MR. LAVARD'S RESEARCHES AT NIMROOD (From the Sydney Morning Herald,)

New Zealander, Volume 3, Issue 143, 13 October 1847, Page 3

MR. LAVARD'S RESEARCHES AT NIMROOD (From the Sydney Morning Herald,)

We have, on several occasions, given brief notices of the lesearehes which have been made by oiii distinguished countryman Mr. Lavard, in the neighborhood of Mosul. These researches have already been attended with most impottant results, and I here is reason to believe that the la bonrs of Mr* L:narri will be ultimately ci owned with complete success. We have now the pleasure ol lading before our readers, a communication which will be lead with the deepest interest, and lor which we are indebted to a correspondent of the Morning Post:— "Bagdad, Dec 27. — I took the opportunity while at Mosul, of visiting the excavations of Nimrood. Mr. Layard, the gentleman who has been upwards of a year engaged in this task, and who has lately undertaken to continue it at the expense, and for the advantage, of (ho Hi itish Government, took me through Hie branches and explained to me the nature and extent of his operations. I should begin by stating that thece wonderful remains are all undergiound, having been buried for centuries, under a huge mound, called by the people of the country Nimrood. To get at them, Mr. Lay aid has excavated the earth to the depth of from twelve to fifteen feet, where he has come to a building composed of slabs of marble. In this place, which forms the north western angle of the mound, he has fallen upon the interior of a large palace, consuting of a labyrinth of halls, chambers, and galleries, the walls of which are covered with bat-reliefs and inscriptions in the cuneiform character, all in excellent preierralion. The upper pait of the walls which were of brick, painted wiM flowers, &«., in the brightest colors, mid the roofs, which were of wood have fallen in — but fragments ol them are strewed about. The time when 1 first descended into these chambers was towards evening, the shades of which added to the mysterious awe of the surrounding objects. It was with no little excitement that 1 found myself in the magnificent abode of the old Assyrian Kings. The walls were crowded with the phantoms of the past—in the words of Byron — •• Three thousand years their cloudy wings expand," unfold.*

ing lo view a vivid representation of lliosc who conquered and possessed so Inrge apoition of the earth. There they were, in the oriental pomp of richly embroidered robes, and quaintly artificial coiffure. There also were their steeds in peace ami war, their audiences, battles, sieges, lion-hunts, &c. The portly forms of Kings and Viziers, were so life-like, and carved in such fine relief, Unit they might almost be imagined to be stepping from the walls to question the rash intruder on their privacy. Mingled with these, were the old Assyrian deities, with human bodies, long drooping wings, and the heads iind beaks of eagles— or still faithfully guarding the poitals of these deserted halls, the colossal forms of winged lions and bulls, v» ill) gigantic human faces. All these figures, the idols of a religion long since bniied like themselves, seemed in twilight to be laising their desecrated heads, from the sleep of centuries. The mound of Nimiooil is about eighteen miles from Mosul, close to which city, on the opposite bank of the Tigris, is another mound which goes by the name of Nineveh. The claims of Nitnrood to be considered the siteof ancient Nineveh, is by more limn one authority, said to be at least as good as thai of the latter. Nimrod was the founder of the Assyrian empire, and the tradi tions of all ages coiicui in stating this to have been his place of residence. Nay, moie than this, the early Arab writers appear to have found another name for it, namely, Athur, (the Abluir or Assjiia of the Srriptuies,) of which, whether Nineveh or not, theie is every piobability of its having been the oiiginal capital. But it is by no means impossible to leconcile the rival pielensions of these mounds— both of them may liave been situa etl within the walls of Nineveh, which enclosed not only Ihe houses of the city, but also many extensive parks (Paradises as they were called), and garden -grounds which it took the Prophet Jonas three days to peiambulate Th«se are points, however, which I must leave to archaeologists to decide. The most rein irkableof Mr. Layard's discoveries is a hall or pre-sence-chamber, 150 feet long by 30 in breadth, the walls of which are covered with historical bas-reliefs, suriounded by insciiptions in the cuneifoi in or arrow headed character. The execution of the ieJiefs, though uneven, is spirited, and sheu s great taste and knowledge of composition: where they are chiefly faulty is in the perspective. The delineation of the human form, and that of horses, lions, bulls, &c, though pervaded by a certain monotony, betiays a study of anatomy On the whole it is vety evident that the Assyrians had made consideiable progress in the art of sculpture. Nothing t at has been discovered in Egypt, can compare with these re mains, which may even claim some relationship with Grecian art itself. Uut perhaps the value of these bas-reliefs, a selection of wliich has been 6ent to England for the British Museum, consists not so much in their merit as works of art, as in the evidence they afford, in the subjects deline ated, of the lefiucment lo uliich this primeval people had arrived. The robes, of the kings and other dignitaries are v rough t with the most elaborate skill, and interwoven with fanciful figures and the forms of men and animals. I heir weapons are tastefully shaped and ornamented, their hilts being mounted fur the most part, with tiie heads of horses, lions, bulls, &r. The chair of stale, in which the king is sometimes tepresented to be silting, is remaikable for its lightness and elegance. Their wai like instruments and engines piove that they wete not behind theGieeks and Romans in the destructive sciences. 1 All these bas-reliefs were originally painted, traces of colour are still to be found upon them, and someof the accessories of the figures, such as the sandals and bows, still preserve a deep red tint upon them* How lemarkably all thin coi responds with the description of the Prophet Kzekiel, chapter xxiii, veises 14 and 15— "For, when she saw men portrayed upon the wall, the images of tue Chaldeans portrayed with vermillion — girded with girdles upon their loins, exceeding in dyed attire upon their heads, all of them Princes to look at, after the manner of the Babylonians of Chaldea, the land of their nativity." The appearance of these painted bas-reliefs must have been veiy fine and striking, and the : light in which they were originally placed, and which there is every reason to presume wascomrnunicated from the roof, must have greatly contributed to their efl'ect. Seen also at night by the light of lamps,— •' cressets fed with naptha or asphaltuin,' these Jonggalleiies and richly-sculp-tured chambers, must have been gorgeous and solemn beyond conception. The whole of these chambers and palaces, I should conceive, vi ere embedded in the great mass of brickwork of which- the mound is composed— other traces of j exterual architecture are rare. In addition to his first discoveiies, Mr.Lnyard has recently fallen upon many detached objects of vcrlu, illustrative of the manners and refined cultivation of the Assyrians. Among those are enumerated many images of lions, in bronze, exhibiting extraordinary elegance and spirit in the design — vases in alabaster, glass, and pottery — biacelets, necklaces, seals, tumour, weapons, &c. But the moit remaikable of these curiosities is a monument or obelisk of polished black marble. In the opinion of those acquainted with Assyrian untiquitiei, this lieasure would more than lepay all that has been expended on these excavations. It is between seven and eight feel in height, and about two feet square at t tie base; on the foui sides are twenty bas-ieliefs, which probably represent the conquest and subjection by an Assyrian mouatch, of some distant people inhabiting Africa or Hindostan, for amongst the objects of tribute brought to the King ate the elephant, Iherhinoceios, and various species of monkeys. No doubt by the assistance of the cuneiform insciiptions, amounting to more than 250 lines, by which the bas- reliefs aie surrounded the events commemorated may be satisfactorily explained. Befote I quit the subject, I think it due to Mr. Lay aid to say a few words on the difficulties he lins had to encounter in the prosecution of his labois It may perhaps be imagined, that after a firman had been obtained fiom the Sultan, by Sir S. Canning, all the rest was plain sailingMr. Luyard, however, on hisanival at Mosul, found everybody opposed to his undertaking.

