120 BAGHDAD TO KERMANSHAH. 



that they had to paint it with various colours. Keally 

 it has spoiled the arch." There is likewise something 

 pathetic in the plaint which occurs farther on : " The 

 inscriptions of people on the rock here have not left a 

 single place free." 



Two carved stone capitals, or possibly fire-altars, and 

 the upper portion of an enormous stone figure, have 

 been set up on the far side of one of the tanks. I 

 have seen it suggested that this figure fell from a plat- 

 form above the arches, where stone stumps supposed 

 to be the feet are still visible. I think this is quite 

 out of the question, since the stone stumps, to begin 

 with, are of an absolutely different coloured stone to 

 the statue, and bear no resemblance to feet. They 

 were probably used to secure the scaffolding at the 

 time the sculptures were executed. The statue has 

 been invested with a certain magic power by the hill 

 tribes, who regard it as a sort of panacea for every ill. 

 To quote his Majesty's diary once more : " It is said 

 that the Lur has this statue in veneration, and when 

 they suffer from chills, fever, and other ailments they 

 place at the foot of the statue peas and raisins and 

 other offerings. Most of the time they go away un- 

 happy. They are foolish and stupid men." 



To the right of the sculptures are two small flights 

 of steps cut out of the rock, which lead on to a sort 

 of platform above. Before leaving let me correct the 

 impression which I received when I read of them as a 

 " flight of several hundreds of steps " ! Niches would 

 be a more correct term, and the two short flights are 

 jointly possessed of precisely 102. A far more accurate 

 idea is gained from the remark of his late Majesty : 

 "But to go up these steps is not free of danger!" 



