over pastures, common grass lands and corn lands, many miles in extent, and burning night and day often for a week, and sometimes embracing the whole horizon. In times of dearth, the natives mix steatitic earth with the flour, and are even said, as Humboldt relates of the Olomak tribes on the Orinooko, to allay hunger by eating it in a pure state. There is also a sweetmeat much sought after throughout the East, which contains a quantity of steatitic earth. I examined it especially at Angora; it was a silicate of magnesia and alumina, but without chrome or iron. » Mr. Ainsworth has added little to the information supplied by Mr. Rich respecting the ruins of Nineveh; but he had an opportunity rarely enjoyed by Europeans, of visiting Al Hadhr, one of the most interesting memorials of Assyrian, or perhaps Persian, antiquity, which exists in a good state of preservation. «The ruins of Al Hadhr present the remains of a principal building which apparently was at once a palace and a temple, and which surpasses in extent and in the perfection of its style the ruin known as the Tak i Kesra, or Arch of Chosroes, at Ctesiphon, the residence of the kings of Persia of the Arsacidan dynasty. It consisted of a series of vaulted chambers or halls, of different sizes, all opening to the east, or towards the rising sun and planets, and regularly succeeding one another from north to south, and was divided into two parts by a wall; while in the front was another row of edifices, guard-houses, &c., at the southern end of which was a great hall, with ornamented vault and tall columns, similar to what is observed in the chief edifice. The whole of these buildings were inclosed within a wall about 1360 yards square, which left a considerable space open in front, and this open square was in the exact centre of the town, which is nearly a perfect circle, surrounded by a rampart, about 3 miles 180 yards in circumference. Portions of the curtain, which was 10 feet 3 inches in width, still remain on this rampart; and there also are the ruins of thirty-two bastions, placed at unequal intervals. The space occupied by the town still contains the ruins of tombs and other edifices, and is everywhere covered by mounds of ruined buildings. There is also a spring, and a channel for water, not straight but tortuous, which crosses the town: and there were apparently four gates, having straight roads leading from them to the central edifice. Every stone, not only in the chief building but in the walls and bastions, and other public monuments, when not defaced by time, is marked with a character, which is, for the most part, either a Chaldaic letter or numeral. But some of them could not be deciphered either by Mr. Rassam or by a Jewish rabbi of Jerusalem, whom we consulted at Mosul; for it is necessary to remark that the Chaldeans, or Chaldees, since their conversion to Christianity, have uniformly adopted the Syriac letters which were used by the Apostles and Fathers of the Church, regarding the pagan writing (or Tergum, as they call it) as an abomination. The Jews, however, who learned it in their captivity, have retained, except in their Talmud and some other works written in the Hebrew character, the use of Chaldean letters. Some of the letters at Al Hadhr resembled the Roman A, and others were apparently astronomical signs, among which were very common the ancient mirror and handle, emblematic of Venus, the Mylitta of the Assyrians, and Alitta of the Arabians, according to Herodotus; and the Nani or Nannania of the Syrians. These letters were generally about one or two inches in size, and carefully sculptured, one in the centre of the face of each stone; this, still obtaining in a comparatively modern Chaldean town, appears to have been in perpetuation of the practice, observed and carried to a much greater extent in the inscriptions on bricks in the older Assyrian, Chaldean, and Babylonian cities. >> A Chaldaic inscription in the great hall is supposed by Mr. Ainsworth to refer to the Jewish captivity; it was translated for him by a Rabbi, who stated its purport to be- In justice to thee who art our salvation, I hope from thee, O God, help against mine enemies. We wish, however, that Mr. Ainsworth had given us a transcript of the inscription; we have no confidence in the translations of Jewish rabbis; they have long been accustomed to play the same tricks on credulous antiquarians that the Brahmins practised on poor Wilford; and when they found that Mr. Ainsworth was ignorant of Chaldee, and anxious to discover any memorial of the Captivity, they would be very likely to invent a translation which would gratify his curiosity and support his theory. A visit to the Yizidis, or Izedis, reprobated in the East as worshippers of the Devil, has enabled Mr. Ainsworth to add something to our information respecting this singular people, and particularily to refute the strange tale of their worshipping a sanctified peacock. From the accounts previously published, we were led to conclude that in all probability they were an offset from the ancient Manichees, preserving more of the old Persian Dualism than that impostor. Their reverence for the Evil Principle does not appear to be greater than that which many of the followers of Zoroaster expressed for Ahriman, and chiefly consists in not speaking of him disrespectfully. Our travellers were, perhaps, the first Christians who ever explored one of the temples of this mysterious sect. We scarcely expected to overcome so far the religious scruples of so severe and so mysterious a sect as the Izedis, as to be allowed to penetrate into their sanctuary; but after taking a rapid sketch of the building, which stands at the base of a perpendicular cliff, and has two conical spires, one larger than the other, pointed, and supporting copper balls and crescents, we continued our way, and were met by the guardian of the place, who, with some slight expressions of distrust, ushered us to a gateway, which led into a vaulted stone passage, through the centre of which ran a stream of cool water. This passage was about forty paces long, and led into an outer court, overshadowed by large cisterns of clear water, besides separate bathing-rooms for the ablutions previous to prayer. Tempted by the refreshing appearance of the water, as well as from policy, without speaking a syllable foreign to the ears of those present, we washed ourselves, and taking off our shoes, were admitted into a second and larger court-yard, with arched recesses along the sides, and the temple at the bottom. This spot was as clean, cool, and inviting as the first