Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1882-02-23
BEFORE THE FLOOD.
Possible Discovery of Antediiuvian 4
Records Near Bagdad.
| From the | <OndOn Times.


On Monday evening, during discussion
which took place on a paper read at the VIC
toria Institute Mr.. Rassam, the well-known
discoverer of Assyrian relics, said: In
March last went out again to the East, as
you know am always doing for the pur-
pose of finding out the old cities which lie
buried there. AS | was journeying on one
occasion in pursuit of this object | met with
an Arab who told me that he knew OF an
old ruined city, the remains OF which were
to be found within five hours OF Bagdad-
that is to say, taking the computation Of
three miles an hour, the place he knew OF
was fifteen miles from Bagdad. AS we were
travelling along the route pointed out by the
Arab we came at a distance OF four hours
iourneying upon an old ruin that | had never
seen betore-a ruin OF great magnltude-sO
large, indeed, that it must be about three
miles in circumference. | at first thought
that this was the place of which my guide
had spoken. We went onward and at last
the Arab showed me a most wonderful ruin.
| set to work and eXcavated there, but
found nothing of any antiquarian value.
| afterwards went back to the place | had
first seen. and commenced thorough search
there The result was that after digging for
four days we came upon the top of some
walls. This induced us to persevere with
increased ardor, and we soon found that we
had come upon an enormous bulldng IN
which we began to find inscriptions. | may
here say that | am not an Assyrian reader
am only a discOverer of Assyrlan relics,
which | send to the British Museum, where
those who have made Assyriology study
interpret the inscriptions l find. We first OF
all discovered four rooms and then came up
on fifth. They were what l should call
generally of the Assyrian or Babylonian Or
der, and paved with bricks or stones; but
the fifth room was paved with asphalt, the
discovery of which brought to mind Solom-
ons saying; There is nothing new under
the sum-" Previous to this had always
thought that asphalt was a modern inven-
ton. Singular as this discovery was, we
dug through the asphalt and in short time
we were awarded by coming upon Golfer
OH which we found inscriptions. From this
Golfer we took two cylinders. These were
covered with inscriptions which are supposed
to be the most important record of the old
est city in the world founded as historians
tell us, by Noah after the deluge, and where,
according to tradition Noah buried the an
tediluvian records. Well, I had to come
home: but left some workmen continuing
the operations at the spot, and l have ascer-
tanned that they have found, after few
days more digging, that in one of the rooms
there was a channel and inside that channel
there were records inscribed on nearly 1O,-
600 tablets These tablets are all coming to
England, but we can not, of course, as yet
say what they contain. They may contain
something of even greater value than any
thing that has hitherto been discovered i'll
the course of our Eastern researches. 1t may
be, indeed that we shall really find on them
the antediluvian records of which | have
spoken. After have been out there again l
shall be happy to give you further informa-
tion as to this interesting discovery on my
return | hope to be going out in another
month"; and then, trust, l shall be able to
make still further advances on what we have
already discovered"