t il-
ARABISTAN:
OR
THE LAND OF
THE ARABIAN NIGHTS.
TRAVELS THROUGH EGYPT, ARABIA, AND PERSIA,
TO BAGDAD.
WM. PERRY FOGG, A.M.
AUTHOR OF THE "ROUND THE WORLD LETTERS," ETC.
<53itlj an |ntrobattion bg
BAYARD TAYLOR.
PUBLISHED BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY.
DUSTIN", GILMAN & CO.;
PUBLICATION OFFICE, HARTFORD, CONX. ;
BRANCH OFFICES, CHICAGO, ILL., CINCINNATI, OHIO.
1875.
it
he
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1875, by
WILLIAM PERRY FOGG,
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington.
THIS VOLUME
IS RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED TO
nts, un.,
MY "COMPAGNON t)E VOYAGE',"
AND TO
(English lUsibeuis nf JJagbsb anb
WHOSE UXHOUNDED KINDNESS AND
HOSPITALITY TO THEIR "AMERICAN COUSIN,"
WILL EVER BE HF.I.D IN GRATEFUL REMEMBRANCE
BY THE AUTHOR
INTRODUCTION
BY
BAYARD TAYLOR.
I have read the proof-sheets of this work with a double
interest : First, from my long and familiar acquaintance
with the Author : and, secondly, from the manifold charms
which belong to the field of his travels.
Although Arabistan, or Ikdr-Arabi, as it is also called,
has become accessible to the tourist within the last few-
years, it has only attracted such visitors as feel a special
interest in both its antique and mediaeval memories ; and
of these Mr. Fogg is, I believe, with but one exception
only, the first American to make report of what he has
seen. I find not only inherent proofs of his fidelity as an
observer, in the narrative itself, but the circumstance that
a portion of the ground he has traversed is also familiar
to me, enables me to testify to it out of my own knowledge.
From the manner in which he depicts the experiences of
a traveler in Palestine and Egypt, I accept his picture of
Bagdad, the Plains of the Euphrates, and the ruins of
Babylon, as being equally honest and exact.
I therefore cheerfully accede to the desire of his publish-
ers that I should contribute this introductory note.
v i INTRODUCTION.
The reader must not suppose that I have revised, or in
any way edited, a work which was complete, in type, be-
fore I saw it. Every traveler should tell his own story in
his own way. Especially where the field is so new and so
fascinating as in the present case, the simple, unvarnished
recital of one's own experiences and observations is all
that is needed. If any further endorsement seems desira-
ble, it can only be that which comes from knowledge of
the Author's character ; and I am sure that this, also, is
superfluous.
The interest which all intelligent persons feel in the
sites of the earliest Chaldean civilization, in the traces of
the later Macedonian empire, and the latest splendors of
the famous capital of the Caliphs, will sufficiently com-
mend this volume to the public. My knowledge of the
author, and of the circumstances under which his journey
was made, must be my apology for an introduction which
I would fain believe is unnecessary.
So many of our citizens have the time, means, and
capacity for adding similar contributions to our knowledge
of the world, and so few avail themselves of those advant-
ages or recognize a higher duty than their own personal
gratification, that this example deserves a general and
grateful recognition.
BAYARD TAYLOR.
NEW YORK, July 1st, 1875.
THE title of this volume, " ARABISTAN," signifies in Persian,
"The Country of the Arabs." Egypt, Arabia, and Persia, are
the scene of the "Thousand and One Stories," in many of
which Haroun-al-Raschid, the Caliph of Bagdad, is the hero.
My motive in visiting these countries was not merely the
pursuit of pleasure, but a desire to gratify a long-cherished
wish, I might almost say a passion, to see, at least once in my
lifetime, the strange and curious nations of the Orient, which
have always had for me a strange fascination.
The excuse of ordinary travelers who write books, was not
mine. I was not ordered abroad "by the doctors," but started
in perfect health, which I retained through all the vicissitudes
of scene and climate, and I may add that I met with no serious
mishap to mar the pleasure of the journey.
In attempting to describe the " Land of the Arabian Nights,"
as it appears to-day, I have confined myself, in a great measure,
to what passed under my own observation, and have endeav-
ored to give a faithful picture of such adventures as would
naturally befall a traveler; making no attempt at fine writing
or high-flown description.
As a book of scientific exploration this volume makes no pre-
tentions. The works of Rawlinson, Layard, and more recently
of George Smith, have opened a new page to the student of
v iii THE A UTHOR S PREFA CE.
history, by bringing to light the long -buried treasures of
Nineveh and Babylon. The space I have devoted to these
discoveries is of course quite inadequate to do justice to a
subject so full of interest from a scientific point of view; but,
at the same time, I think that the reader will find something
to interest him in the sketches which I have given of my own
visit to the Plains of Shinar, and what befell me near the
ruins of Babylon, and among the Arabs of the surrounding
country.
The full-page illustrations are from original photographs, of
which I believe no other copies have been taken. They are
therefore unique. It was my good fortune to meet at Bagdad
a young English gentleman, to whom photography was a
pastime. The views of street life in Oriental cities, and other
interesting scenery here reproduced, are strictly true to
nature, and were certainly the first ever taken in the various
localities which they represent.
The small illustrations are all from original drawings, from
the pencil of a well-known American artist, and the author can
certify to their correctness and excellence, both in design and
execution.
The unexpected courtesy and kindness everywhere met
with during my travels, from both foreign residents and
natives, and the many chance acquaintances then formed,
and which have since ripened into friendships that will
endure for a lifetime, are among the pleasantest souvenirs of
my journey
W. P. F.
CLEVELAND, August, 1875.
CHAPTER I.
LONDON TO ALEXANDRIA.
Page.
Gerard Rohlf's Expedition Exploring the Great Sahara Desert The
Writer's Plans By Express Trains through France Steamer
Missed at Marseilles, and still Missing The Entrepot of France
Toulon "Horse-Marines" Nice to Genoa A grand Panorama
" Parlez-vous Anglais ?" Doctor Antonio and the Corniche Road
Genoa " Is he Dead " Leghorn Pisa Naples False Pretenses
Messina and Sicily A Wonderful Relic Oranges by the Basketful
The Sicilia and her Passengers " Young England " The Hurri-
cane and a Lee Shore We almost touch at Crete Arrival at
Alexandria, 23
CHAPTER II.
ALEXANDRIA TO CAIRO.
Scenes in Alexandria Pompey's Pillar and Cleopatra's Needles An
Apology Up the Nile Ships of the Desert Well-Sweeps and Water-
Wheels Civilization in Egypt Cairo Unchanged A Princess's
Marriage, and Splendid Fetes The Story of the Bride How a Slave-
Girl became a Princess Our Consul-General in Egypt The Sahara
Exploration-party already Started A Disappointment Sir Samuel
Baker's Expedition not a Success Dissatisfaction of the Egyptian
Government Colonel Gordon Change of Programme To Bagdad
and Persia instead of Central Africa, 34
CHAPTER III.
SCENES IN CAIRO.
Church Bells do not make a Sabbath Dragomans Scenes in Front
of the Hotel Peddlers and Mountebanks " Me very good Juggler"
Donkeys and Donkey Boys A " Donk " with an Illustrious Name
The Fez The Bazaars Sprinkling Machines The "Light of
the Harem "Old Abraham comes to Grief The Story-Teller
Citadel The Mamaluke's Leap Mosque of Mohamet Ali Island of
x CONTENTS.
Page.
Rhoda Moses in the Bulrushes The Kilometer- Joseph's Granaries
The Egyptian Museum Shoobra Gardens A Mahometan's Para-
dise Ileliopolis, the " City of the Sun " The Virgin's Sycamore
Tree Dancing Dervishes Whirling into High Seats in Paradise, 43
CHAPTER IV.
MEMPHIS AND THE PYRAMIDS.
"El Kaherah The Nile Ancient Knowledge of the Egyptians Lost
Arts Visit to Memphis and Sakharra An Early Start Rival Boat-
men Sand-Storm in the Desert The City of the Pharaohs Temple
of Apis Maviette Bey Cemetery of the Sacred Bulls Lunch
among the "Old Masters" An "Antique" Factory Typhoons at
Sea and Siroccos on Land Pyramids of Ghizah A Left-handed
Regiment Fertility of the Soil Old Cheops Up we go ! Sunrise
from the Summit The Heart of the Great Pyramid The King's
Chamber The Sphinx A Nubian Type of Beauty No Immortality
from Piles of Stone, 59
CHAPTER V.
CAIRO TO PORT SAID.
.An Unexpected Delay An Old Pasha an his Travels Many Wives
bring Many Cares A Nubian Eunuch Egyptian Railways The
Sweet-water Canal Zag-a-Zig A Showy old Turk An Amusing
Skirmish Sanded Up in the Desert Arabs and Arabic Ismailia,
the Deserted Village " Water is Gold " Ferdinand de Lesseps
"Have a Shine, Sir?" Steaming on the Canal A Possible Ex-
plosion Port Said, the " Silver Gate to the Orient" A " California"
Town that knows no Sabbath The Arab Juggler Performs the Egg-
Trick, 71
CHAPTER VI.
PORT SAID TO JERUSALEM.
A Night on the Mediterranean The Americans Fraternize Bishop
Harris Jaffa, the Ancient Joppa Noah, Andromeda, The King
of Tyre and .the Queen of Sheba, Simon the Tanner, Jonah, and
Napoleon The American Colony and its German Successor Rolla
Floyd "Wanted, a Bergh" Jaffa Oranges Ramleh, the Ancient
Arimathca Our Landlord an Office-seeker An Early Start The
Bishop Leads the Van Gateway to the Plain The Inn-keeper,
with a "smile so child-like and bland" Weary Pilgrims A Good
Old Methodist Hymn Godfrey do Bouillon We Pass the Juffa
Gate, 82
CONTENTS. x i
CHAPTER VII.
THE HOLY CITY.
Page.
Biblical Love not my Specialty Cleanliness next to Godliness Topo-
graphy of the Holy City The Besr of it Under-Ground The Holy
Places mostly I'ious Frauds The small Area Within the Walls A
Bird's-Eye View Pool of Ilczekiah Tower of David Hospital of
St. John The Greek Hospice Church of the Holy Sepulchre The
Turkish Guards The Holy Sepulchre An Affecting Scene The
" Centre of the World " Sword and Spurs of Godfrey de Bouillon
Via Dolorosa St. Veronica The Mosque of Omar Mahometan
Traditions " Pillars of Proof" The Test Not Conclusive The
Golden Gate A Relic of the Mosque, . . , , . ,91
CHAPTER VIIL
JERUSALEM, AND OUR RETURN TO JAFFA,
Visit to the Mount of Olives A View Unequalled in the Holy Land
The Stolen Footprint Bethany Tomb of Lazarus House of
Martha and Mary The Identical Fig Tree The Scene of the Last
Supper Armenian Convent A Beautiful Missal The Jews' Wailing
Place Farewell to Jerusalem The Octroi Duty Last View of the
Holy City A Dismal Ride A Sinner on his way to Confession I
Assume the Ho'e of a Preacher lie becomes humble and Penitent
Once More Entertained at the Gateway to the Plain Human Nature
Not Totally Depraved The Russian Convent at Ramleh Hospi-
tality of the Monks Morning Hide to Jaffa The Decoration of the
"Red Jerusalem Cross," 103
CHAPTER IX.
THE SUEZ CANAL.
An Accomplished Fact Sketch of its History Reasons Alleged for its
Failure Bugl>ears Exploded Is it a Financial Success ? Kates of
Toll New Lines of Steamers The Business of 1873 The Tides
Width, Depth, and Kate of Speed Allowed Lake Menzaleh Mam-
moth Dredging Machines A Unique View A Ship in the Desert
Lake Timseh The Bitter Lake A Heady-Made Canal We Reach
Suez A Town as old as the Pharaohs No Pleasant Greeting to the
Red Sea Why Called "I'ed" The "Crescent and Star" The
Water never Smooth and Clear Pharaoh's Chariot Wheels not to be
Seen, 115
Xll
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER X,
ON THE RED SEA.
Page.
Dangerous Navigation The Gateway of Tears The Wind Always
Ahead Our Steamer Named after a Hindoo Goddess Mount Sinai
in Sight "Dolce Far Niente" Jeddali, the Port of Mecca Yusef
Effendi The Sacred Banner Mohamet Benaji Pilgrimage to Mecca
We Visit the Governor and the Prince of Zanzibar Elaborate
Speeches The Tomb of Eve A Moslem Tradition The Prince and
his Harem come on board Not Visible to Outsiders The Persian
Pearl-Merchant Pearls of Great Price The Prince's Treasures
"Right, Left, and Ace" I Decline an Invitation to Zanzibar
Mocha, the " Coffee City " How the English Acquired Perim, the
Key to the Gateway, . . 123
CHAPTER XL
MAHOMET AND HIS RELIGION.
A Tempting Proposal, but Declined for the Present Mecca, Mahomet's
Birth-place Medina, his Tomb His Coffin Rests upon the Earth
The Descendants of Ishmael Their Plea for Robbery Traditions
of Mecca A Stone from Paradise Early Life of Mahomet His
First Convert Persecution and Flight The Hegira His Religion
Enforced with the Sword Its Rapid Spread Over the East The
Doctrines of the Koran Its Sensual Teachings " Bismillah "
Moral Precepts and Religions Duties Practices and Ceremonies
The First Temperance Reformer The Hadji's Prayer A Dress-
Parade Persian Poem The Pearl-Merchant The Prince and the
Howadji, 136
CHAPTER XII.
ADEN.
The Gibraltar of the Indian Ocean We Meet the Remains of Dr.
Livingstone Interviews with Jacob, his " Nassick Boy " A most
Faithful Servant His Account of Livingstone's Death His long
Journey to the Coast Aden, the Picture of Desolation Amphibious
Arabs Street Gamins The Parsee Merchant Steamer Landing
Excursion to the Town A Dilapidated Equipage John Chinaman
Trains of Camels An Abyssinian Exquisite and his Bride
Description of the Reservoirs The Bazaars The Climate of Aden
a Suggestion of the Hereafter We part with the Prince of Zanzibar
A " Peg in the Coffin " of English Officers, 149
CONTENTS. x jij
CHAPTER XIII.
ON THE ARABIAN SEA.
Page.
Good-bye to Aden Life at Sea The Yankee Sea-Serpent Flying-
Fish and Porpoises Muscat The Streets and Bazaars The Sultan's
Palace His Body-Guard An Unenvied King Under English
Protection Novel Auction Sale The Naval Squadron Assisted by
English Gunboats Near View of the Forts "Ormus and Ind"
Bundar Abbas Lingeh Reception of the Hadji, Abdul Assiz He
Safely Lands his Lu-lu The Pearl-Fisheries How they are Managed
A Valuable Fruit Lingeh to Bushire The " Land of Roses, Poets,
and Nightingales," 160
CHAPTER XIV.
PERSIA.
Iranistan, the Land of the Shah Its Climate Picture of the Towns
and Villages Persian Costumes A Convenient Disguise Beauty
a Poetical Myth Situation of Bushire English Cannon have
Left their Mark Darya-Beg, the "Lord of the Sea" The Arsenal
A Yankee Gun Persian Soldiers How they Secure their Back
Pay Wind-Towers Jealousy of Foreigners The Telegraph
A Costly Message Persian Carpets How they are Made A Devil
in Limbo Water Carriers Postage-Stamps A Bright Idea A
Persian Mint The Shah's Carriage Island of Karnak The Key
of the Persian Gulf A New Route to India The "Wandering
Jew "of the Mahometans, 170
CHAPTER XV.
TURKISH ARABIA.
Approach to the Euphrates The Invisible Banks Mesopotamia Fau
Mahomrah Sheik Jarbah The Young Sheik A Boat Excursion
The " Bellum " An Unwelcome Guest Bassorah Running the
Quarantine English Merchants Captain Carter, the English Sheik
A Warm Welcome to Marghil A Pet Lion Musselman and In-
fidel Exports from the Euphrates The Garden of Eden River
Scenes on the Tigris and the Euphrates The Bedouin's Tent An
Arabian Horse Ezra's Tomb The Sportsman's Paradise We can-
not Bag a Lion Ctesiphon and Selcucia The Barber and the Mule
Driver of the Prophet The " City of the Caliphs " in Sight, . .180
x i v CONTENTS.
CHAPTER XVI.
THE CALIPHS OF BAGDAD.
Page.
Bagdad in its Glory A Picture of Barbaric Splendor Sketch of
the Caliphs of Bagdad The early Successors of Mahomet Abu-
Beker Omar, the Second Caliph His Visit to Jerusalem His
frugality and Simplicity of Manners Conquest of Syria and Persia
The Greek Emperor and the Caliph Othman AH, the " Brave
and the True" Sects among the Moslems Sonnites and Sheabs
Hassan, the Grandson of Mahomet Moawiyah Ommiades, the
" Caliphs of Damascus" Rapid Advance of the Crescent Charles
Martel The Abassides, " Caliphs of Bagdad " Haroun-al-Raschid
The Maecenas of the East Royal Munificence The Later Caliphs
Dissolution of the Empire of Mahomet Bagdad Captured by the
Moguls Last of the Sacred Race The Sultan now " Commander
of the Faithful," . 198
CHAPTER XVII.
THE CITY OF THE ENCHANTRESS.
Approach to Bagdad Views of the River Front The Residency
British Gunboat and Sepoys The Goopha A Unique Boat The
Kallek Pasha's Palace Arsenal Half a Mosque No Cook's Tour-
ists A Bird's-Eyc View Kaithmain Tomb of Zobeidc-j-Akker
Goof A Peep over the Scenes Dwellings Unroofed Domestic Life
Houses and Streets Minar of the Storks Reverent Birds An
Eclipse Driving Away the Evil Spirits Fakeers and Dervishes
Professors of the Black Art Religious Jugglery Repudiated by In-
telligent Mahometans Superstition of the Common People, . .210
CHAPTER XVIII.
STREET SCENES IN BAGDAD.
The Bazaars, Market-Places, and Coffee-Houses The Water-Carriers
Female Costumes Beauty or Ugliness Safe Behind a Mask A Glit-
tering Picture The Turkish Merchant Camels, Mules, and Don-
keys The Narghileh Persian Tobacco Arabian Coffee How it
is Prepared "Mocha" the only Variety All others Classed as
"Beans" Social Amusements Story-Tellers An Incident in Da-
mascus Backgammon I Play with an Arabian Gentleman I Lose
and Propose to Pay the Score Expressive Pantomime Cheap
Recreation Honesty without a Precedent in Christian Lands The
Corn-Market Date-Palms Mahomet's Inj unction Bassorah Dates
Unknown in America A Delicious Fruit 5
CONTENTS. xv
CHAPTER XIX.
THE PASHA OF BAGDAD.
Page.
A Despotic Ruler over a Large Province Inundation Threatened The
Pasha Equal to the Emergency The Whole Population Impressed
My Credentials from the Grand Vizier A Formidable Document
My Visit to the Pasha The Fez In Bagdad worn only by Turks
The Palace Guards Everywhere The Interviews Personal Ap-
pearance of Redif Pasha Complimentary Speeches I Decline a
Guard of Soldiers Venality and Corruption of Officials Improbable
Stories The "Far East" not Unlike the "Far West" Dishonesty
the Exception, not the Rule The Christian Churches of Bagdad
An Armenian Bishop " Yaukeedouia," an Arabic Word A Jewish
Family The Wealth of the Jews their Protection The Ex-King of
Glide The Richest Man in Bagdad, 232
CHAPTER XX.
HABITS AND CUSTOMS OF THE ARABS.
Their Courtesy and Politeness Morning Salutations Scurrilous Lan-
guage Very Rare The Beard Always Worn Hardy Children
Rite of Circumcision Hospitality, an Ancient and Hereditary Vir-
tue Under no Circumstances to be Violated Robbery no Crime
An Arab's Property Courtship, and Marriage Ceremonies The
Bride Sometimes to be Caught She Scratches and Bites like a
Vixen But only for Show The Husband Pays for the Wife
Widows and Divorced Women Half-Price Song of the Lover, Rather
Rough on the Father Divorce Made Easy Funeral Ceremonies
Arabian Horses Their Beauty, Intelligence and Speed Description
of a Famous Breed Their Wonderful Endurance National Dress
of the Arabs Picture of a Bedouin Characteristics of the Race
Customs Unchanged for a Thousand Years, 245
CHAPTER XXI.
EXCURSION TO BABYLON.
Once a Garden, now a Desert Danger from Flood and Pestilence
The Start Yusef, the Guide Hassan, the Muleteer How to Pack
a Mule Inventory of my Outfit Caravans and Bedouin Horse-
men A Gallop over the Plain The Caravanserai The Hotel of the
Desert No Snubbing by the " Gentlemanly Clerk" Fording a
Wallah A Nawiib on his Travels A Hot Ride Exhibition of
Mirage We Reach Mosey ib Ilillah declared in Quarantine A
XVI
CONTENTS.
Pt*
Dilemma Yusefs Philosophy, "No Fear it, No Catch it" I decide
to go Ahead Battle-Field of Cunaxa Anabasis of Xenophon A
Night OH the Kerbella Canal Pleasant Fancies and Reflections
Recollections of the Plague of 1831 A Frightful Picture of Suf-
fering A Pasha of Bagdad begging for Bread Sleep at Last
Awake in Kerbella, 2J
CHAPTER XXII.
HOSPITALITIES IN KERBELLA.
Arrival at Kerbella A Hospitable Reception The Nawab's Palace
Shrines of Kerbella Mosque of Abbas " Clay of the Saints "
Indian Nabobs as British Subjects Visit in State to the Bazaars
We Qkill on the Ex-Queen of India A Royal Indian Entertainment
Sweetmeats and Hubble-Bubbles Babylon as Described by Herodotus
and Benjamin ot Tudela The Ruins, as they appear To-Day The
Three Great Mounds Last Relic of the Hanging Gardens An Arab
Tradition Daniel's Lion The Birs Nimroud, or Tower of Babel
Burial-Place of Ali I Commence my Retreat Stopped by a Turkish
Governor Alarming Intelligence Ordered Back to Kerbella I am
Inside the Quarantine,
CHAPTER XXIII.
THE RETURN 1 FROM BABYLON.
