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

DURING 19 CENTURY: ASSYRIA AND BABYLONIA 31!)
in the fall ? And if no obstacle was raised in Constantinople,
would the Philadelphia Committee, after so many
disappointments, be willing to resume the exploration of
Nuffar, which had proved to be a task by far more expensive
and wearisome than most of the contributors could
have expected ?
Second Campaign, 1SS9-1S90. It is to the great credit
of the small number of enthusiastic gentlemen who had
previously furnished the funds, that far from being discouraged
by what had occurred, they were rather " favorably impressed
with the results accomplished by the first year's
campaign," and decided to continue the excavations at
Nuffar
for another year under Dr. Peters, provided that the
Turkish authorities at Constantinople would approve of
their plan. The wali of Baghdad, who was principally held
responsible for the safety of the party in a section of his
province over which he had little control, most naturally
opposed the return of the expedition with all his power.
But thanks to the lively interest and the energetic support
Grand Vizier viewed the whole matter
of Hamdy Bey, the
very calmly and in a different light from what it had been
represented to him by the local officials. Accordingly he
authorized the University of Pennsylvania's expedition to
resume its interrupted labors in Babylonia in the same year.
On October 10, Dr. Peters was able to leave the Turkish
capital for
Beirut, and from there, by way of Damascus and
Palmyra, to travel to Baghdad, which he reached about the
middle of December.
Important changes had meanwhile taken place in 'Iraq
el-'Arabi. Soon after our departure, in May, 1 889, a fearful
cholera epidemic had broken out in lower Babylonia, and,
following the courses of the two rivers, had spread
rapidly
to the northern districts. With the exception of Hitj
Nejef, and some other remarkably favored places, it had
devastated the entire country, with special fury raging in