of forty-two feet. The other is a platform, exceedingly massive and
handsome, composed entirely of squared stone, and faced with blocks
often eight or ten feet long, laid in horizontal courses, and rusticated
throughout in a manner that is highly ornamental. [PLATE L. Fig. 3.] The
style resembles that of the substructions of the Temple of Jerusalem.
It occurs occasionally, though somewhat rarely, in Greece; but there
is said to exist nowhere so extensive and beautiful a specimen of it as
that of the platform at this ancient site. [PLATE L., Fig. 4.]

The palace at Istakr is in better preservation than either of the two
pillared edifices at Murgab; but still, it is not in such a condition as
to enable us to lay down with any certainty even its ground-plan. [PLATE
LI., Fig. 1.] One pillar only remains erect; but the bases of eight
others have been found in situ; the walls are partly to be traced,
and the jambs of several doorways and niches are still standing. These
remains show that in many respects, as in the character of the pillars,
which were fluted and had capitals like those already described, in the
massiveness of the door and window jambs, and in the thickness of
the walls, the Istakr Palace resembled closely the buildings on the
Persepolitan platform; but at the same time they indicate that its plan
was wholly different, and thus our knowledge of the platform buildings
in no degree enables us to complete, or even to carry forward to any
appreciable extent, the ground-plan of the edifice derived from actual
research. The height of the columns, which is inferior to that of the
lowest at the great platform, would seem to indicate, either that the
building was the first in which stone pillars were attempted, or that
it was erected at a time when the Persians no longer possessed the
mechanical skill required to quarry, transport, and raise into place the
enormous blocks used in the best days of the nation.

[Illustration: PLATE LI.]

The palace of Susa, exhumed by Mr. Loftus and General Williams,
consisted of a great Hall or Throne-room, almost exactly a duplicate
of the Chehl Minar at Persepolis, and of a few other very inferior
buildings. It stood at the summit of the great platform, a quadrilateral
mass of unburnt brick, which from a remote antiquity had supported the
residence of the old Susian kings. It fronted a little west of north,
and commanded a magnificent view over the Susianian plains to the
mount