth. Upon one of them, which had faller
backward from its place, was rudely inscribed, in Arabic
characters, the name of Ahmed Pashaw, one of the former
* Chamber A, plan 3.


18
NINHVEH AXD ITS REMAINS. Chav. II.
hereditary governors of Mosul. A native of Selamiyah re-
membered that some Christians were employed to dig into tne
mound about thirty years before, in searcH of stone for the
repair of the tomb of Sullan Abd-Allah, a Mussulman saint,
buried on the left bank of the Tigris, a few miles below its
junction with the Zab. They uncovered this slab; but being
unable to move it, they cut upon it the name of their employer,
the pashaw. My informant further stated that, in another part
of the mound, he had forgotten the precise spot, they had found
sculptured figures, which they broke in pieces to carry away
the fragments.
The bottom of the chamber was paved with smaller slabs than
those which lined the walls. They were covered with inscrip.
tions on both sides, and had been placed upon a layer of bitu-
men, which, having been used in a liquid state, had retained a
perfect impression in relief of the characters carved upon the
stone. The inscriptions on the upright slabs were about twenty
lines in length, and all were precisely similar.
In the rubbish near the bottom of the chamber, I found
several objects in ivory, upon which were traces of gilding;
among them were the figure of a king carrying in one hand
the Egyptian crux ansata, or emblem of life, part of a crouching
sphinx, and an elegant ornamental border of flowers. Awad,
who had his own suspicions of the object of my search, which
he could scarcely persuade himself was limited to mere stones,
carefully collected all the scattered fragments of gold leaf he
could find in the rubbish; and, calling me aside in a mysterious
and confidential fashion, produced them wrapped up in a piece
of dingy paper. "O bey," said he, "Wallah! your books are
right, and the Franks know that which is hid from the true be-
liever. Here is the gold, sure enough, and please God, we shall
find it all in a few days. Only don't say any thing about it to
those Arabs, for they are asses and can not hold their tongues.
The matter will come to the ears of the pashaw." The sheikh
was much surprised, and equally disappointed, when I ge.neroui.ly
presented him with the treasures he had collected, and all such


Chap. II.
RETURN TO MOSUL.
19
as ho might hereafter discover. He left me, muttering "Yia
Rubbi!" and other pious ejaculations, and lost in conjectures an
to the meaning of these strange proceedings.
At the foot of ihg slabs in the S. W. corner, we found a great
accumulation of charcoal, proving that the building of which
they had formed part had been destroyed by fire. I dug also in
8 veral directions in this part of the mound, and in many places
ame upon the calcined remains of walls.
On the third day, I opened a trench in the high conical
mound, but found only fragments of inscribed bricks. I also
dug at the back of the north side of the chamber first explored,
in the expectation of coming upon other walls beyond, but un-
successfully. As my chief aim was to ascertain the existence,
as soon as possible, of sculptures, all my workmen were moved
o the S. W. corner, where the many remains of walls already
discovered evidently belonging to the same edifice, promised
speedier success. I continued the excavations in this part of
the mound until the 13th, still finding inscriptions, but no sculp-
tures.
Some days having elapsed since my departure from Mosul,
and the experiment having been so far successful, it was time to
return to the town and acquaint the pashaw, who had, no doubt,
already heard of my proceedings, with the object of my re-
searches. I started, therefore, early in the morning of the 14th,
and galloped to Mosul in about three hours.
I found the town in great commotion. In the first place, his
excellency had, on the previous day, entrapped his subjects by
the reports of his death, in the manner already described, and
was now actively engaged in seeking pecuniary compensation
for the insult he had received in the rejoicings of the popula-
tion. In the second, the British vice-consul having purchased
an old building to store his stock in trade, the cadi, a fanatic and
a man of infamous character, had given out that the Franks
had formed a design of buying up the whole of Turkey, and
was endeavoring to raise a riot, which was to end in the demo-
lition of the consulate and other acts of violence. I called


20
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS. Chai\ II
on tho pashaw, and, in the first place, congratulated him on his
speedy recovery; a compliment which he received, with a grim
smile of satisfaction. He then introduced the subject of the
cadi, and the disturbance he had created* "Does that ill-
conditioned fellow," exclaimed he, " think that he has Sheriff
Pashaw (his excellency's immediate predecessor) to deal with,
that he must be planning a riot in the town? When I was at
Siwas the ulema tried to excite the people because I en-
croached upon a burying-ground. But 1 made them eat dirt!
Wallah! I took every gravestone and built up the castle walls
with them." He pretended at first to be ignorant of the excava-
tions at Nimroud; but subsequently thinking that he would
convict me of prevarication in my answers to his questions
as to the amount of treasure discovered, pulled out of his
writing tray a scrap of paper, as dingy as that produced by
Awad, in which was also preserved an almost invisible particle;
of gold-leaf. This, he said, had been brought to him by the
commander of the irregular troops stationed at Selamiyah, who
had been watching my proceedings. I suggested that he should
name an agent to be present as long as I worked at Nimroud,
to take charge of all the precious metals that might be discov-
ered. He promised to write on the subject to the chief of the
irregulars; but offered no objection to the continuation of my
researches.
Reports of the wealth extracted from the ruins had already
reached Mosul, and had excited the cupidity and jealousy of
the cadi and principal inhabitants of the place. It was evident
that I should have to contend against a formidable opposition;
but as the pashaw had not, as yet, openly objected to my pro-
ceedings, I hired some Nestorian Chaldeans, who had left their
mountains for the winter to seek employment in Mosul, and
sent them to Nimroud. At the same time I engaged agents to
explore several mounds in the neighborhood of the town,
hoping to ascertain the existence of sculptured buildings in
some parts of the country, before steps were taken to inter-
rupt mo.








Chap. h.
RUINS OF NIMROUD.
21
While at Mosul, Mormous, an Arab of the tribe of Hadde.
deen, informed me that figures had been accidentally uncovered
in a mound near the village of Tel Kef. As he offered to take
me to the place, we rode out together; but he only pointed out
the site of an old quarry, with a few rudely hewn stones. Such
disappointments were daily occurring; and I wearied myself
in scouring the country to see remains which had been most
minutely described to me as sculptures, or slabs covered with
writing, and which generally proved to be the ruin of some
modern building, or an early tombstone inscribed with Arabic
characters."
The mounds, which I directed to be opened, were those of
Baasheikha (of considerable size), Baazani, Karamles, Kara-
kush, Yara, and Jerraiyah. Connected with the latter ruin
many strange tales were current in the country. It was said
that on its lofty conical mound formerly stood a temple of black
stone, held in great reverence by the Yezidis, or worshipers of
the devil; its walls covered with all manner of sculptured figures,
and with inscriptions in an unknown language. When the Bev
of Rowandiz fell upon the Yezidis, and massacred those who
were unable to escape, he destroyed this house of idols; but the
ruins of the building, it was declared, had only been covered by
a small accumulation of rubbish. The lower part of an As-
syrian figure, in relief on basalt, dug up, it was said, in the
mound, was actually brought to me; but I had afterward rea-
son to suspect that it was discovered at Khorsabad. Excava-
tions were carried on for some time at Jerraiyah, but no remains
of the Yezid? temple were brought to light.
Having finished my arrangements in Mosul, 1 returned to
Nimroud on the 19th. During my absence, my cawass had
carried the excavations along the back of a wall, in the S. W.
corner of the mound,* and had discovered an entrance or door-
way.f Being anxious to make as much progress as possible,
I increased my workmen to thirty, and distributed them in
* Wall e, plan 2.
t Entrance d, same plan.


22
Chap. 11.
NINEVEH AND ITS HEMAINS.
three parties. By opening long trenches at right angles in
various directions, we came upon the top of a wall,* built of
slabs with inscriptions similar to those already described. One,
however, was reversed, and was covered with characters, ex-
ceeding in size any I had yet seen. On examining the in-
soription carefully I found that it corresponded with those of
the chamber in the N. W. corner; but as the edges of this, as
well as of all the other slabs hitherto discovered in the S. W.
ruins, had been cut away to make the .'tones fit into the wall,
several letters had been destroyed. From these facts it was evi-
dent that materia'ls taken from another building had been used
in the construction of the one we were now exploring; but aa
yt>'.;* could not be ascertained whether the face or the back of
the slaos had been uncovered; for the general plan of the edi-
fice could not be determined until the heap of rubbish and earth
under which it was buried had been removed. The excava-
tions were now carried on but slowly. The soil, mixed with
sun-dried and baked bricks, pottery, and fragments of alabas-
ter, offered considerable resistance to the tools of the work-
men; and when loosened, could only be removed in baskets to
be thrown over the edge of the mound. The Chaldeans from
the mountains, strong and hardy men, could alone wield the
pick; the Arabs wete employed in carrying away the earth
Spades could not be used, and there were no other means, than
those I had adopted, to clear away the rubbish from the ruins.
A. person standing on the mound could see no remains of build-
ing until he approached the edge of the trenches, into which the
ivorkmen descended by steps, where parts of the wills were ex-
nosed to view.
The Abou-Salman and Tai Ar-abs continuing their depreda-
tions in the plains of Nimroud and surrounding country, I
ieemed it prudent to remove from Naifa, where I had hitherto
resided, to Selamiyah. This village is built on a rising groui A
near the Tigris, and was formenly a place of some importance,
* Wall m, same plan.


Chap. II.
SELAMIYAH.
23
being mentioned at a very early period as a market-town by
the Arab geographers, who generally connect it with the ruins
of Athur or Nimroud. It occupies an ancient site, and in
long lines of mounds, inclosing the village, can be traced the
walls of an Assyrian town, or more probably of one of the
suburbs of the capital. Even five years ago Selamiyah was a
flourishing place, and could furnish 150 well-armed horsemen.
The pashaw had, however, plundered it; and the inhabitants
had fled to the mountains or into the neighboring province of
Baghdad. Ten miserable huts now stood in the midst of ruins
of bazars and streets surrounding a kasr or palace, belonging to
the old hereditary pashaws of Mosul, well built of alabaster, but
rapidly falling into decay. I had intended to take possession of
thjs building, which was occupied by a few hytas or irregular
troops; but the rooms were in such a dilapidated condition that
the low mud hut of the kiayah, or chief of the village, appeared
to be both safer and warmer. I accordingly spread my carpet
in one of its corners, and giving the owner a few piastres to fin-
ish other dwelling-places which he had commenced, established
myself for the winter. The premises, which were speedily com-
pleted, consisted of four hovels, surrounded by a mud wall, and
roofed with reeds and boughs of trees. I occupied half of the
largest habitation, the other half being appropriated for beasts of
the plow, and various domestic animals. We were separated by
a wall; in which, however, numerous apertures served as a
means of communication. These I studiously endeavored for
some time to block up. A second hut was devoted to the wives,
children, and poultry of my host; a third served as kitchen and
servants' hall: the fourth was converted into a stall for my
horses. In the inclosure formed by the buildings and outer wall,
the few sheep and goats which had escaped the rapacity of the
pashaw, congregated during the night, and kept up a continual
bleating and coughing until they were milked and turned out to
pasture at daybreak.
The roofs not being constructed to exclude the winter rain*


24
Ccap. IL
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
now setting in, it required some exercise of ingenuity to escape
the torrent which descended into my apartment. I usually passed
the night on these occasions crouched up in a corner, or under a
rude table which I had constructed. The latter, having been
surrounded by trenches, to carry off the accumulating waters,
generally afforded the best shelter. My cawass, who was a Con-
stantinopolitan, complained bitterly of the hardships he was com-
pelled to endure, and I had some difficulty in prevailing upon
ny servants to remain with me.
The present inhabitants of Selamiyah, and of most of the vil-
lages in this part of the pashawlic of Mosul, are Turcomans, de-
scendants of tribes brought by the early Turkish sultans from
the north nf Asia Minor, to people a country which had been laid
waste by repeated massacres and foreign invasions. In this por-
tion of the Ottoman empire, there is scarcely, except in Mosul
and the Mountains, a vestige of the ancient population. The
great tribes which inhabit the Desert were brought from the Jebel
Shammar, in Nedjd, within the memory of man. The inhabi-
tants of the plains to the east of the Tigris are mostly Turcomans
and Kurds, mixed with Arabs, or with Yezidis, who are stran-
gers in the land, and whose origin can not easily be determined.
A few Chaldean and Jacobite Christians, scattered in Mosul and
the neighboring villages, or dwelling in the most inaccessible
part of the mountains, their places of refuge from ths devastat-
ing bands of Tamerlane, are probably the only descendants of
that great people which once swayed, f'vm these plaina, the half
of Asia.
The yuz-bashi, or captain of the irregular troops, one Daoud
Agha, a native of the north of Asia Minor, called upon me as
soon as I was established in my new quarters.. Like most men
af his class, acknowledged freebooters,* he was frank and
* The irregular cavalry (hytas as they arc called in this part of Turkey,
and bashi-bozuks in Koumelia and Anatolia) are collected from all classes
and provinces. A man known for his courage and daring is named iryta-
bashi, or chief of the hytas, and is furnished with teskeres or orders fc" pay
and provisions for so many horsemen, from four or five hundred to a thou-
sand or more. He collects all the vagrants and freebooters he can fii 1 to


CnAr. II.
DISCOVERIES.
25
intelligent. He tendered me his services, entertained me with
his adventures, and planned hunting expeditions. A few pres-
ents secured his adherence, and he proved himself afterward a
very useful and faithful ally.
[ had now to ride three miles every morning to the mcund;
and my workmen, who were afraid, on account of the Arabs,
to live at Naifa, returned, after the day's labor, to Selamiynh.
The excavations were however carried on as actively as tin
means at my disposal jyould permit. An entrance, or doorway,
had now been completely cleared, and the backs of several
inscribed slabs had been uncovered.* A corner-stone which had
evidently been brought from another building, was richly orna-
mented with flowers and scroll-work in relief; but there were
no sculptures; nor could any idea be yet formed of the relative
position of the walls. I therefore ordered a trench to be opened
from the doorway into the interior of the mound, presuming
that we should ultimately come to the opposite side of the
chamber, to which, it appeared probable, we had found the
entrance. After removing a large accumulation of earth mixed
with charcoal, charred wood, and broken bricks, we reached
..he top of a new wall on the afternoon of the 28th November.
In order to ascertain whether we were in the inside of a
chamber, the workmen were directed to clear away the earth
from both sides of the slabs. The south face was unsculptured,
make up his number. They must provide their own arms and horses, al-
though sometimes they are furnished with them by the hyta-bashi, who
deducts a part of their pay until he reimburses himself. The best hytas
are Albanians and Lazes, and they form a very effective body of irregular
cavalry. Their pay at Mosul is small, amounting to about eight shillings a
month; in other provinces it is considerably more. They are quartered on
the villages, and are the terror of the inhabitants, whom they plunder and
ill-treat as they think fit. When a hyta-bashi has established a reputation
for himself, his followers are numerous and devoted. He wanders about the
provinces, and like a condottiere of the middle ages, sells his services, an I
those of his troops, to the pashaw who offers most pay, and the best pros-
. pects of plunder. Since the introduction of the tanzimat, or reformed
«ystem of government, the number of irregular troops has been greatly
reduced, and the hytas are no longer able to ill-treat the inhabitants of
rillages as formerly.
* Wall and entrance d. plan 2.
R


26
Chap. II.
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
Iiut the first stroke of the pick on the opposite side, disclosed
tho top of a bas-relief. The Arabs were no less excited than
myself by I he discovery; and notwithstanding a heavy fall of
rain, working until dark, they completely exposed to view two
slabs.*
On each slab were two bas-reliefs, divided by an inscription.
In the upper compartment of tho largest was a battle scene,
in which were represented two chariots, each drawn by richly
caparisoned horses at full speed, and confining a group of three
warriors, the principal of whom was beardless and evidently an
eunuch. This figure was clothed in a complete suit of mail
of metal scales, embossed in the center, and apparently at-
tached to a shirt of felt or linen. This shirt was confined at
the waist by a girdle. On his head was a pointed helmet,
from which fell lappets, covered with scales, protecting the
ears, lower part of the face, and neck, the whole head-dress
resembling that of the early Normans. His left hand grasped
a bow at full stretch, while his right drew the string, with
the arrow ready to be discharged. The left arm was en-
circled by a guard, probably of leather, to protect it from the
arrow. His sword was in a sheath, the end of which wa'
elegantly adorned with the figures of two lions. In the san j
chariot were a charioteer urging on the horses with reins ar,-"
jvhip, and a shield-bearer who warded off the shafts of the
3hemy with a circular shield, which, like those of Solomon,
ind of the servants or shield-bearers of Hadad-ezer, king of
Zobah, may have been of beaten gold.f The chariots were lot",
'ounded at the top, and edged by a rich molding or borde
jrobably inlaid with precious metals or painted. To the sides
vere suspended two highly ornamented quivers, each con-
aining, beside the arrows, a hatchet and axe. The wheels
lad six spokes. The end of the pole, formed by the head
)f a bull, was attached to the fore part of the chariot by
i singular contrivance, of which neither the use nor th»
* Nos. 1 and 2. wall /, plan 2.
t 1 Kings x. 17'. 2'Sam. viii. 7.


Cup II. ASSYRIAN WARRIORS.


28 NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS. VtUT. II
I
material can bo determined from the sculptures. It appears
to have been intended both as an ornament and as a support
for the pole, and to have been a light frame-work, covered
with linen or silk; its breadth a!most precludes the idea of
its having been of any other material. It was elaborately
painted or embroidered with sacred emblems and elegant devices.
The chariot, which was probably of wood and open behind, was
drawn by three horses, whose trappings, decorated with a pro-
fusion of tassels and rosettes, must have been of the most costly
description. They may have been of the looms of Dedan, whose
merchants, in the days of old, supplied the East with "precious
clothes for chariots."* The archer, who evidently belonged to
the conquering nation, was pursuing a flying enemy. Beneath
the chariot-wheels were scattered the conquered and the dying,
and an archer, about to be trodden down, was represented as
endeavoring to check the speed of the advancing horses. Tho
costume of the vanquished differed entirely from that of the
Assyrian warriors. They wore short tunics descending to their
knees, and their hair was confined by a simple fillet round the
temples.
I observed with surprise the elegance and richness of the
ornaments, the faithful and delicate delineation of the limbs and
muscles, both in the men and horses, and the knowledge of art
displayed in the grouping of the figures, and in the general
composition. In all these respects, as well as in costume, this
sculpture appeared to me not only to differ from, but to surpass,
the bas-reliefs of Khorsabad. I traced also, in the character
used in the inscription, a marked difference from that on the
monument discovered by M. Botta. Unfortunately, the slab
had been exposed to fire, and was so much injured that its
removal was hopeless. The edges had, moreover, been cut
away, to the injury of some of the figures and of the inscrip-
tion; and as the next slab was reversed, it was evident that
bolh had been brovght from another building.
* Ezekic! xxvii. 20.


ClIAI". II.
DISCOVERY OF BAS-REI. EF3.
29
The lower bas-relief on the same slab represented the siege
of a castle, or walled city. To the left were two warriors,
armed with a short sword and circular shield, and dressed in a
tunic, edged by a fringe of tassels, and confined at the waist
by a broad girdle. Each carried a quiver at his back, and a
bow on his left arm. They wore the pointed helmets before
described. The foremost warrior was ascending a ladder placed
against the castle. Three turrets, with angular battlements, rose
above walls similarly ornamented. In the first turret were two
warriors, one in the act of discharging an arrow, the other
raising a shield and casting a stone at the assailants, from
whom the besieged were distinguished by their head-dress,—
a simple fillet binding the hair above the temples. The second
turret was occupied by a slinger preparing his sling. In the
interval between this turret and the third, and over an avched
gateway, was a female figure, known by long hair descending
upon her shoulders in ringlets. Her right hand was raised as
if in the act of asking for mercy. In the third turret were
two more of the besieged, the first discharging an arrow, the
second elevating his shield and endeavoring with a torch to
burn an instrument resembling a catapult, which had been
brought up to the wall by an inclined plane apparently built
of boughs of trees and rubbish. These figures were out of
all proportion when compared with the size of the building.
A. warrior with a pointed helmet, bending on one knee, and
holding a torch in his right hand, was setting fire to the gate
of the castle, while another in full armor was forcing stones
from the walls with an instrument, probably of iron, resembling
a blunt spear. Between them was a wounded man falling head-
long from the battlements.
The adjoining slab, which was angular in shape and formed
g. corner, was much injured, the greater part having been cut
'•iway to reduce it to convenient dimensions. The upper part,
or the lower as reversed, was occupied by two warriors; the
foremost in a pointed helmet, riding on one horse and leading
a second; the other, without helmet, standing in a chariot,


30
Chap. IL
NINEVEH AND ITS liEMAlNS.
and holding the reins loosely in his hands. The horses had
been destroyed, and the marks of the chisel were visible on
many parts of the slab, the sculpture having been in some
places carefully defaced. The lower bas-relief represented the
battlements and towers of a castle. A woman stood on the
walls tearing her hair in token of grief. Beneath, by the side
of a stream, denoted by numerous undulating lines, crouched
a fisherman drawing a fish from the water. This slab had been
exposed to fire like that adjoining, and had sustained too much
injury to be removed.
As I was meditating in the evening over my discovery,
Daoud Agha entered, and seating himself near me, delivered
a long speech, to the eflbct, that he was a servant of the pashaw,
who was again the slave of the sultan; and that servants were
bound to obey the commands of their master, however dis-
agreeable and unjust they might be. I saw at once to what
this exordium was about to lead, and was prepared for the
announcement, that he had received orders from Mosul to stop
the excavations by threatening those who were inclined to
work for me. On the following morning, therefore, I rode to
the town, and waited upon his excellency. He pretended to
be taken by surprise, disclaimed having given any such orders,
and directed his secretary to write at once to the commander
of the irregular troops, who was to give me every assistance
rather than throw impediments in roy way. He promised to
let me have the letter in the afternoon before I returned to
Selamiyah; but an officer came to me soon after, and stated
that as the pashaw was unwilling to detain me he would forward
it during the night. I rode back to the village, and acquainted
Daoud Agha with the result of my visit. About midnight,
however, he returned to me, and declared that a horseman had
just brought him more stringent orders than any he had yet
received, and that on no account was he to permit me to carry
on the excavation.
Surprised at this inconsistency, I returned to Mosul early
next day, and again called upon the pashaw, "It was w»th deep


CrfAp. II.
INTERRUPTIONS.
31
regret," said he, " I learnt, after your departure yesterday, that
the mound in which you are digging had heen used as a bury-
ing-ground by Mussulmans, and was covered with their graves;
now you are aware that by the law it is forbidden to disturb
a tomb, and the cadi and mufti have already made representa-
tions to me on the subject." "In the first place," replied I,
"being pretty well acquainted with the mound, I can state
that no graves have been disturbed; in the second, after the
wise and firm 'politico.' which your excellency exhibited at
Siwas, gravestones would present no difficulty. Please God,
the cadi and mufti have profited by the lesson which your
excellency gave to the ill-mannered ulema of that city."
"In Siwas," returned he, immediately understanding my mean-
ing, "I had Mussulmans to deal with, and there was tanzi-
mat,* but here we have only Kurds and Arabs, and Wallah •
they are beasts. No, I can not allow you to proceed; you arc
my dearest and most intimate friend; if any thing happens to
you, what grief should I not suffer; your life is more valuable
than old stones; besides, the responsibility would fall upon my
nead." Finding that the pashaw had resolved to interrupt my
proceedings, I pretended to acquiesce in his answer, and re-
quested that a cawass of his own might be sent with me to
Nimroud, as I wished to draw the sculptures and copy the in-
scriptions which had already been uncovered. To this he con-
sented, and ordered an officer to accompany me.
On my return to Selamiyah there was little difficulty in
inducing the pashaw's cawass to permit a few workmen to
guard the sculptures during the day; and as Daoud Agha
considered that this functionary's presence relieved him from
any further responsibility, he no longer interfered with me.
Wishing to ascertain the existence of the graves, and also to
draw one of the bas-reliefs, which had been uncovered, I rode
to the ruins on the following morning, accompanied by the
* The reformed system, introduced into most provinces of Turkey, had
oot yet been extended to Mosul and Baghdad.


'62
Chap. 11
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
hytas and their chief, who were going their usual rounds in
search of plundering Arabs. Daoud Agha confessed to me on
our way that he had received orders to make graves on the
mound, and that his troops had been employed for two nights
in bringing stones from distant villages for that purpose.*
"We have destroyed more real tombs of the true believers,"
raid he, "in making sham ones, than you could have defiled
between the Zab and Selamiyah. We have killed our horses
und ourselves in carrying those accursed stones." A steady
ain setting in, I left the horsemen, and returned to th«
/illage.
Tn the evening Daoud Agha brought back with him a prisonei
and two of his followers severely wounded. He had fallen in
with a party of horsemen under Sheikh Abd-ur-rahman of the
Abou-Salman Arabs, whose object in crossing the Zab had been
to plunder me as I worked at the mound. After a short engage-
ment, the Arabs were compelled to recross the river.
I continued to employ a few men to open trenches by way of
experiment, and was not long in finding other sculptures.
Near the western edge of the mound were discovered the lowei
part of several colossal figures, at the foot of the S. E. cornci
a crouching lion, rudely carved in black basalt, and in the center
a pair of gigantic winged bulls, the head and half of the wings
of which had been destroyed. On the backs of the slabs, on
which the bulls were sculptured in high relief, were inscrip-
tions in the arrow-headed character. The remains of two small-
winged lions forming the entrance into a chamber, and a bas-
relief nine feet in height, representing a human figure raising
the right hand, and carrying a branch with three flowers re-
sembling the poppy, in the left, were also uncovered. But these
afforded no clew to the nature of the buildings, of which onh
detached and unconnected walls had as yet been exposed.
The experiment had now been fairly made; there was no
longer any doubt of the existence not only of sculptures and in
* In Arabia, the graves are merely marked by large stones placed up-
right at the head and feet, and in a heap over the body.


Chap. II.
DEPOSITION OF THE PASHAW.
33
scriptions, but even of large edifices in the interior ol the mound
of Nimroud. I lost no ''me, therefore, in acquainting Sir Strat-
ford Canning with .ny discovery, and in urging the necessity
of a firman, or order from the Porte, which would prevent any
future interference on the part of the authorities, or the inhabi-
tants of the country.
.. It was now nearly Christmas, and as it was desirable to re.
move from the mound the tombs, which had been made by
the pashaw's orders, and others, more genuine, which had since
been found, I came to an understanding on the subject with
Daoud Agha. I covered over the sculptures brought to light,
and withdrew altogether from Nimroud, leaving an agent at
Selamiyah.
On entering Mosul on the morning of the 18th of December,
I found the whole population in a ferment of joy. A Tatar
had that morning brought from Constantinople the welcome news
that the Porte, at length alive to the wretched condition of the
province, and to the misery of the inhabitants, had disgraced the
governor, and had named Ismail Pashaw, a young major-gene-
ral of the new school, to carry on affairs until Hafiz Pashaw
who had been appointed to succeed Keritli Oglu, could reach his
government.
Ismail Pashaw, who had been for some time in command of
the troops at Diarbekir, had gained a great reputation for justice
among the Mussulmans, and for tolerance among the Christians.
Consequently his appointment had given much satisfaction to
the people of Mosul, who were prepared to receive him with a
demonstration. However, he slipped into the town during the
night, some time before he had been expected. On the following
morning a change had taken place at the palace, and Mohammed
Pashaw, with his followers, were reduced to extremities. The
Iragoman of the consulate, who had business to transact with
he late governor, found him sitting in a dilapidated chamber,
through which the rain penetrated without hindrance. "TJius
it is," said he, " with God's creatures. Yesterday all those dogs
B*


31
Chap. L
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
were kissing my feet; to-day every one, an<7 every thing, falls
upon me, even the rain!"
Meanwhile the state of the country rendering the continuation
of my researches at Nimroud almost impossible, I determined to
proceed to Baghdaj, to make arrangements for the rsmoval of
the sculptures at a future period.


C IAT. III.
RETURN TO MOSUL.
35
CHAPTER III.
2ETURN TO MOSUL. ISMAIL PASHAW. CHANGE IN THE STATE OF THK
COUNTRY.—RETURN TO NIMROUD.—THE RUINS IN SPRING.—EXCAVA-
TIONS RESUMED.—FURTHER DISCOVERIES.—NEW INTERRUPTIONS.—
SHEIKH ABD-UR-RAHMAN AND THE ABOU-SALMAN ARABS.—FRESH EAS-
KELIEFS IN THE NORTH-WEST CORNER.—DISCOVERY OF THE PRINCIPAL
PALACE.—ENTIRE BAS-RELIEi'S.—DISCOVERY OF THE COLOSSAL LIONS.
—SURPRISE OF THE ARABS.—SENSATION AT MOSUL, AND CONDUCT OF
THE PASHAW AND CADI.—EXCAVATIONS STOPPED.—FURTHER DISCOV-
ERIES.—DESCRIPTION OF THE HUMAN-HEADED LIONS. REFLECTIONS
ON THEIR ANTIQUITY AND OBJECT.—THE JEBOUR ARABS. THEIR
SHEIKHS.—NIMROUD IN MARCH.—DESCRIPTION OF THE PLAIN AT SUN-
SET.—THE TUNNEL OF NEGOUB.—AN ASSYRIAN INSCRIPTION.
On my return to Mosul in the beginning of January, I found
Ismail Pashaw installed in the government. He received me
with courtesy, offered no opposition to the continuation of my
researches at Nimroud, and directed the irregular troops sta-
tioned at Selamiyah to afford me every assistance and protec-
tion. The change since my departure had been as sudden
as great. A few conciliatory acts on the part of the new gov-
ernor, an order from the Porte for an inquiry into the sums un-
justly levied by the late pashaw, with a view to their repay-
ment, and a promise of a diminution of taxes, had so far encour-
aged those who had fled to the mountains and the desert, that the
inhabitants of the villages were slowly returning to their homes;
and even the Arab tribes, whose pasture-grounds are in the dis-
tricts of Mosul, were again pitching their tents on the banks of
the Tigris.
During my absence my agents had not been inactive.
Several trenches had been opened in the great mound of Baa-
sheikha; and fragments of sculpture and inscriptions, with en.
tire pottery and inscribed bricks, had been discovered there.
A.t Karamles a platform of brickwork had been uncovered,


8fi
Chaf. III.
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
and the Assyrian origin of the ruin proved by the inscription
on the brick3, which contained the name nf the Khorsabad
king.
I rode to Nimroud on the 17th of January, having first en-
gaged a party of Nestorian Chaldeans to accompany me.
The change that had taken place in the face of the country
luring my absence, was no less remarkable than that in the
political state of the province. To me they were bolh equally
ngreeable and welcome. The rains, which had fallen almost
incessantly from the day of my departure from Baghdad, had
rapidly brought forward the vegetation of spring. The mound
was no longer an arid and barren heap; its surface and its sides
were covered with verdure. From the summit of the pyramid
my eye ranged, on one side, over a broad plain inclosed by the
Tigris and the Zab; on the other, over a low undulating coun-
try bounded by the snow-capped mountains of Kurdistan; but if
was no longer the dreary waste I had left a month before; the
landscape was clothed in green, the black tents of the Arabs
checkered the plain of Nimroud, and their numerous flocks pas-
tured on the distant hills. The Abou-Salman had re-crossed the
Zab, and had sought their old encamping-grounds. The Jehesh
and Shemutti Arabs had returned to their villages, around which
the wandering Jebours had pitched their tents, and were now
engaged in cultivating the soil. Even on the mound the plow
opened its furrows, and corn was sown over the palaces of the
Assyrian kings.
Security had been restored, and Nimroud offered a more
convenient and agreeable residence than Selamiyah. Hiring,
therefore, three huts, I removed to my new dwelling-place. A
few rude chairs, a table, and a wooden bedstead, formed the
whole of my furniture. My cawass spread his carpet, and
hung his tobacco-pouch in the corner of a hovel, which he had
appropriated, and spent his days in peaceful contemplation. The
servants constructed a rude kitchen, and the grooms shared the
stalls with the horses. Mr. Hormuzd Rassam, the brother of
the British vice-consul, came to reside with me, and under.


Chap III.
EXCAVATIONS RESUMED.
37
took the daily payment of the workmen and the domestic ar-
rangements.
My agent, with the assistance of the chief of the hytas, had
punctually fulfilled the instructions he had received on my
departure. Not only were the counterfeit graves carefully re-
moved, but even others, which possessed more claim to respect,
had been rooted out. I entered into an elaborate argument
with the Arabs on the subject of the latter, and proved to them
that, as the bodies were not turned toward Mecca, they could
not be those of true believers. I ordered the remains, however,
to be carefully collected, and to be re-buried at the foot of the
mound.
Since my last visit, a sculptured slab, divided into two com-
partments, had been discovered in the S. W. ruins.* The upper
bas-relief had been destroyed; the lower contained four figures,
carrying supplies for a banquet, or spoil taken from the enemy.
The object carried by the foremost figure could not be deter-
mined; the second bore either fruit or a loaf of bread; the
third a basket and a skin of wine; the fourth a similar skin,
and a vessel of not inelegant shape. The four figures were
clothed in long fringed robes, descending to the ankles, and wore
the conical cap or helmet before described. The slab had been
reduced in size, to the injury of the sculpture, and had evidently
belonged to another building. It had on either side the usual
inscription, and had been so much injured by fire that it could
not be moved.
My labors had scarcely been resumed when I received in-
formation that the Cadi of Mosul was endeavoring to stir up
the people against me, chiefly on the plea that I was carrying
away treasure; and, what was worse, finding inscriptions prov-
ing that the Frank? once held the country, and upon the evi-
dence of which they intended immediately to resume possession
of .it, exterminating all true believers. These stories, how-
fiver absurd they may appear, rapidly gained ground in the
* No. 12, wall k, plan 2.


33
Cu&T. Ill
MNEVEII AND ITS HEXLUNS.
(own. Old Mohammed Emin Pashaw brought out his Vukuti, and
confirmed, by that geographer's account of treasures anciently
found at Khorsabad, the allegations of the cadi. A representa-
tion was ultimately made by the ulema to Ismail Pashaw; and as
he expressed a wish o see me, I rode to Mosul. He was not, he
said, influenced by the cadi or the mufti, nor did be believe the
absurd tales which they had spread abroad. I should shortly see
how he intended to treat these troublesome fellows, but he thought
it prudent at present to humor them, and made it a personal re-
quest that I would, for the time, suspend the excavations. I
consented with regret; and once more returned to Nimroud,
without being able to gratify the ardent curiosity I felt to explore
further the extraordinary building, the nature of which was still
a mystery to me.
The Abou-Salman Arabs, who encamp around Nimroud, are
known for their thievish propensities, and might have caused
me some annoyance. Thinking it prudent, therefore to con-
ciliate their chief, I rode over one morning to their principal
encampment. Sheikh Abd-ur-rahman received me at the en-
trance of his capacious tent of black goat-hair, which was
crowded with relations, followers, and strangers, enjoying his
hospitality. He was one of the handsomest Arabs I ever saw;
tall, robust, and well-made, w.ith a countenance in which in-
telligence was no less marked than courage and resolution. On
his head he wore a turban of dark linen, from under which a
many-colored kerchief fell over his shoulders; his dress was a
simple white shirt, descending to the ankles, and an Arab cloak
thrown loosely over it. Contrary to the custom of the Arabs,
he had shaved his beard; and, although he could scarcely be
much beyond forty, I observed that the little hair which could
be distinguished from under his turban wa's gray. He received
me with every demonstration of hospitality, and led me to the
upper piace in the tent, which was divided by a goat-hair cur-
tain from the harem. The place of reception for the guests
was at the same time occupied by two favorite mares and a
colt. A few camels were kneeling on the grass around, and the


40
Chap. Ill
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
he do? Did he give me the cloak of honor 1 No; he put me,
an Arab of the tribe of Zobeide, a tribe which had fought with
tne prophet, into the public stocks. For forty days my heart
melted away in a damp cell, and I was exposed to every variety
of torture. Look at these hairs," continued he, lifting up his
(urban, "they turned white in that time, and I must now shave
my beard, a shame among the Arabs. I was released at last;
but how did I return to the tribe 1—a beggar, unable to kill a
sheep for my guests. He took my mares, my flocks, and my
camels, as the price of my liberty. Now tell me, O Bey, in the
name of God, if the Osmanlis have eaten from me and my guests,
shall I not eat from them and theirs V
The fate of Abd-ur-rahman had been such as he described it;
and so had fared several chiefs of the desert and of the moun-
tains. It was not surprising that these men, proud of their origin
and accustomed to the independence of a wandering life, had re-
venged themselves upon the unfortunate inhabitants of the
villages, who had no less cause to complain than themselves.
However, the sheikh promised to abstain from plunder for the
future, and to present himself to Ismail Pashaw, of whose con-
ciliatory conduct he had already heard.
It was nearly the middle of February before I thought it
prudent to make fresh experiments among the ruins. To avoid
notice I employed only a few men, and confined myself to the
examination of such parts of the mound as appeared to contain
buildings. My first attempt was in the S. W. corner, where a
new wall was speedily discovered, all the slabs of which were
sculptured, and uninjured by fire, though they had, unfortunately,
been half destroyed by long exposure to the atmosphere.* On
three consecutive slabs was one bas-relief; on others were only
parts of a subject. It was evident from the costume, the orna-
ments, and the general treatment, that these sculptures did not
belong either to the same building, or to the same period as
those previously discovered. I recognized in them the style of
Khorsabad, and in the inscriptions certain characters, which
* Wall q, plan 2.


Chap. IIJ.
BAS-RELIEFS.
4]
were peculiar to monuments of that ag<;. The slabs, like those
in other parts of the edifice, had been brought from elsewhere.
The most perfect of the bas-reliefs was, in many respects,
interesting. It represented a king, distinguished by his high
conical tiara, raising his extended right hand and resting his
left upon a bow. At his feet crouched a warrior, probably a
captive enemy or rebel, but more likely the latter as he wore tho
pointed helmet peculiar to the Assyrians. An eunuch held a fly-
flapper or fan over the head of the king, who appeared to be
conversing or performing some ceremony with an officer standing
in front of him,—probably his vizier or minister.* Behind this
personage, who differed from the king by his head-dress,—a
simple fillet confining the hair,—were two attendants, the first
an eunuch, the second a bearded figure. This bas-relief was sep-
arated from a second above, by an inscription; the upper sculp-
lure had been almost totally destroyed, and I could with difficulty
trace a wounded figure, wearing a helmet with a curved crest,
resembling the Greek, and horsemen engaged in battle. Both
subjects were continued on the adjoining slabs, but they were
jrokew off near tho bottom, and the feet of a row of figures,
probably other attendants, standing behind the king and his
minister, could alone be distinguished.
On the same wall, which had completely disappeared in some
places, could be traced a group resembling that just described,
and several colossal winged figures in low relief.
Several deep trenches led me to two new walls, f the sculptures
on which were not better preserved than those previously dis
covered in this part of the mound. Of the lower parts of severa
colossal figures, some had been purposely defaced by-a sharp instru-
ment, others, from long exposure, had been worn almost smooth.
* I shall in future designate this person, who is continually represented
in the Assyrian bas-reliefs, the king's vizier or minister. It has been con-
jectured that he is a friendly or tributary monarch, but as he often occurs
among the attendants, aiding the king in his battles, or waiting upon him
at the celebration of religious ceremonies, with his hands crossed in front,
as is still the fashion in the East with dependents, it appears more proba-
ble that he was his adviser or some high officer of the court
.f j and <, phn 2.


42
Chap. Ill
NINEVKI I AND ITS REMAINS.
Those experiments were sufficient to prove that the building
I was exploring had not been entirely destroyed by fire, but had
been partly exposed to gradual decay. No sculptures had
hitherto been discovered in a perfect state of preservation, and
only one or two could bear removal. I determined, therefore, to
abandon this corner, and to resume excavations in the north-west
ruins near the chamber first opened, where the slabs were unin-
jured. The workmen were directed to dig behind the remains
of the small lions, which appeared to have formed an entrance;
and after removing much earth, they discovered a few unsculp-
turcd slabs, fallen from their places, and broken in many pieces.
The walls of the room of which they had originally formed part
could not be traced.
As this part of the building stood on the very edge of the
mound, it had probably been more exposed, and had conse-
quently sustained more injury, than any other. I determined,
therefore, to open a trench more in the center of the edifice,
and choose for the purpose a deep ravine, which, apparently
worn by the winter rains, extended far into the ruins. In two
days the workmen reached the top of an entire slab, standing
in its original position.* On one face of it I discovered, to my
great satisfaction, two human figures, considerably above the
natural size, in low relief, and in admirable preservation. In a
few hours the earth and rubbish were completely removed from
the sculpture. The ornaments delicately graven on the robes,
the tassels and fringes, the bracelets and armlets, the elaborate
curls of the hair and beard, were all entire. The figures were
back to back, and from the shoulders of each sprang two wings.
They appeared to represent divinities, presiding over the seasons,
or over particular religious ceremonies. The one, whose face
was turned to the east, carried a fallow deer on his right arm,
and in his left hand a branch bearing five flowers. Around his
temples was a f.llet, adorned in front with a rosette. The other
held a square .> essel, or basket, in the left hand, and ar. object
* No. 30, chamber B, plan 3.








Chap. II]
WINGED FIGUBE.
43

winged figure. (N. W. Palace, Nimroud.)
resembling a fir-cone in the right.* On his head he wore a
* This square vessel was probably of metal, some-
times made to resemble a basket. It may bave con-
tained water, as one of the sacred elements; while
the fir-cone, from its inflammable nature, may have
typified fire, another holy element. Such is the only
explanation I can give of the two objects so generally
iieen in the Assyrian sculptures.

Vessel or Basket carried
'by 'Winged Figures


4±
Chaj III
NIXEVEII AND 113 REMAINS.
rounded cap, ornamented at the lower part by a kind of horn
curved upward in front. The garments of both, consisting of
a stole fulling from the shoulders to the ankles, and a short
tunic underneath, descending to the knee, were richly and taste-
fully decorated with embroideries and fringes. Their hair fell
in a profusion of ringlets on their shoulders, and their beards
were elaborately arranged in alternate rows of curls. Although
the relief was lower, yet the
outline was perhaps more
careful, and true, than that
of the sculptures of Khorsa-
bad. The limbs were deline-
ated with peculiar accuracy,
and the muscles and bones
faithfully, though somewhat
too strongly, marked. In the
center of the slab, and cross-
ins; the figures, was an in-
scription.
Adjoining -this slab, was
a second, cut so as to form
a corner, sculptured with
an elegant device, in which
curved branches, springing
from a kind of scroll-work,
terminated in flowers of
graceful form. Asoneoftho
figures last described was
turned, as if act of adora-
tion, toward this device, it
was evidently a sacred em-
blem; and I recognized in
it the holy tree, or tree of
life, so universally adored at
ihe remotest periods in the East, and which was preserved in
the religious systems of the Persians to the final overthrow

BACRan trks. (N. W Palaco, N. m-
roud.)


Chap. 111.
ASSYRIAN ORNAMENTS.
45

Greek Honeysuckle Ornament.
of their empire by the Arabian conquerors. Tht /lowers were
formed by seven petals springing
from two tendrils, or a double
scroll; thus in all its details re-
sembling that tasteful ornament
Of Ionic architecture known as Assyrian Ornament! Nimroud ,
Ihe honeysuckle. The alterna-
tion of this flowei with an object
resembling a tulip in the em-
broideries on the garments of
the two winged figures just de-
scribed, and in other bas-reliefs
subsequently discovered, estab-
lishes, beyond a doubt, the
origin of one of the most fa-
vorite and elegant embellish-
ments of Greek art. We are
also reminded, by the peculiar
arrangement of the intertwining
branches, of the "network of
pomegranates," which was one of the principal ornaments of
the temple of Solomon.* This sculpture and the two winged
figures resembled in their style and details several of the frag-
ments built into the S.W. palace, proving at once, from whence
the greater part of the materials used in the construction of
that building had been obtained.
Adjoining this corner-stone was a figure of singular form.
A human body, clothed in robes similar to thosi of the winged

Greek Honeysuckle Ornament.
* 1 Kings vii. 41, 42. Similar trees, in which the flowers above described
were replaced by pomegranates, were afterward discovered in the center
palace of Nimroud. Mr. Fergusson, in his "Palace of Nineveh and Per-
Bepolis restored," has conjectured that this remarkable object represents
the "grove" or "groves" which led the Israelites into idolatry. (Judges
iii. 7; 1 Kings xiv. 23; 2 Kings xxi. 3, 7, &c.) Mr. Fergusson also
remarks, with regard to the connection between the ornaments mentioned
in the text, and those of Greek architecture, " that it is now impossible to
doubt that all that is Ionic in the arts of Greece is derived from the val-
leys of the Tigris and Euphrates." (P. 310.)


.10
Chap. IIL
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
men already described, was surmounted by the head of an
eagle or of a vulture.* The curved beak, of considerable

lAoti-HiiDiB tiourb. (N.W. F dace, Nimroud )
length, was half open, and displayed a narrow pointed tongue,
on which were still the remains of red paint. On the shoulders
* It has been suggested that it is the head of a cock, hut it is unqr
tionably that of a carnivorous bird of the eagle tribe.


Chap. III.
GIGANTIC HEAD.
47
fell the usual curled and bushy hair of the Assyrian images, and
a comb of feathers rose on the top of the head. Two wings
sprang from the back, and in either hand was the square vessel
and fir-cone. In a kind of girdle were three daggers, the hand)p
of one being in the form of the head of a bull. They may have
been of preciou.3 metal, but more probably of copper, inlaid with
ivory or enamel, as a few days before a copper dagger-handle,
precisely similn r in form to one of those carried by this figure,
hollowed to receive an ornament of some such material, had
been discovered in the S.W. ruins, and is now preserved in the
British Museum.
This effigy, which probably typified by its mythic form the
union of certain divine attributes, may perhaps be identified
with the god Nisroch, in whose temple Sennacherib was slain
by his sons* after his return from his unsuccessful expedition
against Jerusalem; the word Nisr signifying, in all Semitic
languages, an eagle.f
On all these figures were traces of color, particularly oi
the hair, beard, eyes, and sandals, and there can be no doubt
that they had been originally painted. The slabs on which they
were sculptured had sustained no injury, and they evidently
formed part of a chamber, which could be completely explored
by digging along the wall, now partly uncovered.
On the morning following these discoveries, I had ridden to
the encampment of Sheikh Abd-ur-rahman, and was returning
to the mound, when I saw two Arabs of his tribe urging their
mares to the top of their speed. On approaching me they
stopped. "Hasten, O Bey," exclaimed one of them—"hasten
to the diggers, for they have found Nimrod himself. Wallah!
it is wonderful, but it is true! we have seen him with our eyes.
There is no God but God;" and both joining in this pious
* 2 Kings xlx. 37.
t The form of this deity was conjectured to be that of an eagle long
before the discovery of the Assyrian sculptures. (A id. Beycri ad Jok
Scldeni de Dis Syriis Syntag. addit. p. 325.)


.IS
(Thai-. IIL
NIXEVEII AND ITS REMAINS.
exclamation, they galloped off, without further words, in the direc-
tion of their tents.

DISCOVERT OF THE GIOASTIC HEA».
On reaching the ruins I descended into the new trench, and
found the workmen, who had already seen me, as I approached,
standing near a heap of haskets and cloaks. 'VYhile Awad
advanced and asked ibr a present to celebrate the occasion, the
Arabs withdrew the screen they had hastily constructed, and
disclosed an enormous human head sculptured in full out of
the alabaster of the country. They had uncovered the upper
part of a figure, the remainder of which was still buried in the
earth. I saw at once that the head must belong to a winged
lion or bull, similar to those cf Khorsabad and Persepclis. It


Chap. IIL
GIGANTIC HEAD.
49
was in admirable preservation. The expression was calm, yet
majestic, and the outline of the features showed a freedom and
knowledge of art, scarcely to be 'looked for in works of so remote
a period. The cap had three horns, and, unlike that of the hu-
man-headed bulls hitherto found in Assyria, was rounded and
without ornament at the top. ■
I was not surprised that the Arabs had been amazed and
terrified at this apparition. It required no stretch of imagination
to conjure up the most strange fancies. This gigantic head,
blanched with age, thus rising from the bowels of the earth, might
well have belonged to one of those fearful beings which are pic-
tured in the traditions of the country, as appearing to mortals,
slowly ascending from the regions below. One of the work-
men, on catching the first glimpse of the monster, had thrown
down his basket and had run off toward Mosul as fast as his legs
could carry him. I learned this with regret, as I anticipated the
consequences.
While I was superintending the removal of the earth, which
still clung to the sculpture, and giving directions for the con-
tinuation of the work, a noise of horsemen was heard, and
presently Abd-ur-rahman, followed by half his tribe, appeared
on the edge of the trench. As soon as the two Arabs had
reached the tents, and published the wonders they had seen,
every one mounted his mare and rode to the mound to satisfy
himself of the truth of these inconceivable reports. When they
beheld the head they all cried together, " There is no God but
God, and Mohammed is his Prophet!" It was some time before
the sheikh could be prevailed upon to descend into the pit, and
convince himself that the image he saw was of stone. "This is
not the work of men's hands," exclaimed he, "but of those
infidel giants of whom the Prophet, peace be with him! has said,
that they were higher than the tallest date-tree; this is one of
the idols which Noah, peace be with him! cursed before the
flood." In this opinion, the result of a careful examination, all
the by-standers concurred.
I now ordered a trench to be dug due south from tne head
C


fil) NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS. Chap. IIJ.
m the expectation of finding a corresponding figure, and befcre
night-fall reached the object of my search about twelve feet
distant. Engaging two or three men to sleep near the sculp-
tures, I returned to the village, and celebrated the day's dis-
covery by a slaughter of sheep, of which all the Arab3 near par-
took. As some wandering musicians chanced to be at Selamiyah,
I sent for them, and dances were kept up during the greater
part of the night. On the following morning Arabs from the
other side of the Tigris, and the inhabitants of the surrounding
villages, congregated on the mound. Even the women could
not repress their curiosity, and came in crowds, with their chil-
dren, from afar. My cawass was stationed during the day in
the trench, into which I would not allow the multitude to
descend.
As I had expected, the report of the discovery of the
gigantic head, carried by the terrified Arab to Mosul, had
thrown the town into commotion. He had scarcely checked
his speed before reaching the bridge. Entering breathless into
the bazars, he announced to every one he met that Nimrod had
appeared. The news soon got to the ears of the cadi, who
called the mufti and the ulema together, to consult upon this
unexpected occurrence. Their deliberations ended in a proces-
sion to the governor, and a formal protest, on the part of the
Mussulmans of the town, against proceedings so directly contrary
to the laws of the Koran. The cadi had no distinct idea whether
the bones of the mighty hunter had been uncovered, or only his
image; nor did Ismail Pashaw very clearly remember whether
Nimrod was a true-believing prophet, or an infidel. I conse-
quently received a somewhat unintelligible message from his
excellency, to the effect that the remains should be treated with
respect, and be by no means further disturbed; that he wished
the excavations to be stopped at once, and desired to confer with
me on the subject.
I called upon him accordingly, and had some difficulty in
making him understand the nature of my discovery. As he
requested me to discontinue my operations until the sensation


Chae A\. discovery of gigantic winged lions. 51
in the town had somewhat subsided, I returned to Nimroud
and dismissed the workmen, retaining only two men to dig leis-
urely along the walls without giving cause for further interfer.
ence. I ascertained by the end of March the existence of a
second pair of winged human-headed lions,* differing from
those previously discovered in form, the human shape being
continued to the waist, and being furnished with human arms,
as well as with the legs of the lion. In one hand each
figure carried a goat or stag, and in the other, which hung
down by the side, a branch with three flowers. They formed
a northern entrance into the chamber of which the lions
previously described were the western por^. I completely
uncovered the lattei, and found them to be entire. They
were about twelve feet in height, and the same number in
length. The body and limbs were admirably portrayed; the
muscles and bones, although strongly developed to display the
strength of the animal, showed at the same time a correct
knowledge of its anatomy and form. Expanded wings sprung
from the shoulder and spread over the back; a knotted girdle,
ending in tassels, encircled the loins. These sculptures, form-
ing an entrance, were partly in full and partly in relief. The
head and fore-part, facing the chamber, were in full; but only
one side of the rest of the slab was sculptured, the back being
placed against the wall of sun-dried bricks. That the spectator
might have both a perfect front and side view of the figures,
they were furnished with five legs; two were carved on the
end of the slab to face the chamber, and three on the side.
The relief of the body and limbs was high and bold, and the
slab was covered, in all parts not occupied by the image, with
inscriptions in the cuneiform character. The remains of color
could still be traced in the e3-es—the pupils being painted black,
and the rest filled up with an opaque white pigment; but on
no other parts of the sculpture. These magnificent specimens
of Assyrian art were in perfect preservation; the most minute
* Entrance d to chamber B, plan 3.


52
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS. Chap. Ill,
lines in the details of the wings and in the ornaments had beeu
retained with their original freshness
I used to contemplate for hours these mysterious emblems,
and muse over their intent and history. What more noble forms
could have ushered the people into the temple of their gods?
What more sublime images could have been borrowed from
nature, by men who sought, unaided by the light of revealed
religion, to embody their conception of the wisdom, power, and
ubiquity .i a Supreme Being? They could find no bette?
type of intellect and knowledge than the head of the man; of
strength, than the body of the lion; of ubiquity, than the wings
of the bird. The^ winged human-headed lions were not idle
creations, the offspring of mere fancy; their meaning was written
upon them. They had awed and instructed races which flourished
3000 years ago. Through the portals which they guarded,
kings, priests, and warriors had borne sacrifices to their altars,
long before the wisdom of the East had penetrated to Greece,
and had furnished its mythology with symbols recognized of old
by the Assyrian votaries. They may have been buried, and
their existence may have been unknown, before the foundation
of the eternal city. For twenty-five centuries they had been
hidden from the eye of man, and they now stood forth once
more in their ancient majesty. But how changed was the scene
around them! The luxury and civilization of a mighty nation
had given place to the wretchedness and ignorance of a few half-
barbarous tribes. The wealth of temples, and the riches of
great cities, had been succeeded by ruins and shapeless heaps of
earth. Above the spacious hall in which they stood, the plow
had passed and the com now waved. Egypt has monuments no
less ancient and no less wonderful; but they have stood forth
for ages to testify her early power and renown; while those
before me had but now appeared to bear witness, in the words
of the prophet, that once "the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon
with fair branches and with a shadowing shroud of an high
stature; and his top was among the thick boughs .... his
aeight was exalted above all the trees of the field, and his





64
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS. Chap. Ill
boughs were multiplied, and his branches became long, because
of the multitude of waters when he shot forth. All the fowls of
heaven made their nests in his boughs, and under his branches
did all the beasts of the fields bring forth their young, and under
his shadow dwelt all great nations;" for now is " Nineveh a
desolation, and dry like a wilderness, and flocks lie down in the
midst of her: all the beasts of the nations, both the cormorant
and bittern, lodge in the upper lintels of it; their voice sings in
the windows; and desolation is in the thresholds."*
The entrance formed by the human-headed lions led into a
cnamber round which were sculptured winged figures, such as
I have already described. They were in pairs facing one another,
and separated by the sacred tree. These bas-reliefs were inte-
rior in execution, and finish, to those previously discovered.
During the month of March I received visits from the prin-
cipal sheikhs of the Jebour Arabs, whose followers had now
partly crossed the Tigris, and were pasturing their flocks in the
neighborhood of Nimroud, or cultivating millet on the banks
of the river. The Jebours are a branch of the ancient tribe of
Obeid, and their pasture-grounds are on the banks of the
Khabour, from its junction with the Euphrates,—from the
ancient Carchemish or Circesium, to its source at Ras-el-Ain
Having been suddenly attacked and plundered a year or two
before by the Aneyza, they had left their haunts, and taken
refuge in the districts around Mosul. They were at this time
divided into three branches obeying different sheikhs. The
names of the three chiefs were Abd'rubbou, Mohammed-Emin,
and Mohammed-ed-Dagher. Although all three visited me at
Nimroud, it was the first with whom I was best acquainted, and
who rendered me most assistance. I thought it necessary to
give to eacn a lew small presents, a silk dress, or an embroidered
cloak, witn a pair of capacious boots, as in case of any fresh
iisturbances in the country, it would be as well to be on friendly
terms with the tribe.
The middle of March in Mesopotamia is the brightest epoch
* Ezekiel xxxi. 3. &c.; Zephaniah ii. 13 and 14.


