that his predeceffors refided there. It is beyond a doubt, however, that Tak-Kefre is far more ancient than these two cities founded by the Greeks. I ought not to omit, that near Tak Kefre are found urns of clay, filled with a friable calcareous fubftance, which is evidently burnt bones. Eight years ago the Arabs found there a ftatue of an infant in white marble, admirably executed. I faw the legs, attached to a kind of pedestal. They were presented by the Pacha of Bagdad to the English Agent, who fent them to Conftantinople to Sir Robert Ainflie. The head is in the poffeffion of M. Rouffeau, the French conful. This I prefume to have been the work of a Greek. The ruins of Babylon are very vifible a league north of Hella. There is in particular an elevation flat on the top, of an irregular figure, and interfected by ravines. It would never have been fufpected for the work of human hands, were it not proved by the layers of bricks found in it. Its height is not more than fixty yards. On my firft journey to Hella, in 1784, I wrote M. de la Lande, that I could not believe this to be what was once the Tower of Babel, though it is even now called Babel by the Arabs. The learned have long ago paffed their judgment on the imaginary defcriptions given of this monument by fuch travellers as the Jew Benjamin, Detudelle, and others. A perfon fkilled in Arabic will not eafily believe, that the word Babel is derived from the root of bel-bel, which fignifies to confound, as commentators pretend. Be it as it may, this mount is fo little elevated, that the leaft ruin we pass in the road to it conceals it from the view. To come at the bricks it is neceffary to dig into the earth. They are baked with fire, and cemented with zepht or bitumen: between each layer are found ofiers. Above this mount, on the fide of the river, are thofe immenfe ruins, which have served, and still ferve, for the building of Hella, an Arabian city, containing 10,000 or 12,000 fouls. Here are found those large and thick bricks, imprinted with unknown characters, fpecimens of which I have presented to Abbe Barthelemy. This place, and the mount of Babel, are commonly called by the Arabs Makloube, that is, "turned topfy-turvy." I was informed by the mafter-mafon employed to dig for bricks, that the places from which he procured them were large thick walls, and fometimes chambers. He has frequently found earthen vessels, engraved marbles, and about eight years ago a ftatue as large as life, which he threw amongst the rubbish. On one wall of a chamber he found the figures of a cow, and of the fun and moon, formed of varnished bricks. Sometimes idols of clay are found, reprefenting human figures. I found one brick on which was a lion, and on others a halfmoon in relief. The bricks are cemented with bitumen, except in one place, which is well preferved, where they are united by a very thin ftratum of white cement, which appears to me to be made of lime and fand. The mafter-workman informed me, that there were three cities in which antiquities are found: Babel, or Makloube; Brouffa, two leagues S. E. of Hella in the Defert; and Kaides, ftill farther diftant than A a 2 Brouffa. Brouffa. I was told that many marble ftatues were found in the latter, but it is dangerous to go thither without a strong guard. Moft of the bricks found at Makloube have writing on them: but it does not appear that it was meant to be read, for it is as common on bricks buried in the walls as on thofe on the outfide. I obferved that each quarter has a peculiar impreffon: I mean, that we find but one feries of letters, and arranged in the fame manner, in one place. The bricks are every where of the fame dimenfions; one foot three lines fquare, by three inches thick. Occafionally layers of ofiers in bitumen are found, as at Babel. The quantity of the bitumen that must have been employed in building Babylon, is fcarcely credible. Moft probably it was procured from Hitt on the Euphrates, where we ftill find it. The mafter mafon told me that he found fome in a spot which he was digging about twenty years ago; which is by no means ftrange, as it is common enough on the banks of the Euphrates; I have myself feen it on the road from Bagdad to Juba, an Arabian village feated on that river. The mafter-mafon led me along a valley which he dug out a long while ago to get at the bricks of a wall, that, from the marks he fhowed me, I guess to have been xty feet thick. It ran perpendicularly to the bed of the river, and was probably the wall of the city. I found in it a fubterranean canal, which, instead of being arched over, is covered with pieces of fand-flone, fix or feven feet long, by three feet wide. Thefe ruins extend several leagues to the north of Hella, and incontelibly mark the fituation of ancient Babylon. I employed two men for three hours in clearing a ftone which they fuppofed to be an Idol. The part which I got a view of appeared to me nothing but a shapeless mafs: it was evident, however, that it was not a fimple block, as it bore marks of the chifel, and there were pretty deep holes in it; but I could not find any infcription on it. The ftone is of a black grain; and from the large fragments of it found in many places, it appears