Inconvenience of not Knowing Turkish I invite the Governor to taste
English Beer A Happy Thought He Returns with me to Moseyib
Bass's Ale as a Solvent The Governor Melts Winning my Way^-
Effect of English Arrack in Small Doses Undeveloped Musical
Talent A Medley of Songs Great Applause Invited to dine with
the Governor We reach Moseyib How Turkish Officials Transact
Business Suspicious Circumstances The Force of Habit Dinner
a la TurqueA. Picture for an Artist A Moonlight Flitting " The
Desert is Liberty " An Arab Breakfast Fording the Stream A
Refreshing Bath Convenience of an Umbrella Bagdad in Sight
A Warm Welcome, 27J
CHAPTER XXIV.
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
Difficulties in the Way of my Visiting Nineveh The Site of that
Ancient City Savans disagree as to its Size Sketch of Modern
Explorations Inscriptions upon the Walls of its Palaces The Cuiiei-
CONTENTS.
Page.
form Language An Unknown Character of an Unknown Tongue
Significance of the Word "Cuneiform" Ancient Civilization of
Assyria and Egypt Biblical Accounts confirmed by Modern Discov-
eries The Behistun Rocks Records of Darius, "the Great King"
Peculiarities of Cuneiform Writing Bricks of Babylon and Nineveh
Translation of a Babylonian Cylinder George Smith, the Discoverer
of the " Deluge-Tablets " His own Account of this Remarkable
Discovery His recent Book of "Assyrian Explorations" Extracts
from the Flood Series of Legends The Chaldean Account of the
Deluge, 28?
CHAPTER XXV.
VISIT TO THE PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS.
take leave of the Pasha A Pleasant Interview A Suggestion to
President Grant Euphrates Valley Railway Invited to Visit the
Public Institutions The Pasha's Barge Arsenal and Machine
Shops The New Steamers The " Tale of a Traveler" A Military
Hospital An Accomplished Turk The Palace Beautiful Horses
The Industrial School Midhut Pasha A Wise and Honest Ruler
No " Story with a Moral," but something better Substituted Cheers
for America The Printing-Office A Newspaper in Turkish and
Arabic An Official Organ without Politics Suspension Bridge
Wanted A Chance for American Engineers The Barracks Hope
in the Future for Young Bagdad, 289
CHAPTER XXYI.
SOCIAL LIFE OF NATIVES AND FOREIGNERS.
Climate of Bagdad In Cellars by Day, and on the Roofs at Night
No Ice Cudjees a Substitute Population and Currency Antiques
from Babylon and Nineveh Slavery among the Mahometans No
Colorphobia White Donkeys The Pariah Dogs Noises of Bag-
dad Abdallah Advertising his Band Municipal Regulations
Social Life among the English Residents The English Minister,
Colonel Herbert Dr. Colville Officers and Civilians No Hotel
Americans Rarely Seen A Dubious Compliment A Day's Routine
Story by the Abbe Hue "Our American Cousin's" Experience of
Bagdad Hospitality Routes Home The Dromedary Mail Foun-
dered in the Desert The Only Line of Retreat for the Writer, . . 293
XV111
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER XXVII.
FROM BAGDAD TO BASSORAH.
Page.
Farewell to Bagdad Night Scene The " City of the Enchantress "
Disappears Seleucia Ctesiphon Coal from England Novel Re-
ceipts for Specie Seals instead of Signatures A Young Arab Chief
Story of Abdul-Kareem Betrayed by his Friend Executed without
Trial Arab Hatred of the Betrayer Abundance of Game Shooting
Wild Boars How they are usually Hunted An Ugly Customer
Lively Sport My Breech-Loader Ahead of the "Enfield" Fig-
Leaves from the Garden of Eden " A Thousand Welcomes to Mar-
ghil" How I Passed the Time There The Lonely English
Wailing Jackals Trip in a Mashoof Climate of Bassorah The
Shiimmfil Arrival of the Mesopotamia The Steamer's Cargo
Through Tropical Seas in Midsummer A Trying Journev Before
Me, " . .
CHAPTER XXVIII.
FROM BASSORAH TO EUROPE.
Our Last Night at Marghil Song and Story My "Younger Brother's "
Farewell A Dilapidated Blockade-Runner Good-Bye to the Eu-
phrates In the Persian Gulf Life at Sea Bushire The Persian
Cat and the Buhl-Buhls Narrow Escape for Both The Example of
Sinbad For us no Roc's Eggs, nor Valley of Diamonds In the
Indian Ocean The Monsoon Dangerous Currents We Strike at
Night on the Arabian Co:ist Darkness and Confusion The Scene
from the Deck The Maltese Steward lie Suddenly Becomes
Devout "Scrap-Iron in Half an Hour" Life Preservers of Little
Use" Get Ready to Pass In Your Checks" The Ship Draws Off
We are Saved The Life Ponts Our Chances of Escape Discussed
Reckle-sness of Sailors Short Supply of Coal We Reach Aden
The " Decrhound " A Rebel Tender Turned Smuggler Up the
Red Sea t3 Suez Across Egypt in Summer Venice to London
Adieu,
PAGE.
MARKET-PLACE IN BAGDAD, - Frontispiece.
"ALL ABOARD," - - 23
THE HORSE-MARINES, - 26
"JusT ASHORE," 34
EGYPTIAN PEASANT PLOUGHING, - - 37
THE WIFE OF A PASHA, . 40
THE ARAB JUGGLER, - 43
A CAIRO INSTITUTION, 45
OLD ABRAHAM COMES TO GRIEF, - - 48
MOSQUE OF MOHAMET ALI, - - (Full-rage) 51
OBELISK OF HELIOPOLIS, - - 56
THE SPHINX, - 59
CLIMBING THE GREAT PYRAMID, - 68
"BAKSHEESH!! BAKSHEESH!!" 71
THE EUNUCH, - 72
"HAVE A SHINE, SIR?" - . 78
THE RASCALLY LANDLORD, - 82
CARAVAN FROM JAFFA TO JERUSALEM, 86
THE JEWS WAILING-PLACE, - 91
EAST END OF SOUTH WALL, JERUSALEM, - (Full-Page) 93
XX
ILLUSTRATIONS.
PAGE.
THE HOLY SEPULCHER, - - - (Full-Page) 98
THE GOLDEN GATE, ... 101
LEAVING JERUSALEM, - - - 103
JERUSALEM FROM THE MOUNT OF OLIVES, - (Full-Page) 105
THE OCTROI DUTY AT JAFFA GATE, - - - 109
A STREET IN JERUSALEM, - - 114
ON THE SUEZ CANAL, - - - - - 1L
THE STEAMER IN THE DESERT, - - - 12(
THE ARAB MERCHANT, - - - - 121
INTERVIEW WITH PRINCE HAMMOUD, - - 13]
THE BEDOUIN SHEIK, - - - - 13'i
MAHOMETAN AT PRAYER, - - - 14'
A STRONG CONTRAST, - - - 14!
OSTRICH FEATHER-DEALERS AT ADEN, - - 15,
DOWN GRADE,
THE SULTAN'S GUARD, 16(
FORT AND HARBOR OF MUSCAT, - (Full-Page) 16)
SWORD AUCTIONEER AT MUSCAT, - 16i
A LITTLE DEVIL IN LIMBO, - 170
WATER-CARRIERS IN PERSIA, - - - 177
ON THE TIGRIS, - - - - 180
EZRA'S TOMB ON THE TIGRIS, - (Fidi-Paye) 187
SHOOTING LIONS FROM THE BOAT, - - - 190
THE ARCH OF CTESIPHON, - - (Fvii-Poye) 195
BAGDAD IN THE DISTANCE, - - - - 197
A SARACEN WARRIOR, - - - 198
BAGDAD IN ITS GLORY, - - 207
ILL US TRA T10NS. x x j
PAGE.
AN ARAB OF THE DESERT, 209
THE MINAR OF THE STORKS, - 210
VIEW OF BAGDAD, (Fuii-Paye) 211
THE ECLIPSE, FRIGHTENING AWAY THE JIN, - 219
WHIRLING DERVISHES, - 221
NARGHILEHS AND CHIBOUK, - 222
DAMASCUS, 229
TESTING MAHOMETAN HONESTY, - - 230
THE ORIENTAL FEZ, 232
WALLS AND MOAT OF BAGDAD, - (Full-Page) 235
THE PASHA OF BAGDAD, 238
MY SERVANT YUSEF, - 245
BEDOUIN STEALING HIS BRIDE, - 248
THE START FOR BABYLON, - 254
THE HOTEL OF THE DESERT, - - - 259
DATE-PALMS, - - 267
ANCIENT LAMPS FROM BABYLON, 272
ANTIQUE VASES, - - 273
DANIEL'S LION, - 274
BlRS NlMROUD, - (Full-Page) 275
ENGLISH BEER AS A SOLVENT, 279
FORDING THE STREAM, - - 287
DELUGE TABLET, 289
SENNACHERIB, - - 291
BABYLONIAN BRICK, - - 298
INSCRIPTION FROM CUNEIFORM CYLINDER, - - - 299
ANCIENT HARPS FROM ASSYRIA, 304
XX11
ILLUSTRATIONS.
PAGE
"BOYS WILL BE BOYS," ... 3Q5
"THREE CHEERS FOR AMERICA," 311
THE RUINED MOSQUE, - 313
ABDALLAH ADVERTISING HIS BAND, 314
ANTIQUE COINS, - 316
ARAB BEGGAR, 32<
INTERIOR OF ENGLISH RESIDENCY IN BAGDAD, (Full-Page) 32!
THE DROMEDARY MAIL, 321
THE YOUNG ARAB PRINCE, - 32*
HUNTING THE WILD BOAR, 33'.
THE BEDOUIN GUARD, (Fuu-Page) 31
ANCIENT SEALS, 34(
AFTER THE BUHL-BUHLS, - 34
GET READY TO PASS IN YOUR CHECKS, - 34'
CHAPTER I.
LONDON TO ALEXANDRIA.
Gerard Rohlfs Expedition Exploring the Great Sahara Desert The
Writer's Plans By Express Trains through France Steamer Missed at
Marseilles and still Missing The Entrepot of 1' ranee Toulon " Horse
Marines " Nice to Genoa A Grand Panorama " Parlez-vous Anglais ? "
Doctor Antonio and the Cornk-he Road Genoa "Is he Dead" Leg-
horn Pisa Naples False Pretenses Messina and Sicily A Wonderful
Relic Oranges by the Basket full The Sicilia and her Passengers
Young England The Hurricane and a Lee Shore We almost touch at
Crete Arrival at Alexandria.
HEN I bade adieu to Amer-
ica in January, 1874, I had
no intention of extending my
journey to Bagdad and Persia.
My plans were to proceed di-
rectly to Egypt, and there, if
possible, to join an expedition
to explore the great Sahara
desert, which was then being
fitted out by the Khedive, un-
der Gerard Rohlfs, a distin-
guished German traveler in
Northern Africa. The ob-
jects and aim of this enter-
prise were to re-discover those great oases of the Libyan
desert which are known to exist, and supposed to contain
large tracts of fertile territory and a population of many
thousands, but which have never been visited by Europeans.
I relied upon my acquaintance with American officers in
04 STEAMER MISSED MARSEILLES.
the service of the Khedive, and our Consul General in
Cairo, whom I had met during my former travels in the
East, to obtain permission to join this expedition. That it
would be full of danger as well as of exciting adventure I
was well aware, and I therefore said very little to my
friends at home, as to my proposed plans.
Reaching London about the middle of January, I crossec
France on the fastest trains, stopping but a few hours ii
Paris, and reached Marseilles just twelve hours too lat
for the steamer to Alexandria. Making the best of th<
situation, I changed my plans, leisurely taking Nice, Gen<
Leghorn, Naples, and Messina en route. When I reaclu
Alexandria I learned that the French steamer I had miss
at Marseilles, had not arrived, and was supposed to be 1<
with all on board.
The old French city of Marseilles, founded by th
Phoenicians 600 years B. C., well repaid the day spei
there, and, through the kindness of the American Consul
F. W. Potter, Esq., I was enabled to see many things ol
interest to a traveler. The French colony of Algeria
directly opposite, and its trade, monopolized by this city,
has added immensely to its population and commercial
prosperity. The silks of Lyons, the wines, olives, an<
other products of Southern France, here find their outi<
to all parts of the world. Its commerce is far more ex-
tensive than that of any other port of France, and its
trade with America double that of Havre. A line of first
class steamships direct to the United States, would coi
mand not only an immense freight, but also a large pas
senger traffic. By them we could reach in winter tin
sunny, genial climate of the Mediterranean, avoiding th<
stormy Northern Atlantic, and one thousand miles addi-
tional travel.
Marseilles is the birth-place of Thicrs historian, ex-
TOULON. THE HORSE MARINES. 25
premier and ex-president the son of a blacksmith and
to-day, though out of office, the foremost man in France.
At the time of the first revolution, it gave its name to
a hymn that has become the tocsin of liberty throughout
the world.
I made a few hours' stop at Toulon, forty miles west of
Marseilles, one of the greatest naval arsenals in the world.
Its batteries, reaching from the shore to the summits
of the hills commanding the town, make the place seem
impregnable. Here at Toulon, in 1794, young Bonaparte,
then a lieutenant of artillery, had the first opportunity to
display his great military genius, in planning the batteries
that in a few days compelled the British to evacuate the
town and put out to sea.
Strolling along the streets crowded with officers and
soldiers in bright uniforms, I met two fine looking officers
whose elegant dress especially attracted my attention. I
supposed that they must belong to the naval service, as
the u foul anchor" was embroidered in gold upon collars
and cuffs. As they passed me I turned to admire their
rich uniform, and noticed, to my great surprise, that both
wore spurs attached to their boots. A gens d\irme stand-
ing near, I touched my hat and asked him to what service
they belonged. He courteously returned the salute, and
told me that they were officers of marine. I wanted to
ask the cocked-hat official, " Why, then, the spurs?"
but for the life of me I could not at that moment remem-
ber the French word for spurs. So the mystery remains
unsolved, unless we may suppose they are attached to that
corps which is generally regarded as a myth, the " Horse
Marines."
The railway to Nice winds along the shore, through a
country cultivated like a garden. On our right is the blue
Mediterranean sparkling in the sun, and on our left the
26-
NICE AND THE MARITIME ALPS.
horizon, bounded by the snow-capped summits of the Mari-
time Alps. The vineyards cover every hillside, and there
is a constant succession of olive groves, old gnarled trees,
among the dark green foliage of which, the blossoms of
"THE HOUSE MARINES."
early plum trees are brought out in bright relief. Now we
pass a pretty villa in a grove of orange trees, roses blossom-
ing in the garden. To one coming from the cold north in
" search for winter sunbeams," it is a picture full of beauty
and enjoyment.
Nice detained me but one day. This great sanitarium
of Europe, seems made up entirely of hotels and boarding
houses. All great watering-places in the height of the
season have a similar appearance. The shop windows are
FROM NICE TO GENOA. 27
full of fancy goods and knick-knacks, tempting the idler,
articles which no one buys at home, and are called by
ill-natured people, " rubbish."
The next morning, as I was stepping into the carriage
for the railway station to Genoa, 120 miles distant, I asked
the portier at what hour we should arrive. He replied
that near San Remo, one of the hundred tunnels between
here and Genoa, had caved in, and we should have to
take a carriage to cross the break, but a steamer leaving
that morning would reach Genoa the same evening ; so I
Changed my order to the driver from the Chemin de fer
to the Baieau-a-Vapeur. A most fortunate change it
proved. I turn to my note-book and find that the record of
Uiat day's experience is almost blank. It was one of
those days so impressed upon the memory, that no written
reminders are necessary, and it seems at the time that
no after-experience can ever dim the brightness of the
picture. The sky, the air, and the sea were in perfect
accord. So pure was the atmosphere, that the island of
Corsica was seen that day from the French coast, an event
that occurs but few times during the season. The island
'tself is distant about one hundred miles, but the peaks
)f its central mountain range loom up eight thousand feet
above the sea, and are fully one hundred and twenty miles
from the shore of France.
Our little steamer, named after the Prince of Monaco,
carried about thirty passengers, nearly all French or
Italian ; but a gentleman who had a slightly English look,
and seemed as hungry as myself for some one to talk to,
attracted my attention. We accosted each other simul-
taneously and in the same words, " Monsieur, parlez vous
Anglais ? " He proved a most agreeable companion, had
traveled all over America, sketching its scenery from the
Thousand Isles to the Rocky mountains. His pencil was
28 ^ GRAND PANORAMA.
busy today, and I envied him the wonderful facility of
transferring to paper by a few rapid touches, the charming
views spread out before us.
We coasted along from one headland to another, where
the spurs of the Alpine range push their bold rocky
promontories far out to sea, enclosing within their pro-
tecting arms many beautiful towns and villages, some
close to the shore, bathing their feet in the silvery waves,
some stretching up the mountain side like flocks of sheep ;
here the ruins of some old church or castle crowning the
summit of a sea-washed cliff, there a series of marble
palaces or painted villas, surrounded by vineyards and
groves of orange and lemon trees. We passed the towns
of Mentone, San-Remo, and Ventimille, then the little
village of Bordighera, its church surrounded by palm
trees. For many centuries, this village had the monopoly
of furnishing palm branches to Rome for the holy week,
but to me it was far more interesting as the opening scene
of that charming novel, " Dr. Antonio." The famous
Corniche Road winds along the shore, following all the
indentations of the coast, sometimes on a level witli the
sea, then climbing up the mountain side, a narrow shelf,
cut from the solid rock. The railway, a modern institu-
tion, runs close to the shore, and we see a train of cars,
but the next moment it disappears in the base of a cliff,
then emerging from the tunnel, it leaps across the valley
on a stone arched bridge.
Such was the grand panorama which nature and art
united to unfold the sea in front, the Alps behind, and
overhead the splendors of an Italian sky.
We reached Genoa after dark, and were lodged in the
palace of one of her old merchant princes, now trans-
formed into a modern hotel. The next day we visited
two or three " Palazzios," as many old churches, and the
LEGHORN. PISA. NAPLES. 29
Campo Santo ; the latter, tenanted only by the dead, was
by far the most interesting. Of course our cicerone must
show us the statue and the old manuscripts of Christopher
Columbus. I could only think of Mark Twain's oft re-
peated question, " Is he dead ?"
From Genoa down the Italian coast to Leghorn, famous
for its straw braids, and to Pisa, where every tourist must
climb the winding stone steps to lean over the parapet of
the Leaning Tower, thence to Naples to do Vesuvius,
Pompeii, Sorrento, and the blue caves of Capri. The bay
of Naples is very charming ; the lazaroni, eating long
strings of maccaroni, are picturesque in red caps and rags,
but the Neapolitans are proverbially great liars. Every
year about this time, they spread abroad the report that
old Vesuvius is groaning and smoking frightfully sure
premonitions of a grand " blow out." I had heard as far
away as London, that a great eruption was daily looked
for, and that already the sky at night was red with flames
from the crater, and I expected, of course, to see the
molten lava pouring down the sides of the mountain. But
there was nothing of the kind on exhibition. Arriving at
night, the only lights were the city lamps and the stars
overhead. Not a groan could be heard from the old vol-
cano, and the next day one could sec only a light whiff of
smoke, puffed from his old pipe-bowl. The performance
was well advertised, but the principal actor did not put
in an appearance. Hundreds of strangers are attracted
here watching and waiting. They crowd the hotels, liber-
ally fee the beggars, buy corals and relics of Pompeii,
make business lively, and the Neapolitans are gay and
happy.
The steamers leaving Naples for Alexandria, pass the
second day through the narrow strait that separates the
island of Sicily from the main land, and stop for a few
30 MESSINA. A WONDERFUL RELIC.
hours at the quaint old Sicilian city of Messina. We go
on shore to mail our last letter for Europe. The cit]
presents a very imposing appearance from the harbor. II
is crescent-shaped, and the hills in the background rise ii
the form of an amphitheatre, covered with vineyards am
orange groves. The houses are built of white limestone,
and the principal streets paved with square blocks of lava.
The postal arrangements of this city of one himdra
and fifty thousand inhabitants, are not very extensiv<
They consist of a window opening into the street, whei
the people stand to enquire for letters or buy stamps, an<
a hole in the wall to drop letters in. We go from th<
post-office to the old Cathedral, dating back to the twelfth
century, to get a sight, if possible, of a wonderful relic
which all Messinians are supposed to believe authentic.
It is no less than an autograph letter written by the Yirgii
Mary, in which she promises her special care . and protec
tion to the inhabitants, and to make the matter doubl;
sure, she sends a lock of her own hair by the person
entrusted with this letter. You may be certain we did not
see these remarkable relics ; cither the priests could not
understand our imperfect Italian, or suspected from oui
dress and language that we were Anylese, infidel heretics.
The market, however, did not disappoint us. Such splen-
did oranges, four for a penny ! Two shillings bought
basketful, and the boat that took us back to the steamei
was loaded down with the golden fruit. Passing out of
the Straits of Messina, we saw on the Italian shore a small
white monument, erected on the spot where Garibaldi
landed with a handful of men and inaugurated a revolu-
tion that drove the tyrannical Bourbon from the throne
of Naples. Far away to the right, near the center of the
island, we could just discern the peak of ^Etna, nearly
eleven thousand feet above the level of the sea.
THE PASSENGERS ON THE SIC ILIA. 31
The distance from Messina to Alexandria is eight hun-
dred and fifty miles, usually taking the steamer four
days. The direct course would be fifty miles westward
of Crete, or Candia, whose unwelcome acquaintance we
were destined to make. Our steamer, the " Sicilia," was
a staunch, Clyde-built iron vessel of about eight hundred
tons, belonging to the Italian " Rubatinno " line, and
its officers had the reputation of being skillful seamen, as
well as courteous gentlemen. My experience on a steamer
of this line three years ago, from Bombay to Suez, had
been very favorable. When we left the straits on Monday
afternoon, the weather was rough and the wind blew hard
from the south-west. We had a pleasant lot of passen-
gers, only eight in number, all English but myself. They
comprised an artist and his wife (the only lady on board)
for Egypt, four Englishmen bound for India, one of them,
a clergyman, having in charge a young man of eighteen,
a kind, good-hearted fellow, full of fun, but as irrepressible
as a young bear. The butt of many a joke, he soon became
a general favorite, and within two days was familiarly
called "Tom" by us all. A young English merchant
bound for Bagdad, and myself, completed the list.
