Travels in Koordistan, Mesopotamia, etc. including an account of parts of those countries hitherto unvisited by Europeans

Front matter

B,- » IF -&©»(. TR AVEL S IN KOORDISTAN, MESOPOTAMIA, &c. INCLUDING AN ACCOUNT OF PARTS OF THOSE COUNTRIES HITHERTO UNVISITED BY EUROPEANS. WITH SKETCHES OF THE CHARACTER AND MANNERS OF THE KOORDISH AND ARAB TRIBES. BY J. BAILLIE FRASER, ESQ. AUTHOR OF • THE KUZZILBASH," " A WINTER'S JOURNEY TO PERSIA," ETC IN TWO VOLUMES. VOL. II. LONDON: RICHARD BENTLEY, NEW BURLINGTON STREET, A&iMi£bev in ©roinarg to &cr fHajesftu. 1840. LONDON : PKINTEU BY SAMUEL RENTI.KY, Uangor House, Shoe Lane. CONTENTS Of THE SECOND VOLUME.

Letter I

Leave Baghdad — Seleucia — Ctesiphon. — Arab Sheikhs. — Tauk e-Kesra. — Cross the Jezreerah to Mahawil. — Ancient Sites. — Wandering in the Dark. — Principal Ruins of Babylon. — The Mujellibeh. — View from its Summit. — El-Kasr. — Hill of Amran. — Hillah. — The Euphrates. — Impressions of the Day. — An Arab Friend. — Pilgrim Servants ..... Page 1

Letter II

The Birs-e-Nimrood. — Speculations on the mode of its Over throw. — View from its Summit. — Conjectures as to its Origin, Use, and Identity with the Tower of Babel— Bursif, or Borsippa. — A disagreeable Surprise. — Insolent Soldiery. — A Friend in Need and a cold Supper. — Antiques of Various Eras . . 20 2(>-

Letter III

A New Year's Wish Leave Hillah. — Contrast between the Turkish Governor and our Arab Host. — The Pilgrims return. — a% CONTENTS. Mode of Cultivation. — Al-Heimer.— Fellah Arabs. — A dreary Ride.— Cold New Year's Night.— Hunger and Thirst.— Marsh on Fire.— Singular Chase.— Camp ofthe Zobeid.— The Sheikh.— Fair Offer.— Cold Quarters. — Iskhuriah.— Feast of an Arab Sheikh.— Hospitable Expenditure Page 33

Letter IV

The Guide Nuisance. — Desert Ride and Bivouac. — Alarm. — Display of Arab Courage. — More dangerous Incident and Provi dential Escape. — Second Bivouac. — Short Commons. — Friendly Meeting. — Manœuvre. — Reluctant Hospitality. — Arab Honesty — Threatening of a "Row." — The Ben-i-Rikab. — More Attempts at Thieving. — Primitive Husbandry. — Madan Arabs. — Their Charac ter and Abodes. — More ancient Sites. — Serious Obstacle. — Mode of Crossing a deep Creek. — Another Night with the Madans. — Cross ing the Euphrates. — Um-Ghyer, a curious Ruin. — First Montefic Camp — Origin and present Condition of the Montefic. — First View of the Montefic Camp. — The Sheikh Absent. — His Employment .......... 58

Letter V

Sook-u-Shiookh. — Its Bazaars. — Difficulty of procuring Lodg ings. — Trade of the Place. — A Persian Friend. — Mode of Feeding Guests at Free Cost. — Commerce and its effects. — A Character. Extortion. — The Sheikh's Tent. — Assembly — and Appearance His conversation — and Coffee. — Leaves us in the Lurch. — We lose a Companion. — Beauties of Sook-u-Shiookh. — We follow the Sheikh to Koote. — Specidations regarding our Homeward Course. Value of a Sheikh's Promise. — Second Interview with his Hio-hness. Doings thereat. — Sheikh's Gift.— We Commence our Return The Sheikh's Cousin — Disposal of his Highness's Presents CONTENTS. V

