the Larissa of Xenophon, but which its local and traditional name, Nimroud, connected with one of the earliest settlements of the human race.* We cannot better introduce our readers to the general aspect of the Assyrian remains than by giving a passage from this part of his narrative, which will serve also as a specimen of his style, and an indication of the poetical and enthusiastic spirit in which he entered upon his undertaking.

"Were the traveller to cross the Euphrates to seek for such ruins in Mesopotamia and Chaldæa as he had left behind him in Asia Minor or Syria, his search would be vain. The graceful column rising above the thick foliage of the myrtle, the ilex, and the oleander; the gradines of the amphitheatre covering the gentle slope, and overlooking the dark blue waters of a lake-like bay; the richly carved cornice or capital, half hidden by the 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 brickwork occasionally laid bare by the winter rains. He has left the land where nature is still lovely, where, in his mind's eye, he can rebuild the temple or the theatre, 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 conjectures, the more vague the results appear. The scene around is worthy of the ruin he 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 thought and more earnest reflection, than the temples of Balbec or the theatres of Ionia."Vol. I. pp. 6, 7.

Near the ruins of Nimroud he found the stream of the Tigris broken by an artificial barrier, which the Arab who piloted his raft declared to be the remains of a dam built by Nimrod, and which our author supposes to have been constructed for the purpose of supplying water to canals for irrigation. His curiosity being thus excited, he then formed the project of exploring the ruins of Nimroud, which, however, he was not able to execute till the autumn of 1845. Before this time, M. Botta, the French Consul at Mosul, had led the way in Assyrian researches by excavating a mound at Khorsabad, some miles north of Mosul, with most liberal aid from the French Government. His success still further stimulated Mr. Layard's ardour, and at length, through the generous assistance of Sir Stratford Canning, he was enabled to commence operations. On arriving at Mosul, his first step was to present his letters to the then governor of the province, Mohammed Pasha, a choice specimen of Turkish tyranny.

"The appearance of his Excellency was not prepossessing, but it matched his temper and conduct. Nature had placed hypocrisy beyond his reach. He had one eye and one ear; he was short and fat, deeply marked by the smallpox, 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

Mr. Layard, in a note, Vol. I. p. 4, rejects the hypothesis of Bochart, that "Larissa" was a corruption of "Resen," with "Al" (the Shemitic article) prefixed. We do not quite see, however, why Nimroud may not have been the site of Resen, which is mentioned in Genesis as one of the cities built by Nimrod, with the addition, "the same is a great city."

customs and impositions, which the reforming spirit of the age had suffered to fall into decay. He particularly insisted on dish-parassi (literally, 'toothmoney'), or a compensation 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 inhabitants. On entering Mosul, he had induced several of the principal Aghas who had fled from the town on his approach, to return to their homes; and, having made a formal display of oaths and protestations, cut their throats, to shew how much his word could be depended upon.”—Vol. I. pp. 19, 20.

It is satisfactory to find that this governor went rather beyond the limits even of Eastern endurance, and was presently superseded and deposed. It may easily be conceived that Mr. Layard was obliged to commence his labours with great caution and secrecy, and had need of all his tact and firmness to proceed with his undertaking, owing to the jealousies of the authorities at Mosul, whom it was difficult to convince that he was not searching for gold. He had also to endure severe hardships in the rainy season, owing to his inadequate protection from the weather. He secured the services of an Arab Sheikh, who amused him with absurd traditions of Nimrod, connected with the ruins, which, however, still further identified them as the site of a great city. By opening trenches in different directions in the great mound of Nimroud, Mr. Layard and his Arab workmen discovered long and rather narrow chambers, composed of large slabs of alabaster, sculptured in bas-relief. They found also among the rubbish ornaments of ivory, beautifully carved, with traces of gilding. The sculptures represented, chiefly, groups of warriors and the operations of a siege, and were accompanied with inscriptions in the cuneiform character. Many of the slabs crumbled away on exposure to the air, as had happened also at Khorsabad, proving that the palaces containing them had been destroyed by fire, which had reduced the alabaster to lime. In other portions of the ruins, however, the sculptures were uninjured, so as to bear removal. At length a palace was discovered at the north-west corner of the mound, which appeared to be the most ancient, slabs having evidently been taken from it to construct the chambers first laid open. The sculptures also differed in character from any previously found, and were more true and careful in their outline, though in lower relief. Among the colossal, winged, human figures, the following is remarkable:

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"A human body, clothed in robes similar to those of the winged men on the previous slab, was surmounted by the head of an eagle or of a vulture. The curved beak, of considerable length, was half open, and displayed a narrow pointed tongue, which was still coloured with red paint. On the shoulders 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."—Vol. I. p. 64.

