'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in reference to Major Rennell's remarks: with narrative of a journey to Persepolis: now first printed, with hitherto unpublished cuneiform inscriptions copied at Persepolis: by the late Claudius James Rich, Esq., formerly the Resident of the Hon.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.' [‎129] (217/474)

ANCIENT BABYLON.
129
and use, unless its level, in respect of the plain and
river, were better known. Mr. Rich has stated
(pages 63, 64) that this passage is at the bottom of
a ravine which has been hollowed out in digging for
bricks ; and which ravine he judged to be from forty
to fifty feet in depth. He omits the height of the
mound above the plain; but states that of Amran
to be fifty or sixty feet, and of the mound of the
embankment forty. The mound of the Kasr cannot
be supposed to contain a less depth of rubbish than
that of Amran ; whence it should be concluded that
the passage can be but little below the level of the
plain, being immediately
which, I believe, are never laid low in alluvial soils,
the ground growing more and more loose, as we
descend. The passage may therefore be about the
ordinary level of the river; and its use, possibly, to
serve as an aqueduct from it for the supply of the
palace at large; the water being drawn up through
apertures in the nature of wells.* The influx, of
course, might be regulated by a sluice, and accom
modated to the periodical swellings of the river.
One can hardly suppose that the tunnel, spoken of
by Diodorus, originated so far within the river bank,
for the part seen by Mr. Rich was from 200 to 300
yards within the border of the mound.
Mr. Rich found this passage about seven feet in
height; but was told that further on it was high
* An ancient aqueduct of this kind occurs on the Arabian Desert.
K