KASR, OR PALACE. 
367 
From the detached situations of the huge fragments of wall, 
still rising conspicuous along the western, and a part of the 
northern face of this great mound, it does not appear unlikely 
that they composed the piers or buttresses, to support some part 
of the terraces attached to the famous gardens; within which, 
we are told, were fine apartments, commanding views of the 
city. Indeed, all the portions of brick-work yet standing entire, 
that were still accessible amongst the numerous ravines of the 
Kasr, presented to me very traceable lines of long passages, or 
square chambers ; but without ledge or ornament on their sides : 
not that any vestige of the latter could be expected, after the 
lapse of so many centuries, amongst ruins which had been ran¬ 
sacked in almost every age. The undeviating absence of the arch 
from these buildings of ancient Babylonia, as well as from the 
similar great remains of primeval Egypt, and Elam, cannot fail 
being a conclusive argument in support of a nearly contemporary 
date to them all. Besides, may we not draw another inference 
from these corroborating evidences ; namely, that the arch, as 
a feature of architecture, was unknown before the deluge ? 
That the antediluvians, in the course of more than 2000 years, 
(the usually ascribed time between the creation of the world and 
the deluge,) had arrived to great excellence in building, we have 
sufficient grounds for belief, from the nature of things, as well 
as ocular demonstration in these colossal relics of Babylon ; one 
of which at least, we cannot doubt, was erected little more than 
a century after the flood, even in the lifetime of Noah. That 
he did not, on issuing from the ark, “ the whole world before 
him, where to chuse,” adopt a wandering life, living in tents; 
but established a city, we may gather from “ his planting a 
vineyard,” whose growth he not only watched, but drank of its 