On Tuesday the gale increased, but as yet causing no
anxiety. Tom's appetite was ravenous, and he would
smoke his mcershaum on deck, when it was blowing a
gale. His call to the waiters, anchore da fyaro, mean-
ing more figs, made our good naturcd captain roar
with laughter. The first two days he was popping away
with his revolver at the sea-gulls and Mother Carey's
chickens, until stopped by a protest from the superstitious
Italian sailors. On Wednesday night the gale was at its
height, and for a few hours it blew a hurricane. We were
then off Crete, and the wind was blowing us directly upon
a lee shore. For twenty-four hours it had been too rough
32 THE HURRICANE AND THE LEE SHORE.
to do much cooking on board, or to set the table for a
regular meal. The little steamer pitched and rolled
awfully, and all that night we sat propped up by cushions
and pillows on the cabin floor ; chairs, satchels, and per-
sonal luggage scattered about in the wildest confusion.
The engineer was instructed to put on full head of steam,
and the vessel shook and quivered as if she were a living
creature straining every nerve to save herself from destru<
tion. A slight break in the machinery, and no humai
power could have prevented our being dashed to pieces
on that rocky coast, which St. Paul found so inhospitable
eighteen centuries ago. A hundred life-preservers woul<
have been useless, and no boat could have lived for
moment in such a sea. Once in a while, some one of us
would crawl up the companion-way, and try to peep out-
side, but none of us could stand on deck. The artisl
cheerful and sanguine of temperament, would always com<
back with some encouraging word. But once, when th<
gale was at its height, he came silently back, and, sitting
down beside his wife (a brave lady she was), took her
hands in his, while she rested her head upon his shoulder.
Then I knew the crisis had come. That last half hour of
the unfortunates on the " Yille du Havre " came vividly to
my mind, and I wished Egypt, the Nile, and the Khedive,
all at the bottom of the Red Sea with Pharaoh and his
hosts.
We were then trying to bear up against the gale, and
get around the north point of Crete, so .as to gain a shelter
behind the island. If we could only hold on an hour or two
longer it could be done. The captain afterwards said that
for two hours his hair stood on end. Just at this time, the
irrepressible Tom said he was awful hungry, and called
out to the steward to bring him some bread and cheese.
The idea seemed so ludicrous that it acted as a relief to
ARRIVAL AT ALEXANDRIA. 33
our intense mental anxiety. The good ship did hold on,
and before daylight we had weathered the point of land,
and reached smoother water. Our captain came down, all
dripping* in his oil cloth suit, and fairly danced as he said
in Italian (his English failing him at the moment,) that
we were safe. No interpreter Avas needed, but we all
crowded around him and gave him bravos more hearty
than ever greeted his countryman, Mario, on the stage.
On Thursday we ran down along the cast coast of Crete,
its high rocky cliffs protecting us from the fury of the
gale. The next two days were exceedingly rough, but
nothing in comparison to what we had passed through,
and on Saturday we reached Alexandria, where we heard
of many disasters from the storm.
As we left the steamer for the wharf in a boat rowed by
half-naked Arabs, we gave three hearty English cheers for
the " Sicilia " and her officers, who were waving their
caps to us from her deck, and shouting their addios.
3
CHAPTER II.
ALEXANDRIA TO CAIRO.
Scenes in Alexandria Temper's Pillar and Cleopatra's Needles Ai
Apology Up the Nile Ships of the Desert Well Sweeps and Water
Wheels Civilization in Egypt Cairo Unchanged A Princess' Mavri;u
.and Splendid Futes The Story of the Bride How a Slave Girl hccai
a Princess Our Consul General in Egypt The Sahara Exploratic
.Party already Started A Disappointment Sir Samuel Baker's Expedi
tion not a Success Dissatisfaction of the Egyptian Government Color
Gordon Change of Proirnrmmc To Bagdad and Persia instead of Cci
tral Africa.
LEXANDRIA, founded more
than two thousand years ago
by the great Conqueror, is a
mixture of the Oriental and
the European, w li c r c
Parisian hats struggle wit]
Moslem turbans for predomi-
nance. Nowhere else upoi
the globe can such a mcdlej
of costumes and nationalities
be seen as in these streets.
To one landing here from the
* North, the sights are mucl
more novel and exciting thai
to the traveler who has seen the real Orient. The popu-
lation of all the large cities on the south shore of th<
Mediterranean may be described as mixed, but here it is
especially so. You meet an Englishman just landed froi
the steamer, who with great effort tries to maintain hi;
.natural air of disdain and nonchalance ; then a full-riggc<
SCENES IN ALEXANDRIA. POMPETS PILLAR. 35
Turk, whose sang froid is seemingly unruffled by the
saucy glances of the wearer of that stunning Parisian bon-
net ; all surrounded by crowds of Arabs, Nubians, Greeks,
Maltese, Jews, and Europeans.
After a struggle with the donkey boys, amid a din com-
pared with which a crowd of New York hackmen is a
heaven of repose, our Sicilian party are mounted on full-
grown donkeys, perhaps three and a half feet high, and I
act as cicerone to show them the sights. Leaving the
European quarter, we thread the narrow, tinpaved, filthy
streets outside the wall, through a gate guarded by Egyp-
tian soldiers, fat, lazy-looking fellows, in zouave uniform
and carrying the improved breech-loading Remington rifle,
then past a neglected, unenclosed cemetery, where the
crowded headstones are each surmounted by a marble
i urban or fez, to the top of a plateau perhaps one hundred
feet above the sea, upon which stands a solitary pillar of
red polished granite. Its height, including the pedestal,
shaft, and capital, is ninety-eight feet. Its diameter at
the base is ten feet, tapering slightly towards the top, and
is surmounted by an elaborate capital, upon which it is
supposed there was once a statue. Savans do not agree as
to its age and origin, some maintaining that it was erected
by a Roman prefect of Egypt in the second century, others
that it is the only one left of a long colonnade that formed
the front of a temple, dating back thousands of years
before the Christian era. We were at once surrounded by
begging children in scanty raiment, crying, Howadji,
Baksheesh! The copper coinage of Egypt runs fortun-
ately into very small denominations, and a half-franc's
worth of copper was dealt out sparingly among the crowd,
but the more we gave, the more the crowd increased, and
they came pouring from the adjacent hovels in such num-
bers, that we whipped up our donkeys and beat a retreat.
3(3 CLEOPATRA'S NEEDLES. SHIPS OF THE DESERT.
Then to Cleopatra's Needles in the suburbs near the
shore, two obelisks of red granite, about seventy feet high
and covered with hieroglyphics, one still erect, the other
lying ignobly on the ground and half covered with rubbish.
They go back one thousand four hundred and ninety-
five years before Christ, and are genuine antiques. I am
sorry to say that it was quite impossible for me to keep my
promise about carrying home a package of these needles
for distribution as souvenirs among my lady friends. My
trunk was rather small, and besides at the rate one had to
pay for all luggage above sixty pounds weight, my funds
would have run short.
Having done the sights of Alexandria, we prepared to
leave the city which Napoleon once said would yet be the
capital of the world. But the first Napoleon, though a
great military genius, was no prophet, and his " Republi-
can or Cossack" prediction about Europe is in a very slow
way towards fulfilment. As the seat of learning, and home
of literature and philosophy, its greatness passed away
with the smoke of its seven hundred thousand volumes
burned by the Caliph Omar. It now depends upon the
northern barbarians, whether it shall again become a
great city as the stepping-stone between Europe and India.
Our way up the Nile to Cairo, one hundred and thirty
miles, was by rail. How incongruous a railway seems to
all one's surroundings in the East ! The camel, that
" noble ship of the desert," is the only means of convey-
ance which seems in perfect harmony with the sccix
about us. Slow, patient, plodding, swaying to and fo-
under his heavy load, carrying within his water supplj
for days together, his large, flat, spongy feet adapted fc
travel over the yielding sand if not originally created ii
his present type, how many ages upon ages it must hav<
required to perfect these qualities by u natural selection."
UP THE DELTA OF THE NILE.
37
We speed across the Delta, through the fruitful fields
along the Nile, where the half-naked fellaheen, or peas-
ants, are at work, some plowing with sharp-pointed sticks
EGYPTIAN PEASANT PLOWING.
drawn by bullocks, others raising water from the river for
irrigation by the most primitive machinery sometimes a
straw bucket swung between two men dipping the water
from one level to the next, then a series of old-fashioned
well-sweeps. A little further on we see the oxen plodding
round and round, turning the rude Egyptian water-wheel,
to the rim of which earthen jars are tied, the germ which
western brains have elaborated into magnificent grain ele-
vaters, past mud villages built upon the ruins of towns
that have occupied the same sites for thousands of years.
Such is modern Egypt, the same cloudless sky and ever
flowing river, the same coffee-colored, slender-limbed peo-
ple, as patient under the yoke of the Moslem as of the
Pharaohs.
From our western stand-point, the Egyptians seem miser-
38 CIVILIZATION IN EGYPT.
ably ground down and unhappy. But I question whether
that idea is correct. They are better off than were their
ancestors, slaves of the Pharaohs ; better fed to-day than
the people of British India, where starvation and famine
will this year destroy thousands, and as for clothing, that
is a matter entirely conventional. In this climate ven
little is required. They gather around us at the station
chattering like magpies, and seemingly more happy an<
contented than the peasantry of Europe. It is that sort
careless happiness, enjoying only to-day, without ambition
and regardless of to-morrow, once a characteristic of th
negro population of the South, but now said to be fas
fading out under the stimulus of a personal responsibility
and a higher standard of life. But it is happiness, nevei
theless, which will probably disappear when Egypt sh{
have a republican government and universal suffrage.
I notice that the engineer of our train is a European, and
we are whirled along fully twenty-five miles an hour, past
more collections of mud huts, through long stretches of
meadows made amazingly fertile by the sun-quickening
slime which the river leaves behind after its annual rise,
richer by far than bone-dust or guano ; past fat cattl(
browsing in rich pastures, like Pharaoh's fat kinc, ii
striking contrast to the lean, ragged peasants at worl
in the fields ; past rows of graceful palms, shooting u]
like so many obelisks, behind which we catch a glimpse
one of the Viceroy's many palaces. Ten miles away acrot
the sandy plains on our right, we discern the three grej
pyramids of Ghizah, and now the tall minarets of tin
capital of Egypt are before us.
We arrive at Cairo promptly on time, and I find myseli
in my old quarters at Shepherd's Hotel. The door of nr
room opens on a garden where a fountain is playing amic
tropical palms and banyan trees. In front of the hotel ai
CAIRO. A ROYAL ENTERTAINMENT. 39
the same sharp gamins of donkey boys, the same curious
and fascinating sights in streets and bazars. Why should
I expect any change ? Three years or three thousand are
all the same to Egypt.
I am very fortunate to reach Cairo just in time for the
closing scenes of the great fetes given by the Viceroy on
occasion of the marriage of his daughter. The illumina-
tions and fireworks for the past two nights have been very
grand. The flags of the Khedive, a crescent and star on
a red ground, are flying everywhere. Miles of streets and
bazars are made brilliant at night, by all that European
ingenuity can contrive in the way of pyrotechnic display.
Last night, upon the grand square in front of the palace ,
there were six immense tents, gorgeously decorated with
flags and lit with hundreds of gas jets from crystal chan-
deliers. In each tent was a band of music, and a high
officer of the Khedive stood near the entrance to welcome
every comer, high or low, in the name of his master.
Coffee, cigars, and cigarettes were freely distributed to all,
by servants wearing the royal livery. It was a display of
u Oriental magnificence " and hospitality quite regardless
of expense. An immense crowd of people were there from
all ranks of society, but everything was quiet and orderly.
Xo wines or liquors formed a part of the entertainment.
These are never used by a true Mussulman, unless lie has
become demoralized by contact with Christian nations of
the west. When I returned to my hotel it was nearly
midnight, but the streets were as quiet and perhaps more
safe than those of New York.
The story of the bride, who is said to be very beautiful,
reads like one from the u Thousand and One Nights."
She was born a slave of Circassian parentage, and when
but three years old, was adopted as a daughter by the
third wife of the Viceroy. General Loring told me that
40
HOW A SLAVE BECAME A PRINCESS.
he had often seen her before she was twelve years old,
with the other children of the Khedive in an open box at
the opera. At that age, in accordance with the Turkish
custom, she was veiled and entered the harem, her face
no more to be seen of men, except members of her own
family, and by her husband after the marriage ceremony.
The groom is a young prince of the Mohamet AH family,
and so the little slave girl has become a princess. Tc
" point the moral and adorn the tale," I ought to add that
the princess is as good as she is beautiful.
THE WIFE OF A PASHA.
Upon reaching Cairo, my first inquiry of Mr. Beardsley,
American Consul General to Egypt, who fills that position
with credit both to himself and the country he repre-
sents, was in regard to the Rohlfs expedition. I found
GERARD ROIILFS AXD SIR SAMUEL BAKER. 4^
to my great disappointment that it had started some
weeks before, and was already far away on the desert.
It had been fitted out with great liberality by the Egyp-
tian government. One hundred camels, ninety guards
and servants, provisions, tents, galvanized iron tanks
containing sixteen gallons of water each, and every prac-
tical requisite for scientific exploration as well as for com-
fort and safety, had been provided. The objective point
of the expedition was a large oasis called Kufrah, sup-
posed to lie in the very heart of the great Libyan desert,
which the adventurous explorers are confident is no myth,
but is large, fertile, and well watered, and contains a nu-
merous population, who have had no connection with the
outside world for many generations.
It it no secret among the Americans in Egypt, that the
Khedive was very much dissatisfied with the results of
Sir Samuel Baker's expedition into Central Africa, from
which he returned last year, with such a flourish of trum-
pets, announcing that he had suppressed the slave trade
and added immense territories to the dominion of the en-
terprising ruler of Egypt. His instructions were to con-
ciliate by kind treatment and liberal presents, the warlike
tribes, and open up a country supposed to abound in ivory,
to civilisation and commerce, with a view, by controlling
the chiefs, to stop their constant internecine warfare, and
thereby dry up the source of the inhuman traffic in slaves.
But that famous traveler, instead of pursuing a concil-
iatory course, defeated the interior Africans in several
hard fights, where, of course, the repeating rifle was more
than a match for clubs and spears. At last when he
could penetrate no farther on account of the overwhelming
numbers that opposed him, he returned down the Nile,
having accomplished nothing of importance in the way of
42
A CHANGE Or PROGRAMME.
geographical discovery, and leaving the tribes behind him
greatly exasperated against the Egyptian government.
A new expedition into the upper Nile region is now be-
ing organized by the Khedive, which will be under the
command of Col. Gordon, an Englishman who won a
reputation for gallantry and nerve while serving under
the American General Ward, in suppressing the great
Tai-Ping rebellion in China. Through the influence of
my friend * in Egypt I could have joined this expedition
under Col. Gordon, and it was no small temptation, to be
connected, perhaps, with the solution of that great geo-
graphical problem, the sources of the Nile. But the cer-
tainty of having to spend at least two years among the
pestilential swamps in the heart of Africa, was too much
for one who has no ambition to meet the fate of Dr. Liv-
ingstone.
Among the passengers on board the " Sicilia " from Naples
to Alexandria was an English merchant, a member of the
firm of Lynch, Bros. & Co., who was on his way to visit
their branch houses in Turkish Arabia. Our acquaintance
was cemented into a warm friendship by the events ol
that memorable night on the Mediterranean, when w
momentarily expected to be driven on to the island of
Candia. An urgent invitation to accompany him to Bag-
dad was at that time declined, but now it was renewed so
earnestly, that after some hesitation I assented to this
change of programme. The vista of ancient Babylon,
Nineveh and the " Land of the Arabian Nights " opened
before me more attractive by far, than the saiidy desert of
Sahara, or the wilds of Central Africa. The English
steamer, bound for the Persian Gulf, has already sailed
from London for Port Said, the entrance to the canal on
the Mediterranean, and we shall join her at Suez for our
long voyage down the Red Sea, up the Indian ocean and
the Persian Gulf, to the mouth of the Euphrates.
CHAPTER III.
SCENES IN CAIRO.
Church Bells do not make a Sabbath Dragomen Scenes in Front of the
Hotel Peddlers and Mountebanks " Me very good Juggler" Donkeys
and Donkey Boys A " Donk " with an Illustrious Name The Fez
The Bazaars Sprinkling Machines The " Liyht of the Harem" Old
Abraham comes to Grief The Story Teller Citadel The Mamaluke's
Leap Mosque of Mohamet Ali Island of Khoda Moses in the Bul-
rushes The Kilometer Joseph's Granaries The Egyptian Museum
Shoobra Gardens A Mahometan's Paradise Ileliopolis, the "City of
the Sun" The Virgin's Sycamore Tree Dancing Dervishes Whirling
into High Seats in Paradise.
^^~-~^_ \ HE sound of a sweet toned
^jP*5^ bell woke me early this morn-
ing, and for a moment it
! seemed that I must be once
jr~ more in a Christian land ; but
a glance from my window
across the little garden by
the side of the hotel, showed
the sun rising over the domes
and minarets of the capital
of Egypt, and in the streets
below were long lines of
camels, crowds of swarthy
Egyptians all wearing the
universal red fez cap, and innumerable donkeys half buried
under enormous burdens of fresh cut grass. A sonorous
bray from one of these would for the moment drown all
other sounds, even the chatter and clamor of their mas-
44 SCNS LV CAIRO.
ters, which is incessant except during the hours of dark-
ness. I now fully realize that I am not in America, nor
in any other civilized land, and that the sound of the bell
does not bring with it the Christian Sabbath. Opening the
door I clap my hands, and a native servant appears with a
tray on which are cafe-au-lait, eggs and bread. The regu-
lar breakfast is not served until twelve o'clock. Around
the porch of the hotel, which faces a large and handsome
square, is a scene full of amusement and novelty to the
stranger. But before I can reach the door, I am assailed
by a crowd of gaily-dressed dragomen and guides, all most
anxious to serve me, each provided with a handful of tes-
timonials in various European languages. But I have
learned by experience that this class are almost univer-
sally a set of thieves and swindlers, preying upon strangers,
and their exactions are only limited by the ignorance or
weakness of those who may fall into their hands. It is a
Levantine proverb that the three nuisances of the East, are
plague, fire, and dragomen. So for the present I decline
their urgent offers of service, and stand at the door watch-
ing the curious scene. Here are a dozen peddlers of antique
relics from the pyramids (probably bogus), canes, bright
silk scarfs and turbans; another enterprising dealer has a
basket full of young alligators or crocodiles, about a foot
long, and holding up one of these charming productions of
the Nile urges me to buy it u only one franc, sar." On
the opposite side of the street a mountebank is swallowing
swords and snakes, surrounded by an admiring crowd of
donkey boys, cab-drivers, and " hangers-on." As a Euro-
pean passes by, he airs perhaps his whole stock of English
" Me very good Juggler look, see ! " Dogs without
number fill every vacant space, their snarling and barking
now and then varied, when a vigorous kick sends them
yelping away. A private carriage drawn by a pair of hand-
DONKEYS AND DONKEY BOYS.
45
some Arabian horses drives rapidly by, and in front of the
horses run two Nubians with long white rods, screaming
to the people to get out of the way.
But a new face is descried by the donkey boys and they
go for me at once. These boys and donkeys together form
an institution without which Cairo would lose half its
attractions. The latter are generally fat and tough, and
endowed with all the laziness and obstinacy of their race.
The large soft saddles are covered with red morocco, and
the trappings are flashy and ornamented with cowrie shells,
The stirrup straps are not fastened to the saddle, but
A CAIRO INSTITUTION.
merely pass over it, and unless the boy holds the opposite one,
in mounting or dismounting, you come down with a run.
The fall, however, can never be much, although somewhat
awkward to the stranger with so large a crowd of lookers-
46 THE NATIONALITY OF A STOVE-PIPE HAT.
on. The donkey boys, generally abou-t half-grown, are Hie
keenest little gamins I ever saw, and for antic drollery
have no equals. One steps up to me, pulls his forelock
with one hand and gives a corresponding kick behind,
accidentally hits another boy in the region of the stomach,
and with a grin of humor on his dirty face says : " Take
ride, sah ? Mine splendid donkey. Name Prince" then
catching an English word I uttered, he quickly adds, "of
Wales. Prince of Wales, sah " if I had uttered a
French word the name would have been " Prince Napo-
leon." Others behind him taking the cue call out, " Aline
Billy Button," "Tom Jones," " Waterloo," " Duke Wel-
lington," etc But one bright-eyed little urchin (was he
so much brighter than the rest ?) calls out " Mine Berry
good donkey Yankee Doodle" " General Grant." That
last shot told, and I followed the boy to take my first ride
on the " donk " with so illustrious a name.
Before I had been long in Cairo, I discovered that it
would be a matter of economy as well as comfort to invest
in a fez. My friends at home will understand that to
wear a fez in the East, does not necessarily make one a
Turk ; but it will save by about one-half what you have
to pay in the bazaars, as it implies that you are not a stranger
to be taken in. English travelers are everywhere the least
inclined to adopt the costume or language of a foreign
country, and are made to pay accordingly. The French
and Italians have that happy facility of identifying them-
selves with the people wherever they may be, which in the
East lias very much increased their popularity and in-
fluence. Here the nationality of a stove-pipe hat is recog-
nized on sight. In order to see and understand the
peculiar customs and life of a strange people, one should
drop that haughty air of disdain and superiority, and so
far as is consistent with propriety and comfort, mix with
TRAVELING UNDER DIFFICULTIES. 47
the people in a dress that will not attract the special
attention of every one he meets.
The bazaars of Cairo are only surpassed by those of
Damascus and Constantinople in the extent, richness, and
variety of the thousand-and-one articles of Oriental manu-
facture ; and can best be seen on foot and donkey. The
streets are so narrow and crooked that the older part of
the city resembles a huge honey-comb. The upper stories
project over the one next below, and the front is usually
of lattice-work, which enables the bright-eyed damsels to
watcli all that passes in the street without being seen
themselves. There are no sidewalks or pavement, but the
streets are cool and moist, the high, projecting buildings
shutting out the heat of the sun, and in many places,
canvas or boards completely roof in the narrow space at
the top, and form an arcade. Troops of hungry dogs do
duty as scavengers and keep the streets in tolerable sani-
tary condition. The only sprinkling machine known here
is the same generally used in the East a water-carrier
witli a goat-skin slung across his shoulders.
My donkey-boy followed up the " General," making his
presence known by frequent whacks over the flanks of the
poor beast, and emphasizing them with epithets rather
rough and emphatic, than complimentary to his pedigree.
