in the first place, a double line of wall or rampart, having a direction
nearly due north and south, which lies east of the Kasr and Amran
mounds, at the distance from them of about 1000 yards. Beyond this is a
single line of rampart to the north-east, traceable for about two miles,
the direction of which is nearly from north-west to south-east, and a
double line of rampart to the south-east, traceable for a mile and a
half, with a direction from northeast to south-west. The two lines in
this last case are from 600 to 700 yards apart, and diverge from one
another as they run out to the north-east. The inner of the two meets
the north-eastern rampart nearly at a right angle, and is clearly a
part of the same work. It is questioned, however, whether this line of
fortification is ancient, and not rather a construction belonging to
Parthian times.

A low line of mounds is traceable between the western face of the Amran
and Kasr hills, and the present eastern bank of the river, bounding a
sort of narrow valley, in which either the main stream of the Euphrates,
or at any rate a branch from it, seems anciently to have flowed.

On the right bank of the stream the chief remains are of the same kind.
West of the river, a rampart, twenty feet high, runs for nearly a mile
parallel with the general line of the Amran mound, at the distance of
about 1000 yards from the old course of the stream. At either extremity
the line of the rampart turns at a right angle, running down towards the
river, and being traceable towards the north for 400 yards and towards
the south for fifty or sixty. It is evident that there was once, before
the stream flowed in its present channel, a rectangular enclosure, a
mile long and 1000 yards broad, opposite to the Amran mound; and there
are indications that within this _enceinte_ was at least one important
building, which was situated near the south-east angle of the enclosure,