SECTION XIV.

CONCERNING THE SITE AND REMAINS OF THE ANCIENT CITY OF BABYLON.

The founder of BABYLON, unknown in history-Semiramis only adorned and improved it—The report of the enormous extent of its Walls, exaggerated, by the false scale of the stade: and the extent of the City itself, by the error of supposing the whole area to be covered with buildings-Extent of both, checked by a reference to the true standard of the stade; and to the notices found in ancient authors—the area within the walls cannot be reduced lower than to seventy-two square British miles; of which two-thirds may have been built on, or otherwise occupied-Nineveh, according to some authors, larger than Babylon-Some of the causes, that limit the extent, and population of cities-The geographical position of Babylon ascertained by ancient and modern authorities, to be at the city of Hillah, on the Euphrates—general description of the ground-plan, and distribution of the public structures—Height and thickness of the walls-Tunnel made by Semiramis under the bed of the Euphrates-Respective positions of the temple of Belus, and the Royal Palace-City gates-Description of the Tower of Belus, in the eastern division-recognized by Della Valle and Beauchamp, in a vast heap of ruins, at a few miles distant from Hillah-Foundations of the city walls still dug up, and carried to other places-Bitumen Fountain in Babylon -Course of the Euphrates through that City-Its breadth conformable to the report of Strabo-grand embankmentsPalace of Nabuchodonosor, in the western division of Babylon

-Ordinary disposition of the materials of ancient citiesNature and dimensions of the two sorts of bricks used in Babylon-Remarks on the two kinds of cement; bitumen and clay the latter illustrated by the ordinary mode of building in Bengal-Cutcha and Pucka, two modes of building, in India, explained-Remarks on the use of reeds, or osiers, in the cements, in the Babylonish structures—Ruin named Aggarkuf; vulgarly called the Tower of Babel-Decline and ruin of Babylon-The palace of Chosroes in Ctesiphon; and the cities of Bagdad, Hillah, &c. built of the bricks of Babylon-general idea of the palace of Chosroes; or Tauk Kesra-Difficulty respecting a passage in Herodotus, stating that the walls of Babylon had been destroyed by Darius Hystaspes-Site and Antiquities of BABYLON, accessible: and worthy of research.

IT is not intended to institute an inquiry into the antiquity of the foundation of BABYLON, or the name of its founder. It is remarkable enough, that Herodotus should not have given some intimation of this kind but he only tells us, that SEMIRAMIS and NITOCRIS, two of its queens, strengthened its fortifications, and guarded it against inundations; as well as improved and adorned it: leaving entirely open, the two questions above mentioned. May we not conclude from this, that its antiquity was very great ; and that it ascended so high, as that Herodotus could not satisfy himself concerning it? At the same time, the improvements that took place, in the city, in the reign of Semiramis, might occasion the original foundation to be ascribed to her; the like having happened in the history of other cities.

Herodotus informs us, that Babylon became the capital of Assyria after the destruction of Nineveh. Clio, 178. Perhaps then, we ought to date the

foundations of those works, which appear so stupendous in history, from that period only: for wonderful as these works appear, even when ascribed to the capital of an empire, the wonder increases when ascribed to the capital of a province only '.

The Assyrians (says Herodotus, Clio, c. 178, et seq.) are masters of many capital towns; but their place of greatest strength and fame is BABYLON, where, after the destruction of NINEVEH, was the royal residence. It is situated on a large plain, and is a perfect square: each side by every approach is, in length, one hundred and twenty stadia; the space, therefore, occupied by the whole is four hundred and eighty stadia. So extensive is the ground which Babylon occupies; its internal beauty and magnificence exceeds whatever has come within my knowledge. It is surrounded by a trench, very wide, deep, and full of water: the wall beyond this is two hundred royal cubits high, and fifty wide: the royal exceeds the common cubit by three digits. The earth of the trench was first of all laid in heaps, and, when a sufficient quantity was obtained, made into square bricks, and baked in a furnace. They used as cement, a composition of heated bitumen, which, mixed with the tops of reeds, was placed betwixt every thirtieth course of bricks. Having thus lined the sides of the trench, they proceeded to build the wall in the same manner; on the summit of which, and fronting each other, they erected small watch towers of one story, leaving a space betwixt them, through which a chariot and four horses might pass and turn. In the circumference of the wall, at different distances, were a hundred massy gates of brass, whose hinges and frames were of the same metal. Within an eight days' journey from Babylon is a city called Is; near which flows a river of the same name, which empties itself into the Euphrates. With the current of this river, particles of bitumen descend towards Babylon, by the means of which the walls were constructed.

The great river Euphrates divides Babylon into two parts. The walls meet, and form an angle with the river at each extremity of the town, where a breast-work of burnt bricks begins,