[195] This accumulation has sometimes reached a height of about 24 feet. Place, Ninive, vol. i. p. 294.
[196] Place, Ninive, vol. i. pp. 293-294.
[197] E. Flandin, Voyage archéologique à Ninive. 1. L'Architecture assyrienne. 2. La Sculpture assyrienne (Revue des Deux-Mondes, June 15 and July 1, 1845).
[198] For all that concerns this artist, one of the most skilful draughtsmen of our time, see the biographical notice of M. de Girardot:—Felix Thomas, grand Prix de Rome Architecte, Peintre, Graveur, Sculpteur (Nantes, 1875, 8vo.).
[199] Place, Ninive, vol. i. pp. 249-269.
[200] Place, Ninive, vol. i. pp. 254-255.
[201] Ibid. p. 246.
[202] Place, Ninive, vol. i. p. 264.
[203] Ibid. p. 265. Rich made similar observations at Bagdad. He noticed that the masons could mount on the vault a few minutes after each course was completed (Narrative of a Journey to the Site of Babylon).
[204] M. A. Choisy, well known by his Essays on L'Art de bâtir chez les Romains, shows that the same method was constantly used by the Byzantine architects. See his Note sur la Construction des Voûtes sans cintrage pendant la Période byzantine (Annales des Ponts et Chausées, 1876, second period, vol. xii.). See also Mr. Fergusson's account of the erection of a huge stone dome without centering of any kind, by an illiterate Maltese builder, at Mousta, near Valetta (Handbook of Architecture, Second Edition, vol. iv. p. 34).—Ed.