BANKS OF THE EUPHRATES. 
335 
The whole of the town, towards the desert, is defended by a 
pretty deep ditch, overlooked by a proportionate number of 
brick-built towers, (all the spoil of Babylon,) flanking the inter¬ 
mediate compartments of wall. Three gates open from this 
rampart; namely, that of Nejef, or Imaun Ali ; that of Tha- 
masia, and that of Hossein or Kerbela. All these gates lead to 
the places whence they take their names. As far as the eye can 
reach from the town, both up and down the Euphrates, the 
banks appear to be thickly shaded with groves of date-trees ; 
displacing, it should seem, the other beautiful species of trees 
in its noblest growth, from which Isaiah names this scene the 
“ Brook, or Valley of Willows though the humbler races of 
that graceful tribe, in the osier, &c. are yet the prolific offspring 
of its shores. 
To the north-west, not far from the Kerbela gate, and in the 
midst of the gardens, rises the mosque called Mesched Esshems, 
surmounted by an obelisk and minaret. This style of obelisk is, 
undoubtedly, very ancient; indeed, something imitating the 
taste of old Babylon, in its pyramidal form. It is of the same 
character with that of Zobiede at Bagdad, covered with little 
niches from the base of its cone to the top, where it exhibits 
arj. iron-spike, crowned with a clay substance, in shape like the 
cap of liberty. Its interior, the people told me, contained the 
remains of Joshua; but the Jews declare their ignorance of anj* 
of their nation resting there, much less the son of Nun. Yet, 
that such traditions exist amongst the natives, who have no 
interest in making a fable on the subject, certainly are additional 
proofs that the Israelites did dwell there, “ according to the 
Scriptures,” not merely in captivity, but, in the persons of cer¬ 
tain individuals, honoured while living, and buried, when dead, 
