'The Expedition for the survey of the rivers Euphrates and Tigris, carried on by order of the British government, in the years 1835, 1836, and 1837; preceded by geographical and historical notices of the regions situated between the rivers Nile and Indus. In four volumes. With fourteen maps and charts, and embellished with ninety-seven plates, besides numerous wood-cuts. Volume the first.' [‎93] (142/905)

CHAP. V.]
THE CHALDEAN TERRITORY.
93
The territory of these Chaldeans extended to the northern Original extent
extremity of Mesopotamia, and not only comprehended the of chaklea "
space between the rivers Euphrates and Tigris, so as to in
clude within it O'rfah, Haran, and most of the pashalic of
Diyar Bekr, (the ancient Osroene,) but likewise a consider
able portion of Kurdistan, in which, to this very day, we find
their descendants, the Kaldani, living entirely apart. 1 East
ward and westward of the Upper Tigris became the principal
seat of the sons of Shem, after they had been driven by
Nimrud into the higher country; although it was, in point
of time, the second country which they occupied; and that
part of it which is about the city of O'rfah is known to this
day as Ur of the Chaldeans. 2
This designation, however, was not confined for any length its increase
of time to the limits just mentioned ; for when the Shemitic sou
branch regained in part its allotted territory south-eastward,
on the decline of the Cushite power, the name of Ur was
carried into Babylonia, where a powerful empire arose from
the intermixture of the Chalybes and Kaldani. Established
in a tract of country blessed with many agricultural and com
mercial advantages, it is not surprising that the dominion of
the Chaldees rapidly extended itself from the mountains of
Armenia, along the banks of the Tigris and Euphrates, as
well as the western shore of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. . Nineveh was
at first the capital, and, 60 miles lower, there was another
Ur ; 3 but subsequently the seat of the monarchy was trans
ferred to Babylon. 4
In process of time, the name of the latter city was given to Restriction of
11 • /^n "i j /• 1 the name.
the territory itself, and tlie appellation Chaldea was contmea
to one particular district 5 at the south-western extremity of
this mighty empire, 6 of which the second Ur of the Chaldeans
formed a very small part. The mound of Mujayah, it is pre-
1 Mr. Ainsworth's Visit to the Chaldeans, Vol. XL part I. of the Royal
Geographical Journal.
2 MSS. of Mr. Rassam.
3 Kal'ah Sherkdt.—Vol. XI. Part I., pp. 4, 5, of the Royal Geographical
Journal. 4 Mr. Rassam's MS. Notes on Ancient Chaldea.
5 Along the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , and near the Arabs; and they were called Or-
cheni, Borsippeni, &c.—Strabo, XVI., p. 739. Ibid.