Chap. III.
NIMROUD IN MARCH.
55
of spring. A new change had come over the face of the plain of
Nimroud. Its pasture lands, known as the " Jaif," are renowned
for their rich and luxuriant herbage. In times of quiet, the studs
of the pashaw and of the Turkish authorities, with the horses of
the cavalry and of the inhabitants of Mosul, are sent here to
graze. Day by day they arrived in long lines. The Shemutti
and Jehesh left their huts, and encamped on the greensward
which surrounded the villages. The plain, as far as the eye
sould reach, was studded with the white pavilions of the hytas
and the black tents of the Arabs. Picketed around them were
innumerable horses in gay trappings, struggling to release them-
selves from the bonds which restrained them from ranging over
the green pastures.
Flowers of every hue enameled the meadows ; not thinly scat-
tered over the grass as in northern climes, but in such thick and .
gathering clusters that the whole plain seemed a patchwork of
many colors. The dogs, as they returned from hunting, issued
from the long grass dyed red, yellow, or blue, according to the
flowers through which they had last forced their way.
The villages of Naifa and Nimroud were deserted, and I re-
mained alone with Said (my host) and my servants. The houses
now began to swarm with vermin; we no longer slept under the
roofs, and it was time to follow the example of the Arabs. I ac-
cordingly encamped on the edge of a large pond on the outskirts
of Nimroud. Said accompanied me; and Salah, his young
wife, a bright-eyed Arab girl, huilt up his shed, and watched
and milked his diminutive flock of sheep and goats.
I was surrounded with Arabs, who had either pitched their tents,
or, too poor to buy the black goat-hair cloth of which they are
made, had erected small huts of reeds and dry grass.
In the evening, after the labor of the day, I often sat at the
door of my tent, and giving myself up to the full enjoyment of
that calm and repose which are imparted to the senses by such
scenes as these, gazed listlessly on the varied groups before me.
As the sun went down behind the low hills which separate the
river from the desert—even their rocky sides had struggled to


SG
CHiJ III.
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
emulate the verdant clothing of the plain—its receding rays
were gradually withdrawn, like a transparent vail of light, from
the landscape. Over the pure, cloudless sky was the glow of the
lust light. The great mound threw its dark shadow far across
the plain. In the distance, and beyond the Zab, Keshaf, another
venerable ruin, rose indistinctly into the evening mist. Still
more distant, and still more indistinct was a solitary hill over-
looking the ancient city of Arbela. The Kurdish mountains,
whose snowy summits cherished the dying sunbeams, yet strug-
gled with the twilight. The bleating of sheep and lowing of
cattle, at first faint, became louder as the flocks returned from
their pastures, and wandered among the tents. Girls hurried
over the greensward to seek their fathers' cattle, or crouched
down to milk those which had returned alone to their well-
remembered folds. Some were coming from the river bearing
the replenished pitcher on their heads or shoulders; others, no
less graceful in their form, and erect in their carriage, were
carrying the heavy loid of long grass which they had cut in the
meadows. Sometimes a party of horsemen might have been
seen in the distance slowly crossing the plain, the tufts of ostrich
feathers which topped their long spears showing darkly against
the evening sky. They would ride up to my tent, and give me
the usual salutation, " Peace be with you, O Bey," or, " Allah
Aienak, God help you." Then driving the end of their lances
into the ground, they would spring from their mares, and fasten
their halters to the still quivering weapons. Seating themselves
on the grass, they related deeds of war and plunder, or specu-
lated on the site of the tents of Sofuk, until the moon rose, when
they vaulted into their saddles and took the way of the desert.
The plain now glittered with innumerable fires. As the night
advanced, they vanished one by one until the landscape was
wrapped in darkness and in silence, only disturbed by the bark-
ing of the Arab dog.
Abd-ur-rahman rode to my tent one morning, and offered to
take me to a remarkable cutting in the rock, which he described
as the work of Nimrod, the giant. The Arabs call it "Ne-
goub," or The Hole. We were '.wo hours in reaching the


Chap. III.
THE TUNNEL OP NEGOUB.
57
place, as we hunted gazelles and hares by the way. A tunnel
through the rock opens by two low arched outlets, upon the
river. It is of considerable length, and is continued for about
a mile by a deep channel, also cut in the rock, but open at the
top. I suspected at once that this was an Assyrian work, and on
examining the interior of the tunnel, discovered a slab covered
with cuneiform characters, which had fallen from its place, and
ihd been wedged in a crevice. With much difficulty I ascer-
tained that an inscription had also been cut on the back of the
tablet. From the darkness of the place, I could scarcely copy
even the few characters which had resisted the wear of centu-
ries. Some days after, others who had casually heard of my visit,
and conjectured that some Assyrian remains might have been
found there, sent a party of workmen to the spot; who, finding
the slab, broke it into pieces, in their attempt to displace it. Thia
wanton destruction of the tablet is much to be regretted; as,
from the fragment of the inscription copied, I can perceive that
it contained several royal names previously unknown.*
The tunnel of Negoub is undoubtedly a remarkable work, un-
dertaken, as it would appear from the inscription, during the
reign of the builder of the palace at Kouyunjik. Its object is
doubtful. It may have led the waters of the Zab into the sur-
rounding country for irrigation; or it may have been the termi-
nation of the great canal, which is still to be traced by a double
range of lofty mounds near the ruins of Nimroud, and which
may have united the Tigris with the neighboring river, and thus
fertilized a large tract of land. In either case, the level of the
two rivers, as well as the face of the country, must have changed
considerably since the period of its construction. At present
Negoub is above the Zab, except at the time of the highest floods
in spring, and then water is only found in the mouth of the tun-
nel; all other parts having been much choked up with rubbish
and river deposits.
* I have since been able to restore the greater part of the inscription
from the fragments of this tablet. It is of considerable importance, as it
gives ns the names of the father, and perhaps grandfather of the Ehorsa-
bad king, with which we were not previously acquainted.
c*


58
Chap IV
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
CHAPTER IV.
rHEPARATIONS FOR A JOURNEY TO AL HAIHER. GATHERING OF THE
CARAVAN.—LEAVE MOSUL.—THE DESERT.—FLOCKS OF CAMELS. THE
HADDEDEEN ARABS.—AN ARAB REPAST.—AN ENCAMPMENT.—AN ARAB
TRIBE MOVING. THE TENTS OF SOFUK.—DESCRIPTION OF THE SHAMMAK
SHEIKH.—HIS HISTORY.—SOFUK's HAREM AND WIVES. HIS MARE.—
RIDE TO AL HATHER.—ARAB GUIDES. THE RUINS OF AL HATHER.—.
RETURN TO MOSUL.—MURDER OF NEJRIS—AND OF SOFUK.
The operations at Nimroud having been completely suspended
until orders could be received from Constantinople, I thought the
time not inopportune to visit Sofuk, the sheikh of the great no-
mad Arab tribe of Shammar, which occupies nearly the whole
oi Mesopotamia. He had lately left the Khabour, and was now
encamped near the western bank of the Tigris, below its junc-
tion with the Zab, and consequently not far from Nimroud. I
had two objects in going to his tents; in the first place I wished
to obtain the friendship of the chief of a powerful tribe of Be-
douins, who would probably cross the river in the neighborhood
of the excavations during the summer, and might indulge, to my
cost, in their plundering propensities; and, at the same time, 1
was anxious to visit the remarkable ruins of Al Hather, which
I had only examined very hastily on my former journey.
Mr. Rassam (the vice-consul) and his wife, with several
native gentlemen of Mosul, Mussulmans and Christians, were
induced to accompany me; and, as we issued from the gates of
the town, and assembled in the well-peopled burying-ground
opposite the governor's palace, I found myself at the head of a
formidable party. Our tents, obtained from the pashaw, with our
provisions and necessary furniture, were carried by a string of
twelve camels. Mounted above these loads, and on donkeys,
was an army of camel-drivers, tent-pitchers, and volunteers
ready for all services. There were, moreover, a few irregulai


Chap. IV.
GATHERING OF THE CARAVAN.
59
horsemen, the cawasses, the attendants of the Mosul gentlemen,
the Mosul gentlemen themselves, and our own servants, all
armed to the teeth. Ali Effendi, chief of the Mosul branch
of the Omeree, or descendants of Omar, which had furnished
several pashaws to the province, was our principal Mussulman
friend. He was mounted on the Hedtian, a well-known white
Arab, beautiful in form and pure in blood, but then of great age.
Close at his horse's heels followed a confidential servant; who,
perched on a pack-saddle, seemed to roll from side to side on
two small barrels, the use of which might have been an enigma,
had they not emitted a very strong smell of raki. A Christian
gentleman was wrapped up in cloaks and furs, and appeared to
dread the cold, although the thermometer was at 100. Thf
English lady was equipped in riding-habit and hat. The two
Englishmen, Mr. Ross and myself, wore a striking mixture of
European and oriental raiments. Mosul ladies, in blue vails,
their faces concealed by black horsehair sieves, had been dragged
to the top of piles of carpets and cushions, under which groaned
their unfortunate mules. Greyhounds in leashes were led by
Arabs on foot; while others played with strange dogs, who fol-
lowed the caravan for change of air. The horsemen galloped
round and round, now dashing into the center of the crowd,
throwing their horses on their haunches when at full speed, or
discharging their guns and pistols into the air. A small flag
with British colors was fastened to the top of a spear, and
confided to a cawass. Such was the motley caravan which left
Mosul by the Bab el Top, where a crowd of women had as-
sembled to witness the procession.
We took the road to the ruins of the monastery of Mar Elias,
a place of pilgrimage for the Christians of Mosul, which we
passed after an hour's ride. Evening set in before we could
reach the desert, and we pitched our tents for the night on a
lawn near a deserted village, about nine miles from the town.
On the following morning we soon emerged from the low
limestone hills ,. which, broken into a thousand rocky valleys,
form a barrier between *he Tigris and the plains of Mesopotamia


CO
Chap. IV.
NINEVEH AND ITS KEMAINS.
We now found ourselves in the desert, or rather wilderness;
for at this time of the year, nature could not disclose a more
varied scene, or a more luxuriant vegetation. We trod on an
interminable carpet, figured by flowers of every hue. Nor was
water wanting; for the abundant rains had given reservoirs to
every hollow, and to every ravine. Their contents, owing to
he nature of the soil, were brackish, but not unwholesome.
Clusters of black tents were scattered, and flocks of sheep and
camels wandered, over the plain. Those of our party who
were well mounted urged their horses through the meadows,
pursuing the herds of gazelles, or the wild boar, skulking in the
long grass. Although such scenes as these may be described,
the exhilaration caused by the air of the desert in spring, and
the feeling of freedom arising from the contemplation of its
boundless expanse, must have been experienced before they can
be understood. The stranger, as well as the Arab, feels the
intoxication of the senses which they produce.
About mid-day we found ourselves in the midst of extensive
herds of camels. They belonged to the tribe of Haddedeen.
The sonorous whoop of the Arab herdsmen resounded from all
sides. A few horsemen were galloping about, driving back
the stragglers, and directing the march of the leaders of the
herd. Shortly after we came up with some families moving to
a new place of encampment, and at their head I recognized my
old antiquity-hunter, Mormous. He no sooner perceived us
than he gave orders to those who followed him, and of whom he
was the chief, to pitch their tents. We were now in the Wadi
Ghusub, formed by a small salt stream, forcing its sluggish way
through a dense mass of reeds and water shrubs, from which the
valley has taken its name. About fifteen tents having been
raised, a sheep was slaughtered in front of the one in which we
sat; large wooden bowls of sour milk, and platters of fresh
butter were placed before us; fires of camel's dung were lighted;
decrepit old women blew up the flames; the men cut the car-
cass into small pieces, and capacious caldrons soon sent forth
rolumes of steam.


Chap. IV.
AN ENCAMPMENT.
61
The sheep having been boiled, the Arabs pulled the frag-
ments out of the caldron and laid them on the wooden platters
with their fingers. We helped ourselves after the same fashion.
The servants succeeded to the dishes, which afterward passed
through the hands of the camel-drivers and tent-pitchers; and
at last, denuded of all apparently edible portions, reached a
strong party of expectant Arabs. The condition of the bones
by the time they were delivered to a crowd of hungry dogs,
assembled on the occasion, may easily be imagined.
We resumed our journey in the afternoon, preceded by
Mormous, who volunteered to accompany us. As we rode over
the plain, we fell in with the sheikh of the Haddedeen mounted
on a fine mare, and followed by a large concourse of Arabs,
driving their beasts of burden loaded with tents and furni-
ture. He offered to conduct us to a branch of the Shammar,
whose encampment we could reach before evening. We gladly
accepted his offer, and he left his people to ride with us.
We had been wandering to and fro in the desert, uncertain
as to the course we should pursue. The sheikh now rode in
the direction of the Tigris. Before nightfall we came to a
large encampment, and recognized in its chief one Khalaf, an
Arab who frequently came to Mosul, and whom Mr. Rassam
and myself had met on our previous journey to Al Hather.
He received us with hospitality; sheep were immediately
slaughtered, and we dismounted at his tent. Even his wives,
among whom was a remarkably pretty Arab girl, came to us
to gratify their curiosity by a minute examination of he Frank
lady.' As the intimacy, which began to spring up, was some,
what inconvenient, we directed our tents to be pitched at a dis-
tance from the encampment, by the side of a small stream. Il
was one of those calm and pleasant evenings, which in spring
make a paradise of the desert. The breeze, bland and per-
fumed by the odor of flowers, came calmly over the plain.
As the sun went down, countless camels and sheep wandered to
the tents, and the melancholy call of the herdsmen rose above
the bleating of the flocks. The Arabs led their prancing mares


62
CllAV. IV
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
to the water; the colts, as they followed, played and rolled on the
grass. I spread my carpet at a distance from the group, to
enjoy uninterrupted the varied scene. Rassam, now in his
element, collected around him a knot of admiring Arabs, un-
screwed telescopes, exhibited various ingenious contrivances,
and described the wonders of Europe, interrupted by the ex-
clamations of incredulous surprise, which his marvelous stories
elicited from the hearers. All Effendi and his Mussulman
Iriends, who preferred other pleasures and more definite excite-
ment, hid themselves in the high rushes, and handed round
a small silver bowl containing fragrant ruby-colored spirits,
which might have rejoiced even the heart of Hafiz. The camel-
drivers and servants hurried over the lawn, tending their ani-
mals or preparing the evening meal.
We had now reached the pasture-grounds of the Shammar,
and Sheikh Khalaf declared that Sofuk's tents could not be far
distant. A few days before they had been pitched almost among
the ruins of Al Hather; but he had since left them, and it was
not known where he had encamped. We started early in the
morning, and took the direction pointed out by Khalaf. Our
view was bounded to the east by a rising ground. When we
reached its summit, we looked down upon a plain, which ap-
peared to swarm with moving objects. We had come upon the
main body of the Shammar. The scene caused in me feelings
of melancholy, for it recalled many hours, perhaps unprofitably,
though certainly happily spent; and many friends, some who
.now sighed in captivity for the joyous freedom which those
wandering hordes enjoyed; others who had perished in its de-
fense. We soon found ourselves in the midst of wide-spreading
flocks of sheep and camels. As far as the eye could reach, to
the right, to the left, and in front, still the same moving crowd.
Long lines of asses and bullocks laden with black tents, huge
caldrons and variegated carpets; aged women and men, no
longer able to walk, tied on the heap of domestic furniture;
infants crammed into saddle-bags, their tiny heads thrust
through the narrow opening, balanced on the animal's back bv


Our. IV.
A LADY ON CAilEL.
G3
kids or lambs tied on the opposite side; young girls clothed only
in the close-fitting Arab shirt, which displayed rather than con-

cealed their graceful forms; mothers with their children on
their shoulders; boys driving flocks of lambs; horsemen armed


64
Chap. IV.
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
with long tufted spears, scouring the plain on their fleet mares;
riders urging their dromedaries with short hooked sticks, and
leading their high-bred steeds by the halter; colts galloping
among tiie throng; high-born ladies seated in the center of
huge wings, which extend like those of a butterfly from each
side of the camel's hump, and are no less gaudy and variegated.*
Such was the motley crowd through which we had to wend our
way for several hours. Our appearance created a lively sensa-
tion; the women checked our horses; the horsemen assembled
round us, and rode by our side; the children yelled and ran
after the Franks.
It was mid-day before we found a small party that had
stopped, and were pitching their tents. A young chestnut mare
belonging to the sheikh, was one of the most beautiful creatures
I ever beheld. As she struggled to free herself from the spear
to which she was tied, she showed the lightness and elegance of
the gazelle. Her limbs were in perfect symmetry: her ears
erect, slender, and transparent; her nostrils high, dilated, and
deep red; her neck gracefully arched, and her mane and tail of
the texture of silk. We all involuntarily stopped to gaze at her.
"Say Masha-Allah," exclaimed the owner, who, seeing not
without pride, that I admired her, feared the effect of an evil
eye. "That I will," answered I, " and with pleasure; for, O
Arab, you possess the jewel of the tribe." He brought us a
bowl of camel's milk, and directed us to the tents of Sofuk.
We had still two hours' ride before us, and when we reached
the encampment of the Shammar sheikh, our horses, as well as
ourselves, were exhausted by the heat of the sun, and the length
of the day's journey. The tents were pitched on a broad lawn
* These wings are formed by a light frame-work of cane, varying from
sixteen to twenty feet in length, covered with parchment, and ornamented,
as is also the body and neck of the camel, with tassels and fringes of worst-
ed of every hue, and with strings of glass beads and shells. The lady sits
in the center in a kind of pavilion, covered with gay carpets, by which she
isi shaded from the sun. 'This singular contrivance sways from side to side,
and the mction is very disagreeable to one not accustomed to it


Chap. IV.
DESCRIPTION OF TUE SHAMMAR.
05
in a deep ravine; they were scattered in every diiection, and
among them rose the white pavilions of the Turkish irregular
cavalry. Ferhan, the son of Sofuk, and a party of horsemen,
rode out to meet us as we approached, and led us to the tent of
the chief, distinguished from the rest by its size, and the spears
which were driven into the ground at its entrance. Sofuk
advanced to receive us; he was followed by about three hun.
dred Arabs, including many of the principal sheikhs of the
tribe. In person he was short and corpulent, more like en
Osmanli than an Arab; but his eye was bright and intelligent
his features regular, well formed and expressive. His dress
differed but in the quality of the materials from that of his
followers. A thick kerchief, striped with red, yellow, and blue,
and fringed with long plaited cords, was thrown over his head,
and fell down his shoulders. It was held in its place, above
the brow, by a band of spun camel's wool, tied at intervals by
silken threads of many colors. A long white shirt, descending
to the ankles, and a black and white cloak over it, completed his
attire.
He led Rassam and myself to the top of the tent, where we
seated ourselves on well-worn carpets. When all the party had
found places, the words of welcome, which had been exchanged
before we dismounted, were repeated. "Peace be with you, O
Bey! upon my head you are welcome: my house is your
house," exclaimed the sheikh, addressing the stranger nearest
to him. "Peace be with you, O Sofuk! may God protect you!"
was the answer, and similar compliments were made to every
guest, and by every person, present. While this ceremony,
which took nearly half an hour, was going on, I had leisure ti
examine those who had assembled to meet us. Nearest to me
was Ferhan, the sheikh's eldest son, a young man of handsome
appearance and intelligent countenance, although the expression
was neither agreeable nor attractive. His dress resembled that
of his father; but from beneath the kerchief thrown over his
head hung his long black tresses plaited into many tails. Hi*
teeth were white as ivory, like those of most Arabs. Beyond


or.
Chap. IV.
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
him sat a crowd of men of the most ferocious and forbidding
exterior—warriors who had passed their lives in war and
rapine, looking upon those who did not belong to their tribe as
natural enemies, and preferring their wild freedom to all the
riches of the earth.
Mrs. Rassam had been ushered into this crowded assembly
The scrutinizing glance with which she was examined from
head to foot, by all present, not being agreeable, we requested
that she might be taken to the tent of the women. Sofuk called
two black slaves, who led her to the harem, scarcely a stone's
throw distant.
The compliments having been at length finished, we con-
versed upon general topics. Coffee, highly drugged with
odoriferous herbs found in the desert, and with spices, a mixture
for which Sofuk was celebrated, was handed round before we
retired to our own tents.
Sofuk's name was so well known in the desert, and he so
long played a conspicuous part in the politics of Mesopotamia,
that a few words on his history may not be uninteresting. He
was descended from the sheikhs, who brought the tribe from
Nedjd in Arabia Proper. At the commencement of his career
he had shared the chiefship with his uncle, after whose death i
he became the great Sheikh of the Shammar. From an early
period he had been troublesome to the Turkish governors of the
provinces on the Tigris and Euphrates; but gained the con-
fidence of the Porte by a spirited attack upon the camp of
Mohammed Ali Mirza, son of Feth Ali Shah, and governor of
Kirmanshah, when that prince was marching upon Baghdad
and Mosul. After this exploit, to which was mainly attributer
the safety of the Turkish cities, Sofuk was invested as Sheikh
of the Shammar. At times, however, when he had to complain
of ill-treatment from the Pashaw of Baghdad, or could not control
those under him, his tribes were accustomed to indulge their
love of plunder, to sack villages and pillage caravans. He thus
W'iame formidable to the Turks, and was known as the King
o the Desert. When Mehenet R«shid Pashaw led his successful


Chap. IV.
sofuk's history.
67
expedition into Kurdistan and Mesopotamia, Sofuk was among
the chiefs whose power he sought to destroy. He knew that it
would be useless to attempt it by force, and he consequently
invited the sheikh to his camp on the pretense of investing
him with the customary robe of honor. He was seized and
sent a prisoner to Constantinople. There he remained some
months, until deceived by his promises, the Porte permitted
him to return to the tribe. From that time his Arabs had been
the terror of the pashawlics of Mosul and Baghdad, and had
even carried their depredations to the east of the Tigris. How-
ever, Nejris, the son of Sofuk's uncle, had appeared as his rival,
and many branches of the Shammar had declared for the new
sheikh. This led to dissensions in the tribe; and, at the time
of our visit, Sofuk, who had forfeited his popularity by many
acts of treachery, was almost deserted by the Arabs. In this
dilemma he had applied to the pashaw of Mosul, and had prom-
ised to serve the Porte, and to control the Bedouins, if he were
assisted in re-establishing his authority. This state of things
accounted for the presence of the white tents of the hytas in
the midst of his encampment.
His intercourse with the Turkish authorities, who must be
conciliated by adequate presents before assistance can be ex-
pected from them, and the famine, which for the last two years
,iad prevailed in the countries surrounding the desert, were not
favorable to the domestic prosperity of Sofuk. The wealth
and display, for which he was once renowned among the
Arabs, had disappeared. A few 'months before, he had even
sent to Mosul the silver ankle-rings of his favorite wife—the
last resource—to be exchanged for corn. The furred cloaks,
and embroidered robe, which he once wore, had not been re-
placed. The only carpet in his tent was the rag on which sal
his principal guests; the rest squatted on the grass, or on the
bare ground. He led the life of a pure Bedouin, from the com-
monest of whom he was only distinguished by the extent of his
female establishment—always a weak point with the sheikh.
But even in his days of grea est prosperity, the meanest Arab


6S
Chap. IV
NINEVEH AND IIS REMAINS.
looked upon him as his equal, addressed him as "Sofuk," and
seated himself unbidden in his presence. The system of patri-
archal government, faithfully described by Burckhardt, still
exists, as it has done for 4000 years, in the desert.
The usual Arab meal was brought to us soon after our arrival
—large wooden bowls and platters filled with boiled fragments
of mutton swimming in melted butter, and sour milk; and when
we had eaten, Sofuk came to our tents, and remained with us
the greater part of the day. lie was dejected and sad. He
bewailed his poverty, inveighed against the Turks, to whom he
attributed his ruin, and confessed, with tears, that his tribe was
fast deserting him. While conversing on these subjects, two
sheikhs rode into the encampment, and hearing that the chief
was with us, they fastened their high-bred mares at the door of
our tent, and seated then selves on our carpets. They had been
among the tribes to asceKain the feeling of the Shammar to-
ward Sofuk, of whom they were the devoted adherents. One
was a man of forty, blackened by long exposure to the desert
sun, and of a savage and sanguinary countenance. His com-
panion was a youth, whose features were so delicate and
feminine, and eyes so bright, that he might have been taken
for a woman; a profusion of black hair which fell, plaited
into numerous tresses, on his breast and shoulders, added to
ois feminine appearance. An animated discussion took place
as to the desertion of the Nejm, a large branch of the Shammar
tribe. The young man's enthusiasm and devotedness knew no
bounds. He threw himself upon Sofuk, and clinging .to hia
neck, covered his cheek and beard with kisses. When the chief
had disengaged himself, his follower seized tho edge of his gar-
ment, and sobbed violently as he held it to his lips. "I entreat
thee, O Sofuk!" he exclaimed, "say but the word; by thine
eyes, by thy beard, by the Prophet, order it, and this sword
shall find the heart of Nejris, whether he escape into the farthest
coiner of the desert, or be surrounded by all the warriors of the
tribe," But it was too late, and Sofuk saw that his influence
was fast declining.


Chap. IV.
sofuk's harem a>.d wives.
69
I must endeavor to convey to the reader some idea of the
domestic establishment of a great Arab sheikh. Sofuk, at the
time of our visit, was the husband of three wives, who were con-
sidered to have special claims to his affection and his constant
protection; for it was one of Sofuk's weaknesses, arising either
from a desire to impress the Arabs with a notion of his great-
ness and power, or from a partiality to the first stage of married
life, to take a new partner nearly every month; and at the end
of that period to divorce her, and marry her to one of his at-
tendants. The happy man thus lived in a continual honeymoon.
Of the three ladies now forming his harem, the chief was
Amsha, a lady celebrated in the song of every Arab of the
desert for her beauty and noble blood. She was the daughter of
Hassan, Sheikh of the Tai, a tribe tracing its origin from the
remotest antiquity, and one of whose chiefs, Hatem, her ances-
tor, is a hero of Eastern romance. Sofuk had carried her away
by force from her father; but had always treated her with
great respect. From her rank and beauty, she had earned the
title of "Queen of the Desert." Her form, traceable through
the thin shirt which she wore like other Arab women, was well
proportioned and graceful. She was tall in stature, and fair in
complexion. Her features were regular, and her eyes large,
dark, and brilliant. She had undoubtedly claims to more than
ordinary beauty; to the Arabs she was perfection, for all the re-
sources of their art had been exhausted to complete what nature
had begun. Her lips were dyed deep blue, her eyebrows were
continued in indigo until they united over the nose, her cheeks
and forehead were spotted with beauty-marks, her eyelashes
darkened by kohl; and on her legs and bosom could be seen the
.attooed ends of flowers and fanciful ornaments, which were
carried in festoons and network over her whole body. Hanging
from each ear, and reaching to her waist, was an enormous
ear-ring of gold; terminating in a tablet of the same material,
carved and ornamented with four turquoises. Her nose was
also adorned w'-.h a prodigious gold ring, set with jewels, of


.70
Chap. IV.
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
such ample dimensions that it covered her mouth, and had to
be removed when she ate. Ponderous rows of strung beans,
Assyrian cylinders; fragments of coral, agates, and party-col-
ored stones, hung from her neck; silver rings encircled her
wrists and ankles, making a loud jingling as she walked. Over
ner blue shirt was thrown, when she issued from her tent, a
coarse striped cloak, and a common black kerchief was bound
loosely round her temples by a rope of twisted camel's hair.
Her menage combined, if the old song be true, the domestic
and the queenly, and was carried on with a nice appreciation of
economy. The immense sheet of black goat-hair canvas, which
formed the tent, was supported by twelve or fourteen stou
poles, and was completely open on one side. Being entirely
set apart for the women, it had no partitions, like the tent
of the common Arab, who is obliged to reserve a corner for
the reception of his guests. Between the center poles were
placed, upright and close to one another, large goat-hair sacks,
filled with rice, corn, barley, coffee, and other household stuff;
their mouths being, of course, upward. Upon them were
spread carpets and cushions, on which Amsha reclined. Around
her, squatted on the ground, were some fifty handmaidens, tend-
ing the wide caldrons, baking bread on the iron plates heated
over the ashes, or shaking between them the skins suspended
from three Stakes, and filled with milk to be thus churned into
butter. It is the privilege of the head wife to prepare in her
tent the dinners of the sheikh's guests. Fires, lighted on all
sides, sent forth a cloud of smoke, which hung heavily under
the folds of the tent, and would have long before dimmed any
eyes less bright than those of Amsha. As supplies were asked
for by the women, she lifted the corner of her carpet, untied the
mouths of the sacks, and distributed their contents. Every thing
passed through her hands. To show her authority and rank, she
poured continually upon her attendants a torrent of abuse, and
honored them with epithets, of which I may be excused at-
tempting to give a translation; her vocabulary equaling, if not
exceeding, in richness, that of the highly-educated lady of thn


Chap. IV.
SOFUK'S MARE.
71
city.* The combination of the domestic and authoritative was
thus complete. Her children, three naked little urchins, black
with sun and mud, and adorned with long tails of plaited hair
hanging from the crown of their heads, rolled in the ashes, or
on the grass.
Amsha, as I have observed, shared the affections, though not
the tent of Sofuk—for each establishment had a tent of its own
—with two other ladies: Atouia, an Arab not much inferior to
her rival in personal appearance; and Ferrah, originally a
Yezidi slave, who had no pretensions to beauty. Amsha, how.
ever, always maintained her sway, and the others could not sit,
without her leave, in her presence. To her alone were confided
the keys of the larder—supposing Sofuk to have had either keys
or larder—and there was no appeal from her authority on all
subjects of domestic economy.
Mrs. Rassam was received with great ceremony by the
ladies. To show the rank and luxurious habits of her hus-
band, Amsha offered her guest a glass of "eau sucree," which
Mrs. Rassam, who is over-nice, assured me she could not drink,
as it was mixed by a particularly dirty negro, in the absence of
a spoon, with his fingers, which he sucked continually during the
process.
In the evening, Amsha and Ferrah returned Mrs. Rassam's
visit; Sofuk having, however, first obtained a distinct promise
that they were to be received in a tent from which gentlemen
were to be excluded. They were very inquisitive, and their
indiscreet curiosity could with difficulty be satisfied.
Sofuk was the owner of a mare of matchless beauty, called,
as if the property of the tribe, the Shammeriyah. Her dam,
who died about ten years ago, was the celebrated Kubleh, whose
renown extended from the sources of the Khabour to the end of
the Arabian promontory, and the day of whose death is ar.
* It may not perhaps be known that the fair inmate of the harem, whom
we picture to ourseives conversing with her lover in language too delicate
and refined to be expressed by any thing but flowers, uses ordinarily wordi
which would shock the ears of even the most depraved among us.


72
Chap. IV
MNEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
epoch from which the Arabs of Mesopotamia date events con
cerning their tribe. Mohammed-Emin, sheikh of tne Jebours,
assured me that he had seen Sofuk ride down the wild ass
of the Sinjar on her back, and the most marvelous stories
are current in the desert of her fleetness and powers of endur-
ance. Sofuk esteemed her and her daughter above'all .'the
riches of the tribe; for her he would have forfeited all his
wealth, and even Amsha herself. Owing to the visit of the
irregular troops, the best horses of the sheikh and his followers
were concealed in a secluded ravine at sume distance from the
tents.
Al Hather was about eighteen miles from Sofuk's encamp-
ment. He gave us two well-known horsemen to accompany us
to the ruins. Tfreir names were Dathan and Abiram. The
former was a black slave, to whom the sheikh had given his
liberty and a wife—two things, it may be observed, which are
in the desert perfectly consistent. He was the most faithful
and brave of all the adherents of Sofuk, and the fame of his
exploits had spread through the tribes of Arabia. As we rode
along, I endeavored to obtain from him some information con-
cerning his people, but he would only speak on one subject.
"Ya Bej,"* said he, "the Arab only thinks of two things, war
and love: war, Ya Bej, every one understands; let us, there-
fore, talk of love."
As we rode to Al Hather, we passed large bodies of the Sham-
mar moving with their tents, flocks, and families. On all sides
appeared the huge expanding wings of the ladies' camel-saddle,
looking, as it rose above the horizon, like some stupendous
butterfly skimming slowly over the plain. Dathan was known
to all. As the horsemen approached, they dismounted and em-
braced him, kissing him, as is customary, on both cheeks, and
holding him by the hand until many compliments had been ex-
changed.
* "0 my Lord:" ho so prefaced every sentence. The Shammar Arat*
pronounce the word Beg, which the Constantinopolitans soften into Bov,
Bej-


Chap. IV.
THE RUIN'S OF AL HATHKK.
73
A dark thunder-cloud rose behind the time-worn ruins of A5
Hather as we approached them. The sun, still throwing its
rays upon the walls, lighted up the yellow stones until they
shone like gold.* Mr. Ross and myself, accompanied by an
Arab, urged our horses onward, that we might escape the
coining storm; but it burst upon us in its fury ere we reached
the palace. The lightning played through the vast buildings, the
thunder re-echoed through its deserted halls, and the hail com-
pelled us to rein up our horses, and turn our backs to the tem-
pest. It was a fit moment to enter such ruins as these. They
rose in solitary grandeur in the midst of a desert, "in media
solitudine positae," as they stood fifteen centuries before, when
described by the Roman historian.f On my previous visit, the
first view I obtained of Al Hather was perhaps no less striking.
We had been wandering for three days in the wilderness without
.seeing one human habitation. On the fourth morning a thick
mist hung over the place. We had given up the search when
the vapors were drawn up like a curtain, and we saw the ruins
before us. At that time within the walls were the tents of some
Shammar Arabs, but now as we crossed the confused heaps of
fragments, forming a circle round the city, we saw that the place
was tenantless. Flocks on a neighboring rising ground showed,
however, that Arabs were not distant.
We pitched our tents in the great court-yard, in front of the
•palace, and near the entrance to the inner inclosure. During
the three days we remained among the ruins 'I had ample time
to take accurate measurements, and to make plans of the various
buildings still partly standing within the walls. As Al Hather
has already been described by others, and as the information I
was able to collect has been placed before the public, % I need
* The rich golden tint of the limestone, of which the great monuments
of Syria are built, is known to every traveler in that country. The ruins
of Al Hather have the same bright color; they look as if they had been
steeped in the sunbeams.
t Ammianus Marcellinns, lib. xxv. cap. 8.
X See Dr. Ross's Memoir in the Geographical Society's Journal, and Dr.
Ainsworth's Travels. A memoir on the place by me, accompanied by
/ans, &c, was read bofore the Institute of British Architects.
D


74
Chap fV
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
not detain the reader with a detailed account of the place
Suffice it to mention, that the walls of the city, flanked by
numerous towers, form almost a complete circle, in the center of
which rises the palace, an edifice of great magnificence, solidly
constructed of squared stones, and elaborately sculptured with
figures and ornaments. It dates probably from the reign of one
of the Sassanian Kings of Persia, certainly not prior to the Ar-
sacian dynasty, although the city itself was, I have little doubt,
founded at a v^ry early period, being one of the great caravan
stations, like Palmyra, connecting the cities of Syria with those
on the banks of the Tigris. The singular marks upon the stones,
which appear to be either a builder's sign or to have reference to
some'religious observance, are found in most of the buildings of
Sassanian origin in Persia, Babylonia, and Susiana.
With the exception of occasional alarms in the night, caused
by thieves attempting to steal our horses, we were not disturbed
during our visit. The Arabs from the tents in the neighbor-
hood brought us milk, butter, and sheep. We drank the water
of the Thathar, which is, however, rather salt; and our ser-
vants and camel-drivers filled during the day many baskets with
•ruffles.
On our return we crossed the desert, reaching Wadi Ghusub
the first night, and Mosul on the following morning. Dathan
and Abiram, who had both distinguished themselves in re-
cent forays, and had consequently accounts to settle with the
respectable merchants of the place, the balance being very much
against them, could not be prevailed upon to enter the town,
where they were generally known. ' We had provided ourselves
with two or three dresses of Damascus silk, and we invested
our guides as a mark of satisfaction for their services. Dathan
grinned a melancholy smile as he received his reward. "Ya
Bej," he exclaimed, as he turned his mare toward the desert;
"may God give you peace! Wallah! your camels shall be as
the camels of the Shammar. Be they laden with gold, they shall
pass through our tents, and our people shall not touch them."
A. year after our visit the career of Sofuk was >rought to its


■
Chap. IV. MURDER OF NEJRIS AND SOFUK. 7b
close. I have mentioned that Nejris, his rival, had obtained
the support of nearly the whole tribe of Shammar. In a
month Sofuk found himself nearly alone. His relations and
immediate adherents, among whom were Dathan and Abiram,
still pitched their tents with him; but he feared the attacks of
his enemies, and retreated for safety into the territory of Bedei
Khan Bey, to the east of the Tigris, near Jezirah. He then
sought the support of Nejib Pashaw of Baghdad, under whosii
authority the Shammar were supposed to be, and having suc-
ceeded in bringing back a considerable part of the tribe, pro-
posed to Nejris, that they should meet at his tents, forget their
differences, and share equally the sheikhship of the Shammar.
The unfortunate sheikh was induced by Ferhan, the son of
Sofuk, to enter the encampment of his rival, where he was
perfidiously murdered, in violation of those laws of hospitality
which are so much respected by the Arabs. The Shammar
were amazed and disgusted by an act of perjury which brough'
disgrace upon the tribe. They withdrew a second time fron
Sofuk, and placed themselves under a new leader, a relation or'
the murdered sheikh. Sofuk again appealed to Nejib Pashaw,
justifying his conduct by the dissensions which would have led
to constant disorders in Mesopotamia had there still been rival
candidates for the sheikhship. Nejib pretended to be satisfied, and
agreed to send' out a party of irregular troops to assist Sofuk in
enforcing his authority throughout the desert.
The commander of the troops sent by Nejib was joyfully re-
ceived by Sofuk, who immediately marched against the tribe. But
he had scarcely left his tent, when he found that he had fallen into
a snare such as he had more than once set for others. In a few
hours after, his head was in the palace of the Pashaw of Baghdad.
Such was the end of one whose name will long be remembcrc d
in the wilds of Arabia; who, from his power and wealth, re-
ceived the title of "the King of the Desert," and led the glial
tribe of Shammar from the banks of the Khabour to tha ruin.* <jf
Babylon. The tale of the Arab w'll turn for many yeair tf>
come on the exploits and magnificence of Sofuk. . ,


76 NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS. Chap. V
*
CHAPTER V.
CUSCOVEKY OF SMALL OBJECTS.—PAVEMENT Or THE CHAMBEF.S.—AH ARAB
FEAST. ARRIVAL OF TAHYAR PASHAW.—EXCAVATIONS CONTINUED.
THE SUMMER AT NIMROUD.—A WHIRLWIND.—FURTHER DISCOVERIES
OF BAS-RELIEFS.—DESCRIPTIOHS OF THE SCULPTURES.—PAHCTED PLAS-
TER.—RECEIPT OF VIZIRIAL LETTER.—EXCAVATIONS AT KOUTUNJIK.—
FRESH DISCOVERIES AT HIMROUD.—SURPRISE OF THE ARABS.—FIRST
COLLECTION OP SCULPTURES SENT TO ENGLAND. VISIT FROM TAHYAR
PASHAW.—SPECULATIONS OF THE TURKS ON THE SCULPTURES. RE-
MOVE TO MOSUL. DISCOVERY OF A BUILDING IN A MOUND HEAB
KOUYUNJIK.—NEW CHAMBERS OPENED AT NIMROUD.
On my return to Mosul I hastened back to Nimroud. During
my absence little progress had been made, as only two men had
been employed in removing the rubbish from the upper part of
the chamber to which the great human-headed lions formed an
entrance. The lions to the east of them* had, however, been
completely uncovered; that to the right had fallen from its
place, and was sustained by the opposite sculpture. Between
them was a large pavement slab covered with cuneiform char-
acters.
In clearing the earth from this entrance, and from behind the
fallen lion, many ornaments in copper, two small ducks in baked
clay, and tablets of alabaster inscribed on both sides were dis-
covered.! Among the remains in copper were the head of a
ram or bull, £ several hands (the fingers closed and slightly
bent), and a few flowers. The hands may have served as a
casing to similar objects in baked clay, frequently found among
the ruins, and having an inscription, containing the names,
titles, and genealogy of the king, graved upon the fingers.
The heads of the ducks are turned and rest upon the back,
which bears an inscription in cuneiform characters. Object*
* Entrance d, plan 3.
t All these objects are now in the British Museum.
% This head probably belonged to a throne or seat.


Chap. V.
AN AKAB FEAST.
77
somewhat similar have been found in Egypt. The inscribed
tablets appear to have been built into the walls of sun-dried
bricks, to record the foundation of the edifice. The inscrip-
tion upon them resembled that on all the slabs in the N. W.
palace.
It is remarkable that while such parts of the great hall as
had been uncovered were paved with baked bricks, and the
smaller entrance to it with a large slab of alabaster, between
the two great lions there were only sun-dried bricks. In the
middle of this entrance, near the fore-part of the lions, were
a few square stones carefully placed. I expected to find under
them small figures in clay, similar to those discovered by M.
Botta in the doorways at Khorsabad; but nothing of the kind
existed.
As several of the principal Christian families of Mosul were
anxious to see the sculptures, whose fame had spread over the
town and province, I was desirous of gratifying their curiosity
before the heat of summer had rendered the plain of Nim-
roud almost uninhabitable. An opportunity, at the same time,
presented itself of securing the good-will of the Arab tribes
encamped near the ruins, by preparing an entertainment which
might gratify all parties. The Christian ladies, who had nevei
before been out of sight of t!ie walls of their houses, were eagei
to see the wonders of Nimroud, and availed themselves joyfully
of the permission, with difficulty extracted from their husbands,
to leave their homes. The French consul and his wife, and Mr.
and Mrs. Rassam, joined the party. On the day after theii
arrival I issued a general invitation to all the Arabs of the dis-
trict, men and women.
White pavilions, borrowed from the pashaw, had been pitched
near the river, on a broad lawn still carpeted with flowers.
These were for the ladies, and for the reception of the sheikhs.
Black tents were provided for some of the guests, for the attend-
ants, and for the kitchen. A few Arabs encamped around us to
watch the horses, which were picketed on all sides. An open
sDace was left in the center of the group of tents for dancing,


78 NINEVEH AND ITS BEMAINS. Chap. V
and for various exhibitions provided for the entertainment of the
company.
Early in the morning came Abd-ur-rahman, mounted on a
tall white mare. He had adorned himself with all the finery he
possessed. Over his kefTiah or head-kerchief, was folded a white
turban, edged with long fringes which fell over his shoulders,
and almost concealed his handsome features. He wore a long
robe of red silk and bright yellow boots, an article of dress
much prized by Arabs. He was surrounded by horsemen carry-
ing spears tipped with tufts of ostrich feathers.
As the sheikh of the Abou-Salman approached the tents, 1
rode out to meet him. A band of Kurdish musicians advance!
at the same time to do honor to the Arab chief. As ho drew
near to the encampment, the horsemen, led by Schloss, his
nephew, urged their mares to the utmost of their speed, and
engaging in mimic war, filled the air with their wild war-cry..
Their shoutings were, however, almost drowned by the Kurds,
who belabored their drums, and blew into their pipes with re-
doubled energy. Sheikh Abd-ur-rahman, having dismounted,
seated himself with becoming gravity on the sofa prepared for
guests of his rank; while his Arabs picketed their mares,
fastening the haltere to spears driven into the ground.
The Abou-Salman were followed by the Shemutti and Jehesh,
who came with their women and children, on foot, except the
sheikhs, who rode on horseback. They also chanted their
peculiar war-cry as they advanced. When they reached the
fents, the chiefs placed themselves on the divan, while the others
seated themselves in a circle on the greensward.
The wife and daughter of Abd-ur-rahman, mounted on mares,
and surrounded by their slaves and hand-maidens, next appeared.
They dismounted at the entrance of the ladies' tents, where an
abundant repast of sweetmeats, halwa, parched peas, and lettuces
had been prepared for them.
Fourteen sheep had been roasted and boiled to feast the
crowd that had assembled. They were placed on large wooden
platters, which, after the men had satisfied themselves, were


UUAp. V.
AN ARAB FEAST.
79
passed on to the women. The dinner having been devoured to
the last fragment, dancing succeeded. Some scruples had to
be overcome before the women would join, as there were other
tribes, besides their own, present; and when, at length, by the
exertions of Mr. Hormuzd Rassam, this difficulty was over-
come, they made up different sets. Those who did not take an
active share in the amusements seated themselves on the grass,
and formed a large circle round the dancers. The sheikhs re-
mained on the sofas and divans. The dance of the Arabs, the
Debke, as it is called, resembles in some respects that of the
Albanians, and those who perform in it are scarcely less vehe-
ment in their gestures, or less extravagant in their excitement,
than those wild mountaineers. They form a circle, holding one
another by the hand, and, moving slowly round at first, go
through a shuffling step with their feet, twisting their bodies
into various attitudes. As the music quickens, their movements
are more active; they stamp with their feet, yell their war-cry,
and jump as they hurry round the musicians.' The motions of
the women are not without grace; but as they insist on wrap-
ping themselves in their coarse cloaks before they join in the
dance, their forms, which the simple Arab shirt so well displays,
are entirely concealed.
When those who formed the debke were completely ex-
hausted by their exertions, they joined the lookers-on, and
seated themselves on the ground. Two warriors of different
tribes, furnished with shields and naked cimuers, then entered
the circle, and went through the sword-dance. As the musio
quickened the excitement of the performers increased. The
bystanders at length were obliged to interfere and to deprive
the combatants of their weapons, which were replaced by stout
staves. With these they belabored one another unmercifully,
,'o the great enjoyment of the crowd. On every successful hit,
Vie tribe, to which the one who dealt it belonged, set up theii
war-cry and shouts of applause, while the women deafened us
with the shrill tahlehl, a noise made by a combined motion
of the tongue, throat, and hand vibrated rapidly over tha


80
Chap. V
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
mouth. When an Arab or a Kurd hears this tahlehl he alraosl
loses his senses through excitement, and is ready 10 commit any
desperate act.
A party of Kurdish jesters from the mountains entertained the
Arabs with performances and imitations, more amusing than re-
fined. They were received with shouts of laughter. The
dances were kept up by the light of the moon', the greater part
of the night.
On the following morning Abd-ur-rahman invited us to his
tents, and we were entertained with renewed debkes andt«word-
dances. The women, undisturbed by the presence of another
tribe, entered more fully into the amusement, and danced with
greater animation. The sheikh insisted upon my joining with
him in leading off a dance, in which we were followed by some
five hundred warriors, and Arab women.
The festivities lasted three days, and made the impression 1
had anticipated. They earned me a great reputation and no
small respect, the Arabs long afterward talking of their re-
ception and entertainment. When there was occasion for their
services, I found the value of the feeling toward me, which a
little show of kindness to these ill-used people had served to pro-
duce.
Hafiz Pashaw, who had been appointed to succeed the last
governor, having received a more lucrative post, the province
was sold to Tahyar Pashaw, who made his public entry intc
Mosul early in M y, followed by a large body of troops, and by
the cadi, mufti, ulema, and principal inhabitants of the town.
The Mosuleeans had not been deceived by the good report of
his benevolence and justice which had preceded him. He was
a perfect specimen of the Turkish gentleman of the old school,
of whom few are now left in Turkey: venerable in his ap-
pearance, bland and polished in his manners, courteous tu
Europeans, and well informed on subjects connected with the
literature and history of his country. I had been furnished
with serviceable letters of introduction to him; he received me
with every mark of attention, and at once permitted me to cou,


Chap. V.
EXCAVATIONS CONTINUED.
SI
tinue the excavations. As a matter of form, he named a ca
wass, to superintend the work on his part. I willingly concurred
in this arrangement, as it saved me from any further inconve.
nience on the score of treasure; for which, it was still believed,
I was successfully searching. This officer's name was Ibrahim
Agha. He had been many years with Tahyar Pashaw, and wat
a kind of favorite. He served me during my residence in As.
syria, and on my subsequent journey to Constantinople, witli
great fidelity; and as is very rarely the case with his fraternity
with great honesty.
The support of Tahyar Pashaw relieved me from some of mj
difficulties; for there was no longer cause to fear any interrup.
tion on the part of the authorities. But my means were verj
limited, and my own resources did not enable me to carry on
the excavations as I wished. I returned, however, to Nimroud,
and formed a small but effective body of workmen, choosing
those.who had already proved themselves equal to the work.
The heats of summer had now commenced, and it was no
longer possible to live under a white tent. The huts were
equally uninhabitable, and still swarmed with vermin. In this
dilemma I ordered a recess to be cut into the bank of the river
where it rose perpendicularly from the water's edge. By
screening the front with reeds and boughs of ^rees, and cover
ing the whole with similar materials, a small room was formed
I was much troubled, however, with scorpions and other rep
tiles, which issued from the earth forming the walls of my
apartment; and later in the summer by the gnats and sandflies,
which hovered on a calm night over the river. Similar rooms
were made for my servants. They were the safest that could
be invented, should the Arabs take to stealing after dark. My
horses were picketed on the edge of the bank above, and the
tents of my workmen were pitched in a semicircle bphind
them.
The change to summer had been as rapid as that which
ushered in the spring. The verdure of the plain had perished
almost in a day. Hot winds, coming from thf desert, had


82
CuAr. V.
Os'INEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
burnt up and carried away the shrubs; flights of locusts, dark-
ening the air, had destroyed the few patches of cultivation, and
had completed the havoc commenced by the heat of the sun.
The Abou-Salman Arabs, having struck their black tents, were
now living in ozailis, or sheds constructed of reeds and grass,
along the banks of the river. The Shemutti aqd Jehesh had re-
turned to their villages, and the plain presented the same naked
and desolate aspect that it wore in the month of November. The
heat, however, was now almost intolerable. Violent whirlwinds
occasionally swept over the face of the country. They could be
seen as they advanced from the desert, Carrying along with then
clouds of sand and dusl. Almost utter darkness prevailed dur
ing their passage, which lasted generally about an hour, anc
nothing could resist their fury. On returning home one after-
noon after a tempest of this kind, I found no traces of my dwell-
ings; they had been completely carried away. Ponderous
wooden frame-works had been borne over the bank, and hurled
some hundred yards distant; the tents had disappeared, and my
furniture was scattered over the plain. When on the mound, my
only secure place of refuge was beneath the fallen lion, where J
could defy the fury of the whirlwind: the Arabs ceased from
their work, and crouched in the trenches, almost suffocated and
blinded by the dense cloud of fine dust and sand which nothing
could exclude.*
Although the number of my workmen was small, the
excavations were carried on as actively as possible. The
two human-headed lions, at the small entrance to the great
hall, already described, led into another chamber, or to
sculptured walls, forming an outward facing to the build-
* Storms of this nature are frequent during the early part of summer
throughout Mesopotamia, Babylonia, and Susiana. It is difficult to con-
fey an idea of their violence. They appear suddenly, and without any
previous sign, and seldom last above an hour. It was during one of them
that "the Tigris" steamer, under the command of Colonel Chesney, was
wrecked in the Euphrates; and so darkened was the atmosphere that, al-
though the vessel was within a short distance of the bank of the river, sev-
eral persons who were in her are supposed to have lost their lives from not
knowing in what direction to swim.


Chai\ V. DESCRIPTION OF THE SCULPTURES,
S3
ing.* The slabs to the right and left, had fallen from their ori-
ginal position, and, with the exception of one, were broken. I
had some difficulty in raising the pieces from the ground. As
(he face of the slabs was downward, the sculpture had been well
preserved.
To the right. was represented the king holding a bow in
ne hand and two arrows in the other. He was followed by
h } attendant eunuch, who bore a second bow and a quiver
for his use, and a mace, with a head in the form of a rosette,
which may have been one of the wooden clubs, topped with
iron, mentioned by Herodotus as a weapon used by the As-
syrians, or one of those staffs adorned with an apple, a rose,
a lily, or an eagle, described by the same historian as carried
by the Babylonians.f Standing before him were his vizier and
an eunuch, their hands crossed before them, a posture still
assumed in the East as one of respect and submission by
inferiors in the presence of persons of rank. It is interest-
ing thus to trace the observance of the same customs in the
same countries, after the lapse of so many centuries. In the bas-
relief representing a similar subject discovered in the S. W.
ruins, the vizier raises his right hand before the king—an atti
tude, apparently denoting an oath or homage, in which depend-
ents are seen on the later monuments of the Achsemenian and
Sassanian dynasties. Dejoces, who was the successor of the
Assyrian monarchs, permitted no one to see him, except cer-
tain privileged individuals; and the person of the Persian king,
as we learn from the story of Esther, was considered so sacred,
that even the queen, who ventured before him without being
bidden, was punished with death, "except the king might
hold out the golden scepter that she might live.":]: It might
be expected, therefore, that in the Assyrian sculptures those
who stand in the royal presence would be portrayed in tho
lumblest posture of submission. These figures were about
* Wall T, plan 3.
t Herod, lib. vii. c. 68, and lib. i. c. 195.
j Herod, lib. i. c. 99 j Esther iv. 11.
e2


84
Chap. V.
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
and elaborate.
eight feet high; the relief very low, and the ornaments rich
The bracelets, armlets, and weapons were all
adorned with the heads of norses,
bulls, and rams, the style of which
would not have been unworthy of
the exquisite chasing of the middle
ages; color still remained on die
hair, beard, and sandals.
The adjoining slab, forming a wall
at right angles with these bas-reliefs,
was of enormous dimensions, but had
been broken in two: the upper part
had fallen, the lower was still stand-
ing in its place. It was only aftei
Handles of three Daggers car- many ineffectual attempts that 1
ried in the Girdle. (N. W. , , . . . . . „ . ,,
succeeded in raising the fallen halt

Palace, Nimroud.j
sufficiently to see the sculpture upon it. It was a winged
giant about sixteen and a half feet high in low relief, carry-
ing the fir-cone and square utensil; in other respects similar
to those already dgperibed, except that it had four wings, two
rising from each shoulder, and almost completely encircling the
figure.
On the opposite side of the entrance, were also a vizier and
his attendant; but they were followed by figures, differing
altogether in dress from those previously discovered, and ap-
parently resembling people of another race; some carrying
presents or offerings, consisting of armlets, bracelets, and ear-
rings on trays; others elevating their clenched hands, probably
in token of submission. They were evidently captives and
tribute-bearers from a conquered nation ushered into the pres-
ence of the monarch by his minister. Among the objects of
tribute were two monkeys, held by ropes; one raising itself
on its hind legs, the other sitting on the shoulders of its
keeper.* The costume of these figures consisted of higb boot?
* This bas-relief is in the British Museum.


Chap. V
DESCRIPTION OF THE SCULPTURES. 85
turned up at the toes, resembling those still in use in Turkey
and Persia; conical caps, apparently formed by bands, or folds
of felt or linen; and loose shirts descending to the ankles, orna .
mented down the center and at the bottom with fringes. The
figure with the monkey was clothed in a short tunic, scarcely
reaching to the calf of the leg, and his hair was simply bound up
by a fillet. There were traces of black paint on the face, but it
is probable that it had been washed down from the hair, as no
remains of color have been found on the face of any other figure,
although it is possible that the Assyrians, like the Egyptians,
may have denoted races, sexes, and the orders of the priosthood
by various tints.
To the south of the co'ossal lions forming the principal en-
trance* to the great hall, the wall was continued by an eagle-
headed figure resembling that on the opposite side. Adjoining
it was a corner-stone bearing the sacred tree—beyond, the slabs
ceased altogether; but I soon found that they had only fallen
from their places, and that although broken, the sculptures upon
them representing battles, sieges, and other historical subjects,
were, as far as it could be ascertained by the examination of
one or two, in admirable preservation. The wall of sun-dried
'iricks, against which they had stood, was still distinctly visible
iO the height of twelve or fourteen feet. This wall served as my
guide in digging onward, to the distance of about one hundred
feet.
The first sculpture discovered still standing in its original
position, was a winged human-headed bull of yellow limestone.
On the previous day we had found the detached human hea i
now in the British Museum. The bull, to which it belonged,
and which had formed one side of an entrance, had been broken
into several pieces by falling against the opposite sculpture. 1
lifted the body wit'i difficulty; and discovered under it sixteen
copper lions, of admirable execution, forming a regular series,
diminishing in size from the largest, which was above one foot
* Entrance a, chamber B, plan 3.


NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
Chap. V.
n length, to the smallest, which scarcely exceeded an inch. A
ing attached to the back of each, gave them the appearance
weights. In the same place were Me fragments of an earthen
>*ase, on which were represented two figures, with the wings and
:las of a bird, the breasts of a woman, and the tail of a scorpion.*

* All these rci.nains are now ii the British Museum.


Chap. V.
BAS-RELIEFS ON SLAU&
S7
Beyond the winged bulls the slabs were still upright and entire.
On the first was sculptured a winged human figure carrying a
branch with five flowers in the raised right hand, ai d the usual
square vessel in the left. Around his temples was a fillet adorned
with three rosettes. On each of the four following slabs were two
bas-reliefs, divided by the usual inscription. The upper, on the
first slab, represented a castle apparently built on an island in a
river. One tower was defended by an armed man, on two others
were females. Three warriors, probably escaping from theenemy,
were swimming across the stream; two of them supporting
themselves on inflated skins, in the mode practiced to this day
by the Arabs inhabiting the banks of the rivers of Assyria and
M< sopotamia; except that, in the bas-relief, the swimmers wero

Battering Kane with mcvaole Tower containing Warriors. (N. W
Palace, Nimroud )


88 NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS. Chap. V
pictured as retaining in their mouths the aperture through
which the skin is filled with air. The third, pierced by the
arrows of two warriors kneeling on the shore, was struggling
without any support against the current. Three rudely designed
trees completed the background.
The upper compartment of the next slab represented the
siege of a city, in which the king, followed by his shield-bearer
and attendants, was seen discharging an arrow against the
enemy. A battering-ram of wicker-work, on wheels, and at-
tached to a movable tower, occupied by two warriors, had been
drawn up to the walls, from which several stones had already
been dislodged. The besieged, apparently anticipating the fall
of their city, were asking for quarter.
Beneath the two bas-reliefs just described was one subject.
The king, followed by his eunuchs and by his chariot, from which
he had dismounted, was receiving a line of prisoners brought
before him by his vizier. Some bore objects of spoil or tribute,
such as vases, shawls, and elephants' tusks; others were bound
together by ropes, and were-driven forward by Assyrian war-
riors with drawn swords.
The upper compartments of the third and fourth slabs con-
tained hunting scenes. The king was represented as discharg-
ing an arrow against a lion springing upon his chariot, while
a second, already pierced by many shafts, had fallen beneath
the feel of the horses. Two warriors with drawn swords
appeared to be running to the assistance of the monarch. This
bas-relief, from the knowledge of art displayed in the treat-
ment and composition, the correct and effective delineation of
the men and animals, and the spirit of the grouping, is one of
the finest specimens yet discovered of Assyrian sculpture. The
rage of the fallen animal, who is struggling to extricate the
arrow from his neokj is admirably portrayed; while the majesty
and power conveyed in the form of the springing lion is
worthy of a very high order of art. In the other bas-relief the
king in his chariot was seen piercing a wild bull with a short
eword; a second bull wounded by arrows being beneath the


CHAI\ V.
SCULPTURES ON SLABS.
89
horses. A horseman following the chariot led a second horse,
apparently for the use of the king. The animal represented
in this sculpture was probably a wild ox, once inhabiting the
Assyrian plains, and long since extinct, as neither tradition nor
history records its existence in this part of Asia. It may have
roved through Assyria at a very early period, and may have
been exterminated when an increasing population covered thr?
face of the country with cities and villages.* It is distinguishea
from the domestic ox by a number of small marks covering the
body, and apparently intended to denote long and shaggy hair,
and is represented with one horn, as horses are frequently with
only two legs or one ear, because the Assyrian sculptor did not
attempt to give both in a side view of the animal. Beneath
these bas-reliefs was represented the king on his return from the
chase, pouring a libation or drinking out of the sacred cup above
the fallen lion and bull. His attendants stood around him, and
musicians celebrated, on stringed instruments, his victories over
the wild beasts of the desert.f
The frequent representations of hunting scenes, in which the
king is the principal actor, is a proof of the high estimation in
which the chase was held by the primitive inhabitants of Assyria.
A conqueror and the founder of an empire was, at the same
time, a great hunter. His courage, wisdom, and dexterity were
as much shown in encounters with wild animals as in mart al
exploits; he rendered equal services to his subjects, whether he
cleared the country of beasts of prey, or repulsed an enemy. The
scriptural Nimrod, who laid the foundation of the Assyrian
* I have found no representation of this animal in any sculptures of a
later date than those of the N. W. palace of Nimroud, the earliest Assyrian
edifice with which we are acquainted. Had it inhabited the plains of Meso-
potamia in the time of Xenophon. he would probably have described it when
speaking of the wild animals of that province. The wild ox is mentioned in
Deut. xiv. 5, among the animals whose flesh may be eaten by the Je-vs.
The " wild bull in a net" is also alluded to in Isaiah li. 20. The Hebrew
word is rendered " wild bull" in the Targums. and " oryx" in the Vulgate;
some, however, believe the animal meant to be a kind of antelope. (Gesenius,
Lex. in voce.)
t All the bas-reliefs here described are now in the British Museum


90
CflAI V
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
monarchy was "a mighty hunter before the Lord;" and the
Ninus of history and tradition, the builder of Nineveh, and the
greatest of the Assyrian kings, was as renowned for his en-
counters with the lion and the leopard, as for his triumphs over
warlike nations. The Babylonians, as well as the Assyrians,
ornamented the walls of their temples and palaces with pictures
and sculptures representing the chase; and similar subjects were
introduced even in the embroidery .of garments. The Assyrians
were probably also the inventors of the parks, or paradises,
which were afterward maintained at so vast a cost by the
Persian kings of the Achcemenian and Sassanian dynasties. In
these spacious preserves wild animals of various kinds were con
tinually kept for the diversion of the king and of those who
were privileged to join with him in the chase. They con-
tained lions, tigers, wild boars, antelopes, and many varieties
of birds. The sculptures just described may represent the
king hunting in one of those royal paradises.
The Assyrian, like the Persian youths, were probably trained
to the chase at an early age. Xenophon gives an interesting
account of the hunting expeditions of the Persians in the time
of Cyrus. The king was accompanied by half his guard,
each man being armed as if he were going to battle, with a
bow, quiver, sword, shield, and two javelins,—hunting being,
a. Xenophon declares, the truest method of practicing all such
things as relate to war.* Such it would appear from the bas-
reliefs was also the practice among the Assyrians, for the king
is represented as accompanied by warriors fully equipped for
the fight.
On the flooring, below the sculptures, were discovered
remains of painted plaster still adhering to the sun-dried bricks,
which had formed the upper part of the wall above the sculp-
tured slabs. The colors, particularly the blues and reds, were as
brilliant and vivid when the earth was removed from them, as
they could have originally been; but on exposure to the ait
* Cyrop. lib. i. c. Z.


