Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1876-02-19
(Far the Journal.l
Babylon and Nincyah.*

We took up the book lately publish
ed by Rev. j. P. Newman D. D., not
long after laying down the journals of
Tavlor. Seward, Livingstone, and 9TH
er distinguished travellers. In these,
notwithstanding the Importance of
the investigations recorded, and the
interest of incident attending the
progress of the writers, the very
wealth of detail causes the mind at
last to weary. We were prepared
therefore, on opening this portly vol
ume, to pass rapidly along the pages,
grasping the more important outlines,
but omitting perhaps much of mere
incident. A dozen leaves, however,
found US so thoroughly enwrapped il
he interest of the journey, the extern
sive and valuable research, and the
peculiar mellihuent style, that hour af-
ter hour passed with increased inter-
est at each sitting. A few only of
these charmed periods found us with
our travel worn. party descending the
Belayan Pass, jostling camels laden
with Syrian wool, the blue waves of
the Mediterranean, off Iskenderoon,
dancing before the gladdened Wis
ion, and the dark hull and smoke
stack of the Steamer that was soon to
bear our conpagnons de uoyage towards
their far off western home looming up
before the anxious gaze. In other
words every sentence of the four hun
dred and tifty-fve s 20. pages had
been carefully and delightfully."- read.
We felt richly repaid.
Having gone westward from San
Francisco, and passed considerable
period in Japan, China, and India,
with Mrs. Newman, early in 1874, in
company with his Elect Lady" and
Mr. Q. B. Collins of New York the
anthor started from the "Bund at
Bombay, on the good Steamer Bur
mah and passed up the Arabian Sea,
off the western coast of British India
through the gulf of Oman and the
Persian gulf into the river Tgris, to
the probable site Of the Garden of
Eden at the confluence of the Eu-
pirates and Tigris. Thence he con-
tinued up the Tigris to Basdad, the
city of the CaIiphs, $500 miles from
Bombay. While in this n~ighborhood
lie spent ti,e days in thorough exalni
nation Of the ruins Of ancient Babylon,
some sixty miles southwest from Bag
dad. Returning to Bagdad the par
ty travelled in Arabian style on
horse, and in Khajawah,-a sort of
covered pannier-a 800 miles
northeast to Mosul, adjoining the site
of ancient Ninevah Thence, about 700
miles on horse and in Tukhteravan-
a sort OF covered ambulance with shafts
in front aud behind swung on mules
through Mesopotamia and Syria, to
lskenieroon on the NJ Medlterrlnean.
The work before us is an account of
the entire journey by steamer and
caravan All places of interest were
visited aud are here described
Cerlainly y no route On the face Of old
Earth could present greater attrac-
tions. In these lands the most
ancient empires of which we have ac-
count IN sacred or protane writings
tiourished, dominated and decayed,
while before these empires the fathers
of the human race here saw the light
and died. Adam and Eve, Nimrod,
Job, Abraham and his sons, Jacob and
his beautiful Rachel" Daniel and
the Hebrew Children, Jonah and
Ezekiel, Hezekiah and Ezra, and hosts
OF others who pass before our vision in
the word Of God, were here born and
bore tl4sir part in the opening or later
movements of the human family.
Here language WAS contounded and
the families OF men scattered to the
ends Of the earth. These la .ds indeed,
are the cradle OF the human race,
though now covered with the mould
of ali the centuries, and the ruins of
the palaces and thrones reared bv the
conqnerors of the earliest antiquity,
Darius Cyrus, Belshazzar. Sen..acherlb
Alexander, Ira AN, and the Eost of
other mighty leaders, who from forty
centu' les ago until the time of Christ.
ruled the world. The vanity of all
earthly power is most tremendously
impressed upon the mind as Turk,
Arab, Persian, Greek, Roman, AS
syrian and Chaldean, swarm over
these plains and melt away like the
snows of The ages, and, as then. the
jackal the owl and the bat, scream
and fix amid the ruins of the most
gorgeous cities and palaces the world
has ever seen.
The chief interest of the book,
tothe thoughtful mind, lies in the
account gwen Of visits to the lite
OF the Garden of E len, and to
those Of Babylon and Ninevah. Not
only are the results of personal in
spection most happily detailed, but
tie researches made by the author,
after his retuln, in the British
Museum and other great libraries rich
III the treasures OF oriental literature
give a nusltlve value TO the work that
viii place ii Oh the shelves Of all who
delight III oriental archaeology.
DE-. Nrw,Ian spent Il numb er of
iav. a. Ninrvah, and was most fortu-
Aa'e III having for his mentor and
!,l!'.r at thac place the celebrated Mr.