The commonest shrubs are a kind of wormwood—­the apsinthium of Xenophon—­which grows over much of the plain extending south of the Khabour—­and the tamarisk.  Green myrtles, and oleanders with their rosy blossoms, clothe the banks of some of the smaller streams between the Tigris and Mount Zagros; and a shrub of frequent occurrence is the liquorice plant.  Of edible vegetables there is great abundance.  Truffles and capers grow wild; while peas, beans, onions, spinach, cucumbers, and lentils are cultivated successfully.  The carob (Ceratonia Siliqua) must also be mentioned as among the rarer products of this region.

It was noticed above that manna is gathered in Assyria from the dwarf oak.  It is abundant in Zagros, and is found also in the woods about Mardin, and again between Orfah and Diarbekr.  According to Mr. Rich, it is not confined to the dwarf oak, or even to trees and shrubs, but is deposited also on sand, rocks, and stone.  It is most plentiful in wet seasons, and especially after fogs; in dry seasons it fails almost totally.  The natives collect it in spring and autumn.  The best and purest is that taken from the ground; but by far the greater quantity is obtained from the trees, by placing cloths under them and shaking the branches.  The natives use it as food both in its natural state and manufactured into a kind of paste.  It soon corrupts; and in order to fit it for exportation, or even for the storeroom of the native housewife, it has to undergo the process of boiling.  When thus prepared, it is a gentle purgative; but, in its natural state and when fresh, it may be eaten in large quantities without any unpleasant consequences.

Assyria is far better supplied with minerals than Babylonia.  Stone of a good quality, either limestone, sandstone, or conglomerate, is always at hand; while a tolerable clay is also to be found in most plices.  If a more durable material is required, basaltic rock may be obtained from the Mons Masius—­a substance almost as hard as granite.  On the left bank of the Tigris a soft gray alabaster abounds which is easily cut into slabs, and forms an excellent material for the sculptor.  The neighboring mountains of Kurdistan contain marbles of many different qualities; and these could be procured without much difficulty by means of the rivers.  From the same quarter it was easy to obtain the most useful metals.  Iron, copper, and lead are found in great abundance in the Tiyari Mountains within a short distance of Nineveh, where they crop out upon the surface, so that they cannot fail to be noticed.  Lead and copper are also obtainable from the neighborhood of Diarbekr.  The Kurdish Mountains may have supplied other metals.  They still produce silver and antimony; and it is possible that they may anciently have furnished gold and tin.  As their mineral riches have never been explored by scientific persons, it is very probable that they may contain many other metals besides those which they are at present known to yield.