Chap. V.
EXCAVATIONS AT KOUYUNJIK.
91
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 them.
About this time I received from Sir Stratford Canning, the
\izirial letter 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 em-
bassador, 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 Vizier to the pashaw, and to make arrangements for
pursuing the researches as effectually as possible.
Not having yet examined the great mound of Kouyunjik,
believed by travelers to mark the true site of Nineveh, I de-
termined to open trenches in it. I had not previously done so,
as from the vicinity of the ruins to Mosul, the inhabitants of
the town would have been able 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 com.
inenced on the southern face, where the mound was highest;


92
CHAr. V
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
os sculptures, if any still existed, would probably be found in
the best state of preservation under the largest accumulation of
rubbish. My researches, however, were not attended with
much success. A few fragments of sculpture and inscriptions
were discovered, which enabled me to assert with some confi-
dence that the remains were those of a building cotemporary
or nearly so, with Khorsabad, and consequently of a more recent
epoch than the most ancient palace of Nimroud. All the briclc3
dug out bore the name of the same king, but I could not find
any traces of his geneaology. After excavating for about a
month, I discontinued my researches until a better opportunity
might offer.
On my return to Nimroud, about thirty men, chiefly Arabs,
were employed to dig in the N. W. palace.
On excavating beyond the five sculptured slabs last de-
scribed, a corner-stone with the sacred tree was discovered,
which formed the eastern end of a great hall, 154 feet in length,
and only 33 feet in breadth. These proportions, the length
so far exceeding the width, are peculiar to Assyrian interior
architecture, and may probably be attributed to the difficulty
experienced in roofing over a larger span. Adjoining this
corner-stone was a winged figure; beyond it a slab 14 feet
in length cut into a recess, in which were four figures. Two
kings stood face to face, their right hands raised in prayer
or adoration. Between them was the oft-recurring sacred-
tree, above which hovered that emblem of the supreme deity
—a human figure, with the wings and tail of a bird, inclosed
in a circle,—which was adopted by the Persians, and is the
type of Ormuzd, or the great God of the Zoroastian system,
on the monuments of Persepolis. In the right hand of this
figure was a ring. The kings, who were either different
monarchs, or were but a double representation of the same per-
son, appeared to be attired for the performance of some religious
ceremony. Their waists were encircled by knotted zones, the
ends of which fell almost to their feet. Around their necks were
suspended certain mystic emblems, and in their hands they


94
Chap. V.
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
pieces. This assemblage of winged human-headed lions and
bulls appears to havo formed the grand entrance into the palace
and must have been truly magnificent.
As the edge of a ravine had now been reached, the workmer
were directed to return to the yellow bulls, which formed the
entrance into a further chamber,* paneled with bas-reliefs rep-
resenting eagle-headed deities fa-
cing one another, and separated by
the sacred tree, except on the
east side, where a king stood be-
tween the same mythic figures.
Sacred Emblems suspended Around the monarch's neck were
round the Neck ol the King.
<K.W. Palace, Nimroud ) suspended the five sacred emblems.
They consist of the sun, a star, a
half-moon, a bident, and a horned cap similar to that worn by the
human-headed bulls.f
An entrance, formed by four slabs, two with bas-reliefs of
human figures carrying a mystic flower,:}: led me into a new
chamber, remarkable for the elaborate and careful finish of its
sculptures. I uncovered the northern wall, and the eastern as
far as a second entrance.§
The northern end of the chamber was occupied by one
group, the principal figure in which was that of the king, seated
on a throne or stool, holding in his right hand a cup, and
resting his left upon his knee. In front of the monarch stood
an eunuch, raising with one hand a fan, and holding in the
other the cover or stand of the cup from which the king
was drinking or pouring a libation. Over the shoulder of
this attendant was thrown an embroidered towel, resembling
that still presented by servants in the East to one who has
drunk, or performed his ablutions. He was followed by a
winged figure with the fir-cone and basket. Behind the king
* Ch. P, plan 3.
t It is worthy of remark that, with the exception of the horned cap, these
symbols are found on the sacred monuments of India, which, accompanied
as they are by the sacred bull, bear a striking resemblance to the Assyrian.
t Entrance a,ch, F. pi. 3. $ Entrance e, ch. G.
•


Chap. V.
ORNAMENTAL BAS-RELIKFS.
95
were two eunuchs bearing his arms, and a second wiugei figure
similar to that in front of the throne. The whole group prob-
ably represented the celebration, after a great victory, of sonw

Ornament on the Dress of Eunuchs.
religious ceremony, in which the presiding divinities of As
syria, or priests assuming their form, ministered to the king.
This very fine bas-relief was remarkable for the extreme deli-
cacy and beauty of the details. The robes of the monarch

Ornament on the Robe of King.
together with those of his attendants, were covered with the
most elaborate designs. In the center of his breast were
represented two kings in act of adoration before the emblem
of the supreme God. Around were engraved figures of winged


Chap. V.
ORNAMENTAL BAS-RELIEFS.
97
In the bas-relief I am describing, the dress of the king con-
sisted of a long flowing garment, edged with fringes and tassels
descending to his ankles, and confined at the waist by a girdle.
Over this robe a second, similarly orna-
mented, and open in front, appears to
have been thrown. From his shoulders
fell a cape, or hood, also adorned with
tassels, and to it were attached two long
ribbons or lappets. He wore the conical
miter, or tiara, which distinguishes the
monarch in Assyrian bas-reliefs, and
appears to have been reserved for him
alone. It is impossible to determine Head-Dress of the Xing
from the sculptures the nature of the (NT; Palace Nim
* TOUd.)
material of which it was made, but it
may be conjectured that it consisted of bands or folds of linen
or silk. It was adorned with flowers and other ornaments,
and was surmounted by a small cone.* Around the neck of
the king was a necklace. He wore ear-rings, and his arms, which
were bare from a little above the elbow, were encircled by arm-
lets and bracelets remarkable for the beauty of their forms. The
clasps were formed by the heads of animals, and the center by
stars and rosettes, probably inlaid with precious stones.f His
beard was elaborately plaited, and his hair, which fell in ringlets
on his shoulders, may have been partly artificial like that of the
Persian monarchs, who, according to Xenophon,^ wore a wig.
Both the hair and beard were probably dyed, and the eyes black.

* Such was the head-dress of the Persian monarchs, called the " cidaris,"
which appears to have resembled the Phrygian bonnet, or the French cap
of liberty. That worn by Darius was of blue and white, or purple and
white.' (Quint. Curt. lib. iii. ch. iii. and lib. vi. ch. 6.)
t The dress of the Assyrian king appears to have been similar to that of
his successors in the empire of the East. Xenophon describes Astyages
as clothed in a purple coat and rich habit, with necklaces round his neck
tnd bracelets on his arms. (Cyrop. lib. i. ch. 3.) Darius wore a tunic of
white and purple, embroidered robes, golden girdle, and sword adorned
with jewels. (Quint. Curt. lib. iii. ch. 3.)
t Cv-on lib i. r 3
E


NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
Chap. V.
ened with some preparation, resembling the kohl or surma still
used by persons of both sexes in the East. His sandals covered
1
The King's Sandal. (N.W. Palace, The King's Footstool.
Nimroud.) (N.W. Palace, Nimroud.)
the back part of the foot, leaving the fore part exposed, and were
fastened by bands crossing the instep and passing round the great
toe. The soles appear to have been of wood or thick leather.
The eunuchs and winged figures wore robes and ornaments
similar in most respects to those of the king. The eunuchs, how-
ever, had no other head-dress than the carefully curled ringlets.
The arms, carried by the eunuchs for their own use, as well
as for that of the king, were richly ornamented with the heads
of lions: the beaks of eagles held the strings of their'bows, and
their quivers were covered with groups of human figures
and animals. The king's throne and his footstool were in

.End of a Sword Sheath. The King's Throne.
(N.W. Palace, Nimroud.) (N.W. Palace, Nimroud )
keeping with the rest of the details. The throne or rather
stool,Tor it had neither back nor arms, was tastefully car"ed, and


Chap. V.
SURPRISE OF THE ARABS.
adorned with the heads of rams; the legs of the footstool termi-
nated in lions' paws. They may have been of wood or copper,
inlaid with ivory and other precious materials, or of solid gold,
like the tables and couches in the temple of Belus at Babylon.
The figures in these fine bas-reliefs were about eight feet high.
They were in an extraordinary state of preservation, the most
delicate chasings being still distinct, and the outline retaining
all its original sharpness.* On the other slabs forming the walls
of this chamber were alternate groups, representing the king
holding his bow in one hand and two arrows in the other, stand-
ing between winged figures ;^and the king also erect, raising the
sacred cup, and attended by eunuchs. The details in theso
sculptures were similar in character to those already described.
They furnished, however, many new and interesting groups;
such as the combats of winged figures with monsters of various
forms, scenes of the chase, goats and bulls kneeling before the
sacred tree, and the king performing certain religious ceremonies.
The Arabs marveled at these strange figures. As each head
was uncovered they showed their amazement by extravagant
gestures, or exclamations of surprise. If it were a bearded
man, they concluded at once that it was an idol or a Jin, and
cursed, or spat upon it. If an eunuch, they declared that it
was the likeness of a beautiful female, and kissed or patted
the cheek. They soon felt as much, interest as I did in the
discoveries, and worked with renewed ardor when their curi-
osity was excited by the appearance of a fresh sculpture. On
such occasions stripping themselves almost naked, throwing the
kerchief from their heads, and letting their matted hair stream
in the wind, they would rush like madmen into the trenches tr
carry off the baskets of earth, shouting, at the same time, the
war-cry of the tribe.
Passing through an entrance formed by the usual winged
figures, I reached a chamber paneled by slabs, on which was
* They are now in the British Museum; but, unfortunately, owing tc
the extreme neglect shown in their transport to this country, they havt
been much injured.


100
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS. Chap. V
sculptured the king, raising a richly ornamented cup and stand*
ing between two divinities wearing fillets adorned with rosettes
round their temples.*
I quitted this chamber, after uncovering the upper part of
four or five bas-reliefs; and returning to the western wall
of that previously explored, discovered another pair of human-
headed lions, similar to, but smaller than, those forming the
grand entrance to the great hall. So perfect was the preserva-
tion of even the smallest details, that had not the slabs been
slightly cracked, I could have fancied they had issued but the
Jay before from the hand of the sculptor. The accumulation
of earth and rubbish above this part of the ruins was very con-
siderable, and it is not improbable that it was owing to this the
sculptures had been so completely guarded from injury.
I was now anxious to send to Baghdad, or Busrah, for trans-
port to Bombay, such sculptures as I could move with the
means at my disposal. Major Rawlinson had obligingly pro-
posed that, for this purpose, the small steamer navigating the
lower part of the Tigris should be sent up to Nimroud, and I
expected the most valuable assistance, both in removing the
slabs and in forming plans for future excavations, from her
able commander, Lieutenant Jones. The Euphrates, one of
the two vessels originally constructed for the navigation of
the rivers of Mesopotamia, had some years before succeeded in
reaching the tomb of Sultan Abd-Allah, a few miles below
Nimroud. Impediments, not more serious than those she had
already surmounted, occurring in this part of the bed of the
stream, she returned to Baghdad. A vessel even of her size,
and with engines of the same power, could have reached, I have
little doubt, the bund or dam of the Awai, which would prob-
ably have been a barrier to a further ascent of the Tigris. It
was found, however, that the machinery of the Nitocris was
either too much out of repair, or not sufficiently powerful to
impel the vessel over the rapids, which occur in the river,
* Ch. H, plan 3.


Chap. V. FIRST SCULPTURES SENT TO ENGLAND.
101
After ascending some miles above Tekrit the attempt was given
up, and she returned to her station.
Without proper materials it was impossible to move the
colossal lions, or even any entire slab. The ropes of the
country were so ill-made that they could not support any
considerable weight. I determined, therefore, to saw the slabs
containing double bas-reliefs into two pieces, and to lighten
them as much as possible by cutting from the back. The
inscriptions being a mere repetition of the same formula, I
did not consider it necessary to preserve them, as they added to
the weight. With the help of levers of wood, and by digging
away the wall of sun-dried bricks, I was able to move the
sculptures into the center of the 'trenches, where they were
reduced to the requisite size. They were then packed and
transported from the mound upon rude buffalo-carts belonging
to the pashaw, to the river, where they were placed upon a raft,
constructed of inflated skins and beams of poplar wood. They
were floated down the Tigris as far as Baghdad, were there
transferred to boats of the country, and reached Busrah in the
month of August. The sculptures sent home on this occasion
formed the first collection exhibited to the public in the British
Museum.
While I was moving these bas-reliefs, Tahyar Pashaw visited
me. He was accompanied, for his better security, by a large
body of regular and irregular troops, and three guns. His
Diwan Effendesi, seal-bearer, and all the dignitaries of his
household, were also with him. I entertained this large com-
pany for two days. The pashaw's tents were pitched on an
island in the river near my shed. He visited the ruins, and
expressed no less wonder at the sculptures than the Arabs;
nor were his conjectures as to their origin and the nature of
the subjects represented much more rational than those of the
sons of the desert. The colossal human-headed lions terrified,
as well as amazed, his Osmanli followers. "La Illahi il Allah"
(there is no God but God), was echoed from all sides. "These
are the idols of the infidels," said one, more knowing than the


Chap. V.
DISCOVERY OF A MOUND.
103
Leaving a superintendent, and a few guards to watch over the
uncovered sculptures, I rode to the town.
The houses of Baghdad and Mosul are provided with under-
ground apartments, in which the inhabitants pass the day
during the summer months. They are generally ill-lighted, and
the air is close and frequently unwholesome; ^still they offer a
welcome retreat during the hot weather, when it is impossible
to sit in a room. At sunset the people emerge from these
subterraneous chambers and congregate on the roofs, where
they spread their carpets, eat their evening meal, and pass the
night.
After many fruitless inquiries after the bas-relief, described
by Rich* as having been discovered in one of the mounds
forming the large quadrangle in which are included Nebbi
Yunus and Kouyunjik, I met with an aged stone-cutter, who
declared that he had not only been present when the sculpture
was found, but that he had been employed to break it up.
He pointed out the spot, in the northern line of ruins, and I
at once commenced excavations. The workmen were not long
in coming upon fragments of sculptured alabaster, and after two
or three days' labor, an entrance was discovered, formed by two
winged figures, which had been purposely destroyed. The legs
and the lower part of the tunic were alone preserved. The pro-
portions were colossal, and the relief higher than that of any
sculpture hitherto discovered in Assyria. This entrance led
into a chamber, the lower part of the walls of which was
paneled with limestone slabs about five feet high and three
broad. There were marks of the chisel upon them all as if
something had been effaced; but from their size it appeared
doubtful whether figures had ever been sculptured upon them.
The upper part of the walls was of sun-dried bricks. In the rub-
bish filling up the chamber were discovered numerous baked
Ijricks, bearing the name of the Kouyunjik king. The pave-
ment was of limestone. After tracing the walls of one chamber,
J. renounced a further examination of the ruin, as no traces cf
* Residence in Kurdistan and Nineveh, vol. ii. p. 39.


101
Chap. V.
NINEVEH AND ITS
REMAINS.
sculpture were to be found, and the accumulation of rubbish
was very considerable.
This mound appears to cover either an entrance to the city,
or a small temple or tower forming part of the walls. From its
height, it would seem that the building had two or more stories.
The comparative rest obtained in Mosul so far restored my
strength, that I* returned to Nimroud in the middle of August,
and again attempted to renew the excavations. I uncovered
the top of many of the slabs in the chamber last discovered,
and found two chambers leading out of it.* The sculptures
were similar to those already described; the king standing
between two winged figures, and hold in one hand a cup, and
in the other a bow. The only new feature was a recess cut
out of the upper part of one of the slabs. I am at a loss to
account for its use; from its position it might have been taken
for a window, opening into the adjoining room, in which,
however, there was no corresponding aperture. It may have
been used as a place of deposit for sacred vessels and instru-
ments, or as an altar for sacrifice, as a large square stone
slightly hollowed in the center, probably to contain a fluid, was
generally found in front of similar slabs.
The walls of the small chamber to the west were unsculp-
tured. The pavement was formed by inscribed slabs of alabas-
ter. The further entrancef led me into a long narrow room
surrounded by double bas-reliefs separated by the usual in-
scription; the upper (similar on all the slabs) representing two
winged human figures, kneeling before the mystic tree; the
lower eagle-headed figures facing each other in pairs, and sepa-
rated by the same symbol.
The state of my health again compelled me to renounce, for
the time, my labors at Nimroud. As I required a cooler
climate, I determined to visit the Tiyari mountains, inhabited
by the Chaldean Christians, and to return to Mosul in Septem.
ber, when the violence of the heat had abated.
* Chambers I and R, plan 3.
t Entrance b, Ct H.


Chap VI. DEPARTURE FOR TIYARI MOUNTAINS. 105
CHAPTER VI.
DEPARTURE FOR THE TIYARI MOUNTAINS.—KHORSABAD.—SHEIKH ADI.—
A KURDISH ENCAPMENT. A CHALDEAN VILLAGE. — AMADIYAH. A
TURKISH GOVERNOR.—ALBANIAN IRREGULARS.—AN ALBANIAN CHIEF.—.
THE VALLEY OF BERWARL CHALDEAN VILLAGES. A KURDISH BEY.—
ASHEETHA.
The preparations for my journey were completed by the 28th
August, and on that day I started from Mosul. My party con-
sisted of Mr. Hormuzd Rassam, Ibrahim Agha, two Albanian
irregulars, who were to accompany me as far as Amadiyah,
a servant, a groom, and one Ionan, or Ionunco, as he was
familiarly called, a half-witted Nestorian, whose drunken frolics
were reserved for the entertainment of the patriarch, and who
was enlisted into our caravan for the amusement of the com-
pany. We rode our own horses. As Ionunco pretended to
know all the mountain-roads, and volunteered to conduct us,
we placed ourselves under his guidance. I was provided with
Bouyourouldis, or orders, from the pashaw to the authorities as
far as Amadiyah, and with a letter to Abd-ul-Summit Bey, the
Kurdish chief of Berwari, through whose territories we had to
pass. Mar Shamoun, the patriarch, gave me a very strong letter
of recommendation to the meleks and priests of the Nestorian
districts.
As I was anxious to visit the French excavations at Khorsabad
on my way to the mountains, I left Mosul early in the afternoon,
notwithstanding the great heat of the sun. It was the sixth day
of Ramazan, and the Mohammedans were still endeavoring to
sleep away their hunger when I passed through the gates, and
crossed the bridge of boats. Leaving my baggage and servants
to follow leisurely, I galloped on with the Albanians, and reached
Khorsabad in about two hours.


100
NINEVE1I AND ITS REMAINS. CiLir. VI
The mound is about fourteen miles N. N. E. of Mosul. A small
village*' formerly stood on its summit, but the houses were pur-
chased and removed by M. Botta, when excavations were under-
taken by the French government. It has been rebuilt in the
plain at the foot of the mound. The Khausser, a small stream
issuing from the hills of Makloub, is divided into numerous
I ranches as it approaches Khorsabad, and irrigates extensive rice-
grounds. The place is consequently very unhealthy, and the
low squalid inhabitants who appeared were almost speechless
from ague. M. Botta's workmen suffered greatly from fever,
and many fell victims to it.
The excavations were carried on as at Nimroud; and the
general plan of the building is the same as that of the Assyrian
edifices already described. It has, however, more narrow pas-
sages, and the chambers are inferior in size; though the sculp-
tured slabs are in general higher. The relief of the larger
figures is bolder, that of the smaller about the same. The hu-
man-headed bulls differ principally in the head-dress from those
at Nimroud; the horned cap is not rounded off, but is high and
richly ornamented, like that of the winged monsters of Persepolis.
The faces of several of the bulls are turned inward, which gives
ihem an awkward appearance.
Since M. Botta's departure the sides of the trenches have
fallen in, and have filled up the greater part of the chambers;
the sculptures are rapidly perishing; and, shortly, little will
remain of this remarkable monument. Scarcely any part of
the building had escaped the fire which destroyed it, and con-
sequently very few bas-reliefs could be removed. Of exterior
architecture I could find no trace except a curious cornice,
and a flight of steps, flanked by solid masonry, apparently lead-
ing to a small temple of black stone or basalt, the foundations of
* In the drawing of this village engraved in M. Botta's large work on
Nineveh, the houses are represented with shelving roofs and as of considera-
ble size. Such roofs are never seen in this part of the East, and the village,
like all others in Assyria, was a mere collection of miserable mud huts.


Our. VI.
KHOKSABAD.
107
which still remain. At the foot of the mound lies an altar or
tripod, similar to that now in the Louvre.

Altar, or Tripod (From Khorsabad.)
Khorsabad, or Khishtabad, is mentioned by the early Arab
geographers. It is described as a village occupying the site of
an ancient Assyrian city called "Saraoun," or "Saraghoun;:'
and Yakuti declares, that soon after the Arab conquest con-
siderable treasures were found among the ruins. It was gene-
rally believed at Mosul, where a copy of Yakuti's very rare work
exists, that it was in consequence of this notice, and in the
hopes of finding further riches, M. Botta excavated in the
mound—hence much of the opposition encountered from the
authorities.
I had finished my examination of the ruins by the time the
baggage reached the village. The sun had set, but being un-
willing to expose my party to fever by passing the night on
his unhealthy spot, I rode on to a small hamlet about two
miles distant. It was dark when we reached it, and we found
ourselves in the midst of a marsh, even more extensive than
that of Khorsabad. As there was no village beyond, I was


108
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS. Chap. V
obliged to stop here, and clambering up to a platform of
branches of trees elevated upon poles, I passed the night
free from the attacks of the swarms of gnats which infested
the stagnant water below.
We left the hamlet long before sunrise, and soon reached
some of the springs of the Khausser, a small stream which rises
the northern extremity of the Jebel Maklub, irrigates the lands
f numerous villages on its course toward Mosul, and falls into
the Tigris, near Kouyunjik, after traversing the large quadrangle,
of which that mound forms a part.
Our road crossed the northern spur of Jebel Maklub, and
.hen stretched over an extensive plain to the first range of the
Kurdish hills. The heat soon became intense, the soil was
parched and barren; a few mud walls marked here and there
the ruins of a village, and the silence and solitude were only
broken by parties of Kurds, lazily driving before them, toward
Mosul, donkeys laden with rich clusters of grapes from the
mountains.
A weary ride brought us to the Yezidi village of Ain Sifni.
Its white houses and conical tombs had long been visible op
the declivity of a low hill; its cleanliness was a relief after the-
filth of Mussulman and Christian habitations. I had expected
to find Sheikh Naser, the religious chief of the Yezidis. As
he was absent, I partook of the hospitality of the head of the
village, and continued my journey to the tomb of Sheikh Adi
After a further ride of two hours through a pleasant ravine
watered by a mountain torrent, whose banks were concealed by
flowering oleanders, we reached a well-wooded valley, in the
center of which rose the white spire of the tomb of the great
Yezidi saint.
Stretching myself by a fountain in the cool shade, flung
over the tomb by a cluster of lofty trees, I gave myself up to
a full flow of gratitude, at this sudden change from the sultry
heat and salt streams of the plains, to the verdure and sweet
springs of the Kurdish Hills. There were "pleasure-places"
enough for all my party, and each eagerly seized his tree, am'


ClIAP. VI
KURDISH VILLAGE OF KALONI.
109
nis fountain. The guardians of the tomb, and a few wanderers
from a neighboring village, gathered round me, and satisfied my
curiosity as far as their caution and prejudices would allow.
We passed the night on the roof of one of the buildings within
the precincts of the sacred edifice, and continued our journey at
dawn on the following morning.
Quitting the Yezidi district, we entered the mountains in-
habited by She large Kurdish tribe of Missouri. The valleys
were well wooded; many-shaped rocks towered above our
heads or rose in the streams of the Gomel,* which almost cut
off our passage through the narrow defiles. A few villages
were scattered on the declivities, but their inhabitants had
deserted them for rude huts, built of branches of trees,—their
summer habitations.
In four hours we reached the large village of Kaloni, or
• Kalah-oni, rising among vineyards, and hanging over the bed of
the Gomel. The houses, well constructed of stone, were empty.
Huge horns of the ibex ornamented the lintels of the gateways,
and the corners of the buildings. The inhabitants were at some
distance, on the banks of the stream, living under the trees in
their temporary sheds.
These Kurds were of the Badinan branch of the Missouri
tribe. Their chief, whose hut was in the midst of this group
of simple dwellings, was absent; but his wife received me with
hospitality. Carpets, the work of her own women, were spread
under a mulberry-tree; and large bowls of milk and cream,
wooden platters filled with boiled rice, slices of honey-comb,
and baskets of new-gathered fruit, were speedily placed before
us. The men sat at a respectful distance, and readily gave me
such information as I asked for. The women, unembarrassed
by the vail, brought straw to our horses, or ran to and fro with
their pitchers. Their hair fell in long tresses down their backs,
and their foreheads were adorned with rows of coins and beads;
* Or Gomer; this stream forms the principal branch of the Ghazir oj
Bumadas.


110
Chap. VI.
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
many were not unworthy of the reputation for beauty which the
v omen of Missouri enjoy.
The spot was rich in natural beauties. The valley, shut in
by lofty rocks, was well wooded with fruit trees—the mulberry,
die peach, the fig, the walnut, the olive, and the pomegranate;
jeneath them sprang the' vine, or were laid out plots of Indian
vorn, sesame, and cotton. The sheds were built of boughs; and
property of the owners,—carpets, horse-cloths, and domestic
.iteasils,—were spread out before them. From almost every
door, mingling with the grass and flowers, stretched the many,
iwlorea threads of the loom, at which usually sat one female of
the family. There was a cleanliness, and even richness, in the
dresses 01 both women and men, an appearance of comfort and
industry, 	hich contrasted strikingly with the miserable state of
the people of the plain; and proved that these Kurds had been
sufficiently Ibrtunate to escape the notice of the last governor of
Mosul, and were reserved for some scrutinizing pashaw.
I acknowledged the hospitality of the Kurdish lady by a pres-
ent to her son, and rode up to the small Chaldean village of
Bebozi, standing on the summit of a high mountain. The
ascent was most precipitous, and the horses could with difficulty
reach the place. We found a group of ten houses, built on the
edge of a cliff overhanging the valley, at so great a height, that
the stream below was scarcely visible. The inhabitants were
poor, but received us with unaffected hospitality. . I had left
the usual road to Amadiyah for the purpose of visiting an in-
scription, said to exist near this village. A guide was soon
found to conduct me to the spot of which I had heard; but
after toiling up a very difficult pathway, I was shown a rock on
which were only a few rude marks, bearing no resemblance
to any writing that had ever been invented. I was accustomed
to such disappointments, and always prepared for them. I re-
turned to the village and visited the small church. The people
Df Bebozi are among those Chaldeans who have been recently
brought over to the Roman Catholic faith. They furnish but
a too common instance of the mode in which such proselytes


Chap. VI.
AMADIYAH.
11.1
are made. In the church I saw a few miserable Italian prints,
dressed up in all the horrors of red, yellow, and blue, miracles
of saints, and of the blessed Virgin.
Having rested in the village, we resumed our journey, and
crossed a range of hills, covered by a forest of dwarf oak.
We descended into the valley of Cheloki, reaching, about sun-
set, the large Kurdish village of Spandareh, so called from its
poplar-trees.
We were now separated from the valley of Amadiyah by a
range of high and well-wooded mountains called Ghara. This
we crossed by a road little frequented, and of so precipitous a
nature, that our horses could scarcely keep their footing—one,
indeed, carrying part of our baggage, suddenly disappeared over
the edge of a rock, and was found some hundred feet below, on
his back, firmly wedged between two rocks; how he got there
with nothing but the bone of his tail broken, was a mystery be-
yond the comprehension of our party. The valley of Amadiyah
is cut up into innumerable ravines by the torrents, which rush
down the mountains, and force their way to the river Zab. It
is, however, well wooded with oaks, producing in abundance
the galls for which this district is celebrated. The peasants
were now picking this valuable article of export.
The town and fort of Amadiyah had been visible from the
crest of the Ghara range; but we had a long ride before us,
and it was nearly mid-day ere we reached the foot of the lofty
isolated rock on which they are built. We rested in the small
Chaldean village of Bebadi, one of the few in the district which
still retain the Nestorian faith. The inhabitants were miserably
poor, and I had to listen to a long tale of wretchedness and op-
pression. The church was hung with a few tattered cotton
handkerchiefs, and the priest's garments were to match. I gave
him two or three pieces of common print, out of which he made
a turbaa for himself, and beautified the altar.
Some half-clothed, fever-stricken Albanians were slumbering
on the stone benches as we entered the gates of the fort, which,
certainly, during the season of Ramazan, if not at all others,


112
Chap. VL
NINEVEH AND ITS REJIAINS.
might be taken by surprise by a few resolute Kurds. We found
ourselves in the midst of a heap of ruins—porches, bazars,
baths, habitations, all laid open to their inmost recesses. Falling
walls would have threatened passers-by, had there been any;
but the place was a desert. We had some difficulty in findinf
our way to a crumbling ruin, honored with the name of Serai
—the Palace. Here the same general sleep prevailed. Nei-
ther guards nor servants were visible, and we wandered through
the building until we reached the room of the governor. His
hangers-on were indulging in comfort and sleep upon the divans,
and we had some trouble in rousing them. We were at length
taken to a large, gaudily-painted room, in a tower, built on the
very edge of the rock, and overlooking the whole valley—the
only remnant of the state of the old hereditary pashaws of Ama-
diyah. A refreshing breeze came down from the mountain, the
view was extensive and beautiful, and I forgot the desolation and
misery which reigned around.
A few miserable Nestorian Chaldeans, and one or two half-
starved Jews came to me with the usual melancholy tale of dis-
tress; and, shortly after, Kasha Mendi, a worthy ecclesiastic,
who ministered to the spiritual wants of half the villages in the
valley, hearing of my arrival, joined the party. The priest was,
of course, better informed than the rest; and from him I ob-
tained the information I required as to the state of the Chaldeans
in the district, and as to the means of reaching Tiyari. The
Albanian irregulars were to leave me here, the authority of the
Pashaw of Mosul not extending beyond Amadiyah. We were
now to enter the territories of Kurdish chiefs, who scarcely
admitted any dependence upon the Porte. I determined upon
hiring mules for the rest of my journey, and sending all my
horses, except one, with the Albanians to Dohuk, there to await
my return.
It was the hour of afternoon prayer before Selim Agha, the
mutesellim, or governor, emerged from his harem; which, how-
ever, as far as the fair sex were concerned, was empty. Thn
old gentleman, who was hungry, half asleep, and in the third


Chap. VI.
AMADIYAH.
118
stage of the ague, hurried through the ordinary salutations, ann
asked at once for quinine. His attendants exhibited illustra-
tions of every variety of the fever; some shivered, others
glowed, and the rest sweated. He entreated me to go with
him into the harem; his two sons were buried beneath piles of
cloaks, carpets, and grain-sacks, but the whole mass trembled
with the violence of their shaking. I dealt out emetics and
quinine with a liberal hand, and returned to the Salamlik, to
,iear from Selim Agha a most doleful history of fever, diminished
revenues, arrears of pay, and rebellious Kurds. The tears ran
down his cheeks as he recapitulated his manifold misfortunes,
and entreated me to intercede with the governor of Mosul for
his advancement or recall. I left him with his watch in his
hand, anxiously looking for sunset, that he might console him-
self with a dose of tartar-emetic.
Amadiyah was formerly a place of considerable importance
and strength, containing a very large and flourishing popula-
tion. It was governed by hereditary pashaws—feudal chiefs,
who traced Iheir descent from the Abbaside caliphs, and were
always looked up to, on that account, with religious respect by
the Kurds. The ladies of this family were no less venerated,
and enjoyed the very peculiar title, for a woman, of " Khan."
The last of these hereditary chiefs was Ismail Pashaw; who long
defied, in his almost inaccessible castle, the attempts of Injeh
Bairakdar Mohammed Pashaw to reduce him. A mine was at
length sprung under a part of the wall, which, from its position,
the Kurds had believed safe from attack, and the place was
taken by assault. Ismail Pashaw was sent a prisoner to Baghdad,
where he still remains; and his family, among whom was his
beautiful wife, Esma Khan, not unknown to the Europeans of
Mosul, together with Mohammed Seyyid Pashaw of Akra,* a
member of the same race, long lived upon the bounty of Mr.
Rassam. Amadiyah is frequently mentioned by the early Arab
geographers and historians, and its foundation dates, most prob-
* A district to the east of Amadiyah.


114
Chap. VT
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
ably, from a very early epoch. Kasha Mendi casually con-
firmed the assertion of Rich, that the town was once called Ec-
batana, by saying, that he had seen it so designated in a very
early Chaldean MS. The .only ancient remains that I could
discover, were a defaced bas-relief on the rock near the northern
gate, of which sufficient alone was distinguishable to enable me
to assign to it an approximate date—the time of the Arsacian
kings; and some excavations in the rock within the walls,
which appear to have been used at an early period as a Christian
church. Amadiyah is proverbially unhealthy, notwithstanding
its lofty and exposed position. At this time of the year, the
inhabitants leave the town for the neighboring mountains, in
the valleys of which they construct "ozailis," or sheds, with
boughs.
I made my way through the deserted street to a small in-
closure, in which were the quarters of the Albanians. The
disposable force may have consisted of three men; the rest
were stretched out on all sides, suffering under every stage of
fever, amid heaps of filth, and skins of water-me'ins, showing
the nature and extent of their commissariat. One of their chiefs
boasted that he had braved the fever, and insisted upon my
.irinking coffee, and smoking a narguileh of no very prepossess-
ing appearance, with him. He even indulged so far in mirth
and revelry, that he disturbed a shivering youth basking in the
last rays of the sun, and brought him to play upon a santour,
which had lost the greater number of its strings. An air of his
native mountains brought on a fit of melancholy, and he dwelt
upon the miseries of an irregular's life, when there was neither
war nor plunder. The evening gun announced sunset while I
was sitting with the chief; and I left the garrison as they were
breaking their fast on donkey-loads af unripe water-melons.
On my return to the serai, I found the governor recovering
from the effects of his emetic, and anxious for his dinner. As
the month of Ramazan is, during the nights, one of festivity
and open house, Ismail Agha of Tepelin (the Albanian chief in
command of the garrison), the cadi, the collector of the revenue,


Chap. VI. AN ALBANIAN CHIEF. 115
a Kurdish chief, and one or two others came as guests. Our
meal gave undoubted proofs cither of the smallness of the means
of Selim Agha, or of the limited resources of the country.
When the dinner was over, I introduced a theological subject an
becoming the season, and the cadi entered deeply into the subject
of predestination and free-will. The reckless way in which the
Albanian threw himself into the argument, astonished the com-
pany, and shocked the feelings of the expounder of the law.
His views of the destinies of man were bold and original; he
appealed to me for a confirmation of his opinions, and assuming
that I fully concurred with him, and that he had silenced the
cadi, who was ejaculating a pious "IstafTer Allah" (may God
forgive him), he finished by asking me to breakfast.
Next morning, I left my guards and the attendants of the
governor to collect mules for my journey from the peasants who
had brought provisions to the town, and after some difficulty
found my way to the quarters of Ismail Agha. They were in
a small house, the only habitable spot in the midst of a heap
of ruins. His room was hung round with guns, swords, and
yataghans, and a few dirty Albanians, armed to the teeth, were
lounging at the door. The chief had adorned himself most
elaborately. His velvet jacket was covered with a maze of
gold embroidery, his arms were of the most costly description,
and ample fur cloaks were spread over the dingy divans. It
was a strange display of finery in the midst of misery. He
received me with great cordiality; and when he found that I
had been to his old haunts in his native land, and had known
his friends and kindred, his friendship exceeded all reasonable
bounds. "We are all brothers, the English and the Tosques"
(an Albanian tribe), exclaimed he, endeavoring to embrace me;
"we are all Framasouns ;* I know nothing of these Turks and
their Ramazan, thank God! Our stomachs were given us to be
* The term Framasoun (or Freemason). a9 well as Protestant, are in the
East, I am sorry to say, equivalent to infidel. The Roman Catholic mis-
sionaries have very industriously spread the calumny.


116
Chap. VI
NIN'EVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
filled, and our mouths to take in good things." He accompa-
nied these words with a very significant signal to one of his fol-
lowers, who, at no loss to understand his meaning, set about
forming a pyramid of cushions, to the top of which he mounted
at the imminent risk of his neck, and reached down from a shelf
a huge bottle of wine, with a corresponding pitcher of raki. Is-
mail Agha then dived into the recesses of a very capacious but
ill-looking purse, out of which he pulled twenty paras,* its sole
contents, and dispatched without delay one of his attendants
to the stall of a solitary grocer, who was apparently the only
commercial survivor in the wreck around him. The boy soon
returned with a small parcel of parched peas, a few dates, and
three lumps of sugar, which were duly spread on a tray, and
placed before us as zests to the wine and brandy. It was evident
that Ismail Agha had fully made up his mind to a morning's
debauch, and my position was an uncomfortable one. After
drinking a few glasses of raki in solitary dignity, he invited
his followers to join him. Messengers were dispatched in all
directions for music; a Jew with the ague, the band of the
regiment, consisting of two cracked dwarf kettle-drums and a
fife, and two Kurds with a fiddle and a santour, were collected
together. I took an opportunity of slipping out of the room un-
seen, amid the din of Albanian songs, and the dust of Palicar?
dances.
On my return to the serai, I found the mules ready, tho
owners having been, after much discussion, brought to under-
stand that it was my intention to pay for their hire. Every
thing being settled, and the animals loaded, I wished the mute-
sellim good day, and promised to bring his miserable condition
to the notice of the pashaw.
Accompanied by a Kurdish chief, we left Amadiyah by the
gate opposite to that by which we had entered. We were
obliged to descend on foot the steep pathway leading to the
valley below. Crossing some well-cultivated gardens, we com
* About one penny.


ClTAP VI.
TUB VALLEY OF BERWARI.
117
menced the ascent of the mountains through a wooded ravine,
and came suddenly upon the Yilaks, or summer quarters of thp
population of Amadiyah. The spot was well chosen. The tor-
rent was divided into a thousand streams, which broke over the
rocks, fa'ling in cascades into the valley below. Fruit trees
and oaks concealed the huts and tents, and creepers of many
hues almost covered the sides of the ravine. All our party
enjoyed the delicious coolness and fragrance of the place; and
we did not wonder that the people of Amadiyah had left the
baneful air of the town for these pleasant haunts. An hour's
ride brought us to the summit of the pass, from which a
magnificent view of the Tiyari mountains opened before us.
lonunco became eloquent when he beheld his native Alps, and
named one by one the lofty peaks which sprang out of the
confused heaps of hills; that of Asheetha and several others
ivere covered with snow. Below us was the long valley of
Berwari, which separates the range of Amadiyah from the
Nestorian country. At a short distance from the crest of the
pass we found a small barren plain, called Nevdasht, in which
stands the Kurdish village of Maglana. We reached Hayis, a
Nestorian hamlet, about sunset. There were but four families
in the place, so destitute, that we could only procure a little
boiled meal, and some dried mulberries for our supper. The
poor creatures, however, did all they could to make us comfort-
able, and gave us what they had.
The valley of Berwari is well wooded with the gall-bearing
oak; and the villages are surrounded by gardens and orchards.
The present chief of the' district, Abd-ul-Summit Bey, is a
fanatic, and has almost ruined the Christian population. In all
the villages through which we passed, we saw the same scene,
and heard the same tale of wretchedness. Yet the land is
rich, water plentiful, and the means of cultivation easy.
Fruit trees of many descriptions abound; and tobacco, rice,
and grain of various kinds could be extensively cultivated.
Even the galls afford but a scanty gain to the villagers, as
those who collect them are obliged to sell them to the chief at a


CUAF. VI.
A KURDISH BEY.
119
getting the better of my dignity, I joined the milee. A severe
kick in the leg from a horse soon put an end to my manoeuvers,
and the party was detained until I was sufficiently recovered from
the effects of the blow to continue our journey. It was conse-
quently sunset before we reached Mia. There are two villages
of this name; the upper, inhabited by Mohammedans, the lower
by Nestorian Chaldeans. A Kurd met us as we were entering
the former, with a message from Abd-ul-Summit Bey, to the
effect that, having guests, he could not receive me there, but had
provided a house in the Christian village, where he would join us
after his dinner. I rode on to the lower Mia, and found a party
of Kurds belaboring the inhabitants, and collecting old carpets and
household furniture. Understanding that these proceedings were
partly meant as preparations for my reception, though the greater
share of the objects collected was intended for the comfort of the
Bey's Mussulman guests, I at once put a stop to the pillaging,
and released the sufferers. We ascended a spacious and cleanly
roof; and with the assistance of the people of the house, who
were ready enough to assist when they learned we were Chris-
tians, established ourselves there for the night.
Soon after dark another messenger came from Abd-ul-Summit
Bey, to say that as the cadi and other illustrious guests were
with him, he could not visit me before the morning. I had
from the first suspected that these delays and excuses had an
object, and that the chief wished to give a proof of his dignity
to the Kurds, by treating me in as unceremonious a manner as
possible; so, calling the Kurd, and addressing him in a loud
voice, that the people who had gathered round the house
might hear, I requested him to be the bearer of a somewhat
uncivil answer to his master, and look good care that he should
fully understand its terms. Ionunco's hair stood on end al
the audacity of this speech, and the Nestorians trembled
at the results. Ibrahim Agha tittered with delight; and
pushing the Kurd away by the shoulders, told him to be par-
ticular in delivering his answer. The message had the effect I
had anticipated; an hour afterward, shuffling over the house.


120
NINEVEH AND lTd REMAINS. Chap. YL
tops at the great risk of his shins, and with a good chance of
disappearing down a chimney, came the bey. He was en.
veloped in a variety of cloaks; and wore, after the manner of
the Bohtan chiefs, a turban of huge dimensions—about four
feet in diameter—made up of numberless kerchiefs- and rags of
every hue of red, yellow, and black, and a jacket and wide
I rowsers, richly embroidered; in his girdle were all manner
)f weapons. In person he was tall and handsome; his eyes
were dark, his nose aquiline, and his beard black; but the
expression of his face was far from prepossessing. I left him
to open the conversation, which he did by a multiplicity of
excuses and apologies for what had passed, not having, by the
Prophet, been aware, he said, of the rank of the guest by whose
presence he had been honored. 1 pointed out to him one or
two fallacies in his assertions; and we came to a distinct
understanding on the subject, before we proceeded to general
topics. He sat with me till midnight, and entered, among other
things, into a long justification of his conduct toward Christians,
which proved that his authority was not established as well as he
could desire.
In the morning the bey sent me a breakfast, and gave me a
party of Kurdish horsemen as an escort as far as the Tiyari
frontier, which was not far distant. Beyond Mia we passed
through Bedou, the largest and most populous Kurdish village I
had seen.
Our guards would not venture into the territories of the
Tiyari, between whom and the Kurds there are continual
hostilities, but quitted us in a narrow desolate valley, up which
our road to Asheetha now led. I lectured my party on the
necessity of caution during our future wanderings; and re-
minded my cawass and Mohammedan servants that they had
no longer the quiet Christians of the plains to deal with. Re-
signing ourselves to the guidance of Ionunco, who now felt that
he was on his own soil, we made our way with difficulty over
the rocks and stones with which the valley is blocked up, and
struck into what our guide represented to be a short cut ti


Chap. VI
ASHEETHA.
121
Asheetha. The pathway might certainly, on some occasions,
,nave been used by the mountain goats; but the passage of
horses and mules was a miracle. After a most tedious walk,
we reached the top of the pass and looked down on the village.
From this spot the eye rested upon a scene of great beauty. In
front rose the lofty peak, with its snows and glaciers, visible
even from Mosul. At our feet the village spread over tb.3
whole valley; and detached houses, surrounded by gardeis
and orchards, were scattered over the sides of the mountains.
To the right ran the valley which leads to the Zab. We had
little difficulty in descending through the loose stones and
detritus which cover the face of the mountain, although both
our mules and ourselves had frequent falls. On reaching the
entrance of the valley, we rode at once to the house of Yakoub,
the rais or chief of Asheetha, who received us with grateful he s-
pitality.
F


122
NINEVAH AND ITS REMAIN'S. CnjLl. VH.
CHAPTER VII.
ASHEETHA. A NESTORIAN HOUSE.—THE MASSACRE.—ZAWEETHA.—
NESTORIAN PRIESTS.—MURGHI.—LIZAN.—SCENE OF THE MASSACRE.
—A TIYARI BRIDGE. RAOLA. THE HOUSE OF THE MELEK.—THE
DISTRICT OF TKHOMA.—ALARM OF THE INHABITANTS.—CHURCH SER-
VICE. TKHOMA GOWAIA. A KURDISH CHIEF. PASS INTO BAZ.
ERGUB.—RETURN TO TKHOMA.—BE-ALATHA.—ROADS OF TIYARI.
CHONBA. MURDER OF MELEK ISMAIL. RETURN TO ASHEETHA.
KASHA AURAHAM. A COPPER MINE.—CHALLEK.—OURMELI.—A SU-
BASHI.—A KURDISH SAINT.—MALTHAYIAH.—SCULPTURES.—ALKOSH.
TOMB OF THE PROPHET NAHUM.—RABBAN HORMUZD.—TELKEF AND
ITS CHRISTIAN INHABITANTS.—RETURN TO MOSUL. SECOND MASSACER
IN THE NESTORIAN MOUNTAINS.—CAPTURE AND EXILE OF BEDEK
KHAN BEY.
We had no sooner reached the house of Yakoub Rais, than a
t-ry of " The bey is come," spread rapidly through the village,
and I was surrounded by a crowd of men, women, and boys.
My hand was kissed by all, and I had to submit for some time
to this tedious process. As for my companion, he was almost
smothered in the embraces of the girls, nearly all of whom had
been liberated from slavery after the great massacre, and had
been supported in their distress by his brother for some months
in Mosul..* Among the men were many of my old workmen,
who were distinguished from the rest of the inhabitants of
Asheetha by their gay dresses and arms, the fruits of their
* It may be remembered that Beder Khan Bey, in 1843, invaded the
Tiyari districts, massacred in cold blood nearly 10,000 of their inhabitants,
and carried away as slaves a large number of women and children. But it
is, perhaps, not generally known, that the release of the greater part of the
captives was obtained through the humane interference and generosity of Sir
Stratford Canning, who prevailed upon the Porte to send a commissioner into
Kurdistan, for the purpose of inducing Beder Khan Bey and other Kurd-
ish chiefs to give up the slaves they had taken, and who advanced himself
a considerable sum toward their liberation. Mr. Rassam also obtained the
release of many slaves, and maintained and clothed, at his own expense and
Tor many months, not only the Nestorian Patriarch, who had taken refuge in
Mosul, but many hundred Chaldeans who had escaped from the mountains.


Chap. VII.
ASHEETHA.
123
industry during the winter. They were anxious to show their
gratitude, and their zeal in my service. The priests came too;
Kasha Ghioorghis, Kasha Hormuzd, and others. As they entered
the room, the whole assembly rose; and lifting their turbans
and caps reverentially from their heads, kissed the hand extend-
ed to them. In the meanwhile the girls had disappeared; bul
Boon returned, each bearing a platter of fruit which they placed
before me. My workmen also brought large dishes of boiled
garas swimming in butter. There were provisions enough
for the whole company.
The first inquiries were after Mar Shamoun, the patriarch.
I produced his letter, which the priests first kissed and placed
to their foreheads. They afterward passed it to the principal
men, who went through the same ceremony. Kasha Ghioorghis
then read the letter aloud, and at its close, those present uttered
a pious ejaculation for the welfare of their patriarch, and
renewed their expressions of welcome to us.
These preliminaries having been concluded, we had to satisfy
all present as to the object, extent, and probable duration of
our journey. The village was in the greatest alarm at a threat-
ened invasion from Beder Khan Bey. The district of Tkhoma.
which had escaped the former massacre, was now the object of
his fanatical vengeance. He was to march through Asheetha,
and orders had already been sent to the inhabitants to collect
provisions for his men. As his expedition was not to be under-
taken before the close of Ramazan, there was full time to see
the proscribed districts before the Kurds entered them. I
determined, however, to remain a clay in Asheetha, to res!
our mules.
On the morning following our arrival, I went with Yakoub
Ilais to visit the village. The trees and luxuriant crops had
concealed the desolation of the place, and had given to Asheetha.
from without, a flourishing appearance. As I wandered, how-
ever, through the lanes, I found little but ruins. A few houses
were rising from the charred heaps; still the greater part of
the sites were without owners, the whole family having perished,


124
Chap. VII
NINEVKH AND ITS REMAIXS.
Yakoub pointed out, as we went along, the former dwellings of
wealthy inhabitants, and told me how and where they had been
murdered, A solitary church had been built since the massacre;
the foundations of others was seen among the ruins. The
pathways were still blocked up by the trunks of trees cut
down by the Kurds. Water-courses, once carrying fertility to
many gardens, were now empty and dry; and the lands which
they had irrigated were left naked and unsown. I was sur-
prised at the proofs of the industry and activity of the few
surviving families, who had returned to the village, and had
already brought a large portion of the land into cultivation.
The houses of Asheetha are not built in a group, but are
scattered over the valley like those of the Tiyari districts.*
Each dwelling stands in the center of the land belonging to its
owner; consequently, the village occupies a much larger space
than would otherwise be required, but has a cheerful and
pleasing appearance. The houses are simple, and constructed
so as to afford protection and comfort, during winter and
summer. The lower part is of stone, and contains two or three
rooms inhabited by the family and their cattle during the cold
months. Light is admitted by the door, and by small holes in
the wall. There are no windows, as in the absence of glass, a
luxury as yet unknown in Kurdistan, the cjld would be very
great during the winter, when the inhabitants are frequently
snowed up for many days together. The upper floor is con-
structed partly of stone and partly of wood, the whole side
facing the south being open. Enormous beams, resting on
wooden pillars and on the walls, support the roof. This is the
summer habitation, and here all the members of the family
reside. During July and August they usually sleep on the
roof, upon which they erect stages of boughs and grass resting
on high poles. By thus raising themselves as much as pos-
sible, they avoid the vermin which swarm in the rooms, and
* Asheetha and Zaweetha were formerly looked upon as half-independent
districts, each having its own rais or head. They were neither within tha
territories, nor under the authority of the Meleks of Tiyari.


Cap. VII.
A NESTORIAN house.
125
catch the night winds which carry away the gnats. Sometimes
they build these stages in the branches of high trees around
the houses. The winter provision of dried grass and straw
for the cattle is stacked near the dwelling, or is heaped on
the roof.

A Neafcrian Ecuse in the District of Tiyari.
As this was the first year that the surviving inhabitants of
Asheetha, about 200 families, had returned to the village and
had cultivated the soil, they were almost without provisions of
any kind. We were obliged to send to Zaweetha tor meat and
rice; and even milk was scarce, the flocks having been carried
away by the Kurds. Garas was all we could find to eat. They
had no corn and i^ery little barley. Their bread was made of
this garas, and upon it alone they lived, except when on holy-
ays they boiled the grain, and soaked it in melted butter.
The men were now busy in irrigating the land; and seemed
to be rewarded by the promise of ample crops <~f their favorite
garas, and of wheat, barley, rice, and tobacco. Tho \jys kcut


126
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS. Chap. VTJ.
up a continued shrill shriek or whistle to frighten away the
small birds, which had been attracted in shoals by the ripe
corn. When tired of this exercise, they busied themselves with
their partridges. Almost every youth in the country carries
one of these birds at his back, in a round wicker cage. Indeed,
while the mountains and the valleys swarm with wild par-
tridges, the houses are as much infested by the tame. The
women, too, were not idle. The greater part of them, even
the girls, were beating out the corn, or employed in the fields.
A few were at the doors of the houses working at the loom, or
spinning wool for the clothes of the men. I never saw more
general or cheerful industry; even the priests took part in the
labors of their congregation.
I walked to the ruins of the school and dwelling-house, built
by the American missionaries during their short sojourn in the
mountains. These buildings had been the cause of much
jealousy and suspicion to the Kurds. They stand upon the
summit of an isolated hill, commanding the whole valley. A
position less ostentatious and proportions more modest might
certainly have been chosen; and it is surprising that persons,
so well acquainted with the characters of the tribes among
whom they had come to reside, should ha,ve been thus indis-
creet. They were, however, most zealous and worthy men;
and had their plans succeeded, I have little doubt that they
would have conferred signal benefits on the Nestorian Chal-
deans. I never heard their names mentioned by the Tiyari,
and most particularly that of Dr. Grant, without expressions of
profound respect, amounting almost to veneration.*
During the occupation of Asheetha by the Kurds, Zeinel
* Dr. Grant, who published an account of his visit to the mountains, fell
a victim to his humane zeal for the Chaldeans in 1844. After the massacre,
his house in Mosul was filled with fugitives, whom he supported and clothed.
Their sufferings, and the want of common necessaries before they reached
the town, had brought on a malignant typhus fever, of which many died,
and which Dr. Grant caught while attending the sick in his house. Mosul
holds the remains of most of thf se who were engaged in the American mi*
sior/s to the Chaldeans.


128
Chap. VII
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
had prepared for me—generally garas floating in melted rancid
butter, with a layer of sour milk above—by the time I reached
Yakoub's mansion, my appetite was abundantly satisfie-i. At
the door, however, stood Sarah, and a bevy of young damsels
with baskets of fruits mingled with ice, fetched from the
glacier; nor would they leave me until I had tasted of every
thing.
We lived in a patriarchal way with the rais. My bed was
made in one corner of the room. The opposite corner was
occupied by Yakoub, his wife and unmarried daughters; a
ihird was appropriated to his son and daughter-in-law, and all
the members of his son's family; the fourth was assigned to
my companion; and various individuals, whose position in our
household could not be very accurately determined, took pos-
session of the center. We slept well nevertheless, and no one
troubled himself about his neighbor. Even Ibrahim Agha,
whose paradise was Chanak Kalassi, the Dardanelles, to which
he always disadvanfn~cously compared every thing, confessed
that the Tiyari mountains were not an unpleasant portion of
the sultan's dominions.
Yakoub volunteered to accompany me during the rest of my
journey through the mountains; and as he was generally
known, was well acquainted with the by-ways and passes, and
a very merry companion withal, I eagerly accepted his offer.
We left part of our baggage at his house, and it was agreed
that he should occasionally ride one of the mules. He was a
very portly person, gayly dressed in an embroidered jacket
and striped trowsers, and carrying a variety of arms in his
girdle.
The country through which we passed, after leaving
Asheetha, could scarcely be surpassed in the beauty and sublimity
of its scenery. The patches of land on the declivities of the
mountains were cultivated with extraordinary skill and care.
I never saw greater proofs of industry. Our mules, however,
were dragged over places almost inaccessible to men on foot,
but we <orgot the toils and dangers of the way in gazing upon


Chap. VI [
ZAWEETHA.
129
the magnificent prospect before us. Zaweetha is in the same
valley as Asheetha. The stream formed by the eternal snows
above the latter village, forces its way to the Zab. On the
mountain-sides is the most populous and best cultivated dis-
trict in Tiyari. The ravine below Asheetha is too narrow to
admit of the road being carried along the banks of the torrent;
and we were compelled to climb over a mass of rocks, rising to a
onsiderable height above it. Frequently the footing was so in-
secure that it required the united force of several men to carry
the mules along by their ears and tails. We, who were unac-
customed to mountain paths, were obliged to have recourse to the
aid of our hands and knees.
I had been expected at Zaweetha; and before we entered the
first gardens of the village, a party of girls, bearing baskets
of fruit, advanced to meet me. Their hair, neatly plaited and
adorned with flowers, fell down their backs. On their heads
they wore colored kerchiefs loosely tied, or an embroidered cap.
Many were pretty, and the prettiest was Aslani, a liberated slave,
who had been for some time under the protection of Mrs. Ras-
sam; she led the party, and welcomed me to Zaweetha. My
hand having been kissed by all, they simultaneously threw them-
selves upon my companion, and saluted him vehemently on both
cheeks; such a mode of salutation, in the case of a person of my
rank and distinction, not being, unfortunately, considered either
respectful or decorous. The girls were followed by the rais
and the principal inhabitants, and I was led by them into the
village.
The Rais of Zaweetha had fortunately rendered some service
to Beder Khan Bey, and on the invasion of Tiyari his village
was spared. It had not even been deserted by its inhabitants,
nor had its trees and gardens been injured. It was, conse-
(uently, at the time of my visit, one of the most flourishing
ullages in the mountains. The houses, neat and clean, were
still overshadowed by the wide-spreading walnut-tree; every
foot of ground which could receive seed, or nourish a plant,
was cultivated. Soil had been Drought from elsewhere, and
,.*


130
N1NEVEII AND ITS REMAINS. Chap. VIL
built up in the terraces on the precipitous sides of the mountains.
A small pathway among the gardens led us to the house of the
rais.
We were received by Kasha Kana of Lizan, and Kasha Yusuf
of Siatha; the first, one of the very few learned priests left
among the Nestorian Chaldeans. Our welcome was as un-
fiected and sincere as it had been at Asheetha. Preparations
nad been made for our reception, and the women of the chief's
family were congregated around huge caldrons at the door
of the house, cooking an entire sheep, with rice and garas.
The liver, heart, and other portions of the entrails, were im-
mediately cut into pieces, roasted on ramrods, and brought on
these skewers into the room. The fruit, too, melons, pome-
granates, and grapes, all of excellent quality, spread on the
floor, before us, served to allay our appetites until the breakfast
was ready.
Mar Shamoun's letter was read with the usual solemnities
by Kasha Kana, and we had to satisfy the numerous inquiries
of the company. Their patriarch was regarded as a prisoner
in Mosul, and his return to the mountains was expected
with deep anxiety. Everywhere, except in Zaweetha, the
churches had been destroyed to their foundation.^ and ttie
priests put to death. Some of the holy edifices had been rudely
rebuilt; but the people were unwilling to use them until they
had been consecrated by the patriarch. There were not priests
enough indeed to officiate, nor could others be ordained until
Mar Shamoun himself performed the ceremony. These wants
had been the cause of great irregularities and confusion in
Tiyari; and the Nestorian Chaldeans, who are naturally a
religious people, and greatly attached to their churches and
ministers, were more alive to them than to any of their mis-
fortunes.
Kasha Kana was making his weekly rounds among the vil-
lages which had lost their priests. He carried under his arm a
bag full of manuscripts, consisting chiefly of rituals and copies
of the Scriptures; but he ha& also one or two volumes on profane


Chap VII. NESTORIAN PRIESTS. 181
subjects, which ht prized highly; among then, was a gram,
mar by Rabba Iohannan bar Zoabee, to which he was chiefly
indebted for his learning.* He read to us—holding as usual
the book upside down—a part of the introduction, treating of
the philosophy and nature of languages, and illustrated the text
by various attempts at the delineation of most marvelous alpha-
bets. A taste for the fine arts seemed to prevail generally in
the village, and the walls of the rais's house were'covered with
sketches of wild goats and snakes in every variety of posture.
The young men were eloquent on the subject of the chase, and
related their exploits with the wild animals of the mountains.
A cousin of the chief, a handsome youth, very gayly dressed,
had shot a hesr a few days before, after a hazardous encounter.
He brought me the skin, which measured seven feet in length.
The two great subjects of complaint I found to be the Kurds
and the bears, both e^ua'ly mischievous; the latter carrying
off* the fruit both when on the trees and when laid out to dry ,
and the former the- provisions stored for the winter. In some
villages in Berwari the inhabitants pretended to be in so much
dread of the bears, that they would not venture out alone after
dark.
The rais, finding that I would not accept his hospitality for
the night, accompanied us, follosved by the principal inhabitants,
to the outskirts of the village. His frank and manly bearing, and
* Although few works on other subjects than those connected with the-
ology and the church services now exist among the Nestorians, it must be
remembered that, at the time of the Arab invasion, the learning of the Easl
was still chiefly to be found with the Chaldeans. We are indebted to them
for the preservation of numerous precious fragments of Greek learning, as
the Greeks were, many centuries before, to their ancestors, the Chaldees
of Babylon, for the records of astronomy and the elements of Eastern sci-
ence. They had translated at an early period the works of Greek physi-
cians and philosophers, and, at the request of the caliphs, who were the
encouragers and patrons of learning, had re-translated them into the Ara-
bic langaage. The Caliph Al Mamoun sent learned Nestorians into Syria,
Armenia, and Egypt to collect manuscripts, and confided for translation to
his Chaldean subjects, among other treatises, those of Aristotle and Galen.
Alexander Von Humboldt (Cosmos, vol. ii. ch. 5) admits and commend?
the influence of the NestoriaB Chaldeans in the civilization of the East.