there were fome monuments of ftone built here. On the eastern fide I found a ftone nearly two feet square and fix inches thick, of a beautiful granite, the grain of which was white and red. All these ftones must have been brought from some diftance, as this part of the Desert contains none. On the same fide of the city, as I was told by the mafter-mafon, there were walls of varnished bricks, which he suppofed to have been a temple: Idols would probably be found there, if any one would be at the expence of digging: but it would be neceffary to fatisfy the avarice of the Muffulmen, who are never very willing for Europeans to search lands occupied by them. Befides the bricks with infcriptions, which I have mentioned, there are folid cylinders, three inches in diameter, of a white substance, covered with very finall writing, resembling the infcriptions of Persepolis mentioned by Chardin. Four years ago I faw one; but I was not eager to procure it, as I was affured that they were very common. I mentioned them to the mafter-mafon, who told me, that he fometimes found fuch, but left them amongst the rubbish as useless. Black ftones which have infcriptions engraved on them them are also met with. Thefe, I was told, were found at Brouffa, which is feparated from Makloube by the river. I was informed, that an Arab at Halla had one in his poffeffion, and did all I could to procure it, or at least to obtain a fight of it, but I could not fucceed. In 1782 one was fent to Paris, by M. And. Michaux, a botanift, who was at that time at Bagdad. I have been affured by the Arabs, that a day's journey from the last mention ed city, and fix leagues from the Ti. gris, there is a stone of enormous fize covered with infcriptions. May we not prefume, that this ftone is of the fame origin as the Pillars of Thaut ? I visited the ruins of Brouffa fix years ago. Thefe are, properly fpeaking, nothing but a mountain of earth and bricks. The difficulty of transporting them acrofs the river prevents the latter being dug for. We find there a kind of hall ftill ftanding, which I conceive to be more modern than the city itself, as well as a fquare tower, which, though ancient, appears to have been built on its ruins. The city of Hella is not the remains of Babylon: it is a league more to the fouth. I affured myfelf on the spot, that Hella did not exift before Cuffa. Its name is written Helle, which in Arabic fignifies place, habitation, and, according to the mutfulmen, the place between the two facred places Imam-Haffein and Imam-Ali. A league from Hella, towards Makloube, is feen an ancient portico called diemjeme, fignifying in Arabic the kull of the head. It is pretended, that Ali here patted the Euphrates, in his road to Cuffa, where he was killed by Giezid.. I muft obferve here, that Delitle, in his map of Babylonia, places that ancient city and the celebrated mofque of Imam-Ali too near each other. They are five leagues dif tant. Sultan Selim begun an aque.. duct for conveying water to the latter from the Euphrates, which was continued by Nadir Shah, but has never been finithed. Many Muffulman pilgrims affured me, that they drank very bad well. water there. The foil is a fandy gypfous defert, producing nothing. I imagine medals must be found in the ruins of Babylon, if fought after: but the Arabs pick them up only when they know Europeans are defirous of them. One of copper was brought me whilft I was there. On comparing it with dif ferent Parthian medals, I obferved, that all the heads of the latter bore a kind of mitre; that of the former, a crown of flowers. Last year I procured a cup with unknown characters, which had been found, with a hundred medals in it, a few years ago, near Nemrod, and fent it to count de Choifeul-Gouffier. From this, I was informed by Ab. Barthelemy, no information could be drawn, without the medals. Of thefe I believe I now poffets a part. Mr. Rouleau, the French conful, purchafed at that period juft 100 medals of a base filver, and all of the fame coin. They are very ancient, and I believe Parthian or Babylonian; but of this the learned will judge. M. Rouffeau intrufted me with forty to difpofe of for him, as well as fome others which I have brought to Paris. The latitude of Hella I have afcertained to be 32° 38': its longitude I conclude to be 41° 53′ 30′′ eat from Paris, fiom three.obfervations; A a 3 vations; an eclipfe of the moon Nov. 3, 1789, the immerfion of the fecond fatellite of Jupiter on the fame day, and the entrance of Mercury on the fun's disk the 5th of the fame month. Five years ago, I obferved by the compafs, that Hella was nearly under the fame meridian as Bagdad, to the S. S. E. of which Mr. Delife has placed it. I have conftructed a map of Babylonia on the fpot: that of Mr. Delifle was formed from erroneous information. By that illuftrious geographer Borfippa, or Burfita, is placed on the river, near Madjed Hallein. That city, which does not now exift, can be no other than what the Arabs call Brouffa, or Bourfa, the ruins of which, as I have already faid, are two leagues S. E. of Hella, in the defert. The city and mofque of Madjed-Haffein are equally misplaced on the map: they are not on the Euphrates, but in the defert, feven