'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in reference to Major Rennell's remarks: with narrative of a journey to Persepolis: now first printed, with hitherto unpublished cuneiform inscriptions copied at Persepolis: by the late Claudius James Rich, Esq., formerly the Resident of the Hon.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.' [‎150] (238/474)

150
SECOND MEMOIR ON THE
ruins are Babylon, or they must be referred entirely
to another establishment, and Babylon left out of
the question. The Mujelibe, as before observed,
might possibly be excepted from this decision, were
it necessary, as it appears to be, like the ruin at
Nineveh,* rather an artificial mount than a mass of
decayed building.
3. One reason assigned by Major Rennell for
supposing a more recent town is, " that it is difficult
to reconcile the circular and other mounds of earth
with the description of the regular distribution of
streets in ancient Babylon" (p. 110) ; though, in the
Geography of Herodotus, he is willing to allow that
there existed in each quarter of Babylon a circular
space surrounded by a wall.f I admit for a moment
this regular distribution of streets. But Major
Rennell receives the eastern ruins as the Tower
and Palaces. Now it is clear that the regular dis
tribution of streets could never have been observed
in or near these buildings; and so far from ex
cluding the boundary wall on account of its not
falling in with it, had any symptoms of such an
arrangement been observed here, it would have
been reason sufficient to pronounce at once that
the eastern ruins could neither represent the Palaces
nor the Tower.—After all, I find a difficulty in
believing that the whole area of Babylon was di
vided into regular compartments by the intersection
* See Note A.
t Geography of Herod, p. 337.