102
CilAP. VII
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
sample kindness, had made a most favorable impression upon
me, and I left him with regret. Kasha Kana, too, fully merited
the praise which he received from all who knew him. His
appearance was mild and venerable; his beard, white as snow,
fell low upon his breast; but his garments were in a very ad-
vanced stage of rags. I gave him a few handkerchiefs, some
of which were at once gratefully applied to the bettering of his
raiment; the remainder being reserved for the embellishment
of his parish church. The kasha is looked up to as the physi-
cian, philosopher, and sage of Tiyari, and is treated with great
veneration by the people. As we walked through the village,
the women left their thresholds, and the boys their sports, to kiss
his hand—a mark of respect, however, which is invariably
shown to the priesthood.
We had been joined by Mirza, a confidential servant of Mai
Shamoun, and our party was further increased by several men
returning to villages on our road. Yakoub Rais kept every
one in good-humor by his anecdotes, and the absurdity of the
gesticulations. Ionunco, too, dragging his mare over the pro-
jecting rocks, down which he continually contrived to tumble,
added to the general mirth, and we went laughing through the
valley.
From Zaweetha to the Zab, there is almost an unbroken line
of cultivation on both sides of the valley. The two villages of
Miniyanish and Murghi are buried in groves of walnut-trees,
and their peaceful and flourishing appearance deceived me until
I wandered among their dwellings, and found the same scenes
of misery and desolation as at Asheetha. But nature was so
beautiful that we almost forgot the havoc of man, and envied
the repose of these secluded habitations. In Miniyanish, out
of seventy houses, only twelve had risen from their ruins;
the families to which the rest belonged having been totally
destroyed. Yakoub pointed out a spot where abo^e three
hundred persons had been murdered in cold Hood; and1 all
our party had some tale of horror to relate. Murghi was not
less deso ate than Miniyanish, and eight houses alone had been


Lhap. VII. MURGHI.—LIZAN. 133
resought by their owners. We found an old priest, blind and
gray, bowed down by age and grief, the solitary survivor of
six or eight of his order. He was seated under the shade jf
a walnut-tree, near a small stream. Some children of the vil-
lage were feeding him with grapes, and on our approach his
daughter ran into the half-ruined cottage, and brought out a
basket of fruit and a loaf of garas bread. I endeavored to glean
some information from the old man as to the state of his flock;
but his mind wandered to the cruelties of the Kurds, or dwelt
upon the misfortunes of his patriarch, over whose fate he shed
many tears. None of our party being able to console the kasha,
[ gave some handkerchiefs to his daughter, and we resumed out
journey.
Our road lay through the gardens of the villages, and through
the forest of gall-bearing oaks which clothe the mountains above
the line of cultivation. But it was everywhere equally difficult
and precipitous, and we tore our way through the matted boughs
of overhanging trees, or the thick foliage of creepers which hung
from every branch. Innumerable rills, leading the mountain
springs into the' terraced fields, crossed our path and rendered
our progress still more tedious. We reached Lizan, however,
early in the afternoon, descending to the village through scenery
fo extraordinary beauty and grandeur. '.
Lizan stands on the river Zab, which is crossed near the vil-
lage by a rude bridge. I need not weary or distress the reader
with a description of desolation and misery, hardly concealed by
the most luxuriant vegetation. We rode to the grave-yard of a
roofless church slowly rising from its ruins—the first edifice in
the village to be rebuilt. We spread our carpet among the
tombs; for as yet there were no habitable houses. The melek,
with a few who had survived the massacre, was living during
the day under the trees, and sleeping at night on stages of grass
and boughs, raised on high poles, fixed in the very bed of the
Zab. By this latter contrivance they succeeded in catching
any breeze that might be carrie- down the narrow ravine oi


134 NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS. Chap. VII
the river, and in freeing themselves from the gnats and sand-
flies abounding in the valley.
It was near Lizan that occurred one of the most terrible
incidents of the massacre; and an active mountaineer offering
to lead me to the spot, I followed him up the mountain.
Emerging from the gardens we found ourselves at the foot of
an almost perpendicular detritus of loose stones, terminated,
about one thousand feet above us, by a wall of lofty rocks. Up
this ascent we toiled for above an hour, sometimes clinging
lo small shrubs whose roots scarcely reached the scanty soil
below: at others crawling on our hands and knees; crossing
the gullies to secure a footing, or carried down by the stones
which we put in motion as we advanced. We soon saw evi-
dences of the slaughter. At first a solitary skull rolling down
with the rubbish; then heaps of blanched bones; further up
fragments of rotten garments. As we advanced, these remains
became more frequent—skeletons, almost entire, still hung to
the dwarf shrubs. I was soon compelled to renounce an attempt
to count them. As we approached the wall of rock, the decliv-
ity became covered with bones, mingled with the long plaited
tresses of the women, shreds of discolored linen, and well-worn
shoes. There were skulls of all ages, from the child unborn to
the toothless old man. We could not avoid treading on the
bones as we advanced, and rolling them with the loose stones
into the valley below. "This is nothing," exclaimed my guide,
who observed me gazing with wonder on these miserable heaps;
"they are but the remains of those who were thrown from
above, or sought to escape the sword by jumping from the rock.
Follow me!" He sprang upon a ledge projecting from the preci-
pice that rose before us, and clambered along the face of the
mountain overhanging the Zab, now scarcely visible at our feet.
I followed him as well as I was able to some distance; but when
the ledge became scarcely broader than my hand, and frequently
disappeared for three or four feet altogether, I could no longor
advance. The Tiyari, who had easily surmounted these, diffi-
culties, returned to assist me, but in vain. I was still suffering


Chap. VU.
SCENE OF THE MASSACIiE.
13j
severely froin the kick received in my leg four days before:
and was compelled to return, after catching a glimpse of an open
recess or platform covered with human remai is.
When the fugitives who had escaped from Asheetha, spread
the news of the massacre through the valley of Lizan, the
inhabitants of the villages around collected such part of their
property as they could carry, and took refuge on the platform
[ have just described, and on the rock above; hoping thus to
escape the rotice of the Kurds, or to be able to defend, against
any numbers, a place almost inaccessible. Women and young
children, as well as men, concealed themselves in a spot which
the mountain goat could scarcely reach.* Beder Khan Bey
was not long in discovering their retreat; but being unable to
force it, he surrounded the place with his men, and waited until
they should be compelled to yield. The weather was hot and
sultry, the Christians had brought but small supplies of water
and provisions; after three days the first began to fail them,
and they offered to capitulate. The terms proposed by Beder
Khan Bey, and ratified by an oath on the Koran, were their
lives on the surrender of their arms and property. The Kurds
were then admitted to the platform. After they had disarmed
their prisoners, they commenced an indiscriminate slaughter;
until, weary of using their weapons, they hurled the few sur-
vivors from the rocks into the Zab below. Out of nearly one
thousand souls, who are said to have congregated here, only one
escaped.
We had little difficulty in descending to the village; a mov-
ing mass of stones, skulls, and rubbish carried us rapidly down
the declivity. The melek, who had but recently been raised to
* When among the Bakhtiyari, I saw a curious instance of the agility
of the women of the mountains. I occupied an upper room in a tower,
forming one of the corners in the yard of the chief's harem. I was accus-
tomed to lock my door on the outside with a padlock. The wife of the
chief advised me to secure the window also. As I laughed at the idea of
any one being able to enter by it, she ordered one of her handmaidens to
convince me, which she did at once, dragging herself up in the most mart
velous way by the mere irregularities cf the bricks. After witnessing tliii
feat, I could believe anything of the activity of the Kurdish . women.


136
Chap. VIL
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
that rank, his predecessor having been killed by the Kurds, pre-
pared a simple meal of garas and butter—the only provisions
that could be procured. The few stragglers who had returned
to their former dwellings collected round us, and made the usual
inquiries after their patriarch, or related their misfortunes. As
I expressed surprise at the extent of land already cultivated, they
told me that the Kurds of some neighboring villages had taken
possession of the deserted property, and had sown grain and to-
bacco in the spring, which the Tiyari were now compelled to
irrigate and look after.
The sun had scarcely set, when I was driven by swarms of
insects to one of the platforms in the river. A slight breeze
came from the ravine, and I was able to sleep undisturbed.
The bridge across the Zab at Lizan is of basket-work. Stakes
are firmly fastened together with twigs, forming a long hurdle,
reaching from one side of the river to the other. The two ends

A Wicker Bridge across the Zab n5ar Lizan.
are laid upon beams, resting upon piers on the opposite bank,
and kept in their places by heavy stones heaped upon them.


Chap. VII. A TIYAEI BRIDGE.—BAOLA. 137
Animals, as well as men, are able to cross over this frail struc-
ture, which swings to and fro, and seems ready to give way at
every step. These bridges are of frequent occurrence in the
Tiyari mountains.
As some of the beams had been broken, the bridge of Lizan
formed an acute angle with the stream below, and was scarcely
t) be crossed by a man on foot. We had consequently to swim
i.ie mules and horses, a labor of no slight trouble and difficulty,
as the current was rapid, and the bed of the river choked with
rocks. More than an hour was wasted in finding a spot suffi-
ciently clear of stones, and in devising means to induce the ani-
mals to enter the water. We resumed our journey on the oppo-
site side of the valley. But before leaving Lizan I must men-
tion the heroic devotion of ten Tiyari girls from the village of
Serspeetho, who, as they were led across the bridge by the Kurds,
on their return from the great massacre,—preferring death to
captivity and conversion, threw themselves simultaneously into
the Zab, and were drowned in its waters. ,
We now entered a valley formed by a torrent which joins the
Zab below Lizan. On the opposite side, but far in the distance,
were the Kurdish villages of the district of Chal, surrounded by
trees and gardens. We passed through the small Chaldean vil-
lage of Shoordh, now a heap of ruins, inhabited by a few wretch-
ed families, whose priest had been recently put to death by Nur-
Ullah Bey, the chief of the Hakkiari tribes. From Shoordh we
descended into a wild and rocky ravine, opening into the once
rich and populous valley of Raola. We soon found ourselves on
the outskirts of cultivation. A few feet of soil were rescued
from the bed of the torrent, and sown with tobacco and garas.
These straggling plots led us into a series of orchards and gar-
dens, extending to the district of Tkhoma.
We were nearly two hours in reaching the house of the
melek.* My party having gradually increased as we rode
among the scattered cottages, I was followed by a large com-
* Literally, Kirg, the title given to the chiefs of Tiyari.


138
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS. Chap. VII.
pany. Mele.c Khoshaba* had been apprised of my intended
visit; fur he met us with the priests, and principal inhabitants
ut some distance from his dwelling. I was much struck by his
noble carriage and handsome features. He wore, like the other
chiefs, a dress of very gay colors, and a conical cap of felt,
slightly embroidered at the edges, and ornamented with an eagle's
feather. The men who accompanied him were mostly tall and
well made, and were more showily dressed than the inhabitants
of other villages through which we had passed. Their heads
were shaved, as is customary among the Tiyari tribes, a small
knot of hair being left uncut on the crown, and allowed to fall in
a plait down the back. This tail, with the conical cap, gives
them the appearance of Chinese. The boys, in addition to their
inseparable partridges, carried cross-bows, with which they mo-
lested every small bird that appeared, and almost every one had
an eagle's feather in his cap.
We followed the melek to his house, which stood high above
the torrent on the declivity of the mountain. The upper, or
summer room, was large enough to contain all the party. The
melek and priests sat on my carpets; the rest ranged them-
selves on the bare floor against the walls. The girls brought
me, as usual, baskets of fruit, and then stood at the entrance
of the room. Many of them were very pretty; but the daugh-
ter of the chief, a girl of fourteen, excelled them all. I have
seldom seen a more lovely form. Her complexion was fair;
her features regular; her eyes and hair as black as jet; a con-
tinual smile played upon her mouth; and an expression of
mingled surprise and curiosity stole over her face, as she ex-
amined my dress, or followed my movements. Her tresses,
unconfined by the colored kerchief bound loosely round her
head, fell in disorder down her back, reaching to her waist.
Her dress was more gay, and neater, than that of the other
women, who evidently confessed her beauty and her rank. 1
motioned to her to sit down; but that was an honor only ro.
* A corruption of Khath Shaba, Sunday.


Chap. VII.
THE DISTRICT OF TKHOMA.
139
served for the mother of the melek, who occupied a corner of
the room. At length she approached timidly to examine more
closely a pocket compass, which had excited the wonder of the
men.
The threatened invasion of Tkhoma by Beder Khan Bey, was
the chief subject of conversation, and caused great excitement
among the inhabitants of Raola. They calculated the means of
defense possessed by the villagers of the proscribed district; but
while wishing them success against the Kurds, they declared
their inability to afford them assistance; for they still trembled
at the recollection of the former massacre, and the very name of
the Bohtan chief struck terror into the hearts of the Tiyari.
They entreated me to devise some mode of delivering them from
the danger. "It is true," said the melek, "that when Nur-
Ullah Bey joined Beder Khan Bey in the great massacre, the
people of Tkhoma marched with the Kurds against us; but could
they do otherwise ?—for they feared the chief of Hakkiari.
They are our brothers, and we should forgive them; for the
Scriptures tell us to forgive even our enemies." This pious sen-
timent was re-echoed by ail the company.
Several men, whose wives and daughters were still in slavery,
came to me, thinking that I could relieve them in their misfor-
tune; and there was scarcely any one present who had not some
tale of grief to relate. Several members of the family of Melek
Khoshaba, including his cousin, to whom he had succeeded in
the chiefship, had been killed in the massacre. The villages in
the valley of Raola having, however, suffered less than those we
had previously visited, were fast returning to their former pros-
perity.
The melek insisted upon accompanying us, with the priests
and principal inhabitants, to the end of the valley. As we passed
through the village we saw the women bathing at almost every
door; nor did they appear at all conscious that we were neai
them. This simple and primitive mode of washing is thus pub
licly practiced among all the Chaldean tribes, particularly on the
Saturday.


140
NINEVEH AND ITS EEMAINS. Chap. Vli
Melek Khoshaba accompanied me to a rude mc nutnent raised
over the bodies of fifty prisoners, who had been murdered al
the time of the invasion, and left me at the entrance of the
village. We had to pass through a narrow and barren ravine,
and a rocky gorge, before entering the district of Tkhoma.
Our path was the bed of the torrent; and the mountains,
rising precipitously on either side, shut in a scene of extraor-
dinary wildnCss and solitude. This was the only road by which
we could reach Tkhoma, without crossing the lofty ranges of
rocks surrounding it on all other sides. A resolute body of
men might have held the ravine against any numbers. This
was one of the most dangerous tracts we had to traverse during
our journey. On the heights above are one or two villages,
inhabited by the Apenshai* Kurds, who are always engaged in
hostilities with the Tiyari, and fall upon such as are crossing
the frontiers of Tkhoma. My party was numerous and well
armed, and keeping close together we traveled on without appre-
hension.
We emerged suddenly from this wilderness, and saw a richly
cultivated valley before us. Flocks of sheep and goats were
browsing on the hill-sides, and herds of cattle wandered in the
meadows below. These were the first domestic animals we had
seen in the Chaldean country, and they showed that hitherto
Tkhoma had escaped the hand of the spoiler. Two villages
occupied opposite sides of the valley; on the right, Ghissa,
on the left, Birijai. We rode to the latter. The houses
are built in a cluster, and not scattered among the gardens,
as in Tiyari. We were surrounded by the inhabitants as
soon as we entered the streets, and they vied with one an-
other in expressions of welcome and offers of hospitality.
Kasha Hormuzd, the principal priest, prevailed upon me to
accompany him to a house he had provided, and on the roof of
which carpets were speedily spread. The people were in great
agitation at the report of Beder Khan Bey's projected march
* By the Knrds they are called Pinianish.


Chap. VII.
A1ARM Of US, INHABITANTS.
141
upon Tkhoma. They immediately flocked round us, seeking
for news. The men were better dressed than any Nestorian
Chaldeans I had yet seen. The felt cap was replaced by tur-
bans of red and black linen, and these two favorite colors of
the Kurds were conspicuous in their ample trowsers and em-
broidered jackets. As they carried pistols and daggers in their
girdles, and long guns in their hands, they could scarcely be
distinguished from the Mussulman inhabitants of the moun-
tains. The women wore small embroidered skull-caps, from
beneath which their hair fell loose or in plaits. Their shirts
were richly embroidered, and round their necks and bosoms
were hung coins and beads. They were happy in having
escaped so long the fanaticism and rapacity of the Kurds. But
they foresaw their fate. All was bustle and anxiety; the
women were burying their ornaments and domestic utensils in
secure places; the men preparing their arms, or making gun-
powder. I walked to the church, where the priests were col-
lecting their books, and the holy vessels to be hid in the moun-
tains. Among the manuscripts I saw many ancient rituals,
forms of prayer, and versions of the Scripture; the Acts of the
Apostles, and the Epistles on vellum, the first and last leaves
wanting, and without date, but evidently of a very early period:
and a fine copy of the Gospels, Acts, and Epistles also on vellum,
entire, with numerous illuminations, written in the year of the
Seleucidae 1552*, in the time of "Mar Audishio, Patriarch of
the East, and of the Chaldeans."
I was much touched by the unaffected hospitality and simple
manners of the two priests, Kashas Hormuzd, and Khoshaba,
who entertained me; a third was absent. Their dress, torn
and soiled, showed that they were poorer than their congre-
gation. They had just returned from the vineyards, where
* The era of the Seleucidae (the Greek or Alexandrian year, or the era
of contracts, as it is sometimes called), was once in general use among the
Christians, jews and Mussulmans of the East, and is to this day always
employed by the Chaldeans. It commences in October, b. c. 312; accord.
Ing to the C!iaMeans one year later.


142
NINEVEH AND 113 REMAINS. Chap. VI]
they had been toiling during the day; yet they were treated
with reverence and respect; the upper places were given to
them, they were consulted on all occasions,, and no one drew
nigh without kissing the hand, scarred by the plow and the
implements of the field.
Almost every house furnished something toward our evening
repast; and a long train of girls and young men brought us in
messes of meat, fowls, boiled rice, garas and fruit. The priests
and the principal inhabitants feasted with us, and there remained
enough for my servants, and for the poor who were collected on
the roof of a neighboring house. After our meal, many of the
women came to me, and joined with the men in debating on their
critical position, and in forming schemes for the security of their
families, and the defense of their village. It was past midnight
before the assembly separated.
The following day being Sunday, we were roused at dawn to
attend the service of the church. The two priests officiated in
white surplices. The ceremonies were short and simple; a
portion of Scripture was read and then interpreted by Kasha
Hormuzd in the dialect in use in the mountains—few under-
standing the Chaldean of the books.* His companion chanted
the prayers—the congregation kneeling or standing, and join-
ing in the responses. There were no idle forms or salutations;
the people used the sign of the cross when entering, and bowed
when-the name of Christ occurred in the prayers. The Sacra-
ment was administered to all present—men, women, and chil-
dren partaking of the bread and wine, and my companion
* The language of the Chaldeans is a Semitic dialect allied to the Ile-
b.'tw, Arabic, and Syriac, and rftill called the Chaldani or Chaldee. In its
written form, it bears a close resemblance to the Chaldee of the book of
Daniel. The dialect spoken by the mountain tribes varies slightly from
that used in the villages of the plains; and the differences arise chiefly from
local circumstances. It is an interesting fact that the Chaldean spoken in
Assyria is almost identical with the language of the Sabseans, or Christians
of St John, as they are vulgarly called,—a remarkable tribe who reside ir
the province of Khuzistan or Suisana and in the districts near the moutt
of the Euphrates, and who are probably the descendants of the ancient in
habitants of Babylonia and Chaldea.


Chap. VII.
CHURCH SEEVICE.
143
receiving it among the rest. They were disposed to feel hurt
at my declining to join them, until I explained that I did not re-
fuse fr< m any religious prejudice. When the service was ended
the congregation embraced one another, as a symbol of brotherly
love and concord,* and left the ohurch. I could not but contrast
these simple and primitive rites with the senseless mummery
and degrading forms, adopted by the converted Chaldeans of the
plains—the unadorned and imageless walls, with the hideous
pictures, and monstrous deformities which encumber the churches
of Mosul.
It may not be here out of place to remind the reader of the
peculiar doctrine which has earned for the Chaldeans the title
of Nestorians, a name probably given to them by the Roman
Catholic missionaries. The Mussulmans term them simply
"Nasara," or "the Christians," while they call themselves
"Caldani" and "Souraiyah," or in the mountains by the name
of the tribe to which they belong. Although they undoubtedly
profess the doctrine taught by Nestorius, who is looked upon as
one of the great fathers of their church, they deny having im-
bibed it from him, asserting that such as it is they received it
from the Apostles. It is certain that the opinions preached
by Nestorius had already spread widely in the East, and were
particularly inculcated in the schools of the Chaldeans. The
most important point of difference between the Chaldean and
other Christian churches is the assertion on the part of the
former of the divisibility and separation of the two persons, as
well as of the two natures, in Christ. This of course involves
he refusal of the title of" Mother of God" to the Virgin, which
renders them particularly odious to the church of Rome, and is
probably the cause of their being accused of more heresies than
they really admit. The profession of faith adopted by their
church, and still repeated* twice a day, differs in few respects
from the Nicene creed, and it is evident, not only from it,
* Thia custom, it will be remembered, prevailed generally among the
primitive Christians. The Roman Catholic church has retained tbn
remembrance of it in the "Pax."


144
NINEVEH AND ITS REHAIXS. Chap. VIL
but from the writings of Nestorius himself, and of the earliest
fathers of the Eastern church, that there is nothing to authorize
the violent charge of heresy made against the Chaldeans by
their enemies. It is admitted, on the other hand, that they have
retained in all their purity many of the doctrines and forms of
primitive Christianity.
Mosheim, whose impartiality can scarcely be doubted, thus
speaks of them:—" It is to the lasting honor of the Nestorian
sect, that of all the Christian societies established in the East,
they have preserved themselves the most free from the number-
less superstitions which have found their way into the Greek
and Latin churches." * A Protestant may, therefore, wish to
ascertain in what respects they differ, otherwise than in the
doctrine already alluded to, from other Christian sects, and what
their belief and observances really are. The most important
points of difference may be summed up in a few words. They
refuse to the Virgin those titles, and that exaggerated venera-
tion, which were the origin of most of the superstitions and
corruptions of the Romish and Eastern churches. They deny
the doctrine of purgatory, and are most averse, not only to the
worship of images, but even to their exhibition. The figure
of the cross is found in their churches, and they are accus-
tomed to make the sign in common with other Christians of
the East; not, however, considering this ceremony essential,
but rather as a badge of Christianity and a sign of brother-
hood among themselves, scattered as they are amid men of a
hostile faith. They agree with the reformed church in the
rejection of the doctrine of transubstantiation, and in the dis-
tribution of the bread and wine among the communicants.
There appear to be considerable doubts as to the number and
nature of their sacraments; they are generally stated to amount
to seven, and to include baptism, marriage, and ordination.
The five lower grades of the clergy, under the rank of bishop
are allowed to marry. In the early ages of the church the same
jrivilege was extended to the bishop and archbishop, and ever.
* Mosheim, Cent. XVI. Sect. iii. Part L


Chap. VII. BIRIJAI.—TKHOMA GOWAIA.
145
to the patriarch. The fasts of the Chaldeans are numerous and
very strictly observed, even fish not being eaten. There are
152 days in the year on which abstinence frctn animal food is
enjoined. On the Sabbath no Nestorian performs a journey or
does any work.
The vestibule of the church of Birijai was occupied by a
misshapen and decrepit nun. Her bed was a mat in the corner
of the building, and she was cooking her garas on a small fir t
near the door. She inquired, with many tears, after Mar Sha-
moun, and hung round the neck of my companion when she
learned that he had been living with him. Vows of chastity are
very rarely taken among the Nestorian Chaldeans; and this
woman, whose deformity might have precluded the hope of
marriage, was the sole instance we met with in the mountains,
donvents for either sex are unknown.
Birijai contained, at the time of my visit, nearly one hundred
houses, and Ghissa forty. The inhabitants were comparatively
rich, possessing numerous flocks, and cultivating a large extent
of land. There were priests, schools, and churches in both
villages.
One of the meleks of the tribe came early from Tkhoma
Gowaia,* the principal village in the district, to welcome me to
his mountains, and to conduct me to his house. He explained
that as it was Sunday the Chaldeans did not travel, and conse-
quently the other meleks and the principal inhabitants had not
been able to meet me. We took leave of the good people of
Birijai, who had treated us with great hospitality, and followed
Melek Putros up the valley.
To our left was the small Kurdish hamlet of Hayshat, high
up in a sheltered ravine. An uninterrupted line of gardens
brought us to the church of Tkhoma Gowaia, standing in the
midst of scattered houses, this village being built like those of
Tiyari. Here we found almost the whole tribe assembled*, and
in deep consultation on the state of affairs. We sat in a loft
* i. e Middle er Center Tkhoma.
G


146
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS. Chap. Vll.
above the church during the greater part of the day, engaged
in discussion on the course to be pursued to meet the present
difficulties, and to defend the valley against the expected
attack of Beder Khan Bey. The men, who were all well
armed, declared that they were ready to die in the defense of
their villages; and that, unless they were overcome by numbers,
they would hold the passes against the forces of the Kurdish
chief. The Kurds, who inhabited two or three hamlets in
Tkhoma, had also assembled. They expressed sympathy for
the Christians, and offered to arm in their behalf. After much
debate it was resolved to send at once a deputation to the pashaw
of Mosul, to beseech his protection and assistance. Two priests,
two persons from the families of the meleks, and two of the
principal inhabitants, were chosen; and a letter was written by
Kasha Bodaca, one of the most learned and respectable priests in
the mountains. It was a touching appeal, setting forth that they
were faithful subjects of the sultan, had been guilty of no offense,
and were ready to pay any money, or submit to any terms that
the pashaw might think fit to exact. The letter, after having
been approved by all present, and sealed with the seals of the
chiefs, was delivered to the six deputies, who started at once on
foot for Mosul. At the same time no precaution was to be
omitted to place the valley in a state of defense, and to prepare
for the approach of the Kurds.
There were in Tkhoma three meleks, each chosen from a
different family by the tribe. The principal was Melek Pulros,
—a stout, jovial fellow, gayly dressed, and well armed. His
colleagues were of a more sober and more warlike appearance.
There were no signs of poverty among the people; most of the
men had serviceable weapons, and the women wore gold and
silver ornaments. All the young men carried cross-bows, and
were skillful in their use, killing the small birds as they rested
on the trees. A well-armed and formidable body of men might
have been collected from the villages; which, properly directed,
could, I have little doubt, have effectually resisted the invasion
of Beder Khan Bey,


Chap. VII.
NESTORIANS OF TKIIOJIA GOWAIA.
147
We passed the night on the roof of the church, and rose early
to continue our journey to Baz. The valley and pass, separa-
ting Tkhoma from this district, being at this time of the year
uninhabited, is considered insecure, and we were accompanied
by a party of armed men, furnished by the meleks. The
chiefs themselves walked with us to the village of Mezrai, whose
gardens adjoin those of Tkhoma Gowaia. The whole valley,
indeed, up to the rocky barrier, closing it toward the east, is an
uninterrupted line of cultivation. Above the level of the arti-
ficial water-courses, derived from the torrent near its source,
and irrigating all the lands of the district,' are forests of oaks,
clothing the mountains to within a short distance of their sum-
mits. Galls are not so plentiful here as in Tiyari; they form,
however, an article of commerce with Persia, where they find a
better market than in Mosul. Rice and flax are very generally
cultivated, and fruit-trees abound.
We stopped for a few minutes at Gunduktha, the last village
in Tkhoma, to see Kasha Bodaka, whom we found preparing,
at the request of his congregation, to join the deputation to the
Pashaw of Mosul. We took leave of him, and he started on his
journey. He was an amiable, and, for the mountains, a learned
man, greatly esteemed by the Chaldean tribes. Being one of
the most skillful penmen of the day, his manuscripts were much
sought after for the churches. He was mild and simple in his
manners; and his appearance was marked by that gentleness,
and unassuming dignity, which I had found in more than one of
the Nestorian priests.*
The torrent enters the valley of Tkhoma by a very narrow
gorge, through which a road, partly constructed of rough stones,
piled up in the bed of the stream, is with difficulty carried. In
the winter, when the rain has swollen the waters, this entrance
mast be impracticable; and even at this time, we could scarcely
drag our mules and horses over the rocks, and through the deep
* Mr. Ainsworth, writing of Kasha Kana of Lizan, observes that he re-
sembled in his manners and appearance an English clergyman. Kasha
Bodaka w as murdered by the chief of Chal shortly after our visit.


148
Chap. Vll
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
pools in which the torrent abounds. All signs of cultivation
now ceased. Mountains rose on all sides, barren and treeless.
Huge rocks hung over the road, or towered above us. On their
pinnacles, or in their crevices, a few goats sought a scanty
herbage. The savage nature of the place was heightened b)
its solitude.
Soon after entering the ravine, we met a shepherd boy,
Jragging after him a sheep killed by the bears; and a littla
beyond we found the reeking carcass of a bullock, which had
also fallen a victim to these formidable animals, of whose dep-
redations we heard continual complaints. I observed on the
mountain sides several flocks of ibex, and some of our party
endeavored to get within gun-shot; but after sunrise their
watchfulness can not be deceived, and they bounded off to the
highest peaks, long before the most wary of our marksmen
could approach them.
We were steadily making 01 r way over the loose stones and
slipper}' rocks, when a party of horsemen were seen coming
toward us. They were Kurds, and I ordered my party to keep
close together, that we might be ready to meet them in case of
necessity. As they were picking their way over the rough
ground, like ourselves, to the evident risk of their horses' necks
as well as of their own, I had time to examine them fully as
they drew near. In front, on a small, lean, and jaded horse,
rode a tall, gaunt figure, dressed in all the tawdry garments
sanctioned by Kurdish taste. A turban of wonderful capacity,
and almost taking within its dimensions horse and rider, buried
his head, which seemed to escape by a miracle being driven in
between his shoulders by the enormous pressure. From the
center of this mass of many-colored rags rose a high conical
cap of white felt. This load appeared to give an unsteady,
rolling gait to the thin carcass below, which could with diffi-
culty support it. A most capacious pair of claret-colored
trowsers bulged out from the sides of the horse, and well nigh
stretched from side to side of the ravine. Every shade of red
and yellow was displayed in his embroidered jacket and cloak;


Chap VII.
A KURDISH CHIEF.
149
and in his girdle were weapons of extraordinary size, and most
fanciful workmanship. His eyes were dark and piercing, and
overshadowed by shaggy eyebrows; his nose aquiline, his
cheeks hollow, his face long, and his beard black and bushy.
Notwithstanding the ferocity of his countenance, and its unmis-
takable expression of villainy, it would have been difficult to
repress a smile at the absurdity of the figure, and the disparity
between it and the miserable animal concealed beneath. This
was a Kurdish dignitary of the first rank; a man well known
for deeds of oppression and blood; the mutesellim, or lieutenant-
governor under Nur-Ullah Bey, the chief of Hakkiari. He
was followed by a small body of well-armed men, resembling
their master in the motley character of their dress; which, how-
ever, was somewhat reduced in the proportions, as became an
inferiority of rank. The cavalcade was brought up by an indi-
vidual, differing considerably from those who had preceded.
His smooth and shining chin, and the rich glow of raki* upon
his cheeks, were undoubted evidences of Christianity. He had
the accumulated obesity of all his companions; and rode, as
became him, upon a diminutive donkey, which he urged over
the loose stones with the point of a claspknife. His dress did
not differ much from that of the Kurds, except that, instead of
warlike weapons, he carried an ink-horn in his girdle. This
was Bircham, the "goulama d'Mira,"f as he was commonly
called,—a half-renegade Christian, who was the steward, banker,
and secretary of the Hakkiari chief.
I saluted the mutesellim, as we elbowed each other in the
narrow pass; but he did not seem inclined to return my salu-
tation, otherwise than by a curl of the lip, and an indistinct
grunt, which he left me to interpret in any way I thought
proper. It was no use quarreling with him, so I passed on.
y(7e had net proceeded far, when one of his horsemen returned
i) us, and called away Yakoub Rais, Ionunco, and one of the
men of Tkhoma. Looking back, I observed them all in deep
* Ardent spirits, extracted from raisins or dates,
t The servant of the Mir or Prince.
/


150
Chap VIL
NINEVEH AND ItS REMAINS.
consultation with the Kurdish chief, who had dismounted to
wait for them. I rode on, and it was nearly an hour before the
three Chaldpans rejoined us. Ionunco's eyes were starting out
of his head with fright, and the expression of his face was one
of amusing horror. Even Yakoub's usual grin had given way
to a look of alarm. The man of Tkhoma was less disturbed.
Yakoub began by entreating me to return at once to Tkhoma
and Tiyari. The mutesellim, he said, had used violent threats;
declaring that as Nur-Ullah Bey had served one infidel, who
had come to spy out the country, and teach the Turks its mines,
alluding to Schultz,* so he would serve me; and had sent off a
man to the Hakkiari chief to apprise him of my presence in the
mountains. "We must turn back at once," exclaimed Yakoub,
seizing the bridle of my horse, "or, Wallah! that Kurdish dog
will murder us all." I had formed a different plan; and, calm-
ing the fears of my party as well as I was able, I continued my
journey toward Baz. Ionunco, however, racked his brain for
every murder that had been attributed to Nur-Ullah Bey; and
at each new tale of horror Yakoub turned his mule, and vowed
he would go back to Asheetha.
We rode for nearly four hours through this wild, solitary
valley. My people were almost afraid to speak, and huddled
together as if the Kurds were coming down upon us. Two or
three of the armed men scaled the rocks, and ran on before us
as scouts; but the solitude was only broken by an eagle soaring
above our heads, or by a wild goat which occasionally dashed
across our path. In the spring, and early summer, these now
desolate tracts are covered with the tents of the people of
Tknoma, and of the Kurds, who find on the slopes a rich pas-
ture for their flocks.
It was mid-day before we reached the foot of the mountain
dividing us from the district of Baz. The pass we had to cross
is one of the highest in the Chaldean country, and at this
season there was snow upon it. The ascent was long, steep,
* It will be remembered that this traveler was murdered by Nur-Ullah
Bey.


ca*p. VII.
PASS INTO BAZ.
151
and toilsome. We were compelled to walk, and even without
our weight, the mules could scarcely climb the acclivity. But
we were well rewarded for our labor when we gained the
summit. A scene of extraordinary grandeur opened upon us.
At our feet stretched the valicy of Baz,—its villages and gar-
dens but specks in the distance. Beyond the valley, and on all
sides of us, was a sea of mountains—peaks of every form and
height, some snow-capped, others bleak and naked; the further-
most rising in the distant regions of Persia. I counted nine
distinct mountain ranges. Two vast rocks formed a kind of
gateway on the crest of the pass, and I sat between them for
some minutes, gazing upon the sublime prospect before us.
The descent was rapid and dangerous, and so precipitous
that a stone might almost have been dropped on the church of
Ergub, first visible like a white spot beneath us. We passed a
rock, called the "Rock of Butter," from a custom, perhaps, of
pagan origin, existing among the Chaldean shepherds, of placing
upon it, as an offering, a piece of the first butter made in early
spring. As we approached the village, we found several of the
inhabitants laboring in the fields. They left their work, and
followed us. The church stands at some distance from the
houses; and when we reached it, the villagers compelled all
my servants to dismount, including Ibrahim Agha, who mut-
tered a curse upon the infidels, as he took his foot out of the
stirrup. The Christians raised their turbans,—a mark of rev-
erence always shown on these occasions.
The houses of Ergub are built in a group. We stopped in
a small open place in the center of them, and I ordered my
carpet to be spread near a fountain, shaded by a cluster of
trees. We were soon surrounded by the inhabitants of the
village. The melek and the priest seated themselves with me;
he rest stood round in a circle. The men were well dressed
and armed; and, like those of Tkhoma, they could scarcely be
distinguished from the Kurds. Many of the women were pretty
enough to be entitled to the front places they had taken in the
crowd. They wore silver ornaments and beads on thei<


152
Chap. VIJ.
NINEVEH AND ITS HEMAINS.
foreheads, and were dressed in jackets and trowscrs of gay
colors.
After the letter of the patriarch had b<-en read, and the
inquiries concerning him fully satisfied, the conversation turned
upon the expected expedition of Beder Khan Bey against
Tkhoma, and the movements of Nur-Ullah Bey, events causing
great anxiety to the people of Baz. Although this district had
been long under the chief of Hakkiari, paying an annual tribute
to him, and having been even subjected to many vexatious
exactions, and to acts of oppression and violence, yet it had
never been disarmed, nor exposed to a massacre such as had
taken place in Tiyari. There was now cause to fear that
the fanatical fury of Beder Khan Bey might be turned upon it
as well as upon Tkhoma; and the only hope of the inhabitants
was in the friendly interference of Nur-Ullah Bey, whose sub-
jects they now professed themselves to be. They had, however,
begun to conceal their church books and property, in anticipa-
tion of a disaster.
Both the melek and the priest pressed me to accept theii
hospitality. I preferred the house of the latter, to which we
moved in the afternoon. My host was suffering much from the
ague, and was moreover old and infirm. I gave him a few
medicines to stop his fever, for which he was very grateful.
He accompanied me to the church; but the bare walls alone
were standing. The books and furniture had been partly car-
ried away by the Kurds, and partly removed for security by the
people of the village.
After the events of the morning, I had made up my mind to
proceed at once to Nur-Ullah Bey, whose residence was only a
short day's journey distant; but on communicating my intention
to Mr. Hormuzd Rassam, he became so alarmed, and so reso-
utely declared that he would return alone rather than trust him-
self in the hands of the Mir of Hakkiari, that I was forced to give
up my plan. In the present state of the mountains, there were
only two courses open to me: either to visit the chief, who
would probably, after learning the object of my journey, receive


Chap. VII.
GUNDUKTHA.
153
and assist me as he had done Dr. Grant, or to retrace my steps
without delay. I decided upon the latter with regret, as I was
thus unable to visit Jelu and Diz, the two remaining Christian
districts. Without communicating my plans to any one, I sent
for two of Nur-Ullah Bey's attendants who happened to be in
the village, and induced them, by a small present, to take a note
to their master. They were led to believe that it was my in-
t ntion to visit him on the following day, and I sent a Christian
.o see that they took the road to Julamerik. The treachery
and daring of Nur-Ullah Bey were so well known, that I
thought it most prudent to deceive him, in case he might wish
to waylay me on my return to Tkhoma. I started therefore
before daybreak without any one in the village being aware of
my departure, and took the road by which we had reached Baz
the day before.
We crossed the pass as quickly as we were able, hurried
through the long barren valley, and reached Gunduktha, with-
out meeting any one during our journey: to the no small com-
fort of my companions, who could not conceal their alarm
during the whole of our morning's ride.
We stopped to breakfast at Gunduktha, and saw the meleks
at Tkhoma Gowaia. The people of this village had felt much
anxiety on our account, as the mutesellim had passed the night
there, and had used violent threats against us. I learned that he
was going to Chal, to settle some differences which had arisen
between the Kurds of that district and of Hakkiari, and that
Bircham had been sent to Tkhoma by Nur-Ullah Bey to with-
draw his family and friends; "for, this time," said the chief,
"Beder Khan Bey intends to finish with the Christians, and
will not make slaves for consuls and Turks to liberate."
As I was desirous of leaving Tkhoma as soon as possible, I
refused the proffered hospitality of Melek Putros, and rode on
o Birijai.
Being unwilling to return to Asheetha by Raola and the vil-
lages we had already visited, I determined—notwithstanding
the account given by the people of Tkhoma of the great diffi.
G*


CHAI-. VII.
BE-ALATHA.
155
and I was at a loss to discover how the people of Be-Alatha
lived. Yet the deacon was cheerful and contented, dwelling
with resignation upon the misfortunes that had befallen his vil-
lage, and the misery of his family.
On leaving the village, now containing only ten families, I
was accosted by an old priest, who had been waiting until we
assed, and who entreated me to eat bread under his roof. As
is cottage was distant, I was compelled to decline his hospi-
tality, though much touched by his simple kindness, and mild
and gentle manners. Finding that I would not go with him,
he insisted upon accompanying us to the next village, and took
with him three or four sturdy mountaineers, to assist us on our
journey; for the roads, he said, were nearly impassable.
Without the assistance of the good priest our attempt to reach
Marth d' Kasra would certainly have been hopeless. More
than once we turned back in despair, before the slippery rocks
and precipitous ascents. Ibrahim Agha, embarrassed by his
capacious boots, which, made after the fashion of the Turks,
could have contained the extremities of a whole family, was
more beset with difficulties than all the party. When he at-
tempted to ride a mule, unused to a pack-saddle, he invariably
slid over the tail of the animal, and lay sprawling on the ground,
to the great amusement of Yakoub Rais, with whom his adven-
tures were a never-failing source of anecdote in the village
assemblies. If he walked, either his boots became wedged into
the crevices of the rocks, or filled with gravel, to his no small
discomfort. At length, in attempting to cross a bed of loose
stones, he lost all presence of mind, and remained fixed in the
middle, fearful to advance or retreat. The rubbish yielded to
his grasp, and he looked down into a black abyss, toward which
he found himself gradually sinking with the avalanche he had
nut in motion. There was certainly enough to frighten any
Turk, and Ibrahim Agha clung to the face of the declivity—
the picture of despair. "What's the Kurd doing 1" cried a
Tiyari, with whom all Mussulmans were Kurds, and who was
waiting to pass on; "is there any thing here to turn a man's


156
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS. Chap. Vll
face pale? This is dashta, dashta" (a plain, a plain). Ibrahim
Agha, who guessed from the words Kurd and dashta, the meaning
of which he had learned, the purport of the Christian's address,
almost forgot his danger in his rage and indignation. "Gehan-
nem with your dashta!" cried he, still clinging to the moving
tones, "and dishonor upon your wife and mother. Oh! that
could only get one way or the other to show this infidel what
J. is to laugh at the beard of an Osmanli, and to call him a Kurd
in the bargain!" With the assistance of the mountaineers he
was at length rescued from his perilous position, but not restored
to good-humor. By main force the mules were dragged over
this and similar places; the Tiyaris seizing them by the halter
and tail, and throwing them on their sides.
We were two hours struggling through these difficulties l>e-
fore reaching Marth d' Kasra, formerly a large village, but new
containing only forty houses.* Its appearance, however, was
more flourishing than that of Be-Alatha; and the vineyards,
and gardens surrounding it, had been carefully trimmed an'!
irrigated. Above Marth d' Kasra, on a lofty overhanging rock,
is the village of Lagippa, reduced to ten houses. It is not ac-
cessible to beasts of burden. I rode to the house of a priest,
and sat there while the mules were resting.
The road between Marth d' Kasra and Chonba was no less
difficult and dangerous than that we had taken in the morning.
The gardens of the former village extend to the Zab, and we
might have followed the valley; but the men who w?re with
us preferred the shorter road over the mountain, that we might
reach Chonba before nightfall.
The villages in the valley of the Zab suffered mor». from
the Kurds than any other part of Tiyari. Chonba was almost
deserted, its houses and churches a mass of ruins, and its gar-
dens and orchards uncultivated and neglected. There waa no
roof, under which we could pass the night; and we were ob-
liged to spread our carpets under a cluster of walnut-trees. <iear
* In the village are two churches and twn priests.


Chap. VII MURDER OF MELEK ISMAIL. 167
a clear ard most abundant spring. Beneath these trees was
pitched the tent of Beder Khan Bey, after the great massacre;
and here he received Melek Ismail, when delivered a prisoner
into his hands. Yakoub Rais, who had been present at the murder
of the unfortunate chief of the Tiyari, thus described the event.
After heading his people in their defense of the pass which led
into the upper districts, and performing prodigies of valor, Melek
Ismail, his thigh broken by a musket-ball, was carried by a few
followers to a cavern in a secluded ravine; where he might
have escaped the search of his enemies, had not a woman, to save
her life, betrayed his retreat. He was dragged down the moun-
tain with savage exultation, and brought before Beder Khan Bey.
Here he fell upon the ground. "Wherefore does the infidel sit
before me V exclaimed the ferocious chief, who had seen his
broken limb, "and what dog is this that has dared' to shed the
blood of true believers?" "O Mir," replied Melek Ismail, still
undaunted, and partly raising himself, "this arm has taken the
lives of twenty Kurds; and, had God spared me, as many more
would have fallen by it." Beder Khan Bey rose and walked to
the Zab, making a sign to his attendants to bring the melek to
him. By his directions they held the Christian chief over the
river, and, severing his head from his body with a dagger, cast
them into the stream.
All the family of the melek had distinguished themselves, at
the lime of the invasion, by their courage. His sister, standing
by his side, slew four men before she fell mortally wounded.
Over the spring, where we had alighted, formerly grew a
cluster of gigantic walnut-trees, celebrated in Tiyari for their
size and beauty. They had been cut down by the Kurds, and
their massive trunks were still stretched on the ground. A
few smaller trees had been left standing, and afforded ua
shelter. The water, gushing from the foot of an overhanging
rock, was pure and refreshing; but the conduits, which had
once carried it into the fields, having been destroyed, a small
marsh had been formed around the spring. The place conso.


158
Chap. VIL
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
quently abounded in mosquitoes, and we were compelled to keep
up large fires during the night, to escape their attacks.
On the following morning we ascended the valley of the Zab,
for about three miles, to cross the river. The road led into
the district of upper Tiyari, its villages being visible from
the valley, perched on the summits of isolated rocks, or half
concealed in sheltered ravines. The scenery is sublime. The
river forces itself through a deep and narrow gorge, the moun-
tains rising one above the other in wild confusion, naked and
barren—except where the mountaineers have collected the
scanty soil, and surrounded their -cottages with gardens and
vineyards.
A bridge of wicker-work at tnis part of the river was in better
repair than that of Lizan, and we crossed our mules without
difficulty. Descending along the banks of the Zab for a short
distance, we struck into the mountains; and passing through
Kona Zavvi and Bitti, two Kurdish villages buried in orchards,
reached Serspeetho about mid-day. We sat for two hours in
the house of the priest, who received us very hospitably. Out
of eighty families, thirty have alone survived; the rest had been
utterly destroyed. The two churches were still in ruins, and
but a few cottages had as yet been rebuilt. In the afternoon we
resumed our journey, and crossing a high and barren mountain,
descended into the valley of Asheetha.
A.s I was desirous of visiting some copper mines, described
to me by the people of the district, I engaged Kasha Hormuzd,
and one Daoud, who had been a workman at Nimroud, to
accompany me. We left Asheetha, followed by Yakoub Rais, the
priests and principal inhabitants, who took leave of us at some
distance from the village. We chose a different road from that
we had followed on entering the mountain, and thus avoided a
most precipitous ascent. Descending into the valley, leading
from Berwari to Asheetha, we came upon a large party of trav-
elers, whom we at first took for Kurds. As they discharged
their guns, and stopped in the middle of a thicket of rushes
growing in the bed of the torrent, we approached them. They


ChAr. VII.
A COPPER MINE.
159
proved to be Nestorian Chaldeans returning from Mosul to the
mountains. Among them, I found Kasha Oraho,* a learned
and worthy priest, who had fled from Asheetha at the time of
the massacre. On account of his erudition, intimate knowl-
edge of the political condition of the tribes, and acquaintance
with the tenets and ceremonies of the Chaldean church, he
had acted as secretary to Mar Shamoun during his exilr.
Nearly three years had elapsed since he had quitted his moun
tains, and he pined for his native air. Against the advice of
his friends he had determined to leave the plains, and he was
now on his return, with his wife and son, to Tiyari. I sat with
him for a few minutes, and we parted never to meet again. A
few days afterward, Beder Khan Bey and his hordes descended
into Asheetha. Fresh deeds of violence recalled the scenes of
bloodshed to which the poor priest had formerly been a witness;
and he died of grief bewailing the miserable condition of the
Christian tribes.' .
Leaving the valley we had ascended on our approach to Ti-
yari, we entered the mountains to the right, and, after a rapid
ascent, found ourselves in a forest of oaks. Our guides were
some time in discovering the mouth of the mine, which was only
known to a few of the mountaineers. At a distance from the
entrance, copper ores were scattered in abundance among the
loose stones. I descended with some difficulty, and saw many
passages running in various directions, all more or less blocked
up with rubbish and earth, much of which, we had to remove
before I could explore the interior of the mine.
Leaving the district of Holamoun and Geramoun to our
right, we entered a deep valley, and rode for five hours through
a thick forest of oak, beech, and other mountain trees. We
passed a few encampments of Kurds, who had chosen some
lawn in a secluded dell to pitch their black tents; but we saw
no villages until we reached Challek. By the roadside, as we
descended to this place, I observed an extensive ruin, of sub.
• * A corruption of Auraham, Abraham


160
Chap. VH
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
stantial masonry of square stones. I was unable to learn that
any tradition attached to the remains; nor could I ascertain
their name, or determine the nature of the building. It was
evidently a very ancient work, and may have been an Assyrian
fort to command the entrance into the mountains. The pass is
called Kesta, from a Kurdish village of that name.
Challek is a large village, inhabited partly by Chaldeans and
partly by Kurds. There are about fifteen families of Christians,
who have a church and a priest. The gardens are very exten-
sive, and well irrigated, and the houses are almost concealed in
a forest of fruit-trees. We passed the night in the residence of
the kiayah, and were hospitably entertained.
In the morning we rode for some time along the banks of
the Khabour, and about five hours and a half from Challek
forded the Supna, one of its confluents. We stopped at the
Kurdish village of Ourmeli during the middle of the day, and
found there a su-bashi—a kind of superintendent tax-gatherer
—from Mosul, who received me in a manner worthy the dig-
nity of both. He was dressed in an extraordinary assortment
of Osmanlu and Kurdish garments, the greater part of which
had been, of course, robbed from the inhabitants of the district
placed under his care. He treated me with sumptuous hospi-
tality, at the expense of the Kurds, to whom he proclaimed me
a particular friend of the vizier, and a person of very exalted
worth. He brought, himself, the first dish of pillau, which was
followed by soups, chicken-kibaubs, honey, yaghort, cream,
fruit, and a variety of Kurdish luxuries. He refused to be
seated, and waited upon me during the repast. As it was
evident that all this respectful attention, on the part of so great
a personage, was not intended to be thrown away, when he
retired I collected a few of the Kurds, and, obtaining their
confidence by paying for my breakfast, soon learned from them
that the host had dealt so hardly with the villages in his juris-
diction, that the inhabitants, driven to despair, had sent a
deputation to lay their grievances before the pashaw. This
explained the fashion of my reception, which I could scarcely


Chap. VII.
A SU-BASHI.—A FANATIC.
161
attribute to my own merits. As I anticipated, my host came
to me before I left, and commenced a discourse on the char-
acter of. Kurds in general, and on the way of governing
them. "Wallah, Billah, O. Bey!" said he, " these Kurds are
no Mussulmans; they are worse than unbelievers; they are
nothing but thieves and murderers; they will cut a man's
throat for a para. You will know what to tell his highness
when he asks you about them. They are beasts that must be
driven by the bit and the spur; give them too much barley,"
continuing the simile, "and they will get fat and vicious, and
dangerous. No, no, you must take away the barley, and leave
them only the straw." "You have, no doubt," I observed,
eying his many-colored Kurdish cloak, "taken care that as
little be left them to fatten upon as possible." "I am the lowest
of his highness's servants," he replied, scarcely suppressing a
broad grin; "but nevertheless, God knows that I am not the
least zealous in his service." It was at any rate satisfactory to
find that, in the su-bashi's system of government, the Kurds and
Christians were placed on an equal footing, and that the Mus-
sulmans themselves now tasted of the miseries they had so long
inflicted with impunity upon others.
We soon crossed the valley of Amadiyah, and meeting the
high-road between Daoudiyah and Mosul, entered some low
hills thickly set with Kurdish villages. In Kuremi, through
which we passed, there dwells a very holy sheikh, who enjoys
a great reputation for sanctity and miracles throughout Kurd-
istan. He was seated in the iwan, or open chamber, of a very
neat house, built, kept in repair, and continually whitewashed
by the inhabitants of the place. A beard, white as snow, fell
almost to his waist; and he wore a turban and long gown of
spotless white linen. He is almost blind, and sat rocking him-
self to and fro, fingering his rosary. He keeps a perpetual
Ramazan, never eating between dawn and sunset. On a slab,
near him, was a row of water-jugs of every form, ready for use
when the sun went down. Ibrahim Agha, who was not more
friendly to the Kurds than the su-bashi, treated the sheikh to


162
XINEVEII AND ITS REMAINS. Chap. VIL
a most undignified epithet as he passed; which, had it been
overheard by the people of the village, might have led to hostil-
ities. Although I might not have expressed myself so forcibly
as the cawass, I could not but concur generally in his opinion
when reflecting that this man, and some others of the same
class, had been the chief cause of the massacres of the unfortu-
nate Christians, and that, at that moment, his son, Sheikh
Tahar,* was urging Beder Khan Bey to prove his religious
zeal by shedding anew the blood of the Nestorians. We stopped
for the night in the large Catholic Chaldean village of Mun-
gayshi, containing above forty Christian houses, a new church,
and two priests.
A pass, over a richly Wooded range of hills, leads from
Mungayshi into a fertfle plain, watered by several streams, and
occupied by many Kurdish villages. Beyond, the mountains
are naked and most barren. We wandered for some hours
among pinnacles, through narrow ravines, and over broken
rocks of sandstone, all scattered about in the wildest confusion.
Not a blade of vegetation was to be seen; the ground was
parched by the sun, and was here and there blackened by vol-
canic action. We came to several hot sulphurous springs,
bubbling up in the valley, and forming large pools. In the
spring the Kurds and the inhabitants of the surrounding vil-
lages congregate near these reservoirs, and pitch their tents for
nearly a month to bathe in the waters, which have a great rep-
utation for medicinal qualities.
A long defile brought us to the town of Dohuk, formerly a
place of some importance, but now nearly in ruins. It is built
on an island formed by a small stream, and probably occupies
an ancient site. Its castle, a mud building with turrets, was
held for some time by the hereditary Kurdish chief of the
place, against Injeh Bairakdar Mohammed Pashaw; but was re-
* This fanatic, who was one of Beder Khan Bey's principal advisers,
when entering Mosul, was accustomed to throw a vail over his face, that his
sight might not be polluted by Christians, and other impurities in the place
He exercises an immense influence over the Kurdish population, who look
upon him as a savnt and worker of miracles.


Chap. VII.
MALTHA YIAH.—SCULPTURES.
163
duced, and has since been inhabited by a Turkish governor.
Ismail Bey, the mutesellim, received me very civilly, and.I
breakfasted with him. The son of a neighboring Kurdish
chief was visiting the bey. He was dressed in most elabo-
rately embroidered garments, had ponderous jeweled rings
in his ears, carried enormous weapons in his girdle, and had
Etuck in his turban a profusion of marigolds and other flowers.
He was a handsome, intelligent boy; but, young as he might
be, he was already a precocious pupil of Sheikh Tahar; and
when I put him upon a religious topic, he entered most
gravely into an argument to prove the obligation imposed
upon Mussulmans to exterminate the unbelievers, supporting
his theological views by very apt quotations from the
Koran.
My horses, which had been sent from Amadiyah, were wait-
ing for me here; and leaving our jaded mules, we proceeded
to the Christian village of Malthaiyah, about one hour beyond,
and in the same valley as Dohuk. Being anxious to visit the
rock-sculptures near this place, I took a peasant with me and
rode to the foot of a neighboring hill. A short walk up a
very difficult ascent brought me to the monuments.
Four tablets have been cut in the rock; each occupied by
nine figures. The subjects represented in the four bas-reliefs
are similar, and appear to be an adoration of the gods by two
kings. The first god wears the square horned cap, surmounted
by a point, or fleur-de-lys; holds a ring in one hand, and a
thong or snake in the other, and stands on two animals, a bull
and a kind of gryphon, or lion with the head of an eagle, but
without wings. The second divinity is beardless, also carries
a ring, and is seated on a chair, the arms and lower parts
of which are supported by human figures with tails, and by
birds with human heads. The whole rests on two animals, a
lion and a bull. The third divinity resembles the first, and
stands on a winged bull. The four following have stars with
six rays on the horned cap. The first of them has a ring in one
hand, and stands on a gryphon without wings; the second also


164
Chap. VD.
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
holds a ring, and is raised on a horse caparisoned as in the
sculptures of Khorsabad; the third wields an object precisely
similar to the conventional thunderbolt or
the Greek Jove, and is supported by -
winged lion; the fourth is beardless, car-
ries a ring, and stanch on a lion without
wings.
The two kings who are facing the di-
vinities, have one hand elevated, and bear
an object resembling a mace, always repre-
sented as carried by the monarch when
engaged in religious ceremonies.
All the tablets have suffered much from
exposure to the atmosphere, and one has
been almost destroyed by the entrance into
a tomb, which was probably cut in the
Assyrian Deity. On rock at a Ions period subsequent to the
a rook tablet at Mai- . ,° r
thaiyah. Assyrian empire.
The details in the bas-reliefs are similar in character to
those on the later Assyrian monuments, and are interesting in
many respects. The thrones or arm-chairs, supported by ani-
mals and human figures, resemble those of the ancient Egyp-
tians, and of the monuments of Kouyunjik, Khorsabad, and
Persepolis. They also remind us of the throne of Solomon,
which had "stays (or arms) on either side on the place of the
seat, and two lions stood beside ihe stays. And twelve lions
stood there, on the one side and on the other upon the six
steps."*
I returned to the village after sunset. My cawass and ser-
vants had established themselves for the night on the roof of
the church; and the kiayah had prepared a very substantial
repast. The inhabitants of Malthaiyah are Catholic Chal-
deans; their conversion not dating many years. The greater
part joined us in the evening.
* 1 Kings x. 19, 20.


Chai-. VII.
ALKOSH.
165
Next morning we rode over a dreary plain to Alkosh. "in a
defile, through the hills behind the village, I observed several

Assyrian Chairs.
rock-tombs,—excavations similar to those of Malthaiyah; some
having rude ornaments above the entrance, the door-ways of
others being simply square holes in the rock.
Alkosh is a large Christian village. The inhabitants, who
were formerly pure Chaldeans, have been converted to Roman
Catholicism. It contains, according to a very general tradition,
the tomb of Nahum, the prophet—the Alkoshite, as he is called
in the introduction to his prophecies. It is a place held in
great reverence by Mohammedans and Christians, but espe-
cially by Jews, who keep the building in repair, and flock here
in great numbers at certain seasons of the year. The tomb
is a simple plaster box, covered with green cloth, and standing
at the upper end of a large chamber. On the walls of the room
are pasted slips of paper, upon which are written, in distorted
Hebrew characters, religious exhortations, and the dates and
partic-utttrs of the visits of various Jewish families. The house


166 NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS. Chap. VIL
containing the tomb is a modern building. There are no in-
scriptions, nor fragments of any antiquity about the place; and
I am not aware in what the tradition originated, or how long
it has attached to the village of Alkosh.*
After visiting the tomb, I rode to the convent of Rabban
Hormuzd, built on the almost perpendicular sides of lofty rocks
inclosing a small recess or basin, out of which there is only
one outlet,—a narrow and precipitous ravine, leading abruptly
into the plains. The spot is well suited to solitude and devo-
tion. Half buried in barren crags, the building can scarcely
be distinguished from the natural pinnacles by which it is sur-
rounded. There is scarcely a blade of vegetation to be seen,
except a few olive-trees, encouraged, by the tender solicitude of
the monks, to struggle with the barren soil. Around the con-
vent, in almost every accessible part of the mountain, are a
multitude of artificial chambers in the rock, said to have once
served as a retreat for a legion of hermits, and from which most
probably were ejected the dead, to make room for the living;
for they appear to have been, at a very remote period, places
of burial. The number of these recesses must at one time
have been very considerable. They are now rapidly disap-
pearing, and have been so doing for centuries. Still the sides
of the ravine are in some places honey-combed by them.
The hermits, who may once have inhabited the place, havs
left no successors. A lonely monk from the convent may occa-
sionally be seen clambering over the rocks; but otherwise the
solitude is seldom disturbed by the presence of a human being.
The ascent to the convent, from the entrance of the ravine,
is partly up a flight of steps rudely constructed of loose stones,
and partly by a narrow pathway cut in the rock. We were,
therefore, obliged to dismount, and to leave our horses in a
cavern at the foot of the mountain.
* According to St. Jerome, El Kosh or El Kosha, the birth-place of the
prophet, was a village in Galilee; and his tomb was shown at Bethogabm
near Emmaus. As his prophecies were written after the captivity of tho
ten tribes, and apply exclusively to Nineveh, the tradition which points to
the village in Assyria as the place of his death, is not without weight.


