PHOTOGRAPHIC TRIUMPH

Northern Advocate, 19 December 1919, Page 3

PHOTOGRAPHIC TRIUMPH

FASCINATING INCIDENTAL DIS-

COVERY

A FOUR MILLION CITY FOUND,

At the Bournemouth meeting of the British Association in September in a contribution to the geographical section on Survey s in Mesopotamia During the War, Lieut.-Colonel G. A. Beazley, D.5.0., R.E., referred to an incidental discovery which opens up a new and fascinating vista before the air photographer. While photographs were being taken from the air in the neighbourhood of Samarrah, the outline in detail of a very large ancient city was revealed. The traces of walls_ foundations, public gardens, etc., which were not visible to anyone on the ground—or the significance of which, at any rate, could not be appreciated when seen piecemeal—showed up quite plainly on the photographs, and thus made known the plan of a city which though long forgotten, may have supported a po. j pulation of 4,000,000 in days before the Christian era, for it extended along the Tigris for a distance of twenty miles, and had a width of I about two and a half miles, and 125 souls per acre. NEW METHOD OF RESEARCH.

Colonel Beazley, in the May number of the "Geographical Journal," deals with this and other geographical discoveries which have attended survey operations from the air in Mesopotamia, and his anonuncement has drawn corroboration from Sir Aurel Stein, strongly urging the value of the new method of archaeological research. The distinguished explorer says that again and again when searching for the remains of ancient, civilisation in the reserts of Central Asia, he has longed for the means of obtaining a view of the ground from an adequate height. From the relatively small height of an isolated clay terrace in the Tunhuang Desert, at the western end of the Great Wall of China, he has been able to recognise the ramparts once enclosing a border castium.the lines of which were most difficult to trace on the spot, the ground being covered with reeds and scrub. But for the objection of adding to his load, he would have taken a man-carrying kite with him on his third expedition. Dif-1 Acuities in connection with supplies may still delay the use of aeroplanes in innermost Asia, but Sir Aurel Stein is convinced that in India much might be learnt by their use for the survey of ancient cities overgrown with scrub and jungle.

In Mesopotamia there would be no difficulties in taking suitable aeroplanes by water, while the AngloPersian Oil Company's works at Abadan Island, near Basra, is in practically all the way railway communication to Samarrah, and shortly with Mosul; therefore, the necessary fuel is easily supplied. The Arabian desert in the interior of_the great peninsula could also be explored by air.

The number of old age pensioners up to the end of October was 19,840, representing £734,080 a year; the number of widows' pensions was 3464, representing £120,880; and the number of military pensions 979, representing £44,942 a year. The amount actually paid in pensions during the war was £874,324.

At the recent Manawatu and West Coast Show Mr Ernest Short's champion Hereford bull, which is only three years old, when weighed turned the scale at 23521bs (one ton, one cwt.) This is a record for any breed

considering his age. His sire and dam were bred at Parorangi, and this achievement speaks well for the Feilding district. The bull which was runner-up to the Parorangi champion at the Show was an imported animal, and nine months older, having been purchased in England for 1000 guineas.

A discussion took place at I

meeting- of the Canterbury Cricket

Association concerning the life of

cricket balls, following on a let tor received from the Wellington asso-

ciation, asking for support in the matter of having the life of a ball extended beyond 200 runs in repre-

sentative matches. It was decided to

reply that such an alteration was not

considered necessary at present, particularly as the quality of the balls was not so good now as before.