;};>2 Journal of a Steam Trip to the north of Baghdad. [Aprilj 



right bank opposite, 299° 30". Tel Benat or the "girl's mound" near 

 Dur, 345° 30'. Tel Alij or the "nose bag mound" 18° 30'. Khalifa 

 or old palace, 341° 00/ Qadesiyeh old fortress extending from 147 ° 

 to 157°; Istabolat town 1G7° ; variation of the needle 2° 55' west. 



April \5th. — Left Samarrah at6h. 21m. and steamed down the river 

 against a heavy south wind, which in the reaches directly opposite to it 

 raised the waters of the Tigris into a considerable swell. Passed Qade- 

 siyeh at 7h. 25m. ; Khan Mazrakji 8h. 10m. ; Khan Tholiyeh 9h. 3m. ; 

 mouth of the Atheim lOh. 0m. ; Sindiyeh, where we stopped for fuel, 

 at lib. 52m. ; Jedidel village 3h. 7m. p. m. and anchored off the gar- 

 dens of Trumbee in a heavy squall of thunder, lightning, hail, and 

 rain at 6h. 20m. The next morning took up our old berth at Baghdad 

 after passing through the bridge of boats. 



From these observations it will be seen that the journey northward 

 against the stream occupied 86^ hours steaming, while the descent was 

 performed in the short space of 19 hours. 



I much regret the termination of our trip, for I had flattered myself 

 that it might not only prove useful in a geographical sense, but also 

 both instructive and amusing. I had contemplated, could I have only 

 reached the neighbourhood of Mosul, a visit to that town and the 

 adjacent ruins of the Assyrian cities of Nineveh, Khorsabad and 

 Nimrud,* as well as a minute examination of the interesting Al Hadhr, 



* A large and very ancient mound, I believe first described by Mr. Rich in his Kurdistan 

 and Niniveh. He identifies it with the Larissa of Xenophon. The learned Bochart in allud- 

 ing" to this spot, remarks the improbability of a town with such a name existing in this 

 part of the world previous to the conquests of Alexander. He therefore conjectures 

 that this city is the Resen mentioned by Moses in Genesis x. 12, and imagines the name 

 Larissa to have been applied to it by Xenophon not only from the attachment of the 

 Greeks to this peculiar name, but from its resemblance to the Hebrew Laresen " of 

 Resen," which no doubt suggested its being corrupted to Larissa. He concludes by ob- 

 serving that it is easy to imagine how this word (Laresen) might be softened by a Greek 

 termination and made Larissa. 



Mr. Fraser, in his work on Mesopotamia and Assyria, states it is also known by the ap- 

 pellation of Al Athus or Asshur, from which the whole country derived its name. Be 

 this as it may, there can be now no doubt of its great antiquity, for the enterprizing and 

 intelligent Bukhtyari traveller, Mr. Layard, so far back as last November, succeeded 

 in discovering with little labour some beautiful specimens of antique statuary, in very 

 high relief, and large slabs covered with the Assyrian cuneiform writing. He is now 

 actively employed in extensive excavations since he obtained the Firman from the Porte, 



