THE TOWER OF BABEL. 
315 
I have now noticed, not merely the general appearance of the 
Birs on all its sides, but every remaining piece of wall still per¬ 
ceptible, through the deep accumulations of mouldering and 
broken fragments, which invade the distinct lines of this ever- 
wonderful monument; but I have yet to remark, that with 
regard to the use of bitumen, I saw no vestige of it whatever on 
any remnant of building on the upper ascents, and therefore 
drier regions. It was towards the foundations of the burnt-brick 
walls, lower down, and on the large fragments of brick ruins at 
tire base of the pile, that I first discovered any specimens ; and 
there I found them in great quantities. These circumstances 
lead me to suppose, that bitumen was chiefly confined by the 
Chaldean builders, to the foundations, and lower parts of their 
edifices; for the purpose of preventing the ill effects of the 
damp and water, to which this country must always have been 
liable from the successive inundations of the river. The same 
reason accounts for the perforations in the body of the buildings ; 
to give vent to the consequent evaporations from the moisture 
below. Amongst the many specimens of bitumen I picked up, 
were several large cakes, more than ten inches long, and three 
in thickness; appearing to have been the casing of some work, 
perhaps the lining of a water course. 
On observing Birs Nimrood from the plain, if we admit the 
projecting stage towards the east to have been any part of the 
real base of the original pile, then we must see that the tower¬ 
like remains, now forming its highest pyramidal point, do not 
rise over the true centre of the building. But if we subtract 
that projection from the base, and regard it only as a platform, 
or court of approach, then we have a remaining ground of ele¬ 
vation exactly adapted to make the present highest point that 
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