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Mohammed Takí Khán then exercised a wide authority in the province of Kúzistan. Sober and abstemious, and never indulging in many vices prevalent in Persia-he was affable, and mixed with his people as though on an equality with, rather than above them. Layard says, that during a year's residence with him he never saw an individual receive chastisement, nor did a case of robbery or violence come under his notice; yet, nevertheless, Layard appears to have been a victim to partial violence at the hands of another tribe, for he says: "I was attacked and robbed, but by a tribe of Dínárúnés, which even Mohammed Takí Khán could never control. He, however, sent to the chief, and insisted that every missing article should be immediately returned; and I received back the whole of my property. It was my habit to traverse these wild mountains perfectly alone, and never was I attacked or insulted, except on the occasion mentioned, when the country was in a state of war."

In the province of Khúsistán, Layard visited the most important of the rivers- the Kárún, which he tells us he examined in the "Assyria," accompanied by Lieut. Selby, whose survey of this river, the Bahmah-Shir, the Kerkhah, and the Hai, are, he says, "some of the most interesting and useful results of the Euphrates expedition."

The most painful story in the description of this portion of his experience relates to an act of curious barbarity com. mitted by the eunuch Mo'tammid upon the followers of Wali Khan, the legitimate chief of the Mamesseni :-" He built a lofty tower of living men; they were placed horizontally one above another, and closely united together with mortar and cement, their heads being left exposed. Some of these unfortunate beings lived several days, and I have been informed that a negro did not die till the tenth day. Those who could eat were supplied with bread and water by the inhabitants of Shiraz, at the gate of which this tower was built. It still exists, an evidence of the utter callousness to cruelty of a Persian invested with power."

In the summer of 1842, we find Layard again at Mósul, in the neighbourhood of the spot which now formed the one chief object of his thoughts. It was during this visit that he met with Botta, who was then engaged in excavating the great mound of Kouyunjik. The success attending the sub

sequent researches at Khorsabad still further strengthened Layard's desire to follow out his scheme of investigations on the Tigris, and he departed for Constantinople, intent upon obtaining means for realizing his views. Botta's excavations were encouraged by his countrymen, and upon the first appearance of success, the French government supported him with money, artists, and diplomatic influence; in England, however, science meets with little sympathy from those in power, and the government leaves to individuals what ought to be the duty of the nation. Layard sought help in vain, until Sir Stratford Canning nobly volunteered to bear for a while, out of his private purse, the cost of the excavations. To Sir Stratford Canning we already owed the marbles from Halicarnassus, and to his generous offer, as Layard observes, "are we mainly indebted for the collection of Assyrian antiquities with which the British Museum will be enriched; as, 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." Thus prepared, by private munificence, with means for commencing his long-desired labours, Layard quitted Constantinople for Assyria in the autumn of 1845.

When Layard arrived at Mósul, with the intention of commencing his excavations, he found the province under the rule of Mohammed Pasha, a man notorious for his rapacity and atrocious cruelties. The Pasha was the last person likely to comprehend the traveller's object; and was, therefore, certain to offer every opposition in his power to whatever works might be commenced. To avoid this, Layard, with hunting weapons ostentatiously displayed, but with a few mason's tools secreted in his valise, quietly floated down the Tigris on a small raft, with no other companions than Mr. Ross, a British merchant, a kháwass, and a servant. He established himself for a time at Naifa; but subsequently, for greater security, removed to Selamiyah, a village near the Tigris, well known to the early Arab geographers. While at Naifa, the excavations at Nimroud were commenced; and some fragments of inscriptions, slabs which had evidently been exposed to intense heat, a great accumulation of charcoal, and many fragments of ivory, gilt pottery, bricks, &c., were discovered. Ere long, however, as in the case of Botta,

D

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reports that Layard was extracting gold from the ruins reached the town, and he began to apprehend a formidable opposition to his labours. The excavations at Nimroud had been entered upon not only without permission, but without the knowledge, of the local authorities; and as the supplies of money which were to sustain the undertaking were only guaranteed for a limited period, their continuance was contingent on a fair prospect of success. As yet no sculptures had been discovered; nevertheless, Layard did not slacken the ardour of his application. As a first step he proceeded to Mósul to acquaint the Pasha with the doings at Nimroud, but the wily ruler, with true oriental duplicity, affected ignorance of the works, though he had had a spy watching them from day to day; he forbore, however, either to sanction or to object to the continuance of the excavations, and Layard consequently felt convinced that he would seek an opportunity for obstructing his proceedings.

