Explorations in Bible lands during the 19th century - H. V. Hilprecht

DURING 1DTH CENTURY: ASSYRIA AND BABYLONIA 129
trenches, far away from the place to which he was generally
bound by his principal duties, were very rare in those
regions. He was about to send Loftus, of the Turco-Persian
Boundary Commission, who had excavated for him at
the large mound of Susa, to the Assyrian ruins, when the
trustees of the British Museum came unexpectedly to his
assistance. The manifest interest among the religious and
scientific circles of England in the historical and literary
results of Layard's discoveries, daily increased by Rawlinson's
own letters and instructive communications on the
contents of the unearthed cuneiform inscriptions, influenced
that administrative body to despatch a third artist * to the
scene of the old excavations, soon followed by Hormuzd
Rassam, as chief practical excavator. Their choice could not
have fallen upon a better man. In the school of Layard
excellently trained and prepared for his task, as a native of
Mosul entirely familiar with the language and character of
the Arabs, through his previous connections deeply interested
in the undertaking, and after a long contact with
Western civilization thoroughly impregnated with the English
spirit of energy, he was an ideal explorer, the very
man whom Rawlinson, the scientific leader and real soul of
all these explorations, needed to carry the work in the Assyrian
ruins to a successful conclusion. But Rassam's position
was not very easy. For several years his predecessor,
profiting by every hint which the appearance of the ground
afforded, had tunnelled through the most promising spots
of the Assyrian mounds, and what remained unexplored
of Qoyunjuk had been transferred
by Rawlinson to Victor
Place, in generous response to the latter's request. Yet
Rassam was shrewd and determined, and knew how to overcome
difficulties.
1
By the name of Hodder, to succeed the lamented Mr. Bell, who was
drowned in the Gomal. Hodder remained in Mesopotamia until the beginning
of 1854, when he fell seriously ill, and was supplanted by William
Boutcher.