The " donk " from instinct or long experience seemed to
know when the blow was coming, and would make a sud-
den spurt to avoid it, which threatened -the rider with
being dropped off behind. The bazaars swarm with people.
Men and women, donkeys, camels, and oxen, bearing heavy
loads, are inextricably mingled, every one in the way of
others, with no rule of turning out to the right or the left,
all shouting, screaming, pulling and whacking the beasts,
with most ludicrous appeals to the Prophet. It now re-
quires a sharp lookout, not so much for fear of running
48
THE BAZAARS OF CAIRO.
over some one for the foot passengers have a miraculous
way of escaping danger as to avoid coming to grief by
being wedged in between a camel laden with stone or
wood, and the projecting panniers of a mule filled with
vegetables or boxes of merchandise. Regardless of the
hubbub and confusion of the street, you can see the tur-
baned merchant sitting cross-legged on a mat in front of
his little seven by nine shop, smoking his chibouk and si]
ping his coffee with true Mussulman coolness and gravity
Turning into a by-street, I slipped off the " General," am
leaving him in charge of the boy, I found a standing plac<
on the corner to watch the passers by. As I wore the fc:
I attracted no special notice, and a grim old Turk mad<
room for me on the board in front of his shop. Her
comes a woman out shopping, an occupation of which th<
fair sex are as fond in Cairo as in New York, followed In
a eunuch, black as Erebus, with an armful of parcel;
THE MAMELUKE'S LEAP. 49
She may be the " light of the harem," or her grand-
mother, for aught I can tell, as she is wrapped in the
universal white cotton winding sheet, and her face is hid-
den behind a brown figured gauze veil. She does not
vouchsafe to shoot u an eyelash arrow from an eyebrow
bo\v " in this direction, so 1 presume she is old and ugly.
\. xt comes the very personification of the "Father of
the Faithful," with long, white beard, a massive, wrinkled
face, and Oriental dress, identical with that worn by the
old patriarch. He rides an easy going mule, and seems
absorbed in holy meditation. But at the intersection of
a narrow side street, he comes in contact with a mettled
Arab, ridden by a young fellow at a sharp canter, and over
goes old Abraham sprawling in the dust. This occurrence
is not so unusual as to cause any excitement, and it is
only the stranger who laughs at the catastrophe. lie
picks himself up, remounts, his mule more astonished,
perhaps, than his rider, and jogs on again, as if nothing
had happened. Near by is a barber shop, where, if I
understood Arabic, I could hear the latest Caireen scandal,
and in the cafe over the way, a story-teller is sur-
rounded by a crowd of eager listeners, as in the times
of the Caliphs and the " Arabian nights." For half an hour
I watched the passing throng, and longed for the pencil of
a Hogarth or a Nast to fix on paper the comical scenes.
Then with the donkey boy and the " General," I take a
quieter route toward the Citadel, which is located on a
high bluff overlooking the whole city and its environs.
The glistening domes and minarets of the four hundred
mosques of which Cairo. boasts, are at our feet; to the east
are seen the obelisk of Heliopolis and the tombs of the
Mamelukes ; on the west and south, are the ruins of old
Cairo, the grand aqueduct, the island arid groves of Rhoda ;
while further on across the Nile are the pyramids of Ghi-
50 THE MOSQUE OF MOHAMET ALT.
zah and Sakharra, and beyond these lies the great Libys
desert. Close by is the famous " Mameluke's leap," whei
fifty years ago that bloody old tyrant, Mohamet Ali, lu
ing enticed these unruly chiefs into the Citadel, shut tl
gates and slaughtered them all but one, Emil Bey, wh
dashed his horse over the low parapet, and down the face
of the wall, forty feet, escaping with his life, although hi:
horse was killed. As I looked over the Avail down t]
steep precipice, this feat seemed a most daring one, an
the escape almost miraculous. The tombs of the Maim
hikes are magnificent monuments of these descendants
Circassian girls, torn from their mountain homes by rut!
less slave-dealers. But their sons lived to rule with in
hand, the offspring of those who wrought their mothei
shame, and, as bold warriors, twice to hurl back the Tartai
from Europe, under the fierce Tamerlane.
In the center of the citadel is the mosque of Mohamet
Ali, the finest in Egypt, and second only to that of St
Sophia at Constantinople. At the entrance, an old pri<
takes me in charge and points to my boots, which I under-
stand to mean, " Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for
the place whereon thou standest is holy ground." I give
him a franc, and he brings a pair of large, loose slippers
which he ties on over my boots. Shade of the prophet !
how degenerate have we become in these latter days ! An
unbelieving dog of a Frank enters the holy precincts willi
his boots on ! A circular marble colonnade encloses tli
large courtyard into which we first come. In the cent<
is a fountain of marble, elegantly carved, where the faith
ful, having left their slippers outside, wash their fee
before entering the sacred mosque to perform their dev<
tions.
Standing beneath the grand dome, which is of beaul
.fully-stained glass, the walls and pillars of variegate
____.
MAHOMETAN ARCHITECTURE. 53
marble, and hundreds of lamps and chandeliers of fine
crystal overhead, the effect was most impressive. A u dim
religious light," in strong contrast with the noonday glare
without, pervaded the interior. The marble floor was
covered with Persian carpets, on which a crowd of wor-
shipers were kneeling, all facing toward Mecca, and mut-
tering prayers, while at regular intervals they reverently
bumped their foreheads on the ground. Some of their
glanced scowlingly at me, but I knew the old priest, iu
view of the expected baksheesh, would not let me come to
grief. In one corner, protected by a screen of gilt lattice-
work, is the tomb of the builder of the mosque, Mohamet
Ali. In the midst of all this magnificence, where marble
and gold, crystal and precious stones have been lavished
without stint, I was surprised at hearing the twittering of
hundreds of sparrows, who seemed quite at home in the
cool and quiet interior of the mosque. They were flying
all around under the dome, .and their chirping could be
heard above the murmuring of the faithful, kneeling on
the floor below. How much more acceptable to the Al-
mighty were their voices of praise, than the mummery of
the ignorant and superstitious crowd beneath !
This mosque, upon which immense sums of money have
been spent, with its stained glass and somewhat gaudy
decorations, bears little resemblance to those beautiful
temples erected by the Moslem conquerors of India. There
the lightness and elegance of Saracenic architecture, have
united with most wonderful skill in carving the pure white
marble ; and the " Pearl Mosques " of Agra and Delhi
seem infinitely superior in beauty and simplicity, to this
tawdry specimen of the Mahometan architecture of the
present age.
During our ten day's stay in Cairo we visited many
places and objects of interest. One fine cool morning we
54 A MAHOMETAN'S PARADISE.
crossed in a boat to the island of Rhoda, where the Khedive
has a palace in the midst of a beautiful garden fragrant
with orange blossoms. Here, according to tradition, the
infant Moses was launched among the bulrushes and found
by Pharaoh's daughter. While musing on the strange
scenes which this old river had witnessed, the lines of Di
Holmes occurred to me, in which lie comically inquir
the whereabouts of the good, far-gone days of childho<
with their brightness and freshness :
" Where, oh, where are life's lilies and roses,
Bathed in the golden dawn's smile?
Dead as the bulrushes 'round little Moses,
On the old banks of the Kile."
Here on the Island of Rhoda is the famed Nilometcr, a
slender stone pillar in the centre of a well, graduated with
cubits one of the most ancient relics of a remote age.
Herodotus mentions that the measurement of the river's
rise and fall, thereby to calculate the probable extent
the harvest, constituted a part of the priestcraft of t]
Pharaohs.
Returning to the main shore, we visited Boulac, a porti<
of the city which contains an immense government foui
dry and a museum of Egyptian antiquities. In tlii
neighborhood, we had been told, were the granaries
Joseph the first great speculator in wheat of whom
have any record but we were unable to find them, and
am inclined to think them a myth.
We also visited the Shoobra gardens and palace, bavin
first obtained a government order through our Consu
The drive to this famous place is through a splendid av<
nue four miles long, shaded by very large and old syct
more trees. Here in the center of a beautiful garden was
the favorite palace of old Mohamet Ali. Sparkling foun-
HELIOPOLISTIIE CITY OF THE SUN. 55
tains, marble kiosks, elegant furniture, divans embroidered
with gold and covered with the richest brocade, decora-
tions of finest alabaster nothing had been spared to make
this an earthly paradise. The present Viceroy rarely
comes here, but keeps up the place in honor of his grand-
father, whose memory is held in great respect. Mohamet
Ali, whose portraits hang on the walls and appear in
several places among the frescoes, is represented as a
grizzly old Turk, with an immense white beard, in Orien-
tal turban and costume, surrounded by the ladies of his
harem as beautiful as the houris of a Mahometan's para-
dise. He was crafty and ambitious, but a daring and
energetic ruler. He massacred the Mamelukes in cold
blood because they stood in the way of his ambitious
schemes. Having made himself master of Egypt and
Syria, he would have won Constantinople and perhaps
have established there a strong government, had not the
English interfered to save the present effete dynasty.
It is a pleasant drive of six miles from Cairo to Helio-
polis, the "City of the Sun." In old times, when Joseph
ruled in Egypt, this was a place of much importance. It
was called "On," and here Joseph lived and took the
priest's daughter for a wife. All that now remains of the
ancient city is a sinde red granite obelisk seventy feet
high, covered with hieroglyphics. It was erected four
thousand years ago, and successive inundations of the
Kile have raised the surface of the ground twenty-five feet
above its base perhaps even much more, as it was usual
to place these structures on high mounds. Near the site
of this ancient city is the old sycamore tree, under whose
branches, many centuries afterward, Joseph and Mary, as
they journeyed to Egypt with their little boy, sat down and
drank from a cool spring, the water of which instantly
changed from salt and bitter, to the pure sweet fountain
56 THE DANCING DER V1SIILS.
which it remains to this day. Of course this is perfectly
authentic. To doubt or question the genuineness of the old
world's traditions and relics, would not only deprive these
OBELISK OF HELIOPOLIS.
places of half their interest, but dispel those pleasai
illusions so attractive to the visitor.
In the center of Old Cairo is a mosque and college of
dancing dervishes or fakeers, and every Friday, they hold
a seance. We reached the place after threading a laby-
rinth of crooked streets, and were ushered into a room in
a building adjoining the mosque, where several other par-
ties of foreigners were assembled. We were offered scats
on the divan extending round the room, and a servant
brought tiny cups of coffee of fine flavor, but thick and
sweet as syrup. Then came chibouks, and cigarrettes for
the ladies. After a half-hour's delay we were shown into
WHIRLING L\TO PARADISE. 57
tlic mosque, where the performance came off. A circular
space about forty feet in diameter and smoothly floored, was
enclosed in a low railing, outside of which were the specta-
tors, and in a small gallery seats were provided for us as
specially invited guests. In the gallery opposite was the
orchestra, consisting of eight instruments like clarionets,
and four small drums. Twelve dervishes then marched
into the arena and ranged themselves around the inner
space, after bowing to each other and to their superior or
head priest, who wore a green robe and turban, indicating
that he had made the pilgrimage to Mecca. All but the
head fakeer wore tall, steeple-shaped felt hats, without any
brim, short jackets and long white robes tied about the
waist. Their faces looked pale and emaciated with fasting.
One of them went into the musicians' gallery, and read
from the Koran for about twenty minutes in a drawling,
sing-song tone, while his brethereii knelt on the floor below,
frequently bowing their heads to the ground. The music
Uicn struck up and the performers rose from their knees
and marched several times round the arena. The head
dervish, who seemed to be held in special reverence, stood
on a mat by himself, and each one in passing him stopped
*o make a low salaam, and then turned round and salaamed
the one next behind. Then the music became gradually
more lively, and one after another threw up their hands
and began to whirl. Faster and faster they whirled, their
arms now extended at right angles, and with eyes closed
in a sort of dreamy ecstasy, then spun round like tops,
their gowns spreading out with the rotary motion to the
size of most extravagant crinoline. I timed them with
my watch and found that seventy times a minute was the
maximum speed. They kept up this performance for
about an hour with occasional intervals of rest, when they
would suddenly stop, fold their arms over their breasts,
58
DERVISHES VS. SHAKERS.
and march slowly around the arena, apparently made no
more dizzy by their gyrations than the ball-room belle who
lias been " taking a turn " to the music of Strauss. At
last the orchestra ceased playing and the stance was ended.
When the performers, having put on their outside robes, qui-
etly left the building, the true believers bowed very low
they made room for them to pass. They evidently coi
sidered them very holy men who would whirl themselves
into the highest seats in paradise.
This performance comes off every week, and crowds ol
Mahometans, as well as nearly all the foreign visitors ii
Cairo, go to see it. It is a free exhibition no tickets
being taken at the door nor is any contribution box passec
round. The dervishes are all Turks, and their complexion,
pale from fasting and abstinence, is so much lighter thai
that of the native Egyptians, that they seem to us as white
as Europeans. This curious sect is of modern origin, am
Mohamet AH brought them from Constantinople to Cairo,
more than fifty years ago. Nothing in civilized lands re-
sembles their performances so much as the whirling of the
Shakers.
CHAPTER IV.
MEMPHIS AND THE PYRAMIDS.
El Kahcrah The Nile Ancient Knowledge of the Egyptians Lost Arts
Visit to Memphis and Sakharra An Early Start Rival Boatmen Sand
Storm in the Desert The City of the Pharaohs Temple of Apis Ma-
riette Bey Cemetery of the Sacred Bulls Lunch among the " Old Mas-
ters" An "Antique" Factory Typhoons ft Sea and Siroccos on Land
Pyramids of Ghizah A Left-handed Regiment Fertility of the Soil
Old Cheops Up we go Sunrise from the Summit The Heart of the
Great Pyramid The King's Chamber The Sphynx A Nubian Type
of Beauty No Immortality from Piles of Stone.
T is written that El Kahe-
rah," which the Europeans
have metamorphosed into
Cairo, was founded by a
general appointed by Ali,
the husband of Mahomet's
fair daughter Eatima ; but
the present city was not built
until some centuries later,
for Egypt is quite a mush-
room of a town, only some
nine hundred years old.
But it was built on the
ruins of much older cities,
near the site of the earliest temple-palaces of the Pharaohs ;
and, after Constantinople, is the oldest Mahometan city
in the world.
The Nile, the most mysterious of all rivers, flows on the
same from age to age, its greasy, muddy, turbid waters
60 ANCIENT KNOWLEDGE OF THE EGYPTIANS.
the source of fruitfulness in a land that without them
would speedily become a desert. Unchanged they have
rolled on since the touching story of Joseph and his
brethren was enacted on their banks, since Pharaoh's
daughter bathed in the turbid stream, since the Israelite*
slaved along the shores, and many centuries later thcj
bore the gorgeous galleys of the voluptuous Cleopatra.
Egypt was for ages the storehouse of knowledge, an<
the art of magic is still studied in the land, where of- ol<
the potentates, who united the kingship and priesth<
in one person, called in its aid in humbugging the masse*
of the people. We are taught that the early race of men
was originally endowed with miraculous powers, the knowl-
edge of which lingered for centuries among the Chaldeans.
They were skilled, perhaps, in those wondrous sciences,
such as mesmerism and clairvoyance, of which the work
is just now beginning to regain the knowledge. If thes<
are among the " lost arts," it is not surprising that thcj
represented magic to the people in that early age ; for even
now, with all the science and skill of modern civilization,
they are almost a scaled book. We read in the Bible that
Moses was skilled in all the knowledge of the Egyptians.
What was this knowledge, known only to the wily priest-
hood to which all the Pharaohs belonged, and into which
the adopted son of Pharaoh's daughter was doubtless initi-
ated ? The story of Moses leading God's chosen people
through the desert toward the promised land, discloses
some of his skill in controlling the masses, who were prob-
ably quite as ignorant as the Egyptians among whom they
had delved as slaves.
Having exhausted the sights of Cairo, except the ba-
zaars, which one never tires of visiting, we arranged for a
trip to Memphis and the pyramids of Sakharra. To
accomplish this in one day required an early start, and
EXCURSION TO MEMPHIS AND SAKUARRA. \
soon after the sun was up, "\ve found ourselves on the banks
of the Nile, looking for transportation across its rapid
muddy current. The floating bridge had been rendered
impassable by some accident, and we could only cross by
boat. The struggle among the rival boatmen as to who
should ta-ke us over was exciting. Being only passengers,
my friend and I stepped back out of the crowd of shouting,
screaming, scolding Arabs, and let them settle the matter
in their own way. Any attempt to touch us or our effects,
was instantly resented with a rap from our rattans, for
although we did not understand Arabic, the logic of a stick
is well understood everywhere in the East. The shaking
of fists and gesticulations were numerous, but we knew
they were " mere sound and fury signifying nothing." At
last the din and hubbub ceased, and we stepped quietly
into (he boat of the victorious party, and were quickly set
across the river. At the railway station on the west side,
we took the train to Budershain, twelve miles up the river.
There were crowds of filthy Arabs swarming over the
third-class cars, and so much delay in starting on account
of the broken bridge, that we did not arrive there until
ten o'clock. "We hired donkeys at the station to go to the
site of Memphis, five miles distant. Before starting, we
noticed that the sun was clouded in, and to me it seemed
that a rain storm was coming up. But it very rarely rains
in Egypt, and to one familiar with the climate the signs
indicated something infinitely worse a sand storm. We
had not reached a mile from the station when it came
down upon us with great fury. The force of the wind was
terrific, and the flying sand seemed to cut the skin like a
knife. In a minute we were blinded in spite of the green
goggles we wore, and the sand penetrated eyes, nose, ears,
and mouth. We were in a desert of sand, and the air was
so full of the fine cloud that we could not see ten feet be-
Q2 THE CITY OF THE PHARAOHS.
fore us. We turned our backs to the gale, and the howl-
ing of the wind and the braying of the donkeys, made such
music as I never heard before, and hope never to hear
again. I had read of caravans being overwhelmed and
burled in the sands, but could never before realize the
horrors of such a catastrophe. I took \fa& puggree off my
hat and tied it over my face for a veil, and holding on to
our " donks " for dear life, we took refuge under the Ice of
of a sand hill until a gust had passed. It lasted about
twenty minutes, and left the sand drifted in places like
snow. As soon as the storm lulled, we pushed forward to
a collection of mud huts where once stood the great city
of Memphis, the proud capital of ancient Egypt the city
from which Pharaoh is supposed to have led forth the
chivalry of the land, in pursuit of the hosts of Israel on
their march for freedom. A beautiful forest of palms
overs a portion of the site, a noble burial place even for
such a city. Its circumference, according to ancient
writers, was over seventeen miles, and the ruins of its
famous temples are now covered by the sand of the desert
and the alluvial deposits of the river. Excavations have
been made in various places, and the ground is littered
with broken statues of granite and marble. One colossal
figure lies prone upon the ground, supposed to be the
statue of Scsostris. The expression upon the upturned
face is of quiet, benignant repose, or of pensive sorrow;
in harmony with the desolate aspect of the whole place.
It represents a once powerful king and ruler, prostrate
amid the ruins of his capital. A crowd of Arabs sur-
rounded us, screaming for baksheesh^ and they scram-
bled and quarreled for the few copper coins AVC threw
them, like a pack of half-starred dogs.
After a short rest we again started over the plain for
the pyramids of Sakharra, four miles distant, but before
THE FRENCH SAVAXT, MARIETTE BEY. gg
reaching them we were overtaken by another sand-storm,
fiercer, if possible, than the first. Luckily, it came from
behind, and we fled before the blast which nearly took
our poor donkeys off their feet. These pyramids are older
and much more dilapidated than those of Ghizah, near
Cairo. Before these crumbling mounds are the Sarapeum,
or Temple of Apis, and the tombs in which the sacred
bulls are buried. These have lately been discovered, anc 1 .
are among the most interesting monuments of Egypt. An
enterprising Frenchman, Marietta Bey, has spent several
years and a large sum of money, in bringing to light these
wonderful relics of antiquity. We took refuge from the
storm, in a small building erected for his residence while
superintending these excavations, where we found an ol-l
Sheik, who claimed authority over this part of the desert
which simply means the privilege of levying blackmail on
oil visitors. We paid the fee, and with a young Arab for a
guide, commenced our explorations. The surface of the
country for miles in every direction is a desert, and the
sand-drift has covered many feet deep these ancient re-
mains. It is probable that once this barren waste was as
fertile as any part of the Nile valley, but a change in the
bed of the river, and the gradual encroachment of the
desert has made it what it now is.
We descend by a sloping path to the entrance, and
lighting our candles, find ourselves in a long rock-hewn
gallery, which formed the cemetery for the bulls that were
worshiped in the adjoining temple of Apis. Opening from
this gallery like side chapels, are twenty-four recesses cut
out of the limestone rock, and in each of these is an im-
mense sarcophagus, formed from a single piece of black
porphyry. They are of uniform shape and size, about
sixteen feet long, eight feet wide, and about nine feet in
height. The outside is covered with hieroglyphics, with
(JJ. CEMETERY OF THE SACRED BULLS.
edges as clean-cut and fresh as if just finished. On two
or three the figures are only traced, as if the work had
been abruptly stopped. They are polished outside and in,
smooth as glass, and the heavy lids of most of them have
been pushed off a lew feet, so that we can see the interior.
They are now all empty, the sacred bulls they once con-
tained having long ago crumbled to dust. With the assist-
ance of my companions, I let myself down into one am
examined the interior. The space inside was large enough
to contain a mammoth ox, the surface was beautifully pol-
ished, and the side, when struck by the hand, gave out
clear, bell-like sound. It seemed strange and almost ludi-
crous thus to stand, candle in hand, within the stone coffin
of a sacred bull! "These be thy gods, Egypt!
Strange that a people so advanced in the arts and sciences,
so distinguished for wisdom, who have left behind ruins
that are still the admiration of the world, should have re-
ligious ideas so low as to worship four-footed beasts, birds,
and creeping reptiles ! What an immense amount of
money, time, and labor have been expended to excavate
these long galleries, to bring these huge blocks of porphyry
many hundred miles, to carve and polish them with almost
miraculous skill, and then to fit each one in a niche to
become the coffin of a bull. And this was done, too, by
a people without labor-saving machinery, who knew noth-
ing of the use of iron tools for I believe no iron instru-
ment of any kind has been found in Egypt. The tools
they used were of an alloy of copper and tin, but hard
and pliant as steel. How to make it so, is one of the
" lost arts," which all the machinery and boasted knowl-
edge of Birmingham or Sheffield, cannot now accomplish.