Coap. VII.
RABBAN HORMUZD.
167
Rabban Hormuzd was formerly in the possession of the
Nestorian Chaldeans; but has been appropriated by the Cath-
olics since the conversion of the inhabitants of Alkosh, Tei
Kef, and other large villages of the plain. It is said to have
been founded by one of the early Chaldean patriarchs, in the
latter part of the fourth century. The saint, after whom the
convent is called, is much venerated by the Nestorians, and
was, according to some traditions, a Christian martyr, and the
son of a king of Persia. The convent is partly excavated in the
rocks, and partly constructed of well-cut stone. Since it was
plundered by the Kurds, under the Bey of Rowandiz, no attempt
has been made to restore the rich ornaments which once dec-
orated the chapel, and principal halls. The walls are now
naked and bare, except where hung with a few hideous pictures
of saints and holy families, presented or stuck up by the Italian
monks who occasionally visit the place. In the chapel are the
tombs of several patriarchs of the Chaldean church, buried here
long before its division, and whose titles, carved upon the monu-
ments, are always " Patriarch of the Chaldeans of the East."*
Six or eight half-famished monks reside in the building. They
depend for supplies, which are scanty enough, upon the faithful
of the surrounding country.
It was night before we reached the large Catholic village of
Tel Kef. I had sent a horseman in the morning, to apprise the
people of my intended visit; and Gouriel, the kiayah, with
several of the principal inhabitants, had assembled to receive me.
As we approached they emerged from a dark recess, where they
had probably been waiting for some time. They carried a few
wax lights, which served as an illumination, and whose motion,
as the bearers advanced, was so unsteady, that there could be no
doubt of the condition of the bearers.
Gouriel and his friends reeled forward toward my cawass,
* The seal used by Mar Shamoun bears the same title; and the patri-
arch so styles himself in all public documents. It is only lately that he
has been induced, on some occasions, when addressing Europeans, to call
himself "Patriarch of the Nestorians," the name never having been nsorf
by the Chaldeans themselves.


168
Chai\ VII.
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
who chanced to be the first of the party; and believ ing him to be
me, they fell upon him, kissing his hands and feet, and clinging
to his dress. Ibrahim Agha struggled hard to extricate him-
self, but in vain. "The Bey is behind," roared he. "Allah!
Allah! will no one deliver me from these drunken infidels V
Rejoicing in the mistake, 1 concealed myself among the horse-
men. Gouriel, seizing the bridle of Ibrahim Agha's horse, and
unmindful of the blows which the cawass dealt about him, led
hkn in triumph to his residence. It was not before the wife of
the kiayah and some women, who had assembled to cook our
dinner, brought torches, that the deputation discovered their
cirror. I had alighted in the meanwhile unseen, and had found
my way to the roof of the house, where all the cushions that
could be found in the village were piled up in front of a
small table covered with bottles of raki and an assortment of
raisins and parched peas, prepared in my honor. I hid myself
among the pillows, and it was some time before the kiayah
discovered my retreat. He hiccuped out excuses till he was
breathless, and endeavoring to kiss my feet, asked forgivenusa
for the unfortunate blunder. "Wallah! O Bey," exclaimed
Ibrahim Agha, who had been searching for a stable, "the
whole village is drunk. It is always thus with these unbe-
lievers. They have now a good pashaw, who neither takes
jerums nor extra salian,* nor quarters hytas upon them.
What dirt do they then eat? Instead of repairing their houses,
and sowing their fields, they spend every para in raki, and sit
eating and drinking, like hogs, night and day." I was forced
to agree with Ibrahim Agha in his conclusions, and would have
remonstrated with my hosts; but there was no one in a fit state
to hear advice; and I was not sorry to see them at midnight
scattered over the roof, buried in profound sleep. I ordered the
horses to be loaded, and reached Mosul as the gates opened al
daybreak.
The reader may desire to learn the fate of Tkhoma. A few
* At Mosul jeruras mean fines; salian, the property tay, or taxes levied
on corporations under the old system.


Chap. VII.
EXILE OF BEDEIl KUAN BET.
169
days after my return to Mosu-l, notwithstanding the attempts 01
Tahyar Pashaw to avert the calamity, Beder Khan Bey marched
through the Tiyari mountains, levying contributions on the
tribes and plundering the villages, on his way to the devoted
district. The inhabitants, headed by their meleks, made some
resistance, but were soon overpowered by numbers. An in-
discriminate massacre took place. The women were brought
before the chief, and murdered in cold blood. Those who at-
tempted to escape were cut off. Three hundred women and
children, who were flying into Baz, were killed in the pass I have
described. The principal villages with their gardens were
destroyed, and the churches pulled down. Nearly half the
population fell victims to the fanatical fury of the Kurdish
chief; among them were one of the meleks, and Kasha Bodaca.
With this good priest, and Kasha Auraham, perished the most
learned of the Nestorian clergy; and Kasha Kana is the last
who has inherited any part of the knowledge, and zeal, which
once so eminently distinguished the Chaldean priesthood.
The Porte was prevailed upon to punish this atrocious mas-
sacre, and to crush a rebellious subject who had long resisted
its authority. An expedition was fitted out under Osman
Pashaw; and after two engagements, in which the Kurds were
signally defeated by the Turkish troops headed by Omar Pashaw,
Beder Khan Bey took refuge in a mountain-castle. The position
had been nearly carried, when the chief, finding defense hope-
less, succeeded in obtaining from the Turkish commander
the same terms which had been offered to him before the
commencement of hostilities. He was to be banished from
Kurdistan; but his family and attendants were to accompany
him, and he was guaranteed the enjoyment of his property.
Although the Turkish ministers more than suspected that Osman
Pashaw had reasons of his own for granting these terms, they
Honorably fulfilled the conditions upon which the chief, although
u r-»bel, had surrendered. He was brought to Constantinople,
and subsequently sent to the Island of Candia—a punishment
totally ini'.'ieqaatc to his numerous crimes.
I]


170
CliAr. VII
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
After Beder Khan Bey had retired from Tkhoma, a few of
the surviving inhabitants returned to their ruined villages; but
Nur-Ullah Bey, suspecting that they knew of concealed prop-
erty, fell suddenly upon them. Many died under the tortures
to which they were exposed; and the rest, as soon as they were
released, fled into Persia. This flourishing district was thus
destroyed; and it will be long ere its cottages again rise from
their ruins, and the fruits of patient toil again clothe the sides of
its valleys.


Our. VUL
THE YEZIDIS.
17.
CHAPTER VIII.
INVITATION TO THE FEAST OF THE YEZIDIS.—DEPARTURE FROM MOSUL.—
BAADRI. — HUSSEIN BEY, THE YEZIDI CHIEF. THE BIRTH OF HIS
SON.—HISTORY OF THE YEZIDIS.—RIDE TO THE TOMB OF SHEIKH ADI.
SHEIKH NASR.—DESCRIPTION OF THE TOMB.—ARRIVAL OF PILGRIMS.
AN INCIDENT. SHEIKH SHEMS, OR THE SUN. VOTIVE LAMPS.—
CELEBRATION OF SITES. YEZIDI MUSIC.—THE DOCTRINES AND RE-
LIGIOUS OBSERVANCES OF THE SECT. THE EVIL PRINCIPLE.—THE PP.OB-
ABLE ORIGIN OF THEIR RITES.'—THEIR ORDERS OF PRIESTHOOD.—
THEIR LANGUAGE AND BOOKS.—RETURN TO MOSUL.—DEPARTURE FOR
THE SINJAR. ABOU MARIA.—TEL AFER.—MIRKAN.—ESCAPE OF THE
YEZIDIS.—THE VILLAGE OF SINJAR. WILD ASSES.
A few days after my return to Mosul from the Tiyari moun-
tains, a priest of the Yezidis, or, as they are commonly called,
.' Worshipers of the Devil," was sent by Sheikh Nasr, the
religious chief of that remarkable sect, to invite Mr. Rassam and
myself to their great periodical feast. The vice-consul was
unable to accept the invitation; but I seized with eagerness the
opportunity of being present at ceremonies not before witnessed
by an European.
The origin of my invitation proves that the Yezidis may lay
claim to a virtue which is, unfortunately, not of frequent
occurrence in the East,—I mean gratitude. When Keritli
Oglu, Mohammed Pashaw, first came to Mosul, this sect was
among the objects of his cupidity and tyranny. He seized by
treachery, as he supposed, their high-priest; but Sheikh Nasr
had time to escape the plot against him, and to substitute in
his place the second in authority, who was carried a prisoner to
the town. Such is the attachment shown by the Yezidis to their
chief, that the deceit was not revealed, and the substitute bore
with resignation the tortures and imprisonment inflicted upon
him. Mr. Rassam having been applied to, obtained his releasr


172
NINEVEH AND ITS I1ESIAINS. Chap. V ilL
from the pashaw, on the advance of a considerable sum of money,
which the inhabitants of the district of Sheikhan undertook to
repay, in course of time, out of the produce of their fields. They
punctually fulfilled the engagement thus entered into, and looked
to the British vice-consul as their protector.
Owing to the disturbed state of the country, and the mis-
conduct of the late pashaws, some years had elapsed since the
Yezidis had assembled at Sheikh Adi. The short rule of Ismail
l'ashaw, and the conciliatory measures of the new governor, had
so far restored confidence among persons of all sects, that the
Worshipers of the Devil had determined to celebrate their
great festival with more than ordinary solemnity and re-
joicings.
I quitted Mosul, accompanied by Hodja Toma (the dragoman
of the vice-consulate), and the cawal, or priest, sent by Sheikh
Nasr. We were joined on the road by several Yezidis, who
were, like ourselves, on their way to the place of meeting. We
passed the night in a small hamlet near Khorsabad, and reached
Baadri early next day. This village, the residence of Hussein
Bey, the political chief of the Yezidis, is built at the foot of the
line of hills crossed in my previous journey to the Chaldean
Mountains, and about five miles to the north of Ain Sifni. We
traveled over the same dreary plain, leaving the mound of
Jerrahiyah to our right.
On approaching the village I was met by Hussein Bey, followed
by the priests and principal inhabitants on foot. The chief was
about eighteen years of age, and one of the handsomest young
men I ever saw. His features were regular and delicate, his eye
lustrous, and the long curls, which fell from under his variegated
turban, of the deepest black. An ample white cloak of fine
texture was thrown over his rich jacket and robes. I dis-
mounted as he drew near, and he endeavored to kiss my hand;
but to this ceremony I decidedly objected; and we compromised
matters by embracing each other after the fashion of the country.
He then insisted upon leading my horse, which he wished rae
to remount, and it was with difficulty that I at length prevailed


C.:ap. VIII.
HUSSEIN BEY.
173
upon him to walk with me into the village. He led me to his
salamlik, or reception room, in which carpets and cushions had
been spread. Through the center ran a stream of fresh water,
derived from a neighboring spring. The people of the place
stood At the lower end of the room, and listened in respectful
silence to the conversation between their chief and myself.
Breakfast was brought to us from the harem of Hussein Bey;
and the crowd having retired after we had eaten, I was left
during the heat of the day to enjoy the cool temperature of the
salamlik.
I was awakened in the afternoon by that shrill cry of the
women, which generally announces some happy event. The
youthful chief entered soon afterward, followed by a long
retinue. It was evident, from the smile upon his features, that
he had joyful news to communicate. He seated himself on my
carpet, and thus addressed me :—" O Bey, your presence has
brought happiness on our house. At your hands we receive
nothing but good. We are all your servants; and, praise be
to the Highest, in this house another servant has been born to
you. The child is yours: he is our first-born, and he will grow
up under your shadow. Let him receive his name from you,
and be hereafter under your protection." The assembly joined
in the request, and protested that this event, so interesting to
all the tribe, was solely to be attributed to my fortunate visit.
I was not quite aware of the nature of the ceremony, if any, in
which I might be expected to join on naming the new-born
chief. Notwithstanding my respect and esteem for the Yezidis,
I could not but admit that there were some doubts as to the
propriety of their tenets and form of worship; and I was
naturally anxious to ascertain the amount of responsibility
which I might incur, in standing godfather to a devil-worship-
ing baby. However, as I was assured that no other form was
necessary than the mere selection of a name (the rite of baptism
being reserved "or a future day, when the child could be carried
to the tomb of Sheikh Adi, and could bear immersion in its sacred
waters). I thus answered Hussein Bey :—" O Bey, I rejoice in


174
Chap. VIII.
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
this happy event, for which we must return thanks to God.
May this soi. be but the first of many who will preserve, as
their forefathers have done, the fame and honor of your house.
As you ask of me a name for this child, I could give you many,
which, in my language and country, are well-sounding and
honorable; but your tongue could not utter them, and they
would moreover be without meaning. Were it usual I would
call him after his father, whose virtues he will no doubt imitate;
but such is not the custom. I have not forgotten the name of
his grandfather,—a name which is dear to the Yezidis, and
still brings to their memory the days of their prosperity and
happiness. Let him therefore be known as Ali Bey; and may
he live to see the Yezidis as they were in the time of him after
whom he is called." This oration, which was accompanied by
a few gold coins to be sewn to the cap of the infant, was re-
ceived with great applause; and the name of Ali Bey was
unanimously adopted; one of the chief's relations hastening to
the harem, to communicate it to the ladies. He returned with
a carpet and some embroidery, as presents from the mother, and
with an invitation to the harem to see the females of the family.
I found there the chief's mother and his second wife; for he
had already taken two. They assured me that the lady, who
had just brought joy to the house, was even more thankful than
her husband; and that her gratitude to me, as the author of
her happiness, was unbounded. They brought me honey and
strings of dried figs from the Sinjar, and entertained me with
domestic histories until I thought it time to return to the
salamlik.
The Yezidis were some years ago a very powerful tribe.
Their principal strongholds were in the district which I was
now visiting, and in the Jebel Sinjar, a solitary mountain rising
in the center of the Mesopotamian desert to the west of Mosul,
die last independent chief of the Yezidis of Sheikhan was Ali
Bey, the father of Hussein Bey. He was beloved by his tribe,
and sufficiently brave and skillful in war to defend them, foi
many years, against the attacks of the Kurds and Mussulmans
;


ClIAp. VIII.
HISTORY OF THE YEZIDIS.
175
of the plain. The powerful Bey of Rowandiz, who had united
most of the Kurdish tribes of the surrounding mountains under
his banner, and long defied both Turks and Persians, resolved
to crush the hateful sect of the Yezidis. Ali Bey's forces were
greatly inferior in numbers to those of his persecutor. lie
was defeated, and fell into the hands of the Rowandiz chief,
who put him to death. The inhabitants of Sheikan fled tc
Mosul. It was spring; the river had overflowed its banks,
and the bridge of boats had been removed. A few succeeded
in crossing the stream; but a vast crowd of men, women, and
children were left upon the opposite side, and congregated on
the great mound of Kouyunjik. The Bey of Rowandiz followed
them. An indiscriminate slaughter ensued; and the people of
Mosul beheld, from their terraces, the murder of these unfortu-
nate fugitives, who cried to them in vain for help—for both
Christians and Mussulmans rejoiced in the extermination of an
odious and infidel sect, and no arm was lifted in their defense
Hussein Bey, having been carried by his mother to the moun-
tains, escaped the general slaughter. He was carefully brought
up by the Yezidis, and from his infancy had been regarded as
their chief.
The inhabitants of the Sinjar were soon after subdued by
Mehemet Reshid Pashaw, and a second time by Hafiz Pashaw.
On both occasions there was a massacre, and the population was
reduced by three fourths. The Yezidis took refuge in caves,
where they were either suffocated by fires lighted at the mouth,
or destroyed by discharges of cannon.
It will be remembered that Mohammedans, in their dealings
with men of other creeds, make a distinction between such as
are believers in the sacred books, and such as have no recog-
nized inspired works. To the first category belong Christians
,%.f all denominations, as receiving the two testaments; and the
'jews, as followers of the old. With Christians and Jews, there-
fore, they may treat, make peace, and live; but with such
as are included in the second class, the good Mussulman can
have no intercourse. No treaty nor oath, when they are con


176
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS. Chap. VIII
cerned, is binding. They have the choice between conversion
and the sword, and it is unlawful even to take tribute from
them. The Yezidis, not being looked upon as " Masters of a
Book," have been exposed for centuries to the persecution of
the Mohammedans. The harems of the south of Turkey have
been recruited from them. Yearly expeditions have been made
by the governors of provinces into their districts; and, while
the men and women were slaughtered without mercy, the
children of both sexes were carried off, and exposed for sale in
the principal towns. These annual hunts were one of the
sources of revenue of Beder Khan Bey; and it was the custom
of the Pashaws of Baghdad and Mosul to let loose the irregular
troops upon the ill-fated Yezidis, as an easy method of satisfying
their demands for arrears of pay. This system was still prac-
ticed to a certain extent within a very few months of my visit;
and gave rise to atrocities scarcely equaled in the better known
slave-trade.
It was not unnatural that the Yezidis should revenge them-
selves, whenever an opportunity might offer, upon their oppres-
sors. They formed themselves into bands, and were long the
terror of the country. No Mussulman that fell into their hands
was spared. Caravans were plundered, and merchants mur-
dered without mercy. Christians, however, were not molested;
for the Yezidis looked upon them as fellow-sufferers for religion's
sake.
These acts of retaliation furnished an excuse for the invasion
of the Sinjar by Mehemet Reshid and Hafiz Pashaws. Since
the great massacres which then took place, the Yezidis have
been completely subdued, and have patiently suffered under their
misfortunes. Their devotion to their religion is no less remark-
able than that of the Jews; and I remember no instance of a
person of full age renouncing his faith. They invariably pre-
fer death, and submit with resignation to the tortures inflicted
upon them.
Sheikh Nasr, the chief priest of the sect, had already left
Baadri, and was preparing for the religious ceremonies at the


Chap. VIII. THE TOMB. OF SHEIKH ADI.
177
tomb of Sheikh Adi. I visited his wife, and was gratified by
the unaffected hospitality of my reception, and by the cleanliness
of the house and its scanty furniture. All the dwellings which
[ entered appeared equally neat, and well built. Some stood in
small gardens filled with flowers, and near them were streams
of running water, brought from the abundant springs which issue
from the hill above the village.
Next morning at dawn, Hussein Bey issued from his harem,
armed and dressed in his gayest robes, ready to proceed to the
.omb of the saint. The principal people of the village were soon
collected, and we all started together, forming a long procession,
preceded by musicians with the tamborine and pipe. The
>vomen were busily employed in loading their donkeys with car-
pets and domestic utensils. They were to follow leisurely.
Hussein Bey and I rode together, and as long as the ground per-
mitted, the horsemen and footmen who accompanied us, engaged
in mimic fight, discharging their fire-arms into the air, and sing-
ing their war-cry. We soon reached the foot of a very precipi-
tous ascent, up which ran a steep and difficult pathway. The
horsemen now rode on in single file, and we were frequently
compelled to dismount and drag our horses over the rocks. We
gained the summit of the pass in about an hour, and looked
down into the richly wooded valley of Sheikh Adi. As soon as
the white spire of the tomb appeared above the trees, all our
party discharged their guns. The echoes had scarcely died
away, when our signal was answered by similar discharges from
below. As we descended through the thick wood of oaks, we
passed many pilgrims on their way, like ourselves, to the tomb;
the women seated under the trees, relieving themselves awhile
from their infant burdens; the men re-adjusting the loads which
'.he rapid descent had displaced. As each new body of travelers
caught sight of the object of their journey, they fired their guns,
and shouted the cry of the tribe to those below.
At some distance from the tomb we were met by Sheikh
ftasr and a crowd of priests and armed men. The sheikh waa
dressed in the purest white linen, as wera *.he principal members


Chap. VIII. INSCRIPTION OF THE TOMB.
179
as nearly as possible the tomb of a Mussulman saint, to preserve
it from profanation by the Kurds.
In the principal hall a few lamps are generally burning, and
at sunset lights are placed in niches scattered over the walls.
Two white spires, rising above the building, form a pleasing
contrast with the rich foliage by which they are surrounded.
They are topped by gilt ornaments, and their sides are fashioned
nto many angles, causing an agreeable variety of light and
shade. On the wall near the doorway are rudely carved a lion,
a snake, a hatchet, a man, and a comb. The snake, painted
black, is particularly conspicuous. Although it might be sus-
pected that these figures were emblematical, I could obtain no
other explanation from Sheikh Nasr, than that they had been cut
by the Christian mason who repaired the tomb some years ago,
as ornaments suggested by his mere fancy. I observed the
hatchet, comb, and a hooked stick, such as is generally carried
in the country, carved on many stones in the building, but was
assured that they were only marks placed upon them at the
request of those who had furnished money toward the restora-
tion of the building, or had assisted in the work.
In the center of the inner court, and under the vine, is a
square plaster case, in which is a small recess filled with balls
of clay taken from the tomb of the saint. These are sold or dis-
tributed to pilgrims, and regarded as very sacred relics—useful
against diseases and evil spirits, and to be buried with the dead.
Certain members of the priesthood and their families alone in-
habit the surrounding buildings. They are chosen to watch
over the sacred precincts, and are supported and supplied with
provisions by the tribe.
The outer court is inclosed by low buildings, with recesses
similar to those in an Eastern bazar. They are intended for
•he accommodation of pilgrims, and for the stalls of pedlers,
luring the celebration of the festival. Several gigantic trees
riirow their shade over the open space, and streams of fresh
ivater are led lound the buildings.
Around the tomb, and beneath the trees which grow on the


180
NINEVEH AND ITS HEMAINS. ChAr. VIII.
sides of the mountain, are numerous rudely constructed edifices,
each belonging to a Yezidi district or tribe. The pilgrims, ac-
cording to the place from which they come, reside in them dur-
ing the time of the feast; so that each portion of the valley is
known by the name of the country, or tribe, of thosa who resort
there.
I sat till nearly mid-day with the assembly, at the door of
t ie tomb. Sheikh Nasr then rose, and I followed him into
the outer court, which was filled by a busy crowd of pilgrims.
In the recesses and on the ground were spread the stores of
the pedlers, who, on such occasions, repair to the valley.
Many-colored handkerchiefs, and cotton stuffs, hung from the
branches of the trees; dried figs from the Sinjar, raisins from
Amadiyah, dates from Busrah, and walnuts from the moun-
tains, were displayed in heaps upon the pavement. Around
these tempting treasures were gathered groups of boys and
young girls. Men and women were engaged on all sides in
animated conversation, and the hum of human voices was heard
through the valley. All respectfully saluted the sheikh, and
made way for us as we approached. We issued from the pre-
cincts of the principal building, and seated ourselves on the
edge of a fountain built by the road-side, and at the end of the
avenue of trees leading to the tombs. The slabs surrounding
the basin are to some extent looked upon as sacred: and at this
time only Hussein Bey, Sheikh Nasr, and myself were permit-
ted to place ourselves upon them. Even on other occasions the
Yezidis are unwilling to see them polluted by Mussulmans, who
usually choose this spot, well adapted for repose, to spread
their carpets. The water of the fountain is carefully preserved
from impurities, and is drank by those who congregate in the
valley. Women were now hastening to and fro with their
pitchers, and making merry as they waited their turn to dip
them into the reservoir. The principal sheikhs and cawals sat
in a circle round the spring, and listened to the music of pipes
and tamborines.
I never beheld a more picturesque or animated scene. Long


Chap. VIII.
ARRIVAL Or PILGRIMS.
181
lines of pilgrims toiled up he avenue. There was the swarthy
inhabitant of the Sinjar, with his long black locks, his piercing
eye and regular features—his white robe floating in the wind,
and his unwieldy matchlock thrown over his shoulder. Then
followed the more wealthy families of the Kochers,—the wander-
ing tribes who live in tents in the plains, and among the hills
of ancient Adiabene; the men in gay jackets and variegated
turbans, with fantastic arms in their girdles; the women richly
clad in silk antaris; their hair, braided in many tresses, falling
down their backs, and adorned with wild flowers; their fore-
heads almost concealed by gold and silver coins; and huge
strings of glass beads, coins, and engraved stones hanging round
their necks. Next would appear a poverty-stricken family from
a village of the Mosul district; the women clad in white, pale
and care-worn, bending under the weight of their children; the
men urging on the heavily-laden donkey. Similar groups de-
scended from the hills. Repeated discharges of fire-arms, and a
well-known signal, announced to those below the arrival of every
new party.
All turned to the fountain before proceeding to their allotted
stations, and laying their arms on the ground, kissed the hands
of Hussein Bey, Sheikh Nasr, and myself. After saluting the
assembled priests they continued their way up the sides of the
mountains, and chose a wide-spreading oak, or the roof of a
building, for a resting-place during their sojourn in the valley.
They then spread their carpets, and, lighting fires with dry
branches and twigs, busied themselves in preparing their food.
Such groups were scattered in every direction. There was
scarcely a tree without its colony.
All, before entering the sacred valley, washed themselves and
their clothss in the stream issuing from it. They came thus
purified to the feast. I never before saw so much assembled
cleanliness in the East. Their garments, generally white, were
spotless.
During the afternoon, dances were performed before the bey
and myself. They resembled the Arab Debke and the Kurdish


182
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS. Chap. VIIL
Tchopee. As many young men as could crowd into the small
open space in front of the fountain joined in them. Others
sang in chorus with the music. Every place, from which a
sight could be obtained of the dancers, was occupied by curious
spectators. Even the branches above our heads were bending
under the clusters of boys who had discovered that, from them,
they could get a full view of what was going on below. The
manceuvers of one of these urchins gave rise to a somewhat
amusing incident, which illustrates the singular superstitionu
of this sect. He had forced himself to the very end of a weak
bough, which was immediately above me, and threatened every
moment to break under the weight. As I looked up I saw the
impending danger, and made an effort, by an appeal to the chief,
to avert it. "If that young Sheit "I exclaimed, about to
use an epithet generally given in the East to such adventurous
youths :* I checked, myself immediately; but it was already
too late; half the dreaded word had escaped. The effect was
instantaneous: a look of horror seized those who were near
enough to overhear me; it was quickly communicated to those
beyond. The pleasant smile, which usually played upon the fine
features of the young bey, gave way to a serious and angry ex-
pression. I lamented that I had thus unwillingly wounded the
feelings of my hosts, and was at a loss to know how I could make
atonement for my indiscretion—doubting whether an apology to
the Evil principle or to the chief was expected. 1 endeavored,
however, to make them understand, without venturing upon any
observations which might have brought me into greater difficul-
ties, that I regretted what had passed; but it was some time ere
the group resumed their composure, and indulged in their pre-
vious merriment. ,
My carpets had been spread on the roof of a building of
some size, belonging to the people of Semil. Around me, but
at a convenient distance, were scattered groups of pilgrims
from that district. Men, women, and children were congre-
* The term Sheitan (equivalent to Satan) is usually applied in the East
to a clever, cunning, or daring fellow.


Chap. VIII.
SHEIKH SHEJIS, OR THE SUN.
183
gated round their caldrons, preparing their evening meal;
or were stretched upon their coarse carpets, resting after the
long march of the day. Near me was the chief, whose mud
castle crowns the mound of the village of Semil. He was a
stern-looking man, gayly dressed, and well armed. He received
me with every demonstration of civility, and I sat for some
time with him and his wives; one of whom was young and
pretty, and had been recently selected from the Kochers, or
wanderers. Her hair was profusely adorned with flowers and
gold coins. They had sacrificed a sheep, and all (including the
chief, whose arms, bare to the shoulder, were reeking with
blood) gathered round the carcass; and, tearing the limbs, dis-
tributed morsels to the poor who had been collected to receive
them.
At some distance from the people of Semil were the wife and
family of Sheikh Nasr, who had also slain a sheep. The
sheikh hjmself resided in the sacred building, and was occupied
during the day in receiving the pilgrims, and performing
various duties imposed upon him on the occasion. I visited
his harem; his wife' spread fruit and honey before me, and
entertained me with a long account of her domestic employ
ments. .
Below the cluster 6^f buildings assigned to the people of
Semil is a small white spire, springing from a low edifice,
neatly constructed, and, like all the sacred places of the Ye-
zidis, kept as pure as repeated coats of whitewash can make it.
It is called the sanctuary of Sheikh Shems, or the Sun; and
is so placed, that the first rays of that luminary should as fre-
quently as possible fall upon it. Near the door an invocation
to Sheikh Shems is carved on a slab; and one or two votive
tablets, raised by the father of Hussein Bey, and other chiefs
tf the Yezidis, are built into the walls. The interior, which is
a very holy place, is lighted by a few small lamps. At sunset,
as I sat in the alcove in front of the entrance, a herdsman led
into a pen, attached to the building, a drove of white oxen. I
usked a cawal, who was near me, to whom the beasts belonged
*


184
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS. Chap. VIII.
''They are dedicated," he said, "to Sheikh Shems, and are
never slain except on great festivals, when their flesh is dis-
tributed among the poor."* This unexpected.answer gave rise
o an agreeable musing; and I sat, almost unconscious of the
scene around me, until darkness stole over the valley.
As the twilight faded, the fakirs, or lower order of priests,
dressed in brown garments of coarse cloth, closely fitting to
their bodies, and wearing black turbans on their heads, issued
from the tomb, each bearing a light in one hand, and a pot of
oil, with a bundle of cotton wicks, in the other. They filled
and trimmed lamps placed in niches in the walls of the court-
yard, and scattered over the buildings on the sides of the
valley, and even on isolated rocks and in the hollow trunks of
trees. Innumerable stars appeared to glitter on the black
sides of the mountain, and in the dark recesses of the forest.
As the priests made their way through the crowd, to perform
their task, men and women passed their right hands through
the flame, and then devoutly carried them to their lips, after
mbbing the right eyebrow with the part which had been puri-
5ed by the sacred element. Some, who bore children in their
arms, anointed them in like manner, while others held out their
hands to be touched by those who, less fortunate than them-
selves, could not reach the flame.
The lamps are votive offerings from pilgrims, or from those
who have appealed to Sheikh Adi in times of danger or disease,
and a yearly sum is given to the guardians of the tomb for oil,
and for the support of the priests. They are lighted every
evening as long as the supplies last. In the daytime the
smoked walls mark where they are placed; and I have ob-
served the Yezidis devoutly kissing the blackened stones.
About an hour after sunset the fakirs, who are the servants
of the tomb, appeared with platters of boiled rice, roast meat,
and fruit. They had been sent to me from the kitchen of the
* The dedication of the bull to the sun, so generally recognized in 1 he
religious systems of the ancients, probably originated in Assyria, and WAe
Yezidis may have unconsciously preserved a myth of their ancestors.


Chap. VIII. CELEBRATION OF KITES.
185
holy edifice. The wife of Sheikh Nasr also contributed some
dishes toward the repast.
As night advanced, those who had assembled—they must
now have amounted to nearly five thousand persons—lighted
torches, which they carried with them as they wandered
through the forest. The effect was magical; the varied groups
could be faintly distinguished through the darkness; men hur-
rying to and fro; women, with their children, seated on the
house-tops; and crowds gathering round the pedlers who
exposed their wares for sale in the court-yard. Thousands of
lights were reflected in the fountains and streams, glimmered
among the foliage of the trees, and danced in the distance.
As I was gazing on this extraordinary scene, the hum of human
voices was suddenly hushed, and a strain, solemn and melan-
choly, arose from the valley. It resembled some majestic chant
which years before I had listened to in the cathedral of a distant
land. Music so pathetic and so sweet I had never before heard
in the East. The voices of men and women were blended in
harmony with the soft notes of many flutes. At measured in-
tervals the song was broken by the loud clash of cymbals and
tamborines; and those who were without the precincts of the
tomb then joined in the melody.
I hastened to the sanctuary, and found Sheikh Nasr, sur-
rounded by the priests, seated in the inner court. The place
was illuminated by torches and lamps, which threw a soft light
over the white walls of the tomb and green foliage of the
arbor. The sheikhs, in their white turbans and robes, all
venerable men with long gray beards, were ranged on one side;
on the opposite, seated on the stones, were about thirty cawals
in their motley dresses of black and white—each performing on
a tamborine or a flute. Around stood the fakirs in their dark
garments, and the women of the orders of the priesthood arrayed
in pure white. No others were admitted within the .walls of
'he court.
The same slow and solemn strain, occasionally varied in the
melody, lasted for nearly an hour; a part of it was called


186
Chap. VIII.
NINEVEII AND ITS REMAINS.
"Makam Azerat Esau," or the song of the Lord Jesus. 	 was
sung by the sheikhs, the cawals, and the women; and occa-
sionally by those without. I could not catch the words; nor
could I prevail upon any of those present to repeat them to me.
They were in Arabic; and as few of the Yezidis can speak or
pronounce that language, they were not intelligible, even to the
experienced ear of Hodja Toma, who accompanied me. The
tamborines only interrupted at intervals the song of the
priests. As the time quickened they broke in more fre-
quently. The chant gradually gave way to a lively melody,
which, increasing in measure, was finally lost in a confusion
of sounds. The tamborines were beaten with extraordinary
energy; the flutes poured forth a rapid flood of notes; the
voices were raised to their highest pitch; the men outside
joined in the cry; while the women made the rocks resound
with the shrill tahlehl. The musicians, giving way to the
excitement, threw their instruments into the air, and strained
their limbs into every contortion, until they fell exhausted to
he ground. I never heard a more frightful yell than that
which rose in the valley. It was midnight. The time and
place were well suited to the occasion; and I gazed with
wonder upon the extraordinary scene around me. I did not
marvel that such wild ceremonies had given rise to those stories
of unhallowed rites, and obscene mysteries, which have rendered
the name of Yezidi an abomination in the East. Notwith-
standing the uncontrollable excitement which appeared to pre-
vail among all present, there were no indecent gestures nor
unseomly .ceremonies. When the musicians and singers were
exhausted, the noise suddenly died away; the various groups
resumed their previous cheerfulness, and again wandered
through the valley, or seated themselves under the trees.
Seme ceremony look place before I joined the assembly at
the tomb, at which no stranger can be present, nor could I
learn its nature from the cawals. Sheikh Nasr gave me to
understand that their holy symbol, the Melek Taous, was then
exhibited to the priests, and he declared that, as far as he was


Chap. VIII. CEREMONIES OF THE YEZIDIS.
137
concerned, he had no objection to my witnessing the whole of
their rites; but that many of the sheikhs were averse to it, and
he did not wish to create any ill-feeling in the tribe. Indeed, I
found him frank and communicative on all subjects.
After the ceremonies in the inner yard had ceased, I re-
turned with the sheikh and Hussein Bey to the fountain in the
avenue. Around it were grouped men and women with torches,
which flung their red gleams upon the water. Several of the
cawals accompanied us to the spot, and sang and played or.
their flutes and tamborines until nearly dawn.
Daylight had begun to appear before the pilgrims sought
repose. Silence reigned through the valley until mid-day,
when new parties of travelers reached the tomb and again
awakenedjhe echoes by their cries and the discharge of fire-arms.
Toward the evening about seven thousand persons must have
assembled. The festival was more numerously attended than
it had been for many years, and Sheikh Nasr rejoiced in the
prospect of times of prosperity for his people. At night the
ceremonies of the previous evening were repeated. New melo-
dies were introduced; but the singing ended in the same rapid
measure and violent excitement that I have described. During
the three days I remained at Sheikh Adi, I wandered over the
valley and surrounding mountains; visiting the various group3
of pilgrims, talking with them of their dwelling-place, and
listening to their tales of oppression and bloodshed. From all I
received the same simple caurtesyand kindness; nor had I any
cause to change the good opinion I had already formed of the
Yezidis. There were no Mohammedans present, nor any Chris-
tians, except those who were with me, and a poor woman who
had lived long with the sect, and was a privileged guest at
[heir festivals. Unrestrained by the presence of strangers, the
women forgot their usual timidity, and roved unvailed over the
mountains. As I sat beneath the trees, laughing girls gathered
round me, examined my dress, or asked me questions. Some,
more bold than the rest, would bring me the strings of beads
and engraved stones hanging round their necks, and permit


188
Chap. VIII.
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
me to examine the Assyrian relics thus collected together;
while others, more fearful, though not ignorant of the impres-
sion which their charms would create, stood at a distance, and
weaved wild flowers into their hair.
The men assembled in groups round the fountains and about
the tomb. They talked and made merry; but no dissension or
angry words disturbed the general good-humor. The sound
of music and of song rose from all sides above the hum of
voices. The priests and sheikhs walked among the people, or
sat with the families assembled under nearly every tree.
The Yezidis recognize one Supreme Being; but, as far as I
could learn, they do not offer up any direct prayer or sacrifice
to him. , Sheikh Nasr endeavored to evade my questions on
this subject; and appeared to shun, with superstitious awe,
every topic connected with the existence and attributes of the
Deity. The common Mohammedan forms of expression—half
oath, half ejaculation—are nevertheless frequently in the
mouths of the people, but probably from mere habit. The
name of the Evil spirit is, however, never mentioned; and any
allusion to it by others so vexes and irritates them, that it is
said they have put to death persons who have wantonly out-
raged their feelings by its use. So far. is their dread of offend-
ing the Evil principle carried, that they carefully avoid every
expression which may resemble in sound the name of Satan, or
the Arabic word for " accursed."
When they speak of the Devil, they do so with reverence, as
Melek el Kout, the mighty angel. Sheikh Nasr distinctly
admitted that they possessed a bronze or copper figure of a
bird, which, however, he was careful in explaining was only
looked upon as a symbol, and not as an idol. There are
several of these figures—one always remains with the great
sheikh, and is carried with him wherever he may journey .
When deputies are sent to any distance to collect money for
the support of tne tomb and the priests, they are furnished
with one of these images, which is shown to those among
whom they go, as an authority for their mission. Thia


Chap. VIII. THEIIl BELIEF AND WORSHIP. 189
symbol is called the Melek Taous, and is held in great leverence.
Much doubt has prevailed among travelers as to its existence;
but Sheikh Nasr, when I had an opportunity of speaking to him
hi private, so frankly admitted it, that I consider the question as
completely set at rest. The admission of the sheikh is moreover
confirmed, by the answer of the guardian of the tomb, to a ques-
tion which I put to him on my first visit, when he was com-
pletely off his guard.*
They believe Satan to be the chief of the Angelic host, now
suffering punishment for his rebellion against the divine will;
but still all-powerful, and to be restored hereafter to his high
estate in the celestial hierarchy. He must be conciliated and
reverenced, they say; for as he now has the means of doing evil
to mankind, so will he hereafter have the power of rewarding
them. Next to Satan, but inferior to him in might and wisdom,
are seven archangels f who exercise a great influence over the
world;—they are Gabrail, Michail, Raphail, Azrail, Dedrail,
Azrapheel, and Shemkeel. Christ, according to them, was also
a great angel, who had taken the form of man. He did not die
on the cross, but ascended to heaven.
They hold the Old Testament in great reverence, and believe
in the cosmogony of Genesis, the Deluge, and other events
recorded in the Bible. They do not reject the New Testament,
nor the Koran; but consider them less entitled to their venera-
tion. Still they always select passages from the latter for their
tombs, and holy places. Mohammed they look upon as a
prophet; as they do Abraham, and the patriarchs.
They expect the second coming of Christ, as well as the re-
* I had afterward an opportunity of seeing the Melek Taous. It is the
fanciful image of a bird supported by a stand resembling a candlestick, the
whole being of bronze.
t It will be remembered that in the book of Tobit (xii. 15) Raphael
is made to say: "I am Raphael, one of the seven holy angels, which present
the prayers of the saints, and which go in and out before the glory of the
Holy One." "The seven spirits before the throne of God" are mentioned
in Revelations i. 4; iv. 5. This number seven, in the hierarchy of the
Celestial Host, and in many sacred things, appears to have been connected
with Chaldean traditions and celestial observations.


Ciur. VIII. THEIR RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCES.
19J
which its first beams fall; and I have frequently when travel
ing in their company at sunrise, observed them perform thu
ceremony. For fire, as symbolical, they have nearly the same
reverence; they never spit into it, but frequently pass their
hands through the flame, kiss them, and rub them over their
right eyebrow, or sometimes over the whole face.* The color
blue, to them, as to the Sabaeans, is an abomination; and nevei
tc be worn in dress, or to be used in their houses. Their
Kubleh, or the place to which they look while performing their
holy ceremonies, is that part of the heavens ii which the sun
rises, and toward it they turn the faces of their dead.f In their
fondness for white linen, in their cleanliness of habits, and in
their frequent ablutions, they also resemble the Sabreans.
The lettuce, the bamiyah, J and some other vegetables, are
never eaten by them. Pork is unlawful; but not wine, which
is drunk by all. Although they assert that meat should not be
eaten, unless the animal has been slain according to the Mosaic
and Mohammedan law, they do not object to partake of the food
of Christians.
I could not learn that there were any religious observances
on marriage. I was informed by the cawals that the men
and women merely presented themselves to a sheikh, who
ascertains that there is mutual consent. A ring is then given
to the bride, or sometimes money instead. A day is fixed for
rejoicings, on which they drink sherbet, and dance, but have no
cawals assured me that it was dedicated to the sun, it is just possible that,
under the title of Sheikh Shems, some other object than the sun or some
particular person is designated, and that my informants were unwilling to
enter into any explanation.
* Some travelers have asserted that they will not blow out a candle;
but such is not the case; nor is it an insult to spit in their presence.
t All Eastern sects appear to have had some Kubleh, or holy point, to
which the face was to be turned during prayer. The Jews, it will be re-
membered, looked toward Jerusalem. The Saba?ans, according to some,
to the north star, or, according to others, toward that part of the heavens
in which the sun rises. The early Christians chose the East j Mohammed,
who recognized the general custom, and found it necessary to adhere to it,
appointed the holy Kaaba of Mecca to be the Kubleh of his disciples.
i Hibiscus Esculcntus.


192
Chap. VIII.
NINEVEH AKD ITS HElfAlNS.
religious ceremonies. The number of wives is limited to one,
but the chief has the power to transgress the law.
Their year begins with that of the Eastern Christians, whom
they follow also in the order and names of their months. Soma
fast three days at the commencement of the year; but this is not
considered necessary. They do not observe the Mohammedan
Ramazan. Wednesday is their holyday, and although some
always fast on that day, yet they do not abstain from work on it,
as the Christians do on the Sabbath.
Sheikh Nasr informed me that they had a date of their own,
and that he believed we were then, according to their account,
in the year 1550. This suggested some connection with Manes;
but neither by direct nor indirect questions could I ascertain
that they were acquainted with his name, or recognized him in
anywise as the originator of their peculiar doctrines with regard
to the Evil principle.
Their names, both male and female, are generally those used
by Mohammedans and Christians, or such as are common among
the Kurds, and not strictly of Mussulman origin. The name of
Goorgis (George) is, however, objectionable; and is never, 1
believe, given to a Yezidi.
They have four orders of priesthood, the Pirs, the Sheikhs,
the Cawals, and the Fakirs; and, what is very remarkable, and,
I believe, unexampled in the East, these offices are hereditary,
and descend to females, who, when enjoying them, are treated
with the same respect and consideration as the men.
The Pirs,* or saints, are most reverenced after the great
sheikh, or religious head of the sect. They are believed to
have the power, not only of interceding for the people, but of
curing disease and insanity. They are expected to lead a life
of great sanctity and honesty; and are looked up to with great
reverence. They are not confined, I believe, to any particular
fashion of dress. The only pir I knew was one Sino, who was
recognized as the deputy of Sheikh Nasr, and had suffered im.
prisonment in his stead.
• This is a Kurdish (Persian) title,—i'. means, literally, an old man.


Chap. VIII. THEIR ORDERS OF PRIESTHOOD.
19b
The Sheikhs are next in rank. They are acquainted with
the hymns, and are expected to know something of Arabic, the
language in which the hymns are written. Their dress should
be entirely white, except the skull-cap beneath the turban,
which is black. As servants of Sheikh Adi, they are the
guardians of his tomb, keep up the holy fires, and bring pro-
visions and fuel to those who dwell within its precincts, and lo
pilgrims of distinclion. They always wear round their bodies n
band of red and black, or red and orange plaid, as the mark of
tneir office; with it they bind together the wood, and other
supplies which they bring to the sacred edifice. The women
carry the same Dadge, and arc employed in the same services.
There are always several sheikhs residing in the valley of
Sheikh Adi. They watch over the tomb, and receive pilgrims;
taking charge in rotation of the offerings that may be brought,
or selling the clay balls and other relics.
The Cawals, or preachers, appear to be the most active
members of the priesthood. They are sent by Hussein Bey
and Sheikh Nasr on missions, going from village to village with
the symbol of the bird as teachers of the doctrines of the sect.
They alone are the performers on the flute and tamborine;
both instruments being looked upon, to a certain extent, as
sacred. I observed that before, and after, using the tamborine
they frequently kissed it, and then held it to those near them,
to be similarly saluted. They are taught singing at a very early
age, are skillful musicians, and dance occasionally at festivals.
They usually know a little Arabic, but barely more than
necessary to get through their chants and hymns. Their robes
are generally white, although colored stuff's are not forbidden;
but their turbans, unlike those of the sheikhs, are black, as arc
also their skull-caps.
The Fakirs are the lowest in the priesthood. They wear
C3arse dresses of black, or dark brown cloth, or canvas,
Ascending to the knee and fitting tightly to the person; and
a black turban, across which is generally tied a red kerchief.
i


194
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS. Ch/lp. VIIJ
They perform all menial offices connected with the tomb, trin
and light the votive lamps, and keep clean the sacred buildings
While each tribe and district of Yezidis has its own chief,
and Hussein Bey is really both political and religious head of
the whole sect, Sheikh Nasr is looked up to as the high-priest,
and is treated with great reverence and respect. His office is
hereditary; but the Yezidis frequently chose, without reference
* priority of claim, the one among the descendants of the last
sheikh most qualified, by his knowledge and character, to succeed
him. The father of Sheikh Nasr held the office for some years;
and no one better suited to it than (he son could have been chosen
to fill his place.
The language in general use among all the Yezidis is a
Kurdish dialect, and very few, except the sheikhs and cawals,
are acquainted with Arabic. The chants and hymns,—the
only form of prayer, which, as far as I could ascertain, they
possess,—are, as I have already stated, in Arabic. They
have, I believe, a sacred volume, containing their traditions,
their hymns, directions for the performance of their rites, and
other matters connected with their religion. It is preserved
either at Baazini or Baasheikha, and is regarded with so much
superstitious reverence that I failed in every endeavor to
obtain a copy, or even to see it. This I much regretted, as its
contents would probably throw new light upon the origin and
history of this remarkable sect, and would clear up many doubts
which still hang over their tenets. It is considered unlawful to
know how to read and write. There are only one or two
persons among the Yezidis who can do either: even Sheikh
Nasr is unacquainted with the alphabet. Those who know how
to read have only been taught in order that they may preserve
the sacred book, and may refer to it for the doctrines and cere-
monies of the sect.
The Yezidis have a tradition that they originally came frcm
Busrah, and from the country watered by the lower part of the
Euphrates; and that, after their emigration, they first settled in
Syria, and subsequently took possession of the Sinjar hill, and


Chap. V1TI
THEIK ORIGIN
195
the districts they now inhabit in Kurdistan. This tradition,
with the peculiar nature of their tenets, and ceremonies, points
to a Saboean or Chaldean origin. With the scanty materials
which we possess regarding their history, and owing to the
ignorance prevailing among .the people themselves,—for I
believe that even the priests, including Sheikh Nasr, have but
a very vague idea of what they profess, and of the meaning of
their religious forms,—it is difficult to come to any conclusion
as to the source of their peculiar opinions and observances.
There is in them a strange mixture of Sabaeanism, Christianity,
and Mohammedanism, with a tincture of the doctrines of the
Gnostics and Manicheans. Sabeanism, however, appears to
be the prevailing feature; and it is not improbable that the
seat may be a remnant of the ancient Chaldees, who have, at
various times, outwardly adopted the forms and tenets of the rul-
ing people, to save themselves from persecution and oppression.
and have gradually, through ignorance, confounded them with
their own belief and mode of worship. Such has been the case
with a no less remarkable sect than the Sabseans or Mendai (the
Christians of St. John, as they are commonly called), who still
inhabit the banks of the Euphrates, and the districts of ancient
Susiana.
The Yezidis are known among themselves by the name of
the district or tribe to which they respectively belong. Those
who inhabit the country near the foot of the Kurdish Hills, are
called Dasni or Daseni, most probably from the ancient name of
a province.* Tribes of Yezidis are found in the north of Syria,
in Northern Kurdistan, Georgia (where they have migrated),
Gebel Tour, Bohtan, Sheikhan, and Missouri. In the plains, their
principal settlements are in the villages of Baazani, Baasheikha,
and Semil.
Having spent three days at Sheikh Adi, and witnessed all the
ceremonies at which a stranger could be present, I prepared to
return to Mosul. Hussein Bey, Sheikh Nasr, and the principal
* There is a tribe of Kurds of this name, living in the mountains near
Suleimaniyah.


196
Chap. VI1J
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
sheikhs and tawals, insisted upon accompanying me alout
three miles down the valley; as I preferred this road to the pre-
cipitous pathway over the mountains. After parting with me,
the chiefs returned to the tomb to finish their festival. I made
my way to the village of Ain Sifni, and reached Mosul early in
the afternoon.
Tahyar Pashaw had for some time been planning an expedi-
tion to the Sinjar, not with any hostile intention, but for the pur-
pose of examining the state of the country; which had been
.uined by the vexatious extortions, and cruelty of the late gov-
:rnor of Mosul. He had previously sent an agent to inquire
nto the condition of the villages; and a deputation of the inhab-
tants had returned with him to petition for a diminution of taxes,
vhich, from the destitute state of the district, they were unable
o pay.
His excellency had invited me to accompany him on this
expedition, the arrangements for which, after numerous delays,
were completed on the 8th of October. Three o'clock of that
day was declared to be the fortunate hour for leaving the town.
The principal inhabitants, with the cadi and mufti at their
head, were collected in the large square opposite the pailace and
without the walls, ready to accompany the pashaw, as a mark of
respect, some distance from the gates. It was with difficulty
that I made my way to the apartments of the governor,
through the crowd of irregular troops, and servants which
thronged the court-yard of the serai. The attendants of his
Excellency were hurrying to and fro, laden with every variety
of utensil and instrument; some carrying gigantic telescopes, or
huge bowls in leathern cases; others laboring under bundles of
pipe-sticks, or bending under the weight of calico bags crammed
with state documents. The gray-headed kiayah had inserted
his boots into a pair of capacious boots, leaving room enough for
almost any number of intruders. Round his fez, and the lower
part of his face, were wound endless folds of white linen,, which
gave him the appearance of a patient emerging from a hos-
pital; and he carried furs and cloaks enough to keep out the


t'HAp. VIII. DEPARTURE FOR THE SINJAR.
19?
cold of the frigid zone. The Divan EfTendesi, although a man
of the pen, strutted about with sword and spurs, followed by
clerks and inkstand-bearers. At the door of the harem waited
a bevy of aghas; among them the lord of the towel, the lord
of the washing-basin, the lord of the cloak, the chief of the
coffee-makers, and the chief of the pipe-bearers, the treasurer,
and the seal-bearer.* At length the pashaw approached; the
cawasses forced the crowd out of the way; and his excel
lency placed his foot in the stirrup, the trumpet sounded us
a signal for the procession to move onward. First came a
regiment of infantry, followed by a company of artillerymen
with their guns. The trumpeters, and the pashaw's own stand-
ard, a mass of green silk drapery, embroided with gold, with
verses from the Koran, succeeded; behind were six led Arab
horses, richly caparisoned in colored saddle-cloths, glittering with
gold embroidery. The pashaw himself then appeared, surrounded
by the chiefs of the town and the officers of his household. The
procession was finished by the irregular cavalry, divided into
companies, each headed by its respective commander, and by the
wild Suiters, with their small kettle-drums fastened in front of
their saddles.
I was accompanied by my cawass and my own servants, and
rode as it best suited, and amused me, in different parts of the
procession. We reached Hamaydat, a ruined village on the
banks of the Tigris, three caravan hours from Mosul, about sun-
set. Here we had the first proofs of the commissariat arrange-
ments; for there was neither food for ourselves nor the horses,
and we all went supperless to bed.
On the following day, after a ride of six hours through a
barren and uninhabited plain, bounded to the east and west
by ranges of low limestone hills, we reached a ruined village,
built on the summit of an ancient artificial mound, called Abou
Maria. The Aneyza Arabs were known to be out on this side
of the Euphrates, and during our march we observed several
• These are all offices in the household of a Turkish pashaw


Chap. VIII.
TEL AFER.
199
tioned by the early Arab geographers, and may perhaps bo
identified with the Telassar of Isaiah, referred to, as it is, hi
connection with Gozan and Haran.* It has been three time?
besieged, within a few years, by Ali Pashaw of Baghdad, Ilafiz
Pashaw, and Injeh Bairakdar Mohammed Pashaw. On each
occasion the inhabitants offered a vigorous resistance. Moham-

TEL AFER.
med Pashaw took the place by assault. More than two thirds
of the inhabitants were put to the sword, and the property of the
* Isaiali xxxvii. 12. The name does not occur elsewhere in the Bib'c;
and we have consequently no means of determining its locality.


ClIAP. VIII.
THE YEZIDIS ATTACKED.
201
and water-courses. The second day we encamped in the plain,
near the southern end of the Sinjar mountain, and under the
village of Mirkan, the white houses of which, rising one above
the other on the declivity, were visible from below. Here the
pashaw was met by all the chiefs of the mountain, except those
of the small district in which we had halted.
Mirkan is one of the principal Yezidi settlements in the
Sinjar. Its inhabitants had been exposed to great extortions,
and many were put to death by Mohammed Pashaw. They
expected similar treatment at our hands. No promises could
remove their fears, and they declared their intention of reso-
lutely defending their village. The pashaw sent up an officer
of his household, with a few irregular troops, to re-assure
them, and to restore obedience. I accompanied him. As
we entered the village we were received by a general dis-
charge of fire-arms. Two horsemen, who had accidentally,
—and as I thought at the time somewhat disrespectfully,—
pushed forward before the officer and myself, fell dead at oui
feet, and several of our party were wounded. The pashaw
exasperated at this unprovoked and wanton attack, ordered an
advance of the hytas and Arab irregulars; who, long thirsting
for plunder, hastened toward the village. The Yezidis had
already deserted it, and had taken refuge in a narrow gorge;
abounding in caverns and isolated rocks,—their usual place of
refuge on such occasions.
The village was soon occupied; the houses were entered, and
plundered of the little property that had been left behind. A
few aged women and decrepit old man, too infirm to leave witn
the rest, and found hiding in the small dark rooms, were
murdered, and their heads severed from their bodies. Blazing
lires were made in the neat dwellings, and the whole village
was delivered to the flames. Even the old pashaw, with his
gray hair and tottering step, hurried to and fro among the
smoking ruins, and helped to add the torch where the fire was
not doing its work.
The old Turkish spirit of murder and plunder was roused;


202
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS. Chap. VIII
the houses were soon burn, to the ground; but the inhabitants
ivere st.U safe. When the irregulars had secured all the prop-
erty they could discover, they rushed toward the gorge,
scarcely believing that the Yezidis would venture to oppose
them. But they were received by a steady and well-directed
fire. The foremost fell, almost to a man. The caverns were
iiigh up among the rocks, and all attempts to reach them
cmipletely failed. The contest was carried on till night; when
the troops, dispirited and beaten, were called back to their
tents.
In the evening the heads of the miserable old men and
women, taken in the village, were paraded about the camp; and
those who were fortunate enough to possess such trophies
wandered from tent to tent, claiming a present as a reward for
their prowess. I appealed to the pashaw, who had been per-
suaded that every head brought to him was that of a powerful
chief, and after some difficulty prevailed upon him to have them
buried; but the troops were not willing to obey his orders, and
it was late in the night before they were induced to resign
their bloody spoil, which they had arranged in grim array, and
lighted up with torches.
On the following morning the contest was renewed; but the
Jfezidis defended themselves with undiminished courage. The
loss of the hytas was very considerable; not a cavern had been
carried; nor a Yezidis, as far as the assailants could tell, killed,
or even wounded.
The next day the pashaw ordered a fresh attack. To encour-
age his men he advanced himself into the gorge, and directed his
carpet to be spread on a rock. Here he sat, with the greatest
apathy, smoking his pipe, and carrying on a frivolous con-
versation with me, although he was the object of the aim of the
Yezidis; several persons within a few feet of us falling dead,
and the balls frequently throwing up the dirt into our faces.
Coffee was brought to him occasionally as usual, and his pipe
was filled when the tobacco was exhausted; yet he was not a
soldier, but what is termed " a man of the pen." I have fre*


204
Chap. VII)
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
Sinjar. The -esidence of the governor of the district is in tho
village built among the ruins of the old city—the Singara of
the Romans, and the " Belled Sinjar" of the Arabs. A small
mud fort, raised a few years ago, stands on a hill in the midst
of the remains of walls and foundations; but the principal part
of the ancient city appears to have occupied the plain below.
Arou id this fort, at the time of my visit, were congregated
about two hundred families. The Yezidi inhabitants of the
village, unlike those of the other districts, are mixed with
Mussulmans. The latter, however, are so lax in their religious
observances, and in dress so like the Yezidis, that it is difficul*
to distinguish them from the unbelievers. I was continually
falling into mistakes, and eliciting a very indignant exclamation
of " God forbid!"
It would be difficult to point out, with any degree of certainty,
ruins at Belled Sinjar more ancient than the Mohammedan
conquest. It became a place of some importance in the early
ages of Islam, and had its own semi-independent rulers.- There
are the remains of several fine buildings; and the lower part of
a minaret, constructed, like that of the great mosque of Mosul,
of colored tiles and bricks, is a conspicuous object from all parts
of the plain. There are very abundant springs within the cir.
cuit of the old walls; the air is declared to be salubrious, and
the soil rich and productive.
All the villages of the Sinjar are built upon one plan. The
houses rise on the hill-sides, and are surrounded by terraces,
formed of rough stones piled one above the other as walls, to
confine the scanty earth. These terraces are planted with olive
and fig-trees; a few vineyards are found near some villages.
The houses, which are flat-roofed, are exceedingly clean and
neat, and frequently contain several apartments. The walls
of the interior are full of small recesses, like pigeon-holes,
which aie partly ornamental, and partly used to Keep tho
domestic utensils and property of the owner. They give a
very singular and original appearance to the rooms; and the


Chap. VIII. THE VILLAGE OF SINJAR. 205
oddity of the effect is considerably increased by masses of red
and black paint daubed in patches on the white wall.
The principal, and indeed now the only, trade carried on by
the inhabitants of the Sinjar, is in dried figs, which are cele
brated in this part of Turkey, and supply all the markets in the
neighboring provinces. The soil is fertile, and, as the means
of irrigation are abundant, corn and various useful articles of
produce might be raised in great plenty from the extensive tracts
of arable land belonging to the villages. But the people have
been almost ruined by misgovernment; they can now scarcely
cultivate corn enough for their own immediate wants.
The pashaw still lingered at Mirkan; and as I was anxious to
return to Mosul, to renew the excavations, I took my leave of
him, and rode through the desert to Tel Afer. I was accom-
panied by a small body of irregular cavalry,—a necessary
escort, as the Aneyza Arabs were hanging about the camp, and
plundering stragglers and caravans of supplies. As evening
approached, we saw, congregated near a small stream, what
appeared to be a large company of dismounted Arabs, their
horses standing by them. As we were already near them, and
could not have escaped the watchful eye of the Bedouin, we
prepared for an encounter. I placed the baggage in the center
of my small party, and spread out the horsemen as widely as
possible to exaggerate our numbers. We approached cautiously,
and were surprised to see that the horses sttll remained without
their riders: we drew still nearer, when they all galloped off
toward the desert. They were wild asses. We attempted to
follow them. After running a little distance they stopped to
gaze at us, and I got sufficiently near to see them well; but as
soon as they found that we were in pursuit, they hastened their
speed, and were soon lost in the distance.*
* The reader will remember that Xenophon mentions these beautiful ani-
mals which he must have seen during his march in these very plains. He
faithfully describes the country, and the animals and birds which inhabit it,
as they are to this day, except that the ostrich is not now to be found so
far north. "The country," says he, "was a plain throughout, as even as
the sea, and full of wormwood j if any other kinds of shrubs or reeds grew


206
Chap. VIIJ
NLNEVEH AND ITS 2.EMAIXS.
I reached Mosul in two days, taking the road by Kessi Kupri,
and avoiding^ the desert beyond Abou-Maria, which we had
crossed on our march to the Sinjar.
there, they had all an aromatic smell; but no trees appeared. Of wild
creatures, the most numerous were wild asses, and not a few ostriches, be-
sides bustards and roe deer (gazelles), which our horsemen sometimes
chased. The assej, when they were pursued, having gained ground of the
horses, stood still Tor they exceeded them much in speed); and when
these came up with them, they did the same thing again; so that our
horsemen could take them by no other means but by dividing themselves
into relays, and succeeding one another in the chase. The flesh of those
that were taken was like that of red deer, but more tender." (Anab. lib.
i. c. 5.) In fleetness they equal the gazelle: and to overtake them is a feat
which only one or two of the most celebrated mares have been known to
accomplish. The Arabs sometimes catch the foals during the spring, and
bring them up with milk in their tents. I endeavored in vain to rear a pair.
They are of a light fawn-color—almost pink. The Arabs still cat their flesh.
The " wild ossej of the desert" are mentioned in Job xxxiv. 6, xxxix. 6.