Soon afterwards the workmen came upon an enormous human head, which is thus described:

"I saw at once that the head must belong to a winged lion or bull, similar to those of Khorsabad and Persepolis. It was in admirable preservation. The expression was calm, yet majestic; and the outline of the features shewed a freedom and knowledge of art, scarcely to be looked for in the works of so remote a period. The cap had three horns, and, unlike that of the humanheaded bulls hitherto found in Assyria, was rounded and without ornament at the top."

This discovery made a great sensation among the Arabs. The news spread abroad that Nimrod himself had appeared, and the fears and prejudices of the Mussulmans were so strongly excited, that Mr. Layard was compelled, for a time, in great measure to suspend the excavations. The narrative proceeds,—

"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 furnished with arms. 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 southern portal. I completely uncovered the latter, 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, shewed 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, forming 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 three limbs was high and bold, and the slab was covered, in all parts not occupied by the image, with inscriptions in the cuneiform character. These magnificent specimens of Assyrian art were in perfect preservation; the most minute lines in the details of the wings and in the ornaments had been retained with their original freshness. Not a character was wanting in the inscriptions.

"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 of a Supreme Being? They could find no better type of intellect and knowledge than the head of the man; of strength, than the body of the lion; of rapidity of motion, than the wings of the bird."—Vol. I. pp. 68-70.

The passage concludes with apt quotations from Ezekiel xxxi. 3, &c., and Zephaniah ii. 13, 14, to which we refer our readers. After an interval spent in visiting the Sheikh of an important Arab tribe, while Mr. Layard awaited necessary assistance from Constantinople, the excavations were resumed with continued success. One of the most remarkable sculptures is thus described:

"Two kings stand facing one another, but separated by the symbolic tree, above which is the divinity, with the wings and tail of a bird, enclosed in a circle, and holding a ring in one hand, resembling the image so frequently occurring on the early sculptures of Persia, and at one time conjectured to be the Zoroastrian 'ferouhar,' or spirit of the person beneath. Each king holds a mace or instrument formed by a handle with a ball or circle at the end, and is followed by a winged figure carrying the fir-cone and basket. This basrelief is well designed and delicately carved, and the ornaments on the dresses and arms of the figures are elegant and elaborate."-Vol. I. pp. 132, 133.

The enthusiasm of the Arabs at the appearance of the successive sculptures is amusingly told; but our limits warn us that we must restrain, if we can, our constant impulse to quote.

The operation of packing and transporting the sculptures was, as may be supposed, a work demanding no slight labour, skill and care, especially with such appliances as Mr. Layard had at his command. The state of his health compelled him to seek a cooler climate during the greatest heat of the summer months, and he made his excursion into the Tiyari mountains, which we must for the present pass over. On his return to Mosul he received letters from England, informing him that Sir S. Canning had presented the sculptures to the British nation, and that the British Museum had received a small grant of funds for the continuance of the researches. Though feeling crippled by the smallness of his resources, Mr. Layard re-commenced in November, 1846, with continued and even increased success. After sculptures representing battles, sieges, kings receiving captives, &c., we have the following:

