Ir has already been mentioned (p. 11) that M. Botta commenced researches in the mound of Kouyunjik in 1842, and that, meeting with little success, he abandoned his excavations in the following year.

Undeterred by the failure of Botta, Layard, in 1846, opened some trenches in the southern face of the mound, but, at that time, without any important results. At a subsequent period, he made some enquiries respecting the bas-relief described by Rich, and the spot where it was discovered having been pointed out to him in the northern group of ruins, he opened trenches, but not finding any traces of sculptures, discontinued his operations.

Upon completing his labours at Nimroud in 1847, Layard determined on making some farther researches at Kouyunjik. He commenced at the south-western corner, and not only discovered the remains of a palace, which had been destroyed by fire, but, within the short space of a month, had explored nine of its chambers. All the chambers were long and narrow, and the walls lined with bas-reliefs of larger size than most of those he had found at Nimroud. The slabs were not divided by bands of inscription, but were covered with figures scattered

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KOUYUNJIK.—LAYARD'S DISCOVERIES.

promiscuously over the entire surface, all the details being very carefully and delicately executed. The winged humanheaded bulls at the entrances resembled those found at Khorsabad and Persepolis in the forms of the head-dress, and feathered cap; and the costumes of the figures in general were also like those found at Khorsabad. The period of the palace was conjectured to be between those of Khorsabad and Nimroud. After Mr. Layard had left Mosul, Mr. Ross continued the excavations, and discovered several additional bas-reliefsan entrance, which had been formed of four sphinxes, and a very large square slab, which he conjectured to be a dais or altar, like that found at Nimroud.

Mr. Ross having been requested by the Trustees of the British Museum to carry on the excavations, after experiments in various parts of the mound, eventually abandoned the palace discovered by Mr. Layard, and employed his workmen on the opposite side of the mound. Here he found a chamber lined with sculptured slabs, divided, like those of Khorsabad and Nimroud, by bands of inscription. He also found, at the foot of the mound, a monument about three feet high, and rounded at the top, containing a figure with a long cuneiform inscription, and above it various sacred emblems (see Chronological tablets, pp. 332, 333, Fig. 174). When discovered, it was supported by brickwork, and near it was a sarcophagus in baked clay.

On the departure of Mr. Ross from Mosul, the excavations were placed under the charge of Mr. Rassam, the English consul, with power to employ a small body of men, so as not to entirely abandon possession of the spot.

When Mr. Layard revisited Kouyunjik in 1849, there were no vestiges of the sculptured walls discovered two years previously. The more recent trenches, however, dug under the superintendence of Mr. Ross, were still open; and the workmen employed by direction of the British Museum had run tunnels along the walls within the mound, to save the trouble of clearing away the soil, which had accumulated to a depth of 30 feet above the ruins. Under the direction of Layard, the excavations were resumed with great spirit, and, before the lapse of many weeks, several chambers had been entered, and numerous bas-reliefs discovered. One hall, 124 feet × 90 feet, appears, says Layard, "to have formed a centre, around 1 Discoveries in Nineveh and Babylon. Murray, 1853, p. 103.

KOUYUNJIK.—RASSAM'S AND LOFTUS' DISCOVERIES.

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which the principal chambers in this part of the palace were grouped. Its walls had been completely covered with the most elaborate and highly-finished sculptures. Unfortunately, all the bas-reliefs, as well as the gigantic monsters at the entrances, had suffered more or less from the fire which had destroyed the edifice; but enough of them still remained to show the subject, and even to enable him, in many places, to restore it entirely."

Continuing his discoveries in the mound, Layard "opened no less than seventy-one halls, chambers, and passages, whose walls, almost without an exception, had been panelled with slabs of sculptured alabaster, recording the wars, the triumphs, and the great deeds of the Assyrian king. By a rough calculation, about 9880 feet, or nearly two miles, of bas reliefs, with twenty-seven portals formed by colossal winged bulls and lion sphinxes, were uncovered in that part alone of the building explored during his researches. The greatest length of the excavations was about 720 feet, the greatest breadth about 600 feet. The pavement of the chambers was from 20 to 35 feet below the surface of the mound." "The measurements merely include that part of the palace actually excavated."

Most of the sculptures discovered in this hall and group of chambers have been deposited in the British Museum, and will be described in detail.