Chap. IX. EXCAVATIONS OX A LARGE SCALE. 207
,
CHAPTER IX.
EXCAVATIONS UNDERTAKEN BY THE BRITISH MUSEUM.—CHOICE OT WORK-
MEN.—DWELLING-HOUSES BUILT AT NIMROUD. DISCOVF.XY OF BAS-
RELIEFS. OF ARMOR AND HELMETS. OF VASES. OF r.EW CHAMBERS.
OF THE OBELISK.—DISCOVERIES IN THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF
THE MOUND.—WINGED LIONS. CROUCHING SPHINXES.—DISCOVERY OF
TOMBS IN THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF THE MOUND.—AISLE WORKMEN
—MODE OF IRRIGATION. CUSTOM8 OF THE ARABS.—FACILITY OF DI-
VORCE. ARAB WOMEN. THE TIYARI OR CHALDEANS.—A RAFT PLUN-
DERED.—SEIZURE OF AN ARAB SHEIKH.—DEPARTURE OF SCULPTURES
FOR BUSRAH.
On my return to Mosul, I received letters from England, in-
forming me that Sir Stratford Canning had made over his share
in the discoveries in Assyria to the British nation; and that the
British Museum had received a grant of funds for the continua-
tion of the researches commenced at Nimroud, and elsewhere.
The grant was small, and scarcely adequate to the objects in view.
There were many difficulties to contend with, and I was doubtful
whether, with the means placed at my disposal, I should be able
to fulfill the expectations which appeared to have been formed as
to the results of the undertaking. The sum given to M. Botta
for the excavations at Khorsabad alone, greatly exceeded the
whole grant to the Museum, which was to include private ex-
penses, those of carriage, and many extraordinary outlays in-
evitable in the East, when works of this nature are to be carried
on. I determined, however, to accept the charge of superintend-
ing the excavations, to make every exertion, and to economize as
ar as it was in my power—that the nation might possess as
extensive and complete a collection of Assyrian antiquities as,
considering the smallness of the means, it was possible to collect.
It was, in the first place, necessary to organize a band of work-
men best fit to carry on the work. A general scarcity of corn had


208 NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS. CaiP. IX
t
driven the Arab tribes to the neighborhood of .the town, when
they sought to gain a livelihood by engaging in labors not verj
palatable to a Bedouin. I had no difficulty in finding workmen
among them. There was, at the same time, this advantage
in employing these wandering Arabs—they brought their tents
and families with them, and, encamping round the ruins and
the village, formed a very efficient guard against their brethren
of the Desert, who looked to plunder, rather than to work, to
supply their wants. To increase my numbers I chose only one
man from each family; and, as his male relations accompanied
him, I had the use of their services, as far as regarded the pro-
tection of my sculptures. Being well acquainted with the
sheikhs of the Jebours, I selected my workmen chiefly from
that tribe. The chiefs promised every protection; and I knew
enough of the Arab character not to despair of bringing the
men under proper control. The Arabs were selected to remove
the earth—they were unable to dig; this part of the labor
required stronger and more active j^en; and I chose for it
about fifty Nestorian Chaldeans, who had sought work for the
winter in Mosul, and many of whom, having already been em-
ployed, had acquired some experience in excavating. They
went to Nimroud with their wives and families. I engaged at
the same time one Bainan, a Jacobite or Syrian Christian, who
was a skillful marble-cutter, and a very intelligent man. I also
made a valuable addition to my establishment in a standard-
bearer of the irregular troops, of whose courage I had seen such
convincing proofs during the expedition to the Sinjar, that I
induced his commander to place him in my service. His name
was Mohammed Agha; but he was generally called, from the
office he held in his troop, the " Bairakdar, or standard-bearer."
He was a native of Scio, and had been carried off at the time
of the massacre, when a child, by an irregular, who had brought
him up as a Mussulman. In his religious opinions and ob.
servances, however, he was as lax, as men of his profession
usually are. He served me faithfully and honestly, and was of
great use during the excavations. A wad still continued in


Chap. IX
PREPARATIONS.
209
my employ; my cawass, Ibrahim Agha, returned with me to
Nimroud; and I hired a carpenter and two or three men of
Mosul as superintendents.
I was again among the ruins by the end of October. The
winter season was fast approaching, and it was necessary to
build a proper house for the shelter of myself and servants. I
marked out a plan on the ground, in the village of Nimroud
and in a few days our habitations were complete. My work
men formed the walls of mud bricks dried in the sun, and
roofed the rooms with beams and branches of trees. A thick
coat of mud was laid over the whole, to exclude the rain. Two
rooms for my own accommodation were divided by an iwan, or
open apartment, the whole being surrounded by a wall. In a
second court-yard were huts for my cawass, Arab guests, and
servants, and stables for my horses. Ibrahim Agha displayed
his ingenuity by making equidistant loopholes, of a most warlike
appearance, in the outer walls; which I immediately ordered to
be filled up, to avoid any suspicion of being the constructor of
forts and castles, with the intention of making a permanent
Frank settlement in the country. We did not neglect precau-
tions, however, in case of an attack from the Bedouins, of whom
Ibrahim Agha was in constant dread. Unfortunately the only
shower of rain, that I saw during the remainder of my residence
in Assyria, fell before my walls were covered in, and so satu-
rated the bricks that they did not dry again before the following
spring. The consequence was that the only verdure, on which
my eyes were permitted to feast before my return to Europe, j
was furnished by my own property—the walls in the interior |
of the rooms being continually clothed with a crop of grass.
On the mound itself, and immediately above the great winged
lions first discovered, were built a house for my Nestorian work-
men and their families, and a hut to which any small objects
discovered among the ruins could at once be removed for safety.
I divided my Arabs into three parties, according to the branches
of the tribe to whi ;h they belonged. About forty tents were
pitched on different parts of the mound, at the entrances to tha


210
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS. Chap. IX
principal trenches. Forty more were placed round my dwell-
ing, and the rest on the bank of the river, where the sculptures
were deposited previous to their embarkation on the rafts. Tha
men were all armed. I thus provided for the defense of my
establishment.
Mr. Hormuzd Rassam lived with me; and to him 1 confided
(he payment of the wages, and the accounts. He soon obtained
on extraordinary influence among the Arabs, and his fame
spread through the desert.
The workmen were divided into bands. In each set were
generally eight or ten Arabs, who carried away the earth in
baskets; and two, or four, Nestorian diggers, according to the
nature of the soil and rubbish which had to be excavated. They
were overlooked by a superintendent, whose duty it was to keep
them to their work, and to give me notice when the diggers
approached any slab, or exposed any small object to view, that
I might myself assist in its uncovering or removal. I scattered
a few Arabs of a hostile tribe among the rest, and by that
means I was always made acquainted with what was going on,
could easily learn if there were plots brewing, and could detect
those who might attempt to appropriate any relics discovered
during the excavations. The smallness of the sum placed a*
my disposal, compelled me to follow the same plan in the exca-
vations that I had hitherto adopted,—digging trenches along
the walls of the chambers, and exposing the whole of the slabs,
without removing the earth from the center. Thus, few chanv
bers were fully explored; and many smal/ objects of great
interest may have been left undiscovered. As I was directed
to bury the buildings with earth after they had been examined,
I filled up the trenches, to avoid unnecessary expense, with the
rubbish taken from those subsequently opened, having first copied
the inscriptions, and drawn the sculptures.
The excavations were recommenced, on a large scale, by
the 1st of November. My working parties were distributed
over the moind — in the ruins of the N. W. anl S. W.
palaces; near the gigantic bulls in the center; and in the south'


Chap. IX. DESCRIPTION OF BAS-KELIEFS.
2U
east corner, where no traces of buildings had as yet been dis-
covered.
It will be remembered that the greater number of slabs
forming the southern side of the large hall in the N.W. palace
had fallen with their faces to the ground. I was, in the first
place, anxious to raise these bas-reliefs, and to pack them for
transport to Busrah. To accomplish this, it was necessary to
remove a large accumulation of earth and rubbish—to empty,
indeed, nearly the whole chamber, for the fallen slabs extended
almost half-way across it. The sculptures on nine slabs were
found to be in admirable preservation, although broken by
the fall. The slabs were divided, as those already described,
into two compartments, by inscriptions which were precisely
similar.
The sculptures were of the highest interest. They represented
the wars of the king, and his victories over foreign nations. The
upper bas-reliefs, on the first two slabs, formed one subject—
the king, with his warriors, in battle under the walls of a hostile
castle. He stood, gorgeously attired, in a chariot drawn by
three horses richly caparisoned, and was discharging an arrow
either against those who defended the walls; or against a war-
rior, who, already wounded, was falling from his chariot. An
attendant protected the person of the king with a shield, and a
charioteer held the reins, and
urged on the horses. Above
the king was the emblem of
the supreme Deity, repre-
sented as at Persepolis by a
winged figure within a cir-
cle, wearing a horned cap
resembling that of the hu-
, , j ,. r -i Emblem of the Deity. (N.W. Palaon
man-headed lions. Lake Nimroud.)
the king, he was shooting
an arrow, the head of which was in the form of a trident.
Behind the king were three chariots; the first drawn by
three horses—one of which was rearing and another falling—


NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS. Chap. IX.
and occupied by a wounded warrior demanding quarter of his
pursuers. In the others were two warriors, one discharging an
arrow, the other guiding the horses, which were at full speed.
In each Assyrian chariot was a standard—the devices, which
were inclosed in a circle ornamented with tassels and streamers,
being an archer, with the horned cap but without wings, stand,
ing on a bull; and two bulls, back to back. At the bottom of
(he first bas-relief were wavy lines, to indicate water or a river,
and trees were scattered over both. Assyrian footmen, fighting
or slaying the enemy, were introduced in several places; and
three headless bodies above the principal figures in the second
bas-relief represented the dead in the background.*
On the upper part of the two slabs following the battle-scene
was the triumphal return after victory. In front of the proces-
sion were warriors throwing the heads of the slain at the feet of
the conquerors. Two musicians, playing on stringed instruments,
preceded the charioteers, who were represented unarmed, and
bearing their standards; above them was an eagle with a human
head in its talons. The king came next in his chariot, carry
ing in one hand his bow, and in the other two arrows—the atti
tude in which he is so frequently represented on Assyrian monu
men's, and probably denoting triumph over his enemies. Above
the horses was the pre-
siding divinity; also
holding a bow. The
attendant, who in war
bore the shield, was
now replaced by an
eunuch, raising the
open parasol — the
Eastern emblem of
Emblem of the Deity (N.W. Palace, Nim royalty. The horses
roud.) J J
were led by grooms,
although the charioteer still held the reins. Behind the king's
chariot was a horseman leading a second horse, gayly caparisoned.
* These bas-reliefs are in the British Museum.


Chap. IX. .DESCRIPTION OF BAS-RELIEFS.
213
After the procession, was the castle and pavilion of tne vic-
torious king—the former represented by a circle, divided into
four equal compartments, and surrounded by towers and battle-
ments. In each compartment were figures evidently engaged
in preparing the feast: one was slaying a sheep; another ap-
peared to be baking bread; and others stood before bowls and
utensils placed on tables. The pavilion was supported by three
columns; one surmounted by a fir-cone—the emblem so fre-


A Table.
(N. W. Palace, Nimroud.)
Tables, or Stands for Jars.
(N. W. Palace, Nimroud.)
quently seen in the Assyrian sculptures; the others by figures
of the ibex or mountain goat. It was probably of silk or woolen
stuff, richly ornamented and edged with a fringe of fir-cones and
tulip-shaped ornaments. Beneath the canopy was a groom clean-
ing one horse; while others, picketed by their halters, were feed-
ing at a trough. eunuch stood at the entrance of the tent,
to receive four prisoners, who, with their hands bound behind,
were brought to him by an Assyrian warrior. Above this group
were two singular lion-headed figures, one holding a whip or
thong in the right hand, and grasping his under jaw with the left,
the other raising his hands. They were clothed in tunics de-
scending to the knees, and skins falling from the head, over the
shoulders, to the ankles, and were accompanied by a man raising
a stick.
The four following bas-reliefs recorded a battle, in which
were represented the king, two warriors with their standards,


214 NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS. Chai-. K.


<HAP. IX.
DESCRIPTION OF BAS-RELIEFS.
215
and an eunuch in chariots, and four warriors, among whom wa.«
also an eunuch, on horses. The enemy were on foot, and dis-
charged their arrows against the pursuers. Eagles hovered
above *he victors, and were feeding on the slain. The winged
divinity in the circle was again seen above the king.
These bas-reliefs in many respects illustrate the manners ar il
civilization of the Assyrians. We here find the eunuch com-
manding in war and engaging with the enemy in combat, as we
have before seen him ministering to the king during religious
ceremonies, or waiting upon him as his arms-bearer during peace.
That eunuchs rose to the highest rank among the Assyrians,
and were even generals over their armies, we learn from Scrip,
ture, where the rabsaris, or chief of the eunuchs, is mentioned
us one of the three principal officers of Sennacherib, and as one
of the princes of Nebuchadrezzar.* They appear, indeed, to
have held the same important posts, and to have exercised the
same influence in the Assyrian court, as they have since en-
joyed in Turkey and Persia, where they have frequently attained
to the post of vizier or prime minister.
The horses of the archers were led by mounted warriors,
wearing circular skull caps, probably of iron. Horsemen are
frequently mentioned in the Bible as forming an important part
of the Assyrian armies. Ezekiel (xxiii. 6) describes " the Assyr.
ians clothed in blue, captains and rulers, all of them desirable
young men, horsemen riding upon horses;" and Holofernes had
no less than 12,000 archers on horseback. The rider is seated
on the naked back of the horse, which is only adorned with a
cloth when led behind the chariot of the king, probably for his
use in case of accident to the chariot.
The horses represented in the sculptures appear to be of
noble breed. Assyria, and particularly that part of the empire
which was watered by the Tigris and Euphrates, was celebrated
»t the earliest period for its horses, as the same plain: are to
* 2 Kings xviii. 1"; Jeremiah mix 3.


216
Chap. IX.
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
this day for the noblest races of Arabia. The Jews probably
obtained horses for their cavalry from this country; and horses

Horsemen—one drawing the Bow. the other holding the Reikis
of both Horses. (N.W. Palace, Nimroud.)
were offered to them by the general of the Assyrian king, as an
acceptable present.* On Egyptian monuments horses from
Mesopotamia are continually mentioned among the spoil or
tribute. The horse of the Assyrian bas-reliefs was evidently
drawn from the finest model. The head is small and well-
shaped, the nostrils large and high, the neck arched, the body
long, and the legs slender and sinewy. The prophet exclaims
of the horses of the Chaldeans, "They are swifter than the
leopards, and more fierce than the evening wolves ;"f and tho
* " Now, therefore, I pray thee, give pledges to my lord the king of As.
syria, and I will deliver thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thj
part to set riders upon them."—2 Kings xviii. 23.
t Habakkuk i. 8


218
NINEVEH. AND ITS REMAINS. * Chap. IX.
Behind hem was an Assyrian warrior leading three women and
a child, and driving three bullocks, as part of the spoil. It was
thus that the Assyrians carried away captive the people of Sa-
maria, replacing the population of the conquered country by colo-
nies of their own.* The women were represented as tearing
their hair and throwing dust upon their heads, the usual signs of
grief in the East.
On the other side of the castle were two kneeling figures, one
discharging an arrow, the other holding a shield for his compan-
ion's defense. Behind them was the vizier, also shooting an arrow,
and protected by the shield of a second warrior. He was fol-
lowed by three warriors, the first an archer kneeling, the others
an archer and his shield-bearer in complete armor, erect. They
had left their chariot, in which the charioteer was still standing,
the horses being held by a groom. Behind the chariot were two
warriors, each carrying a bow and a mace. The shields repre-
sented in this bas-relief were probably of wicker-work, and were
chiefly used during a siege. They covered the whole person of
the archer, who was thus able to discharge his arrows in com-
parative security. Such were probably the bucklers which
Herodotus describes as forming a complete fence before the Per-
sian archers at the battle of Platea.f
The three following bas-reliefs represented the king receiving
captives, apparently of the same nation as those portrayed in the
upper part of the hall, and already described. Behind the chariot
of the king were two other chariots, each containing a charioteer
alone; passing under the wall of a castle, on which were women,
apparently viewing the procession, and discussing the results of
the expedition.
In these bas-reliefs the harness and trappings of the horses
and chariots are remarkable for their richness and elegance.
Above the heads of the horses rise gracefully plumed and fanciful
crests, ornamented with long ribbons or streamers, which were
probably of many colors. Like the Arabs and Persians of the
present day, the Assyrians appear to have been lavish of tassel*
* 2 Kings xvii. 6. t Lib. ix. c. 61.


Chap IX. DESCRIPTION OF BAS-RELIB.FS.
219
of silk and wool, which were attached to all parts of the harness.
The bridle consisted of a headstall, a strap divided into three
parts joining the bit, and straps over the forehead, under the
cheeks, and behind the ears. We find sacred emblems used as
ornaments in the trappings of horses, as on the robes of figures;
the winged bull, the sun, moon, stars, and horned cap being fre-
quently introduced.
Three richly embroidered straps, passing round the body of
the horse, kept the harness and chariot-pole in their places, and
were attached to a highly decorated breast-band. To the yoke
was suspended an elegant ornament, formed by the head of an
animal and a circle, into which was generally introduced e
winged bull, a star, or some other sacred device.
Embroidered trappings, such as are described by EzekieP
as the precious clothes for chariots, coming from Dedan, covered
the backs of the horses. Their bits, as well as the metal used
in the harness, may have been of gold and other precious mate-
rials, like those of the ancient Persians.f Their manes were
either allowed to fall loosely on the neck or were plaited, and
their tails were bound in the center with ribbons adorned with
tassels.
In the Bible frequent mention is made of the use of chariots
and horsemen both in sieges and battles. "The choicest valleys
shall be full of chariots, and the horsemen shall set themselves in
array against live gate."% Among the tributaries of the Assyri-
ans, the Elamites were celebrated for their chariots carrying
archers.§ The Jewish kings appear to have granted certain
privileges lo cities equipping chariots, hence called " chariot
cities," which in the time of Solomon supplied no less than one
thousand four hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen.||
Chariots of iron were used in Palestine from the earliest period,
and appear to have been so formidable in var, that the Israelites
(vere long unable to contend with them.IT
* xrrii. 20. t 1 Esdras iii. 6; Xenophon, Cyrop. lib. i. c. 3.
t Isaiah xxii. 7. § Isaiah ixii. 6. || 2 Chron. i. 14; l«*iah xxil
T[ Judges i. 10., and iv. 3.


Chap. IX DESCRIPTION OF BAS-RELIEFS. 221
perintended by officers, one of whom, an eunuch, held a whip,
which was probably used—as in the army of Xerxes—to keep
the soldiers to their duty, and prevent them flying from the
enemy.*
On the opposite side of the hall, between the entrances, only
one slab was discovered in its original position. The upper

Flying Warrior turning back to discharge an Arrow. (N. W. Palace,
Nimroud.l
compartment was almost completely defaced; in the lower was
represented a battle between Assyrian warriors, in chariots, and
* Herod, lib. vii. ch. 56, in which Xerxes is described as seeing his
troops driven by blows over the bridge across the Hellespont; it was also
the custom for the officers to carry whips to urge the soldiers to the com
bat- lib. vii. ch. 223


222
Chap. IX.
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
the cavalry of the enemy. The conquered people wore high
boots, turned up at the toes, and conical caps, probably of felt or
linen. One of the horsemen turned back, while his horse was at
full speed, to discharge an arrow against his pursuers. This
mode of fighting is described by ancient authors as peculiar to
the Parthian and Persian tribos nnd is still practiced by the
irregular cavalry of Persia.*
The Arabs employed in removing the rubbish from the
chamber with the kneeling winged figures,f discovered a
quantity of iron, in which I soon recognized the scales of the
armor represented on the sculptures. These scales were from
two to three inches in length, rounded at one end, and square
at the other, with a raised or embossed line in the center, and
had probably been fastened to a vest of linen or felt. The iron
was so eaten by rust, that I had much difficulty in detaching
it from the soil. Two or three baskets were filled with these
relics.
As the earth was removed, other portions of armor were found.
At length a perfect helmet of iron inlaid with copper bands, re-
sembling in shape and in the ornaments the pointed helmet rep-
resented in the bas-reliefs, was discovered.
Several helmets of other shapes, some with the arched crest,
were also dug out; but they fell to pieces as soon as exposed
to the air; and I was only able to collect a few of the frag-
ments.
Several slabs in this chamber had fallen from their planes,
and were broken. Beneath them were the fragments of a
number of alabaster vases, and of several vessels of baked
clay. The name and title of the Khorsabad king, accompanied
by the figure of a lion, were still preserved on some of the
fragments. Upon the pottery were painted characters r&.
* Anab, lib. iii. ch. 3.
"Fidentemque fuga Parthum, versisque sagittis."
Virg. Georg. 3. \
And Hor. Carm. lib. i. ode xix.
t Chamber I, plan 3.


Chap. IX. DISCOVERY CF VASES. 22'd
s3mbHng the rounded letters of Babylonia and Phoenicia, proba-
bly a cursive writing in common use, while the cuneiform was
i
reserved for monuments. The earthen vases were of a light
yellow color, ornamented with bars, zigzag lines, and simple
designs in black.
While I was collecting and examining these curious relics, a
workman found a perfect vase; but unfortunately broke the
upper part by striking it with his pick. I took the instrument,
and, working cautiously myself, was rewarded by the discovery
of two perfect vases, one in alabaster, the other in glass. Each
bore the name and title of the Khorsabad king, in cuneiform
characters, with the figure of a lion. •
A kind of exfoliation had taken place on the surface of the
glass vase, which was incrusted with thin, semi-transparent lam-
ina, glowing with the brilliant colors of the opal. This beauti-
ful appearance is a well-known result of age, and is found on
glass from Egyptian, Greek,-and other early tombs. It is re-
markable that this vase has been turned from a block and not
blown, the marks left by the instrument being perfectly pre-
served in the interior. Both these interesting relics are now in
the British Museum.
In the lower compartment of a slab in the same chamber,
were two beardless figures, which from a certain feminine char-
acter in the features, and from a cluster of long curls falling
down their backs, appeared to be women. They wore the usual
horned cap, and had wings. They faced one another, and be-
tween them was the sacred tree. In one hand they held a gar-
l.ind or chaplet; and wore round their necks a necklace, with
seven stars.*
* This bas-relief is in the British Museum.


224
Chap. IX
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
The adjoining chamber was paneled with unsculptured slabs
and contained no object of particular interest.
One of the most remarkable discoveries was made in the cen
ter jf tne mound, where, as I have already mentioned,* a pair
of gigantic winged bulls appeared to form the entrance to a
building. The inscriptions upon them contained a name, dif-
fering from that of the king of the N- W. palace. On digging
further I found a brick, on which wus a genealogy, the new
name occurring first, as that of the son of the founder of the ear-
lier edifice.
I dug round these sculptures, expecting to find the remains
of walls, but there were no other traces of building. As the
backs of the slabs were completely covered with inscriptions, in
large and well-formed characters, it was possible that these bulls
might originally have stood alone. Suspecting that there must
have been other sculptures near them, I directed a deep trench
to be opened, at right angles, behind the northern bull. After
digging about ten feet, the workmen came upon a colossal winged
figure in low relief, lying flat on the brick pavement. Beyond
was a similar figure, still more gigantic in its proportions, being
about fourteen feet high. The beard and part of the legs of a
winged bull, in yellow limestone, were next found. The trench
was carried in the same direction to the distance of fifty feet, but
without any other result. I had business in Mosul, and was
giving directions to the workmen to guide them during my ab-
sence. 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 the corner of a monument in black
marble was uncovered, which proved to be an obelisk, about six
feet six inches in height, 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, completely exposed te
* P. 32.



vases, t-hawls, bundles of rare wood, elephant's tusks, and other
objects of tribute, and leading various animals, among which
were the elephant, the rhinoceros, the Bactrian or two-humped
camel, th* wild bull, and several kinds of monkeys. In one

Bactrian or Two-humped Camels. (Obelisk. Nimroud.)
bas-relief we're two lions hunting a stag in a wood, probably to
denote the nature of one of the countries conquered by the king.
From the animals portrayec, particularly the double-humped


Chap. IX SCULPTURES OK THE OBELISK. 227
camel,* and the elephant, which is of the Indian and not of the
African species, it is natural to conjecture that the obelisk was

The Bull, the Rhinoceros, and an Antelope. (Obelisk, Nimroud.i
sculptured to commemorate the ccrquest of nations far to the
east of Assyria, on the confines of the Indian peninsula. The

Large Monkey and Ape. (Obelisk, Nimroud.)
name of the king, whose deeds it records, was the same as that
on the center bulls.
* This animal is a native of the great steppes inhabited by the Tatar
tribes. It is almost unknown to the Arabs, and is rarely seen to the west
of Persia, except among a few isolated families of Turcomans who now
pitch their tents in the north of Syria, and probably brought this camel
with them on their first migration.


228
Chap. IX.
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
In the S. W. corner, discoveries of scarcely less interest
and importance were made almost at the same time. The
southern entrance to the palace was formed by a pair of winged
lions, of which the upper part, including the head, had been
almost entirely destroyed.* They differed in many respects from
those in the N.W. palace. They had but four legs; the ma-
erial in which they were sculptured was a coarse limestone,
and not alabaster; and behind the body of the lion, and in
front above the wings, were several figures, which were
unfortunately greatly injured, and could with difficulty be
traced. The figures behind were a dragon with the head of an

Figures on Lions. (S.W. Palace, Nimroud.i
eagle and the claws of a bird, followed by a man carrying the
usual square vessel, standing above a priest bearing a pole sur-
mounted by a fir-cone, and a human figure, the upper part of
which was destroyed in all the sculptures; those in front were
* This monument is now in the British Museum.


UlAF. IX.
DISCOVERIES IN S. W. CORNER.
229
ft human figure, and a monster with the head of a lion, the body
of a man, and the feet of a bird, raising a sword.

Figures on Lions. (S.W. Palace, Nimroud.)
Between the two lions, forming this entrance, were a pair of
crouching sphinxes, not in relief, but entire. The human head
was beardless; and the horned cap square, and highly orna-
mented at the top, like that of the winged bulls of Khorsabad.
The body was that of a winged lion. These sphinxes may
have been altars for sacrifice or offerings.
The whole entrance was buried in charcoal, and the sphinxes
were almost reduced to lime. One had been nearly destroyed;
but the other, although cracked into a thousand pieces, was still
standing when uncovered. I endeavored to secure it with
rods of iron and wooden planks; but the alabaster was too
much calcined to resist exposure to the atmosphere. I had
scarcely time to make a careful drawing, before the whole fell
into fragments, too small to admit of their being collected with


230
Chap. IX
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
a vieV to future restoration. The sphinxes, when entire, were
alout five feet in height, and the same in length.

Sphinx from S.\7. Talace. (Nimroud.)
Buried in the charcoal, was found a small head in alabaster,
with the high-horned cap, precisely similar to that of the large
sphinx; and subsequently the body was dug out, giving thus
a complete model of the larger sculptures.* In the same place
I discovered the bodies of two lions, united and forming a plat-
form or pedestal, like the one crouching sphinx ; but the human
heads were wanting, and the rest of the sculpture had been so
much injured by fire, that I was unable to preserve it.
The plan of the edifice in which these discoveries were made
could not yet be determined. All the slabs uncovered had
evidently been brought from another building y> chiefly from
the N. W. palace. The entrance I have just described,
proved this beyond a doubt; as it enabled me to distin-
guish between the back and front of the walls. I was now
convinced that the sculptures hitherto found, were not meant to
exposed to view; but had been placed against the wall of
* N«w in the British Museum.


232
rflr. IX
NINEVEH AND ITS KEMAINS.
The sarcophagus was too small to contain a man of ordinary
size if stretched at full length; and it was evident, from the
position of the skeleton, that the body had been doubled up. A
second earthen case was soon found, resembling a dish-cover in
shape, and scarcely four feet long. In it were also vases of
baked clay, and it was closed by an inscribed slab like the
sarcophagus first discovered. Although the skulls were entire
when first exposed to view, they crumbled into dust as soon as
an attempt was made to move them.
The six weeks following the commencement of excavations
upon a large scale were among the most prosperous, and fruit-
ful in events, during my researches in Assyria. Every day
produced some new discovery. The Arabs entered wifh zeal
into the work, and felt almost as much interested in its results
as I did myself. They were now well organized, and I had no
difficulty in managing them. Even their private disputes and
domestic quarrels were referred to me. They found this a
cheaper fashion of settling their differences than litigation;
and I have reason to hope that they received an ampler measure
of justice than they could have expected at the hands of his
reverence the cadi. The tents had greatly increased in num-
bers, as the relatives of those who were engaged in the excava-
tions came to Nimroud and swelled the encampment; for
although they received no pay, they managed to live upon the
gains of their friends. They were, moreover, preparing to
glean,—in the event of there being any crops in the spring,—
and to take possession of little strips of land along the banks of
the river, for the cultivation of millet during the summer.
They already began to prepare water-courses, and machines for
irrigation. The mode of raising water in Mesopotamia is ven
simple. In the first place a high bank, which is never com-
pletely deserted by the river, is chosen, and a broad recess is
cut in it down to the water's edge. Over this recess are fixed
three or four upright poles, according to the number of oxen to
be employed, united at the top by rollers running on a swivel,
and supporting a large framework of boughs and grass, which


Chap. IX.
CUSTOMS OF THE ARABS.
233
extends to some distance behind, and is intended as a sheltei
from the sun. Over each roller are passed two ropes, one
fastened to the mouth, and the other to the opposite end, of a
sack, formed out of an entire bullock skin. These ropes are
attached to oxen, who throw all their weight upon them by de-
scending an inclined plane. A trough formed of wood, and lined
with bitumen, or shallow trench coated with matting, is con
structed at the bottom of the poles, and leads to a canal running
into the fields. When the sack is drawn up to the roller, the
ox turns round at the bottom of the inclined plane. The rope
attached to the lower part of the bucket being fastened to the
back part of the animal, he raises, in turning, the bottom of the
sack, and the contents are poured into the trough. As the ox
ascends, the bucket is again lowered into the stream. Although
this mode of irrigation is very toilsome, and requires the constant
labor of several men and animals, it is generally adopted on the
banks of the Tigris and Euphrates. In this way all the gardens
of Baghdad and Busrah are watered; and by such means the
wandering Arabs, who condescend to cultivate—when famine is
staring them in the face—raise a little millet to supply their
immediate wants.
The principal public quarrels, over which my jurisdiction
extended, related to property abstracted, by the Arabs, from
one another's tents. These I disposed of in a summary manner,
as I had provided myself with handcuffs; and Ibrahim Agha
and the bairakdar were always ready to act with energy and
decision, to show how much they were devoted to my service.
But the domestic dissensions were of a more serious nature,
and their adjustment offered far greater difficulties. They
related, of course, always to the women. As soon as the work-
men saved a few piastres, their thoughts were turned to the
purchase of a new wife, a striped cloak, and a spear. To accom-
plish this, their ingenuity was taxed to tbe utmost extent. The
old wife naturally enough raised objections, and picked a quarrel
with the intended bride, which generally ended in an appeal to
physical force. Then the fathers and brothers were dragged


234
Chap. IX
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
into the affair; from them it extended to the various branches
of the tribe, always anxious to fight for their own honor, and
for the honor of their women. At other times, a man repented
himself of his bargain, and refused to fulfill it; or a father,
finding his future son-in-law increasing in wealth, demanded a
higher price for his daughter—a breach of faith which would
naturally lead to violent measures on the part of the disap-
pointed lover. Then a workman, who had returned hungry
from his work, and found his bread unbaked, or the water-skin
still lying empty at the entrance of his tent, or the bundle of
fagots for his evening fire yet ungathered, would, in a moment
of passion, pronounce three times the awful sentence, and divorce
his wife; or, avoiding such extremities, would content himself
with inflicting summary punishment with a tent-pole. In the
first case he probably repented himself of the act an hour or
two afterward, and wished to be remarried; or endeavored
to prove that, being an ignorant man, he had mispronounced
the formula, or omitted some words—both being good grounds
to invalidate the divorce, and to obviate the necessity of any
fresh ceremonies. But the mullah had to be summoned, wit-
nesses called, and evidence produced. The beating was generally
the most expeditious, and really, to the wife, the most satisfac-
tory way of adjusting the quarrel. I had almost nightly to settle
such questions as these. Mr. Hormuzd Rassam, who had ob-
tained an immense influence over the Arabs, and was known
among all the tribes, was directed to ascertain the merits of
the story, and to collect the evidence. When this process had
been completed, I summoned the elders, and gave judgment in
their presence. The culprit was punished summarily, or, in
case of a disputed bargain, was made to pay more, or to refund,
as the case required.
When I first employed the Arabs, the women were sorely ill-
treated, and subjected to great hardships. I endeavored to
introduce some reform into their domestic arrangements, and
punished severely those who inflicted corporal chastisement on
their wives. In a short time the number of domestic quarrels


Chap. IX.
ARAB WOMEN.
235
was greatly reduced; and the women, who were at first afraid
to complain of their husbands, now boldly appealed to me for
protection. They had, however, some misgivings as to the
future, which were thus expressed by a deputation sent to
return thanks after an entertainment:—" O Bey! we are your
sacrifice. May God reward you! Have we not eaten wheaten
bread, and even meat and butter, since we have been under youi
shadow? Is there one of us that has not now a colored kerchief
for her head, bracelets, and ankle-rings, and a striped cloak!
But what shall we do when you leave us, which God forbid you
ever sliould do? Our husbands will then have their turn, and
there will be nobody to help us."
These poor creatures, like all Arab women, were exposed to
constant hardships. They were obliged to look after the chil-
dren, to make the bread, to fetch water, and to cut wood, which
they brought home from afar on their heads. Moreover they
were intrusted with all the domestic duties, wove their wool
and goats' hair into clothes, carpets, and tent-canvas; and were
left to strike and raise the tents, and to load and unload the
beasts of burden when they changed their encamping ground.
If their husbands possessed sheep or cows, they had to drive
them to the pastures, and to milk them at night. When moving,
they carried their children at their backs during the march, and
were even troubled with this burden when employed in theit
domestic occupations, if the chiTa'ren were too young to be left
alone. The men sat indolently by, smoking their pipes, or
listening to the gossip of some stray Arab of the desert. At first
the women, whose husbands encamped on the mound, brought
water from the river; but I relieved them from this labor by
employing horses and donkeys. The weight of a large sheep or
goat's skin filled with water, is not inconsiderable. It is hung on
the back by cords strapped over the shoulders, and upon it is
frequently seated the child, who can not be left in the lent, or is
unable to follow its mother on foot. The bundles of fire-wood,
brought from a considerable distance, were enormous, completely
concealing the head and shoulders of those who tottered beneath


230
Chap. L
NINEVEH AXD ITS REMAINS.
them. And yet the women worked cheerfully, und it was se!
dom that their husbands had to complain of their idleness. Somt
were more active than others. There was a young girl named
Hadla, who particularly distinguished herself, and was conse-
quently sought in marriage by all the men. Her features were
handsome, and her form erect, and exceedingly graceful. Sl.e
carried the largest burdens, was never unemployed, and was
accustomed, when she had finished the work imposed upon her
by her mother, to assist her neighbors in completing theirs.
The dinners or breakfasts (for the meal comprised both) of
the Arab workmen, were brought to them at the mound, about
eleven o'clock, by the younger children. Few had more than a
loaf of millet bread, or millet made into a kind of paste, to satisfy
their hunger ;—wheaten bread was a luxury. Sometimes their
wives had found time to gather a few herbs, which were boiled
in water with a little salt, and sent in wooden bowls; and in
spring, curds and sour milk occasionally accompanied their
bread. The little children, who carried their father's or brother's
portion, came merrily along, and sat smiling on the edge of the
t'enches, or stood gazing in wonder at the sculptures, until they
were sent back with the empty platters and bowls. The work-
ing parties eat together in the trenches in which they had been
employed. A little water, drank out of a large jar, was their
only beverage. Yet they were happy and joyous. The joke
went round; or, during the short time they had to rest, one told
a story, which, if not concluded at a sitting, was resumed on the
following day. Sometimes a pedler from Mosul, driving before
him his donkey, laden with raisins or dried dates, would appear
on the mound. Buying up his store, I would distribute it among
the men. This largess created an immense deal of satisfaction
and enthusiasm, which any one, not acquainted with the charac-
ter of the Arab, might have thought almost more than equivalent
to the consideration.
The Arabs are naturally hospitable and generous. If one of
the workmen was wealthy enough to buy a handful of raisins,
or a piece of camel's or sheep's flesh, or if he had a cow, which


Chap. IX.
THE WORKMEN.
237
occasionally yielded him butter or sour milk, he would imme-
diately call his friends together to partake of his feast. I was
frequently invited to such entertainments; the whole dinner,
perhaps, consisting of half a dozen dates or raisins spread out
wide, to make the best show, upon a corn-sack; a pat of butter
upon a corner of a flat loaf; and a few cakes of dough bakeo
in the ashes. And yet the repast was ushered in with every
solemnity ;—the host turned his dirty keffiah, or head-kerchief,
and his cloak, in order to look clean and smart; appearing both
proud of the honor conferred upon him, and of his means to
meet it in a proper fashion.
I frequently feasted the workmen, and sometimes their wives
and daughters were invited to separate entertainments, as they
would not eat in public with the men. Generally of an even-
ing, after the labors of the day were finished, some Kurdish
musicians would stroll to the village with their instruments, and
a dance would be commenced, which lasted through the greater
part of the night. Sheikh Abd-ur-rahman, or some sheikh of
a neighboring tribe, occasionally joined us; or an Arab from
the Khabour, or from the more distant tribes of the desert,
would pass through Nimroud, and entertain a large circle of
curious and excited listeners with stories of recent fights, plun-
dering expeditions, or the murder of a chief. I endeavored, as
far as it was in my power, to create a good feeling among all,
and to obtain their willing co-operation in my work. I believe
that I was to some extent successful.
The Tiyari diggers resided chiefly on the mcund, where
1 had built a large hut for them. A few only returned at
night to the village. Many of them had brought ueir wives
from the mountains. The women made bread, and cooked
for all. Two of the men walked to the village of Tel Yakoub,
or to Mosul, on Saturday evening, to fetch flour for the whole
party, and returned before the work of the day began on
Monday morning; for they would not journey on the Sab-
bath. They kept their holydays and festivals with as much
rigor as they kept the Sunday. On these days they assembled


240 NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS. ClIAP. IX
had little difficulty in recognizing. "Peace bo with you!"
said I, addressing the sheikh, whc chowed by his countenance
that he was not altogether ignorant of the object of my visit.
"Your health and spirits aie, please God, good. We have
long been friends, although it has never yet been my good
fortune to see you. I know the laws of friendship; that which
is my property is your property, and the contrary. But there
are a few things, such as mats, felts, and ropes, which come
from afar, and are very necessary to me, while they can be of
little use to you; otherwise God forbid that I should ask for
them. You will greatly oblige me by giving these things to
me." "As I am your sacrifice, O Bey," answered he, "no
such things as mats, felts, or ropes were ever in my tents (I
observed a new rope supporting the principal pole). Search,
and if such things be found, we give them to you willingly."
"Wallah! the sheikh has spoken the truth," exclaimed all the
by-standers. "That is exactly what I want to ascertain; and
as this is a matter of doubt, the pashaw must decide between
us," replied I, making a sign to the bairakdar, who had been
duly instructed how to act. In a moment he had handcuffed
the sheikh, and, jumping on his horse, dragged the Arab, at an
uncomfortable pace, out of the encampment. "Now, my sons,"
said I, mounting leisurely, "I have found a part of that which
I wanted; you must search for the rest." They looked at one
another in amazement. One man, more bold than the rest, was
about to seize the bridle of my horse; but the weight of Ibra-
him Agha's courbatch across his back, drew his attention to
another object. Although the Arabs were well armed, they
were too much surprised to make any attempt at resistance; or
perhaps they feared too much for their sheikh, still jolting
away at an uneasy pace in the iron grasp of the bairakdar, who
had put his horse to a brisk trot, and held his pistol cocked in
one hand. The women, swarming out of the tents, now took
part in the matter. Gathering round my horse, they kissed
the tails of my coat and my shoes, making the most dolorous
supplications. , I was not to be moved hown.ver; and extri-


CHAp. IX. SEIZURE OF AN ARAB SHEIKH.
241
eating myself with difficulty from the crowd, I rejoined the
bairakdar, who was hurrying on his prisoner with evident
good-will.
The sheikh had already made himself well known to the
authorities by his dealings with the villages, and there was
scarcely a man in the country who could not bring forward a
specious claim against him—either for a donkey, a horse, a
sheep, or a copper-kettle. He was consequently most averse to
an interview with the pashaw, and looked with evident horror
on the prospect of a journey to Mosul. I added considerably
to his alarm, by dropping a few friendly hints on the advantage
of the dreary subterraneous lock-up house under the governor's
palace, and of the pillory and sticks. By the time he reached
Nimroud, he was fully alive to his fate, and deemed it prudent
to make a full confession. He sent an Arab to his tents; and
next morning an ass appeared in my court-yard bearing the
missing property, with the addition of a lamb and a kid, by
way of a conciliatory offering. I dismissed the sheikh with a
lecture, and had afterward no reason to complain of him or of
his tribe,—nor indeed of any tribes in the neighborhood; for
the story got abroad, and was invested with several horrible
facts in addition, which could only be traced to the imagination
of the Arabs, but which served to produce the effect I desired—.
a proper respect for my property.
During the winter Mr. Longworth, and two other English
travelers, visited me at Nimroud. They were the only Euro-
peans (except Mr. Ross), who saw the ruins when uncovered.*
I was riding home from the ruins one evening with Mr.
Longworth. The Arabs returning from their day's work were
following a flock of sheep belonging to the people of the
village, shouting their war-cry, flourishing their swords, and
ndulging in the most extravagant gesticulations. My friend,
ess acquainted with the excitable temperament of the children
of the desert than myself, was somewhat amazed at the£e vio-
* Sir Seymour was also with me at Nimroud, but before the excava-
tions were in ai. advanced stage.
L


212
Chap. IX
NINEVEH AND ITS KEilAINS.
lent proceedings, and desired to learn their cause. I asked
one of the most active of the party. "O Bey," they exclaimed
almost all together, " God be praised, we have eaten butter and
wheaten bread under your shadow, and are content—but an
Arab is an Arab. It is not for a man to carry about dirt in
baskets, and to use a spade all his life; he should be with his
sword and his mare in the desert. We are sad as we think of
the days when we plundered the Aneyza, and we must have
excitement, or our hearts would break. Let us then believe
that these are the sheep we have taken from the enemy, and
that we are driving them to our tents!" And off they ran,
raising their wild cry and flourishing their swords, to the no
small alarm of the shepherd, who, seeing his sheep scampering
in all directions, did not seem inclined to enter into the joke.
By the middle of December, a second cargo of sculptures
was ready to be sent to Baghdad. I was again obliged to have
recourse to the buffalo-carts of the pashaw; and as none of the
bas-reliefs and objects to be moved were of great weight, these
rotten and unwieldy vehicles could be patched up for the occa-
sion. On Christmas-day I had the satisfaction of seeing a raft,
bearing twenty-three cases, in one of which was the obelisk,
floating down the river. I watched them until they were out
of sight, and then galloped into Mosul to celebrate the festivities
of the season, with the few Europeans whom duty or busings*
had collected in this remote coiner of the globe.


Chap X
DEATH OF TAHYAR PASHAW.
243
CHAPTER X.
DEATH Or IAHVA3i PASHAW.—DISCOVERIES IK THE NORTHWEST PALACE.
IVORY ORNAMENTS AND CARTOUCHES WITH HIEROGLYPHICS.—rAINTEE
CHAMBERS.—POTTERY.—DISCOVERY OF UPPER CHAMBERS. PAINTINGS
ON THE WALLS.—PAVEMENT SLABS. DISCOVERIES IN THE CENTER OF
THE MOUND. TOMBS CONTAINING VASES AND ORNAMENTS.—SCULP-
TURES.—FURTHER DISCOVERIES IN THE SOUTHWEST EDIFICE.—SCULP-
TURES.—DISCOVERY OF MORE TOMBS IN THE SOUTHEAST CORNER.—
OF CHAMBERS BENEATH THEM. OF A VAULTED ROOM.
As I was drawing one morning at the mound, Ibrahim Agh
came to me, with his eyes full of tears, and announced the death
of Tahyar Pashaw. The cawass had followed the fortunes of
the late Governor of Mosul almost since childhood, and was
looked upon as a member of his family. Like other Turks of
his class, he had been devoted to the service of his patron, and
was treated more like a companion than a servant. In no
country in the world are ties of this nature more close than in
Turkey; nowhere does there exist a better feeling between the
master and the servant, and the master and the slave.
I was much grieved at the sudden death of Tahyar; for he
was a man of gentle and kindly manners, just and considerate
in his government, and of considerable information and learn-
ing for a Turk. The cause of his death showed his integrity.
His troop had plundered a friendly tribe, falsely represented
to him as rebellious by his principal officers, who were anx-
ious to have an opportunity of enriching themselves with the
spoil. When he learned the truth, and that the tribe, so far
from being hostile, were peaceably pasturing their flocks on the,
banks of the Khabour, he exclaimed, "You have destroyed my
house" (i.e. its honor); and, without speaking again, died of a
broken heart. He was buried in the court-yard of the principal
mosque at Mardin. A simple but elegant tomb, surrounded by


244
Chai. X,
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
flowers and evergreens, was raised over his remains; and an
Arabic inscription records the virtues and probable reward of
one of the most honest and amiable men that it has been my
lot, in a life of some experience among men of various kinds,
to meet. I visited his monument during my journey to Con.
stantinople. From the lofty terrace, where it stands, the eye
wanders over the vast plains of Mesopotamia, stretch'ng to the
Euphrates,—in spring one great meadow, covered with the
tents and flocks of innumerable tribes.
The kiayah, or chief secretary, was ohosen governor of the
province by the council, until the Porte could name a new
pashaw, or take other steps for the administration of affairs.
Essad Pashaw, who had lately been at Beyrout, was at length
appointed to succeed Tahyar, and soon after reached his
pashawlic. These changes did not affect my proceedings. Armed
with my vizirial letter, I was able to defy the machinations of
the cadi and the ulema, who did not cease their endeavors to
throw obstacles in my way.
After the celebration of Christmas I returned to Nimroud,
and the excavations were again carried on with activity.
The N. W. palace was naturally the most interesting por.
tion of the ruins, and to it were principally directed my re-
searches. I had satisfied myself beyond a doubt that it was
the most ancient building yet explored in Assyria; although,
not having been destroyed by fire, it was in a better state of
preservation than any edifice hitherto discovered.
When the excavations were resumed after Christmas, eight
chambers had been opened. There were now so many out-
lets and entrances, that I had no trouble in finding new cham-
bers,—one leading into another. By the end of the month of
April I had explored almost the whole building; and ha„
opened twenty-eight rooms cased with alabaster slabs. Although
many new sculptures of considerable interest were found in
them, still the principal part of the edifice seems to have been
that to the north, where the best artists had evidently been
employed upon thp walls of the chambers, and the bas-relieft


Vuv. X. DISCOVERIES IN THE N. W. PALACE. 245
excelled all those that had yet been discovered, in the elegance
and finish of the ornaments, and in the spirited delineation of
the figures. In the other chambers were either winged figures,
separated by the sacred tree, and resembling one another in
every respect; or the standard-inscription alone was carved upon
the slabs.

thi kino.- (N W Palace Nimrcud.1
The colossal figure of a female with four wings, carrying
a par'jnd, now in the British Museum, was discovered in a


246
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS. Cha* X
chamber on the south sidd of the palace,* as was also the fine
bas-relief of the king leaning on a wand or staff, one of the best
preserved and most highly finished specimens in the national
collection.
In the center of the palace was a great hall, nearly square,
with entrances on the four sides formed by colossal human,
headed lions and bulls. The slabs which paneled the walls
were unsculptured, but upon each was the standard in.
script ion.
To the south of this hall, was a cluster of small chambers,
opening into each other. At the entrance to one of them
were winged figures wearing garlands, and carrying a wild
goat and an ear of corn.f In another chamber were' dis-
covered the beautiful ivory ornaments now in the British
Museum. These interesting relics adhered so tenaciously to
the soil, and were so completely decomposed, that it was a
task of great difficulty to remove them even in fragments.
The ivory separated in flakes, or fell into powder. Conse-
quently many interesting objects wc ro irretrievably lost, not-
withstanding the care which was taken to collect the smallest
pieces. Those preserved were restored in England y an in-
genious process, which, replacing the gelatinous matter, and
thrs reuniting the decaying particles into one solid body, gave
lhcm the appearance and consistency of recent ivory.
The most interesting of these ivories are two small tablets, one
nearly entire, the other much injured, on which are carved two
sitting figures, holding in one hand the Egyptian scepter or sym-
bol of power. Between the figures is a cartouche, containing a
name in hieroglyphics, and surmounted by a feather or plume,
such as is found in monuments of the eighteenth, and subsequent
dynasties of Egypt. The robes of the figures, the chairs on
which they are seated, the hieroglyphics in the cartouche,
* In chamber L (plan 3). In front of this figure was an earthen jupe
connecting the floor of the chamber with a drain—the whole cemented
with bitumen. It may have beenused to carry off the blood of the sacrifice. *
t One of these figures is in the British Museum.


Chap A
IVORY ORNAMENTS, ETC.
247
and the feather above it, were enameled with a blue sub-
stance let into the ivory; and the uncarved portions of the
tablet, the cartouche, and part of the figures, were originally
gilded,—remains of the gold leaf still adhering to them. The
forms, and style of art, have a purely Egyptian character;
although there are certain peculiarities in the execution, and
mode of treatment, that would seem to mark the work of a
foreign, perhaps an Assyrian, artist. The same peculiarities
characterized all the other objects discovered. Several small
human heads in frames, supported by low pillars, and the heads
of lions and bulls, show not only a considerable acquaintance
with art, but an intimate knowledge of the process of working in
ivory. Found with them were oblong tablets, upon which are
sculptured, with great delicacy, standing figures, with one hand
elevated, and holding in the other a stem or staff, surmounted
by an ornament resembling the Egyptian lotus. Scattered about
were fragments of winged sphinxes, the head of a lion of singular
beauty, which unfortunately fell to pieces, human heads, hands,
legs, and feet, bulls, flowers, and scroll-work. In all the
specimens the spirit of the design and the delicacy of the work-
manship are equally to be admired. These ornaments may
have belonged to a throne or chest, or may have decorated the
walls or ceilings of the room. In Scripture we find frequent
allusion to the employment of this beautiful material both in
architecture and in furniture. Ahab had an ivory house, and
ivory palaces are mentioned in the Psalms. Solomon made a
throne of ivory, and ivory beds' are spoken of by the pro-
phets.* The hands and feet probably belonged to an entire
human figure, the draped part of which was in wood or metal,
resembling the chryselephantine statues of the Greeks.
On two slabs, Lnr.ir.g an entrance to a small chamber in this
pirt of the building^ were inscriptions containing the name
of the king who built the Khorsabad palace. They had been
* Compare 1 Kings x 18: and ixii 39; Psalms xlv. 8; Amos Hi. 16i
and vi. 4.
f Chamber U.


248
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS. CHAr X.
cut above the usual inscription, to which they are evidently
long posterior, a fact which alone proves the greater antiquity
of the Nimroud ruins.
In all the chambers to the south of the center hall, were
found copper vessels of peculiar shape; but they fell to pieces
almost immediately on exposure to the air, and I was unable to
preserve one of them entire.
When the chambers paneled with alabaster slabs ceased, I
was unable for some time to trace any remains of the building
beyond. A brick pavement proved that the ruins did not end
here, and on examining the trenches carefully it was found
that we had entered chambers, the walls of which were of sun.
dried bricks, covered with a coating of plaster, and painted
with figures and ornaments. The colors had faded so com-
pletely, that scarcely any of the subjects or designs could be
traced. It required the greatest care to separate the rubbish
from the walls, without removing at the same time the plaster,
which fell off in flakes, notwithstanding all my efforts to pre-
serve it. The subject of the paintings, as far as could be judged
from the remains, was the king, followed by eunuchs and war-
riors, receiving prisoners and tribute. The figures appear to
have been nearly in black outline upon a blue ground, and I
was unable to distinguish any other colors.
As the means at my disposal did not warrant any outlay in
making mere experiments, without the certainty of the discovery
of removable objects, I felt myself compelled, much against my
inclination, to abandon the excavations in this part of the mound
after uncovering portions of two chambers. The doorway,
which united them, was paved with one large slab, ornamented
with flowers and scroll-work. The flooring was of baked bricks.
On the western face of the great mound, to the south of the
N. W. palace, there is a considerable elevation. To examine
it, a trench was opened on a level with the platform. It was
some time before I ascertained that we were cutting into a kind
of tower, or nest of upper chambers, constructed entirely of
unbaked bricks; the walls being plastered, and elalorately


Chap. X. PLAN OF UPPER CHAMBERS. 249
painted. I explored three rooms, and part of a fourth on the
southw. side of this building.

*\ B .
Flak 4.—Upper Chambers on the -west side of the Mound. (Nimxoud.J
It is probable that there were four similar groups of cham-
bers, facing the cardinal points. In front of the southern en-
trance,* was a large square slab with slightly raised edges,
similar to those frequently found in the N. W. palace. On
two sides of it were narrow pieces of alabaster, forming parallel
lines, which I can only compare to the rails of a railroad. I
can not form any conjecture as to their use. The rooms had
been more than once painted, and two distinct coats of plaster
were visible on the walls. The outer coating, when care,
fully detached, left the under, on which the designs were dif.
ferent.
* Entrance a, Plan i.


250
Chap. X
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS
The painted ornaments were remarkable for their elegance.
The Assyrian bull was frequently introduced, sometimes with
wings, sometimes without. Above the animals was a border
resembling the battlements of castles in the sculptures, and
below, forming a kind of cornice, squares and circles, taste-
fully arranged. The colors were blue, red, white, yellow, and
Llaek; and although thus limited in number, were arranged
with much taste and skill, the contrasts being carefully pre-
served, and the combinations generally agreeable to the ey.
fhe pale yellow ground, on which the designs were painted,
resembled the tint on the walls of Egyptian monuments;
and a strong well-defined black outline is a peculiar feature in
Assyrian as in Egyptian painting, in the ornaments described,
black frequently combining with white alone, or alternating with
other colors.
But the most important discovfry, connected with these upper
chambers, was that of the pavement slabs at two entrances.
The inscriptions upon them contained the names of several
kings, most of which were new, and are of the greatest interest,
as adding to the list of monarchs of the earliest dynasty.*
I could not ascertain whether there were any chambers, or
remains of buildings, beneath this upper edifice; or whether
it was a tower constructed on the solid outer wall. A deep
trench was opened on the eastern side of it, and, about twenty
feet below the surface, a pavement of brick and several square
6labs of alabaster were uncovered; but these remains did not
throw any light upon the nature of the building above; nor
were they sufficient to show that the N. W. palace had been
carried under it. To the south of it there were no remains of
building, the platform of unbaked bricks being continued up to
the level of the flooring of the chambers.
In the center of the mound, I had in vain endeavored to find
the walls and other remains of the palace which must at one
time have stood there. Except the colossal bulls, the obelisk,
* One of these slabs is in the British Museum.


Chap. X. TOMBS, VASES, AND ORNAMENTS.
251
two winged figures, and a few fragments of yellow limestone,
which appeared to have formed part of a gigantic bull or lion,
no sculptures had yet been discovered there. Excavations to
the south of the bulls disclosed a tomb built of bricks and closed
by a slab of alabaster. It was about five feet in length,, and
scarcely more than eighteen inches in breadth in the interior.
On removing the lid, parts of a skeleton were exposed to view;
t :e skull and some of the larger bones were still entire; bu'
soon crumbled into dust. A vase of reddish clay, with a long
narrow neck, stood near .he body, in a dish of such delicate
fabric, that I had great difficulty in moving it entire. Over
the mouth of the vase was placed a bowl or cup, also of red
clay. In the dust, which had accumulated round the skeleton,
were found beads and small ornaments of opaque-colored glass,
agate, cornelian, and amethyst. A small crouching lion of lapis
lazuli, pierced on the back, had been attached to the end of the
necklace. With the beads was a cylinder, on which was rep-
resented the king in his chariot, hunting the wild bull, as in
the bas-relief from the N. W. palace; a copper ornament
resembling a modern seal, two bracelets of silver, and a pin
for the hair. These remains show the tomb to be that of a
female.
On digging beyond this tomb, I found others, similarly
constructed, and of the same size. In them were vases of
highly glazed green pottery, elegant in shape, and in perfect
preservation, copper mirrors, and copper lustral spoons.*
I was surprised to find, about Jive feel beneath these tombs,
lhe remains of a building. Walls of unbaked bricks could
still be traced; but the alabaster slabs, with which they had
been paneled, had been removed, and were heaped on the
pavement. Slab succeeded to slab; and when I had removed
learly twenty tombs, and had cleared a space about fifty feet
quare, the ruins presented a very singular appearance. Above
* Most of the small objects discovered in tb« tombs, and described u» th«
tnxt, are now in the British Museum.


252
Chap. X.
NIXEVEII AXI) ITS REMAINS.
one hunched slabs were uncovered, placed in rows, one against
the other, like the leaves of a gigantic book. Every slab
was sculptured; and as they followed each other according to
the subjects upon them, it was evident that they had been
moved, in th.3 order in which they stood, from their original
positions; and had been left as found, preparatory to their re-
noval elsewhere. That the] had not been thus collected prior
.o their arrangement against the walls, was evident from the
fact, proved beyond a doubt by «peated observation, that the
Assyrians sculptured the slabs, with the exception of the
great bulls and lions, after they had been placed. The slabs
had also been split, if I may be allowed the expression, in order
to reduce their dimensions, and render them more easily trans-
portable. To the south of the center bulls were two colossal
figures, similar to those discovered to the north.
The bas-reliefs resembled, in many respects, some of those
discovered in the S. W. palace, in which the sculptured faces of
the slabs were turned, it will be remembered, toward the walk
of unbaked brick. It would appear, therefore, that the one build-
ing had been destroyed, to supply materials for the construction
of the other. But here were tombs over the ruins. The edi-
fice had perished, and in the rubbish accumulating above its ic-
mains, a people, whose funereal vases and ornaments were
nearly identical with those found in the catacombs of Egypt,
had buried their dead. What race, then, occupied the country
after the destruction of the Assyrian palaces? At what period
were these tombs made? What antiquity did their presence
assign to the buildings beneath them? It is difficult to answer
these questions. The tombs undoubtedly prove that the As.
Syrian edifices were overthrown and buried at a very remote
period. The Egyptian character of the pottery, beads, and
ornaments, is very remarkable, and would seem to indicate
fhat those who were buried at Nimroud came from Egypt, 01"
were closely connected with that country. The mode of sepul-
ture is, how2ver, undoubtedly na Egyptian; it is, on the con-


Chap. X. POTTERY FOUND IN THE TOMBS. 253
'.rary, that which prevailed throughout Assyria and Babylonia
during an epoch yet unfixed. It resembles in some respects
that adopted by the early Persians,—Cyrus and Darius having
been buried in sarcophagi or troughs. All we can at present
assert is, that these tombs prove the remote period of the utter
destruction of the palaces.

Pottery found in the Tombs above the Ruins at Nimroud.
The subjects of the sculptures thus found collected together
with the exception of a few colossal figures of the king ano
his attendant eunuchs, and of the winged priests or divinities,
were principally battle-pieces and sieges. Some cities were
represented as standing on a river, in the midst of groves of
date-trees, and among the conquered people were warriors
mounted on camels. It may be inferred, therefore, that one series
of these bas-reliefs recorded the conquest of an Arab nation,
or perhaps of a part of Babylonia—the inhabitants of the cities
being assisted by auxiliaries, from the neighboring desert.
The conquered races, as in the bas-reliefs of the N. W. palace,


25i NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS. Chap. X.