W^e afterwards visited the temple near by, and wandered
through several rooms which have but lately been recov-
ered from the sand. They are lined with white marble or
A LUNCH AMONG THE OLD MASTERS. 65
cement, and upon the walls and ceilings are paintings as
bright in colors and fresh-looking as if executed only yes-
terday.
In one of these rooms, seated on the sand, and sur-
rounded by the works of the "old masters" (probably
4,000 years old), we took our frugal lunch, and drank
English ale to the memory of the quaint old fellows whose
pictures stared at us from the walls then tossed the-
bones to their descendants, a crowd of hungry Bedouins,
who eagerly picked up every scrap.
Outside we found a lot of Arabs employed in unrolling
mummies, thousands of which are buried in a pit near
the temple. Great piles of skulls, crumbling bones, and
scraps of mummy cloth were scattered around. We se-
cured here some genuine relics and antiques, old as the
Pharaohs. Most of the so-called antiques sold in Cairo,
especially the scarabei, or sacred beetles, are made, as 1
am told, at the factory of an -enterprising Yankee or
Englishman named Smith, in Assouan, at the foot of the
first cataract of the Nile.
Having spent three hours at Sakharra, we started on
our return. Our intention had been to cross the desert
from here to Ghizah, but the weather made such an expe-
dition dangerous, if not impossible. At intervals all day,
the fierce sirocco would break on us, and we caught two
more before we could reach the station at Budershain. I
have had a little experience of typhoons at sea, and I would
much rather face the cyclone of the Pacific, with a good
ship under me, than the sirocco of the Sahara desert, where
sand instead of water is the moving element, mounted on
a miserable little half-starved donkey.
The great pyramids of Ghizah are situated at the edge
of the desert on the opposite side of the river, and about
six miles distant from Cairo. To see the sun rise from
(JJ FROM CAIRO TO TIIZ GREAT PYRAMID.
the summit of Cheops, is well worth the effort required to
ensure an early start. There is a fine smooth carriage
road all the way. Having crossed the Nile by the new
iron bridge, we drive for three miles through a beautiful
avenue of acacia trees, past a large palace of the Viceroy,
and long barracks around which soldiers arc lounging-
fat, saucy-looking fellows, who look better fed and clothe*
and more happy than the miserable laborers from whoi
they are conscripted. In former times, to save a son fron
being forced into the Pasha's army, it was not an unusus
thing for a parent to put out the right eye of his child, 01
cut off the first joint of the forefinger of his right hand.
But this mutilation was stopped when the Pasha formed
regiment of left-handed men, which proved quite as efficient
as the rest of the army which is not saying much. Th<
last three miles of the road, is on a dyke or embankment
which saves it from overflow by the river. The date-palms
which we see scattered over the plain are now in blossom,
and produce the finest dates in the world. We meet hui
dreds of donkeys and camels plodding slowly along towards
the city, bearing immense loads of vegetables and fresh cul
grass. On either side of the road are fields of grain, maize,
clover and lentils, growing most luxuriantly from a soil
rich that it actually looks greasy. It is entirely an allu-
vial deposit from the Nile, and on it the crops spring u]
very swiftly, having a peculiarly bright green appearance,
and are very tender to the touch from their rapid growth.
Two crops of grain, sometimes three, and of grass and
vegetables usually four crops, are taken from the same soil
every year.
For a long time the pyramids were right before us, and
so deceptive is their appearance under the cloudless sky,
with no other object upon the vast plain with which to
compare them, that they seemed actually to grow smaller
A HARD CLIMB TO TILE TOP. QJ
as we approached. We drove to the very foot of the great
pyramid of Cheops, and ou.r carriage was at once sur-
rounded by a crowd of Arabs. We drove them all away
and demanded to see the Sheik, who lives here and pro-
fesses to control these wild children of the desert. We
told him to select for each of us, two good men from the
expectant crowd, and commenced at once the ascent. Fig-
ures can convey but an inadequate idea of the immensity
of this vast pile. It is four hundred and eighty feet high;
higher than the tallest spire in Europe ; two hundred feet
taller than Trinity Church steeple. The base is seven
hundred and sixty-four feet on each side, and it covers an
area of twelve acres. To build a causeway to carry the
stone from the Nile, would require one hundred thousand
men for ten years, and to build the monument, three hun-
dred and sixty thousand men for twenty years. The diffi-
culty of climbing the pyramid is not so much from the
steepness of the ascent, as the great size of the blocks of
stone composing each layer. An Arab taking hold of each
hand, lifts us up from one layer to the next, and it is a suc-
cession of steps about three feet high, with a space of one
or two feet to stand upon. When about a third of the way
up we stopped to rest, and another Arab popped out from
behind a stone and urged us to engage his services, lie
explained by pantomime how useful he could be in pushing
us up behind. Boys carrying small earthem bottles of
water followed us up, knowing that we should be thirsty
enough to give them a few piasters for a drink, before we
reached the top. Our Arabs wore no clothing but a white
cotton shirt, and kept up a constant chattering like so
many black-birds. To spring from block to block and pull
us up after them, did not seem to tire them in the least.
On the summit is a space about twenty-five feet square, the
apex as well as the casing of the pyramids, having been
68
VIEW FROM THE SUMMIT OF CUE OPS.
removed by the Caliphs, for constructing mosques and pala-
ces at Cairo. We reached the top just in time to see the
sun rise above the horizon of the great ocean desert, and
spread out before us, was one of the finest panoramas in
ii
i
CLIMBING THE GREAT PYRAMID.
the world. Tlie dryness and purity of the air in Egypt
enables one to discern objects at a great distance.
We could see the Nile winding its way through a carpet
of verdure, on which are many scattered villages the ci f y
of Cairo with its domes, minarets, and palaces glittering
in the morning sun and beyond all, the white shining
sands of the desert.
The Arabs pointed out the autograph on stone of the
Prince of Wales (very badly cut), and offered us hammer
and chisel, but we declined the cheap immortality of
enrolling our names so high up on tablets of stone, along
with those of Jones, Smith, and Robinson, which cover
THE HEART OF THE GREAT PYRAMID. gQ
nearly every inch of the space. To descend was more
difficult and dangerous than to climb up, for it requires
steady nerves to look off from such a dizzy height, stand-
ing upon a shelf scarcely a foot in width. But our faithful
Arabs never let go of our hands for a moment, until we
reached terra firma, where a liberal baksheesh made them
dance around us like so many wild Indians. " Yankee
Doodle, good, good," was the style of their returning
thanks. This title seems to denote high rank in Egypt,
and is used as an especial compliment to all Americans.
Resting on the huge blocks of stone on the shady side,
ve took our lunch and indulged in a fragrant chibouk,
before entering the long, narrow, dark passages that lead
to the heart of (he great pvramid. After climbing several
inclines and sliding down others, with barely room to
stand upright, we reached the king's chamber, where our
tapers made little impression on darkness so intense that
it could almost be felt. This apartment is lined with
polished granite, and is thirty-four feet long, eighteen
broad, and about twenty in length. In the center stands
a red granite sarcophagus, in which King Cheops was
buried, ages before the time of Moses. The air here was
HO stifling that we did not tarry long, and were glad to
escape into the open air once more. The second and
third pyramids arc somewhat less in size than that of
Cheops ; and the six others comparatively small. In front
of the great pyramid and facing the river is the Sphinx.
This most fantastic animal, has ever been looked upon as
one of the greatest wonders of Egypt. A colossal female
head rises above the sand, attached to the body of a
lioness, about which excavations have been made so as to
show its form hewn from the solid rock. The features
have the thick lips and high cheek bones of the Nubian,
which was the type of beauty to the ancient Egyptians.
70 XO IMMORTALITY FROM PILES OF STONE.
The circumference of the head measures over one hundred
feet. Time and ill-usage have made sad havoc with the
monstrous face, but there is a placid beauty about its
features, an abstracted expression, resembling that of the
large Buddhist idols of Japan and India. The conception
is a grand one, and well calculated to inspire with terror
the weak minds of its worshipers.
As we ride back to Cairo we turn around to gaze upon
these marvelous structures, and are lost in amazement at
the immense amount of labor expended for no practical
utility. If their sole object was to perpetuate the names
of the builders Pharaohs, kings, and priests whatever
their titles may have been, how futile the attempt at
immortality, for the names of the builders have in most
cases passed away.
"Proud monuments of kings, whose very names
Have perished from the records of the past."
CHAPTER Y.
CAIRO TO TORT SAID.
An Unexpected Delay An Old Pasha on his Travels Many Wives bring
Manv Cares A Nubian Eunuch Egyptian Railways The Sweet-watej
Canal Zag-a-Zig A Showy old Turk An Amusing Skirmish Sand-
ed Up in the Desert Arabs and Arabic Ismailia, the Deserted Village
" Water is Gold " Ferdinand de Lesseps " Have a Shine, Sir? " Steam-
ing on the Canal A Possible Explosion Port Said, the " Silver Gate to
the Orient " A " California " Town that knows no Sabbath The Arab
Juggler Performs the Egg Trick.
HE steamer upon which we
were to embark at Suez hav-
ing been unexpectedly de-
layed in London, and being
advised that we should have
two weeks time on our hands,
we at once determined to
make a short trip to Jeru-
salem and back, via Port
Said and Jaffa.
Our route was from Cairo
to Ismailia, one hundred
miles, by rail, thence by the
Suez Canal to Port Said.
'BAKSHEESH!!!
At the station, while waiting for our train, I witnessed a
scene characteristic of Turkish married life outside the
harem. A venerable looking old gentleman, whose rich
dress and number of attendants indicated wealth and
position, was about to take a journey by rail accompanied
by two of his wives. An inner waiting room is provided at
THE EUNUCH RECEIVES HIS ORDERS.
the station for Turkish ladies, and it was not until the
train was nearly ready to start that he made his appear-
ance, and walked across the platform to the compartment
reserved for his party, followed by the two closely veiled
ladies. They were dressed in loose, baggy white gowns,
their faces so completely covered that not even an eye
could be seen. A eunuch, black as Erebus, walked beside
each, and hurried them into the train, then quickly pulled
up the blinds. Perhaps they were young and handsome
as the " light of the harem," or they may have been old
and ugly, which is quite as probable. The servants put into
the compartment several large bundles which seemed to be
silk and satin dresses, tied up in white cloth. Ladies in
the East never use Saratoga trunks when traveling. The
head eunuch was a large, finely proportioned Nubian, over
six feet high, with a bright intelligent face. He was
dressed in European costume, all but the fez. His feet
were encased in patent leather boots, and altogether lie
was got up in most nobby
style. He ordered the cop-
per-colored Arab servants
about, with a grand air, and
while he stood by the door
receiving the pasha's last
orders, he glanced rather su-
perciliously at the pale-faced
strangers. As his master's
confidential servant, major-
domo, or head guard of the
harem, I could imagine the
orders given him to look
sharp after the ladies left
behind, and especially to
keep an eye on that black-
THE EUNUCH.
E G YP T1A N RA IL WA YS. 7 3
.eyed young Circassian girl, " Lulu," who was quite too fond
of going shopping in the bazaars, and gadding around
while her lord and master was away. The train started,
the eunuch strutted off, and I saw him driven away in
the elegant carriage that had brought the pasha and his
wives to the station.
This railway, like all others in Egypt, is owned by the
Khedive and managed by government officials. It is
smooth and well equipped, the cars and locomotives being
of French manufacture. We left Cairo at nine in the
morning, and our course for the first hour was down the
Nile valley, then branching off to the east we followed
the line of the Sweet-water canal, originally built by the
Pharaohs to connect the Nile with the Red Sea at Suez.
In the lapse of ages it became filled up by the desert sands,
but was re-opened a few years ago as far as Ismailia, to
supply water to that new u city of the desert," situated on
Lake Timsah, now the central station of the great Suez
canal, and half way between the Mediterranean and the
Red Sea.
We reached a station called Zag-a-Zig about noon, and
were at once assailed by the half naked beggars, who with
arms extended, loudly called for " baksheesh! baksheesh!"
Here we were to change cars, and waited for two hours
to take the train from Alexandria to Suez via Ismailia.
The station house is large and well built, and includes
a hotel kept by a Frenchman, who provided us a very
good dinner. The native guards and railway officials arc
generally very civil and attentive, especially to the first
class passengers, who are mostly Europeans. They all
speak French as well as Arabic, but few can understand
a word of English. As I strolled along the platform,
which was crowded with people of almost every nationality
and condition of life, I was attracted by the gay costume
74 ^- v AMUSIXG SKIRMISH.
of an old grcy-bcardcd Turkish officer, with bright turban,
loose blue trousers, and cashmere shawl tied around his
waist, in which was stuck a pair of handsome silver
mounted pistols. lie wore an elegant sword, scimiter-
shaped, in a silver scabbard, and was what the English
would call a " great swell " among the humble fillahs,
or Egyptian peasants, around him. Nothing daunted by
his formidable appearance, I saluted him courteously, and
by pantomime expressed my admiration of his armament,
which so gratified him that he unbuckled his scimiter for
me to examine. Though silver mounted and very hand-
some, I found it exceedingly dull and even rusty. The
pistols were old fashioned flint-locks, without any flints ;
and upon a close examination I could see that his whole
"get up" was more for show than use. With my little
" Smith & Wesson" and a good stout club, I should have
been more than a match for him in close quarters.
At a station a few miles further on, an amusing scene
occurred. Near by is an encampment of perhaps a thou-
sand Egyptian soldiers. They wear a neat, white undress
uniform, are of fair size, and look well fed and serviceable.
Their arms are breech-loading rifles of modern pattern.
The officers arc dressed in dark blue frock coats and red
trousers, and all officers and men wear the red fez cap.
As soon as the train stops the soldiers make a rush for the
cars, and clamber over them in every direction. The
officers, armed with rattans, beat them back with solid
whacks, laid on with a will. No one seems to take oiTense,
and they run like a flock of sheep. To submit thus to
blows, shows a want of manliness and spirit, characteristic
>of the modern Egyptian. It would never be submitted to
by the soldiers of any civilized nation. Even in India a
blow from an officer would fire the blood of the lowest
Sepoy, and result either in immediate vengeance, or in
A RAILWAY TRAIN SAX BED UP. 75
the suicide of the poor fellow, whose self-respect would be
forever lost by such an insult.
Leaving the " skirmish " in full blast, the signs of veg-
etation rapidly diminished, until the green trees and
narrow strip of fertile soil which line the track of the re-
opened canal on our right, were the only relief to the eye.
All else is a sandy desert, broken up into ridges by the
wind, and in appearance not unlike the alkali plains of the
Htimboldt Valley. We had now a new experience in rail-
way travel. Our speed diminished and about four o'clock
we came to a stand-still. A fierce gale was blowing from
the northwest, and the fine sand drifted by the wind had
covered the rails, stopped the train, and we were sanded up.
I have a vivid recollection of being snowed up many
years ago, between Dunkirk and Buffalo, but this was
quite a different sensation. Alighting from the train to
view the situation, we were soon glad to again take refuge
in the cars and tightly close all the windows and blinds, as
the sand driven by the fierce sirocco, penetrated our cloth-
ing and blinded our eyes, while the howling of the natives
engaged in clearing the track, filled our ears with dis-
cordant din. Of all the languages I have ever heard
among heathens or Christians, I think Arabic deserves the
distinction of requiring the most words to express the
fewest thoughts. The Arabs are a most voluble race, and
whether at work or play I will match their tongues against
three times the number of any other people on the earth.
A stranger would think a frightful combat was imminent,
but they rarely come to blows, their excited jabbering
being but empty sound signifying nothing. After a long
delay the train started on, but soon again came to a stand-
still. We at last reached Ismailia, several hours behind
time, with no other damage than could be repaired by a
bath and a thorough shaking of our well sanded garments.
ISMAIL I A, A DESERTED CITY.
Ismailia, named after the Khedive of Egypt, was four
years ago a town of great expectations. Its short history
is the counterpart of many a promising city along the line
of the great railways of America. Its pleasant situatu
upon the shore of Lake Timsah, and its central positioi
being midway between Port Said and Suez, seemed to iiu
cate that it would rapidly become a place of important
When I was here three years ago, it was very flourishiuj
and boasted a population of over five thousand. Specul
tion in corner lots was rife, and new buildings, not vei
substantial, to be sure, but good enough for a climate lil
Egypt, were pushing back upon the desert sands behind the
town. It had a large and elegantly furnished hotel, sevei
handsome residences surrounded by gardens, and a publi
square, and wide streets planted with shade trees, ne*
which along the gutters, trickled a stream of pure fresl
water.
That tf water is gold" is as true in Egypt as in India,
where the proverb originated. Its magic effect in convert-
ing a desert into a garden, is shown by the Mormons in
Salt Lake City. Behind the town and between it and the
desert, is a wide sweeping double crescent of trees growing
newly out of the sand, but fresh and green from a channel
of water running near their roots. AVhcn fully grown
these trees will protect the town from the encroachment
of sand swept in before the fierce winds from the desert.
This sand, which looks so hopeless and useless as an cle-
ment of fertility, is not pure silica, but a mixture of calca-
reous loam and sand, needing only the addition of fresh
water to form a rich and fertile soil. The desert of Suez,
which stretches for ninety miles from the Nile to the Red
Sea, was doubtless once well watered and fertile, and ci
tivated like a garden. That it has now become a howlin
wilderness, is accounted for by some depression of the Nil
FEE D IN AND DE L ESSEPS. 7 7
)cd, or change in its course, by which its eastern outlets
>;ivc become closed. As it never rains in this country, cut
>ff the supply of water and it would all turn to a desert.
Take away the Nile from Egypt, and the whole land would
become a mere counterpart of the desert of Suez.
But the Ismailia of to-day is in sad contrast with its
bright promise of three years ago. As we remained here
until the next day, we had an opportunity to stroll through
the largest deserted village I ever saw. Not one in
twenty of the buildings seem occupied, and the few that
show signs of habitation are mostly saloons where the
occupants are playing cards or billiards. Only about one
thousand people are left, who seem too poor to get away.
Tbe fine hotel is closed, its elegant furniture having been
removed to a much smaller house, where we found no other
guest but ourselves.
The grand palace built by the Viceroy of Egypt to
entertain the Empress of France, the Prince of Wales, and
other royal personages, is dilapidated, the windows broken,
and the court-yard half filled with drifted sand.
The administration of the canal has its central offices
here, and the elegant residence of Ferdinand de Lesseps,
surrounded by a grove of semi-tropical trees, seemed like
an oasis in the desert. He is still the head of canal affairs,
and though nearly seventy years old, has all the energy
and activity of mind and body that enabled him to over-
come the most disheartening difficulties, and complete one
of the greatest engineering works of the nineteenth cen-
tury. It will remain a grander monument to his memory
than any of marble or bronze.
AVe saw him ride past in a basket phaeton with his young
wife and three children, the largest not over five years old.
This is the only wheeled vehicle left in the town, and was
the only sign of life in the streets, except a few disconso-
78
A NEW YORK INSTITUTION IN EG YPT.
late-looking donkey boys and a boot black, perhaps 11
identical young yamin who hailed me here three year;
before, when Ismailia was- in its glory, with the question
in pantomime, " Have a shine, Sir ?"
This bright little Arab boy, who looked as if he mighi,
have slept the night before in a dry goods box in Am
street or the Bowery, was in waiting at the hotel door wit
"Black your boots?" "have a shine, Sir?" in pantomii
as plain as if spoken in English. Of course I went in
a " shine." The whole double-handed performance, con-
cluding with a sharp rap on the box, was so completely a la
STEAMER ON THE SUEZ CANAL. 79
Vew York, that I am sure it never originated in this out
.f the way corner of Asia and Africa, but was introduced
W some enterprising New York gamin, probably at the
jreat celebration when the canal was opened. Perhaps,
,ike the wandering Jew, he is still on his travels, and
future explorers may trace this "march of civilization"
imong the little "pigtails" of Canton and Pekin.
The immense pumping works erected by the canal
company to supply water to the town of Port Said, forty-
TWO miles distant, are located in Ismailia, and well repaid
pur visit. The engines are of French manufacture, very
jpowerful, and as elegantly finished as any machinery I
lever saw. While inspecting these works we had the good
fortune to meet M. de Lesseps, the " Fondateur " of the
canal, as he is called, who very kindly showed us around
the works and explained many interesting details in the
administration of the canal.
Late in the afternoon we embarked on a little stcam-
boat not over thirty feet long, with a high-pressure engine
that whizzed like one of our steamers in full play at a fire,
suggesting the possibility of our being at any moment
scattered in small pieces over the banks of the canal and
into the desert beyond. We preferred to spend the five
hours required for the trip to Port Said on deck, as far aft
as possible, prepared to jump, in case we heard any unusual
noise in the boiler-room of our little craft. Once, by invi-
tation of the captain, to whose kind attentions we had been
specially commended, we descended into the miniature
cabin, but the sound through the thin partition, of the com-
bined engineer and fireman stirring up the coal under the
boiler, convinced us that the deck was a more healthy
place, and better adapted for viewing the canal.
It was late at night when we reached Port Said, where
tho runners from the different hotels pounced on our lug-
80
PORT SAID -THE GATEWAY TO INDIA.
gage in a style peculiar to seaport towns all over the
world. In such cases words are of no account, and the
only persuasive argument is a good stout stick. There
are several hotels, all French, but neither can be recom-
mended as good.
Port Said is a lively town. The population is made
in great part of adventurers from every nation bordcrin
the Mediterranean. The abounding hotels, restaurant
casinos, and the wide, sandy streets, remind one of a IK
town in America. French, Italian, Greek, Arabic, an
Turkish are heard in the streets quite as often as English.
Speculation is rife, and the business of the place increasin
rapidly. Every line of coasting steamers between Ale:
andria and Constantinople touch here, as it has the UK
accessible harbor on the whole southern coast of the Medi
terranean. The sanguine talk of Port Said, as the " Silver |
Gate between the Orient and the Occident," in fifty yeai
to be a modern Venice, the rival of Alexandria. Its liarl
is entirely artificial; formed by t\vo parallel piers rimniii
out from the shore into the open sea a mile and a half I
the longest piers in the world. They are built of artifich
blocks of stone weighing twenty tons each, composed
desert sand and hydraulic cement. Some of these have]
been exposed for over six years to all the fury of the
fiercest gales, without in the least affecting their stability.
