. Young folks library . hoseof Khorsabad and Per-sepolis. It was in ad-mirable expression wascalm, yet majestic, andthe- outline of the fea-tures showed a freedomand knowledge of art,scarcely to be looked forin the works of so re-mote a period. Thecap had three horns,and, unHke that of thehmnan-headed bulls hitherto found in Assyria, wasrounded and without ornament at the top. I was not surprised that the Arabs had been amazedand terrified at this apparition. It required no stretchof imagination to conjure up the most strange gigantic head, blanched with age, thus
. Young folks library . hoseof Khorsabad and Per-sepolis. It was in ad-mirable expression wascalm, yet majestic, andthe- outline of the fea-tures showed a freedomand knowledge of art,scarcely to be looked forin the works of so re-mote a period. Thecap had three horns,and, unHke that of thehmnan-headed bulls hitherto found in Assyria, wasrounded and without ornament at the top. I was not surprised that the Arabs had been amazedand terrified at this apparition. It required no stretchof imagination to conjure up the most strange gigantic head, blanched with age, thus rising fromthe bowels of the earth, might well have belonged toone of those fearful beings which are pictured in thetraditions of the country as appearing to mortals, slowlyascending from the regions below. One of the work-men, on catching the first glimpse of the monster, hadthrown down his basket and run off towards Mosul asfast as his legs could carry him. I learnt this withregret, as I anticipated the DiSCOVEBT OF THE GiGANTIC HeAD. Discovery of the Gigantic Head 9 Whilst I was superintending the removal of theearth, which still clung to the sculpture, and givingdirections for the continuation of the work, a noiseof horsemen was heard, and presently Abd-ur-rahman,followed by half his tribe, appeared on the edge of thetrench. As soon as the two Arabs had reached thetents, and pubhshed the wonders they had seen, everyone mounted his mare and rode to the mound, to satisfyhimself of the truth of these inconceivable they beheld the head they all cried out together,^ There is no God but God; and Mohammed is hisProphet! It was some time before the Sheikh couldbe prevailed upon to descend into the pit, and convincehimself that the image he saw was of stone. This isnot the work of mens hands, exclaimed he, but ofthose infidel giants of whom the Prophet, peace be withhim! has said, that they were higher than the tallestdate tree ; this is one of the idols
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