Having procured a few tools and weapons, and engaged a mason, Mr. Layard, accompanied by Mr. Ross, a British merchant of Mosul, his canvas, and a servant, floated down the Tigris to Nimroud. There he engaged six Arabs to work under his direction. On the morning of the 9th of November, the work of excavation was commenced at the great mound, and, in a few hours, a chamber, formed by slabs of alabaster, which were inscribed with cuneiform characters, was exhumed. At another part of the mound, a wall, with similar inscriptions, was discovered upon the same day. From the appearance of the slabs, it was evident that the building or buildings had been destroyed by fire. Some of the slabs were reduced to lime, and they threatened to fall to pieces as soon as exposed to the air.
The next day, Mr. Layard, more enthusiastic than ever, employed more workmen, and had the gratification of making some new discoveries. In the rubbish, near the bottom of the chamber first discovered, he found several ivory ornaments, upon which were traces of gilding. Among them was the figure of a man in long robes, carrying in one hand the Egyptian crux ansata, part of a crouching sphinx, and flowers designed with great taste and elegance. The Arabs were at a loss to conjecture the real object of Mr. Layard's search. On seeing the gilding, one of them took him quietly aside, and, with a knowing wink, said it had been ascertained that he was searching for gold. Mr. Layard immediately presented him and his comrades with all the treasure they might find. The excavations were continued until the 13th, still uncovering chambers and passages, but finding no sculptures. Mr. Layard then deemed it expedient to go to Mosul, and satisfy the curiosity of the Pasha in regard to the object of the researches.
The authorities threw many obstacles in the way of Mr. Layard. At first, they suspected him of seeking the precious metals. When he had convinced them that their suspicions were totally unfounded, they afterwards strove to stop his work by placing false gravestones upon the mound, and declaring that no excavations could be made near the graves of Mohammedans. But the prudence and perseverance of Mr. Layard surmounted all difficulties, and the developments proceeded, all things considered, with remarkable rapidity.
Returning to Nimroud on the 19th of November, our explorer increased the number of his workmen to thirty. On the 28th of November, the first sculptured bas-reliefs were discovered. On one of the slabs was a battle-scene. Two chariots, drawn by horses richly caparisoned, were, each occupied by a group of three warriors; the principal person in both groups was beardless, and evidently a eunuch. He was clothed in a complete suit of mail, and wore a pointed helmet on his head, from the sides of which fell lappets covering the ears, the lower part of the face, and the neck. The left hand, the arm being extended, grasped a bow at full stretch; whilst the right, drawing the string to the ear, held an arrow ready to be discharged. A second warrior urged with reins and whip, to the utmost of their speed, three horses, who were galloping over the plain. A third, without helmet, and with flowing hair and beard, held a shield for the defence of the principal figure. Under the horses' feet, and scattered about the relief, were the conquered, wounded by the arrows of the conquerors. Mr. Layard observed with surprise the richness of the ornaments, and the faithful and delicate delineation of the limbs and muscles, both in the men and horses. Unfortunately, this slab had been so much injured by fire that its removal was hopeless. From its position, it seemed to have been brought from another building, and this rendered any conjecture as to the origin of the edifice still more difficult. Upon the same slab and its companion were found representations of a regular siege, with various attendant incidents. The figures displayed a thorough knowledge of art.
In the midst of difficulties with the authorities, Mr. Layard continued his excavations. Many new and remarkable sculptures were discovered. Among them were gigantic winged bulls, winged lions, a small crouching lion, and a human figure nine feet in height, the right hand elevated, and carrying in the left a branch with three flowers, resembling the poppy. These were only partially uncovered, to prevent them from being destroyed by the action of the air. Mr. Layard was satisfied for the time. There was no longer any doubt of the existence of sculptures, inscriptions, and even vast edifices in the interior of the mound of Nimroud. The triumphant explorer lost no time in communicating the results of his labors to Sir Stratford Canning, and urging the necessity of a firman, or order from the Porte, which would prevent any future interference on the part of the authorities or the inhabitants of the country. Soon afterwards, Mr. Layard covered up the sculptures he had brought to light, and withdrew altogether from Nimroud; but left agents near the great mound. He did not return until the 17th of January, 1846. In the mean time, the agents had explored the mounds of Barshiekha and Karamles, and proved the Assyrian origin of the ruins by showing the name of the Khorsobad king inscribed upon the bricks.
