Part 29 (1/2)

The western wall (_a_) ashed by the river, and needed no other defence[295] A deep ditch, of which traces still exist, appears to have been dug beneath the northern (_b_) That to the south (_d_) was also protected by a dyke and the Tigris The side most accessible to an enely fortified with extraordinary care and strength The small river Khauser flows nearly in a direct line from the hills to the north-eastern corner of the inclosure,it, and after running for solo_) parallel to the walls, but about three quarters of a ain turns to the ard (at _f_), and enters the inclosure almost in the centre It then traverses this quarter of the city, winds round the base of Kouyunjik, and falls into the Tigris Nearly one half of the eastern as, consequently, provided with natural defences The Khauser served as a ditch; and the conglohtly increased by artificialline of fortification The remains of one or more ramparts of earth are still to be traced between the stream and the inner wall, but they could not have been of very considerable size

The north-eastern extremity of these outer defences appears to have joined the ditch which was carried along the northern face of the inclosure, thus co the fortification in this part

Below, or to the south of, the entry of the Khauser into the inclosure, the inner as defended by a complete system of outworks In the first place a deep ditch, about one hundred and fifty feet wide, was cut ith into two separate parts, bethich was a rampart A parallel wall (_h_) was then carried from the banks of the Khauser to the dyke on the southern side of the inclosure A second ditch, about one hundred and eight feet wide, and of considerable depth, probably supplied by the Khauser, extended from the point at which that stream turns to the ard, as far as the southern line of defences A third wall (_i_), the reh on the inner face, abutted to the north on the ridge of conglo_), and co in the level country beyond, the principal of which, near the southern extremity of the lines, is called Tel-ez-zembil (the Mound of the Basket), appear to have been fortified outposts, probably detached towers, such as are represented in the bas-reliefs of Kouyunjik

An ene from the east, the side on which the inclosure was most open to attack, had consequently first to force a stupendous wall strengthened by detached forts Two deep ditches and twoscarcely inferior in size to the outer, had then to be passed before the city could be taken[296] The re of these fortifications almost confirm the statements of Diodorus Siculus, that the walls were a hundred feet high, and that three chariots could drive upon the the ra the circuit round the whole city, ancient historians were confounding them with those which inclosed only a separate quarter or a royal residence, as they have also done in speaking of Babylon Whilst the inner walls were constructed of stone and brick masonry, the outer appear to have consisted of little else than of the earth, loose pebbles, and rubble dug out from the ditches, which were cut with enorlomerate rock[297]

The walls and ditches around Kouyunjik were a favourite ride duringthe ruins The summit of the outer ramparts coreat es of Kurdistan, the windings of the river, and the town of Mosul ”Niniue (that which God hi, which lish , rather to be a witnesse of the other's enificence in itselfe”[298] Such are the silish traveller, who probably looked down upon the site of Nineveh froo

Beaten tracks froes led, and still lead, through the ruins Along them Arabs and Kurds with their ca their way to the town But the space between the walls is deserted except by the tiazelle and the jackals and hyenas which make their dens in the holes and caves in the sides of the mounds and in the rocky banks of the ancient ditches

The spring called by the Arabs Damlamajeh, and described by Mr Rich,[299]

is a s water in a natural cavern, the fore part of which is adorned with an arch, cornice, and stonework, evidently of Roman or Greek construction Upon the masonry are still to be traced the nauished traveller

CONCLUSION

The ti near for my departure Once more I was about to leave the ruins amidst which I had spent so many happy hours, and to which I was bound by so many pleasant and solemn ties; and probably to return no more

I only waited the arrival of Abde, the late Pasha of Baghdad, as now on his way to his new governe co escort it was scarcely prudent to venture on a journey It was doubly necessary for me to have proper protection, as I took with me the valuable collection of bronzes and other sladly, therefore, availedso nuth, after the usual Eastern delays, the Pasha arrived at Mosul He remained enca that ti been excited by the description he had received of the wondrous idols dug out of the ruins He s which he can neither understand nor explain It would be in vain to speak to hie they iet

In these pages I have occasionally indulged in reflections suggested by the scenes I have had to describe, and have ventured to point out the e tale I have had to relate I cannot better conclude than by showing the spirit in which Eastern philosophy and Mussulreatness and civilization, suddenly rising up in the norance and decay A letter in my possession contained so true and characteristic a picture of the feelings that such an event excites in the ive a literal translation of its contents It ritten to a friend of mine by a Turkish Cadi, in reply to some inquiries as to the commerce, population, and remains of antiquity of an ancient city, in which dwelt the head of the law These are its words:--