yard; and we could not help thinking what a delightful summer residence Sheikh Adi would make. Descending a flight of steps, we now entered into the building itself. It was a great vaulted apartment, like an ordinary mesjid. On an elevated terrace within it, and screened by green curtains, was the coffin said to contain the remains of Sheikh Adi; round this were spots where fires of bitumen and naphtha are made at the time of the annual festival. Beyond this hall is an inner one, to which access was refused us. I, however, opened the door, and saw an apartment lower than the chief one, and containing only a few planks and other lumber, -a place most decidedly neither of sanctity nor of mystery. We now asked the Izedis present concerning the peacock, of which they at once declared their ignorance. The question was put to them publicly, and so abruptly, that no opportunity was given to prepare an evasive answer. I carefully watched the expression of their countenances, and saw nothing that indicated deceit; on the contrary, the expression was that of surprise at the inquiry; and I am strongly inclined to think that the history of the Melik Taus, or king peacock, as related by Father Maurizio Garzoni, M. Rousseau, Buckingham, and more modern travellers, as Mr. Forbes, is a calumny invented by the Christians of these countries. I venture this assertion, however, with diffidence; for it is curious that a Christian, residing at Kathandiyath, in the neighbourhood of the place, still persisted in the truth of this tradition. The Kurd muleteer remarked to me, that I had myself found it to be a falsehood.» Mr. Ainsworth is inclined to adopt Dr. Grant's theory, that the Yezidis are descended from the lost tribes of Israel; but the grounds for such a conjecture are so vague and unsatisfactory, that it is not worth the labour of an examination. In our 708th Number, we examined at some length Dr. Grant's account of the Christian tribes in the Chaldean mountains Mr. Ainsworth more than confirms the Doctor's favourable description of this interesting people. : 'At the village of Hayis, we found Ishiyah, bishop of Berrawi, with its attendants, waiting for us; although an old man, he had walked from his residence at Duri, a distance of nine miles, to meet us. ner, The first specimen of a chief dignitary of the Chaldean church was highly favourable. I had expected a bishop with a dagger and sword - perhaps, as it was time of war, with a coat-of-mail; but, instead of that, we saw an aged man, of spare habit, with much repose and dignity in his manners, and a very benevolent and intelligent aspect, his hair and beard nearly silver-white, his forehead ample and unclouded, and his countenance, from never eating meat, uncommonly clear and fair. Welcoming us in the most urbane manhe held his hand to be kissed, a custom common in this country, and accompanied the ceremony by expressions of civility and regard. Dr. Grant describes the same bishop as a most patriarchal personage. The bishop wished to walk back; but we offered him the use of a horse. I was not fatigued, and preferred walking; bu he had never been accustomed to ride, and it was with some diffi culty that we got him to mount a loaded mule, where he could sit safe between the bags. We then started, Kasha Mandu, and a poorlydressed man carrying a hooked stick, walking ceremoniously before. The happy moral influence of Christianity could not be more plainly manifested than in the change of manners immediately observable in the country we had now entered into, and which presented itself with the more force from its contrast with the sullen ferocity of the Mohammedans. The kind, cordial manners of the people, and the great respect paid to their clergy, were among the first-fruits of that influence which showed themselves. Nothing could be more gratifying to us, after a prolonged residence among proud Mahommedans and servile Christians, than to observe on this, our little procession, the peasants running from the villages even a mile distant, and flocking to kiss the hand of the benevolent white-haired dignitary. This was done with the head bare, a practice unknown among the Christians of Turkey in Asia, and so great was the anxiety to perform this act of kindly reverence, that little children were held up in the arms of their fathers to partake in it. Kasha Mandu also came in for his share of congratulations and welcomings. Everywhere the same pleasing testimonies of respect, mingled with love, were exhibited. » We must however say, that there are circumstances which make us disposed to receive some of our author's statements on the religious state of the Chaldeans with a little caution. Mr. Ainsworth is animated by that fierce ultra-protestant feeling which threatened to come into fashion when he was leaving England; he is pertinacious in his use of the vulgar term papist, and he favours us with very strong opinions on controverted points of divinity, more becoming a professor of theology than of geology. Mr. Ainsworth, however, has recorded sufficient evidences of his incapacity to act as judge of the controversies between the Romish and English churches, for he has in more than one place misrepresented the doctrines of both. The American missionaries and Mr. Ainsworth concur in stating that the Chaldean Christians are very anxious to obtain the assistance of religious societies to educate their clergy and their children. Schools, indeed, have been already opened by persons sent from the American Board of Missions, and the reports of their progress are gratifying; they have succeeded in training several of the young natives to act as their assistants, and they particularly mention that the Chaldeans, unlike most other orientals, exhibit a great anxiety that the benefits of instruction should be extended to their daughters. We know not whether the Chaldean churches will be included in the very indefinite diocese of the new Bishop of Jerusalem, but we sincerely hope that the Christian Knowledge Society will redeem the promise made by their delegates to this secluded race of people. Soon after his return to Mosul, Mr. Ainsworth received information that the Geographical Society would dispense with his further services; he therefore returned home through Armenia, by which proceeding he appears to have traversed the country too rapidly to collect any important information. This is the less to be regretted, as this province has recently excited much attention, and is at this moment being explored by some of the enthusiastic antiquarians of Germany. Mr. Ainsworth promises to VOL. III. 39 |