Our explorer was not allowed to remain inactive long. After a few months' residence in England, during the year 1848, to recruit his constitution, he received orders to proceed to his post of Her Majesty's Embassy in Turkey. Soon afterwards, his work, "Nineveh and its Remains," was published; and so intense was the interest excited, that the Trustees of the British Museum requested him to undertake the superintendence of a second expedition into Assyria. Mr. Layard cheerfully consented, and immediately formed a plan of operations. Mr. H. Cooper, a competent artist, was appointed to accompany the expedition, and several Arabs, who had been found able and faithful, were secured by Mr. Layard. Such was the size of the party formed, that it was deemed necessary to journey in a caravan to Mosul. On the way, Mr. Layard, ever observing and curious, traced the line of the celebrated retreat of Xenophon and his ten thousand Greeks.

The very day after his arrival at Mosul, Mr. Layard visited the mound of Konyunjik. The earth had accumulated above the ruins to a considerable depth; and, to save the labor of clearing it all away, the workmen constructed tunnels. Twelve or fourteen parties of laborers were organized by Mr. Layard, and all worked under his superintendence. Operations were carried on at the same time at the great mound of Nimroud. Within two months, several magnificent chambers were excavated at Konyunjik. Assyrian conquests were represented upon the bas-reliefs, each chamber being devoted to one conquering expedition. Thus each was, so to speak, a new volume of history. An understanding of the copious inscriptions in cuneiform character was all that was necessary to the perusal; and, thanks to the exertions of Rawlinson, Hincks, and other scholars, this character was now readable to a considerable extent.

The Assyrian mode of building was fully illustrated on the bas-reliefs. From them, Mr. Layard found that the Assyrians were well acquainted with the lever and the roller, and also with the art of twisting thick ropes. The men employed in building were known to be captives by their wearing chains, and being urged on by masters armed with staves. A king was represented as superintending the erection of the edifice, and Mr. Layard says that there can be but little doubt that it was intended for Sennacherib, whom the inscriptions mention as the builder of the great palace of Nineveh, and as a mighty conqueror.

The discovery of the grand entrance to the palace of Konyunjik was an important result of Mr. Layard's labors. It was a façade on the south-east side of the edifice. Ten colossal bulls, with six human figures of gigantic proportions, were here grouped together, and the length of the whole, without including the sculptured walls continued beyond the smaller entrances, was estimated at one hundred and eighty feet. Among the figures that adorned this grand entrance was seen the Assyrian Hercules, strangling a lion. The legs, feet, and drapery of the god were in the boldest relief, and designed with truth and vigor.

On the slabs in one of the chambers of this palace was represented the siege and capture of Lachish, or Lakhisha, a Jewish city, which, as we know from Scripture, was taken by Sennacherib. The whole power of the king seemed to have been called forth to take this stronghold. All the operations of the besiegers were represented. Before the gate of the city was Sennacherib, seated on a gorgeous throne, giving orders for the slaughter of the citizens. The chiefs of conquered tribes were represented as crouching at the foot of the throne. At the head of the king was an inscription, which Dr. Hincks thus translates: "Sennacherib, the mighty king, king of the country of Assyria, sitting on the throne of judgment, before (or at the entrance of) the city of Lachish (Lakhisha). I give permission for its slaughter." This furnishes a very important illustration of the Bible.

SENNACHERIB ENTHRONED BEFORE LACHISH.

[[See larger version]]

In a chamber, in the south-west corner of the same palace, was found a large number of finely engraved seals, and among them was one—believed to be the royal signet—having engraved upon it a king plunging a dagger into a rampant lion. Egyptian and Phœnician seals were also discovered in the same apartment. One of the Egyptian seals has been discovered to be that of Sabaco, who reigned in Egypt at the end of the seventh century before Christ, the exact time at which Sennacherib came to the throne. The signets of the two kings were most probably attached to a treaty. Iron picks and saws, a large number of bronze articles, pearl and ivory ornaments, part of an ivory staff, believed to have been a sceptre, and many other curious remains of ancient art, were discovered in the various chambers of this gorgeous palace.

During the removal of some sculptures, Mr. Layard had an opportunity of visiting some remarkable remains near the village of Bavian. They were bas-reliefs, cut in the rock, representing warlike events. One of the tablets contained a horseman at full speed, and the remains of other figures. Both horse and rider were of colossal proportions, and wonderful for their spirit and outline. The warrior, who wore the Assyrian armor, was in the act of charging the enemy. Before him was a colossal figure of the king, and behind him a deity with a horned cap. Above his head was a row of smaller figures of gods standing on animals of various forms. The inscriptions upon these rock-sculptures show that they were designed to commemorate the triumphant return of Sennacherib from his expedition against Babylon. Beneath the sculptured tablets, and in the bed of the Gomel, were seen two enormous fragments of rock, which appeared to have been torn from the overhanging cliff. They still bore the remains of ancient sculpture. On them was represented the Assyrian Hercules strangling the lion, between two winged, human-headed bulls, back to back, as at the grand entrances of the palaces of Konyunjik and Khorsobad. Above this group was the king, worshipping between two deities, who stood on mythic animals, having the heads of eagles, the bodies and forefeet of lions, and hind legs armed with the talons of a bird of prey.