'Narrative of a journey to the site of Babylon in 1811, now first published: memoir on the ruins; with engravings from the original sketches by the author: remarks on the topography of ancient Babylon, by Major Rennell; in reference to the memoir: second memoir on the ruins; in reference to Major Rennell's remarks: with narrative of a journey to Persepolis: now first printed, with hitherto unpublished cuneiform inscriptions copied at Persepolis: by the late Claudius James Rich, Esq., formerly the Resident of the Hon. East India Company at Bagdad. Edited by his widow.' [‎5] (32/474)

I
INTRODUCTION. V
the wall was constructed. The earth, as fast as it
was removed from the trench, was converged into
bricks, and baked in furnaces; when thus pre-
pared^, melted bitumen was used instead of mortar,*
and between every thirtieth course of bricks there
was a layer of reeds. The sides of the trench were
first lined with brick-work, and then the wall raised
in the manner described." The gates, of which
there were 25, were all made of solid brass.f At
different intervals between these gates were towers,
said to have been 10 feet higher than the walls.
The reader is probably aware that some of the
ancient authors describe the walls of Babylon as
being drawn round the city in the form of a square;
and that 25 streets, each 15 miles long and 150 feet
broad, went in straight lines to the 25 gates, which
were directly over against them, on the opposite
sides, so that the whole number of the streets were
50, whereof 25 went one way and 25 the other,
directly crossing each other at right angles. And
besides these there were also four half streets, which
had houses only on one side, and the wall on the
other; these went round the four sides of the city
next the walls, and were each of them 200 feet
broad. By these streets thus crossing each other,
the whole city is described as cut out into 676
squares, each of which was four furlongs and a half
on every side, that is, two miles and a quarter in
* See Mr. Rich's observations on Gen, xi. 3, in the " Memoir on
the Ruins of Babylon," p. 98. t Isaiah xlv. 2.
ii ^