'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in reference to Major Rennell's remarks: with narrative of a journey to Persepolis: now first printed, with hitherto unpublished cuneiform inscriptions copied at Persepolis: by the late Claudius James Rich, Esq., formerly the Resident of the Hon.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.' [‎287] (430/474)

n0 . n.] appendix. 287
each side; and would certainly drown the whole country
unless it discharged a vast quantity of its waters through
Pallacopas into the lakes and marshes, and thence along
the confines of Arabia into a fenny country; whence, through
sundry secret and subterraneous passages, it finds a way to
the sea. When the snows are melted and the stock of
water thence arising exhausted, which usually happens
about the setting of the Pleiades, the Euphrates begins to
contract itself; yet, nevertheless, still the greatest part of
the stream runs through Pallacopas into the marshy coun
tries, and thence into the sea. Unless, therefore, the mouth
of this canal called Pallacopas were dammed up, and the
stream of the river diverted into its proper channel, Eu
phrates would be so exhausted of its waters as not to afford
enough to overflow the Assyrian fields on each side.
Wherefore the governor of Babylon had at a vast expense,
and with immense labour, obstructed that outlet of
river; which was the more difficult to perform, because the
ground thereabouts was light and oozy, and afforded the
water an easy passage through, insomuch that ten thousan
men were employed there whole months before they cou
finish the work. Alexander, coming to the knowledge o
this, was resolved to do something for the benefit of the
Assyrians; whereupon he determined to dam up
hu/e flux of water, out of Euphrates into Pal acopas in a
much more effectual manner than they had already done
and when he had gone about thirty furlongs from the mouth
of the canal, he found the earth rocky, which, if he pro
ceeded to cut through, and continued it to ame
channel of Pallacopas, the firmness of the -thjou^
only hinder the water from soaking through
but also its outlet at the time of the overflow would be ren
dered much more easy and C0 ™ m0 ^ h U r S ates ^LTouth
Alexander sailed down the river p