Letter VI

Recross the Euphrates. — An Instance of Oppression. — Sunkhera. — Workha. — Marashedieh Arabs. — Characteristic Meal. — A Sleepless Night. — Til-Eide. — Vast Mounds and Ancient Ves tiges. — Guttubeh. — Camp of the Toghiah Arabs. — Sites. — Bivouac. — Great Cold. — Miss the Sheikh Zobeid's Camp, and fall in with that of the Shummur. — Bad Conduct of our Guides, and Extortion of our Hosts. — Obliged to retrace our way Southward to the Sheikh's Camp. — Sad Confusion and Want there. — More Trouble about Guides. — Reach Shamlee. — Zibliyeh. — Moollah Allee's Simplicity. — Moving Sand-hills. — Course to Mahawil. — Anise at Baghdad Page 135

Letter VII

News, on our Arrival at Baghdad, from Persia. — State of that Country. — Expedition to Ager Kouf— its Height and Construction. — An Accident. — Preparations for returning homewards » 160

Letter VIII

Leave Baghdad. — Caravanserai Chole. — Ferry over the Diala. — A bold Thief well trounced. — Bakoubah. — Supposed Site of Des taghird. — A furious Storm. — Shehrewan. — Khanakee.— Kars-e- Shireen. — Eeliaut Robbers. — Madan Arabs near Zohab. — Pool-e- Zohab. — Pass and Town of Kerrend. — Haroonabad — Reach Ker mansha. — The Vizier. — Solymaun Khan Gouraun — his House — the Palace — and Prince . . . . . . . 166

Letter IX

Discomforts of Persian Cities in Rain or Snow. — Leave Kerman shah. — Besittoon and its Antiquities. — Inconvenient Hospitality. CONTENTS. VI —Lose our Road.— Snow and Ice Prospect of Starvation averted by a strong measure.— Temple of Diana at Kengaver.— Seyedabad. —Cold Lodgings.— Uncomfortable Anticipations.— Pass of Seyeda bad.—An awkward Rencounter. — Fray the Second.— Seyeds and Hadjees. — Reach Hamadan. — Comfortless Caravanserai. — Parting with Servants. — Visit to the Tomb of Esther at Hamadan. Page 195

Letter X

Leave Hamadan. — Beebeekabad. — Frozen Morass. — Wastes of Snow. — Gaugemnar. — Sore Eyes. — Courcys. — Shemereen. — Its two Chiefs. — The Secret of how to keep Warm. — Severe Mountain March, and Descent into the Plains. — Pleasant Sight of Familiar Objects, and Arrival at Assiaubeg. .... 224

Letter XII

Robaut-e-Kereem. — Reach Tehran. — Successful Completion of my Journey. — Aspect of the Capital under its new Master. — Visit to the Sipurdar and to Count Simonitch. — Members of the Russian Mission ......... 233

Letter XIII

Some Particulars relative to the late Shah's Death, and the Ac cession of the young Monarch, Mahomed Shah. — The late King's Journey to Ispahan — Motives of that Journey. — Its progress. —His death. — The Firmaun Firmaee assumes the Ensigns of Royalty. — News of the Shah's Death reach Tabreez. — Extreme Difficulty found by the British Envoy there to rouse the Prince and Kaymookam to action. — Great Exertions of the Envoy and British Officers. — Extraordinary conduct of the Persian Autho rities.—The Army Marches, the Advance under Sir H. B. Lind- CONTENTS. VII say. —An Army despatched by the Zil-e-Sultaun to oppose the Prince's Progress. — Disbands and joins the Prince's Force. — His Royal Highness arrives at Tehran — is crowned King there. — After great Delay a Force despatched to subdue the South of Persia. — King's Subjection to the Authority of his Minister. Page 246

Letter XIV

The Hakeem Bashee. — Visit to the Minister. — Meerza Allee. — The Kaymookam. — A promising Conference abruptly broken up. — Another Interview. — A tough and wily Argumentator. — Dietetics. — A strange Meal — and an unsatisfactory interview. — Audience of His Majesty. — A last Visit to the Kaymookam — singular Place of Reception. — A strong Dose of Truth. — News from Home. — Speculations Hadjee Aga. — A Persian Breakfast. — A Russian Breakfast. — Ispahan taken by Sir H. B. Lindsay, and the Fir maun Firmaee's Army defeated near Muxood Beggee. — Continued perversity of the Kaymookam. — His Character. — England's Re sponsibility to Persia. — The Shah and the Bone Setters. — News from Khorasan 263

