Of some interest for the nature of public works is:(951) Note from Shâpik-zêr to Ḥâr-ibnî, my brother: The gods decree thy well-being. Give ninety-six _ḲA_ of meal to the men who are digging the canal. Kislîmnu, the twentieth, fifth year, Cyrus, King of Babylon, king of lands. Or this:(952) (M855) Note from the priests to Ḥâr-ibnî, our brother: The gods decree thy welfare. Give thirty-six _ḲA_ of meal to Ardi-Ḥâr, for the king’s men who dig the canal. Kislîmnu the twenty-fifth, year five, Cyrus, King of Babylon, king of lands. The following is another of the best-preserved letters of this period:(953) (M856) Note from Nêrgal-aḫ-iddin to Iddin-Marduk, my father: Bêl and Nabû decree the health and well-being of my father. Concerning the money my father sent; the money is little, which has been given for dates. Two minas of silver is needed. Let my father send it. Concerning that (?), as it is good to thee. I have none. See, Nabû-mattûa I have sent to my father. The governor has gone to Babylon. As long as he is not here (?) at his side, he demands. Let me hear news of my father. Whether it be corn or whether it be anything that is with me, I will give to my father. Thy word is indisputable with me. (M857) For the most part the others are fragmentary and of no special interest. It is noteworthy that they all begin with much the same form of greeting. Dr. T. G. Pinches published the text of three letters of this period in _Recueil des Travaux_.(954) Two are very fragmentary; the third reads thus: Note from Suḳâ to Bêl-zêr-ibnî, my father: May Bêl and Nabû decree health and wealth to my father. Now I am going without the ass. Give the ass to Shamash-eṭir; let him send it. Give him the clothes (?). Here is an interesting letter:(955) Note from Daian-bêl-uṣur to Shirḳu, my lord: Every day I pray to Bêl and Nabû for the health of my lord’s life. Concerning the lambs, which my lord sent, Bêl and Nabû know that there is a lamb from before thee. I have set the crop and fixed the stable. I have seen thy servant with the sheep; send thy servant with the lambs, and direct that one lamb from among them be offered as a gift to Nabû. I have not turned so much as one sheep into money. On the twentieth I worked [or sacrificed] for Shamash. I saw fifty-six. From his hands I sent twenty head to my lord. The garlic which the governor received from my lord, the owners of the field, when they came, took possession of; the governor of fields sold it for money. I am deprived of the yoke of the harrow (?). As to what my lord said to me, saying, “Wherefore hast thou not sent a messenger and measured out the crop?” Forthwith (?) I will send to thee, let a messenger of thy appointing (?) take it and keep it.