134 Journal of a Steam Trip to the north of Baghdad, [April, 



vaults by means of a rope and block much to the dismay of the 

 frightened natives, who would not trust themselves near the spot, but 

 awaited the termination of our enterprize with a superstitious dread. 

 They firmly believe that a Lion has chosen this place to hold his court 

 in, and when we again made our appearance on " terra firma" scathless, 

 they thanked God for our deliverance. The vaults are of some extent, 

 and are cut out of the limestone rock, but have brick roofs. A few 

 scraps of old and much rusted iron and a fathom or two of decayed 

 rope rewarded our labours. 



The site of the ancient Samarrah was undoubtedly well chosen. The 

 broad and rapid Tigris bounded it to the west, the main branch of the 

 Nahrwan extending from the Kantaratel Resasa to the river " Atheim," 

 on the north ; and the south branch of the Nahrwan extending from 

 El Ghaim in an easterly direction to its junction with the north branch, 

 on the south ; thus enclosing a triangle of rich land, whose longest side 

 was 35 English miles and the remaining two 20 miles in length. Many 

 towns occupied its area, and the numerous canals, offshoots from the 

 great Nahrwan, crossing it in a diversity of lines, attest its former ferti- 

 lity. At this time not a blade of grass or a single tree breaks the mono- 

 tony of the extensive view from the top of the Malwiyeh. A death-like 

 silence prevails around the fallen city, interrupted only by the howling of 

 a jackal, who has just issued from some of its deserted vaults. 



W. by N. of the Khalifa and on the undulating mounds forming the 

 right boundary of the valley of the Tigris, another ruin, apparently of 

 the same order and date is seen. The buttresses which are met with 

 at regular intervals along the wall, are partly standing, giving to the 

 whole ruin, when viewed at a distance, from whatever quarter, the 

 resemblance of a group of pillars. These buttresses are circular or 

 square pedestals, and are neatly built of fine brick work. It is called 

 " Ashik, or the Lover." Some high mounds about half way between 

 the Khalifa and Ashik, or near the latter, in the valley of the river, 

 mark the site, I think, of some very old ruin (probably Babylonian) of 

 much earlier date than that above mentioned. The Arabs however 

 call them " Mashuk, or the Beloved," and a bridge over the Tigris is 

 said formerly to have connected them with Ashik, notwithstanding 

 which, tradition assigns to this place a tale, similar to the well known 

 but doubtful feat of the Leander of Hellespontic notoriety. 



