Page:Discovery and Decipherment of the Trilingual Cuneiform Inscriptions.djvu/301

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272
CUNEIFORM INSCRIPTIONS

for seven years, from the lime when two Imiidred lines liad been prepared for the press in 1839 down to the lateautmnn of 184(), wlien the eom})leted work was first made public. Meanwhile no other traveller appeared at all disposed to anticipate him. There were indeed few who cared to undergo the personal risk Rawlhison had so cheerfully faced, nor willing to expend a thousand pounds upon the dangerous task, as he had so generously done. Indeed down to 1884 only one other traveller subsequently accomplislied the ascent.^ In February 184G, Eawlinson forwarded a complete trans- lation of the entire text to the Koyal Asiatic Society The remainder, with the cuneiform original and notes, followed at intervals in the course of the year. The editorial note, dated September 7, tells us that the text and the first five chapters of the Memoir had been already received. The work ai)peared in four parts, of which the first three form the tenth volume of the Society's Journal. The first was published in 1846, and con- tained eight plates, two representing the rock of Behistun and the figures sculptured upon it, executed by Lieutenant Jones of the Indian Navy ; -^ the others are devoted to the five columns and appendices which form the text. Then follow the transHteration and two translations, one in Lathi and the other in EngUsli, with notes on the state of the text. This was followed by the first two chapters of his 'Memoir on the In- scription' to page 53. This portion of the work was reviewed by Hincks, in the January number of the VDublin University Magazhie,' 1847, and by Benfev in a pamphlet publislied at Leipzig in Jaiuiary 1847. Part II. was published before the meeting of the Society in

' Athnimim, Nov 8, 18S4.

- ./. /»*. A. S. \. nJ. Hincks reoelved I'art I. in time for his pajHTs, read on Nov. .j() and Doc. 14, 1-SI(). Trans. A'. /. Acw.l. \ jI. xxi. part ii. p. l^'i.*).