leagues from Hella, and as many from Meffeib, where the pilgrims going thither from Bagdad pats the river. The fame may be faid of Kefil, or the tomb of Ezekiel, which Delifle places on the river in Mefopotamia. I vifited that mofque after the ruins of Brouffa, and took its pofition by the compass: it is on the other fide the river, mid-way between Hella and Imam Ali. Indeed Mr. DeJifle's longitudes and latitudes are in general erroneous: Bagdad he places in long. 67°, whilft it is but 62°. Other differences will appear from the new map which I hope to publifh. I requested of the Chaldean patriarch of Babylon, who refides a day's journey from Mouffoul, a catalogue in Arabic of all the books written in Chaldee or Syriac pre ferved in his houfe, in which the paftoral or patriarchal staff has been fixed for 6 or 700 years, descending from uncle to nephew, and particularly the date of the year in which they were written. Amongst them perhaps will be found fome curious manufcripts. I also requefted of him fome information refpecting the religion of the Yezidis, his neighbours, and the Grand Sheik, Sholi-Beig, his friend. The Yezidis neither faft nor pray. It is not known that they have any book, though they pretend to have one which they keep concealed. They call it Lohi-Mani, which I am inclined to believe a corruption of Lokman, the famous Afiatic philofopher. Every morning they prefent themfelves thrice before the rifing fun. It is faid, that they will not pronounce the letter fhin, because it is the firft of the word heitan, which fignifies Satan, or devil. Blue is a colour they hold in abhorrence. The Yezidis in the neighbourhood of Mouffoul are probably Chriftians who have embraced the ancient fect of Manicheifm; for they ftill retain a refpect for the Chaldean Patriarch and his churches. I have even met with fome of them who bore the names of our apoftles. Copy of a Letter from Mr. Wilmot to Jofeph Planta, Efq. Secretary to the British Mufeum. Bedford-Row, 10 December, 1793. Dear Sir, I con a contains many interefting particulars of the period in which it was written, viz. 11th September, 1643. Cromwell was at this time commander of a troop of horse, under the earl of Manchefter, general of the parliament forces in the north. The only date on the letter is Sept. 11, but, from the events mentioned in it, it is clear it must have been 11th Sept. 1643, which was fhort time after Briftol had furren dered to the king, and a few days only after Beverley had been taken by the marquis of Newcattle, Dugdale, in his thort view of thefe troubles, fays, all the north of England, beyond Trent, except Hull, and fome few inconfiderable places, being, by the marquis of Newcastle, reduced to the king's obedience; and alfo the weft by prince Rupert and prince Maurice, excepting Poole, Lime, and Ply. mouth; the members, fitting at Weftminster, became fo ftartled, that fome of the leading men prepared for quitting the realm." The low ebb at which the affairs of the parliament were at this time is an interesting circumftance in this letter, and this is increafed by the confidential manner in which it is written, and by the character and fituation of the perfon to whom it is addreffed, namely, Oliver St. John, a leading member of the parliament, who had been lately folicitor-general to the king, and was about that time appointed one of the commiffioners of the great feal by the parliament. The tide, indeed, foon turned against the king, which is fufficiently apparent from the dates of the fubfequent events: Lynn was taken by the earl of Manchester and Cromwell, the 16th September; Lincoln the 20th; the fiege of Gloucefter was raifed by Fairfax, and the battle of Newbury fought, in the course of that month. Speaking of this pe riod, Whitelocke fays, "the lord Willoughby kept the town of Hull against the marquis of Newcastle's forces, till, overpowered with numbers, he was forced to furrender it upon honourable conditions. Co lonel Cromwell gave affiftance to lord Willoughby, and performed very gallant fervices against the earl of Newcastle's forces. This was the beginning of his great fortunes, and now he began to appear in the world." The circumftance, therefore, of the greatest curiofity, in this letter, is the opportunity it affords of obferving, at this early period of his military career, feveral traits in the hiftory and character of this extraordinary man: Quem vituperare ne inimici quidem poffunt nifi ut fimul laudent; and who, lord Clarendon fays, "could never have accomplifhed his defigns without the af fiftance of a great spirit, an admirable circumipection and fagacity, and a magnanimous refolution." With regard to the hiftory of this letter, I apprehend it bears internal evidence of its authenticity, both as to its fignature, and other particulars. It was given to me by a lady, who was allied to the fa mily of that great conftitutional lawyer, fir Robert Atkyns; and there is a tradition in the family, that he fucceeded Oliver St. John in his chambers at Lincoln's Inn; and that on fome alteration in his chambers this letter was found behind the wainscot. You will obferve it is very fair and legible, except in one place, where one or two words are torn A a 4 off |