Darlington & Richmond Herald. — 1873-06-28 (Darlington, Durham, England)

THE RUINS OF BABYLON.  Mr. George Smith, sent out by the Daily Telegraph to Assyria, has forwarded a second lengthy letter, of which the following is the most important passage : "On the 15th we reached Mahawil, and on the morning of the 16th rode into the ruins of Babylon. The first mounds I examined were those of the ruins called now Babil, but sometimes Mujelliba ; it is the most northern set of mounds. These ruins consist of one vast oblong mound, surrounded by some smaller mounds, and the ruins of a wall which had at one time enclosed the structure. A number of Arabs :were here at work, digging out the bricks from this wall, which in some places has disappeared, while the foundation is being excavated for material and sold for building purposes. From Babil I proceeded to the Kasr, and from the Kasr to Aniram. These ruins consist of immense irregular mounds of earth and rubbish, and look most unpromising as to excavatons. Other smaller mounds cover the whole region, but the groves of palm trees prevent one getting any good view of the sites. After a long survey, I went into the town of Hillah, a place I may say, out of the ruins of Babylon. flillali Started is or poth banks of the Euphrates, and Place. On the morning of the sle7ethni sI aa for the Birs Ninirud, and passing round a marsh on the west of the Euphrates, arrived at ray goal, and beheld an imposing sight. First we co thrivingt i.e tue upon an immense irregular mound, crovvned by a modern tomb, and next the mound of Birs Niuirud itself, oblong in shape, formed by the ruins of an elevated platform of sun-dried brick. Above this rises the fragments of a tower, in stages, built of kiln-burnt bricks. I could not count the stages myself on account of the ruined state of the structure, but Sir Henry Rawlinson, some years ago, ascertained by excavations here that they were seven in number. Each stage is evidently built of bricks differing in colour from the others, and, although large portions have fallen down, one grand mass of brick-work remains at the top, which seems as if it would defy the effects of time.  "On the 18th I paid a second visit to the and also viewed some minor portion of the ruins of Babylon. Looking upon those which represent the ancient cities of Babylon and I3orsippa, must confess myself unable to inalre out the positions of the various buildings mentioned by ancient authors. In modern times learned speculation has spent its strength in determining the sites; but now 1 have seen the rams themselves, I am convinced that some—and perhaps most—of these speculations are wide of the mark. Nothing can be said on these points until the ground is properly, excavated, and the excavation of the site of Babylon I consider the most important archwological work in the Euphrates Valley. "The Arabs, having learned the value of antiquities, are always turning over the rubbish in these ruins, and extracting fragments of tablets, cylinders, and other objects, while the trade in bricks from the mounds has been carried on for centuries. Babylon is slowly disappearing; yon may see portions of it every day loaded On donkeys and brought into the town of 11111'w but it is such a vast area that it will centuries still to remove the remains." take  Patrick A t t:11e his own coniesnLutiffvyerwpoaoslePhaorliceedgrt—Ou Wednesday, aloe, wiLh the murder of Constable Talbot, Dublin. The Swiss Times understands that borings for coal are about to be undertaken at the foot of tits the first cargo of the rails Langier and Mout-Terrible, Canton Berne. Baron Reuter's railway will commence shortly. will I ln b e future, Open The survey of the first portion is nearly cornThe iHrneuiwediateabiyip. Dr. Eliza Walker has just been appointed house physician to the Bristol ilospital f didates. tittlii)ll,o2mildernetns. surgicalW °ra e lto lady :lita'  At Court of Common Council, on Thursdays it was stated that the Port of London Sanitary Committee had taken all possible precautions against the appearance of cholera, in view of its prevalence at Dantzic. At the annual meeting on Wednesday, of John Brown WcY46) Sheffield, it was stated that Continental & Co., Limited, Atlas Steel and Roil manufacturers were rapidly supplanting them -11 railway spring and other goods, as the cent wages almost ehut Sheffield out, of, the ()reign markets.