pense of excavations in Assyria, in the hope that, should success attend the attempt, means would be found to carry it out on an adequate scale.

It was now in my power to prosecute a work which I had so long desired to undertake; and the reader will not, I trust, be disinclined to join with me in feelings of gratitude towards one who, whilst he has maintained so successfully the honor and interests of England by his high character and eminent abilities, has acquired for his country so many great monuments of ancient civilisation and art.* It is to Sir Stratford Canning we are mainly indebted for the collection of Assyrian antiquities with which the British Museum has been enriched; without his liberality and public spirit the treasures of Nimroud would have been reserved for the enterprise of those who have appreciated the value and importance of the discoveries at Khorsabad.

It was deemed prudent that I should leave Constantinople without acquainting any one with the object of my journey. I was furnished with the usual documents given to travellers when recommended by the Embassy, and with letters of introduction to the authorities at Mosul and in the neighborhood. My preparations were soon completed, and I started from Constantinople by steamer to Samsoun in the middle of October. Anxious to reach the end of my journey, I crossed the mountains of Pontus and the great steppes of the Usun Yilak as fast as post-horses could carry me, descended the high lands into the valley of the Tigris, galloped over the vast plains of Assyria, and reached Mosul in twelve days.

* I need scarcely remind the reader that it is to Sir S. Canning we owe the marbles of Halicarnassus now in the British Museum. The difficulties which stood in the way of the acquisition of these valuable relics, and the skill which was required to obtain them, are not generally known. I can testify to the efforts and labor which were necessary for nearly three years before the repugnance of the Ottoman government could be overcome, and permission obtained to extract the sculptures from the walls of a castle, which was more jealously guarded than any similar edifice in the empire. Their removal, notwithstanding the almost insurmountable difficulties raised by the authorities and inhabitants of Budroon, was most successfully effected by Mr. Alison. The Elgin marbles, and all other remains from Turkey or Greece now in Europe, were obtained with comparative ease.

CHAP. II.

MOHAMMED PASHA. HIS CRUELTIES. THE STATE OF START FOR NIMROUD. AN ARAB FAMILY. COMMENCE DISCOVERY OF A CHAMBER. OF INSCRIPTIONS. OF IV RETURN TO MOSUL.- CONDUCT OF THE PASHA.- E MENCED AMONGST VARIOUS RUINS. -RETURN TO NIMR DISCOVERIES. SELAMIYAH. DISCOVERY OF SCULPTU TION OF BAS-RELIEFS.-INTERRUPTED BY THE PASHA. COVERY OF SCULPTURES. DEPOSITION OF THE PASH FOR BAGHDAD.

My first step on reaching Mosul was to presen Mohammed Pasha, the governor of the provi native of Candia, he was usually known as Ke son of the Cretan), to distinguish him from his decessor of the same name. The appearance of was not prepossessing, but it matched his temper Nature had placed hypocrisy beyond his reach. eye and one ear; he was short and fat, deeply m small-pox, uncouth in gestures and harsh in voi had reached the seat of his government before road he had revived many good old customs an which the reforming spirit of the age had suffer decay. He particularly insisted on dish-parasi pensation in money, levied upon all villages in w such rank is entertained, for the wear and tear masticating the food he condescends to receive fro ants.

On entering Mosul, he had induced severa cipal Aghas, who had fled from the town on his

*Literally, "tooth-money."

return to their homes; and having made a formal display of oaths and protestations, cut their throats to show how much his word could be depended upon. At the time of my arrival, the population was in a state of terror and despair. Even the appearance of a casual traveller led to hopes, and reports were whispered about the town of the disgrace of the tyrant. Of this the Pasha was aware, and hit upon a plan to test the feelings of the people towards him. He was suddenly taken ill one afternoon, and was carried to his harem almost lifeless. On the following morning the palace was closed, and the attendants answered inquiries by mysterious motions, which could only be interpreted in one fashion. The doubts of the Mosuleeans gradually gave way to general rejoicings; but at mid-day his Excellency, who had posted his spies all over the town, appeared in perfect health in the market-place. A general trembling seized the inhabitants. His vengeance fell principally upon those who possessed property, and had hitherto escaped his rapacity. They were seized and stripped, on the plea that they had spread reports detrimental to his authority.

