Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1857-01-29

plain and IN breaking wbstsvsr would inter-
pose an obstacle To bic cavalry and ehAEriOts
Of war. In the centre Of the old battlefield
Of Arbells rises bill Of colossal Dimensions,
shOss Objsc. the party vsinly cOnjsetursd,
thinking il might be tomb. or triunphsd
monument. or more likely both. Unfortunate.
y they bad not time to eramine Il, nor the sp,
pliances necessary for exploring It,
Passing on, M. Place and bis party at length
discovered what they believed to be nothing
less thsn the vsritAb, remains Of the tower
Of BHbsl-the wonder Of wonders. and the
grandsst spectacle which The eyes Of men can
contemplate in this age Of the world. This
proud tower, which vas built in defiance Of
Heaven. aud aimed to pierce the very skies;
has lost in the course Of agsi its cloud. reach
ing elevation. Six OF its eight stories have
fallen and crumbled into dus': but the two
which remain are 50 high that they may be
seen for 6fty or sixty miles around. The base
Of the toweri is qNadraugular, and each side a.
bout six hundred feet long. The tower is
made Of bricks Of the purest clay and Of
white color, which is linls shaded with ye-
low tint. Under a clear sau, and as whole
this ancient monument Of hulnan skin and
daring presents 6ne blending OF colors which
sets the painters pencil at defiance. Before
bsing baked, the bricks had been covered
With characters traced with the accuracy Of .
hand Of a writing master. Near the top Of
the letters the straight strokes were adorned
with aourishes resembling the heads of nails.
All Was neat, regular and severe; and, indeed
those who saw these specimens Of ancient cal
ligraphy affirm that the fathers of the hdmau
race wrote better hand than their children.
Another curious fact arrested the attention
Of the exploring party. The sacred record
ruus thus; "And it came to pass as they jour.
neyed from the East that they found plain in
the valley Of Shinar, and they dwelt there
And they said one to anolher-0O to, let US
make brick. and burn them thoroughly; and
they had brick for stone. for instead Of stone
and slime had they for mortar" Modern
skeptics may ak: Where could these builders
obtain all this bitumsn? for vast quantity
must have been demanded 10 meet the wants
OF 90 many trowel'. II iss singular cSiuc
dence that Mr.. Place discovered fountain at
q small distance from the tower. whose waters
Aow in such abundance as almost 10 form a
river The stretm would force its way into a
river in the vicinity, did not the people hasten
10 stop it b. setting the bituminouS fluid 90
Ere. when they TRANQUILITY wait till tho fire is
txtinguished for the want Of 4limeut. Thus
the old fountain still pours out inexhaustible
quantities Of bitunen, or slime, which supplied
these old builders in their vast enterprise. BIZ
tumen also adds TO he durability fbricks, ss
well as firmly consolidaies them in masonry.
Gould aEytl ing be added to the marvel of the
coincidence? Thus travels and expeditions in
Assyria become Biblical corollaries, and new
proofs are never wanting Of old truthI.
Among the interesting discoveries Of Mr.
place we're certain inscriptions on Gil H Of gold
silver and copper, and also upon metal now
unknown. and which has somewhat the ap-
pearance Of ivory, 1t has been submitted to
the experiment OF an intelligent metallur-
gist. and its qualities will soon be ascertainsd.
Some very curious photographs. taken BY The
II IL. foke II
uhch was Of the ruins Of the palace of the fa-
nous Queen Semirsmis. This ancient mona,
ment. situated on the height Of . mOuntsr
raj sed by the hands Of men, Overlooks the sw'
ful solitudes which surround Lake Vans
body Of water six or seven times larger thar
Lake Geneva
It. not strange that gentleman who had
seen and handled some of the articles brought
from the tower of Babel by Mr.. Place. should
be excited Is he says be was. "IH relation t.
archaeological news take the liberty Of in
forming you that have jut seen the oldss
things ofths old world. Indeed, do no
know that ! should be more surprised By see
Iiag the Fragments Of the ark ITSELF Fancy tC
yourself that | have just touched and held il
my hand, and turned again in every wsv, .
little morcsaU ofAs toner Of Babel This trink
at Of moulded clay, illustrated and baked b.
the sons Of Nsah, has passed from the plain
Of shinar. TO the chapel of St. Mespin, and i
the fruit Of the strokes Of the hammer in th,
hand OF Mr.. Place, our learned aud entsrpris
ling Consul. to whom am indebted for sigh
Of this precious little relic, about which cluste
so many grand souvenirs"
! would only add, that Il your readers wisl
20 obtain distinct and accurate idea of th,
region referred ts. in which lies the battlefield
Of Arbsls, and the plain Of sbinar, they shOul'
II - .L.s- s.ti.a and errvA0 fha cnuntvv he