This harbor is said to be better than that of Alexandria,
(one hundred and fifty miles west,) and can be safely en-
tered by day or night, at all seasons of the yeai 1 .
The next day was Sunday in western lands ; but this I
can hardly be classed among the Christian cities, and in
Port Said, Sunday is said to be the liveliest day in the
week. The French steamer for Jaffa was to sail at five|
P. M., so we had ample time to look about us. Moored
in the harbor, near the entrance to the canal, were many
A X ARA B JUGGL ER. 81
steamers and ships loading or discharging cargoes. Nearly
all steamers bound through the canal to India, here take
supplies of coal that last as far as Aden, at the foot of the
Red Sea.
On the broad quay a large crowd had collected around
an Arab juggler, who, assisted by a litlle imp of a boy,
was performing the well-known egg trick in a manner de-
cidedly amusing and original. As we stood for a few
minutes on the outside of the throng, laughing at the
novel performance, his quick eye espied us, and the young-
ster dove head foremost through the crowd to present his
cap for baksheesh. In this lie was not disappointed, and
as we turned away we concluded that our liberality would
afford a free show to the crowd for the next half hour.
CHAPTER VI.
TORT SAID TO JERUSALEM.
A Night on the Mediterranean The Americans Fraternize Bishop Ilarr
Jaffa, the Ancient Joppa Noah, Andromeda, The King of Tyre at
the Queen of Sheba, Simon the Tanner, Jonah, and Napoleon '
American Colony and its German Successor Rolla Floyd " Wanted,
Bergh " Jaffa Oranges Ramleh, the Ancient Arimathea Our Lar
lord an Office-seeker An Early Start The Bishop Leads the Van-
Gateway to the Tlain The Inn-keeper, with a "smile so child-like
bland" Weary Pilgrims A Good Old Methodist Hymn Godfrey
Bouillon We Pass the Jaffa Gate.
Sunday evening, we stean
I ed out from the harbor
Port Said, and turning east
ward, directed our cour;
towards Jaffa, 150 mile
distant. More than hal
the passengers were Araeri
cans, among whom wer
several ladies, all bound fc
the "Holy Land." Tli
night was bright and clear,
the sea smooth as glass, and
we sat late on deck relating
our several experiences in
Egypt, and weaving bright fancies of the land of sacred
memories to which we were bound. Americans readily
fraternize when they meet in a foreign land, and the per-
sonel of our party was unusually intelligent and interest-
ing. It included Bishop Harris, of Chicago, whose genial
THE LANDING AT JAFFA. 83
face seemed the mirror of a thoroughly good heart ; Mrs.
B., of California, and two young gentlemen from Mead-
villc, Pa., who had just returned from a trip up the Nile.
At nine o'clock the next morning we were off Jaffa, and
as the sea was quite rough, there was considerable doubt
expressed as to whether we could be landed. Jaffa harbor
has gone to ruin, and steamers are obliged to anchor in
the open roadstead, and in very rough weather it is impos-
sible to land passengers.
Large boats, each manned by eight or ten Arabs, came
alongside, and our thirty passengers ten of whom were
ladies had to be dropped singly, as the boat rose 011 the
waves, into the arms of the native boatmen. The per-
formance was more amusing to the lookers on than to the
actors. Much laughter and some screaming on the part
of our lady friends greeted each successful feat.
Jaffa, the ancient Joppa, rises in the form of an amphi-
theatre, and makes a fine appearance from the sea ; but
the steep, narrow, and crooked streets, reeking with filth,
destroy the pleasing illusion as soon as one lands and at-
tempts to make his way through the town. There are
many interesting traditions associated with this place. At
this port it is said that Noah built his ark. Here Andro-
meda was chained to the rock, and in Pliny's time the
marks of the chain were still visible mythology gets
strangely mixed with Bible history in this country. The
King of Tyre brought to this port the cedars of Lebanon
for Solomon's temple. I think the Queen of Sheba came
this way, but am not quite sure. The house of " Simon
the Tanner " is shown, where Peter had his vision, and
here Jonah embarked, but as the prophet had a " return
ticket," the superstition of the sailors about having a par-
son on board did him no harm. Coming down to modern
times, Jaffa was the scene in 1799 of one of Napoleon's
6
84 THE GERMAN COLONY AT JAFFA.
blackest crimes the murdering of 4,000 Turkish prison-
ers and the poisoning of 500 of his own soldiers, sick oi
the plague, who could not be removed. This last story
though a part of English history, must be taken, like tin
former traditions, with a grain of allowance.
Outside the town, which contains about 5,000 inhabit-
ants, upon high ground commanding a beautiful view
the sea ami the surrounding country, we found an excel-
lent hotel, and a cluster of neat white dwellings occupying
the site of the unfortunate American colony which came
here several years ago from Maine, with the delusive id<
of restoring the prosperity of the Holy Land and rebuild-
ing the temple of Solomon, under the leadership of a reli-
gious enthusiast, who proved to be a bad manager am
quite incompetent to play the role of a Moses.
speedily came to grief, and after suffering many hardshi]
and losses, from sickness and famine, the miserable rem-
nant was sent home at the expense of our government.
Their property was sold to a company of Germans from
Wurtemburg, who have somewhat similar religious ideas,
based, as their pamphlet declares, " upon the sure word of
prophecy.'' They have been here now six years, and ai
very prosperous, numbering sixty families, and with char-
acteristic industry and frugality, they have converted th<
waste land into a garden, with hundreds of acres of orange
and lemon trees. All their property is held in common,
and their spiritual and temporal manager, Pastor Hoff-
mann, is a man of no mean ability. Their proposed " re-
storation of the temple " is understood to be spiritual,
not literal, which makes their prospects of success far
more feasible. Mr. Rolla Floyd, the only one left of the
unfortunate American colony, is favorably known to many
.tourists as the most reliable and accomplished dragoman
FR V JA FFA T JI'.R USA L K M. 85
in Syria, and any party who can secure his services may
consider themselves very fortunate.
After a capital lunch, our party of seven mounted their
horses for the first stage of the forty miles' journey to Je-
rusalem. In this country the hour is a measure of dis-
tance as well as of time, and signifies about three and a
half miles. The Holy City is twelve hours from Jaffa,
usually occupying two days ; the first stage being to Ram-
leh, the ancient Arimathea, four hours distant. We had
no difficulty in selecting good horses from the great num-
ber offered us, and'as the season was yet early, they were
all in good condition. But woe to the poor beasts when
the rush of pilgrims comes a few weeks later. The Arab,
unlike his Hindoo brother, has no idea of mercy to ani-
mals. A u Society for the prevention of cruelty to ani-
mals," with a few efficient agents, would find here a
splendid field for philanthropic effort.
For more than a mile our road was through orange
groves loaded with their golden fruit the largest and
finest that I ever saw. Their branches reached over the
cactus hedges that lined the way, and we could see great
quantities rotting upon the ground, as one sees apples at
home far in the country, where windfalls have no market
value. Jaffa oranges are famous along the Mediterranean
coast, and arc the principal article of export. We pass
hundreds of donkeys and camels laden with panniers of
fruit, and boxes and bales of merchandise bound to Jerusa-
lem. This road was built six years ago by the govern-
ment, and is wide, smooth, and well graded. We see many
gangs of men and women carrying baskets of dirt upon
their heads, employed in repairing the damages to roadway
and culverts caused by the late heavy rains. The road
was constructed to facilitate the traffic between Jaffa and
the interior, but Eastern prejudice prevents its being used
86
TRANSPORTATION IN SYRIA.
by vehicles. It is said that in all Palestine there is not a
wheeled vehicle. Our four hours' ride was very pleasant,
through fertile fields of young grain, and meadows upon
which were grazing thousands of cattle and sheep, attendee
CARAVAN PROM JAFFA TO JERUSALEM.
by Arabs in white turbans and long striped garments
of camels hair. They are squatted on the ground smoking
the inevitable chibouk, while their dogs are watching the
flocks. They salaam to us respectfully as we ride by, and
I can but wonder what ideas they have of the Howadji,
masked behind their long-bearded, solemn faces.
Before dark we reach Ramleh, and finding both the
Russian and the Latin convents nearly full, a portion of
our party take possession of the so-called "hotel," a new
institution now in its second year. Our landlord is a
Dane, and has lost one eye, which defect he conceals with
a pair of green spectacles. He welcomes us in fair
English, and with his wife does all his limited acconi'
RAMLEII, THE ANCIENT ARHTATHEA. gf
modations will permit, to make us comfortable. We order
dinner, and the cackling of chickens at once indicates what
our bill of fare is to be. We sat late over the remains of
our dinner (principally chicken bones) making merry with
many a song, and story, and jest, until suddenly the land-
lord broke in upon our hilarity with the words : " I 'spose
you don't know that I have served eight years in the Ameri-
can navy, and held the rank of Quartermaster ?" Of course
we didn't know it, and he went on to detail the ships he
had served in. We at once warmed up towards a fellow-
countryman, striving to make an honest living in such an
out of the way place. I suggested that he ought to be
appointed "Consul to Ramleh" so as to put his "hotel"
under the protection of the stars and stripes ; and prom-
ised to use all my political influence in his behalf. If pen
and ink had been convenient I would at once have indited
a letter setting forth his claims, to the President of the
United States. He seemed immensely pleased with the
idea, but like a good many other political aspirants he
talked too much, and his next unfortunate remark, that
he left the service in 1861, because he " would not fight
against the South," was a damper, alike on his pros-
pects of office and our sympathy. I was obliged to
withdraw my promise of aid, and told him he had
made the great mistake of his lifetime. Once started,
however, his loquacity was hard to stop, and we were
forced to break in upon his stories and say good night, to
catch what little sleep the wicked fleas would allow us,
in preparation for the hard journey in prospect on the
morrow.
An early start the next morning, while the dew was
yet glistening in the sun, was exhilarating to us all. As
we filed out from Ramleh, we were joined by our fellow
pilgrims, who had been hospitably entertained at the con-
83 THE RASCALLY LANDLORD.
vents. Our Syrian horses were sure footed, intelligent
animals, and their natural pace is either a walk or a gallop.
The impulse to try the latter w r as irresistible. Our Cali-
fornia lady's experience in horseback riding on the Pacific
coast, is now greatly to her advantage in this rough cam-
paign. The portly Bishop soon led the van, and the white
streamers on the ladies' hats were not far behind. Alto-
gether it was a gay cavalcade, with no ' suggestion of the
hardships or perils of an oriental pilgrimage.
Less than four hours brought us to Bab-el-Waud, the
"gateway to the plain," where we stopped to lunch. Here
I must record the only rascally imposition on our whole
trip. The keeper of the wayside inn could only give us
the plainest meal of bread, eggs, a can of sardines, and
coffee, for which he demanded an outrageous price. It is
one of the lessons I have learned, as a traveler, never to
get angry at such trifles as exorbitant hotel bills or
swindling hack drivers. It is far better to put aside, say,
ten per cent, of one's estimate for traveling expenses, as an
u overcharge fund," than to dispute a bill, lose one's tem-
per, and thereby spoil a whole day's enjoyment. So we
paid the bill and quietly told him he was an arrant knave,
swindler, and rascal, adding other epithets equally deroga-
tory to his self-respect. But he only bowed and grinned,
as if we were paying him compliments, and all attempts
to disturb his equanimity signally failed. He understood
our little game, but was more than a match for us. As we
were mounting our horses he brought out a box of cigars,
and with a bow offered one to me as baksheesh. This
was adding insult to injury. I took the cigar and flinging
it over the wall I told the fellow with well-dissembled rage,
that I would accept no baksheesh from such an unmiti-
gated scoundi'el. He bowed again and with a serene smile,
sent a boy to pick up the cigar, and bade us " au revoir."
HORSEBACK RIDE TO JERUSALEM. Q
I felt myself vanquished, and rode away meditating how I
could be even with him when on my return I should again
pass through the " gateway to the plain."
Froin this place to Jerusalem was the hardest part of our
journey. We now begin to ascend the " hills of Judea"
and the road winds around the mountain sides with few
signs of life or cultivation. The grade is nowhere very
heavy, and much engineering skill is displayed in its con-
struction. In some places high walls of rock protect the
roadway alongside of deep ravines. Twice we climbed to
the summits of mountain ranges from which we could see
the Mediterranean, far away to the north. Descending to
a deep valley we cross the brook Kedron, where David
picked up the stone that killed Goliah. A few miles fur-
ther, on a high hill, is the tomb of Samuel. Then we pass
a desolate looking village where St. John was born. Not
far distant is the place where, according to tradition, the
Ark of God remained until taken to Jerusalem by David.
This village was, many years ago, the residence of a re-
nowned bandit, who spread terror through the surrounding
country, until he was captured and executed by the Turk-
ish soldiers.
The sun was uncomfortably warm, and the unwonted
exercise began to tell upon the weaker members of our
party. Silently in single file we climbed one hill after
another, for Jerusalem is two thousand eight hundred feet
above the sea, and some one struck up that old Methodist
hymn,
"Jerusalem my happy home,
Oh, how I long for thee,"
which was sung with a fervor that expressed our true
feelings at the moment. As the last notes died away
among the rocky hills, we reached a summit, when a curve
90
WE PASS THE JAFFA GATE.
in (lie road brought to sight our longed for goal, about
two miles distant.
That splendid painting by Kaulbach, on the walls of the
new museum at Berlin, represents the brave old crusader,
Godfrey de Bouillon, standing on this spot seven hundred
years ago, surrounded by his army :
"Each throws his martial ornaments aside,
The crested helmets with their plumy pride ;
To humble thoughts their lofty hearts they bend,
And down their cheeks the pious tears descend."
But our pilgrims are not sturdy knights, and arc too
weary for sentiment, so after a brief halt we turn our
horses' heads toward the city, and in another half hour
pass through the Jaffa Gate, guarded by Turkish soldiers,
and find comfortable quarters at the Mediterranean Hotel.
CHAPTER VII.
THE HOLY CITY.
Biblical Lore not my Specialty Cleanliness next to Godliness Topo-
graphy of the Holy City The Best of it Under Ground The Holy
Places mostly Pious Frauds The Small Area Within the Walls A
Bird's Eye View Pool of Hezekiah Tower of David Hospital of St.
John The Greek Hospice Church of the Holy Sepulcher The Turkish
Guards The Holy Sepulcher An Affecting Scene The " Center of the
World '' Sword and Spurs of Godfrey de Bouillon Via Dolorosa St.
Veronica The Mosque of Omar Mahometan Traditions " Pillars of
Proof" The Test Not Conclusive The Golden Gate A Relic of the
Mosque.
UR good Bishop said at din-
ner to-day, when I proposed
to refer to him as authority
on some question of Biblical
history : "Ah, sir, you ought
to be as well posted on the
subject as myself." I could
only say in reply that scrip-
tural lore was not my spe-
cialite and I feel my utter
incompetence to describe,
from the religiously senti-
mental point of view, places
and localities which reason
and plain common sense teach me are only " pious frauds,"
invented to excite the religious enthusiasm of ignorant
people. So I trust I shall not be thought irreverent when
I attempt to describe, in a matter-of-fact way, what I saw
92
A CITY VERY HOLY AND VERY FILTHY.
in Jerusalem, as I would the strange scenes in any less
holy city.
If " cleanliness is next to godliness," surely this place
is far away from either. In fact, holiness must, according
to my experience, when applied to sacred cities, be in in-
verse ratio to cleanliness. Rome is bad ; Benares, UK
holy city of the Hindoos, is a degree worse ; Jerusalem
little more so ; and Mecca, by many millions considerei
so holy that no " dog of a Christian " can obtain admit-
tance, must be a paradise of squalor and filth. The theory
of the " rose by any other name," etc., does not hold good,
for odors, not always of " Araby, the blest," are wonder-
fully sweetened by the name and sentimental association
of pious pilgrims. There is the less excuse for Jerusalem,
as it is built on uneven ground, and being surrounded on
three sides by deep ravines, there is every facility for
drainage. One would suppose that the heavy rains, which
are frequent here during the spring, would carry off a por-
tion of the " unpleasantness," but my experience in rainy
weather shows that then the deep mud only becomes the
more sticky, the rough and uneven pavements more dan-
gerously slippery, and the stench almost intolerable.
Literature is very prolific in descriptions of the Hob
Land. It is said that more than two hundred books have
already been written, and the number is increasing every
year. The original city, as it existed in the time of our
Saviour, is admitted by all authorities to be from forty t(
sixty feet beneath the present streets and buildings, sc
that we may say of Jerusalem, as we are wont to do ol
Virginia, that "the best part of it is under ground."
glance at history will show the reason for this. The sam(
generation that witnessed the crucifixion saw Jcrusalcn
utterly destroyed by Titus, after a siege, when, according
to Josephus, over a million were killed, and one hundred
EAST EXD OF SOUTH WALL.
From a photograph by F. Grahai
TOPOGRAPHY OF JERUSALEM. 95
thousand taken prisoners. Of the magnificent temple
not one stone was left above another," the walls were
razed to the ground, and for many years desolation reigned
supreme. Six centuries later it was besieged and cap-
tured by (lie Saracens ; four hundred years after, at the
breaking up of the empire of the brave and chivalric Sal-
adki, it became the prey of the fierce Turks. For nearly
a century it was the scene of a most obstinate and bloody
struggle between the warriors of the Crescent and the
Cross. During these many wars and sieges, its walls and
buildings were repeatedly turned to heaps of rubbish.
Upon this 'accumulated debris, modern Jerusalem is built.
Unlike Cairo, Delhi, and many other Eastern cities, its
original site is unchanged through all these vicissitudes,
for the walls now, as two thousand years ago, are built
along the brink of the deep valleys that bound the city on
the cast, south, and west. Outside the walls, nature has
left clear and distinct landmarks that can never be effaced.
The valley of Jehoshaphat, the brook Kedron, the Hill
of Evil Counsel, and above all the Mount of Olives, are
essentially the same to-day as when described in Holy
Writ. "\Vithin the walls, which are from thirty to forty
feet in height, built mostly by the Crusaders, and fortified
after the style of the Middle Ages by towers and turrets,
there are but two localities in which one can put faith
Mount Zion, and Mount Moriah where the mosque of Omar
now stands upon the site of the temple of Solomon.
The area enclosed by the walls seems to the visitor but
very small, it being but one mile long by about three-fourths
of a mile in width. Nor could it have been much larger at
the time of its greatest prosperity. It is hard to under-
stand how it could possibly have contained so large a popu-
lation as given by Josephus and other historians. Per-
haps oriental hyperbole has magnified these estimates.
96
A BIRD'S EYE VIEW.
The experience of King David in taking a census, was not
encouraging to his successors. The present population is
not far from 20,000, of whom about one-third are Maliomc
tans, and the balance nearly equally divided between Jew*
and Christians of the various sects, the Greek Church pr
dominating. The Turkish Governor, or " Pasha of Jei
salem," is appointed by the Sultan, but must be confirmed,
under a recent arrangement, by the representatives
Constantinople, of the great Christian powers of Europe.
In visiting a strange city it is always a good plan, first
to climb to some high point from which a general view oi
the locality can be had. The " house top " of the Medi-
terranean hotel, situated upon Mt. Zion, is a capital stanc
point, and commands a beautiful view of the whole city
and the surrounding hills. At your feet is the " Pool oJ
Hezekiah," a reservoir perhaps 200 feet square, half full
of muddy water. The Tower of David overlooks this
pool, as in olden time. Before you, but a little to the
left, is the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, which is sup-
posed to cover the site of Calvary. It is difficult to believ<
that this location was the scene of the crucifixion and burial
of our Lord. For if this spot was formerly outside th<
walls, it would diminish the area of the ancient city by al
least one-third. Adjoining it is an open space, where om
stood the splendid hospital of the Knights of St. John.
Directly in front, looking towards the east, is a large
square enclosure, in the center of which is the beautiful
Mosque of Omar, on Mt. Moriah. Beyond, and across th<
valley of Jehoshaphat, rises the Mount of Olives, the sum-
mit crowned by a Turkish mosque, and the Greek " Church
of the Ascension," the sides dotted with olive trees am
Moslem tombs. Around the side of Olivet, to the right,
you can trace the road to Bethany, so often trod by Jesi
aud his disciples. Scattered about within the walls are
THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCIIER. 97
twenty convents and churches of the various Christian
sects, while to the left, on the Jaffa road, is the immense
Greek Hospice, with accommodations for several thousand
pilgrims within its enclosure.
Our first visit is to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher,
the central point of attraction to all devout pilgrims. We
enter from the street a long crooked and steep passage,
pass under a low archway, designed, it is said, to prevent
its desecration by Turks riding in on horseback, to a
square, open court, thronged by sellers of relics consist-
ing of beads, olive wood, and mother-of-pearl crucifixes,
to be carried away by pilgrims to all parts of the world.
The front of the church is not very impressive, though
its doorways and windows are most elaborately carved ; it
shows the marks of time on its crumbling walls. Near
the doors, both outside and within, are Turkish soldiers in
semi-European uniform, and armed with the latest pattern
of breech-loading muskets. They conduct themselves with
a dignity befitting the rulers of the country, and it must
be said to their credit, that neither here nor elsewhere in
Syria has any one ever asked me for baks/teesh, though
I will not go so far as to say that they would not accept
it if offered. It is a mortifying reflection that here, where
the Christian religion had its birth, these Mahometan guards
are required to prevent the rival sects of Christians from
shedding each other's blood, within the walls of the build-
ing held by them as the most sacred on earth.
Just inside the doors is a flat marble slab called the
" stone of unction," on which the Lord's body was anoint-
ed for burial, and near by is a circular stone where the
Virgin Mary stood during the anointment. We pass a
little farther on and stand beneath the great dome, in
front of a building about fifteen feet square, embellished
THE HOLY SEPULCHUE.
AX AFFECTING SCENE. 99
with all that wealth and superstition can supply. Outside
and within are scores of lamps of gold and silver the
iritis of kings and queens kept constantly burning. It is
divided into two apartments, the inner one, about six
feet by seven, containing the white marble sarcophagus
in which they believe the body of the Saviour was laid.
There is a constant stream of pilgrims, many of whom
have come thousands of miles, and they are admitted three
or four at a time within the sacred precincts, crawling on
bended knees, kissing the marble floor and the tomb, and
often with the tears streaming from their eyes. It is a
scene hard to look upon unmoved ; but with me it was
rather pity for these poor, ignorant creatures, than rever-
ence for the spot to them the holiest upon earth.
