up to the present moment, for the whole lies buried under a mound. To this I add some drawings, hastily made the best that can be produced by a man who is no artist-and a copy of some inscriptions. Recalled by business to Mosul, I could only remain one day at Khorsabad, and it would require several to transcribe all that the workmen have discovered there during a week. I shall return to the spot when the excavations, being more advanced, shall enable me better to comprehend the ensemble of the monument, and will stay long enough to admit of my describing every thing minutely.

The village of Khorsabad, Khortabad, or Khorstabad, (for in these different ways is this name, which is certainly not Arabic, pronounced), is five caravan hours to the north-east of Mosul, on the left bank of the little river called the Khauser. It is built upon a mound,* elongated from east to west; the eastern extremity rises in a cone, which I have been told is artificial and modern, but this appears to me doubtful, since he who gave me the information has erected a house on the top. He probably fears my exploring operations may undermine his structure.

The

*The mound is about fourteen miles N. N. E. of Mosul.-See Layard's "Nineveh," Vol. I., page 148.

western extremity shoots out into two heads, and it is on the northern point of the division that my workmen have found the very mutilated remains of which I am going to write, adding to my description a plan.*

Attacking the mound by its summit, my labourers immediately discovered the interior of two parallel walls,† separated by a platform of six mètres in width. The extremity of these two walls is level with the slope of the mound, and consequently the monument appears incomplete on that side. What remains of these walls is about 2 mètres and a half long, from west to east; they then turn at right angles, in order to approach each other, leaving between them a space of 2 mètres, 20 centimes; hence begins a passage about 3m long, at the end of which the walls again divide, at right angles, to the north and south. Towards the north the clearing has not yet been continued, but the excavations towards the south have shown that after stretching 3m. 32c. in that direction, the wall turns westward, and is extended

*See the Plan (PL. I.). I must remark that this plan is the third of those sent me by M. BOTTA, and that it comprehends the state of the excavations up to the 2nd June. The present letter merely refers to the excavations marked I.—VIII., and to the wall marked XVII.-J. M.

These are the walls marked V. and VI.

to the same point from whence it started. The form of this edifice will be explained in the plan.

As the mound gradually rises to the east, the wall and brickwork, at first destroyed to their base, acquire height as they proceed in this course, and I have had the pleasure of seeing that the entire surface was covered with bas-reliefs, so much the more curious that some of them are evidently representations of an important historical fact. In order to describe them, I shall commence by the wall forming the northern side of the platform. Setting out from the extremity of the wall, towards that point where the sculptures become distinct, (VI.), we perceive the figure of a warrior clothed in armour, with a helmet on his head, falling backwards, pierced by a lance. Behind him are two archers, clad in the same manner, and discharging arrows in an opposite direction.* Where the wall turns, at right angles, towards the south, it is occupied by a bas-relief, (VII.), of which I send the most exact drawing I could possibly make.† In the

*See Plan II. On the edge of this plate may be observed the helmet of the fallen warrior; M. BOTTA remarks, in a note, that the figures are too indistinct to be given entire.-J. M.

† I have received the drawing to which M. BOTTA refers, but shall not be able to publish the bas-relief at present, my correspondent having pointed out, in a letter written afterwards, some

corner is a fortress, consisting of two embattled towers, and upon these are two personages (very much out of proportion); one raises his arms to heaven, in token of despair, while the other hurls a dart; more to the south, are two archers, with one knee on the ground, pointed helmets on their heads, and habited in coats of mail. One discharges an arrow towards the fortress; the other has one arm raised, and holds in his right hand an instrument, which I have drawn as correctly as I could distinguish it, but its use I am unable to divine. Behind these are two other archers, standing, in the act of discharging their arrows in the direction of the fortress. These figures are about three feet high; they are delineated with naiveté, but are not untrue to nature, nor are they wanting in spirit. This scene is surmounted by a cuneiform inscription, unfortunately so defaced that I despair of being able to transcribe much of it; besides there can be no doubt that a large proportion no longer remains, since, judging from the figures I am about to describe, the wall must have been tolerably high. I will copy all I can of this inscrip

corrections to be made in it, because similar bas-reliefs had assisted him more accurately to distinguish certain details. I have requested him to make an entirely new drawing.-J. M.

tion, because one single historical name may suffice to explain the bas-relief.

In the passage, the northern wall first presents a figure (VIII.) three feet high, of which I send a drawing;* then, more towards the east, is seen the lower part of a colossal personage, whose height should be at least eight feet; the legs are particularly well designed, and appear defended in front by armour.† The wall now turns to the north, and on this side the excavation has not been continued further. To the south of the platform, the first object discernible (v.) is the lower part of five human figures, plainly attired, and turned towards the east. Behind them walks a personage whose head is wanting, but who seems to have had wings. The wall, on turning to the north, displays a bas-relief, which I have copied.§ First, may be observed a man with a sword in his girdle, and holding in his hand a long staff; he is apparently driving before him a woman, whose hand contains, I think, a purse. In advance of her is another female, leading a naked child by the arm; she is preceded by a third, who appears to carry a sack or wine-skin on her shoulders. I imagine the whole of this side of

*See Plan III.

† Plan IV.

§ Plan VI.

Plan V.