'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in reference to Major Rennell's remarks: with narrative of a journey to Persepolis: now first printed, with hitherto unpublished cuneiform inscriptions copied at Persepolis: by the late Claudius James Rich, Esq., formerly the Resident of the Hon.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.' [‎128] (216/474)

128
ON THE TOPOGRAPHY OF
appearance;" which is not the usual character of
ruins more than 2000 years old. Nor does there
appear in the description any thing characteristic
of a building of Babylonish construction, although
it is, no doubt, built with bricks extracted from
such.
It would appear to owe its remaining in existence
to this time to the extreme tenacity of the
cement used in the construction. Not but that lime
cement was in use with the Babylonians, although
they used bitumen generally. I cannot, however,
agree with Mr. Rich (page 100) that " lime cement
" was the one most generally employed." Probably
the fact is that the works cemented with bitumen
have chiefly disappeared, whilst those cemented with
lime-mortar remain. By the specimens which have
been exhibited here of the Babylonish bricks that
had been laid in bitumen, and with the latter sub
stance adhering to them, we are fully aware of the
small degree of tenacity which it possesses. But it
is agreed, on all hands, that it is extremely difficult
to separate in a whole state the bricks that have
been laid in lime-mortar in Babylon. (See also
Mr. Rich's account, page 100). The bricks which
were laid in bitumen are probably those which are
now found in a whole state in the construction of
Baghdad, Hillah, and other places.
With respect to the subterraneous passage under
the mound on which the ruin of the stands, it
is difficult to make a right judgment of its intention