The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1856-09-04

LATE FROM NISEyEH.-The y4theneunl announces
the recent arrival at the British Museum of large
collection of Assyrian marbles and antiquities These
are the second nstalment that has been sent by Sir
Henry Tlate Col Rawlinson, since his return to the
East in 1852 The marbles, etc., which he first sent
were the result of further explorations IN the palaces
already opened by Mr. Layafd IheSes however,
have been taken from the northern part of the great
mound of Koyunjik, the excavation OF which has
been delayed for certain reasons until within few
months There every reason to believe that this
part of the mound would prove not less interesting
than the southern half which contains the palace OF
Sennacherib. And so it appeared on experiment
The pick-axe had been hardly used, when walls
were found cropping through the soil suite OF
chambers was traced out, and IN the course OF q
few weeks the workmen had uncovered spacious
palace with perfect labyrinth of halls, corridors,
and passages all richly sculptured throughout. The
represented in these sculptures were more d-
versfed than in the palaces previously explored !;
the design and treatment of the subjects were more
artistic the execution more fnishcd-the relief
higher,--abOve all, the marbles were for the most
part in very excellent state of preservation, the
building to which they belonged having apparently
escaped the fire which had destroyed all the other ed
ifices the PLATFORM and which, in so many lnsta-
ces had calcined the marble wainscotings.
The marbles are many of them sculptured with the
flvorite subject of royal hon-hunt, rendered with
unusual spirit and originality. Among the scenes
in the series lion in cage, the king In his
chariot spcaring a lion, the same figure stabbng a
lion with dagger, lion just turned out OF his cage
to be hunted, park with a triumphal arch, In
which is represented the king hunting Ons ETC., etc.
Another series of four slabs exhibits architectural
subjects, viz: the facade of a coumned temple.
causeway supported upon pointed arches, memorial
pillars, tablets &c. These seem to possess special
interest to the antiquary, supplying singular de-
fcency in the previously discovered sculptures, of
any representation of the external architecture of the
Assyrians There will be no small curiosity to COM
pare these slabs with the very ingenious conjectura
restorations attempted by Mr.. Ferguson.
N no 0f
susanna 'These are beautiful specimens of sculp-
ture and of the highest interest.
Besides these and other specimens of the walnscot
slabs of the palace have been brought " six pave
ment slabs-one pavement complete IN ,1 1our pieces
and the two other slabs specimens. The patterns
most superb in taste, richness and elegance
they in fact unique''
Sc Sir Henry Rawlinson further selected hala-doz-
slabs from other buildings of the age of Tgath
Peser and Sennacherib and completed the collection
by adding two statues of the God NebO, Zone colossal
and life size) bearing the famous inscription of
Pu and Semiramis, together with obelisk inscrib
ed with the annals of the father of Pull, which thus
fill an important blank in Assyrian history
The same paper contains list of marbles in anoth-
er invoice, which is expected to arrive in June. As
far can judge from the brief descriptions given,
their interest consists less in the novelty of the sub
iects and the additional information which they
vey Assyran life and history, than in the spirit
and perfection of the sculpture.
Sc It may be added, that the North Palace, from
which all these marbles have been excavated, a
work of .fsshnl-5ani-paI, the son of Esar Haddon,
and must date, therefore, from about the middle Of
the seventh century, B. c. The bas-reliefs in many
cases represent the which the monarch In ques
ton conducted against the Armenians in the north,
and the Chaldeans and Suisians in the south but
they frequently refer to his exploits in the chase,
to which he to have been passionatey devoted.
There numerous Inscriptions, also, Illustrative of
the various, represented and large clay
cylinder, (now in fragments, but which it is hoped,
may be restored contains complete set of the royal
annals, to very late period of the monarch's reign -