The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1854-06-28

New Discoveries mt Mime.
vSSa.

vChRs
The London Assyrlan Excavation
society have just issued a most salts
factory Report of progress of their
agent i'll Babylon.-'rhs following ex.
tract is OF the highest interest:
= In addition tu the discoveries men
TONED hy Mr.. Lotus, the commi.te
have to announce that\ a new palace
has been found ut Mneveh, in the
mound OF kouyunjik, ofwhich Colonel
R"wlanson reports in the following
terms
"A most bci.atif,II sll:,re S:ss S:sl been cen
discovered at Ninev.h, belonging to
the son uf Easor Hadon. The sculp-
lures are infinitely superior in variety
! IF >uhjec in artistic treatment, and il.
skill and delicacy ct execution. to eve
rything which has been before found.
The place, also, is OF great extent, con-
tanning, perhaps, five hundred sculp-
tured slabs, and the marbles are gen
orally of good state Of preservation. y
III another letter he adds
"Ihe new palace is by fur the most
magnificent thing ye discovered in
Assyra. Each hall, room. and passage
Is devoted t" n separate subject, and
where the series are complete, and the
sculpture we'll preserved, as not un.
frequently happens, is Of extraordinary
interest. In fact, the variety of sub.
Jccts, artistic grouping and treatment
high relief, richness OF lctaiI, and deli
cacy ofcxecution, cntillc the palace to
be rcckoned the chcfd'euyrc of Assy.
rian art. Some ofthc pavement slabs
are most slpurb. and tie animals, trees
aud flowers, even tho human figures.
are much more natural and free from
convcntionalities than in any Of the
earlier palaces. Their. arc between
Two and three hundred 2ulpture1 slabs
already uncovered, aud not above one
half ofthe palace is YET explored.
Colossal bulls andlions there are
none, but Of monsters, tentaurr, hippo
yr,phs, sc, there are IS many as you
please.
At one of the entrances there are
pair Of round orname,ted pedestals.
which certainly supported columns,
thay must have been tomed, | suppose
Of wood.
Con ono slab there IL q city with a
double wall, and, within, q temple,
faced with arrow Of columns supported
OH the backs of ANIMAL On another
there isa mound, on tic top Of which
is u castle, and to give more evtent to
the upper platform. a cluseway is run
out from the top Of the masonry. with
sharp pointed arches stretching down
the side of the mound"
Another private lcttc', from gen
tleman residing at M.usl, speaks in
the Same terms of prais, of these new
discoveries, and adds some further pnr-
ticuIars regarding the subjects Of the
sculptures. In speaking of the slab,
representing the palace or temple al
luied to above, he says:
" 1t represents very minutely the
exterior architecture. The second sto-
ry is built with pillars, which have
their bases on the backs of lions and
human headed bulls, with their heads
turned like those found ut keorsahad.'
lie also mentions the representation
"t bridge with three pointed arches,
and other particulars illustrative Of The
chitcctnrc of the period.
''One OF the best executed slabs
represents lion hunt. In this scene
he snys, the king is the principal hunts
man.. and is in the act of striking a
lance into a. lion spri0ging upon his
chariot, whilst seven others, already
pierced by many arrows, some of
which are dead, and others dying, are
most beautifully aud naturally portray
edgupon the slabs. On another slab
! they have represented apark, with an
open gate; through whhh is seen the