For the more recent collection of sculptures which have been brought to light and forwarded to this country, we are chiefly indebted to the labours of Mr. Hormuzd Rassam, a native of Mosul, and a friend and colleague of Layard; and to Mr. William Kennet Loftus, the agent of the Assyrian Excavation Fund. In 1852, Mr. Rassam was appointed by the Trustees of the British Museum to take charge of the excavations at Nineveh. For more than a year his researches were nearly fruitless, when, at length, just as his appointment was about to terminate, he turned again to a previously-abandoned trench in the north side of the mound, and was almost immediately rewarded by the discovery of numerous chambers and passages, covered with a variety of bas-reliefs in an excellent state of preservation, having suffered less injury from fire than those of the other palaces. In one room was a lion hunt, in a continuous series of twenty-three slabs, with but one inter1 Discoveries in Nineveh and Babylon, p. 589. Lond. Murray, 1853.

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KOUYUNJIK.-MR. LOFTUS' REPORT.

val. The other slabs represented exteriors of palaces, gardens, battles, sieges, processions, &c., the whole forming the decorations of what must have been a splendid palace.

Subsequently, in 1854, at the instance of Sir Henry Rawlinson, Mr. Loftus and his coadjutor, Mr. Boutcher, transferred their operations from South Babylonia to Nineveh. At first, Mr. Loftus' excavations were unsuccessful, but about the beginning of August he discovered the remains of a building on a level twenty feet lower than the palace that Mr. Rassam was exploring, and which proved to be a lower terrace of the same building, even more highly elaborated and in better preservation than those previously discovered in the ruins. At the entrance of an ascending passage there was also found "a mass of solid masonry-apparently the pier of an arch-the springing of which is formed by projecting horizontal layers of limestone."

Mr. Loftus, in his Report of the 9th October, observes :

"The excavations carried on at the western angle of the North Palace, Kouyunjik, continue to reveal many interesting and important facts, and to determine several points which were previously doubtful:

"1. The existence of an outer basement wall of roughly cut stone blocks, supporting a mud wall, upon which white plaster still remains, and from which painted bricks have fallen.

"2. At this corner of the palace, and at a considerable distance from the principal chambers, is an entrance hall, with column bases, precisely as we see them represented in the sculptures.

3. Above this entrance hall and its adjoining chambers, there was formerly another story, the first upper rooms yet discovered in Assyria. This, with its sculptured slabs, has fallen into the rooms below.

"4. The various sculptures here disinterred are the works of four, if not five different artists, whose styles are distinctly visible.

It is evident that this portion of the edifice has been wilfully destroyed, the woodwork burned, and the slabs broken to pieces. The faces of all the principal figures are slightly injured by blows of the axe."

1 Report of Assyrian Excavation Fund, No. II. p. 2.

With this brief recapitulation of the progress and results of the excavations in the mound of Kouyunjik, we will proceed to examine the important specimens of the sculptures which have been deposited in the British Museum.

In conducting our readers round the Kouyunjik gallery we shall, for convenience of reference, explain the sculptures in the order of their arrangement by the authorities of the Museum.

No. 1. Sennacherib.-This is a cast from a figure sculptured on the rocks of Nahr-al-kelb, (see p. 144), and was the first Assyrian figure of life-size brought to England. It was presented to the British Museum by his Grace the Duke of Northumberland. The cast was made by the writer of this work under considerable difficulties. In the first place, the gypsum of which plaster fit for the purpose of casting is made, was only to be found in very small quantities at the shops of the attareen, or sellers of perfumes and cosmetics. The entire stock of this material in the whole city of Beyrout, was not more than enough for the required cast, and was accordingly bought up. It was first broken into small pieces and sent to several bakers, then pounded by men with wooden shoes, and lastly, carried to the spot on the backs of mules. When at Nahr-al-kelb, owing to the bad accommodation afforded by the single miserable shed, the entire stock got spoilt by the rain which came through the roof at that part of the Khan in which it had been deposited; so that after a fruitless attempt to procure a mould of the Egyptian relievo it was necessary to return to Beyrout. The same tedious process had to be repeated, but this time at a more favourable season. Fresh plaster was made, and a successful mould of the Assyrian figure was eventually accomplished, as well as accurate drawings and measurements of all the other tablets in that interesting locality. The chance of conveying, safely, two inconveniently large slabs of plaster on the backs of mules, over a bad road, to a distance of three hours, was so doubtful that it was determined in preference to trust to an open boat and pull across the bay to the house of Mr. Abbott, the English consul, at that time living at Beyrout; and there, in his hospitable mansion, was made the cast now safely plastered on the walls of the Kouyunjik gallery.

No. 2. Armed galley in motion:-A fragment representing