The lower bas-relief on the same slab represented the siege of a castle, or walled city. To the left were two warriors, armed with a short sword and circular shield, and dressed in a tunic, edged by a fringe of tassels, and confined at the waist by a broad girdle. Each carried a quiver at his back, and a bow on his left arm. They wore the pointed helmets before described. The foremost warrior was ascending a ladder placed against the castle. Three turrets, with angular battlements, rose above walls similarly ornamented. In the first turret were two warriors, one in the act of discharging an arrow, the other raising a shield and casting a stone at the assailants, from whom the besieged were distinguished by their head-dress,a simple fillet binding the hair above the temples. The second turret was occupied by a slinger preparing his sling. In the interval between this turret and the third, and over an arched gateway, was a female figure, known by long hair descending upon her shoulders in ringlets. Her right hand was raised as if in the act of asking for mercy. In the third turret were two more of the besieged, the first discharging an arrow, the second elevating his shield and endeavoring with a torch to burn an instrument resembling a catapult, which had been brought up to the wall by an inclined plane apparently built of boughs of trees and rubbish. These figures were out of all proportion when compared with the size of the building. A warrior with a pointed helmet, bending on one knee, and holding a torch in his right hand, was setting fire to the gate of the castle, whilst another in full armour was forcing stones from the walls with an instrument, probably of iron, resembling a blunt spear. Between them was a wounded man falling headlong from the battlements.

The adjoining slab, which was angular in shape and formed a corner, was much injured, the greater part having been cut away to reduce it to convenient dimensions. The upper part, or the lower as reversed, was occupied by two warriors; the foremost in a pointed helmet, riding on one horse and leading a second; the other, without helmet, standing in a chariot,

and holding the reins loosely in his hands. 1 been destroyed, and the marks of the chisel v many parts of the slab, the sculpture having places carefully defaced. The lower bas-relief battlements and towers of a castle. A woman walls tearing her hair in token of grief. Benea of a stream, denoted by numerous undulating a fisherman drawing a fish from the water. exposed to fire like that adjoining, and had sust injury to be removed.

Thi

As I was meditating in the evening over Daoud Agha entered, and seating himself near a long speech, to the effect, that he was a servan who was again the slave of the Sultan; and that bound to obey the commands of their master agreeable and unjust they might be. I saw at this exordium was about to lead, and was pr announcement, that he had received orders from the excavations by threatening those who we work for me. On the following morning, there the town, and waited upon his Excellency. H be taken by surprise, disclaimed having given a and directed his secretary to write at once to t of the irregular troops, who was to give me e rather than throw impediments in my way. H let me have the letter in the afternoon before Selamiyah; but an officer came to me soon af that as the Pasha was unwilling to detain me he it during the night. I rode back to the village, Daoud Agha with the result of my visit. A however, he returned to me, and declared that a just brought him more stringent orders than a received, and that on no account was he to pern on the excavation.

Surprised at this inconsistency, I returned t next day, and again called upon the Pasha. "It

regret," said he, "I learnt, after your departure yesterday, that the mound in which you are digging had been used as a burying-ground by Mussulmans, and was covered with their graves; now you are aware that by the law it is forbidden to disturb a tomb, and the Cadi and Mufti have already made representations to me on the subject." "In the first place," replied I, "being pretty well acquainted with the mound, I can state that no graves have been disturbed; in the second, after the wise and firm 'politica' which your Excellency exhibited at Siwas, gravestones would present no difficulty. Please God, the Cadi and Mufti have profited by the lesson which your Excellency gave to the ill-mannered Ulema of that city." "In Siwas," returned he, immediately understanding my meaning, "I had Mussulmans to deal with, and there was tanzimat*, but here we have only Kurds and Arabs, and Wallah! they are beasts. No, I cannot allow you to proceed; you are my dearest and most intimate friend; if anything happens to you, what grief should I not suffer; your life is more valuable than old stones; besides, the responsibility would fall upon my head." Finding that the Pasha had resolved to interrupt my proceedings, I pretended to acquiesce in his answer, and requested that a Cawass of his own might be sent with me to Nimroud, as I wished to draw the sculptures and copy the inscriptions which had already been uncovered. To this he consented, and ordered an officer to accompany me.

On my return to Selamiyah there was little difficulty in inducing the Pasha's Cawass to permit a few workmen to guard the sculptures during the day; and as Daoud Agha considered that this functionary's presence relieved him from any further responsibility, he no longer interfered with me. Wishing to ascertain the existence of the graves, and also to draw one of the bas-reliefs, which had been uncovered, I rode to the ruins on the following morning, accompanied by the

*The reformed system, introduced into most provinces of Turkey, had not yet been extended to Mosul and Baghdad.

Hytas and their chief, who were going their u search of plundering Arabs. Daoud Agha conf our way that he had received orders to make mound, and that his troops had been employed in bringing stones from distant villages for "We have destroyed more real tombs of the t said he, "in making sham ones, than you coul between the Zab and Selamiyah. We have kil and ourselves in carrying those accursed stone rain setting in, I left the horsemen, and re village.

In the evening Daoud Agha brought back with and two of his followers severely wounded. H with a party of horsemen under Sheikh Abd-urAbou-Salman Arabs, whose object in crossing the to plunder me as I worked at the mound. After a ment, the Arabs were compelled to recross the ri

I continued to employ a few men to open trend experiment, and was not long in finding oth Near the western edge of the mound were discov part of several colossal figures, at the foot of th a crouching lion, rudely carved in black basalt, an a pair of gigantic winged bulls, the head and hal of which had been destroyed. On the backs of which the bulls were sculptured in high relief, tions in the arrow-headed character. The remain winged lions forming the entrance into a chamb relief nine feet in height, representing a human the right hand, and carrying a branch with thr sembling the poppy, in the left, were also uncover afforded no clue to the nature of the buildings, detached and unconnected walls had as yet been

The experiment had now been fairly made; longer any doubt of the existence not only of scul

* In Arabia, the graves are merely marked by large ston at the head and feet, and in a heap over the body.

scriptions, but even of large edifices in the interior of the mound of Nimroud. I lost no time, therefore, in acquainting Sir Stratford Canning with my discovery, and in urging the necessity of a Firman, or order from the Porte, which would prevent any future interference on the part of the authorities, or the inhabitants of the country.

It was now nearly Christmas, and as it was desirable to remove from the mound the tombs, which had been made by the Pasha's orders, and others, more genuine, which had since been found, I came to an understanding on the subject with Daoud Agha. I covered over the sculptures brought to light, and withdrew altogether from Nimroud, leaving an agent at Selamiyah.

On entering Mosul on the morning of the 18th of December, I found the whole population in a ferment of joy. A Tatar had that morning brought from Constantinople the welcome news that the Porte, at length alive to the wretched condition of the province, and to the misery of the inhabitants, had disgraced the governor, and had named Ismail Pasha, a young Major-General of the new school, to carry on affairs until Hafiz Pasha, who had been appointed to succeed Keritli Oglu, could reach his government.

Ismail Pasha, who had been for some time in command of the troops at Diarbekir, had gained a great reputation for justice amongst the Mussulmans, and for tolerance amongst the Christians. Consequently his appointment had given much satisfaction to the people of Mosul, who were prepared to receive him with a demonstration. However, he slipped into the town during the night, some time before he had been expected. On the following morning a change had taken place at the Palace, and Mohammed Pasha, with his followers, were reduced to extremities. The dragoman of the Consulate, who had business to transact with the late Governor, found him sitting in a dilapidated chamber, through which the rain penetrated without hindrance. "Thus it is," said he, "with God's creatures.

D