"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." [‎٢‎١‎٠] (٤٧٤/٣٠٨)

210 JOURNEY TO PERSEPOLIS.
the name by which the sculptures are known. The
valley is narrow and rocky, and the river rapid. I
tasted the water, which was good, though warm, and
unlike that at the bridge. There were many rhodo
dendrons in flower, which gave forth a pleasant
odour. We soon lost the Shapour river on our left,
and turned right, into a rocky glen, hollowed out by
a small rivulet, which had, however, caused mighty
havoc, and was to give us great trouble; its water
was brackish, and I think napthous, and it leaves
patches of nitre on the banks.
As we advanced the glen grew wider—the strata
of sandstone in several places dipped west, and had
been washed quite bare ; two or three layers to
gether sticking up above the soil like gigantic walls
half overthrown; fragments of stones encumbered
the glen, which gradually became almost a ravine ;
and huge cliffs seemed to overhang the path on both
sides: the wildness of the scene was, I have no
doubt, much increased by night. I observe that
these roads, unlike those of Turkey and Koordistan,
keep to the bottom of the ravine as much as pos
sible ; the glen wound among the cliffs, which
almost shut out the sky, and, gradually ascending,
we at least reached the foot of the Kutal i Kemarij.
It began well, but we soon found the little stream
had cut down the side of it on our right hand,
leaving a frightful chasm between it and the next
cliff, which seemed perpendicular; the very bad
precipices, however, were not of long duration: the