'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in reference to Major Rennell's remarks: with narrative of a journey to Persepolis: now first printed, with hitherto unpublished cuneiform inscriptions copied at Persepolis: by the late Claudius James Rich, Esq., formerly the Resident of the Hon.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.' [‎294] (437/474)

294
APPENDIX.
[NO. IV,
hundred feet in length : for there are those of them that
grow even to a yet greater length than that; and palm-trees
that are pressed bend up under the weight, as asses do that
are used to the pack-saddle. He placed the turrets upon
these for this reason^ that it might carry the stronger ap
pearance of his preparing to block up the city, and as if he
intended that, if the river made its way into the ditch, it
might not carry off the turrets. He raised likewise a great
many other turrets upon the rampart of earth., that he
might have as many places as were proper for his watches.
These people were thus employed; but they that were
within the walls laughed at this blockade^ as being them
selves provided with necessaries for above twenty years.
Cyrus, hearing this,, divided his army into twelve parts., as if
he intended that each part should serve upon the watch
one month in the year. When the Babylonians heard this,
they laughed yet more than before, thinking with them
selves that they were to be watched by the Phrygians^
Lycians, Arabians, and Cappadocians^ men that were better
affected to them than they were to the Persians. The
ditches were now finished.
" Cyrus, when he heard that they were celebrating a fes-
ival in Babylon, in which all the Babylonians drank and
revelled the whole night, as soon as it grew dark took a
number of men with him, and opened the ditches into the
river. When this was done, the water ran off by the ditches,
and the passage of the river through the city became
passable. When the affair of the river was thus managed,
Cyrus gave orders to the Persian commanders of thousands,
both foot and horse, to attend him, each with his thousand
drawn up two in front, and the rest of the allies to follow in
the rear, ranged as they used to be before. They came
accordingly. He then, making those that attended his
person, both foot and horse, to go down into the dry part of