Miscellaneous Intelligence. 449 
day the niger aaa changed its quarters. I have seldom seen a more 
u sight. The Shei es prog was struck first, and sh long 
on rig laden camels, hors n, donkeys, and cattle, stretched 
far as the eye could reach. [ mp that there were about 2,000 
ersons with their camels, horses, and cattle. We paid our ioe to 
eras, the rival Sheikh, taking with us the brother of Haw We 
were well received, though not with the same dignified coudely. While 
@ were away the workmen had opened a trench, by Layard’s direc- 
lon, to show my wife a certain slab which he had buried; in doing so 
they uncovered three copper cauldrons of immense size, and some 
h i carefully removed the earth from one 
cauldron, which was partially ie with it, and discovered an immense 
variety of ivory ornaments, an iron axe-head, and innumerable other 
articles, which for the present | ak forbear to mention, having prom- 
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rest with earth. It is by far the most important discovery that has yet 
n made. He has placed them under my charge, and es me the 
ction of the workmen, as he is obliged to go to Mossul to make 
Preparations for the removal of the two finest colossal lions Foe have 
ret been discovered, which will, I trust, be on their way to eer in 
month or two. After that we shall cross the Zab with our tents, 
d with, or the energy, talent, perseverance, and shrewdness with 
he surmounts them, or the exquisite tact and good humor with 
h 
place he hes nothing but oe to guide him in his researches ; 
literally groping in the dark, an sorts of buried treasures may 
‘ithin his reach, while from the very small amount of funds pla- 
t his disposal, he is unable to make anything like a proper search, 
contents himself with sinking trenches almost at hazard as it were. 
saucers, most beautifully embossed and engraved, some shields 
at of which the handles alone remain, the iron blades being 
, and a small marble vase. The cups and bowls and other 
s are of some unknown alloy of metals, but they are all so 
with decomposed and crystallized copper, and so fragile, 
eannot be handled without great danger, and Mr. Layard is 
them home in the state in which he found them, without at- 
ohh in packing them. We may now congratulate the British 
in being possessed of an entirely unique collection, the value of 
v hich i is seni Be ornaments and sculptures on the vases de- 
hote a very ad stage of civilization. Not the least curious of 
the discovaties a are ecteal hundred mother-o’-pear] studs, in form ex- 
Secoxp aoe “igi Lx, No. 27,—May, 1850. 57 
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