Among the sculptures discovered soon after Mr. Layard's return to the scene of the excavations, was one of a singular form. A human body, clothed in long ornamented robes, was surmounted by the head of an eagle. The curved beak, of considerable length, was half open, and displayed a narrow-pointed tongue, which was still covered with red paint. On the shoulders fell the usual curled and bushy hair of the Assyrian images, and a comb of feathers rose on the top of the head. Two wings sprang from the back. In one hand was a fir cone, and in the other a square vessel, ornamented with small figures.
On the morning following the discovery of the above figure, the Arabs came running to Mr. Layard with the intelligence that they had discovered Nimroud himself. Hastening to the trench, he found an enormous human head, sculptured in full out of the alabaster of the country. The intelligent explorer conjectured at once that the head belonged to a winged lion or bull, similar to those of Khorsobad and Persepolis. The expression of the features was calm and majestic. The cap had three horns, and, unlike that of the human-headed bulls previously found in Assyria, was rounded and without ornament at the top. The Arabs, frightened at the sight of the head, carried the news of its discovery to Mosul; and, the next day, Mr. Layard received an order to stop the excavations. He at once hastened to the town, and, acquainting the Pasha with the real nature of the discovery, obtained permission to proceed as soon as the excitement had subsided. Thus was the persevering explorer continually disturbed by the malicious and superstitious interference of the Turkish authorities.
By the end of March, Mr. Layard had discovered two finely preserved pairs of winged human-headed lions, which seemed to be so placed as to guard the entrances to the vast palace. They had undoubtedly been the divinities of the Assyrians. These people could find no better type of intelligence than the head of the man; of strength than the body of the lion; of rapidity of motion than the wings of the bird. For twenty-five centuries these strange idols had been buried from the sight of man, and now they were once more exposed to the light, and to the wondering gaze of those who had no worship for such gods. Once they were regarded with awe, now with mere curiosity.
Mr. Layard was now compelled to suspend operations until he could receive assistance from Constantinople. In the mean time, he visited the shieks of the neighboring tribes of Arabs. When he returned, he found near the human-headed lions some copper mouldings, two small ducks in baked clay, and tablets of alabaster inscribed on both sides. The number of workmen was now reduced of necessity; but the excavations proceeded with considerable rapidity. On some of the slabs were figures of a king, his vizier, and attendants. The dresses of the figures were singular. They had high boots, turned up at the toes, somewhat resembling those still worn in Turkey and Persia. Their caps, though conical, seemed to have been made up of folds of felt or linen. Their tunics varied in shape. All the figures seemed to have been colored. On one of the largest slabs were two kings facing one another, but separated by a symbolic tree, above which was a divinity with the wings and tail of a bird, inclosed in a circle, and holding a ring in one hand, resembling the image so frequently occurring on the early sculptures of Persia, and at times conjectured to be the Loroastrian "feronher," or spirit of the person beneath. The fact of the identity of this figure with the Persian symbol is remarkable, and gives rise to new speculations and conjectures in regard to the religion of the Assyrians. But, as yet, nothing definite has been ascertained.
Mr. Layard now began to prepare the sculptures he had discovered for transport to Bombay. All unimportant parts were sawn away from them. The winged human-headed lions could not be removed for want of means. But a number of slabs and figures were packed in felts and matting, screwed down in roughly-made cases, placed on rafts, and floated down the Tigris as far as Bagdad, whence they were taken in boats to Busrah. These sculptures formed the first collection sent to England and deposited in the British Museum. Soon after the departure of these treasures, Mr. Layard, whose health had suffered from continued exposure to the intense heat of the sun, retired to Mosul to recruit. Yet so indefatigable was his spirit that, instead of remaining quiet, he employed his leisure in making some fruitless excavations in the mound of Konyimjik. He returned to Nimroud in the middle of August, and attempted to renew his labors. But his health became so bad that he was compelled to retire to the cooler climate of the Fiyari mountains.