The church covers a large area and is divided between
the Armenians (native Christians), the Latins (Roman
Catholics), and the Greeks (or Russians). The latter
control the spot called " Calvary," where Helena, the
mother of Constantino, discovered the three crosses hid
beneath a rock. Here you are shown the holes in which
the crosses were fixed, and the fissure in the rock caused
by the earthquake. In the center of the richly decorated
Byzantine Chapel adjoining, is a small pillar which they
call " the center of the world," from this spot they say the
earth was taken from which God created Adam. It would
require too much space to describe half the " sacred places "
over forty in number which are located within this
church. I will only mention the spots where Mary Magda-
lene and the mother of Christ stood during the crucifixion,
and where Christ appeared to them ; the tombs of Joseph,
Nicodemus, and Adam ; the pillar of flagellation, etc. I
took in my hand the sword and spurs of Godfrey de
Bouillon, the first Christian king of Jerusalem doubtless
genuine relics, and still used in the ceremony of investing
[00 THE MOSQUE OF OMAR.
the Knights of St. John. During all the time we were
in the church, services were being held in many different
chapels, and processions of priests and devotees were pass-
ing to and fro, bearing candles and burning incense.
Leaving the church, we walked through the " Via
Dolorosa," where our Saviour bore the cross on His way
to Calvary, under the arch of " Ecce Homo," past the
house of Pilate and the " Hall of Judgment," and the sj
where St. Veronica offered the handkerchief for wiping
His face. Upon it is impressed the picture of the Lord's
face in blood, and it is now one of the most sacred relics
in St. Peter's at Rome.
The Mosque of Omar, to the Mahometan the most sacra
place in the world except Mecca, was formerly very diffi-
cult of access to all but the "true believer," and permit*
can now only be obtained from the Governor at the request
of the foreign Consuls. When I was here before, these
cost twenty francs each, but the price is now reduced t<
five. Our shoes had to be replaced by slippers, in obedi-
ence to the injunction, "take thy shoes from off thy feel
for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground." Tin
enclosure is one thousand five hundred by one thousam
feet, planted with Cyprus and palm trees, and surroimdei
by a high wall. Upon a broad marble platform in tin
center, stands one of the most beautiful of mosques. It i,<
built upon the foundation walls of Solomon's temple, an<
covers the " holy of holies." The building is octagonal
in form, about sixty feet each side, supporting an eleganl
dome. In the center, under a canopy of the richest silks,
is an irregular stone, nearly fifty feet in diameter, called
the " rock of prophecy," which the Mussulman believes
to have fallen from heaven. When the prophets fled for
safety to other lands, this rock was about to follow, but the
angel Gabriel seized it in his mighty hand and held it fast
MAHOMETAN TRADITIONS.
101
until Mahomet arrived, who fixed it eternally on its pres-
ent site. The print of the angel's hands and of the proph-
et's foot as he ascended from it to heaven, are shown upon
the stone. Beneath it is a cave, about eighteen feet in
size, where Mahomet rested after his flight from Mecca to
Tllii GOLDEN GATE.
Jerusalem in a single night. It is believed that this rock
is immovably suspended in the air, quite independent of
the pillars under it, which are only there in case of acci-
dent ! Every prayer uttered in the cave beneath will be
granted. At the bottom is a deep well, where, they say,
are all the souls of the departed waiting the resurrection.
Another mosque, within the same enclosure, was once a
7
102 PILLARS OF PROOF, AND THE GOLDEN GATE.
Christian church during the occupancy of Jerusalem by
the Crusaders. It contains the " tombs of the sons of
Aaron," the " foot prints of Christ," and the "pillars
of proof," two marble columns standing side by sid<
with a space of but nine inches between them. Througl
this space a good man may pass regardless of his size,
but a wicked person cannot possibly squeeze through,
however slender he may be. Although I have twice pass(
through without the slightest difficulty, I shall not set u]
for a saint.
On one side of the enclosure we see the interior of th<
beautiful " Golden Gate," through which Christ pas*
when he triumphantly entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.
It is now walled up, as the Moslems believe that when the
Christians again obtain possession of the Holy City, they
will enter by this gate. Many other curious places were
shown us here, which I have not space to describe. The
good-natured Sheik who attended our party through the
grounds, was very civil and polite, and in consideration of
some extra baksheesh gave me a small piece of the tile
lining of the interior of the mosque, which I shall add
to my collection of relics.
CHAPTER VIII.
JERUSALEM, AND OUR RETURN TO JAFFA.
Visit to the Mount of Olives A View Unequalled in the Holy Land The
Stolen Footprint Bethany Tomb of Lazarus House of Martha and
Mary The Identical Fig Tree The Scene of the Last Supper Ar-
menian Convent A Beautiful Missal The Jews' Wailing Place Fare-
well to Jerusalem The Octroi Duty Last View of the Holy Citv A
Dismal Ride A Sinner on his way to Confession I Assume the Role
of a Preacher He becomes humble and Penitent Once More Enter-
tained at the Gateway to the Plain Human Nature Not Tut^llv De-
pravedThe Russian Convent at Ramleh Hospitality of the Monks
Morning Ride to Jaffa The Decoration of the " Red Jerusalem Cross/'
UR visit to the Mount of
Olives, and to the village
of Bethany, was one of the
pleasantest of our Jerusa-
lem experiences. Leaving
the city by the Damascus
Gate, then turning to the
right, we wind round the
ancient walls, and descend
the steep hill to the valley
of Jehoshaphat. Our faith
grows stronger as we leave
behind us the foolish myths
and absurd traditions of
both Christian and Moslem,
which meet us at every turn within the walls. We stop
for a few moments to enter a small square enclosure
which is called the " Garden of Gethsemane." If not the
104
VIEW FROM THE MOUNT OF OLIVES.
identical spot, it must be very near the site of the Garden
where our Saviour passed the night of agony. Here are
six olive trees said to be fifteen hundred years old ; cer-
tainly the oldest, most gnarly and knotted specimens I
ever saw of this long-lived tree, and their being here gives
an air of genuineness to the place. This valley has from
time immemorial been the great burial place of the Jews,
and there are now in the city many very old and wealthy
descendants of Abraham, who have come from distant
foreign lands, that their bones may be laid in the tombs
of their forefathers.
Here we see the quaint and antique tombs ascribed by
tradition to Absalom and Zachariah. In olden times
every man passing by, cast a pebble at the former, and it
is now half buried in loose stones. The day was quite
warm and pleasant, and we passed many parties of both
Jewish and Moslem women and children out for a walk.
One party we noticed, were kneeling and throwing flowers
over a recent tomb, perhaps of some near relative, and we
make a detour, that we may not disturb their grief.
" One touch of nature makes the whole world kin."
AVe reach the summit of the Mount of Olives, and from the.
tower of the mosque we enjoy a view unequalled in beauty in
all the Holy Land. For the first time we seem to be in a land
sacred to holy memories. Before us lies the " City of our
Lord," the bright sun gilding alike the domes of mosques
and temples. In the foreground we sec women drawing
water from a well, and balancing, on their heads, the jars
in form identical with those used three thousand years
ago. A long train of camels are slowly winding along the
road from the South, their attendants wearing the same
loose, flowing robes as in the time of the patriarchs.
In the far distance on our left, are the Mountains of
Moab, and the Dead Sea, that looks like a vast lake of
THE VILLAGE OF BETHANY.
molten lead. We trace the Jordan, like a silver thread,
through a green valley amid the sterile rocky mountains.
Though more than twenty miles away by the road, it
seems scarcely half that distance in a straight line. It is
over four thousand feet below the point on which we stand.
Descending from the tower, we merely glance into the church
at the rock on which a large indentation is shown as the foot-
print of our Saviour, from whence he made the Ascension.
They say there were originally two prints, but the Mos-
lems stole one of them. Such nonsense is not in harmony
with the scene, and we hurry away.
Following a rough foot-path over the hills, a half hour's
walk brings us 4o the village of Bethany, now a half de-
serted collection of mud-colored huts, surrounded by groves
of almond, fig, and olive trees. An old Arab, who has
watched our coming, leads the way and conducts us to
what is supposed to be the tomb of Lazarus. He lights
tapers, and each taking one, we follow him down steep,
dark, winding steps to a cave twenty feet or more below
the ground. A very short stay was enough, and with a
glance at the so-called house of Mary and Martha, and the
identical fig tree which Jesus cursed, we leave the village,
followed by a crowd of Arab children screaming for bak-
sheesh.
We return to Jerusalem along the main road, around
the south side of the Mount of Olives, probably the same
pathway by which our Saviour rode on that humblest of
animals, while the people strewed the way with garments
and branches of palm.
Another day was spent in making a circuit of the walls,
in visiting the " Tombs of the Kings" and the " House of
David " on Mount Zion, beneath which is his tomb. A
large upper room in this building, which 'is outside the
walls, is shown as the scene of the " Last Supper," and
108
A BEAUTIFUL MISSAL.
where Christ appeared to the Apostles after the Resurrec-
tion. The Mahometans are in possession of this place,
and hold it very sacred, as they consider David one of
their prophets. The Armenian convent is close hy but
within the walls, and was the " House of Caiaphas," the
High Priest. It is very rich in decorations of gold and
silver, and claims among its relics the stone which
closed the door of the Holy Sepulcher, and the rock on
which the cock crew when Peter denied his master ! Far
more interesting to- me was a most beautifully illumin-
ated missal I there saw. Every page of the parchment
was decorated with colored illustrations on the margin,
and it must have been a labor of love for many years to
the old monks, who ages ago have turned to dust ; rubies,
sapphires, and diamonds glistened on the covers, and the
heavy clasps were of solid gold. The gray-bearded old
monk watched it with jealous care while it was in my
hands, and seemed relieved when he returned it to its case
of rich velvet, and replaced it on the altar. As we left the
church, he sprinkled us with holy water and gave us his
blessing.
At the " Jews' Wailing Place," in front of some large
stones built into the outside wall of the Mosque of Omar
and which are supposed to be part of the foundations of Solo-
mon's Temple, is a very affecting scene every Friday after-
noon. Here they congregate, young and old, and utter
the most plaintive cries and lamentations. The stones
are worn away with their kisses, and they mourn as if their
hearts would break.
I shall not attempt here to describe the curious scenes
that I witnessed three years ago, during " Holy Week,'
the procession on " Palm Sunday," and the " washing of
feet " by the high church dignitaries. I then made a most
COLLECTING THE OCTROI DUTY.
109
interesting excursion to the Jordan, the Dead Sea, and to
Bethlehem.
Our present trip was limited to two weeks, and we were
obliged to hurry back to Egypt to join the steamer for our
voyage to Persia and Bagdad.
The sky was overcast with clouds, and every appearance
indicated a dreary, drizzly journey before us, when my
friend F and I said farewell to the pleasant com,-
panions of our pilgrimage, and mounted our horses to
return to Jaffa. As we passed under the heavy archway
of the Jaffa gate, we noticed that the Turkish soldiers
levied an octroi duty, in kind, upon all the country pro-
ducts brought into the city for sale. Every market-man
THE OCTROI DUTY AT THE JAFFA GATE.
was relieved of a part of his load, seemingly at the dis-
cretion of the guards. Beside them were piles of fuel,
vegetables of all kinds, eggs, and poultry. Whether these
were sold for the benefit of the government or appropriated
A DISMAL RIDE.
for the use of the guards, we were unable to ascertain.
Our dragoman, Hassan, had been sent forward in advance
witli the pack-mule, and we slowly ascended the heights
that overlook Jerusalem on the north, past the Russian
convent, and several neat and well built dwellings.
As we reached a point where a bend in the road would
hide the city from our view, we halted for a few minutes
and turned in our saddles to take one last look at the
.Holy City. The impression left on my mind by this
second visit to the holy places, was one of sadness, relieved
only by our one day's excursion to Olivet and Bethany.
Slowly and without exchanging a word, we turned our
horses' heads towards the sea, buttoned our overcoats
more closely against the chilly wind, and cold penetrating
rain that beat in our faces, and with loosened rein allowed
our beasts to pick their way along the stony road down
the steep hill. For the first hour we were constantly
meeting donkeys laden with twigs and roots for fuel, and
men, women, and even half grown children plodding along
under heavy burdens towards the city. As we passed
them they invariably looked up at us with faces sad and
weary, as if life had to them no happiness in the present,
and no bright hope in the future. The steadily falling
rain was making the road more muddy at every step,
but we gradually threw off our depression, determined to
take a "Mark Taplcy" view of the situation, and be as
" jolly " and cheerful as we could under the most adverse
circumstances.
Two hours after leaving Jerusalem we descried a solitary
traveler approaching us on horseback, and as he drew near,
we recognized our rascally host of a few days before at
Bab-el- Waud. He was dressed in his best gaberdine, over
which he wore a striped abbah of goat's hair, which is
almost impervious to water. It was the Jewish Sunday,
A SINNER GOING TO CONFESSION.
and he was evidently on his way to Jerusalem to worship.
We stopped our horses and confronted him with a saluta-
tion more emphatic than complimentary. In a few plain
words we reminded him of his dishonesty, and intimated
that if he was now about to square up the weekly account
of his iniquities, the best proof his sincerity and repent-
ance would be to make restitution of his ill-gotten gains.
As he glanced at our faces and saw that we were in
earnest, his nonchalance deserted him and he looked as
humble as became a great sinner going to confession. lie
assented to our proposal, and wrote some words in Hebrew
upon a dirty scrap of paper, which he said was an order
to his brother, whom he had left at the inn, to give
us a lunch free of charge. His meekness and seeming
penitence disarmed our resentment, and we allowed him
to proceed on his journey, a sadder and I trust a happier
man for this one burden of transgression lifted off' his
conscience.
A few hours later we descended the last of the Judean
hills and halted at the "gateway of the plain." The
brother came out from the Inn and we presented the paper
with some misgivings that we had been sold. He read it,
then courteously invited us to dismount, and in a short
time placed before us a very fair lunch. As we rose from
the table he presented the identical box of cigars. To test
his sincerity I took out my purse and offered to pay for
them, but he refused any compensation. We shook hands
quite cordially at parting, and rode away with a far better
opinion of human nature than before for our former expe-
rience at that place had indicated that it is sometimes
almost totally depraved.
After leaving the hills, our ride across the alluvial plain
was very disagreeable. The rain was incessant, and the
road knee deep in mud. We were g.kid to reach Ramleh
TIIE R CSSIA N CON VEN T AT RA
before dark, and passing by the hotel of the would-be
American Consul, v\e sought the Russian Convent, where
we were kindly welcomed. 1 had stopped here one night
three years before, and to my surprise I found I was recog-
nized by the priests and their wives. The clergy of UK
Greek Church arc permitted to marry, and the presenc<
of women and children seemed quite inconsistent with oui
usual associations of a convent or monastery.
During this visit to the Holy Land, I have been salutec
by several hotel keepers and dragomen, with evident marks
of surprise, both at Jaffa and Jerusalem. These peopl<
have a wonderful faculty of remembering faces. If anj
of them swindled me before, I have long ago forgiven
them, and brought back with me no malice. This time
have been treated with especial kindness and attention,
for they seem to think that I shall hereafter be a regular
visitor at intervals of two or three years.
The ground floor of the convent was a stable, where our
jaded horses were well cared for, and we climbed by an
outside stairway to the apartments above, where we wen
shown to a chamber plainly but comfortably furnished.
After changing our rain-soaked garments we were sin
moned to a substantial supper, served on English blue deli
ware of the old fashioned u willow pattern." Everything
was scrupulously neat and clean, and we were the only
guests. The building, like all in this country, is of stone,
with thick walls, arched ceilings, and no wood work except
the doors and window frames. During the rainy season,
these vaulted, cell-like rooms must be dark and damp, but
in summer they are cool and agreeable. At Ramleh ther<
are two convents, the Russian (or Greek) and the Latin
(or Roman Catholic), both of which, for two months in
spring are crowded by pilgrims, mostly of the poorer
classes, from Europe. The pilgrimage culminates during
A MORNING RIDE TO JAFFA.
" holy week," when there are frequently ten thousand
Europeans in and around Jerusalem. These two months
embrace the only proper time to travel in Palestine. Be-
fore the middle of March the weather is unsettled, and
too cold and rainy for tent life. Later than the fifteenth
of May it is usually too hot for comfort.
Af.cr our fatiguing ride we retired early, and although
the beds were hard, and our doors and windows without
fastenings, we slept as soundly and as securely as in the
most luxuriously furnished modern hotel.
The next morning our kind hosts gave us an early
breakfast, and accepted with profuse thanks the money we
offered for our entertainment. At these convents the
poorer class of pilgrims are fed and lodged free of charge,
but travelers, like ourselves, are expected to pay whatever
amount they please, or if they go away without paying <.t
all, no fault is found.
Our morning ride of twelve miles to Jaffa, with, a bright
sun and clear sky, was in strong contrast with yesterday's
experience, and when we reached the town we were glad
to see the smoke of an "Austrian Lloyd" steamer ap-
proaching from the eastward, on which we were to embark
for Port Said.
There are three lines of steamers along the Southern
coast of the Mediterranean, the " Messageries Maritimes,"
the " Austrian Lloyd," and the Russian. They touch at
nearly every port, and are all comfortable and well-ap-
pointed. But the French line is usually preferred, the
steamers being larger and the service more efficient.
The "true believer" who makes a second pilgrimage to
Mecca^ is entitled to certain rights and privileges among
the followers of the Prophet. But what honors properly
belong to one who has made a second pilgrimage to Jeru-
salem, I have been unable to ascertain perhaps the case
114
DECORATION OF THE RED CROSS.
has no precedent so I shall claim the distinction of hav-
ing the end of my trunk decorated with a Red Jerusalem
Cross. As the founder of this new Order, I hold myself
ready to bestow the decoration upon all Americans who
may show themselves entitled to it.
STREET IN JERUSALEM.
CHAPTER IX.
THE SUEZ CANAL.
An Accomplished Fact Sketch of its History "Reasons Alleged for its
Failure Bugbears Exploded Is it a Financial Success 1 Rates of Toll
New Lines of Steamers The Business of 1873 The Tides Width,
Depth, and Rate of Speed Allowed Lake Menzaleh Mammoth Dredg-
ing Machines A Unique View A Ship in the Desert Lake Timseh
The Bitter Lake A Ready Made Canal We Reach Suez A Town as
old as the Pharaohs No Pleasant Greeting to the Red Sea Why Called
"Red" The "Crescent and Star" The Water never Smooth and Clear
Pharaoh's Chariot Wheels not to be Seen.
HE Suez canal, one of the
greatest achievements of
the century, was opened at
the grand fete in Novem-
ber, 1869, at which the
Empress Eugenie assisted.
It was then fully described
by special correspondents
from all over the world.
As we are now about to
pass through the whole
length of the canal, I pro-
pose to give a short sketch
of its history, and such in-
formation as I have been able to gather, as to its present
condition and practical working, a matter which, six years
ago, was all conjecture, and about which the letter-writers
differed so widely. That it is now an accomplished fact,
A SKETCH OF ITS HISTORY.
and a success, no one with his eyes open can deny. A*
Lardncr scouted the idea of ships propelled by steam evei
crossing the Atlantic, so Stephenson, the great engineer,
and the English generally, for years insisted that the SIN
canal would be a failure. Perhaps " the wish was fathei
to the thought." The English government, too, must no)
feel heartily ashamed of its intrigues with the Sultan
throw obstacles in the way of this great work, on the
ground of philanthropy in behalf of the forced and nnpaic
labor of the Egyptians for no nation is now reaping s<
much benefit from this new route of steamers to India, as
the English people themselves.
The first great bugbear was the fancied difference in
level between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean, by
which locks would be required, in accordance with the
report of a commission sent out by Napoleon I. in 1798.
This idea was exploded by more accurate surveys made
fifty years afterwards. The next objection was, that th<
channel would have to be made through hopeless quick-
sands at the southern or Suez end, and through centuries
of Nile ooze at the northern part near the Mediterranean,
where no channel could be made permanent, but the more
you dug and dredged the worse it would be. This obstacle
disappeared when it was proved that for most of the
route, the banks of the canal would not be of fluid sand,
but of mud, clay, and shelly earth that below the Nile
ooze and slippery mud of Lake Mcnzaleh, there was a
"hard pan" of clay, which, thrown up, gave solidity to
the banks and that so small a portion of the route passed
through loose sand, that no real trouble threatened the
canal from the instability of its banks. These objections
being disposed of, it was then urged that the sand drift
from the siroccos of the desert would refill the canal as
fast as it could be removed, thereby causing such immense
THE OWNERSHIP OF THE CANAL.
expense in keeping the channel open, as to ruin the great
enterprise financially. But it has been demonstrated by
experience that not more than five miles of its entire
length is liable to this drifting in of the sand ; and at these
places the encroachments of sand never exceed two yards
in depth a month, which the company has contracted to
be removed, at no great expense, as fast as it accumulates.
To Ferdinand de Lesseps, the world is indebted for hav-
ing pushed through this magnificent work in the face of
every obstacle, real and imaginary. With perfect faith in
the eventual success of the enterprise, like Cyrus W. Field,
of Atlantic cable memory, he persevered when less san-
guine men would have given up in despair ; and to him
belongs the credit of having opened this second Gibraltar
inlet and outlet, to the commerce of the world.
It is true that the Suez canal is a French work, but it is
not owned nor in any way controlled by the French gov-
ernment. Of the 400,000 shares representing the stock,
176,000 belong to the Viceroy of Egypt, Ismail Pasha,
without whose active and energetic assistance it never
could have been completed. The balance of the stock
belongs to individuals, mostly Frenchmen. The first
" Act of Concession " from the Egyptian government for
a canal across the Isthmus of Suez, was granted in 1854.
Then followed five years of preliminary surveys and pre-
paration, and the first ground was broken at Port Said in
1859. The Red Sea entered and mingled with the waters
of the Mediterranean on the 15th of August, 1869. But
it was not until about the 1st of January, 1870, that this
thoroughfare, which all ages have wished for, but till now
in vain, was opened as a highway to the commerce of the
world.