Letter XV

Leave Tehran. — Chupper. — Chupperchees and their Horses. — Suleimaniah. — Mahomedabad. — Lose our way. — Goomree. — Cas veen. — Difficulties of proceeding. — Abhur. — Extreme Cold. — Dying Camel. — Sutanieh. — Zenjaun. — The Hakim of Arma ghana. — Akhend. — Kafflan-Koh. — Meeana. — Severe Stage to Toorkomanchai. — Oujan. — Tabreez.— New Route. — The Ameer-e- Nizam. — Hakim of Khooe. — Hollow Civility. — A weary Stage — Snug Quarters at Khara Ziazeen. — Boundary of Armenia Tedious Progress. — Makoo. — Allee Khan. — A bitter night's Ride. — The Jelalee Koords. — Bayazeed. — Diadeen. — Kar-Ecclesia. — CONTENTS. VIII Topra Kallah Seydee Khan. — Storm-stayed there. — Severe Struggle in the Pass of Deha.— A bitter Gale.— Hassan Kalleh.— A last Struggle.— Erzeroom Page 295

Letter XVI

Preparations. — Measures for putting down Thieves. — Unlucky Start. — Ashkallah. — Irakh. — An old Halting-place. — Koords. — Snow again. — Elma Dagh. — ChifHick. — Sheerannee. — Familiar Scenery. — A gallop to Kara Hissar. — A nervous Stage to Kulee Hissar. — Disappointment and Delay. — Cold weather. — Coffee. — Baking. — Interesting Scenery. — Niskar. — Tocat. — Toorkhal. — A Dilemma. — Drowsiness. — Amasia. — Marsteewan. — Drekler Dagh. — Ride in the Dark. — Surmas-e- Kiayah. — Hadjee Humza. — Successful Remonstrance. — Tosia — Khoja-Hissar. — Karajuran. — Karajillar. — The Hour of Rest. — Humamloo. — Bitter Night's Ride. — Gheriza. — Boli — its Plains and Pass. — Ducheh. — Severe Stage to Khunduc. — Wet Ride to Sabanjah. — Ismid. — Change of Conveyance. — Cus tom-house Interference. — Rough Driving. — Reach Constantinople ......... 344

Letter XVII

Anxieties of a Traveller. — Interesting Rencounters. — Therapia. — Magnificent Plane-tree. — The Bosphorus. — Constantinople. — Mosques. — Cisterns. — Seraskier's Tower. — Madhouse. — The Hippodrome. — The Serai. — Aqueducts. — The Et-Maidaun. — Dancing Dervishes. — March of Improvement. — Gradual Changes affecting even the Ladies. — Turkey and Poland. — Speculations. 387

Letter XVIII

Start from Constantinople — Sillivria. — Rain and Mud. — Chorli. — Bourgos — Eskee Baba. — Apsa. — Adrianople. — Heavy Rain. — CONTENTS. IX Ibepcheh Hermanlee. — Bulgarian Haymakers. — Simple Bi vouac. — Eskewf . — Philipopoli. — Hard Gallopping. — Irresistible Drowsiness. — Ihtuman. — Sopia. — Hard Riding. — Bulgarian Costume — Khalkhallee Expense of Posters. — Ak-Palanka. — A Tumole. — The last Balcan. — Robbers. — Tower of Skulls. — Nissa. — Frontiers of Servia. — Nightingales. — Active Suragee. — Delay at Jagodina. — Trick prevented. — Tedious Ride. — Light hearted Traveller. — Servian Fare and Music. — Caution to Tra vellers. — Adieu to Turkish Posting. — Rest . . Page 409

