"سرد لرحلة إلى موقع مدينة بابل في ١٨١١، طُبعت الآن لأول مرة: مذكرات على الأطلال؛ مع نقوش من الخرائط المدبئية للمؤلف: ملاحظات على طبوغرافية بابل القديمة،بقلم الرائد رينيل؛ في إشارة إلى المذكرات: مذكرات ثانية على الأطلال؛ في إشارة إلى ملاحظات الرائد رينيل: مع سرد لرحلة إلى برسبوليس: طُبعت الآن لأول مرة، مع كتابات مسمارية نسخت في برسبوليس ولم تُنشر من قبل: كتبها الراحل كلوديوس جيمس ريتش، المحترم، المقيم البريطاني السابق لشركة الهند الشرقية في بغداد. حررته أرملته." [‎٦] (٤٧٤/٣٣)

VI
INTRODUCTION,
circumference. Round these squares, on every side,
towards the streets, stood the houses (which were
not contiguous, but had void spaces between them),
all built three or four storeys high, and beautified
with all manner of ornaments towards the streets.
The space within, in the middle of each square, was
likewise all void ground, employed for gardens, &c.,
so that Babylon was greater in appearance than
reality; near one half of the city being taken up in
gardens and other cultivated lands, as we are told by
Quintus Curtius.
The ancient authors differ as to the number of
royal palaces in Babylon. Herodotus mentions only
one,* but other authors speak of two, which they
describe as situated at the two ends of the bridge,
having a communication with each other by means
of a tunnel, built under the channel of the river.
The old palace, which stood on the east side of the
river, was three miles and three-quarters in compass,
near which stood the Temple of Belus. The new
palace, which stood on the west side of the river,
opposite to the other, was seven miles and a half in
compass. It was surrounded with three walls, one
within the other, with considerable spaces between
them. These walls, as also those of the other palace,
were embellished with a variety of sculptures.
* His words are, " In the centre of each portion of the city is an
enclosed space ; the one occupied by the royal palace> a building of
vast extent and great strength; in the other stands the Temple of
Belus with its brazen gates, remaining in my time."—Herod. (Tay
lor s Translation), p. 86.