118 Letter from Rev. Dr. Smith on the Ruins of Nineveh. 
~ itself. On digging along the sides of this, it was found to be 
composed of a single row of large hewn stones, the top of which . 
had been broken off by violence or otherwise destroyed. On one 
side these stones were plain or unfinished, on the other the lower 
part of the legs of captives, with chains around their ancles, were 
represented in bas-relief, the latter being the surface designed to 
be seen, while the former was contiguous to an unburnt brick 
wall, of which these stones formed the facing. 'To furnisha 
good opportunity to examine and copy these figures, a ditch 
about four feet wide was dug along in front of the stones, sticks 
being so placed as to keep them from falling forward. Following 
the stone work in this manner a little distance, the workmen 
came to a doorway. ‘'Turning around the corner thus presented, 
they directed the digging inward towards the room, and the walls 
were found to have been twelve or fifteen feet thick. The door- 
way thus entered was about eight feet broad, and its floor was 
formed by a single stone, which was covered with writing in the 
cuneiform character. On the stones forming the sides of this door- 
way were immense figures, having an eagle’s head and wings, 
with arms and legs like those of aman. 'The doors were gone, 
but circular holes, about ten inches in diameter and as many in 
depth, were found cut in the floor on each side of the doorway. 
These holes were so situated in the angles of recesses in the sides 
of the doorway, as to leave no doubt that they were the recep- 
tacles of the pivots on which the doors turned. Those who are 
familiar with the manner in which the lock-gates of American 
canals are usually hung, and the recesses into which they fit 
while boats are passing in and out of the locks, will derive from 
them a very correct idea of the style of the doorway just de- 
scribed. This doorway being cleared out, the digging was di- 
rected along in front of the stone, facing the inner side of the 
unburnt brick wall. In this way, also, the excavations were con- 
ducted throughout the whole of the work, which comprised a 
line of stone facing, ten feet high when the stones were uninjured, 
and, following its ramifications, more than a mile in length; the 
whole of which was covered either with inscriptions or with bas- 
reliefs. From thirty to sixty laborers were constantly employed 
for more than six months in the manual labor of excavation alone ; 
and this will show, perhaps better than any statement of measures 
or other statistics, the actual extent of, and the expense attend- 
