222 
do not think it would be out of place here to give you a 
short resume of the fact. 
The year before last, while on my way to Babylon, from 
Baghdad, I happened to be spending a night at an Arab's 
house in a village called Mahmoodia, about fifteen miles to 
the south-west of Baghdad, where I geuerally halted on the 
route to Babylon. As my host knew what I was searching 
for, especially as I had a number of workmen digging in the 
mounds in the vicinity, and he had seen some objects on which 
cuneiform characters were inscribed, he told me that when he 
was escorting a wedding-party northward, he had picked up a 
piece of an inscribed brick at a place called Dair, which he 
brought to show me. I saw that the writing was like that 
generally found in Babylonia on bricks upon which the name 
of Nebuchadnezzar is inscribed, and so I lost no time in 
accompanying him to the spot, as I was anxious to see if I 
could find any sign of an old city there to dig at. The place 
was about six miles from the village of Mahmoodia ; but as I 
had to make a detour in order to reach it, on account of the 
rise of the Euphrates, which inundated the country, we had to 
pass a large artificial mound called Aboo-habba, which I 
perceived to be the remains of an old Babylonian city. I 
thought at first that that was the ruin to which my Arab 
guide was taking me to, but he soon undeceived me by saying 
that it was about three miles further. Had there been any 
workmen with me, I should have placed, then and there, 
three or four gangs to try it. We then went onto Dair; 
but though I found I was not deceived by my guide, 
yet, after seeing Aboo-habba, the other ancient ruin 
seemed quite unimportant in comparison, as the sequel 
will show. 
The difficulty was the finding of workmen in the neigh- 
bourhood, as the Arabs of the place asked more exorbitant 
wages than I could possibly allow — not that I could not 
afford to employ a few workmen on a high scale of pay, but 
was obliged to keep to a certain standard for fear of dis- 
satisfaction in other quarters. When such difficulties arose, 
I generally brought the required number of workmen from 
other diggings, by giving them an extra allowance for what was 
called “ special service." These men did not only work for 
the time being, but showed new hands how the work was to 
be carried on. In most instances the old hands served as 
superior workmen or diggers, receiving, according to rule, 
better pay. Whenever a new place is opened, I am invariably 
asked more than double the pay that I am able or willing to 
allow, as the Arabs have an absurd idea that the English are 