The villages, and the Arab tribes, had not suffered less than the townspeople. The Pasha was accustomed to give instructions to those who were sent to collect money, in three words.

Go, destroy, eat;' "* and his agents were not generally backward in entering into the spirit of them. The tribes, who had been attacked and plundered, were retaliating upon caravans and travellers, or laying waste the cultivated parts of the Pashalic. The villages were deserted, and the roads were little frequented and very insecure.

Such was the Pasha to whom I was introduced two days after my arrival by the British Vice-Consul, Mr. Rassam. He read the letters which I presented to him, and received me with that civility which a traveller generally expects from a Turkish functionary of high rank. His anxiety to know the object of

*To eat money, i. e. to get money unlawfully or by pillage, is a common expression in the East.

my journey was evident, but his curiosity was no the moment.

Many reasons rendered it necessary that my pl concealed, until I was ready to put them into ex though I had always experienced from M. B friendly assistance, there were others who did sentiments; from the authorities and the people could only expect the most decided opposition. November, having secretly procured a few tool a mason at the moment of my departure, and car a variety of guns, spears, and other formidable clared that I was going to hunt wild boars in a village, and floated down the Tigris on a small ra for my journey. I was accompanied by Mr. Ro merchant of Mosul*,) my Cawass, and a servant.

At this time of the year nearly seven hours to descend the Tigris, from Mosul to Nimroud. before we reached the Awai, or dam across th landed and walked to the village of Naifa. No 1 as we approached, nor were we even saluted by th usually abound in an Arab village. We had ente ruins. I was about to return to the raft, upon made up our minds to pass the night, when the lighted up the entrance to a miserable hovel. crevice in the wall, I saw an Arab family crouch heap of half-extinguished embers. The dress of ample cloak and white turban, showed that he one of the tribes, which cultivate a little land on of the Desert, and are distinguished, by their m habits, from the Bedouins. Near him were three and haggard, their heads almost concealed in bla

* Mr. Ross will perhaps permit me to acknowledge in a n assistance I received from him, during my labors in Assyr ledge of the natives, and intimate acquaintance with the r country, enabled him to contribute much to the success of m whilst to his friendship I am indebted for many pleasant hou have been passed wearily in a land of strangers.

chiefs, and the rest of their persons enveloped in the striped aba. Some children, nearly naked, and one or two mangy greyhounds, completed the group. As we entered all the party rose, and showed some alarm at this sudden appearance of strangers. The man, however, seeing Europeans, bid us welcome, and spreading some corn-sacks on the ground, invited us to be seated. The women and children retreated into a corner of the hut. Our host, whose name was Awad or Abd-Allah, was a sheikh of the Jehesh. His tribe having been plundered by the Pasha, and being now scattered in different parts of the country, he had taken refuge in this ruined village. He had learnt a little Turkish, and was intelligent and active. Seeing, at once, that he would be useful, I acquainted him with the object of my journey; offering him the prospect of regular employment in the event of the experiment proving successful, and assigning him fixed wages as superintendent of the workmen. He volunteered to walk, in the middle of the night, to Selamiyah, a village three miles distant, and to some Arab tents in the neighborhood, to procure men to assist in the excavations.

I had slept little during the night. The hovel in which we had taken shelter, and its inmates, did not invite slumber; but such scenes and companions were not new to me: they could have been forgotten, had my brain been less excited. Hopes, long cherished, were now to be realised, or were to end in disappointment. Visions of palaces under-ground, of gigantic monsters, of sculptured figures, and endless inscriptions, floated before me. After forming plan after plan for removing the earth, and extricating these treasures, I fancied myself wandering in a maze of chambers from which I could find no outlet. Then, again, all was reburied, and I was standing on the grasscovered mound. Exhausted, I was at length sinking into sleep, when hearing the voice of Awad, I rose from my carpet, and joined him outside the hovel. The day already dawned; he had returned with six Arabs, who agreed for a small sum to work under my direction.