There wero certain means, and those of a summary nattiro, it is true, ol overcoming nil tliilicullies, and these liar] been resorted to by the French at Khorsahud-— they wen*, however, suuli as could not conveniently be employed by Mr. Layard, for they implied an unlimited command of money. The Pacha who governed Mosul at the time Mr. Layard commenced his operations was the notoiiotisKeriblu Oglu Mchemel, who, though promising to facilitate them, becreilv determined lo impede them by all the means hi his power. According!*, when Mr. Lava rd waited upon him .(gain, in a few da\s, he put on a face of deep concern, and told him thai the mound of Nimiood having been employed as a Mussulman burying ground, which was proved by the number of tombstones on its surface, it would be a sacrilege, which (he Sultan himself could not sanction, to excavate it. Mr. Lujurd, who had been to the mound a few days before, deolaied there was no such thing us a tombstone upon it. The Pach.i peisibted, and Mr. La\atd, accompanied by h Turkish ollicer, having repuued to the spot, found that, sine enough, the mound was bristling all over with tut baned tombstones, but which, like mushrooms, he well-knew, must have been the growth of a single night. With some little trouble heat length cleared up the inyitery. The Pacha it appears had got a body of Heyteri, or irregular cavalry, to transplant the stones in question, from a neighboring cemetery of the town ot Selamich Seeing that the trick was discovered, and afraid that it would be leported at head-quarters, he apparently desisted from further opposition, but by no means ceased to intrigue indirectly against Mr. Layard, who for some time was exposed to every sort gf molestation from the wild Arab tribes located in the neighborhood. But gradually, by good management, he succeeded in conciliating their Sheiks; though in the cud, perhaps, he louud tlieir friendship full as troublesome anil certainly more expensive than their enmity. His house was literally tesieged with guests, who shewed their good will by the length and Irec|ucncy of their visits, and who, on departing, aiwaji conveyed a friendly hint to such effect as the tollowing— • that a present of dresscA for themselves, and two pairs of boots for each of their servants, would prove equally acceptable to them, and becoming to the dignity oi their entertainer.' But the most arduous part of the business appears to have been the organization of a body of laborers. Could he, like the French at Kliomibad, have employed trust- worthy overseers, there would have been co i paratively little difficulty— as it was, he had everything to do himself, to take drawings of the sculptures, to copy the inscriptions, and to keep a strict eye upon the workmen, almost all of whom were idle, careless or dishonest. Mr. Layard at length made up a body from a wandering Arab tribe, called the Djebuur.