Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1850-04-26
I,ay9r1 at yinPVph

Tue HIuuen dHIlq qQdrldn treasures OF NlneVeh.
The difficulties which the gallant and enter
prIslng discovery has TO contend with, owing
TO the limited pecuniary resources at his dis
posal are dwelt on by our correspondent, who
fears that the French antiquarian agent recent
~ despatched will with hs'much larger funds
100000 it is stated) materially encroach on
the harvest of antiquities which would fall to
the lot of the English nation were Captain
Layard's exertions backed by more ample
/ menas
"The first two or three days at MossuI |
spent In examining the first excavations at
hoyuniIk, where fresh slabs are being every
day broughtto ligat. Two new colossal bulls
/ and two colossal figures were discovered while
/ | was there. at the entrance of the city gates
and the pavement at the gateway, marked with
| ruis by charlot-wheels, was also uncovered.
! | left my wife under Mrs. Rassam's care, and
! accompanied Layard DAYS Journey to the
/ villages of Barashekah and Bampaneh, and to
! the Mound khorsabad. We took grew
/ hounds with Us, and had a days hunting,
/ catching seven autelopes. After our return,
Mr.. Layard, Charlotte and I, and our servants,
embarked on a raft, and foated down the Ii
/ gris in seven hours to this little village of
/ Nimrond close TO the large mound which
was the first eXcavated, sending our baggage
and horses by land. We have since been re-
siding in his house here; II is, in fact. little
more than a mud hut; but he mas put in glass
windows, table, and some sofas, and made
II as comfortable as circumstances will admit. F.
Lay ri has placed party of the workmen
under my control, and allowed me 10 dig where
l please am sinking wells in all directions,
and am not without hopes of discovering sub
terranean chambers which | am convinced
must exist. In one place, considerably below
the level Of any of the hitherto discovered
monuments, brick arch between two walls
Of brick has been uncovered it is a puzzle
to us all. Another great discovery is an i'm
mense stone wall Of most solid masonry in
side the brick pyramid. The eworkmen are la I.
boring to force an entrance into It; but their
progress is necessarily very slow, not exceed
iag foot or two in day. But the greatest
discovery yet made since the earth was first
turned remains TO be told. | viii give it to
YOU In due order. You must recollect that |
commenced my letter on Christmas day, and
am continuing it at intervals.
January 3, l850.-On the 25th of Decem- !
Der Layard and |, with our attendants and two
or three Arab Sbeikhs started off to pay vis-
it to the Tai on the ether side of the 'Zab.'
We were the FIRST Europeans who had ever
visited that country. Three hours galloping
from Nimroud brought US 70 the banks of the
stream, which IS as broad and rapid as the
Iigris, and nearly as deep, but here being di-
vlded ICt0 four baanches Is fordable. With
some difficulty we swan our horses across it, .
getting Of course very wet in the operation
Our visit here was threefoid object-first to
explore the mound of Abou Sheeta, which ap-
pears to contain buried city; secondly, to (
make friends between two rival chiefs of the /
Tai; and thirdly, TO promote reconciliation ,
between them and their implacabie enemies
the Jibours, which will much facilitate Lay
ards future operations. Our first visit was TO /
the camp Of the Hawar. who Is considered BY .
all the Arabs, even by those of the great At (
Tican desert, TO be the highest born and no
blest among them. He is probably the man
of most ancient descent in the world. reckon (
his geneaIogy fSr before the time of Abraham. (
He is supported in his pTetensI0ns to the /
chieftainship by the noblest Of the tribe, while /
his rival, Feras, is supported by the Turks .
and the greater number of the Tai His .
brother, the handsomest man have ever seen, I
came out to meet US with 100 horseman, most /
Of whom had come to cur village to plumber
the other day. They galloped madly about
the plain, brandishing their long spears, shout
ing the war-cry, and escorted us in great state /
TO the camp Of the Sheikh, where he stood to
receive US. | never saw so noble and digni- /
fed figure; he is eminently handsome, tho |
advanced in years and suffering from ill-heaith. (
In stature he IS gigantic--six feet four or five (
inches at least, and erect as pine tree. His
tent was a spacious one, a load for three cam /
els, with the women's tents on side and /
that Of the horses on the other, all under the /
same covering Mats and cushions were
spread on the floor Of the tent, on which the I
Hawar, Layard, and | sat, as did also his /.
brother, his uncle, and others of the magnates /
of the tribe, while the rest stood in semicir- /
Gle at the door. A noble hunting hawk stood /
sn his perch in the centre. We partook Of
opced coffee. discussed the business on which
We came. and dinet in the tent on a capital
stew Of mutton, pumpkins, rice, and sour milk 7.
After we had PaTtaken, the rest of the tribe
made their repast, certain number sitting
down together, each man rising when he was
satisfied, and a sort of master of ceremonies /
calling out the name Of the man who was to
succeed him. There was no hustle or indeco- {
rum. After dinner they all said their prayers. |
We had sent on cur tents, which, by the way,
got very wet crossing the river, and we pitch
ed them close TO that of the Sheikh. The
next day the encampment changed lis quarters. /
] have seldom seena more picturesque sight. (
The SheIEh's tent was struck first. and the
long procession Of laden camels horsemen, .
donkevs. and cattle stretched as far as the eve
could reach. l calculated that there were
about 1000 persons with tn II camels, horses, .
and cattle We paid our visit to Feras, the
rival sheIkh, taking with US the brother Of
the Hawar. We were we'll received, though
not with the same dignifed courtesy.
While we were away the workmen had
opened a trench, by Layard's direction, to
show my wife a certain slab which he had
buried in doing so thev uncovered three cCp- .
+ per cauldrons Of immense size, and some
huge dishes of metal. Layard carefully re-
moved the earth from one cauldron. which
was partially filed with It, and discovered an
immense variety Of ivory ornaments. an iron
ox-head, and iunumerable other articles, which
+ for the present | must forbear to mention.
having promised secrecy. Layard removed
as many as he could, and covered the rest
With earth. II is BY far the most important
discovery that haa vet been made. lie has
placed them unrer my charge, and given me
the direction Of the workmen. as he IS obliged
TO 90 to Mossul to make preparations for the
removal Of the two finest colossal lions that
have vet been discovered. which will. | trust.