Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1850-04-20
THE RUINS OF NINEvEH.

correspondent of London paper furnishes
the subJolned extracts from the letter of Mr. Stew
ART ERsKINE HOLLAND, who is now at Nimroud
with Captain LAYARD, assisting him in his endea-
yors to bring to light the hidden antiquarian trea
sures of Nineveh
1.-THE hrst two or three days at Mossu spent in examn-
ing the excavations q, Koynnk, where fresh slabs being
every day brought 10 light Two colossal bulls and two
colossal figures discovered while there at the
trance Of the city gates and the pavement the gateway
marked with ruts by chariot wheels also uncovered
left my wife under Mrs. Rassams care and accompanied
Lsyard days journey the villages Of Baarshekah and
Bamyaneh, and to the Mound of Khorsabad. We took
greyhounds with us, and had days hunting catching seven
aneopes After return, Mr. Layard, Charlotte, and l.
and our servants, embarked raft and oaed down the
gris in hours this little village of Nimroud close
to the large mound which the first excavated sending
our baggage and horses by land We have been red
ing IN bis house here; is in fact, little than mud
hut but ne has put in glass windows table, and some
SOFAS and made comfortable circumstances will admit
Layard has placed party Of the workmen under my
CONTROL and allowed me to dig where please. sinking
wells IN all directions and without hopes Of discover
ing suberranean chambers which convinced must exist
In place, considerably below the level Of any Of the hih
ero discovered monuments brick arch between two walls
Of brick has been uncovered is puzzle all Another
great discovery Is an immense stone wall Of solid ma
sony inside the brick pyramid The wokmen are laborng
to force entrance into it, but their progress is necessarily
very slow. not exceeding foot in day. But the
greatest discovery yet made since the earth first turned
remains to be told will give you in due ORDER You
must ecoect that commenced my letter on Christmas ay
and am continuing it at intervals.
january 3, ls5O.-On the 18th Of December Layard
and with attendants and two or three Arab Shekhs
started off pay visit to the tai the other side the
Sab We the first Europeans who had ever visited
that country Three hours galopng from Nimroud brought
the banks Of the stream, which rapid and broad
four branches is fordabe. With some difficulty we swan
horses it. getting Of very in opera
ton. Our visit here has threeod obect-rst, explore
the mound of Abou Shesta, which appears contain buried
city secondly to make friends between rival chiefs of
the Tai and, thirdly to promote reconciliation between
them and their implacabe enemies the Jbours, which will
much facilitate Layards future operations.
'Our first visit the camp Of the Hawar who sco
dered by all the Arabs by those of the great African
desert TO be the highest born and nobes among them He
probably the of ancient descent in the world
reckoning his genealogy far above the time of Abraham He
supported in the craftsmanship by the nobe
OF the tribe, while his rival Ferss, suppore by the Turks
and the greater number of the Tai His brother the hand
soonest man have seen, with one
hundred horsemen, of whom had village
plumber the other day. They gaoped mady about the plain
brandshng their long spears shouting their war-cy, and
escorted in great state the camp of the Shekh where he
stood to receive Inever noble dgnifed figures
he is emineny handsome though advanced in years and sf
erng from l-heah In stature he is gigantic six feet four
erect d
spacious one load for three cames, with the womens
side and that of the horses the other all under
the covering. Mats and cushions spread the
floor Of the tent, which the Hawar, Layard and sat-
did his brother his uncle and others Of the magnates of the
tribe while the rest stood in asencice at the door, noble
hunting hawk stood his perch in the We partook
oed Coffee discussed the business which came and
dned IN the tent capital stew Of mutton pumpkins RICE
and milk. After we had partaken, the of the tribe
made their repast, certain number sitting down together
each rising when he satisfied, and of master
OF the ceremonies calling out the of the who
to succeed him. There hustle indecorum. After
dinner they all said their prayers We had tents
which, by the way, got very crossing the river and
pitched them close TO that of the Shekh The day the
encampment changed its quarters have seldom
sight The Shekhs struck first and the
long Of laden cames hosemen donkey and cattle
stretched far the eye could reach calculated that there
about two thousand persons with their canes horses
and cattle We paid visit to Feras, the rival Shekh
taking with the brother of tie Hawar We well re-
ceived, though not with The same dignifed courtesy.
"Whle away the workmen had opened trench,
by Layars dection to show my wife certain slab which
he had buried in doing they uncovered three copper
carons Of immense size, and huge dishes Of metal
Layard carefully removed the earth from caon, which
was partially filled with it. and discovered an immense variety
Of ivory ornaments, iron axe-head, and innumetable
other articles which for the must forbca to menton
having promised secresy Layard removed many as he
could and covered the rest with EARTH 1t is by far the most
important discovery that has yet been made He has placed
them under my charge and given the direction Of the
workmen he obliged go Mossul make prepare
tons for the removal Of the two finest colossal lions that have
yet been discovered which will, trust be their way to
England in month two After that shall cross the
Zab with tents encamp there, and pass time alter
natey in hunting and digging in the mound.
sYou have idea Of the difficulties Layard has to
contend WITH the energy talent and shrewd
with which he surmounts Them the exquisite tact and
good humor with which he the different people he
has deal with In the first place he has nothing but con-
lecture guide him in his researches is literally cropping
in the dark, and all sorts Of buried may lie within
his reach whe from the very small amount of funds placed
his disposal he is unable make any thing like proper
search and contents himself with sinking trenches almost at
hazard il were.
ssJan 6.-Yesterday we removed than thirty metal
vases, bowls, and saucer beautifully embossed and
engraved shields and swords of which the handles re-
main alone, the iron blades being decomposed, and small
marble The cups and bowls and other ornaments are
of unknown alloy of metals, but they all
crusted with decompoed and crystazed "copper" and so
fragile that they cannot be handled without great DANGER
and Mr. Layard sending them home in the state in which
he found them without attempting to remove the rust.
spent eight hours yesterday scratching them of the
cl'y with my hands, the operation was too delicate to al
low knife to be used My wife employed the
whole night in packing them. We may congratulate
the British nation in being possessed of entirely unique
the value Of which is inesimabe. The orna
and sculptures the denote very advanced
stage Of civilization Not the least curious of the discoveries
several hundred mother-opea studs, in form exactly
resembling our shirt buttons"
The London Times, of later date than the
number which contained the above letter, says:
every late and highly satisfactory accounts have within
these few days been received from Mr. Layard, in Asyra
giving int gence Of and important discoveries in the
Nmroud mound He has made fresh and extensive excava
-. IL IA