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THE SCRIPTURES VERIFIED BY THE FIGURES.

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made the place so strong, and their work so hard.

“And he will stretch out his hand against the north, and destroy Assyria, and make Nineveh a desolation, and dry like a wilderness, and flocks shall lie down in the midst of her; all the beasts of the nations."

“ Desolation shall be in the thresholds, for he shall uncover the cedar work : this is the rejoicing city, that dwells carelessly ; that said in her heart, I am ; there is none beside me. How is she become a desolation, a place for beasts to lie down in ! every one that passeth by her shall hiss and wag his hand.” (Zephaniah xi. 13–15.)

In the evening, Mr. Layard returned to Mosul, a distance of some twenty miles, and left me with my servant as the occupants of his house. I lay on the terrace or roof of the house : it formed my thinking place, till sleep overpowered every other faculty, and then my bed, till the rising sun sent me forth to hunt over the Mound.

If the reader will turn to “ Nineveh and its Remains," he will there find how much of the ruins exhumed were entirely consumed by fire, so much so that it was with difficulty the slabs

EXAMINATION OF THE EXCAVATIONS.

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(many of them) could be preserved until drawings of them were made. This, also, is another striking verification of prophecy : “There shall the fire devour thee.” (Nahum iii. 15.) Also Isaiah, xlvii. : « There is no throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans, for thou shalt no more be called tender and delicate : take the millstones and grind meal; uncover thy locks ; make bare the leg ; uncover the thigh ; pass over the rivers ; thy nakedness shall be uncovered, thy shame shall be seen.” The whole of the chapter might be quoted, and each portion pointed out, as fulfilled by the actual present state of the country, or the ruins found.

On the following morning, accompanied by Zea, who soon, however, left me in pursuit of a hare, Nineveh and its Remains” under my arm,

I walked to the Mound, and went over the whole of the excavations with a care, as to detail, I had been unable to give on my preceding visit. The excavations occupy about one-third of the whole Mound, which is of great extent. The wind, or probably the nature of the earth, has already caused much of the trenches to be refilled; but on my visit all the bas-reliefs were perfectly

36

NINUS AND SEMIRAMIS.

visible. I have already noticed their superiority to those of Koyunjik. Whilst wandering about, I came on a well in an open trench, the brickwork of it new and fresh, as if of yesterday : but this also was uncovered during the work, and is, doubtless, of an antiquity equal to that of the other ruins. The workmen make use of it.

A beautiful chapter is Ezekiel xxxi., from the 3rd to the 14th verse, and well does it describe the grandeur of that mighty empire of which we possess but faint, scattered accounts. Its ruin was complete ; struck down in the midst of its strength, it remains a warning to us and to all. The result of the excavations of the Pyramid of Nimroud will be a matter of great interest, and determine the truth of tradition. It seems hardly possible from its present form, that it can be the tower of which Xenophon speaks ; there seems more probability it may be the tomb of Ninus, built by Semiramis.

I thus passed several days, wandering about during the mornings and evenings, and reading or dreaming amidst the ruins. The Arabs were most kind, and constantly offered presents more than enough to supply my simple ménage. Mean

PREPARE TO START FOR ZAB.

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while, I was expecting my horses and servants from Mosul, in order to commence a new journey south to the great Zab, and then round to Arra, a town in Koordistan, where Mr. Layard would meet me. The weather was hot ; the mornings and evenings delightful.

2

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ABOUT TO START FOR ZAB.

CHAPTER III.

Alarm of Baggage and Servants lost-Their Re-appearance-Preparations for the Tour-Departure from Nimroud-Offerings by the Way-Reach the Zab-Besieged by sick Villagers for physical Remedies-Domestic Quarrel in the Village-How it was maintained, and its Result-Junction of the Zab with the Tigris-Visit from the Sheik Abd-er-Rahman-His Entertainment-Negoub-Description of it-Attempt to examine the Outer Face of a Rock TunnelArab Attendant-His Character and Peculiarities-His Exhortation to Patience, and personal Exemplification of that Virtue-How far the Prophet is obeyed as to Cleanliness-Visit to the Convent St. Hhodder Elias-Its Church-Inhospitable Christian Arabs-Measurement of Time by the Arabs--Difference of Opinion between a Turk and a Persian concerning Time-Distance, as calculated by Time in the East.

THE sun had just driven me in from my wanderings; the coffee had been duly imbibed, and my first nargilleh was in full force, when as I began lecturing Mousoulee on the folly of drinking, nay, even on the heinousness of the crime when his so doing deprived me of liquor, the door was darkened, a bright boar-spear thrust in, and the Doctor of the expedition followed, dressed rather for comfort than for show. He announced the loss of my baggage and servants, and said, having left Mosul at sunset he had journeyed quietly on, now dozing, now walking, when rousing thoroughly