366 JOUKNEYS IN KUEDISTAN LETTER xxxm

and we were still astray, news came that Shaoub was
occupied by 400 Turkish soldiers, and that there were
neither supplies nor accommodation, and after two more
hours of marching and counter-marching over ploughed
lands and among irrigation ditches, we emerged on the
Erzerum road, six inches deep in dust, forded a river in
thick darkness, got very wet, and came out upon the
large village of Yangaloo, a remarkable collection of 1*70
ant-hills rather than houses, with their floors considerably
below the ground. The prospects in this hummocky
place were most unpromising, and I was greeted by
Moussa, who., on finding that Shaoub was full of troops,
had had the wits to go on to Tangaloo, with the informa-
tion that there was " no accommodation."

A womanly, Christian grip of my arm reassured me,
and I was lodged for Sunday in the Protestant church,
the villagers having arranged to worship elsewhere. A
building, forty feet long with small paper-covered windows
under the eaves was truly luxurious, but the repose of
Sunday morning was broken by loud and wearisome
noises, lasting for several hours, which received a dis-
tressing explanation. I was informed by the priests
and several of the leading men of the village that Yan-
galoo for some time past had suffered severely from the
Kurds, and that just before a heavy demand for taxes
had been made by the Government, the three days' grace
usually granted having been refused. The local official
had seized the flax seed, their most profitable crop, at half-
price, and had sold it for full price, his perquisite amount-
ing to a large sum. Fifteen arabas, each one loaded with
seven large sacks of " linseed," were removed in the morning.

The people were very friendly. All the " brethren "

and " sisters " came to kiss hands, and to wish that my

departure "might be in great peace," and on Sunday

• evening I was present at a gathering of men in a room