The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-04-22
Finds Near Bagdad.

Daring a recent discussion which took
place ON paper read at the Victoria insti-
tute. Mr.. Rassam, the well known discover
er of Assyrian relics said In March las;
went cut again to the East, as you know
am always doing for the purpose Of find
ing out the old cities which lie buried there.
Is was journesing, on one occasion, in
pursuit Of this object, met with an Arab
who told me that he knew Of an old ruined
city, the ruins uf which were 10 be found
within fye hoirs If Bagdad---that Is to say
taking the computation of three miles an
hour. the place he knew Of was 10 miles
from Bagdad As we were travelling along
the route pointed out by the Arab, we came,
a, distance Of four hours jOurneying, upon
an old ruin that | had never seen betore--a
ruin Of great magnitude large, indeed,
that il must b. about three miles in circum-
ference. at first though; that this was
the placc Of which my guide had spoken.
We went onward and al lAss the Arab
showed me a most wonderful ruin. | set
to work and exeSvated there, but found
nothing Of any antiquarian value.
Il affeFward went back 10 the place
had first seen. and commenced thorough
search there The result was thai after
digging for four days We came upon the
top af some walls. This induced us 10 per
severe with increased arSlor, and We soon
found that We had eome upon an enormous
bailiing, IN which We began to find insCriT-
tioas may here say tha, l ana M, an
AsSyrian reader. am only a discoycrer
of Assyrian relies, which | send 20 the
British Museum, where those who have
made Assyriolagy study iatopFes the in
scriplions find, We 6rst Of ali discover
e,i four rooms aud then came upon the ffth.
They we're what shedld call generally Of
the AsSyTian or Rabylouian order, and paved
wjth bricfs or stones; bat the ffth noon was
paved with asphalt, the discovery of Whieh
brought tn my mind Solamons saying
'-There + n0shing ncw under the sun
Previous to this had always Thought that
asphalt was modern invention. Singular
ss this discovery was, We dug through the
asphalt, and in a short time We were NJ
warSlcd BY coming upon Golfer on which
NC found Inscriptions. From this Golfer
We took two cylinders. Thee were cover
ed with inscriptions which arr supposed 10
BE- the most important records Of the oldest
city in the world, founded. a. historians
tells us- by Noah siteF the deluge, and
where. according 20 tradition, Noah buried
the aniediluvian records Well, | had tn
come home; but | left some workmen con
tinuing the operations At the spot, and |
have asccrtained that they have found, az
ter a few days more digging, that in one
OF the r,sculs there was = channel, and in
side that channel there were records inseFib-
I'd on nearly 10000 tablets These tab
lets are all coming 10 England, but We can
not, Of course, as yet say what they contain.
They may contain something Of even great
er value than anything thai has hitherto
been discovered in the course Of our Eas-
tern researches IL may be, indeed, that
We skall really find on them the antediln-
Wan records of which have spoken.
After have been cut there again | shall
be happy tn give YOU further information
as to this interesting discovery ON my re
turn. hope 10 be going out in another
month, and then. trust, shall be able
TO make still further advances on what We
have already discovered. .-LoadoH Times