Letter XIX

Austrian Guard-houses. — Entrance into Limbo. — Ceremonies thereon. — Lodgings. — Arrangements. — A Day in Quarantine.- — Description of the Lazaretto. — Ceremonies and Arrangements on Exit. — A Supper. — National Dishes and Games. — Arrival of Courier. — Start from Semlin. — Bad Roads and Horses. — Car lovitz. — Peterwaradin. — Keep the Right Bank of the Danube. — Sclavonian Scenery. — Essek its Capital. — Fiinfkerkhen. — Post horses found by the Proprietors of Estates. — Grand Kanitza — Stein-en-Anger. — Guntz. — Oldenburgh. — Reach Vienna. — Ar rangements. — Leave Vienna. — Rapid Course to Frankfort, Brus sels, and Home ......... 448 b VOL. TRAVELS IN KOORDISTAN AND MESOPOTAMIA.

Letter I

Leave Baghdad. — Seleucia — Ctesiphon. — Arab Sheikhs. — Tauke-Kesra. — Cross the Jezreerah to Mahawil. — Ancient Sites. — Wandering in the Dark. — Principal Ruins of Babylon. — The Mujellibeh. — View from its Summit. — El-Kasr. — Hill of Amran. — Hillah. — The Euphrates. — Impressions of the Day. — An Arab Friend, — Pilgrim Servants. Hillah, or Old Babylon, 28th December. Here we are, dear , once more in motion, thank Heaven ! and on our intended route. On the 22nd everything was in readiness ; but we were detained chiefly by a high southerly wind, which raised such a surge in the river that they have been obliged, as on all similar occasions, to open the bridge of crazy boats, lest they should sink and the fabric be destroyed. We tried to get the horses over in gooffahs, but they would not look at the clumsy conveyances, so that we were forced to en dure the delay.

On the 23rd, our patience was simi- VOL. II. b OUR PARTY AND GUIDE. larly tried : the wind blew a perfect gale, so that we were forced to content ourselves with our comfortable quarters at Colonel Taylor's. On the 24th, the bridge having been re-united, our horses and baggage were enabled to pass, and hav ing left the town by the Hillah gate at nine o'clock in the morning, we directed our course towards the ruins of Seleucia and Ctesiphon. A goodly caval cade we formed in all ; for, with Mr. Finlay, Dr. Ross, and the servants, together with the Arab guide, we numbered not less than fifteen persons. This guide, who is furnished by the Zobeid Sheikh, is a tall, gaunt, meagre negro, with thick lips, great buck teeth, and prominent white eyes ; remarkably grave and stupid-looking, and silent withal, save when, with out either rhyme or reason, or any apparent cause, he bursts out with Stentorian voice into a most selcouth roar of song !

The morning was foggy ; but when, after some hours, the fog had cleared away, it was a delightful relief, after the long confinement in Bagh dad, to find ourselves at large in the open expanse, even of the desert : — desert it may be called in so far as it bore no traces of man, but the soil was fit for anything : it was, in short, the fat alluvial soil of Me sopotamia, the garden of the world of yore, though now only producing some bushes of a species of dwarf acacia (mimosa agrestis ?— the seed of which is called St. John's bread), capers, and certain salsuginous herbs. Our ride was only varied by crossing the bed of an ancient canal, now dried up ; and in five hours and a half, we found ourselves entering the circuit of old Seleucia, part of the walls CTESIPHON AND SELEUCIA. 3 of which still remain, and are of a very considerable height.

The two cities of Ctesiphon (or Ul-Madain), and Seleucia, were built on each side of the river, and opposite each other, though flourishing at different periods. Of the latter, the only remains are the mounds of a great wall which, in fact, embraced both banks, and which inclosed an immense space of ground, over which are scattered abundance of other mounds of various dimensions ; but all alike bearing testimony to having been once the abodes of man, in the fragments of brick, pottery, broken glass, and other such relics, with which they are thickly strewed. By the mere passing traveller, who can not afford time to wander over and examine such ruins with the science and patient perseverance of an antiquary, little is to be gained from inspecting them, beyond the power of having to say that he has seen them, and has actually been on such and such a site, with the feelings which such vestiges of un doubted antiquity may give rise to — yet assuredly this is something, and something, too, worth toil ing for.