CttiP. X. BAS-RELIEFS IN CENTER PALACE.
255
were genera ly without armor or helmets, their hair falling loosely
on their shoulders. Some, however, wore helmets, which varieo
in shape from those of the conquerors.
r

Helmets. (Center Palace, NimToud.)
Battering-rams also differed in form from those represented
in the earlier sculptures. The besieged castles, like those
of the Assyrians, appear to have been built upon artificial
oiounds. The battering-ram was rolled up to the walls on an
inclined plane constructed of earth, stones, and trees, which ap-
pears to have been sometimes paved with bricks or squared
stones, to facilitate the ascent of the engine. This mode of
besieging a city, as well as the various methods of attack
portrayed in the sculptures, are frequently alluded to in Scrip-
ture. Ezekiel,* prophesying of Jerusalem, exclaims, "Lay
siege against it, and build a fort against it, and cast a mound
against it; set the camp also against, and set battering-rams
against it round about:" and Isaiah, "Thus saith the Lord con-
cerning the King of Assyria: he shall not come into this city,
nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shields, nor
cast a bank against it."f The shields mentioned by the pro-
phet are probably those of wicker-work, represented in the
* Oh. iv. 2.
t Isaiah xxxvii. 33; compare 2 Kings six. 32; Jeremiah xxxii. 2d and
xxxiii. 4; Ezekiel xvii. 17.


256
ChAr. X.
NINEVEU AND ITS ItEHAIXS.
bas-reliefs as covering the whole person and resting on the
ground. Some of the battering-rams were not provided with
towers for armed men, and some were without wheels; the
latter were probably "the forts" which Nebuchadnezzar built
round about Jerusalem.* These forts appear to have been mere
temporary erections of wood and wicker-work; and the Jews
were expressly forbidden to use for the purpose trees affording
sustenance to man,—" only the trees which thou knowest that
they be not trees for meat, thou shalt destroy and cut them down:
and thou shalt build bulwarks against the city that maketh war
with thee, until it be subdued."f Ezekiel, in prophesying the
destruction of Tyre by Nebuchadnezzar, has faithfully recorded
the events of an Assyrian siege, and the treatment of the con.
quered people; his description illustrates in a remarkable man-
ner, the bas-reliefs of Nimroud :—
"Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will bring upon Tyrua
Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, a king of kings, from the
north, with horses, and with chariots, and with horsemen, and
companies, and much people. He shall slay with the sWord
ihy daughters in the field: and he shall make a fort against
thee, and cast a mount against thee, and lift up the buckler
against thee. And he shall set engines of war against th}
walls, and with his axes he shall break down thy towers. By
reason of the abundance of his horses, their dustshall cover tliee:
thy walls shall shake at the noise of the horsemen, and of the
wheels, and of the chariots, when he shall enter into thy gales,
as men enter into a city wherein is made a breach. With the
hoofs of his horses shall he tread down all thy streets: he shall
slay thy people by the sword, and thy strong garrisons shall gu
down to the ground. And they shall make a spoil of thy riches,
and make a prey of thy merchandise: and they shall break down
thy walls, and destroy thy pleasant houses: and they shall lay
thy stones and thy timber and thy dust in the midst of the
water.":):
• Jeremiah lii. 4. t Deut- *x- 19. 2°- t Ezek- XXTl- 7-12.


Chap. X.
BAS-RELIEFS IN CENTER PALACE.
257
The battering-ram appears to have been directed by men within
the framework, which was frequently covered with drapery or
hides, ornamented with fringes and even with devices.

Warriors before a 'besieged City. A Batteriog-ram drawn up to toe
Walls, and Captives impaled. (Center Palace, Nimroud.)
On two slabs was a bas-relief of considerable interest, repre-
senting the sack of a city.* The conquerors were seen carrying
away the spoil, and two eunuchs, standing near the gates, wrota
down with a pen on rolls of some pliable material, probably a
kind of paper or leather, the number of sheep and cattle driven
away by the soldiers. In the lower part of the bas-relief, were
* Now in the British Museum.


258
Chap. X.
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
carts drawn by oxen, carrying women and children. Near the
gates were two battering-rams, which, the city having been
taken, we're no tanger at work

Assyrian Warriors fighting with the Enemy. An Eagle is carrying
away tbe Entrails of the Slain. (Center Palace, Nimroud.)
Among other bas-reliefs may be mentioned the king seated
on his throne, receiving prisoners with their arms bound behind
*hem; eunuchs registering the heads of the enemy, laid at their
feet by the conquerors; idols borne on the shoulders of men;
and a walled city, standing on the sea, or on a river.
The spoil represented in these bas-reliefs as carrie^l away
from the conquered nations, consisted chiefly of cattle, sheep,


200
Chap. X.
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
potamia.* The goats have long spiral horns. The camel is faith-
fully delineated. This valuable animal formed at the remotest
period the riches of the inhabitants of Ass)rria and Arabia, and
was no doubt by them, as it still is by the Arab, ranked among
the most desirable objects of plunder. It was used even in hose
days by couriers, and for posts, and flocks of them were pos-
sessed by Abraham and Jacob.f
To the east of the center bulls several slabs were discovered,
still standing in their original position. The lower part of the
bas-reliefs alone remained, the upper having been completely
destroyed. They represented colossal winged figures, carrying
the usual square vessel, and sacred flowers of various forms.
The only part of the S. W. palace sufficiently well preserved
to give any idea of its original form, was one large hall curiously
constructed. It had two entrances, formed by human-headed
bulls and lions sculptured in a coarse gray limestone; and, in
the center, was a portal (also formed by winged bulls), in a kind
of partition, which divides the hall into four distinct parts, but
appears to have been merely intended to support beams for the
roof. Between the bulls forming the center portal were a pail
of sphinxes.
The whole of this hall was paneled with slabs Drought fron
other buildings. Some, and by far the greater number, were
from the N. W., others from the center, palace. But there
were many bas-reliefs which differed greatly, in the style of
art, from the sculptures discovered in both these ruins. From
whence they were obtained I am unable to determine; whether
from a palace of another period once existing at Nimroud, and
still concealed in a part of the mound not explored, or from somo
edifice in the neighborhood.
All the walls had been exposed to fire, and, the slabs nearly
reduced to lime, were too much injured to bear removal. They
* Lib. iii. c. 113. This broad tail is mentioned Ll Leviticus iii. 9, vii. 8,
where it is rendered "rump."
t Esther viii. 10, 14; Genesis xii. 16, xxx. 43; and compare Genesis
xxiv. 19, xxxi.34; 1 Samuel xxx. 17.


Chap. X.
BAS-RELIEFS IN S.W. PALACE.
261
were not all Sculptured; the bas-reliefs being scattered here
and there, and always turned toward the wall of sun-dried
brick.
Among the most interesting bas-reliefs discovered were the
following:—A king seated on his throne, receiving his vizier,
and surrounded by his attendants, within the walls of a castle;
a warrior wearing a crested helmet on a rearing horse, asking

Enemy asking quarter of Assyrian horsemen. (S.W. Palace, Nimroad.)
quarter of Assyrian horsemen ; a spearman on horseback hunting
the wild bull; the king of the N.W. palace in his chariot fighting


262
Chap. X.
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
with the enemy; the siege of a castle, in which was presented
a bucket attached to a pulley; a pair of human-headed bulls in
low relief; and a king placing his foot on the neck of a captive,
and raising a spur in his right hand, the only instance in which
he is represented with this weapon—a bas-relief illustrating

Part ef 1 bas-relief, showing a Pulley, and a Warrior cutting a Bucket
from a Rope.
the passage of Scripture which describes the captains of Israel
placing their feet upon the necks of the captive kings: " And
it came to pass, when they brought out those kings unto Joshua,
that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said unto the
captains of the men of war which went with him, Come near
and put your feet upon the necks of these kings. And the)





Chai\ X. BAS-RELIEFS IN S. W. PALACE. 263
came near, and put their feet upon the necks of them."* To
make "a footstool of mine enemies" is a common biblical ex-
pression of triumph. A procession of warriors carrying away
the idols of a conquered nation, was highly interesting on ac-
count of the figures of the gods. The first was that of a female
seated on a high-backed chair, holding a ring in one hand, and
a kind o'f fan in the other. Her face was in full, and she wore
the horned cap surmounted by a star. The next figure was also
that of a seated female, wearing a similar cap, and holding a
ring in one hand. The third was partly concealed by a screen
placed on a chair; and the fourth was that of a man walking,
raising an ax in one hand, and grasping an object resembling
the conventional thunderbolt of the Greek Jove in the other. The
female figures may be (hose of Hera and Rhea, who were wor-
shiped in the temple of Babylon; while the god may be iden-
tified with Baal or Belus, the supreme deity of the Semitic races,
who, according to Diodorus Siculus, was represented in the act
of walking. This bas-relief illustrates more than one passage
in the Bible. Hosea prophesied that the idol of Samaria should
be carried away by the Assyrians ;f and Jeremiah declares that
the Babylonians should burn the gods of the Egyptians, and carry
them away captive.^ In the epistle supposed to have been
written by the prophet Jeremiah to the captive Jews, to warn
them against the idolatries of the Babylonians, we find the fol-
lowing remarkable description of the gods represented in the
Assyrian sculptures. "Now shall ye see, in Babylon, gods of
silver, and of gold, and of wood, borne upon shoulders. And
he that can not put to death one that oftendeth him, holdeth a
scepter, as though he were a judge of the country. He hath
also in his right hand a dagger and an ax."§ We learn from
the same epistle that these idols were of wood laid over with
gold, and that parts of them were polished by the workmen;
mat crowns were placed on their heads, that they were decked
* Joshua x. 21. t Chapter x. 6. % Chapter xliii. 12.
d That the Jews looked upon this Epistle ae genuine, may be inferred
from the reference to it in 1 Maccab. xi. 2, 3.


2G4
Chap. X.
NIXEVZH AND ITS REMA1KS.
out in garments and purple raiment, and that fires or lamps
were kept burning before them. Jeremiah describes the gods
of the heathen as cut out of a tree of the forest, decked with
silver and gold, fastened with nails, and with blue and purple
garments.* The star above the horned-cap of the figures in the
bas-relief appears to point to an astral system personified in the
idols; and it is to this custom of placing the star above the head
of the god to which the prophet Amos probably alludes, when he
condemns the house of Israel for having " borne the tabernacle
of Moloch and Chiun, their images and the star of their god,
which they had made for themselves."f
Some of the sculptures had been carefully erased, and only
a few traces of the figures remained. Several of the bas-reliefs
were accompanied by descriptive inscriptions; and on the
pavement was discovered a tablet recording the conquests of
a king whose name occurs in no other ruins yet discovered,
and to whom no place can yet be assigned in the Assyrian
royal lists.
The three entrances to the south of the palace appear to have
led into a magnificent hall, about 220 feet in length, the northern
entrance to which was also formed by a pair of human-headed
bulls. The side walls had in some places completely disappear-
ed, and the sculptures which were still standing had all suffered
more or less from the conflagration and subsequent long expo-
sure to the atmosphere.
As the level of the S. W. palace was considerably above
that of the N. W., and as the site of many sculptures in it
had not been discovered, it appeared to me possible that it had
been built over the ruins of some more ancient building. By
way of experiment, therefore, I directed long and very deep
trenches .to be opened in three different directions: nothing,
however, was found, but a box or square hole, twenty feet be-
neath the surface, formed by bricks carefully fitted together,
and containing several small idols in unbaked clay. They
* Chapter x. 4, !).
t Chapter v. 20.


CHAp. X. DISCOVERIES IN S. W PALACE.
265
were bearded figures, wearing high, pointed miters, ani had
probably been placed, for some religious purpose, beneath the
foundations of the building. Objects somewhat similar, and in
the same material, were discovered at Khorsabad, under the pave-
ment slabs, between the great bulls.
Near the southern entrance to the great hall was found, amid
a mass of charred wood and charcoal, and beneath a fallen slab,
part of a beam in good preservation, apparently of mulberry
wood.
It may be inferred that a very long interval intervened be-
tween the time of the construction of the N. W. and of the S. W.
palaces. A considerable period must have elapsed before a
monarch destroyed the monuments of his predecessors to raise
out of the materials a new habitation for himself or his divin-
ities. It is highly probable that some great change had taken
place before such an event could have happened,—that a new
dynasty of kings had ejected the older family; and that, as con-
querors, they had introduced a new element into the nation.
There are remarkable differences in the costume of the king, the
forms of the chariots, the trappings of the horses, and the arms
and armor of the warriors, which further tend to prove that some
such change had taken place in Assyria between the destruction
of the N. W. palace at Nimroud and the erection of that at
Khorsabad. The state of art, as shown in the treatment of the
sculptures, in their forms and in their ornaments, differed mate-
rially during the two periods, and points to a very great change
in manners, the state of civilization, and religion.
The southeast corner of the mound, which was considera-
bly above the level of any other part, appears to have been the
principal burying-place of those who occupied the country after
the destruction of the Assyrian palaces. Beside the two tombs
already described, many others were subsequently discovered
there. The sarcophagi were mostly of the same shape, that of
ii dish-cover; but there were other tombs constructed of bricks
well fitted together and covered by a slab, similar to- those
about the ruins in the center of the mound. In nearly all were
M


260
Chap. X.
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
earthen vases, copper and silver ornaments, and small alabaster
bottles. The skeletons, as soon as uncovered, crumbled to
pieces, although entire when first exposed, and one skull alone
has been preserved. Scattered among these tombs were vases
of all sizes, lamps, and small objects of pottery, some uninjured,
others broken into fragments.*
Removing the tombs I discovered beneath them the remains
of a building, and explored seven chambers. No sculptures or
inscriptions were found in them; the lower part of the walls
being paneled with plain slabs of limestone, three feet seven
inches high, and from two to three feet wide, and the upper
being of sun-dried bricks, covered by a thick coat of white
plaster.
In the rubbish, near the bottom of the chambers, were found
several small objects; among them a female head in white ala-
baster, now in the British Museum.
It only remains for me to mention a singular discovery on
the eastern face of the mound near its northern extremity. A
trench having been opened from the outer slope, the workmen
came upon a small vaulted chamber, about ten feet high, and
the same in width, fifteen feet below the level of the mound,
and in the center of a wall of sun-dried bricks, nearly fifty
feet thick. The arch was built of baked bricks. The cham-
ber was filled with rubbish, the greater part of which was a
kind of slag, and the bricks forming the vault and walls were
almost vitrified, evidently from exposure to very intense heat.
The chamber had thus the appearance of a large furnace for
making glass, or fusing metal. I am unable to account for its
use, as there was no access to it, as far as I could ascertain from
any side.
Much, of course, remained to be explored in the ruins; but
with the limited means at my disposal, I was unable to pursue
my researches to the extent that I could have wished. If, after
carrying a trench to a reasonable depth and distance, no
Many of the small objects are in the British Museum.


Chap. X.
CHAMBER IN S. W. PALACE.
267
remains of sculpture or inscription were discovered. I abandoned
it, and renewed the experiment elsewhere. I could thus asoer.
tain whether any very extensive edifice was still standing.
There were too many tangible objects in view to warrant an out-
lay in excavations promising no immediate results; and a great
part of the mound of Nimroud was left to be explored, when t*v
ruins of Assyria should be further ojnumijipd.


268
Chap. XL
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
CHAPTER XI.
KXCAVATIONS AT KALAH SBEEGHAT.—DEPARTURE FOR THE RUIK*.—
THE BITUMEN PITS. ABD'kUBBOU. MY RECEPTION.—DISCOVERY OF A
SITTING FIGURE.—ARAB ENCAMPMENT.—ARAB LIFE.—EXCAVATIONS
IS THE MOUND.—DISCOVERY OF TOMBS.—RETURN TO NIMROUD.
I had long wished to excavate in the mounds of Kalah
Sherghat, which rivaled in extent those of Nimroud and
Kouyunjik. An Arab, from the Shammar Bedouins, would
occasionally spend a night among my workmen, and entertain
them with accounts of idols and sculptured figures of giants,
which had long been the cause of wonder and awe to the wan-
dering tribes, who pitch their tents near the place. On my first
visit I had searched in vain for such remains; but the Arabs,
who are accustomed to seek for pasture during the spring in the
neighborhood, persisted in their assertions, and offered to show
me where these strange statues, carved, it was said, in black
stone, were to be found. Scarcely a ruin in Mesopotamia is
without its wondrous tale of apparitions and Frank idols, and I
concluded that these sculptures only existed in the fertile imagi-
nation of the Arabs. As the vicinity of Kalah Sherghet is noto-
riously dangerous, being a place of rendezvous for plundering
parties of the Shammar, Aneyza, and Obeid Bedouins, I had de-
ferred a visit to the spot, until I could remain there for a short
time, under the protection of some powerful tribe. This safe-
guard was also absolutely necessary in the event of my sending
workmen to excavate.
There being no pasture in the neighborhood of Mosul this
year, on account of the want of rain, the three great divisions
of the Jebour Arabs sought the jungles on the banks of the
Tigris. Abd'rubbou with his tribe descended the river, and first
pitching his tents at Senidij, near the confluence of the Tigris


270 NINEVEH AND ITS HEMAINS. Chap. XI.
siderable extent of ground; the bitumen bubbling up in springs
from crevices in the earth and forming small ponds. The
Jebours, and other tribes encamping near the place, cany the
bitumen for sale to Mosul, and other parts of the pashawlic. It
is extensively used for building purposes, for coating the boats
on the river, and particularly for smearing camels, when suf-
fi ring from certain diseases of the skin to which they are liable.
Before leaving the pits, the Arabs, as is their habit, set fire to
I he bitumen, which sent forth a dense smoke, obscuring the
sky, and visible for miny miles. We reached the tents of
Abd'rubbou early in the afternoon. They were pitched about
ten miles to Jhe north of Kalah Sherghat, at the upper end of
a long tongue of rich alluvial soil, lying between the river and
a range of low hills. The great mound was visible from this
spot, rising high above the zor, or jungle, which clothes the
banks of the Tigris.
No sheikh could have made a more creditable show of
friendship than did Abd'rubbou. He rode out to meet me, and,
without delay, ordered sheep enough to be slain to feast half
his tribe. I declined, however, to spend the night with him, as
he pressed me to do, on the plea that I was anxious to see the
result of the excavations at Kalah Sherghat. He volunteered
to accompany me to the ruins after we had breakfasted, and
declared that if a blade of grass were to be found near the
mound, he would move all his tents there immediately for my
protection. In the meanwhile, to do me proper honor, he in-
troduced me to his wives, and to his sister, whose beauty I had
often heard extolled by the Jebours, and who was not altogether
undeserving of her reputation. She was still unmarried.
Abd'rubbou himself was one of the handsomest Arabs in Meso-
potamia.
We started for the ruins in the afternoon, and rode along
the edge of the jungle. Hares, wolves, foxes, jackals, and
wild boars continually crossed our- path, and game of all kinds
seemed to abound. The Arabn gave chase; but the animals
were able to enter the thick brus nvood, and conceal theinselve«


Chap. XI.
MY RECEPTION.
271
before my greyhounds could reach them. Lions are sometimes
found near Kalah Sherghat, rarely higher up on the Tigris.*
As I floated down to Baghdad a year before, I had heard the
roar of a lion not far from this spot: they are, however, seldom
seen, and we beat the bushes in vain for such noble game.
As for grass, except in scanty tufts at the foot of the trees in
(.he jungle, there appeared to be none at all. The drought had
been felt all over the desert: in the place of the green meadows
of last year, covered with flowers, and abounding in natural
reservoirs of water, there was a naked yellow waste, in which
even the abstemious flocks of the Bedouin could scarcely escape
starvation. As we rode along, Abd'rubbou examined every
corner and ravine in the hope of finding an encamping place, and
a little pasture for his cattle, but his search was not attended
with much success.
The workmen on the mound, seeing horsemen approach,
made, ready for an encounter, under the impression that wo
were a foraging party from a hostile tribe. As soon, however,
as they recognized us, they threw off the few superfluous gar-
ments they possessed. Dropping their shirts from their
shoulders, and tying them round the waists by the arms, they
set up the war-cry, and rushed in and out of the trenches like
madmen.
The principal excavations had been made on the western side
of the mound. After I had succeeded in obtaining silence, and
calming the sudden fit of enthusiasm which had sprung up on
my arrival, I descended into the trenches. A sitting figure in
black basalt, of the size of life, had been uncovered. It was,
however, much mutilated. The head and hands had been
destroyed, and other parts of the statue had been injured. The
'* The lion is frequently met with on the banks of the Tigris below Bagh-
dad, rarely above. On the Euphrates it has been seen, I believe, almost as
high as Bir, where the steamers of the first Euphrates expedition, tinder
Colonel Chesney, were lanched. In the Sinjar, and on the banks of the
Kabour, they are frequently caught by the Arabs. They abound in Khu-
zistan, the ancient Susiana: I have frequently seen three or four together,
and have hunted them with the chiefs of the tribes inhabiting that province!.


272
Chap. XL
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
square stool, or block, upon which the figure sat, was covered
on three sides with a cuneiform inscription. The first line, con-
taining the name and titles of the king, was almost defaced;
but one or two characters enabled me to restore a name, iden-
tical with that on the great bulls in the center of the mound at
Nimroud. On casting my eye down the first column of the
inscription, I found the names of this king's father (the builder
of the most ancient palace of Nimroud), and of his grandfather.
An Arab soon afterward brought me a brick bearing a short
legend, which contained the three names entire. I was thus
enabled to fix the comparative epoch of the new'y-discovered
ruins.

Bitting Figure in Basalt, from Kalab Bbergbat.
The figure, unlike the sculptures of Nin.roud and Khorsabad,
was in full, and not in relief; and probably represented the
king. Part of the beard was still preserved; the hands appear
to have rested on the knees, and a long robe, edged with tassels,
reached to the ankles. The Arabs declared that this statue


Chap. XI.
AN ARAB ENCAMPMENT.
273
had been seen some years before; and it is possiblt that, at
some period of heavy rain, it may have been for a sl.ort time
exposed to view, and subsequently reburied. It stood on a
spur of the mound, and probably in its original position. Man-
sour had dug trenches at right angles with it on four sides, in
the expectation of finding a corresponding figure; but he was
disappointed in his search, and no remains of building were dis-
covered near it.*
In other parts of the mound there were ruins of walls, but we
found no more sculptures. Several tombs, similar to those
above the palaces of Nimroud, had been opened; and Mansour
brought me earthen vases and cups taken from them. He had
also picked up, among the rubbish, a few fragments of black
stone with small figures in relief, and cuneiform characters, and
a piece of copper similarly inscribed.
Having made a hasty survey of the trenches, I rode to my tent,
which had been pitched in the midst of those of my workmen.
The Arabs had chosen for their encampment a secure place in
ihe jungle at the northern foot of the mound, and not far from
the Tigris. A ditch, leading from the river, nearly surrounded
the tents, which were completely concealed by the trees and
shrubs. Abd'rubbou remained with me for the night. While
I was examining the ruins, he had been riding to and fro, to
find a convenient spot for his tents, and grass for his cattle.
Such is the custom of the Arabs. When the grass, within a
certain distance of their encampment, has been exhausted, they
prepare to seek new pastures. The sheikhs, and the principal
men of the tribe, mount their mares, and ride backward and
forward over the face of the country, until they find herbage
sufficient for the wants of their flocks. Having fixed on a
suitable spot, they return to acquaint their followers with their
success, and announce their intention of moving thither on the
following morning. The sheikh's tent is generally the first
* This statue is now in the British Museum.


274
Ciup. XI
NINEVEII AND ITS REMAINS.
struck; and the rest of the tribe, if they feel inclined, follow his
example. If any have cause of complaint against their chief
and wish to desert him, they seize this occasion; they leave
their tents standing until the others are gone, and then wander
in another direction.
Abd'rubbou having, at length, found a convenient site on the
banks of the river, to the south of the mound, he marked out a
p'.aco for his tents, and sent a horseman to his tribe, with orders
tor them to move to Kalah Sherghat on the following morning.
These preliminaries having been settled, he adjourned to my
lent to supper. It was cold and damp, and the Arabs, collecting
brushwood and trunks of trees, made a great fire, which lighted
up the recesses of the jungle. As the night advanced, a violent
storm broke over us; the wind rose to a hurricane—the rain
descended in torrents—the thunder rolled in one long peal—
and vivid streams of lightning, almost incessant, showed the
surrounding landscape. When the storm had abated, I walked
to a short distance from the tents to gaze upon the scene. The
huge fire we had kindled threw a lurid glare over the trees
around our encampment. The great mound could be dis-
tinguished through the gloom, rising like a distant mountain
against the dark sky. From all sides came the melancholy wail
of the jackals, who had issued from their subterranean dwell-
ings in the ruins, as soon as the last gleam of twilight was
fading in the western horizon. The owl, perched on the old
masonry, occasionally sent forth its mournful note. The shrill
laugh of the Arabs would sometimes rise above the cry of the
jackal. Then all earthly noises were buried in the deep roll of
the distant thunder. It was desolation such as those alone who
have witnessed such scenes, can know—desolation greater than
the desolation of the sandy wastes of Africa: for there was the
wreck of man, as well as that of nature.
Soon after sunrise, on the following morning, stragglers on
horseback from Abd'rubbou's late encampment, began to arrive.
They were soon followed by the main body of the tribe. Long
lines of camels, shee?., laden donkeys, men, women, and children,


Chap. XI.
AN ABAB ENCAMPMENT.
275
such as I have described in my visit to Sofuk, covered t.ie small
plain, near the banks of the river. A scene of activity and
bustle ensued. Every one appeared desirous to outdo hia
neighbor in vehemence of shouting, and violence of action.
A stranger would have fancied that there was one general
quarrel; in which, out of several hundred men and women
'oncerned, no two persons took the same side of the question.
Every one seemed to differ from every one else. All this con-
fusion, however, was but the result of a friendly debate on the
site of the respective tents; and when the matter had been
settled to the general satisfaction, without recourse to any more
violent measures than mere yelling, each family commenced
raising their temporary abode. The camels being made to
kneel down, and the donkeys to stop in the place fixed upon,
their loads were rolled off their backs. The women next
spread the black goat-hair canvas. The men rushed about
with wooden mallets to drive in the stakes and pegs; and in a
few minutes the dwellings, which were to afford them shelter,
until they needed shelter no longer, and under which they had
lived from their birth upward, were complete. The women
and girls, were then sent forth to fetch water, or to collect
brushwood and dry twigs for fire. The men, leaving all house-
hold matters to their wives and daughters, assembled in the tent
of the sheikh; and crouching in a circle round the entire trunk
of an old tree, which was soon enveloped in flames, they pre-
pared to pass the rest of the day in that desultory small-talk, re-
lating to stolen sheep, stray donkeys, or successful robberies,
which fills up the leisure of an Arab, unless he be better em-
ployed in plundering or in war.
Leaving Abd'rubbou and his Arabs to pitch their tents and
settle their domestic matters, I walked to the mound. The
trenches dug by the workmen around the sitting figure were
almost sufficiently extensive to prove that no other remains of
building existed in its immediate vicinity. Had not the figure
been in an uprignt position I should have concluded, at once,
that it had been brought from elsewhere; as I could not find


276 NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS. Chap. XI
traces of pavement, nor any fragments of sculpture or hewn
stone, near it. Removing the workmen, therefore, from this part
of the mound, I divided them into small parties, and employed
them in making experiments in different directions. Wherever
trenches were opened, remains of the Assyrian period were
found, hut only in fragments; such as bits of basalt, with small
Igures in relief, portions of slabs bearing cuneiform inscrip-
tions, and bricks similarly inscribed. Many tombs were also dis-
covered. Like those of Nimroud, they belonged to a period long
subsequent to the destruction of the Assyrian edifices, and were
in the rubbish and earth which had accumulated above them.
The sarcophagi resembled those I have already described—large
cases of baked clay, some square, others in the form of a dish-
cover; as at Nimroud, they were all much too small to hold a
human body, unless it had been violently forced in, or the
limbs had been separated. That the bodies had not been
burned, was proved by the bones being found entire. They
may have been exposed, as is the custom among the Parsees,
until the skeleton was made bare by the usual process of de-
composition, or by birds and beasts of prey, and then buried in
these earthen cases. In the sarcophagi were found numerous
small vases, metal ornaments, and a copper cup, resembling in
shape and in the embossed designs one held by the king, in a
bas-relief from the N.W. palace of Nimroud.*
Above these ancient tombs were graves of more recent date;
some of them, indeed, belonged to the tribes which had, but a
few days before, encamped among the ruins.f The tenant of
one had been removed from his last resting-place by the hungry
hyenas and jackals, who haunt these depositories of the dead.
The rude casing of stones, forming the interior of an Arab
* This cup was taken out entire, but was unfortunately broken by the
man who was employed to carry it to Mosul.
t The Arabs generally seek some elevated spot to bury their dead. The
artificial mounds, abounding in Mesopotamia and Assyria, are usually chosen
for the purpose, and there is scarcely one whose summit is not covered with
them. On this account I frequently experienced great difficulty while ex.
cavating, anil was compelled to leave unexamined one or two ruins.


Chap. XI.
EXPLORATION OF THE RUINS.
277
grave, had been opened; and the bones and skull, still clothed
with shreds of fle'sh, were scattered around.
Although I spent two days at Kalah Sherghat I was unable to
reach jhe platform of sun-dried bricks upon which the edifice,
now in ruins, and covered with earth, must originally have been
built. Remains of walls were found in abundance; but they
were evidently of a more recent period than the Assyrian build-
ing, to which the inscribed bricks and the fragments of sculp-
tured stone belonged. The ruins were consequently not thor-
oughly explored. I saw no remains of the alabaster or Mosul
marble so generally employed in the palaces to the north of
Kalah Sherghat. Unbaked bricks alone may have been used in
the edifice; and if so, the walls built with them could no longer,
without very careful examination, be distinguished from the soil
in which they are buried.
The Tigris has been gradually encroaching upon the ruins,
and is yearly undermining and wearing away the mound.
Large masses of earth are continually falling into the stream,
leaving exposed to view vases, sarcophagi, and remains of
building. Along the banks of the river, several shafts of cir-
cular masonry, having the appearance of wells, had been thus
uncovered. At the time of my first visit, we observed similar
wells, and were at a loss to account for their use. I now
opened two or three of them. They were filled with earth,
mixed with human bones and fragments of vases and pottery ;*
which may have been originally deposited there, or may have
fallen in from above with the rubbish. It is possible that these
wells may have been constructed, at a very early period, for pur-
poses of irrigation, or to supply water to the inhabitants of the
city.
The principal ruin at Kalah Sherghat, like those of Nimroud,
Khorsabad, and other ancient Assyrian sites, is a large square
mound, surmounted by a cone or pyramid, which rises nearly
in the center of the north side of the great platform. Jmme.
* I found similar wells, containing human remain' iwd pottety, aniong
the ruins on the banks <Jf the l ivers of Susiana.


Chap. XL
RETURN TO NIMROL D.
27ft
ine; and as the desert between Kalah Sherghat and Ham-
mum Ali was infested by roving parties of the Shammar and
Aneyza Arabs, I deemed it prudent to accept his escort. He
chose eight horsemen from his tribe, and we started together for
the desert.
We slept the first night at the tents of a Seyyid, or descendant
of the Prophet, of some repute for sanctity, and for the miracu-
lous cure of diseases, which he effected by merely touching the
patient. The Arabs were fully persuaded of the existence of his
healing power; but I never saw any one who even pretended to
have been cured, although there was certainly no lack of sub-
jects for the Seyyid to practice upon. The old gentleman's
daughter, a dark, handsome girl, was claimed by a sheikh of the
Jebours, to whom, according to some accounts, she had been be-
trothed. The greater part of the night was spent in quarreling
and wrangling upon this subject. The Seyyid resolutely denied
the contract, on the mere plea that one of such holy descent could
not be united to a man in whose veins the blood of the Prophet
did not flow. Abd'rubbou and his friends, on the other hand, as
stoutly contended for the claims of the lover, not treating, I
thought, so great a saint with a proper degree of respect. Al-
though my tent was pitched at some distance from the assembly,
the discordant voices, all joining at the same time in the most
violent discussion, kept me awake until past midnight. Suddenly
the disputants appeared to have talked themselves out, and there
was a lull. Vainly flattering myself that they had sunk into
sleep, I prepared to follow their example. But I had scarcely
closed my eyes, when I was roused by a fresh outbreak of
noises. An Arab had suddenly arrived from the banks of the
Khabour—the old pasture-grounds of the tribe: he was over-
whelmed with a thousand questions, and the news he brought
of struggles between the Aneyza and the Asai, and the defeat
of the former enemies of the Jebours, led to continual bursts of
enthusiasm, and to one or two attempts to raise a general shout-
ing of the war-cry. Thus they passed the night to my great
discomfort.


280
Ciur. XI
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
On the morrow I started early with Abd'rubbou and his
horsemen. We struck directly across the desert, leaving my
servants and baggage to follow leisurely along the banks of the
» river, by a more circuitous but safer road. When we were
within four or five miles of that part of the Tigris at which the
raft was waiting for me, I requested the sheikh to return, as
there appeared to be no further need of an escort. Mr. Hor.
muzd Rassam and myself galloped over the plain. We dis-
turbed, as we rode along, a few herds of gazelles, and a solitary
wolf or jackal; but we saw no human beings. Abd'rubbou
and his Arabs, however, had scarcely left us, when they ob-
served a party of horsemen in the distance, whom they mistook
for men of their own tribe returning from Mosul. It was not
until they drew nigh that they discovered their mistake. The
horsemen were plunderers from the Aneyza. The numbers
were pretty equal. A fight ensued, in which two men on the
side of the enemy, and one of the Jebours, were killed; but the
Aneyza were defeated, and Abd'rubbou carried off in triumph a
couple of mares.
A few days after my return to Nimroud, the Jebours were
compelled, by want of pasturage, to leave the neighborhood of
Kalah Sherghat. The whole desert, as well as the jungle on
the banks of the river, which generally supplied, even in the
driest seasons, a little grass to the flocks, having been com-
pletely dried up, Abd'rubbou, with his tribe, moved to the
north. A few of his people came to Nimroud to cultivate
millet; but the sheikh himself, with the greater part of his
followers, left the district of Mosul altogether, migrating to the
sources of the Khabour and to the Nisibin branch of that
river—the ancient Mygdonius. The desert to the south of
the town was now only frequented by wandering parties of
plunderers, and the position of my workmen at Kalah Sherghat
became daily more insecure. After they had been once or twice
exposed to molestation from the Aneyza and the Obeid, I found
it necessary to withdraw them—had I not, they would prob-
ably ha»-p run away of themselves. I renounced the further


Chap. XII.
ARTIFICIAL IRRIGATION.
283
crops; such being the richness of the soil, that even a few
heavy showers in the course of the year, at the time of sowing
the seed, and when the corn is about a foot above the ground,
are sufficient to insure a good harvest.
Herodotus* describes the extreme fertility of Assyria, and its
abundant harvests of corn, the seed producing two and three
hundred-fold. The blades of wheat and barley, he declares
grew to full four fingers in breadth; and such was the general
richness of Babylonia, that it supplied the Persian king and
his vast army with subsistence for four months in the year,
while the rest of the Persian dominions furnished provisions
for the other eight. But in his day the Assyrians depended
as much upon artificial irrigation, as upon the winter rains.
They were skillful in constructing machines for raising water,
and their system of canals was as remarkable for its ingenuity
as for the knowledge of hydraulics it displayed. In the hills,
the vine, olive, and fig tree were cultivated anciently as they
are now; and Rabshakeh, to tempt the Jews, describes Assyria
as "a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a
land of olive-oil and of honey."f
It sometimes happens that the season passes without rain.
Such was the case this year. During the winter and spring no
water fell. The inhabitants of the villages, who had been in-
duced to return by the improved administration and conciliatory
measures of the late pashaw, had put their whole stock of wheat
and barley into the ground. They now looked in despair upon
the cloudless sky. I watched the young grass as it struggled
to break through the parched earth; but it was burnt up almost
at its birth. Sometimes a distant cloud hanging over the soli-
tary hill of Arbela, or rising from the desert in the far west,
led to hopes, and a few drops of rain gave ri&o to general
rejoicings. The Arabs would then form a dance, and raise
* Lib. i. c. 192 and 193.
t 2 Kings xviii. 32. On a black stone in the possession of Lord Aber-
deen, a plow is represented, nearly resembling that now in use in tho
country.


CifAP. XII. REMOVAL OF THE LION AND BULL. 287
who, from their acquaintance with the mysteries of gun
carriages, were looked up to as authorities on such matters,
daily declaimed on the properties and use of this vehicle, and
of carts in general, to a large circle of curious and attentive
listeners. As long as the cart was in Mosul, it was examined
by every stranger who visited the town. But when the news
spread that it was about to leave the gates, and to be drawn
over the bridge, the business of the place was completely sus-
pended. The S3cretaries and scribes from the palace left their
divans; the guards their posts; the bazars were deserted; and
half the population assembled on the banks of the river to witness
the manoeuvers of the cart, which was forced over the rotten
bridge of boats by a pair of buffaloes, and a crowd of Chaldeans
and shouting Arabs.*
To lessen the weight of the lion and bull, without in any way
interfering with the sculpture, I reduced the thickness and
considerably diminished the bulk of the slabs, by cutting away
as much as possible from the back, which, being placed against
the wall of sun-dried bricks, was never meant to be seen. As,
in order to move these figures at all, I had to choose between this
plan and that of sawing them into several pieces, I did not hesi-
tate to adopt it.
To enable me to move the bull from the ruins, and to place
it on the cart in the plain below, a trench or road nearly two
hundred feet long, about fifteen feet wide, and, in some places,
twenty feet deep, was cut from the entrance, in which stood the
bull, to the edge of the mound. As I had not sufficient me-
chanical power at command to raise the sculpture out of the
trenches, like the smaller-bas-reliefs, this road was necessary.
It was a tedious undertaking, as a very large accumulation of
* The bridge of Mosul consists of a number of rude boats bound togethei
by iron chains. Planks are laid from boat to boat, and the whole is covered
with earth. During the spring floods this frail bridge would be unable to
resist the force of the stream; the chains holding it on cae side of the
river are then loosened, and it swings round. All communication between
the two banks of the river is thus cut off and a ferry is established until
the waters subside, and the bridge can be replaced.


»
COAT. XII. BAS-RELIEF DISUOYEKED. 2S9
earth had to be removed. About fifty Arabs and Nestorians
were employed in the work.
On digging this trench it was found that a chamber had once
existed to the west of the great hall. The sculptured slabs
had been destroyed or carried away; but part of the walls of
unbaked bricks could still be traced. The only bas-relief dis-
covered was lying flat on the pavement, where it had evidently
heen left when the adjoining slabs were removed. It was
the small relief of the lion-hunt now in the British Museum,
and remarkable for its finish, the elegance of the ornaments,
and the spirit of the design. It resembles, in the general
treatment, the battle-scene first discovered in the S. W. palace,
and I am inclined to believe that they both belonged to this
ruined chamber; in which, perhaps, the sculptures were more
elaborate and more highly finished than in any other part
of the building. The work of different artists may be plainly
traced in the Assyrian edifices. Frequently when the outline
.s spirited and correct, and the ornaments designed with con-
siderable taste, the execution is defective or coarse; evidently
showing, that while the subject was drawn by a master,
.he carving of the stone had been intrusted to an inferior
workman. In many bas-reliefs some parts are more highly
finished than others, as if they had been retouched by an
pxperienced sculptor. The figures of the enemy are generally
rudely executed and left unfinished, to show probably that,
being those of the conquered or captive race, they were unworthy
the care of the artist. It is rare to find an entire bas-relief
equally well executed in all its parts. The most perfect
hitherto discovered in Assyria, are probably, the lion-hunt from
the principal chamber, the lion-hunt just described, and the
large group of the king sitting on his throne, in the midst of his
i.ttendants and winged figures, all now placed in the British
Museum.
While making this trench, I also discovered, about three
feet beneath the pavement, a drain, which appeared to com-
municate with others previously opened in different parts of the
N


290 NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS. Chap. X1L
building. It was probably the main sewer, through which all
the minor water-courses were discharged. It was built of baked
bricks, and covered in with large slabs and tiles.
As the bull was to be lowered on its back, the unsculptured
side of the slab having to be placed on rollers, I removed
the walls behind it to form a clear space large enough to
receive the sculpture when prostrate, and to leave room for
the workmen to pass on all sides of it. The principal difficulty
was of course to lower the mass: when once on the ground, or
on rollers, it could be dragged forward by the united force of
a number of men; but, during its descent, it could only be
sustained by ropes. If these ropes, not strong enough to bear
the weight, chanced to give way, the sculpture would be pre-
cipitated to the ground, and would, probably, be broken in the
fall. The few ropes I possessed had been sent to me, across
the desert, from Aleppo; but they were small and weak. From
Baghdad I had obtained a thick hawser, made of the fibers of the
palm. In addition I had been furnished with two pairs of blocks,
and a pair of jack-screws belonging to the steamers of the
Euphrates expedition. These were all the means at my command
for moving the bull and lion. The sculptures were wrapped in
mats and felts, to preserve them, as far as possible, from injury
in case of a fall, and to prevent the ropes chipping or rubbing
the alabaster.
The bull was ready to be moved by the 18th of March.
The earth had been taken from under it, and it was now only
supported by beams resting against the opposite wall. With
the wood obtained from the mountains were several thick
rollers. These were placed upon sleepers or half-beams, formed
out of the trunks of poplar-trees, well greased and laid on the
ground parallel to the sculpture. The bull was to be lowered
upon these rollers. A deep trench had been cut behind the
second bull, completely across the wall, and, consequently, ex-
tending from chamber to chamber. A bundle of ropes coiled
round this isolated mass of earth served to hold two blocks, two
others being attached to ropes wound round the bull to be


Chap. XII. LOWERING THE WINGED BULL.
291
moved. The ropes, by which the sculpture was to be lowered,
were passed through these blocks; the ends, or falls of the
tackle, as they are technically called, being led from the blocks
above the second bull, and held by the Arabs. The cable
which was first passed through the trench, and then round the
sculpture, was held by two bodies of men. Several of the
strongest Chaldeans placed thick beams against the back of the
bull, and were directed to withdraw them gradually, supporting
the weight of the slab, and checking it in its descent.
My own people were reinforced by a large number of the
Abou-Salman. I had invited Sheikh Abd-ur-rahman to be
present, and he came attended by a body of horsemen. The in-
habitants of Naifa and Nimroud, having volunteered to assist or„
the occasion, were placed among my Arabs. The workmen,
except the Chaldeans who supported the beams, were divided into
four parties, two of which were stationed in front of the bull, and
held the ropes passed through the blocks, while the rest clung to
the ends of the cable, and were directed to slack off gradually as
the sculpture descended.
The men being ready, and all my preparations complete, 1
stationed myself on the top of the high bank of earth over the
second bull, and ordered the wedges to be struck out from
under the sculpture to be moved. Still, however, it remained
firmly in its place. A rope having been passed round it, six or
•seven men easily tilted it over. The thick, ill-made cable
stretched with the strain, and almost buried itself in the earth
round which it was coiled. The ropes held well. The mass
descended gradually, the Chaldeans propping it up with the
beams. It was a moment of great anxiety. The drums and
shrill pipes of the Kurdish musicians increased the din and
confusion caused by the war-cry of the Arabs, who were half
frantic with excitement. They had thrown off nearly all their
garments; their long hair floated in the wind; and they in-
dulged in the wildest postures and gesticulations as they cluny
to the ropes. The women had congregated on the sides of
the trenches, and by their incessant screams, and by the car-


21*2
NINEVEH AND ITS KEMAINS. Chap. XII.
piercing tahlehl, added to the enthusiasm of the men. The bull
once in motion, it was no longer possible to obtain a hearing.
The loudest cries I could produce were lost in the crash of dis-
cordant sounds. Neither the hippopotamus-hide whips of the
cawasscs, nor the bricks and clods of earth with which I
endeavored to draw attention from some of the most noisy of
the group, were of any avail. Away went the bull, steady
enough as long as supported by the props behind; but as ii
came nearer to the rollers, the beams could no longer be used.
The cable and ropes stretched more and more. Dry from the
climate, as they felt the strain, they creaked and threw out
dust. Water was thrown over them, but in vain, for they ail
broke together when the sculpture was within four or five feet
of the rollers. The bull was precipitated to the ground. Those
who held the ropes, thus suddenly released, followed its example,
and were rolling one over the other, in the dust. A sudden
silence succeeded to the clamor. I rushed into the trenches,
prepared to find the bull in many pieces. It would be difficult
to describe my satisfaction, when I saw it lying precisely where
I had wished to place it, and uninjured! The Arabs no sooner
got on their legs again, than, seeing the result of the accident,
they darted out of the trenches, and, seizing by the hands the
women who were looking on, formed a large circle, and, yelling
their war-cry with redoubled energy, commenced a most mad
dance. The musicians exerted themselves to the utmost; but
their music was drowned by the cries of the dancers. Even
Abd-ur-rahman shared in the excitement, and, throwing his cloak
o one of his attendants, insisted upon leading off the drlke.
It would have been useless to endeavor to put any check upon
these proceedings. I preferred allowing the men to wear them-
selves out,—a result which, considering the amount of exertion
and energy displayed by limbs and throat, was not long in taking
place.
I now prepared, with the aid of Behnan, the bairakdar, and
the Tiyari, to nove the bull into the long trench which led to
the edge of the mound. The rollers were in good order; and


Chap. XII.
BULL REMOVED FROM RUINS.
293
as soon as the excitement of the Arabs had sufficiently abated to
enable them to resume work, the sculpture was dragged out of
its place by ropes.
Sleepers were laid to the end of the trench, and fresh rollers
were placed under the bull as it was pulled forward by cables,
to which were fixed the tackles held by logs buried in the earth,
on the edge of the mound. The sun was going down as these
preparations were completed. I deferred any further labor to
the morrow. The Arabs dressed themselves; and, placing the
musicians at their head, marched toward the village, singing
their war-songs, occasionally raising a wild yell, throwing their
lances into the air, and flourishing their swords and shields over
their heads.
I rode back with Abd-ur-rahman. Sehloss and his horsemen
galloped round us, playing the jerrid, and bringing the ends
of their lances into a proximity with my head and body which
was far from comfortable; for it was evident enough that had
(he mares refused to fall almost instantaneously back on their
haunches, or had they stumbled, I should have been transfixed
on the spot. As the exhibition, however, was meant as.a com-
pliment, and enabled the young warriors to exhibit their prowess,
and the admirable training of their horses, I declared myself
highly delighted, and bestowed equal commendations on all
parties.
The Arab sheikh, his enthusiasm once cooled down, gave
way to moral reflections. "Wonderful! Wonderful! There
is surely no God but God, and Mohammed is his prophet," ex-
claimed he, after a long pause. "In the name of the Most
High, tell me, O Bey, what you are going to do with those
stones. So many thousands of purses spent upon such things!
Can it be, as you say, that your people learn wisdom from
them; or is it, as his reverence the cadi declares, that they are
to go to the palace of your Queen, who, with the rest of the
unbelievers, worships these idols? As far wisdom, these fig-
ures will not teach you to make any belter knives, or scissors,
or chintzes; and it is in the making of those things that the


296
Chap. XI)
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
side of the mound. When it was within three or four feet of
the bottom, sufficient earth was removed from beneath it to
admit the cart, upon which the bull itself was then lowered by
still further digging away the soil. It was soon ready to be
dragged to the river. Buffaloes were first harnessed to the yoke;
but, although the men pulled with ropes fastened to the rings
attached to the wheels, and to other parts of the cart, the ani-
mals, feeling the weight behind them, refused to move. We
were compelled, therefore, to take them out; and the Tiyari, in
parties of eight, lifted the pole by turns, while the Arabs, assist-
ed by the people of Naifa and Nimroud, dragged the cart. The
procession was thus formed. I rode first, with the bairakdar, to
point out the road. Then came the musicians, with their drums
and fifes, drumming and fifing with might and main. The cart
followed, dragged by about three hundred men, all screeching
at the top of their voices, and urged on by the cawasses and
superintendents. The procession was closed by the women, who
kept up the enthusiasm of the Arabs by their shrill cries. Abd-
urrahman's horsemen performed divers feats round the group,
dashing backward and forward, and charging with theii
spears.
We advanced well enough, although the ground was very
heavy, until we reach the ruins of the former village of
Nimroud.* The villagers of Assyria dig deep pits to store
their corn, barley, and straw for the autumn and winter. These
pits generally surround the villages. Being only covered by a
light framework of boughs and stakes, plastered over with mud,
they become, particularly when half empty, a snare, and a trap
to the horseman, who, unless guided by some one acquainted
with the localities, is pretty certain to find the hind legs of his
horse on a level with its ears, and himself suddenly sprawling
in front. The corn-pits around Nimroud had long since been
emptied of their stores, and had been concealed by the light
"The village was moved to Us present site after the river had gradually
receded to the westward, as the inhabitants 1 ad been left at a very inconve-
nient distance from water.


Chap. XII.
ATTACK OF HOSTILE ARABS. •
297
sand and dust, which, blown over the plain during summer, soon
fill up every hole and crevice. Although I had carefully exam-
ined the ground before starting, one of these holes had escaped
my notice, and into it two wheels of the cart completely sank.
The Arabs pulled and yelled in vain. The ropes broke, but the
wheels refused to move. We tried every means to release them,
but unsuccessfully. After working until dusk, we were obliged
to give up the attempt. I left a party of Arabs to guard the
cart and its contents, suspecting that some adventurous Be-
douins, attracted by the ropes, and by the mats and felts, with
which the sculpture was enveloped, might turn their steps to-
ward the spot during the night. My suspicions did not prove
unfounded; for I had scarcely got into bed before the whole
village was thrown into commotion by the reports of fire-arms
and the war-cry of the Jebours. Hastening to the scene of ac-
tion, I found that a party of Arabs had fallen upon my workmen.
They were beaten off, leaving behind them, however, their
mark; for a ball struck and indented the side of thejjull. 1
was anxious to learn who the authors of this wanton attack
were, and had organized a scheme for taking summary ven-
geance. But they were discovered too late; for, anticipating
punishment, they had struck their tents, and had moved off into
the desert.
Next morning we succeeded in clearing away the earth, and
in placing thick planks beneath the buried wheels. After a
few efforts the cart moved forward amid the shouts of the
Arabs; who, as was invariably their custom on such occasions,
indulged, while pulling at the ropes, in the most outrageous
antics. The procession was formed as on the previous day, and
we dragged the bull triumphantly down to within a few hun-
dred yards of the river. Here the wheels buried themselves in
the sand, and it was night before we contrived, with the aid of
planks and by increased exertions, to place the sculpture on
the platform prepared to receive it, and from which it was to
aliie down on the raft. The tents of the Arabs, who encamped
near the river, were pitched round the bull, until its coin


, 298
Chap. XII.
. NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
panion, the lion, should be brought down; and the two embarked
together for Baghdad. The night was passed in renewed re- .
joicings, to celebrate the successful termination of our labors.
On the following morning I rode to Mosul, to enjoy a few days'
rest after my exertions.
The bull having thus been successfully transported to the
banks of the river, preparations were made, on my return to
Nimroud, for the removal of the second sculpture; and I ordered
the trench, already opened for the passage of the bull to be con-
tinued to the entrance formed by the lions, or about eighty feet
to the north.
My arrangements were completed by the middle of April. I
determined to lower the lion at once on the cart, and not to drag
tt out of the mound over the rollers. This sculpture, during its
descent, was supported in the same manner as the bull had been;
but, to avoid a second accident, I doubled the number of ropes
and the coils of the cable. Enough earth was removed to bring
the top $f the cart to a level with the bottom of the lion. While
clearing away the wall of unbaked bricks, I discovered two ala-
baster tablets, similar to those already described.* They bore
the standard inscription, and had evidently been placed in the
foundations of the palace: probably, as coins and similar tablets
are now buried under edifices, to commemorate the period and
object of their erection.
As the lion was cracked in more than one place, considerable
care was required in lowering, and moving it. Both, however,
were effected without accident. The Arabs assembled as they
had done at the removal of the bull. Abd-ur-rahman and his
horsemen rode over to the mound. We had the same shouting
and the same festivities. The lion descended into the place I
had prepared for it on the car), and was easily dragged out of
the ruins. It was two days in reaching the river, as the wheels
sank more than once into the loose soil, and were with diffic Aty
extricated. It was, however, at length placed bythesido of «
* Page 76.


Chap. XII.
CONSTRUCTION OF KAFTS.
301
framework of a raft. There were still some difficulties and •
obstacles to be surmounted. The man of Baghdad had his
own opinions on the building of rafts in general, founded upon
immemorial customs, and the traditions of the country. I had
my theories, which could not be supported by equally substan-
tial arguments. Consequently, he, who had all the proof on his
side, may not have been wrong in declaring against any method,
in favor of which I could produce no better evidence than my
own will. But, like many other injured men, he fell a victim
to the "droit du plus fort," and had to sacrifice at once prej-
udice and habit.
I did not doubt that the skins, once blown up, would sup.
port the sculptures without difficulty as far as Baghdad, a
voyage of eight or ten days, under favorable circumstances.
But there they would require to be opened and refilled, or they
would scarcely sustain so heavy a weight during the longer
voyage to Busrah. However carefully the skins are filled, the
air gradually escapes, and rafts, bearing merchandise, are gene-
rally detained several times during their descent, to enable the
raftmen to examine and refill the skins.
It may interest the reader to know how these rafts, which
have probably been for ages the only means of traffic on the
upper parts of the rivers of Mesopotamia, are constructed.
The skins of full-grown sheep and goats, taken off with as few-
incisions as possible, are dried and prepared, one aperture
being left, through which the air is forced by the lungs. A
framework of poplar beams, branches of trees, and reeds,
having been constructed of the size of the intended raft, the
inflated skins are tied to it by osier twigs. The raft is then
complete, and is moved to the water and lanched. Care ia
taken to place the skins with their mouths upward, that, in
case any should burst or require refilling, they can be easily
reached. Upon the framework of wood are piled bales of
goods, and property belonging to merchants and travelers.
When persons of rank or wealth descend the river, small huts
ore constructed fot them on the raft by covering a common


'602
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS. Chap. XII
• wooden takht. or bedstead of the country, with a hood formed
of reeds a .d hned with felt. The poorer passengers seek shade
or warmth by burying themselves among the bales and
other cargo, and sit patiently, almost in one position, until they
reach their destination. They carry with them an earthen
mangal or chafing-dish, containing a charcoal fire, which serves
V> light their pipes, and to cook their cofiee and food. The only
rjal danger to be apprehended on the river is from the Arabs;
who, when the country is in a disturbed state, invariably attack
and pillage the rafts.
The raftmen impel and guide these rude vessels by long
poles, to the ends of which are fastened a few pieces of split
cane. They skillfully avoid the rapids; and, seated on the
bales, row continually, even in the hottest sun. They will
seldom travel after dark before reaching Tekrit, on account of
the rocks and shoals, which occur in the upper part of the
river; but when they have passed that place, they resign them-
selves, night and day, to the sluggish stream. During the
floods in the spring, or after heavy rains, small rafts may float
from Mosul to Baghdad in about eighty-four hours; but Jie
larger are generally six or seven days in performing the voy-
age. In summer, and when the river is low, they are fre-
quently nearly a month in reaching their destination. When
they have been unloaded, they are broken up, and the beams,
wood, and twigs, sold at a considerable profit. The skins are
washed, and afterward rubbed with a preparation of pounded
pomegranate skins, to keep them from cracking and rotting.
They are then brought back, either upon the shoulders of the
raftmen or upon donkeys, to Mosul and Tekrit, where the men
engaged in the navigation of the Tigris usually reside.
On the 20th of April, there being fortunately a slight rise in
the river, and my arrangements being complete, I determined
to attempt the embarkation of the lion and bull. The two
sculptures had been so placed on beams of poplar wood that, by
withdrawing wedges from under them, they would slide nearly
into the conter of the rafts. The high bank of the river had


Thap. XII. EMBARKATION OF LION AND BULL.
303
been cut away into a rapid slope to the water's edge. The beams
having first been well greased, a raft of six hundred skins
was brought opposite the bull, which, on the wedges being
removed, immediately descended into its place. To prevent
its moving too rapidly, and bursting the skins by the sudden
pressure the Arabs checked it by ropes, and it was placed
without accident. The lion was then embarked, with equal
success, upon a second raft of the same size; in a few hours
the two sculptures, with several large bas-reliefs from the same
ruins, were properly secured, and before night they were
ready to float down the river to Busrah.
After the labors of the day were over, sheep were slaugh-
tered for the entertainment of Abd-ur-rahman's Arabs, who had
assisted on the occasion, and for the workmen. The Abou-
Salman returned to their tents after dark. Abd-ur-rahman
took leave of me, and we did not meet again: the next day he
moved toward the district of Jezirah in search of pasture. I
heard of him on my journey to Constantinople; the Kurds by
the road complaining, that his tribe were making up the num-
ber of their flocks, by appropriating the stray sheep of. their
neighbors. I had seen much of the sheikh during my resi-
dence at Nimroud; and although, like all Arabs, he was not
averse to ask for what he thought there might be a remote
chance of getting by a little importunity, he was, on the whole,
a very friendly and useful ally.
On the morning of the 22d, the rafts being ready, I gave two
sheep to the raftmen to be slain on the banks of the river, as a
sacrifice to insure the success of their voyage. The carcasses
were distributed, as is proper on such occasions, among the
poor. A third sheep was reserved for a propitiatoiy cflering,
to be immolated at the tomb of Sultan Abd-Allah,—a saint
who appears to interfere considerably with the navigation of
(he Tigris, and who closed the further ascent of the river
against the infidel crew of the Frank steamer the " Euphrates,"
because they had neglected to make the customary sacrifice.
All ceremonies having been duly performed. Mullah Ali kissed


NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
ChAr. XII
my hand, placed himself on one of the rafts, and slowly floated
with the cargo under his charge, down the stream.*
As I watched the rafts, until they disappeared behind a pro-
jecting bank forming a distant reach of the river, I could nol
forbear musing upon the strange destiny of their burdens;
which, after adorning the palaces of the Assyrian kings, the
objects of the wonder, and may be the worship of thousands,
had been buried unknown for centuries beneath a soil trodden
by Persians under Cyrus, by Greeks under Alexander, and by
Arabs under the first successors of their prophet. They were
now to visit India, to cross the most distant seas of the southern
hemisphere, and to be finally placed in a British Museum.
Who can venture to foretell how their strange career will end?
After the departure of the Abou-Salman, the plain of Nim-
roud was a complete desert. The visits of armed parties of
Arabs became daily more frequent, and we often watched them
from the mound, as they rode toward the hills in search of
pillage, or returned from their expeditions driving the plun-
dered flocks and cattle before them. We were still too strong
to fear the Bedouins; but I was compelled to put my house
into a complete state of defense, and to keep patrols round my
premises during the night to avoid surprise. The Jebours
* It is not improbable that the great obelisk which, according toDiodorus
Siculus (lib. ii. c. 1), was brought to Babylon from Armenia by Serjiramis,
was floated down on rafts supported by skins, in the same way that f. trans-
ported the sculptures of Nineveh to Busrah. It was 130 feet in height,
and 25 feet square at the base; and being cut out of the solid YQCk, if
the account be not a little exaggerated, must have been of pr/Iigious
weight. The principal difficulty might probably appear to have keen to
place it on the raft; but this could have been accomplished by r simple
method—by putting the beams forming the framework of wood, and
fastening the skins under the obelisk, in some dry place, which wonld bo
overflowed during the periodical floods. When the water began to rire, by
gradually removing the earth from beneath the skins, they could f Mfly bo
filled with air; and when the stream had reached the raft they wouVl lift up
the obelisk, which could then be floated into the center of the river. I should
have adopted this method of moving the larger lions and bulls, hiid 1 been
required to send them to Busrah without being provided witii any me nan-
ical contrivance sufficiently powerful to embark such lar^o weight by a
simpler process.