After a short sojourn in Mósul, Layard returned to Nimroud, having hired a number of Nestorian Christians to join his gang of workers. He began to examine the south-west ruins, with the view to discover their plan; but the soil offered such resistance to the tools of the workmen, that the labour was immense. The Arabs were not sufficiently expert with the pickaxe, and no spade could be thrust into the heterogeneous rubbish, which they were obliged, therefore, to detach with their own less efficient instruments, and to carry away in baskets.

Layard was working in the rain with his men on the 28th November, when the first of the long-wished-for bas-reliefs was suddenly disclosed to view. At this critical and exciting stage of the proceedings, orders were privately issued from Mósul to stop the works. Layard hastened to remonstrate with the governor, who pretended to be surprised, and disclaimed the orders; but, on returning to the village, he found that even more positive commands had been issued, on the ground, as was subsequently declared, that the mound which he was digging had been a Mussulman burying-place. Remonstrance was useless; there was no resource but to acquiesce, and rest satisfied with the permission to draw the sculptures and to copy the inscriptions, under the inspection of an officer, who Layard specially requested might accompany him to Nimroud. The presence of this officer relieved Layard from the interference of the local authorities, and he was easily induced to countenance the employment of a few workmen, under a plea of guarding the sculptures. Fortunately, at this juncture the Pasha Mohammed was supplanted by Ismael Pasha, who was favourably reported, and whose conciliatory acts towards the people of Mósul produced a change as sudden as it was great. Layard was received by the new Pasha with affability, and consequently, in January, 1846, was enabled to resume his excavations at the village of Nimroud. A ravine, apparently formed by the winter rains, which ran far into the mound, attracted Layard's attention, and he formed the fortunate resolution of opening a trench in its centre. In two days this measure was rewarded by the discovery of several additional basreliefs, and of a gigantic human head, much to the terror of the Arabs, who hurried to communicate the intelligence that Nim

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roud himself had been found. The excitement produced by this discovery set the whole of Mósul into commotion; and the result was a message from the governor, to the effect that "the remains should be treated with respect, and be by no means farther disturbed!" The operations at Nimroud having been thus, for the third time, suspended, Layard had no alternative but to await the arrival of a vizirial order from Constantinople: but in the mean time he visited the Tunnel of Negoub, or the hole, on the outskirts of Nimroud, the inscriptions in which place led him to infer that it was coeval with the Kouyunjik palace; he occupied himself in receiving and in returning visits to various Arab tribes, and in studying their manners and customs, with a view to securing the friendship of their Sheikhs, and thus checking the thievish propensities of their followers. During his excursion, Ismael Pasha had been superseded in the Government of Mósul by Tahyar Pasha, who enjoyed a reputation for liberality, kindness, and intelligence. Under his auspices the excavations were resumed; and though the progress was slow, fresh sculptures, of increasing value and interest, were disclosed. At length, through the instrumentality of Sir Stratford Canning, Layard received from the Turkish government an authorization to continue his operations, and to remove any objects he might discover. The opposition of subordinates being thus overcome, Layard determined to open trenches in the southern face of the great mound of Kouyunjik, and a rich collection of sculptures, in an excellent state of preservation, soon rewarded his exertions. Kings, priests, griffins, eunuchs, and symbolic trees, were among the figures, which excited feelings of amazement in the Arabs, and of delight in their employer.

Among the remarkable discoveries made by Layard at Nimroud, was a vaulted chamber, built in the centre of a wall, nearly 50 feet in thickness, and about 15 feet beneath the surface of the mound. The dimensions of this vault were 10 feet in height by 10 feet in width, and the arch over it was formed of kiln-burnt bricks; but there was no apparent entrance, nor could Layard divine to what purpose it had been applied. The discovery, however, of so large an arch, turned in baked bricks, and built into the solid mass of the mound, is a convincing proof that the ancient Assyrians, like the