The ruins, or rather ruin, of Ctesiphon (for there is but one relic of that once rich and noble city), is calculated to excite far different sensations ; for no one can view the Tauk-e-Kesra without being strongly impressed with the gigantic grandeur of the building, of which it must have formed a part, and the magnificent conceptions of the monarch who raised it. There is no Eastern palace with which I am acquainted, which possesses such a facade, b ARAB SHEIKHS. or, if we suppose it to have been merely a gate way, such an entrance. The Ali Capi at Ispahan, or the gates of the Palace at Dehlee, magnificent structures in themselves, sink into insignificance beside the Tauk-e-Kesra ; for which of them can boast of an archway more than one hundred feet high ? We did not, however, visit this splendid relic until the next morning, when, not without some trouble and manœuvring, we procured a gooffah to cross the river. l\was a dark morning, and the sun rose in clouds of orange and blood-red, right behind the Tauk, which thus rose strongly defined against the increasing light.

It was a sin gularly striking effect. Around it, amongst numerous irregular mounds, we found a whole camp of Arab tents; but the Sheikh of the tribe, a most black guard, truculent-looking villain, whose huge red brown nose was guilty of breaking the ninth commandment, if its owner did not indulge abun dantly in forbidden potations, came over to welcome us, and all was right. Another fellow of the same description, however, came gallopping up with six or eight ragamuffins, to know who we were ; and having heard, he addressed the Sheikh sayino- "It is well for these men that they are with you, for had it not been so, by Allah I would have stripped them naked !" and, Heaven knows, he looked his wishes to the life, if he did not try to put them into execution. One of the party, however, laughed at him and said—" Perhaps it is just as well for you that you did not try—look here, and see if THE TAUK-E-KESRA. 5 you think we are men to be plundered for nothing ;" and he showed him my double-barrelled detonator and a brace of double-barrelled pistols — a sight which had an evident effect upon his courage, and as obviously increased his respect.

He examined the gun par ticularly ; and on returning it, said bitterly — " Ah ! the curse of God be on the gun that shoots with out flint or fire!" He however followed us to the river side, and remained hovering about till we crossed. I will not here attempt an elaborate description of the Tauk, but only say that it consists of a facade of more than three hundred feet long, in which there is an archway one hundred and six feet high, entering into what must have been one of the noblest halls in the world ; the rest of the facade on either side being embellished with four tiers of pilasters, and small arches like windows. This is almost all that remains of the building, and even this, though formed of the most exquisite brickwork, has suffered so severely from the hand of time, that we can only guess at the character and appearance of the whole when complete.

It is surrounded by a number of mounds, and the country, to a great extent about, bears everywhere vestiges of ancient sites, in the broken bricks, glass, pottery, porcelain, &c. that abounds. While we were looking around us, an Arab came up and offered for sale a rock-crystal cylinder and antiques of various sorts which he had picked up not far from the place where we stood : coins, intaglios, brass images, and such things are frequently found by the wandering Arabs, or shep- VESTIGES OF FORMER POPULATION. herds who graze their flocks here. I took two views of this interesting ruin, which, I regret to say, is going rapidly to decay from the assaults both of man and of the seasons, and left it, after linger ing and admiring it for several hours ; but we were unfortunately pressed for time, being anxious to reach a khan or caravanserai named Mahawil, before nightfall — so, after re-crossing, we took a hasty breakfast, and were on our horses by half an hour after noon.

Our ride, so long as daylight lasted, served at least to convince us how populous the land must have been in times of old ; for scarcely did we tra verse a mile of it without passing over the site of some ancient city, or town, or village. Some times we found a whole tract covered with fragments of bricks, pottery, and glass ; and it was re markable, that all of these sites are utterly bare of vegetation, so that, even independent of the appearance of debris, we could tell when we were crossing one. Mounds, also, of the same substances were numerous ; but low, and altogether shapeless. Sections of funereal vases and coffins, which we observed protruding from them, marked them as re ceptacles for the reliques of the dead. We likewise crossed a number of old canals, all dry and useless now ; and, in short, no one, who has had any ex perience in these matters, could doubt, from the vestiges so thickly spread over this day's march, that, either some immense city had once flourished here, or, what is more probable, that the whole country, from Seleucia to Babylon, had once been EXTENSIVE ENCAMPMENT. 7 covered with the abodes of men, in every various shape and form of city, town, and village.