Chap. XII. GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF RUINS.
30u
were exposed to constant losses, in the way of donkeys or tent
furniture, as the country was infested by petty thieves, who
issued from their hiding-places, and wandered to and fro, 3ke
jackals, after dark. Nothing was too small or worthless to
escape their notice. I was roused almost nightly by shoutings
and the discharge of fire-arms, when the whole encampment
was thrown into commotion at the disappearance of a copper
pot or an old grain sack. I was fortunate enough to escape
their depredations.
The fears of my Jebours increased with the number of tho
plundering parties, and at last, when a small Arab settlement,
within sight of Nimroud, was attacked by a band of Aneyza
horsemen, who murdered several of the inhabitants, and drove
away the sheep and cattle, the workmen protested in a body
against any further residence in so dangerous a vicinity. I
found that it would not be much longer possible to keep them
together, and I determined, therefore, to bring the excavations
to an end.
I therefore commenced covering with earth those parts of the
ruins which still remained exposed, according to the instructions
I had ref-eived from the Trustees of the British Museum. Had
the nurc.'-rous sculptures been left, without any precaution having
been takan to preserve them, they would have suffered, not only
from thf. effects of the atmosphere, but from the spears and
clubs pi \he Arabs, who are always ready to knock out the eyes,
and to otherwise disfigure, the idols of the unbelievers. The
rubbLA and earth removed on opening the building, was
accordingly brought back in baskets, thrown into the chambers,
and heaped over the slabs until the whole was again covered
over.
But before leaving Nimroud and reburying its palaces, I
would wish to lead the reader once more through the ruins of
the principal edifice, and to convey as distinct an idea as I am
able of the excavated halls and chambers. Let us imagine
ourselves issuing from r.iy tent near the village in the plain


306
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS. Chap. XII.
On approaching the mound, not a trace of building can be
perceived, except a small mud-hut covered with reeds, erected
for the accommodation of my Chaldean workmen. We ascend
this artificial hill, but still see no ruins, not a stone protruding
from the soil. There is only a broad level platform before us,
perhaps covered with a luxuriant crop of barley, or may be
yellow and parched, without a blade of vegetation, except a
scanty tuft of camel-thorn. Low black heaps, surrounded by
brushwood and ^ned grass, a thin column of smoke rising
from the midst of them, are scattered here and there. These
are the tents of the Arabs; and a few miserable old women are
groping about them, picking up camel's-dung or dry twigs.
One or two girls, with firm step and erect carriage, are just
reaching the top of the mound, with the water-jar on their
shoulders, or a bundle of brushwood on their heads. On all
sides of us, issuing from underground, are long lines of wild-
looking beings, with disheveled hair, their limbs only half con-
cealed by a short loose shirt, some jumping and capering, and
all hurrying to and fro shouting like madmen. Each one car-
ries a basket, and as he reaches the edge of the mound, or
some convenient spot near, empties its contents, raising a cloud
of dust. He then returns at the top of his speed, dancing and
yelling as before, and flourishing his basket over his head; again
he suddenly disappears in the bowels of the earth, from whence
he emerged. These are the workmen employed in removing
the rubbish from the ruins.
We will descend into the principal trench, by a flight of
steps rudely cut in the earth, near the western face of the
mound. As we approach it, we find a party of Arabs bending
on their knees, and intently gazing at something beneath them.
Each holds his long spear, tufted with ostrich feathers, in one
hand; and in the other the halter of his mare, which stands
patiently behind him. The party consists of a Bedouin sheikh
from the desert, and his followers; who, having heard strange
reports of the wonders of Nimroud, have made several days'
journey to remove their doubts and satisfy their curiosity. He


308
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS. Chap. XI7
appeircd, anil we only see a high wall of earth. On examining
it attentively, we can detect the marks of masonry; and we
soon find that it is a solid structure built of bricks of unbaked
clay, now of the same color as the surrounding soil, and scarce-
ly to be distinguished from it.
The slabs of alabaster, fallen from their original position,
have, however, been raised; and we tread in the midst of a
maze of small bas-reliefs, representing chariots, horsemen,
battles, and sieges. Perhaps the workmen are about to raiso
a slab for the first time; and we watch, with eager curiosity,
what new event of Assyrian history, or what unknown custom
or religious ceremony, may be illustrated by the sculpture
beneath.
Having walked about one hundred feet among these scattered
monuments of ancient history and art, we reach another door-
way, formed by colossal winged bulls in yellow limestone. One
is still entire; but its companion has fallen, and is broken into
several pieces—the great human head is at our feet.
We pass on without turning into the part of the building to
which this portal leads. Beyond it we see another winged
figure, holding a graceful flower in its hand, and apparently
presenting it as an offering to the winged bull. Adjoining
this sculpture we find a perfect series of highly-finished bas-
reliefs. There is the king, slaying the lion and wild bull, en-
gaged in battles and in sieges, and receiving as captives the
chiefs of the conquered people. We have now reached the
end of the hall, and find before us an elaborate and beautiful
sculpture, representing two kings, standing beneath the emblem
of the supreme deity, and attended by winged figures. Between
them is the sacred tree. In front of this bas-relief is the great
stone platform, upon which, in days of old, may have been placed
the throne of the Assyrian monarch, when he received his cap-
live enemies, or his courtiers.
As we gaze upon these singular sculptures the descripticn cf
Ezekiel is brought vividly to our minds. The prophet, in
typifying the corruptions which had crept into the religious


r I!Ap. XII. GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF RUINS.
309
system of the Jews, and the idolatrous practices thnv had
borrowed from the strange nations with which they had been
brought into contact, thus illustrates the influence of the
Assyrians. "She saw men portrayed upon the wall, the
images of the Chaldeans portrayed with vermilion, girded
with girdles upon their loins, exceeding in dyed attire upon
their heads, all of them princes to look to, after the mannei
of the Babylonians of Chaldea, the land of their nativity."*
The prophet is prophesying on the banks of the Chebar, or
Khabour, in the immediate vicinity of Nineveh, previous to
the destruction of the Assyrian capital, an event which he most
probably witnessed. He points out the rich and highly orna-
mented head-dress of the sculptured kings, and evidently
alludes to the prevalence of that red color, remains of which are
so frequent in the ruins of Nimroud and Khorsabad. Nor can
the resemblance between the symbolical figures pictured on
the walls and those seen by Ezekiel in his vision fail to strike
us. As the prophet had beheld the Assyrian palaces, with
their mysterious images and gorgeous decorations, it is highly
probable that, when seeking to typify certain divine attributes,
and to describe the divine glory, he chose forms that were not
only familiar to him, but to the people whom he addressed,
captives like himself in the land of Assyria. He chose the
four living creatures, with four faces, four wings, and the
hands of a man under their wings on the four sides, the faces
being those of a man, a lion, an ox, and an eagle,—the four
creatures continually introduced on the sculptured walls,—and
by them was a wheel, the appearance of which "was as a
wheel in the middle of a wheel."f May not this wheel have
been the winged circle, or globe, which, hovering above the
* Ch. xxiii. 14,15. The literal translation of this remarkable passage is,
"she saw men of sculptured (or painted) workmanship upon the wall, like-
nesses of the Chaldeans, pictured (or sculptured) in shashar (red ochre or
vermilion); girded with girdles on their loins, with colored flowing head-
dresses upon their heads, with, the aspect of princes all of them, the likeness
of the sons of Babel-Chaldea, the hnd of their nativity."
T Ezekiel i. 16.


314 NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS. Chap. XIII.
Larissa assigned by Xenophon, respectively, to the ruins at
Kouyunjik and Nimroud, and that of Evorita given to the
palace in which Saracus, the last of the Assyrian kings, is said
to have destroyed himself. Each quarter being, at one time,
a royal residence, was surrounded by a wall and fortifications,
and probably contained rather hunting-grounds and gardens
than fixed habitations. They resembled, in fact, the paradises
or parks of the later Persian kings. The space between these
quarters was occupied by private houses standing in the midst
of gardens, orchards, and corn-land. I know no other way
of reconciling the unanimous statements of ancient histo-
rians, as well as of the inspired writers, as to the extent of
Nineveh, nor of explaining the fact that each of the great
edifices explored, owed their foundation to different kings, and
that there are no remains, either at Kouyunjik or Khorsabad, of
the same early period as those at Nimroud. The dimensions of
the city given by Diodorus Siculus were 150 stadia for the
two longest sides of the quadrangle, and 90 for the shortest, the
square being 480 stadia or about 60 miles. Jonah calls it " an
exceeding great city of three days' journey," the number of
inhabitants, who did not know their right hand from their left
being six score thousand.* It is certainly remarkable that the
three days' journey of Jonah should correspond exactly with
the sixty miles of the geographer, and that a square formed by
the great ruins on the east bank of the Tigris, taking Nimroud,
Kouyunjik, Khorsabad, and Karamless as the four corners,
should give very nearly the same result.f These fortified
* Various meanings have been assigned to this statement. Some suppose
that young children are intended, who would form about one fifth of the
population, which would then have been about six hundred thousand.
Others contend that this is a mere allusion to the general ignorance of the
inhabitants.
t The distance from Kouyunjik to Nimroud is about eighteen miles;
that from Nimroud to Karamless about twelve, the opposite sides of the
square the same; these measurements correspond accurately with the-
elongated quadrangle of Diodorus. Twenty miles is a day's journey in the
East, and we have, therefore, exactly three days'journey for the circum-
ference of the city. These coincidences are, at least, very remarkable.
Within this space was fought the great battle between Heraclius and


Chai XIII.
SITE OF NINEVEH.
315
quarters were not all inclosed within one wall: it is probable
that in the event of a siege, the population of the intermediate
spaces and suburbs took refuge within the different fortifica-
tions.
It would appear from existing monuments that the city was
originally founded on the spot now occupied by the ruins of Nim-
roud. No better position could be chosen than the Delta formed
by the junction of two large rivers, the Tigris and the Zab. TIk'
N. W. palace was the first built; successive monarchs added the
center palace, and other edifices which rose by its side. As the
population increased, and conquered nations were brought, like
the people of Samaria, from distant lands and settled around the
Assyrian capital, the dimensions of the city increased also. A
king founding a new dynasty, or anxious to perpetuate his
fame, and to record his conquests, chose a new site for the
erection of a paiace. The city, gradually spreading, at length
embraced all these buildings. Thus Nimroud represents the
original site of Nineveh. The son of the builder of the oldest
palace founded a new edifice at Baashiekhah. At a much later
period subsequent monarchs erected their temple-palaces at
Khorsabad and Kouyunjik. Their descendants returned to
Nimroud, the principal buildings of which had been allowed to
fall to decay, and were probably already concealed by a mass
of ruins and rubbish. The city had now attained the dimen-
sions assigned to it by the Greek geographers, and by the
sacred writings. The numerous royal residences, 'surrounded
by gardens and parks, and inclosed by fortified walls, each
being a distinct quarter known by a different name, formed to-
gether the great city of Nineveh.
It is not difficult to account for the total disappearance of the
dwelling-places which occupied the space between the palaces.
They were probably little superior to the huts of the present
inhabitants of the country, and, like them, constructed entirely
Bhazates (a d. 627). "The city, and even the ruins of the city, had long
since disappeared; the vacant space afforded a spacious field for the ope-
rations of the two armies."—Gibbon's Decline and Fall, ch. xlvi.


310
Chap. XIII.
NIXEVEII A>D ITS REMAINS.
of sun-dried bricks. As soon as they were allowed to fall to
decay, the materials of which they were built became again
mingled with the soil, and after a lapse of the very few years
scarcely a trace of them would exist. Thus a modern village
of Assyria, when once deserted, is rapidly replaced by a mere
inequality in the plain. There is, however, still sufficient to
indicate that buildings were once spread over the space I have
ili scribed; for scarcely a husbandman drives his plow over the
boil without turning up the vestiges of former habitations. The
larger and more important monuments are fully represented
by the numerous mounds which are scattered over the plain.
It must be remembered that even the palaces would have
remained undiscovered had not slabs of alabaster marked the
walls.
We can not identify in any other way than that I have
suggested, all the ruins described with the site of Nineveh;
unless, indeed, we suppose that there were more than one city
of that name, the later rebuilt on a new site after the de-
struction of the earlier. In this case Nimroud and Kouyunjik
may each represent the Nineveh of a different epoch. The
size, which I have assigned to the city at the time of its greatest
prosperity, can not, I think, be deemed extravagant when the
nature of Eastern cities is taken into consideration. They do
not bear the same proportion to their populations as those of
Europe. A place as extensive as London or Paris would not
contain one third of the inhabitants of cither. The custom,
prevalent from the earliest period in the East, of secluding
women in apartments removed from those of the men, renders
a separate house for each family almost indispensable.* It was
probably as rare, in the time of the Assyrian monarchy, to
find more than one family residing under one roof, unless com-
* We learn from the book of Esther that such was the custom among
Hie early Persians, although the intercourse between the sexes was at that
time much less circumscribed than after the spread of Mohammedanism.
Ladies were even admitted to public banquets, and received strangers in
their own apartments, while they resided habitually in dwellings separate
from the men.


313
KIXEVEH AND ITS REMAIN'S. Chap. X1JL
dynasty, that is to say, of the kings mentioned in the Scriptures.
It was then that Jonah visited it, and that reports of its size and
magnificence were carried to the west, and gave rise to those
traditions from which the Greeks mainly derived the information
handed down to us. It was then, too, that the wealth, luxury,
and power of its inhabitants called forth the indignant protests of
the prophets, and led to those vices and that effeminacy which
ultimately brought about the destruction of the city and the fall
of the empire.
liy the middle of May, I had finished my work at Nimroud.
My house was dismantled. The windows and doors, which
had been temporarily fitted up, were taken out; and, with the
little furniture that had been collected together, were placed on
tho backs of donkeys and camels to be carried to the town.
The Arabs struck their tents and commenced their march. I
remained behind until every one had left, and then turned my
back upon the deserted village. We were the last to quit the
plains of Nimroud; and, indeed, nearly the whole country to the
south of Mosul, as fur as the Zab, became, after our departure,
a wilderness.
Half-way between Mosul and Nimroud the road crosses a low
hill. From its crest, both the town and the ruins are visible.
On one side, in the distance, rises the pyramid, in the midst of
tho broad plain of the Jaif, and on the other may be faintly
distinguished the great artificial mound of Kouyunjik, and the
surrounding remains. The leaning minaret of the old mosque
of Mosul may also be seen springing above the dark patch
which marks the site of the town. The river can be traced for
many miles, winding in the midst of the plain, suddenly losing
itself among low hills, and again emerging into the level
country. The whole space over which the eye ranges from
this spot, was probably once covered with the buildings and
gardens of the Assyrian capital—that great city of three days'
journey. At an earlier period, that distant pyramid directed
the traveler from afar to Nineveh, when the limits of the city
were small. It was then one of those primitive settlements


Chap. XIII. EXCAVATIONS AT KOUYUNJIK.
319
which, for the first time, had been formed by the congregated
habitations of men. To me the long dark line of mounds in
the distance were objects of deep interest. I reined up my horse
to look upon them for the last time—for from no other part
of the road are they visible—and then galloped on toward
Mosul.
In excavating at Kouyunjik, I pursued the plan adopted at
Nimroud. I resided in the town. The Arabs pitched their
tents on the summit of the mound, at the entrances to the
trenches. The Tiyari encamped at its foot, on the banks of the
Khausser, the small stream which flows through the ruins. The
nearness of the ruins to Mosul, enabled the inhabitants of the
town to gratify their curiosity by a constant inspection of my
proceedings; and a crowd of gaping Mussulmans and Chris-
tians was continually gathered round the trenches. I rode to
the mound early every morning, and remained there during the
day.
The French consul had carried on his excavations for some
time at Kouyunjik, without finding any traces of building. He
was satisfied with digging pits or wells, a few feet deep, and
then renouncing the attempt, if no sculptures or inscriptions
were uncovered. By excavating in this desultory manner, if
any remains of building existed underground, their discovery
would be a mere chance. An acquaintance with the nature and
position of the ancient edifices of Assyria, will at once suggest
the proper method of examining the mounds which inclose
them. The Assyrians, when about to build a palace or temple,
appear to have first constructed a platform of sun-dried bricks
and earth, about thirty or forty feet above the level of the plain.
Upon it they raised the monument. When the building was
destroyed, its ruins, already half-buried by the falling in of the
Ripper walls and roof, were in process of time completely cov-
L-red by the dust and sand, carried about by the hot winds of
summer. Consequently, in digging for remains, the first step
is to reach the platform of sun-dried bricks. When this is dis-
covered, the trenches must be opened to the level of it, and not


320
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS. Chap. XIII
deeper; they should then be continued in opposite directions,
care being always taken to keep along the platform. By these
means, if there be any ruins, they must necessarily be discovered,
supposing the trenches to be long enough; for the chambers of
the Assyrian edifices are generally narrow, and their walls, or
the slabs which cased them if fallen, must sooner or later be
reached.
At Kouyunjik, the accumulation of rubbish and earth was
very considerable, and to reach the platform of unbaked bricks,
trenches were dug to the depth of twenty and even thirty feet.
Before beginning the excavations, I carefully examined all parts
of the mound, to ascertain where remains of buildings might
most probably exist; and at length decided upon continuing my
researches where I had commenced them last summer, near the
S. W. corner.
The workmen had been digging for several days without
finding any other remains than fragments of calcined alabaster,
sufficient, however, to encourage me to persevere in the ex
animation of this part of the ruins. One morning as I was i"
Mosul, two Arab women came to me, and announced that sculp
tures had been discovered. They had hurried from the mounds
as soon as the first slab had been exposed to view; and blowing
up the skins, which they always carry with them, had crossed
the river upon them. They had scarcely received the present
claimed in the East by the bearers of good tidings, and the
expectation of which had led to the display of so much eager-
ness, than one of my overseers, who was generally known from
his corpulence as Toma Shishman, or fat Toma, made his
appearance, breathless from his exertions. He had hurried as
fast as his legs could carry him over the bridge, to obtain the
reward carried off, in this instance, by the women.
I rode immediately to the ruins; and, on entering the trenches,
found that the workmen had reached a wall, and the remains of
an entrance. The only slab as yet uncovered had been almost
completely destroyed by fire. It stood on the edge of a deej
ravine which ran far into the southern side of the mound.


522
Chap. XI1J.
NINEVEH AND ITS HEMAINS.
the warriors, and in the trappings and caparisons of the horses,
the sculptures resembled those of Khorsabad.

Head of Winged Bull. (Khorsabad and Head of Winged Mobster.
Kouyunjik.) (Persepclis.)
Inscriptions were not numerous. They occurred between the
legs of the winged bulls, above the head of the king, on bas-
reliefs representing the siege or sack of a city, and on the backs
of slabs; but they were all more or less injured. Those on the
bulls were long, the same inscription being continued rn the two
sides of an entrance. As four pairs of these colossal figures
were discovered, each pair bearing nearly the same inscription,
the whole may be restored from the fragments.*
The king, whose name is on the sculptures and bricks from
Kouyunjik, was the father of the builder of the S. W. palace
at Nimroud, and the son of the Khorsabad king. Long before
the discovery of the ruins, I had conjectured, from a hasty
examination of a few fragments of sculpture and inscription
picked up on the mound, that the building which once stood
* A restored inscription is included in the collection printed for tho
Trustees of the British Museum.


i


Chap. XIII. BAS-RELIEFS AND SCULPTURES. _ 323
there must be referred to the time of the Khorsabad king, or of
his immediate predecessors or successors.
A few vases and fragments of pottery were discovered in the
earth, above the ruins; but no sarcophagi, or tombs with human
remains, like those of Nimroud and Kalah Sherghat. The foun-
dations of buildings, of roughly hewn stone, were also found
bove the Assyrian edifice. One or two small glass bottles,
r lany fragments of glass, several inscribed tablets in clay, and
one or two detached slabs covered with inscriptions, were taken
out of the rubbish.*
The slabs forming the entrance to the first chamberj- in the
excavations had been almost destroyed. The colossal figures
which had been sculptured upon them were probably those of
mythic deities such as had been found at Nimroud. The ex-
tremities of these figures were alone preserved. They were
those of an eagle or vulture: to them were united, it would
appear from subsequent discoveries, the body of a man and the
head of a lion. The walls of the chamber had suffered no less
than the doorway. Upon them could be traced processions of
warriors, and captives passing through a thickly wooded, moun-
tainous country; the mountains being represented, as in the
bas-reliefs of Nimroud, by a network of lines. On the fragment
of a slab was an eunuch carrying a utensil resembling a censer,
and standing before an altar, near which were vessels of various
shapes.
The southern extremity of the great hall,:): into which the
chamber just described opened, had been completely destroyed.
Its width was about forty-five feet, and the length of the western
wall from the entrance of the small chamber (to the south of
which it could not be traced), was nearly one hundred and sixty
feet. The first bas-relief on entering represented the burning
* The greater part of these small objects are in the British Museum.
+ Ch. A, plan 6.
i Ch. B, plan 5.


Chap XIII. DESCRIPTION OF SCULPTURES.
325
exceeded six feet in width, thus differing from those at Nimroud.
The pavement was formed by one slab, elaborately ornamented
with flowers resembling the lotus. Behind the sculptures was
n short inscription containing the names and titles of the king.
Beyond this entrance, to the distance of nearly sixty feet, only
two slabs were preserved. On one was.the interior of a castle,
the walls and towers represented, as at Nimroud, by a kind of
ground plan. The city had been taken by the Assyrians,
and the king, seated on his throne, placed within the walls,
was receiving the prisoners and spoil brought to him by his
vizier. His dress differed in many respects from that of the
monarch in the earlier sculptures at Nimroud.
His tiara was higher, more pointed, made up
of several bands, and richly ornamented. The
ornaments on his robes consisted of rosettes
and fringes, elaborate groups of men and
animals not being introduced as in the more
ancient sculptures. He was seated on a chair
with a high back, and his feet rested on an
elegant footstool. Behind the throne stood two
eunuchs holding fans over the head of the ff^g™^
monarch. The arms of the prisoners were
fastened in front by fetters, probably of metal.* Within the

* "To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of
iron." (Psalm cxlix. 8.) "They put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound
him with fetters of brass, and took him to Babylon." (2 Kings xxv. 7.)

Manacles for the Feet. Manacles for the Hands
(Khorsabad and Kouyunjik.)
Samson was bound with fetters of brass. (Judges xvi. 21.) In a bas-relief
at Khorsabad, were represented captives as led before the king by rings of


326
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS. Chai\ XIII.
walls of the city,,as in the bas-reliefs discovered at Nimroud,
were houses and tents, in which were men engaged in a variety
of domestic occupations, and articles of furniture, such as tables,
couches, and chairs. Suspended to the tent-poles were vases,
probably, as is still the custom in the East, to cool water. Above
the head of the king was one line of inscription containing his
name and titles. The castle was built on a mountain, and was
surrounded by trees.
On the other slab was represented the invasion of a moun-
tainous country. The enemy defended the summit of a wooded,
hill against Assyrian warriors, who were scaling the rocks,
supporting themselves with their spears and with poles, or
drawing themselves up by the branches of trees. Others,
returning from the combat, were descending the mountains
driving captives before them, or carrying away the heads of the
slain.
A spacious entrance at the upper, or northern end of the hall
opened into a small chamber, which will be hereafter described.*
The bulls forming this portal were in better preservation than
those previously discovered. Their human heads, with the
high and elaborately adorned tiara of the later Assyrian period,
although greatly injured, could still be distinguished. The
greater part of the inscription was also entire.
Upon the two slabs beyond this entrance was a bas-relief of
considerable interest. Vessels filled with warriors, and females,
were seen leaving a castle, built on the sea-shore at the foot
of a mountain. At a gate opening upon the water stood a man
placing in the open arms of a woman, who had already
embarked in one of the ships, a young child. The sea was
indicated by wavy lines, covering the slab from top to bottom,
among which were fish, crabs, and turtles. The vessels were
of two kinds. The larger had one mast, to the top of which
iron passed through the nose and lips, to which was attached a cord ; thus
illustrating the passage, " I will put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in
thy lips."
* Ch. G, plan 5.


323
Chap. XIII
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.

A Galley. (Kouyunjfk.)
Home allied or conquered nation, appears to be indicated by the peculiar
costume of the figures in them. They are in the shape of a sea-monster,

A Galley. (Khorsabad.)
the head of a horse forming the prow, and the tail of a fish the stem.
The mast is supported by ropes, and is surmounted by a kind of stand, or
what a seaman would call a crow's-nest, which in the Egyptian sculptures
holds an archer.


NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
Chap. XIII.
at their feet by the Assyrian warriors. Thus were the heads
of the seventy sons of Ahab brought in baskets to Jezreel and
laid " in two heaps at the entering in of the gate ;"* and such
is still the mode of reckoning the loss of an enemy in the East.
The remainder of the wall from this slab to an entrance
formed by human-headed bulls, had been greatly injured by
fire. The bas-reliefs appear to have represented the conquest
of a mountainous and wooded country. The king in his chariot
was receiving the prisoners and the spoil.
Beyond the entrance, as far as the bas-iuliefs could be traced,
tne same subject appears to have been continued. The king
was again represented standing in his chariot, holding a bow in
his left hand, and raising his right in token of triumph. He
was accompanied by a charioteer, and by an attendant bearing
an open umbrella, from which fell a long curtain as a com-
plete screen from the sun. The chariot was drawn by two
horses, and was preceded by spearmen and archers. Above
the king there had originally been a short inscription, probably
containing his name and titles, but it had been entirely defaced.
Horsemen, crossing well-wooded mountains, were separated
from the group just described, by a river abounding in fish.
The remaining bas-reliefs in this chamber appear to have
recorded similar events,—the conquests of the Assyrians, and
the triumphs of their king. Only four of them had been pre-
served; the rest were almost completely destroyed. On two
of them was portrayed, with great spirit, the taking by assault
of a city. Warriors, armed with spears, were mounting ladders,
placed against the walls; those who manned the battlements
and towers being held in check and assailed by archers who
discharged their arrows from below. The enemy defended
themselves with spears and bows, and carried small oblong
shield.*. Above the castle a short inscription recorded the
name -f the captured city. Under the walls were captives,
driver ofr by the conquerors; and above and below wein
* 2 Kings, x. 8.


1
/


336
Chai>. XIII
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
mountains, trees, and a river, to indicate the nature of the
country.
The west entrance jf this hall* led into a further chamber,
a part only of which I was able to explore. On two slabs
was a mountainous country, with a river running through
the midst of it. The higher parts of the mountains were
clothed with a forest of pines or firs, the middle region by vine-
yards, and the lower by trees resembling those sculptured on
other slabs, probably the dwarf oak of the country. As the king
was represented in his chariot, accompanied by many horsemen
in the midst of the forest, it may be presumed that the Assyri-
ans had opened roads through the mountainous districts of their
empire.

Waliriora forming a Phalanx 'before the Walls of a 'besieged City.
(Eouyunjik.)
The remaining slabs were covered from top to bottom with
rows of warriors, spearsmen, and archers, in their respective
costumes, and in martial array. Each slab must have con-
tained several hundred minute figures, which probably repre-
sented regularly disciplined troops; for li'ke the Egyptians, tha
* Entrance A, chamber C, plan 6.


CHAp. XIII. BAS-RELIEFS AND SCULPTURES.
337
Assyrians were evidently acquainted with military tactics, and
possessed organized armies. In several bas-reliefs, troops were
represented, drawn up to form a kind of phalanx, or the more
modern military square.
The three small chambers to the west of the hall last de.
0
scribed* had been so much injured by fire that few slabs re-
tained traces of sculpture. Among the bas-reliefs remaining,
were the siege and capture of a city standing on the banks of a
river in the midst of forests and mountains, with warriors cut-
ting down trees, to form an approach to the castle, and carrying
away the idols of the conquered people; a fisherman fishing with
a hook and line in a pond ;f and warriors receiving long
lines of captives, among whom were women and children riding
mules.
The wide portal, formed by the winged bulls at the upper
end of the great hall first discovered, opened into a small
chamber, which had no other entrance.^ One side of it had
been completely destroyed. The remaining bas-reliefs repre-
sented the siege and sack of a city between two rivers, in the
midst of the groves of palm-trees, and consequently, it may be
conjectured, in some part of Mesopotamia. There was, fortu-
nately an inscription above the captured city, which probably
contains its name. The king was represented, several times, in
his chariot, superintending the operations of the siege. The be-
siegers were cutting down the palms to open and clear the ap-
proaches to the walls.
A part only of the chamber to the east of the great hall§
was uncovered. Many of the sculptures had been intentionally
destroyed with some sharp instrument, and all had suffered,
more or less, from fire. On some could be traced warriors
urging their horses at full speed; and others discharging their
arrows backward. Beneath the horsemen were rows of chariols
* Chambers D, E, and F, plan 6.
t Chamber G, plan 6.
P
t In the British Museum.
$ Chamber H, plan 6





Chap. XIII. ITS STYLE OF ARCHITECTURE.
341
so ambitious of great works, dwelt in a country as rich in stone
and costly granites and marbles as Egypt or India, it can
scaroely be doubted that they would have equaled, if not ex-
celled, the inhabitants of those countries in the magnitude of
their pyramids, and in the magnificence of their rock temple*
and palaces. But their principal settlements were in the
alluvial plains watered by the Tigris and Euphrates. On the
banks of those great rivers, which spread fertility through
the land, and afford the means of easy and expeditious in-
tercourse between distant provinces, they founded their first
cities. On all sides they had vast plains, unbroken by a sin-
gle eminence until they approached the foot of the Armenian
hills.
The earliest habitations, constructed when little progress had
been made in the art of building, were probably but one story
in height. In this respect the dwelling of the ruler scarcely dif-
fered from the meanest hut. It soon became necessary, how-
ever, that the temples of the gods, and the palaces of the kings,
depositories at the same time of the national records, should be
rendered more conspicuous than the humble edifices by which
they were surrounded. The nature of the country also required
that the castle, the place of refuge in times of danger, or the
permanent residence of the garrison, should be raised above
the city so as to afford the best means of resistance to an enemy.
As there were no natural eminences in the country, the inhabi-
tants were compelled to construct artificial mounds. Hence the
origin of those vast, solid structures which have defied the hand
of time; and, with their grass-covered summits and furrowed
sides, rise like natural hills in the Assyrian plains.
Let us picture to ourselves the migration of one of the primi-
tive families of the human race, seeking for some spot favorable
*o a permanent settlement, where water abounded, and where
tie land, already productive without cultivation, promised an
ample return to the labor of the husbandman. They may have
followed him who went out of the land of Shinar, to found new


342
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS. Chap. XH1
nabiu.ions in'the north ;* or they may have descended from the
mountains of Armenia; whence came, according to the Chal-
dean historian, the builders of the cities of Assyria.f It was not
until they reached the banks of the great rivers, if they came
from the high lands, or only while they followed their course, if
they journeyed from the south, that they could find a supply of
water adequate to the permanent wants of a large community.
The plain, bounded to the west and south by the Tigris and Zab,
from its fertility, and from the ready means of irrigation afforded
by two noble streams, may have been first chosen as a resting,
place; and there were laid the foundations of a city, destined to
be the capital of the eastern world.
The materials for building were at hand, and in their prep-
aration required neither much labor nor ingenuity. The soil,
an alluvial deposit, was rich and tenacious. The builders mois-
tened it with water, and, adding a little chopped straw that it
might be more firmly bound together, they formed it into squares,
which, when dried by the heat of the sun, served them as
bricks. In that climate the process required but two or three
days. Such were the earliest building materials; and they are
used to this day almost exclusively in the same country. In
Egypt, too, they were employed at the remotest period; and the
Egyptians, to harass their Jewish captives, withheld the straw
without which their bricks could not preserve -their form and
consistency.
Huts for the people were speedily raised, and roofed with the
branches and boughs of trees from the banks of the river.
The inhabitants of the new settlement now sought to build a
place of refuge in case of attack, or a dwelling-place for their
leader, or a temple to their gods. In order to raise the edifice
above the plain, and to render it conspicuous among the sur-
rounding habitations, it was erected on an artificial mound
* Genesis x. 11.
t Xithurus and his followers: Berosus, apud Euseb. The similarity
between the history of this Chaldean hero, and that of the Noah of Scrip-
ture is very singular.


Chap. XIII.
MODE OF BUILDING.
343
constructed for the purpose of earth and rubbish, or of sun-dried
bricks.*
The palaces and temples appear to have been at the same
time public monuments, in which were preserved the records
nr archives of the nation, carved on stone. In them were rep-
resented in sculpture the exploits of the kings, and the forma
of the divinities; while the history of the people, and in-
vocations to their gods, were inscribed in written characters
upon the walls. It was necessary, therefore, to use in the
building, some material upon which figures and inscriptions
could be carved. The plains of Mesopotamia, as well as the
low lands between the Tigris and the hill-country, abound in a
kind of coarse alabaster or gypsum. Large masses of it every-
where protrude in low ridges from the alluvial soil, or are ex-
posed in the gullies formed by winter torrents. It yields readily
to the chisel, and its color and transparent appearance are
agreeable to the eye. Thus while offering few difficulties to the
sculptor, it was an ornament to the edifice in which it was
placed. This alabaster cut into slabs, from eight to ten feet
high, four to six wide, and about one foot thick, served as a
kind of paneling to the walls of sun-dried bricks. On the back
of all the slabs, was carved an inscription recording the name,
title, and genealogy of the royal founder of the edifice, and
they were kept in their places and held together by iron, cop-
per, or wooden cramps in the form of double dovetails, fitting into
corresponding grooves in two adjoining slabs. The corners of
the chambers were generally formed by one angular stone;
and all the walls were either at right angles, or parallel to each
* Such is the custom still existing among the inhabitants of Assyria.
When some families of a nomad tribe wish to settle in a village, they choose
an ancient mound; it being no longer necessary to form a new platform,
for the old abound in the plains. On its summit they erect a rude castle,
and the huts are built at the foot. The same plan appears to have been
followed since the Arab invasion, and perhaps long previous during the Per-
sian occupation. There are few ancient mounds containing Assyrian ruins
npon which castles, cities, or villages have not at some period been built
Such are Arsela, Tel Afer, Nebbi Yunus, &c. &c.


344
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS. Chap. XUI.
other. Upon the slabs were sculptured the bas-reliefs and
inscriptions.
At the principal entrances to the chambers were placed
gigantic winged bulls and lions with human heads. The smaller
doorways were guarded by colossal figures of divinities, or
priests. There were no remains of doors or gates; but meta
hinges have been discovered, and holes for bolts exist in many
of the slabs. The priests of Babylon " made fast their temples
with doors, with locks and bars, lest their gods be spoiled by
robbers,"* and the gates of brass of Babylon are continually
mentioned by ancient authors. On all the slabs forming en-
trances, in the oldest palace of Nimroud, were marks of a black
fluid, resembling blood, which appeared to have been daubed on
the stone. I have not been able to ascertain the nature of this
fluid; but its appearance can not fail to call to mind the Jew-
ish ceremony, of placing the blood of the sacrifice on the lintel
of the doorway. Under the pavement slabs, at the entrances,
were deposited small figures of the gods, probably as a protec-
tion to the building.f Sometimes, as in the N.W. palace at
Nimroud, tablets on which were inscribed the name and title of
the king, with a short notice of his principal conquests, as a
record of the time of the erection of the building, were embedded
in the walls.
The upper part of the walls of the chambers, above the ala-
baster slabs, was built either of baked bricks, richly colored, or
of sun-dried bricks covered by a thin coat of plaster, on which
were painted figures and ornamental friezes. It is to these
upper walls that the complete covering up of the building, and
the consequent preservation of the bas-reliefs, may be attributed;
for when once the edifice had been deserted they fell in, and
the unbaked bricks, again becoming earth, encased the sculp-
* Epistle of Jeremy, Baruch, vi. 18.
.f It has already been mentioned, that these small figures in unbaked
clay, were found beneath the pavement in all the entrances at Khorsabad.
They were only discovered at Nimroud under the most recent palace, in
the S. W. corner of the mound


Chap. XIII.
MODE OF BUILDING.
345
tured slabs. Many chambers at Nimroud were entirely con.
structed of sun-dried bricks, the walls having been painted with
figures and ornaments.
The mode sf roofing the palaces and lighting the chambers,
many of which were in the very center of the building with no
other inlet rbr light but the door, is one of the most difficult
questions in Assyrian architecture. I am inclined, on the whole,
f j concur with Mr. Fergusson in thinking that light was ad-
mitted through galleries or open rows of low pilasters above the
alabaster slabs, and that wooden columns were sometimes used
to support the roof in the larger halls.* It is, however, remark-
able that no remains whatever of columns have been discovered,
nor are there any traces of them. Unless they were employed,
the chambers exceeding a certain width must have been left
open to the sky. There is no proof whatever of any of the
rooms having been vaulted, although the Assyrians were well
acquainted with the principle of the arch.
The chambers were paved with alabaster slabs, covered with
inscriptions recording the name and genealogy of the king, and
the chief events of his reign, or with baked bricks, or rather
tiles, each also bearing a short inscription. The alabaster slabs
were laid upon bitumen. The bricks or tiles were generally
in two layers, one above the other, with sand between and be-
neath them probably to exclude damp. Between the lions and
bulls forming the entrances, was usually one large inscribed 01
ornamented slab.
The drains discovered beneath almost every chamber in the
older palace of Nimroud joined a large drain, probably running
from under the great hall into the river, which originally flowed
at the foot of the mound.
The interior of the Assyrian palaces must have been as mag.
lificent as imposing. I have led the reader through their ruins
nd he may judge of the impression their halls were calculated to
* The subject is very fully treated and very ably illustrated in his work
entitled " the Palaces of Nineveh and Persepolis restored," which contains,
at the same time, many valuable suggestions on the arts and architecture
of the Assyrians.
p*


Chap. Xlil
MODE OF BUILDING.
347
He who entered them might thus read the history, and learn
the glory and triumphs of the nation. They served, at the
same time, to bring continually to the remembrance of those
who assembled within them on festive occasions, or for the
celebration of religious ceremonies, the deeds of their ancestors,
and the power and majesty of their gods.
The exterior walls of these palaces were either cased with
sculptured slabs or painted. On the outside of the principal
palace of Babylon, assigned by tradition to Semiramis, were
portrayed men and animals, and on the towers hunting scenes,
in which were represented Semiramis herself on horseback,
throwing a javelin at a panther, and Ninus slaying a lion with
his lance.* The walls of Ecbatana, according to Herodotus,f
were each painted of a different color; the outer (there were
seven round the city) being white, the next black, the third
purple, the fourth blue, the fifth orange, and the two inner
having their battlements plated, one with silver and the other
with gold.:): Walls thus sculptured and painted must, in the
clear atmosphere and brilliant sunshine of Assyria, have been
peculiarly pleasing to the eye, and have had a beautiful appear-
ance even from afar.
Were these magnificent mansions palaces or temples? or,
while the king combined the character of a temporal ruler
with that of a high-priest or type of the religion of the people,
did his residence unite the palace, the temple, and a national
monument raised to perpetuate the triumphs and conquests of
the nation t These are questions which can not yet be satis-
factorily answered. We can only judge by analogy. A very
superficial examination of the sculptures will prove the sacred
character of the king. The priests or presiding deities (which-
ever the winged figures so frequently found on the Assyrian
monuments may be) are represented as waiting upon, or min.
* Diodorus Siculus, lib. ii
+ Lib. i. c. 98.
% Herod, lib. 1,0. 98. These colors, with the number seven of the walla,
have evidently allusbn to the heavenly bodies, and their courses.


848
NINEVEH AND ITS KEJIAINS. Chap. XID
istenng to, him; above his head are the emblem of the
supreme deity, the winged figure within the circle, and the
sun, moon, and planets. As in Egypt, he may have been re-
garded as the representative, on earth, of the deity, receiving his
power directly from the gods, and being the organ of communi-
cation between them and his subjects.* The intimate connec-
ion between the public and private life of the Assyrians and
.heir religion, is abundantly proved by the bas-reliefs. As
mnong most Eastern nations, not only public and social duties
appear to have been more or less influenced by religion, or to
have been looked upon as typical, but all the acts of the king,
whether in peace or war, were evidently connected with the
national faith, and were believed to be under the special pro-
tection and superintendence of the deity. Hence the emblem
of the supreme God is represented above his head in battle,
during his triumphs, and when he celebrates the sacred cere-
monies. The embroideries upon his robes, and the ornaments
upon Ills weapons, have likewise mythic meanings. His contests
with the lion and other wild animals denote not only his prowess
and skill, but his superior strength and wisdom. The archi-
tectural decorations have the same religious and typical sig-
nification. All the edifices hitherto discovered in Assyria bave
precisely the same character; so that we have most probably
the palace and temple combined; for in them the deeds of tho
king, and of the nation, are united with religious symbols, md
with the statues of the gods. ,
We have no means of ascertaining the nature of the private
dwellings of the Assyrians, nor of learning any particulars con-
cerning their internal economy and arrangement. No such
houses have been preserved either in Assyria Proper or Baby-
Ionia, their complete disappearance being attributable to the
perishable materials of which they were constructed; for al-
though the palace-temples were of such extraordinary mag-
nificence, the bulk of the people appear to have lodged, as in
* Diodorus Siculus, lib. i. c. 90; and Wilkinson's Ancient Egypti»r»
»ol. i. p. 245, and vol. ii. p. 67.


350
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS. Chap. X1IL
Kouyunjik must be evident on a most cursory examination of
the sculptures from those buildings. The difference, indeed, is
so considerable and so radical that even several centuries must
have elapsed between the erection of the palaces, or some funda-
mental change must have taken place in the people. The first
appears to me the most probable conjecture. The fact of the
S. W. palace at Nimroud being built of materials taken from the
N. W. proves that the interval between their erection must have
been very great. As in Egypt the more ancient monuments show
the purest taste and the highest knowledge of art, and we have
that phenomenon which is to be remarked in the history of all
nations, ancient or modern, of a gradual decline of art, after
a state of comparative perfection. In the later monuments of
Nineveh, moreover, particularly in the ornaments, and in the
s^aall objects discovered, we find an Egyptian taste, unknown
in the earlier remains. This would indicate a foreign influence
which may have been the principal source of the change I have
pointed out, and which may be traced either to conquest or to
intimate family alliances.
By the middle of the month of June my labors in Assyria
had drawn to a close. The funds assigned to the Trustees of
the British Museum for the excavations had been expended,
and further researches were not, for the present at least, con-
templated. I prepared, therefore, to turn my steps homeward,
after an absence of some years. The ruins of Nimroud had
been again covered up, and its palaces were once more hidden
from the eye. The sculptures taken from them had been safely
removed to Busrah, and were awaiting their final transport to
England. The inscriptions, which promise to instruct us in the
history and civilization of one of the most ancient and illustrious
nations of the earth, had been carefully copied. On looking
back upon the few months that I had passed in Assyria, I could
net but feel some satisfaction at the result of my labors. Scarcely
a year before, with the exception of the ruins of Khorsabad, not
cne Assyrian monument was known. Almost sufficient mate,
rials had now beer, obtained to enable us to restore much of


Chap. XIII. FAREWELL ENTERTAINMENT.
351
the lost history of the country, and to confirm the vague iradi.
tions of the learning and civilization of its people. It had often
occurred to me during my labors, that the time of the discovery
of these remains was so opportune, that it might be looked upon
as something more than accidental. Had these palaces been
by chance exposed to view some years before, no European
could have protected them from complete destruction, or could
have preserved a record of their existence. Had they been
discovered a little later, it is highly probable that there would
have been insurmountable objections to the removal of even
any part of their contents. It was consequently just at the right
moment that they were disinterred; and we have been fortunate
enough to acquire the most convincing and lasting evidence of
that magnificence, and power, which made Nineveh the wonder
of the ancient world, and her fall the theme of the prophets, as
the most signal instance of divine vengeance. Without the
evidence that these monuments afford, we might almost have
doubted that the great Nineveh ever existed, so completely " has
she become a desolation and a waste."
Before my departure I was desirous of giving a last enter-
tainment to my workmen, and to those who had kindly aided
me in my labors. On the western side of Kouyunjik there is
small village, belonging, with the mound, to a former slave of
pashaw of the Abd-el-Jeleel family, who had received his liberty
and the land containing the ruins, as a reward for long and
faithful services. This village was chosen for the festivities;
and tents for the accommodation of my guests were pitched
around it. Large platters filled with boiled rice, and divers
inexplicable messes, only appreciated by Arabs, and those who
have lived with them,—the chief components being garlic and
sour miltc—were placed before the various groups of men and
women, who squatted in circles on the ground. Dances were
then commenced, and were carried on through the greater part
of the night, the Tiyari and the Arabs joining in them, or
relieving each other by turns. The dancers were happy and
enthusiastic, and kept up a constant shouting. The quie


352
Chap. XIII
iJlNEVKH AND ITS KEMAINS.
Christian ladies of Mosul, »ho had scarcely before this occasion
ventured beyond the walls of the town, gazed with wonder and
delight on the scene; lamenting, no doubt, that the domestic
arrangements of their husbands did not permit mcie frequent
indulgence in such gayeties.
At the conclusion of the entertainment I spoke a few words
to the workmen, inviting any who had been wronged, or ill-
used, to come forward and receive such redress as it was in my
power to afford, and expressing my satisfaction at the success-
ful termination of our labors without a single accident. One
Sheikh Khalaf, a very worthy man, who was usually the spokes-
man on such occasions, answered for his companions. They
had lived, he said, under my shadow, and, God be praised, no
one had cause to complain. Now that I was leaving, they
should leave also, and seek the distant banks of the Khabour,
where at least they would be far from the Turks, and be able
to enjoy the little they had saved. All they wanted was each
man a teskere, or note, to certify that he had been in my
service. This would not only be some protection to them, but
they would show my writing to their children, and would tell
them of the days they had passed at Nimroud. Please God, I
should return to the Jebours, and live in tents with them on
their old pasture-grounds, where there were as many ruins as
at Nimroud, plenty of plunder within reach, and gazelles, wild
boars, and lions for the chase. After Sheikh Khalaf had con-
cluded, the women advanced in a body and made a similar
address. I gave a few presents to the principal workmen and
their wives, and all were highly satisfied with their treatment.
A few days afterward, the preparations for my departure
were complete. I paid my last visit to Essad Pashaw, called
upon the principal people of the town, bid adieu to my friends,
and on the 24th of June was ready to leave Mosul.
I was accompanied on -my journey to Constantinople by
Mr. Hormuzd Rassam, Ibrahim Agha, and the bairakdar, and by
several members of the household of the late pashaw; who were
ready, in return for their cwn fcod and that of their horses, to


*Cuap. XIII.
LEAVE MOSUL.
353
serve me on the road. We were joined by many other travelers,
who had been waiting for an opportunity to travel to the north
in company with a sufficiently strong party. The country was
at this time very insecure. The Turkish troops had marched
against Beder Khan Bey, who had openly declared his in-
dependence, and defied the authority of the sultan. The
failure of the crops had brought parties of Arabs abroad, and
scarcely a day passed without the plunder of a caravan and the
murder of travelers. The pashaw sent a body of irregular horse
to accompany me as far as the Turkish camp, which I wished
to visit on my way. With this escort, and with my own party,
all well armed and prepared to defend themselves, I had no cause
to apprehend any accident.
Mr. and Mrs. Rassam, all the European residents, and many
of the principal Christian gentlemen of Mosul, rode out with
me to some distance from the town. On the opposil i side ol
the river, at the foot of the bridge, were the ladies who had
assembled to bid me farewell. Beyond them were he wives
and daughters of my workmen, who clung to my horse, many
of them shedding tears as they kissed my hand. The greater
part of the Arabs insisted upon walking as far as Tel Kef with
me. In this village supper had been prepared for the party.
Old Gouriel, the kiayah, still rejoicing in his drunken leer,
was there to receive us. We sat on the house-top til? mid
night. The horses were then loaded and saddled. I bid a las
farewell to my Arabs, and started on the first stage of our Iwj,
journey to Constantinople.





INDEX.
lad-Allah, sultan, tomb of, 18, 303.
Abdrubbou, sheikh of the Jebours, 54,
270.
Abd ul Summit Bey, 118.
Abdui-rahman, sheikh of the Abou
Salman, 38, 49, 78, 293.
Abou-Salman Arabs, encampment of,
38.
Abou-Maria, village of, 19, 71.
Ain Sifni, village of, 108.
A labuster, Tablets of, 7 6. Vases of,
discovered, 223. Used in build-
ings, 343.
Albanian*, a chief of, 114.
Al Mather, visit to ruins of, 58, 73.
Hi Bey% a chief of the Yezidis, 174,
A li Effendi, a gentleman of Mosul, 59.
Alkosh, village of, and tomb of Na-
hum at 165.
Altar before sculpture at Nimroud,
93.
Amadiyal- the to wn of, 111. History
of, 113.
American missionaries, 126.
Amsha, the wife of Sofuk, 69.
Antelope, on obelisk, 227.
Apenshai, district of, 140.
Arab workmen, 210, 233. Women,
234. Represented in bas-reliefs,
253. Encampment of, 275.
Arch, discovery of, 266.
Archers, Assyrian, their dress, 332.
Architecture, Assyrian, 319, 321,
340. Exterior, 347.
Armor, Assyrian, in sculptures dis-
covered at Nimroud, 222
Arrow-headed writing, Introd. XL
Arts, highest perfection of, at earliest
period, 350.
Asheetha, village of, 121,123.
Asses, wild, 205, and note.
Assyria, writers on history of, Introd.
vi. Fertility of, 283.
Awad, or Abd-Allah, an Arab Sheikh,
14.
B.
Baadri, Yezidi, village of, 172.
Baal, the Assyrian deity, 263.
Baashiekhah, mound at, 35. Period
of ruins at, 315.
Babylonians represented in bas-re-
liefe, 253.
Bairakdar, the, 208.
Bas-reliefs, first discovery of, 26.
Battering-ram, in sculptures, 88, 217,
255, 257.
Baz, district of, 150.
Be-Alatha, village of, 154.
Bears, their depredations in Tiyari
mountains, 131,148.
Bebadi, village of, 111.
Bebozi, Chaldean village of, 110.
Beder Khan Bey, 122, note. Ban
ished to Candia, 169.
Behistun, inscription at, deciphered,
Introd. xiv.
Berwari, valley of, 117.
Birijai, village of, 140.
Bitti, village of, 140.
Bitumen under pavement at Nira
roud, 18. Used by Arabs for va
rious purposes, 270.


356
INDEX.
Boats, ill bas-reliefs, 220.
Botta, M., his excavations, 7.
Briekt, sun-dried, 342.
Bridge of boats at Mosul, 287.
Bulls, human-headed, discovery of,
32. In yellow limestone, 85. King
hunting wild, 89. Removal of, 286.
a
Camel in Assyrian sculptures, 253,
260. Bactrian, on obelisk, 226.
Canning, Sir Stratford, undertakes
excavations, 10, 91, 207. Liber-
ates Nestorian slaves, 122, note.
Cart constructed to remove sculp-
tures, 286. Represented in bas-
relief, 258.
Cartouche, Egyptian, discovery of on
ivories, 247.
Cawal, a Yezidi title, 193.
Ceiling of Assyrian chambers, how
formed, 346.
Center palace, discovery of bas-reliefs
in, 252.
Choi, district of, 137.
Chalah, whether identified with Ka-
lah Sherghat, 278.
Chaldeans, of Kurdistan, learning of,
131, note. Their doctrines, 143.
Their language, 142, note.
Challek, village of, 159.
Chambers, upper, discovery of, 248.
Assyrian, how lighted, 345.
Cliariots, Assyrian, 26, 219, 331.
Chase, the, 89.
Chebar, a river of Assyria, 309.
Chonba, village of, 156.
Cidaris of the Persian kings, 97, note.
Circle, winged, emblem of the divin-
ity, 309.
Coin of Phoenicia, 329.
Colors on sculptures, 47. On bricks,
90.
Copper ornaments discovered at Nim-
roud, 76. Mines of, in the Tiyari
mountains, 159. Discovery of ves-
sels in, 248.
Ctesias, his Assyrian history, In-
trod. v.
Cuneiform writing, nature of, In-
trod. xi.
Cylinders, discovery of, 251.
D.
Daggers, Assyrian, 47, 84.
Dam across Tigris at Nimroud, 6.
Dances, Arab, 79. Yezidi, 181.
Darius, his name in Behistun in
scription, Introd. xiii.
Dasni, Yezidis, so called, 195.
Dalhan, an Arab, 72.
Deity, supreme, emblem of, 92, 211
212, 309.
Desert, the, 60.
Diodorus Siculus, bis Assyrian his-
tory, Introd. v. His description of
Babylon, 451.
Dohulc, town of, 162.
Drain in Assyrian edifice, 246, note,
289, 345.
• _ E.
Eagle-headed figure, discovery of, 46.
Ecbatana, Amidiyah, once so called,
114. Walls of, 347.
Elephant, its tusks represented in
sculptures, 88. On obelisk, 226.
Emblems, sacred, 92, 93, 94.
Ergub, village of, 151.
Essad Pasham, 244.
Eunuchs, their offices in Assyrian
court, 215.
Eusebius, his Assyrian history, In-
trod. v.
Ezekiel, his description of the Assyr-
ian sculptures, 309. Of a siege
255. Of Tyrian ships, 330. Vie
ion of, illustrated, 309.
F.
Fakir, order of priesthood among
Yezidi, 184, 193.
Female divinities in Assyrian sculp-
tures, 223, 246.
Fergusson, Mr., remarks on Ionio
architecture, 45. On Assyriap
architecture, 346.
Ferhan, son of Sofuk, 66.


INDEX.
357
3.
Galleys in Assyrian bas-reliefs 827.
Garments, Assyrian, 96.
Gates to Assyrian edifices, 344.
Ghissa, village of, 140.
Glass, vase of, discovered at Nimroud,
223.
Globe, -winged, an Assyrian emblem,
309.
Goat, in bas-reliefs, 260.
Gods, carried in procession, 263.
Gold, use of, in architecture, 346,
note.
Gold-leaf discovered, 18. Under al-
tar, 93.
Gomel, river, the ancient Bumadus,
109.
frant. Dr., 126, note,
'hmduktha, village of, 147.
H.
Haddedeen Arabs, the, 60. The
Sheikh of, 61.
Halicarnassus, sculptures from, 11,
note.
Hamaydat, village of, 197.
Hammum All, villago of, 3.
Hayis, village of, 117.
Heads of conquered brought and
counted, 334.
Helmets, discovery of, at Nimroud,
222. Various forms of, 255.
Hera, her statue at Babylon, 263.
Herodotus, his Assyrian history, In-
trod. v. His description of As-
syria, 283.
Hinclcs, his discoveries, Introd. xiv.
Horses, Assyrian, 215. Furniture of,
218, 339.
Horsemen in Assyrian armies, 215.
Houses, Assyrian, 315, 348.
Hunting favored by Assyrians, 89.
Hussein Bey, the chief of the Yezidis,
172.
Hytas, or irregular cavalry, 24
I.
Idols, represented in bas-reliefs, 268
Ionic order, Assyrian origin of, 45.
Ionunco, a Nestorian, 105.
Iron discovered at Nimroud, 222.
Irrigation, mode of, in Assyria, 232,
282.
Ismail Pashaw, 35, 50.
Ivory, discovery of ornaments, 18,
246. Used for furniture, 247.
J.
Jebour Arabs, 54.
Jeremy, epistle of, 263.
Jonah, tomb of, 313.
K.
Kalah Sherghat, ruins of, 4. Visit to,
268. Discovery of sitting figure at,
271.
Kaloni, village of, 109.
Karamles, ruins at, 35.
Kasha Bodaca, 146.
Kasha Kana, 130.
Kasha Auraham, 159.
Kasha Mendi, 112.
Kesta, ruin of, 160.
Khalaf, a sheikh of the Shammar, 61.
Khausser, the, a stream near Kouvun-
jik, 118.
Khorsabad, M. Botta's discovery of,
8,106. Name of king at Nimroud,
247.
Khouara mountain, 154
King, the, represented in bas-reliefs,
41,83,88,92,94,211,245. Robes
of Assyrian, 97. His sacred char-
acter, 347.
Kiyara, the, or bitumen pits, 269.
Kona Zavvi, village of, 158.
Kouyunjik, excavations at, 7,91,103,
312. Description of ruins, 322.
Kubleh, the, or point of prayer among
Easterns, 191, note.
Kumri, castle of, 118.
Kurdish chief, 148. Women, 100
Kuremi, village of, 161.
Ibrahim Agha, a Cawass, 155


INDEX.
359
Ptvement of the chambers of Assyr-
ian palaces, 345.
Phalanx, known to Assyrians, 536.
Pir, a Yezidi title, 192.
Plow, the, used in Assyria, 283, note.
Pul, king of Assyria, Introd. v.
Pulley, represented in bas-relief, 262.
R.
Rabban Hormuzd, convent of, 166.
Rafts, how constructed, 299.
Rain, want of, felt, 283.
Raola, district of, 137.
Hassan, Mr., vice-consul at Mosul,
122, note. Mr. Hormuzd, 36,
210.
Rawlinson, Colonel, his discoveries,
Introd. xiv.
Resen, not Lnrissa, 4, note.
Rhea, her statue at Babylon, 263.
Rhinoceros on obelisk, 227.
Rich, Mr., his discoveries at Sabylon
and Nineveh, Introd. ix.
Robes of the Assyrian king, 97. Ma-
terials of, 321. Magnificence of,
413.
floss, Mr., 14, note. Carries on exca-
vations at Kouyunjik, 340.
8.
Sabceans, their language, 142. Where
found, 19S.
Saint, a Kurdish, 161.
Sandals of the Assyrian king, 93.
Saraoun, ancient name of Khorsabad,
107.
Sarcophagus, discovery of, 231. —
Sardanapalus, Introd. v.
Scribes represented in bas-reliefs,
257, 333.
Sculptures, first discovery of, 26.
Siege of a city, 217, 225, 335.
Selamiyah, village of, 22.
Seleucidai, era of, 141, note.
Selim Agha of Aroadiyah, 112.
Semiramis, Introd. v.
Sennacherib, builder of Kouyunjik,
329.
'Serspeetho, village of, 158.
Seven, a sacred number among Sa
breaus, 189.
Shalmanezer, his expedition against
the Phoenicians, 329.
Shammar, the, Arabs, description of,
62.
Shammeriyah, the mare of Sofuk, 7'.
Sheep represented in Assyrian bas-
reliefs 259
Sheikh Adi, tomb of, 108, 178.
Sheikh Shems, sanctuary of, 183.
Sheikh, seizure of an Arab, 239.
Shields of the Assyrians, 26. Of
wicker-work for sieges, 218. Hung
on walls and ships, 327, 330.
Ships in sculptures, 327, 328. Of
Tyre, 330.
Shoordh, village of, 137.
Sinjar, visit to, 196. Kuined town
of, 204.
Skins, mode of crossing rivers on,
87.
Slingers, Assyrian, 332.
Sofuk, sheikh of the Shammar, visit
to, 65. His domestic establishment
69. Uis mare, 71. His death, 75.
Solomon, throne of, 164.
Southeast ruins at Nimroud, 231,265
Southwest ruins at Nimroud. disco*
ery of royal genealogy in, 230
discoveries in, 228, 260.
Spandareh, village of, 111.
Sphinx discovered, 229.
/Stars, worship of, 264.
Stone, inscriptions on, Introd. xiv.
Swords, Assyrian, 98.
Tables, Assyrian, 213.
Tahar Sheikh, a fanatic, 162.
Tahlekl, the, an Arab noise of ro-
joicing, 79.
Tahyar Pashate, 81. Visit from, 101
His death, 243.
Tel Afer, town of, 198.
Tel Assar, 199.
Tel Kef, village of, 167.
Tents in bas-reliefs, 317.
Thathar, the, a salt stream, 815.
Thrones, 98, 164.
Tiyari, departure for the, 105. Heme*


360
INDEX.
of, lit. Dress of, 188. Employed
in the excavations, 237.
Jklu.mu, district of, 140. Massacre
of inhabitants of, 169.
Tkhctra Gowaia, Tillage of, 145.
Tombs, discovery of, 231, 251, 265.
Dissovered at Kalah Sherghat, 276.
Tree, (he sacred, 44.
Ttipoil discovered at Khorsabad, 107
V.
Vase, 86.
Vault known to the Assyrians, 266.
Vessel, square, carried by winged
figures, 43.
Vizier represented in bas-reliefs, 41.
Vitirial letter, arrival of, 91.
W.
Whips carried by officers in Assyr-
ian army, 221.
Whirlwinds of Mesopotamia, vio-
lence, 82.
Wigs worn by the Assyrians and
Persians, 97.
Window* not found in Assynat
buildings, "45.
Women, their treatment in the East,
316.
Wood, beam of, discovered, 265
Xenophon, his description of the
walls of Nineveh, 349.
Y.
Yakoub Rais, 128.
Yakuti, an Arab geographer, men-
tions Khorsabad, 107.
Yezidis, visit to, 171. Persecution
of the, 175. Their dances, 182.
Their music, 185. Their doctrines,
18S. Origin of their name, 190.
Orders of the priesthood, 19%
Their language, 194.
Zaweetha, village of, 129
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