Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-06-04
THE RUINS or sssYLos AN6 NlNRyRH.

4 + Fl T y -
Some five years ago public curiosity was aroused TO
high degree BY the startling which reached -
Of the excavations the site Of ancient Nineveh
This eager expectation became intensified by the wor-
drous story CLEANED from the two volumes
published by that successful dscoyerer whose
contributions to the British Museum have amply proved
the value and truth Of his narration The tale however
Il but half told At that time this singular expora
ton work well begun indeed, but prematurely sus-
pended Three years since it renewed under bright
or sasPsss aud With more efficient ~sana tho detailed
now before us, in the publication entitled Dissolve
res among the Ruins Of Nneyeh and Babylon by A. H
LAYAnD ~ r work fresh from the press of g. p Put
This new volume comprising the more recent dscoye
RES OF Mr. Layard, ampe and well illustrated es it s)
VIII be hailed with the greater delight when its superor
as printed book Is in comparison with it's prede
cessor This American edition is to all appearance Lon
don book We do say that pains aid labor were not
wen bestowed upon the former work. but there is pecu
mar fascination about the paper and type Of the new pub
LEGATION.
The former Of the Yezidis or socalled Devil
DorshYpers will be remembered with interest II seems
that Mr. Layard IN returning from England the field
OF his labors, again paid them visit the incidents Of
which form very pleasant commencement to the earlier
part Of the narrative The famous expedition Of Keno
phon and the Ten Thousand brought forcby to mind
by the progress Of the gifted traveller whilst the dnt
cation OF this memorable retreat is an interesting
of his journey The natural features Of the coun
try between the Black Sea and the Euphrates and marked
pecuaries Of its wild clans and robber strongholds nov
subdued to the sway Of the Sultan are faith
fully described and illustrated; likewise the
churches and tobs which there remain some Of them DAT
ing back TO the teh century, and showing undoubted pa
rentage to much Of the European Gothic well as to the
subsequent architectural structures of Tartar
ors Of Asia Minor Mr.. Layards peculiar relation to the
British Museum and indirectly to the Governmen} gave
him every facility while the advantage Of previous visits
to that region enabled him avail himself of various op-
portunies which seldom fall to the lot Of travellers in
those unsettled provinces where the constant nmong
the predatory hords and the of the depen
dency upon the Porte among the high officials have given
but few inducements for long sojourn. .sf n {
We soon find author however, at his old abors
among the ruins of that wondrous city, the excavation Of
which the cherished object of his expedition The in
erestng details of the successive developments
sary pass to speak Of of more marked re-
suits among which the vercaton of the Scripture mar
rative, frequently IN The minutest particulars is anmportant
feature.
The monuments of Nineveh, from well ascertained
dates cannot be less than twenty centuries old They
have been buried since B. c. 606 Two hundred years
LATER when the Greeks under Xenophon passed BY its
very site and name lost though the ruined mound
at Nimroud and described by their leader little
suspecting that it was the the mighty Nnepeh which
he then beheld They were not, however, unknown to
later Greek and Roman writer's Niebuhr found and
scribed its mounds nearly century ago. although until
lS43 few bricks with their peculiar inscriptions were
only relics to tell of the glory that had been 1t was
Layard who led Bota the French local consul to make
at that time the first excavations at Kouyunik far
surpassed in their results by his extensive la
bors at Nimroud 1t is now shown that our author has
been far successful to obtain into the very pa
lace Senacherb where the scupured story of that
morabe reign still remains along the walls These in
scrptions sufficiently uninured to lead to the identi
ication Of much which modern progress in decpherng
the headed characters has enabled tointerpre
while enough still remains to provoke the learned to
newed efforts to the same end.
1t was net however till 1851 that the mention Of any
actual recorded in the Bible and in profane histo
Try, was detected the monuments thus removing all
doubt to the of the king who raised them The
finding Of the Royal Seals and their impression in clay,
is yet another triumph These accurately described
while the bronze shield and BELLS the cauons of copper
and instruments ofron the glass vases lenses and final
ly, Me Royal Throne itself (a of which have been disin
TERED by Mr. Layard) mentioned with great exact
regards the precise localities in which they
found. The colossal human,headed bulls from these
ruins have long been famous at the British Museum and
will now be enhanced in value by the collection
The story of the Jewish relics found Babylon
after the above is also full Of interest but
PEELED to defer all mention of these to other
sion In conclusion, however, cannot refrain from
eratng our heartfelt praise of this admirable contrbu
ton to the curioses of our literature In continuing
perusal have been more and impressed with the
grandeur of these discoveries, and deeply made
feel their infinite value in confirmation Of scrptura pro-
phecy.-Boston Transcript.