ASSYRIAN MONUMENTS. 25 



seen in the sculptures and in the London shops. In 

 India they are hawked about, and served at tables also 

 in this manner. And I think that, both botanically and 

 artistically, the rude representations on the Assyrian 

 sculptures can stand for clusters of bananas. Moreover, 

 if these were intended for such a fruit, it would seem 

 that the Assyrian artists were acquainted with more 

 than one variety of it. 



It may seem that I have devoted a great amount of 

 space to a paltry cluster of bananas. True, but by looking 

 carefully into the matter we may get a glimpse of 

 the kind of refreshments those terrible kings called 

 for, after their exhausting hunts and battles. 



I have entered so fully into the geographical and 

 botanical history of the banana because the character- 

 istic plant itself is not traceable on the monuments. 

 Nevertheless the fruit may have been quite known 

 to the Assyrians as an imported and rare article. 



THE MELON 

 [Ciicumis inelo, or Citridlus vulgaris). 



Accompanying the banana-like objects there some- 

 times occurs what appears like a slice of melon — such 

 as is shown on pi. 64, Tome I of Botta's Monuments 

 (fig. 9, d). 



