New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-06-08
ASIATIC TURKEY.
HOW TO REACH NINEVEH AND WHAT MAY
BE SEEN THERE.

BIZ SEEN
Cs,r.pordsnee Of The n Y. Tribune
MosUL, Turkey, Feb &c, 1854.
You desire to know something about the induce
ments for American travellers to extend their journeys
to Nineveh, and the circumstance that not only the
enterprisng travelling editor Of THE TRIBUNE, Bay
ard Taylor but Mr. Thompson Of The Independent and
then Mr. Prince of The Observer failed to reach the
ruins along the banks of the Tgs and SO disappointed
multitude Of American readers, is plainly sufficient
to Justify statement of the precise difficulties OF the
route hither and the condition of the excavations
The reports that have seen in some OF the papers
that Mesopotamia is great sahara, that the roads
are always infested with robbers, that the climate Of
Iosul is very dangerous to foreigners and that the
sands Of the desert have buried again the scuptured
remains Of the Nineveh palaces are very Incorrect.
The route from Damascus to Bagdad through Padan
Aram-the Syrian Salt Desert-to be sure, but no one
thinks Of coming to Mosul by that roundabout way.
Many English travellers come here either by the way OF
Beirdt AleppO Diarbekr and Mardn, or via Sansun
on the Black Sea to Darbekr and thence down the
Tigris. Steamers from Smyrna to Beirut and
sometimes to AlexaDdretta, the port Of AleppO and
thence horses are obtained to the grs which is often
descended on raft Of inflated skins. This route is
generally chosen by persons at Smyrna though it is
not quite as short perhaps that via COnsantinOple
and the post road from samsdn The journey can be
easily made by gentlemen either in the spring or au-
tun. 1t must be admitted that practically it is further
from Beirut to Mosul than from New-York to Beirut.
"Yewasb, yewash," slowly, slowly" is the law of
the Turks and Young Americans must yield to the law
if they to the Orient. Seeding and frettng will
do no good. But with respectable amount of pa
tience the trip through Northern SYRIA Antab Biri-
k, Orfa (the Ur of the Chadees) Seyerek and Black
Amda can be made with considerable pleasure, espe
cially in the spring. Then Mcsopotamia is covered
with carpet of flowers of every hue-the very desert
buds and blossoms. The passage down the Tigrls is
romantic. little frame covered with coarse ielts
q tent ia placed above the inflated skns-so many
life-preseryers-and two Kurdish oarsmen guide the
frail raft down the rapid stream amid the grandest
scenery of all Turkey unless the wild glens and peaks
OF kurdistan surpass IL The Highlands OF the iiud
son do not equal the bluffs along the Tgrs. But my
object is not TO describe but TO recommend TO others
the Of their pens and pencils this arrowy river
have from Diarbekr to Mosul in about four days
by raft, about two hundred miles. The time from
Beirut to the Tigs must be quite uncertain-from h
teen to twenty-five days. The City of the Caliphs and
Babylon itself can be visited in as many days,
and the traveller then pass the mountains TO
Or0omiah and Tabreer or return to ConstantinOple-
all in the sprng-from March TO June. From October
until June the climate OF Mosu is one of the most de-
lightiu in the world. No snow falls here and the
curry seldom sinks to the freezing point. The wide and
fenceess plains that look from elevation like great
sea stretching out on all sides Of Nneveh, begin TO
be green in February and continue bright aud beaut
full till the heat Of wthers alike the grain and
burning, to be trod by Arabs and their aocks alone.
At no season of the year is this region peculiarly
healthy except in far the great heat deotates
the system All travellers must avoid these regions IN
mid summer, but in winter they may fnd here more
delightful climate than Italy Itself.
Since the late difficulties commenced between the
Sultan and the Car the quarantine at Aintab, or at
Brink on the Euphrates, has been abolished. Ii was
never of any use but 10 assist the empty pockets OF the
ragged officials and il is hoped II may never be re-
newed. The proving Arabs sometimes render a
guard necessary but this always obtanabe at very
slight expense sm the Governors of the towns along
the way There is however, always more or less
but only enough to make the trip Of inter
est The slow pace of the mueteers needs an occs-
sional spear or sword 10 be lifted just behind some hill
and this is to be anticipated. Still no one need to
have fear TO travel from Aeppo TO Mosul who takes
the proper precautions.
But what can be seen here 7 reply that good
idea can be had of all the slabs that Mr. Layard has
taken TO England and that but few of the trenches IN
the mounds are filled up. At Nimroud are the tower
Of Sardanapalus-broken slabs bricks, inscriptions
gods. At khosabad ruined palaces. At koy-
unjk is a new palace, with its rooms paneled In the
finest style of Assyran ar and il is expected that the
excavations will be continued until these ruins have
been satisfactorily explored II is doubtful if half OF
the remains have yet been brought to light. There is
that Nineyeh is in the open desert is very erroneous
n lies ia the heart of most productive region There
il but little soil in the world like that of the valleys of
the Tigris and Euphrates raft ride from Mosul
down TO Nmroud would show the traveller herons,
JncLs geese. cranes ployer and pellesns; and by
taking bis own saddle along he might ride back an