374 FISH— VIVARIA— FIRST POACHING 



which " he caused their herds to bring forth young," we 

 find— 



29. " A great pagtltu, a crocodile, a hippopotamus (?), and 

 beasts of the Great Sea, 



30. the king of Musre sent unto him and caused the people 

 of his land to behold." 



We cannot determine what one of the subjects of this gift, 

 "a great pagutu," exactly was. Tum-su-hu may possibly be 

 the equivalent of the Egyptian emsah, Arabic timsdh, i.e. a 

 crocodile. If so, Musre must indicate Egypt. ^ 



The Annals of Asur-Nasirpal form our second document of 

 knowledge. The walls of his palace, lined with sculptures in 

 rehef, represent his exploits in the field of battle and in the chase. 

 Details are most carefully and elaborately carved ; the designs 

 mark the acme of Ass3nian art. 



In Column III. he records 2 



" Some men I took alive and impaled them on stakes 



OVER against their CITIES. 3 



At that time I marched into the district of Lebanon, 

 and unto the Great Sea. 



In the Great Sea I washed my weapons and I made 



OFFERING unto THE GODS. 



The TRIBUTE OF THE KINGS OF THE SEA FROM THE LANDS OF 

 THE MEN OF TyRE AND SiDON AND ArVAD, WHICH LIETH IN THE 

 MIDST OF THE SEA, SILVER AND GOLD AND A GREAT PAGUTU AND 

 A SMALL PAGUTU AND IVORY AND A DOLPHIN, A CREATURE OF 

 THE SEA, I RECEIVED AS TRIBUTE FROM THEM, AND THEY 

 EMBRACED MY FEET." 



This " washing," or as it has otherwise been rendered 

 " dipping," of a weapon in the sea is not to be taken, as it 



* Another translation {R. Asiatic Proc, XIX. pp. 124-5) renders these 

 hnes " creatures of the Great Sea which the King of Egypt had sent as a gift, 

 and entrusted to the care of men of his own country," either as carriers or 

 permanent attendants. But see p. 53 of the Introduction to The Annals 

 of the Kings of Assyria, op. cit. Dr. St. Clair Tisdall writes : " If Nam-su-hu 

 (Budge and King's translation) be right, it is evidently the Egyptian name 

 ' msM Am = crocodile, with the plural Na prefixed. Egypt in Arabic is still Misr." 



' Op. cit.. Introduction, pp. 372 fi. 



' The Assyrians, probably from having no admixture of the softer Sumerian 

 blood, from living in a less enervating climate, and from Hittite influence, 

 stand out as more virile, fiercer fighters, and crueller foes than the Babylonians. 



