262 HASISADRA'S ADVENTTTF. VTT 



together, without troubling himself very much 

 about the resulting repetitions and inconsistencies ; 

 the product of such a primitive editorial operation 

 would be a narrative analogous to that which 

 treats of the Noachian deluge in the book of 

 Genesis. For the Pentateuchal story is indu- 

 bitably a patchwork, composed of fragments of at 

 least two, different and partly discrepant, narra- 

 tives, quilted together in such an inartistic fashion 

 that the seams remain conspicuous. And, in tho 

 matter of circumstantial exaggeration, it in soim- 

 respects excels even the second-hand legend 

 of Berosus. 



There is a certain practicality about the iiotioi 

 of taking refuge from floods and storms in a shi] 

 provided with a steersman ; but, surely, 

 one who had ever seen more water than 

 could wade through would dream of facing evei 

 a moderate breeze, in a huge three-storied coffe 

 or box, three hundred cubits long, fifty wide ai 

 thirty hi^h, left to drift without rudder or pilot 

 Not content with giving the exact year of Noal 



1 In tin- second volume of the History of t/f Knplu 

 Erpediti<i, p. C37, Col. Chesney gives a very interestii 

 acroiint of the simple ami rapid manner in which the poo 

 about Tckrit an. I in tin- ni:irslu-s <>t Lemlmn rmMn 

 large barii'-s ami make them watertight with bitunu 

 Doubtless the practice is extremely aiieient ; ami as Coloi 

 Chesney suggests, may possibly liavi- Inniished the mneeptic 

 of Noah's ark. Hut it is one tiling to build a barge -lift, lor 

 by lift. wil- ami lit. ilerp in the way described ; and anoth 

 to got I ten times the dimensions. BO Constructed, 



hold together. 