For more than an hour before sunset, we had observed the desert dotted with many herds of camels, which with their drivers appeared all bend ing their steps to one point; and just a little be fore the sun disappeared, on mounting one of the tills — as the mounds of ancient sites are called by the Arabs — in order to look round us before dark, we found ourselves overlooking the first extensive Arab encampment I had seen. It stretched to the right and left on the plain below us, as far on either hand as we could see, a confused mass of tents, and human beings, and animals, while the latter were still streaming towards it from various quarters ; I never saw so many camels together before ; I am confident there must have been hun dreds of thousands of these, besides other animals, and tents for four or five thousand people ; they absolutely blackened the earth.

These were the Jerboah Arabs, who, driven southward by the Aneiza, had come down to the upper grounds of the Zobeid, poking about for what they could pick up in the way of pasture, until their own country should be free from the enemy : it was a very pic turesque and interesting sight. Night fell, and the crackling of the potsherds under our horses' feet told us that we were still trampling on what had been human habitations ; but the night grew dark and cloudy, and as with out stars or compass, or land-mark of any sort, nor even the slighest track to guide him, even an Arab LOSE OUR WAY. must be at fault, the natural result was, that we lost our way, and for several hours we wandered about in cold and darkness, stumbling over broken ground, plunging into dry canals, arid scrambling over mounds, till at length we held it advisable to call a council of war, when our guide gaped in astonishment at finding that, for some time past, he had been going nearly north instead of south.

We now took the matter into our own hands ; and knowing the direction of the Hillah road, pursued it so nearly that a muleteer of the party discovered where we were, just within two hundred yards of the Nasseriyeh khan, or caravanserai, to which, weary, chilled, and hungry, we forthwith adjourned. But our troubles were not yet ended; for it was not without much difficulty, and a regular row, that we got lodged at all, and then we were likely to go supperless to bed, in consequence of a quarrel among my servants, among whom the apple of discord appeared to have been thrown, and who required some sharp chastisement before order could be restored. While sitting thus, comfortless and cold, with scarcely a handful of weeds to make a blaze and warm us, you will not wonder that thoughts of the pleasant doings of this merry season, in our own well-beloved land, should rise to our remembrance, and of the circle of dear ones that might be gathered round the fireside of our homes, thinking, no doubt, upon their absent travellers.

How might it fare with them ? In the many chances of this changeful world, what breaches might not have been made in these family groups, even since we bade FIRST VIEW OF THE RUINS. them adieu: it was an anxious thought, and one which it does not do for travellers to dwell upon ; so we cheered ourselves as well as we could, swallowed our scanty meal as soon as our sulky ser vants would give it to us, and stretched ourselves to sleep upon our carpets for the night. Next morning, the 26th, after a more regular court-martial on my servants, followed by some well-merited punishment, and a good dose of ad monition to the whole, on the subject of peace and unanimity, which, I doubt not, met the usual fate of such homilies, we left the khan and pushed on towards the ruins of the mighty Babylon. Already were we within the precincts attributed to its walls, and the vestiges of mounds and debris soon in creased upon us.

By and by the huge form of the Mujellibeh rose to our view, overtopping the inter vening banks of several dry canals. This ruin is one of the principal reliques supposed to belong to ancient Babylon ; but, before going further, it may be proper to mention what are the most remarkable and important of these remains, though without entering either into any minute description, or attempting to reconcile the various opinions that are entertained by the learned regarding their ori gin and identity with the celebrated structures of antiquity. For these matters I must refer you to the works of more able and laborious travellers ; nor can you be at a loss with the learning of Rennel and D'Anville, and many other sages, in their olosets — the observations of Rich, Buckingham, and Porter, besides other travellers of greater antiquity, RUINS OF BABYLON. upon the spot : I shall only think of relating what I saw.

