On all sides can be seen Assyrian cemeteries

TCD MS 3416 page 23

TCD MS 3416 page 23

[May 1916]

On all sides can be seen old Assyrian cemeteries, and the marble ruins of temples and dwellings, and, rising from the midst like a monument to this ancient civilization, is a large mound resembling an “Aeropolis”. From a book written by M. Charles Maquet and Albert Malet from which I have collected the above information, the large mound at Shargat was evidently a temple similar to that near Sargon’s Palace at Korsabad, near Nineveh which was a pyramidical construction 43 metres square at the base, it had 9 stories each of which was 6 metres high making therefore a total height of 54 metres. On the top story were placed statues of dieties, the temple also served as an observation tower.

On May 22nd we were all ready to start off again by 5.30 p.m., when it was at the last moment discovered that the horses provided for Generals Hamilton, Delamain, Evans and Grier had been purloined by a young Turkish officer proceeding down to Baghdad; the Commandant, however, dismounted the Arab guard to make up the loss, and we were delighted to see these scoundrely Arabs foot slogging.

We reached Giarrah at 8 am next morning May 23rd having halted four hours in the night, and rested there close to