NIMROUD SIDE-GALLERY. 
97 
fortress, defended in front by a river. The architecture is similar to 
that on the preceding slab : a warrior and two women appear on the 
battlements, with gestures of supplication ; whilst archers are shooting 
at them from the opposite shore. Three fugitives are swimming 
towards the walis, two of them supported by inflated skins, strapped 
beneath their bodies; the third is pierced by an arrow; on the shore 
beside the assailants are a date-palm, and two other trees. 
Next follows a second series of nine consecutive slabs in each tier, 
one of those in the lower being supplied by a restoration in chiaro¬ 
scuro. 
7 a, 8 a, 9 a, 10 a, form together one subject, a battle and victory 
of the Assyrians. The king, in his chariot, drives upon the flying 
enemy, discharging his arrows; above him appears a guardian ferouher, 
drawing a bow in his behalf; the fugitives, who are all on foot, turn to 
shoot on their pursuer; an eagle, attacking one of the bodies of the 
slain, is inserted, without regard to perspective, in the space above. 
In the next group (8 a) are two chariots, with standards and archers, 
preceding the king; on them also the enemy turns to shoot. Further 
on (9 a), two Assyrian footsoldiers, with conical helmets, advance 
amidst the dead and wounded; above, an eagle is awaiting his prey. 
In front of these are horsemen, shooting as they charge; two of the 
enemy (10 a) meet them, shooting in return. In the van, another 
chariot, bearing an eunuch discharging an arrow, presses on the 
fugitives: on a mound in front is an Assyrian footsoldier, assailing a 
disarmed opponent; another, beneath, is slaughtering one of the van¬ 
quished ; an eagle flies over the foremost chariot, and dead bodies are 
scattered about. 
7 6, 8 6, 9 6, represent the passage of a river by the Assyrian army. 
To the left are warriors preparing for embarkation, or for swimming; 
one man is inflating a skin, another is trying whether a skin is suffi¬ 
ciently filled with air; a third is assisting to lift a chariot on board 
a boat. In the water appear, scattered wherever space will admit, 
men swimming upon skins, fishes, and small round-bottomed boats 
bearing chariots, with the horses swimming behind, and the boatmen 
guiding them by halters. On the third slab (9 6) is the royal galley, 
with three rowers and a steersman, aided by tw T o men towing it from 
the shore; on board is the king standing in his chariot, holding two 
arrows in his hand, and attended by two eunuchs bearing his arms. 
10 6, 11 6, are part of a subject originally comprising 3 slabs, and 
part of a fourth (13 6); but the third slab was discovered in so shat¬ 
tered a condition, that Mr. Layard did not attempt its removal. It is 
here supplied by a painting in chiaroscuro, after a copy made by Mr. 
Layard on the spot. The left-hand portion (10 6) represents the 
capitulation of a city; women appear on the battlements, which are, as 
usual, serrated: three Assyrian chariots are seen in procession below T . 
In front of them, attended by a parasol-bearer, stands the victorious 
king, holding in his right hand two arrows, in his left a bow; above 
appears the ferouher; a chieftain addresses the king, presenting to him 
captives and spoils of war,—a subject treated very similarly to No. 6 6. 
The last portion of the composition extends over part of the slab 
No. 13 6, where females, tearing their hair, and accompanied by a 