The ruins of Babylon, as they are supposed to be, then, consist of an immense extent of low rounded (or amorphous) mounds, of the same na ture as those I have described in our last march, and of which, upon the right or west bank of the Euphrates, the lofty mass, called the Birs-e-Nimrood, is pre-eminent. On the left, there is, first, the Mujellibeh, which we have just reached ; secondly, directly south of this is the Kasr, a heap of buildings, supposed to represent the great imperial palace with the hanging gardens, close to which is a considerable mass of mounds, which some imagine to be a smaller palace. Still further south is the hill of Amran ; a more extensive, though less lofty mass than the last, which must comprise the reliques of many and important edifices. To the E.N.E. at the distance of about six miles from the Mujellibeh, is found an insulated and lofty conical mound, named Al-Heimer ; and, lastly, a considerable conical mound called the Tuebo, and by some considered to be the N.E. angle of the ancient city, stands about fifteen miles to the north of those just enumerated.

There are, besides, a vast num ber of inferior heaps, some of which indicate the courses of canals that irrigated the country, or supplied distant quarters of the city with water, and some are the remains of ramparts which probably inclosed and defended the principal edifices. To proceed. The Mujellibeh is a solid quad rangular mound, the sides of which face the car- THE MUJELLIBEH. 11 dinal points. Its height I was not inclined to estimate at more than ninety or a hundred feet in the loftiest part ; but I observe that Sir. R. Porter assigns to it that of one hundred and forty feet, and another traveller (Mignon), since his time, calls it one hundred and thirty-nine ; so that I must, no doubt, have been deceived, having had neither time nor means to measure it. In the same man ner travellers differ as to the dimensions of its base.

Sir R. Porter sets down the length of its sides at five hundred and fifty-two and five hundred and fifty-one feet, for those to the north and south, and two hundred and thirty each for those to the east and west. Mignon says he measured them carefully, and that the visible north face is two hundred and seventy-four yards ; the south, two hundred and fifty-six ; the east, two hundred and twenty-six ; and the west, two hundred and forty. Believing that all this had already been settled by Rich, Buckingham, Porter, and others, I confess I did not measure any of the faces ; and, my time being limited, so that I could not hope to make new discoveries, or add to the light which it is supposed has been shed over these ruins, and the dark subject of their origin and history, by the laborious inquiries of antiquaries, I restricted my examination to the satisfaction of my own curiosity, and can therefore tell you only what I saw.

This in the Mujellibeh was little enough. It is now but a mass of crumbled and crumbling bricks, both raw and fire-baked, mingled with the usual debris of pottery, glass, and slag, in a confusion worthy of VIEW FROM ITS SUMMIT. 12 its name which, according to some, is a corruption of Mukalibeh, or "the overturned." Indeed, so completely have the form and structure of this remarkable mass been destroyed by time and sea son, and the hand of man, that, to a passing ob server like myself, it seems vain to conjecture with any hope of correctness at its former shape, extent, or uses. The under part appears to have been pierced by continuous rows of small vaults or chambers, which may have merely served to support the superstructure, though some bear the resem blance of habitations. Mr. Rich found in them earthenware, coffins with skeletons, and urns, which favour the opinion that it had, at some period, been used as a receptacle for the dead.

It is furrowed by the rains into thousands of little ravines, and the slope is, in most places, so easy as to make the ascent to its top a matter of no difficulty. The platform of the summit is very unequal, and riven, like the sides, into holes and furrows, in some of which can be seen the form and structure of the brickwork, both sun and fire dried, of which it is composed. From hence, too, a wide and desolate view is obtained. A multitude of mounds and canals stretch on all sides as far as the eye can reach. On the one side rose the red cone of Al-Heimer and on the other, at a greater distance, the still more imposing form of the Birs. The modern town of Hillah, distant between three and four miles, was almost lost among the mounds of antiquity, and chiefly discernible from its date tree groves.