358 
RUINS OF BABYLON. 
men say, that some way on, it is high enough for a horseman to 
pass upright. As much as I saw of it, it was near seven feet in 
height, and its course to the south. The superstructure over 
the passage is cemented with bitumen, other parts of the ravine 
with mortar, and the bricks have all writing on them. The 
northern end of the ravine appears to have been crossed by an 
extremely thick wall of yellowish brick, cemented with a bril¬ 
liant white mortar, which has been broken through in hollowing 
it; and a little to the north of it I discovered what Beauchamp 
saw imperfectly, and understood from the natives to be an idol. 
I was told the same thing, and that it was discovered by an old 
Arab in digging, but that not knowing what to do with it, he 
covered it up again. On sending for the old man, who pointed 
out the spot, I set a number of men to work; who, after a day’s 
hard labour, laid open enough of the statue to show that it was 
a lion of colossal dimensions, standing on a pedestal of a coarse 
kind of grey granite, and of rude workmanship : in the mouth 
was a circular aperture, into which a man might introduce his 
fist. A little to the west of the ravine is the next remarkable 
object, especially called by the natives, the Kasr, or Palace, by 
which appellation I shall designate the whole mass. It is a very 
remarkable ruin, which being uncovered, and in part detached 
from the rubbish, is visible from a considerable distance, but so 
surprisingly fresh in its appearance, that it was only after a 
minute inspection I was satisfied of its being in reality a Baby¬ 
lonian remain. It consists of several walls and piers, which face 
the cardinal points, eight feet in thickness, in some places orna¬ 
mented with niches, and in others strengthened by pilasters and 
buttresses built of fine burnt brick, still perfectly clean and 
sharp, laid in lime-cement of such tenacity that those whose 
