"سرد لرحلة إلى موقع مدينة بابل في ١٨١١، طُبعت الآن لأول مرة: مذكرات على الأطلال؛ مع نقوش من الخرائط المدبئية للمؤلف: ملاحظات على طبوغرافية بابل القديمة،بقلم الرائد رينيل؛ في إشارة إلى المذكرات: مذكرات ثانية على الأطلال؛ في إشارة إلى ملاحظات الرائد رينيل: مع سرد لرحلة إلى برسبوليس: طُبعت الآن لأول مرة، مع كتابات مسمارية نسخت في برسبوليس ولم تُنشر من قبل: كتبها الراحل كلوديوس جيمس ريتش، المحترم، المقيم البريطاني السابق لشركة الهند الشرقية في بغداد. حررته أرملته." [‎١‎٠‎٢] (٤٧٤/١٨٨)

MEMOIR ON THE RUINS
believe it is Diodorus alone who asserts that bitumen
flows out of the ground at Babylon. Herodotus
positively says it was brought from Heet, and Strabo,
generally, that it is produced in Babylonia. I was
unable to discover any traces of it in the vicinity of
Hillah, except on the testimony of a Jew, who told
me he believed it might be found in the Desert. It
is at present used for caulking boats, coating cisterns,
baths, and other places that are to remain in contact
with water. The fragments of it scattered over the
ruins of Babylon are black, shining, and brittle,
somewhat resembling pit-coal in substance and ap
pearance ; the Turks call it Zift, and the Arabs,
Kier or Geer (jjj )•
There are three kinds of calcareous earth found
in most situations in the western desert between Ba
bylon, Heet, and Ana. The first is called
and is a white powder particularly abundant at Heet
and Ana. Mixed with ashes it is used as a coating
for the lower parts of walls, in baths and other places
liable to damps. The second is also found in powder,
mixed with indurated pieces of the same substance,
and round pebbles ; it is called by the Turks
and by the Arabs Jus ; it is very plentiful between
Hillah and Felugiah, is the common cement of the
country, and composes the mortar which is found in
the ruins of Babylon. The third species, called
Borak, is a substance resembling gypsum, and is
found in large craggy lumps of an earthy appearance
externally, but being burnt it forms an excellent