"The three remaining bas-reliefs are highly interesting and curious. The first represents a boat containing a chariot, in which is the king. In one hand he holds two arrows, in the other a bow. An eunuch, standing in front of the chariot, is talking with the king, and is pointing with his right hand to some object in the distance, perhaps the stronghold of the enemy. Behind the chariot is a second eunuch, holding a bow and a mace. The boat is towed by two naked men, who are walking on dry land, and four men row the vessel with oars. One oar, with a broad flat extremity, is passed through a rope hung round a thick wooden pin at the stern, and serves both to guide and impel the boat. It is singular that this is precisely the mode adopted by the inhabitants of Mosul to this day, when they cross the Tigris in barks perhaps even more rude than those in use on the same river three thousand years ago. A charioteer, standing in the vessel, holds by the halters four horses, who are swimming over the stream. A naked figure is supporting himself upon an inflated skin, a mode of swimming rivers still practised in Mesopotamia. In fact, the three bas-reliefs, with the exception of the king and the chariot, might represent a scene daily witnessed on the banks of the Tigris, probably the river here represented. The water is shewn by undulating lines, covering the face of the slab. On the next slab are two smaller boats; in the first appears to be the couch of the king, and a jar or large vessel; in the other an empty chariot they are each impelled by two men, seated face to face at their oars. Five other figures, two leading horses by their halters, are swimming on skins. Two fish are represented in the water. On the third slab is the embarkation; men are placing two chariots in a boat, which is about to leave the shores; two warriors, one with and the other without support, are already swimming over, and two others are filling and tying up their skins on the bank. Behind them, on dry land, are three figures erect, probably officers superintending the proceedings, one of whom, an eunuch, holds a whip in his right hand, which may have been used, as in the army of Xerxes, to keep the soldiers to their duty, and prevent them flying from the enemy."-Vol. Î. pp. 338, 339.

The next remarkable discovery was that of an obelisk, "flat at the top and cut into three gradines," in excellent preservation, the sculptures on which are thus described:

"The king is twice represented, followed by his attendants; a prisoner is at his feet, and his vizir and eunuchs are introducing men leading various animals, and carrying vases and other objects of tribute on their shoulders or in their hands. The animals are the elephant, the rhinoceros, the Bactrian or two-humped camel, the wild bull, the lion, a stag, and various kinds of monkeys. Amongst the objects carried by the tribute-bearers, may perhaps be distinguished the tusks of the elephant, shawls, and some bundles of precious wood. From the nature, therefore, of the bas-reliefs, it is natural to conjec

ture that the monument was erected to commemorate the conquest of India, or of some country far to the east of Assyria and on the confines of the Indian peninsula. The name of the king, whose deeds it appears to record, is the same as that on the centre bulls, and it is introduced by a genealogical list containing many other royal names."-Vol. I. p. 346.

At the same time, the workmen in the south-east corner of the mound discovered many other figures carved in coarse limestone and much injured, differing in some respects from any previously found, and among them a pair of crumbling sphinxes, one of which Mr. Layard scarcely had time to draw before it was reduced to powder. "The whole entrance where they stood was buried in charcoal, and the fire which had destroyed the building appeared to have raged there with extraordinary fury." A small sarcophagus was also discovered, containing a human skeleton, by the side of which were two red jars and an alabaster bottle, resembling those found in Egyptian tombs. The narrative of the excavations is greatly enhanced in liveliness by numerous incidental traits of the Arab workmen and their families, among whom Mr. Layard acted as governor in the settlement of their disputes. The following incident is touchingly characteristic of these "children of the desert," as they are truly called, shewing how deeply they were attached to their usual wandering life, even amidst the enthusiastic alacrity with which they had entered into the work:

"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 indulging in the most extravagant gesticulations. My friend, less acquainted with the excitable temperament of the children of the desert than myself, was somewhat amazed at these violent proceedings, and desired to learn their cause. I asked one of the most active of the party. 'O Bey,' they exclaimed almost 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 Anayza, 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 saw his sheep scampering in all directions, and did not seem inclined to enter into the joke."-Vol. I. pp. 369. 370.

A most exciting scene is described on occasion of the lowering and removal of one of the great winged bulls, which form the subjects of the spirited frontispieces, and which required the exercise of all Mr. Layard's energy, firmness and skill. At length every difficulty was overcome, and the last of the sculptures was safely despatched down the Tigris to Busrah.

"I watched the rafts until they disappeared behind a projecting bank forming a distant reach of the river. I could not 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 descendants 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.