And now, after five years' trial, it will be asked
whether this costly work is a financial success. Probably
IS IT A FINANCIAL SUCCESS?
not, as yet. The preferred stock last issued was guaran-
teed five per cent. but to realize this dividend on its whole
cost, requires an income of five million dollars a year, an<
over two millions more for running expenses, repairs, am
management. The rate of toll is two dollars a ton regh
ter on every steamer, and two dollars for every passenger
sailing ships half that rate, besides pilotage, etc. It cost!
the steamer I am on, $1,600 for passing through the canal,
which seems a large sum for one day's toll, but it is a trii
compared with the expense of sending her around " th<
Cape." To make the canal pay from tolls alone, would re
quire at least five steamers to pass each way every day
and at present I am told that the average is about halJ
that number. But the Suez Canal Company has othei
sources of income. The Viceroy made liberal grants of
land to the company, a part of which have since reverted
to him in consideration of a large sum of ready money ;
but fifty per cent, of all land sales in the towns of Port
Said, Ismailia, and Suez, where the company owns lar<.
tracts of valuable property, comes into its treasury. Am
since the opening of the canal, new lines of passenger am
freight steamers have been established, by which Eussia,
Austria, Italy, and France are coming into competition with
England, for the trade of the East.
The business of the canal has steadily increased since it
was opened, but not so rapidly as was anticipated. The
income from tolls in 1873 was over 85,000,000 from the
1,200 steamers passing through. The expense of its ad-
ministration, including the cost of dredging, about $2,250,-
000. Capital stock 100,000,000, and a bonded debt not
very large, mostly held by the Viceroy of Egypt. The
surplus income is being absorbed at present by the exten-
sion of the breakwater into the sea at Port Said, 6,000
yards, to prevent the silting up of the harbor.
THE TIDES. WIDTH AND DErTH OF CANAL.
All measurements and distances being in French meters,
kilometers, and hectares, I will, for the convenience of the
reader, reduce them to English. Our steamer draws six-
teen feet, but under her keel is six feet to spare, which is
increased about two feet more at high -tide. And here I may
as well explain the matter of tides. The ordinary rise and
fall of the tide at Port Said, on the Mediterranean, is one
and a half feet, and at Suez three and a half feet. At the
Equinox the maximum rise and fall is about double.
There being no gates or locks to interfere with the free
inflow and egress of the ocean at cither end, the tides
slightly affect the depth of water in the canal, and pro-
duce a current which never exceeds two miles an hour,
and is lost in the lakes which form over one-half the whole
course. At the water line the widtli of the canal when
finished according to its enlarged scale, will be three hun-
dred feet, the depth thirty feet, and the breadth at the
bottom seventy feet. This will give space enough for the
keels of two large ships to pass each other without incon-
venience. At present the average width is about two
hundred feet, with not less than twenty-four feet of water
in the shallowest spots. At frequent intervals there are
wider basins where ships can meet and pass each other.
The management is by telegraph, and every few miles we
see upon the banks a neatly fitted up telegraph station,
from which the position of every ship in the canal is re-
ported at headquarters. The maximum speed allowed is
eight miles an hour, which would take a ship through the
ninety-six miles between Port Said and Suez by daylight,
as no steaming is allowed after dark.
The first twenty-six miles from the Mediterranean, the
canal runs through the shallow water and deep mud of
Lake Mcnzaleh. This formed a part of the Nile delta, and
was originally one of its outlets. To excavate a ship
8
120
A USIQUE VIEW.
canal through the soft, slippery mud of this marsh, with
banks that would stand the rush of the Mediterranean
within, and the occasional storms on the lake outside, for
a long time baffled the utmost ingenuity and skill of the
engineers. But when, as lias before been stated, it was
discovered that by going deep enough they would come to
a strong, tenacious clay, underlying the centuries of Nile
ooze, which being thrown out and mixed with the mud
would form a solid bank, this difficulty was overcome.
These double dykes are about four feet high, and within
them are buried the iron pipes through which the great
"Pompe-a-feu" (steam pump works) at Ismailia forces
all the water supply for the city of Port Said.
A STEAMER IX THE DESEUT.
Moored to the banks we notice the mammoth dredging
machines, which are built entirely of iron. These were
not only constructed but invented by the contractors, co
LAKE TIMSAII.AND THE "BITTER LAKE."
meet the special difficulties and requirements of this ser-
vice. Ten of these gigantic machines, the use of which
I never should imagine if I had seen them anywhere else,
cost eighty thousand dollars each, and twenty-five steam
barges to carry off the dirt brought up by the excavators,
cost fifty thousand dollars each. That these were built
by the contractors, will give an idea of the magnitude of
the work.
Leaving Lake Menzaleh, the canal passes through nine-
teen miles of sand, to the next lake in the chain.
From the deck of our steamer the view is unique. We
are high out of the water, and I can see over the top of the
banks a desert of sand stretching away as far as the eye
can reach.
We now come to Lake Timsali, six miles long, upon the
western shore of which is the new desert-founded city of
Ismailia. The water of this lake is deep and clear, but
very salt. We next enter another section of the canal
proper, eight miles long, which connects Lake Timsah with
Lac Amer, or the u bitter lake."
This was an oval depression in the land, directly in the
track of the proposed canal, and is supposed to have been
originally the head of the Gulf of Suez. The receding of
the water of the Red Sea left it an inland, basin, from
which the water has long ago evaporated. Upon the bed
of this hollow w r as a layer of salt, in many places several
feet in thickness. When the water of the lied Sea was
again let into this bed it formed a ready-made canal, twen-
ty-one miles long, in the widest part ten miles across, and
deep enough for the largest ship. The salt accumulated
in the bed of the lake makes the w r ater very bitter, and
hence the name given to it.
Steaming more rapidly through this w r e once more enter
the canal, and three hours after w^e enter into the liar-
122 ARRIVAL AT SUEZ. THE RED SEA.
bor of Suez, and before dark are comfortably quartered at
the "Peninsular and Oriental Hotel."
We shall be detained a few days at Suez waiting the
arrival of our steamer, and have an opportunity of seeing
whatever is interesting in this old town, which, within a
few years, has taken a new lease of life.
The harbor is mostly artificial, and a splendid dry-dock
of stone has been built by the Khedive, the only one, I
believe, on the waters that flow into the Indian Ocean, this
side of India. From the Hat roof of the hotel, I can count
ten war steamers flying the Turkish and Egyptian flag, the
" Crescent and Star."
It is now more than three years since I landed here,
coming from India. I then said good-bye to the treacher-
ous waters of the Red Sea, without regret, and I greet
them now with no anticipations of pleasure. Why this
sea is called "Red " is a mystery. I could never see any
roseate hue in its stormy waves, bleak, sandy shores or
volcanic rocks. I have read somewhere that when the
water is smooth and clear (which it never &,) the char-
iot wheels of the Egyptian hosts may be seen beneath the
waves. But travelers unanimously agree with old Pharaoh,
that the Red Sea is the most disagreeable and treacherous
piece of water upon the face of the globe.
CHAPTER X.
ON THE RED SEA.
Dangerous Navigation The Gateway of Tears The Wind Always Ahead
Our Steamer Named after a Hindoo Goddess Mount Sinai in Sight
"Dolce Far Niente" Jeddah, the Port of Mecca Yusef Etfendi The
Sacred Banner Mohamet Benaji Pilgrimage to Mecca We Visit the
Governor and the Prince of Zanzibar Elaborate Speeches The Tomb
of Eve A Moslem Tradition The Prince and his Harem come on board
Not Visible to Outsiders The Persian Pearl Merchant Pearls of Great
Price The Prince's Treasures "Right, Left, and Ace" I Decline an
Invitation to Zanzibar Mocha, the "Coffee City" IIow the English
Acquired Perim, the Key to the Gateway.
HEX the new route to India
was opened across the Isth-
mus of Suez, it was supposed
that sailing ships would no
longer plod their weary way
round the Cape of Good
Hope ; but five years' expe-
rience has shown that only
ships propelled by steam can
navigate with any degree of
safety, the treacherous cur-
rent and dangerous reefs of
the Red Sea. There are but
few lighthouses, and many
valuable ships arc lost every year upon the sunken reefs,
in spite of the utmost care of officers and pilots.
The native Arabs never start out on a voyage across
the Red Sea in their trading boats or lugalahs, without
124 ON BOARD THE " GUNGA."
putting up a prayer to Allah for safety. They call the
narrow straits at its foot, Bab-el-Mandeb " The Gateway
of Tears." It is fourteen hundred miles from Suez to
Aden, which is situated ninety miles beyond the Gateway
opening into the Arabian Gulf. Its greatest width is two
hundred miles, and the shores everywhere seem lined with
sandy deserts or sterile rocky mountains. No rivers
empty into this vast caldron, and very little rain falls
upon its parched and desolate shores.
The wind blows in from the north through the Gulf of
Suez, and from the south through the straits of Bab el-
Mandeb, but near the middle of the Red Sea it is generally
calm. Here the heated air seems to rise into an immense
funnel, and the temperature is almost intolerable.
That the navigation of the Red Sea is both difficult and
dangerous, is testified by the many wrecks scattered along
its coasts, from Suez to the Indian Ocean.
As we pass a high volcanic island called Jubaltare, we
are shown where a magnificent steamer of the Peninsular
and Oriental Steamship Company, from Bombay, with
over two hundred passengers, was lost with all on board.
The channel is not wide, and near the shores are many
dangerous rocks and treacherous currents. They say the
wind on the Red Sea is always ahead, whether the vessel
is bound up or down. The shores, which are either barren,
sandy deserts, or sparsely inhabited by hostile tribes of
Arabs, offer no hospitable reception to the shipwrecked
sailor.
Our steamer bears the name of a Hindoo goddess whose
home is on the Ganges. She is of iron, strong and swift,
English built and manned. Our captain is a jolly sea-
dog, a thorough John Bull, a careful navigator, and on the
bridge night and day, almost sleepless in his anxiety for
the safety of his ship. As the " Gunga " is to be our home
STEAM1XG DO \Vy THE RED SEA.
for a month or more, we came on board with no little
solicitude as to our accommodation and comforts for so
long a voyage. We find ourselves the only cabin passen-
gers, and in very pleasant quarters. But our bright pros-
pects are somewhat clouded by the announcement that the
steamer is to stop at Jcddah, the port of Mecca, about
half way down the Red Sea, and take on board three hun-
dred pilgrims on their way home to the several ports in
Arabia and Persia. But an old traveler will never borrow
trouble. So we enjoy to the utmost the few days that we
have the ship all to ourselves. The Hindoo goddess glides
steadily and rapidly through the smooth water, the weather
being, perfect, and the Red Sea seems inclined to redeem
its bad name or perhaps is lulling us on, to show its teeth
by-and-by.
On our second day from Suez, Mount Sinai was seen far
away on our left, its summit wreathed in fleecy clouds ;
but between us and its base is a long stretch of sand hills
and barren desert.
To pass away the time, we read a little, write a little,
smoke a little, and sleep a good deal. We lie on deck
under the awning and gaze for hours over the smooth,
dark blue water, where it meets the lighter blue of the
sky in a clear, sharply-defined horizon. It is a dolce far
niente, only to be matched on the Nile. Tired of gazing
and dreaming, we read aloud from the only two books we
could find in Cairo that seemed adapted to our proposed
journey " The Arabian Nights " and " The Koran."
The fourth day \ve slacken speed, as we arc approach-
ing the port of Jeddah. For twenty miles out, the charts
show long series of coral reefs, and the channel between
them is very intricate. There is no light-house, and a ship
would not venture to approach the coast by night ; but on
some of the most prominent reefs, the Turkish government
12G J EDO All, THE PORT OF MECCA.
has erected beacons of white-washed stones. The Arab
pilot directs our zig-zag course, making several very sharp
turns, sometimes so near that we can toss a biscuit into
the seething water that breaks in long lines over these
treacherous sharp points of coral, that would punch
through our iron plates like pasteboard. We drop anchor
in front of the town, near a dozen other steamers, English,
Turkish, and Egyptian, and one an " Austrian Lloyd,"
from Trieste. In the inner harbor, protected by a long,
sandy spit of land, AVC see a fleet of Arab bugalahs, with
high poop decks and lateen sails, like Chinese junks.
These native craft arc from fifty to two hundred tons
burden, and run boldly in and out among the reefs along
the whole coast of the Red Sea. Several hundreds are
engaged in transporting pilgrims, more than twenty thous-
and of whom come every year to Jeddah from the African
coast alone. The city has an imposing effect from the sea ;
its tall, clean-looking, white buildings, extending for a mile
or more along the beach, witli a background of high moun-
tains, beyond which, fifty miles inland, lies the sacred city
of Mecca. A high wall encloses the town, with towers at
intervals, and two strong forts at the angles towards the
cca. Gates on three sides arc open to all, but to the east
is the Mecca gate, through which none but Mahometans
are allowed to pass.
A boat with a Turkish flag comes alongside, and the
health officer holds up a tin fumigating box, into which
our ship's papers arc dropped. These being found satis-
factory he comes on board, followed by the ship's agent,
Yusef Effcndi, who tells our captain that he lias three hun-
dred pilgrims, or Hadjis waiting passage, among them
the Prince of Zanzibar, Sayd Hammond, who has engaged
all the vacant first-class cabins for himself and his harem.
The prospect of entertaining a live prince and an uncer-
THE SA CR KD BA A'A 1-Al.
tain number of princesses, stirs the loyal blood of our skip-
per, and the stewards are at once set at Avork to prepare
the rooms for the royal party. My friend F. and myself
are put into one state-room, which we do not grumble at,
as His Royal Highness will go with us no further than
Aden, where he takes another steamer to Zanzibar.
Yusef Effendi, though an Arab, speaks very good Eng-
lish, as well as French, Italian, and Turkish, and politely
invites us to go on shore in his boat. This afternoon the
silken screen which for the past year has hung before the
sacred Caaba in the Temple at Mecca, and which is re-
newed every year, a present from the Sultan of Turkey, is
to be taken with great ceremony on board a Turkish man-
of-war, to be transported to Constantinople, where it will
be cut up into small pieces and distributed as a most pre-
cious relic among the faithful.
We reach the shore just in time to see the procession
pass through the streets, headed by the Turkish Governor
or Pasha, and escorted by a large body of troops. A hun-
dred camels, gaily decked with rich trappings, .on which
the " crescent and star" are embroidered in red and gold,
are followed by a long cavalcade of horsemen, and behind
them are thousand of Hadjis on foot. All business is sus-
pended in the bazaars, and as the camel which bears the
sacred banner passes, the head of every Mussulman bows
to the ground. A few years ago an occasion like this was
the scene of a fearful outbreak of fanaticism on the part
of the pilgrims, and several hundreds of Christians were
massacred. But we witnessed the show from an upper
window in Yusef Effendi's house, and were in no danger
of being molested. At the shore the banner, or carpet, as
it is sometimes called, was placed on a barge covered with
Turkish flags, which was towed by the man-of-war's boats
to the ship, where it was received with a salvo of cannon.
12S AX ARABIAN MERCHANT PRINCE.
_ After being served with chibouks and coffee, Yusef con-
ducted us to the warehouse of his firm, and introduced us
to his senior partner, Mohamet Benaji. I doubt whether
any great London or New York merchant prince could
have received us with more dignified ease and grace of
manner. With true Oriental politeness, he places at our
disposal his house and all it contains. Yusef says his
word is " good as the Bank of England." He is a very
fine-looking old gentleman, and is evidently held in great
respect by all about the place. Every one who approaches
him bows very low and kisses his hand. His rich turban,
long, gray beard, and loose flowing robe of costly mate-
rials, give him a patriarchal appearance, while the urbane
and dignified expression of his face would make him a
model for a painter. Seated on the divan beside the patri-
arch, we are once more regaled with fragrant mocha and
naryhilehs , served on silver trays by black slaves. Yusef
then shows us through large warehouses where are piled
whole cargoes of coffee, rice, dates, and sesame or millet,
packages of mother-of-pearl and tortoise shells, gum (ara-
bic), and other products of this country, of which over
85,000,000 in value are shipped yearly from the port of
Jeddah.
The streets and bazaars through which we pass, are the
cleanest of any Arabian city I have ever seen ; the build-
ings are mostly of stone, some four and five stories in height.
There is no glass, but each window has a projecting lattice
work of elaborately carved wood, which admits a free cir-
culation of' air, but hides from view the faces of the
inmates. The business of Jeddah is largely dependent
upon the pilgrims, of whom over one hundred thousand
arrive and depart annually. The Koran enjoins upon
every true believer, if his circumstances and health will
permit, to make at least once during his lifetime, the pil-
THE PILGRIMAGE TO MECCA. 129
grimage to Mecca, and all who comply are promised
certain immunities in this world, and a higher seat in
paradise hereafter. The faithful come from every Ma-
hometan country on the globe from Persia and India
in the far East, from the South coast of the Mediterra-
nean and the Western shores of Africa, often accom-
panied by their wives and children. The thousands who
cross the deserts in caravans suffer incredible hardships,
and many perish by the way, but they believe that to die
on a pilgrimage insures immediate entry to Heaven.
The Koran permits them to do a little trading by the way,
towards defraying the expense of these long journeys, but
not so much as to distract their minds from their devo-
tional duties, which must be most scrupulously observed.
The opening of the Suez Canal has greatly increased the
facility of reaching Mecca by water, and the English steam-
ers engaged in this traffic find it very profitable. The
sacred season at Mecca occurs usually in December or
January, but the Arabian months being lunar, it varies
from year to year.
The next day we were again invited on shore by Yusef
Effendi and taken to the house of the Turkish Pasha, to
whom we were duly presented. We were received with
great politeness, but as he spoke only Turkish, our conver-
sation had to be carried on through an interpreter. Arabic
and Turkish are quite distinct languages; the latter being
the dialect of the Court, is spoken only by the officials,
who are all Turks; the former is the commonly spoken
language of Arabia, and universally written and printed.
I was introduced to the Governor as an " American Pasha
and a great Traveler," and I know not with how many
other titles Yusef magnified my importance. He was ex-
ceedingly civil, made room for me beside himself on the
divan, ceremoniously presented to me some of his officers,
130
THE PRINCE OF ZANZIBAR.
and ordered the inevitable "hubble-bubble" and coffee.
He then addressed me in some very complimentary
speeches, which I tried to answer in the same vein.
" A great traveler like yourself," he said, " who has been
all over the world and seen the wonders of China and India
as well as of Europe, must be a very wise and learned man."
I bowed, stroked my beard, and assuming a modest air re-
plied, that "Allah grants wisdom to whom it pleases him,
sometimes more to those who stay at home " (here another
bow to his excellency,) "than to those who seek knowledge
in far countries."
I was obliged to decline his invitation to dine the next
day, on the plea that our ship was to sail in the morning.
The prospect of a few more such elaborate speeches was
too much for me, and with an apology for occupying so
much of his valuable time, we took a ceremonious leave.
Our next call was on the Prince, who was to be our
fellow passenger to Aden. We found him with his legs
curled up on a pile of soft Persian carpets, in the courtyard
of a large house, and surrounded by a dozen or more attend-
ants. It is said that when the Queen's Embassador, Sir
Bartle Frere, was lately presented to the Sultan of Zanzi-
bar, he was received by that shady monarch without rising.
But II. R. H. the Prince, pulled his bare feet from under
him, slipped them into richly embroidered sandals and
rose to shake hands as cordially as if I had been accredited
from President Grant. Then motioning me to be seated,
he called a very black negro, whom we came afterwards to
know as Mauritio, to act as interpreter. Prince Hammond
is a pleasant looking fellow of about twenty-two years old,
with large, lustrous and beautiful eyes, (probably from his
mother) clear cut Asiatic features, and light coffee colored
complexion. He is quite fat, and looks lazy and good na-
tured. His turban was of the gayest colors, his vest of
A PLEASANT INTERVIEW.
131
embroidered silk, and his bernous of blue cloth ornamented
with gold braid. An elegant silver mounted sword, of the
Damascus pattern, lay beside him on the divan. When it
was explained to him who we were, he seemed much
INTERVIEW WITH PRINCE IIAMMOCD.
pleased, and we at once entered into conversation. As he
glanced at my guard chain rather curiously I took out my
watch, which he examined very carefully, then handed me
his own for my inspection. But nothing pleased him so
much as the half dozen card photographs which I call my
" family picture gallery," especially those of a very im-
portant little personage whom we know at home under the
familiar name of " Dumpling," and his mother. He called
his attendants around him to show these pictures, and
seemed incredulous of the relationship I claimed to young
D., although I pointed to my gray hair as proof.
I asked him by panto-mine whether he had any children,
132
THE TOMB OF EVE.
but lie shook his head, and a shade of disappointment
passed over his face. I then ventured to ask through the
interpreter, how many wives he had. Mauritio looked
shocked and declined to put the question. So my search
for knowledge in that direction came to naught. A polite
enquiry after the welfare of his harem would give mortal
offense to a Mussulman, although he may be as proud and
vain of his children as any Christian parent.
Leaving the Prince, after a pleasant interview, we went
just outside the walls to see the To.ib of Eve, who, accord-
ing to tradition, is buried here. When our first parents
were cast out of paradise (which was located in the sev-
enth Heaven,) they fell, Adam in the Island of Ceylon, and
Eve in Arabia, near Jcddah. In stature they equalled the
tallest palm tree, and the tomb of our great mother, which
we see here, is sixty cubits long and twelve in width.
They believe that after a separation of over two hundred
years, Adam was, on his repentance, conducted by the
angel Gabriel to a mountain near Mecca where he found
his wife. The mountain is known to this day as Arafat
(" Adam's Home,") and here they lived for many years
as happily as could be expected under the circumstances.
To-day the pilgrims are coming on board in the native
boats, bringing large quantities of baggage, and great rope-
bound chests and bundles strew the deck like an emigrant
ship from Holland. As they pass up the gangway ladder,
the first officer takes possession of all their arms, consist-
ing mostly of antique silver mounted swords and daggers,
more for show than service, which some yield up with a bad
grace. But this precaution is necessary to prevent trouble,
and it is explained to them that their weapons will be re-
turned when they leave the ship. We stand on the quarter
deck watching the arrival of a large boat, in which are
ten or twelve ladies, closely followed by another filled with
ABDUL AZZIZ, THE PEARL MERCHANT.
luggage and servants. This is the Prince's family, and
there is great curiosity to catch a glimpse of their faces.
But their heads and forms are completely enveloped in
folds of white cloth, and as they climb up the gangway
and waddle across the deck to the ladies' cabin, we can
see nothing to indicate whether they are beautiful as Houris
or black as Erebus. But we notice as they shuffle along
in clattering sandals, that their bare feet are guiltless of
"balbnggans."
A row of sailors and firemen are curiously peeping over
the ship's bulwarks. The captain scatters them with an
angry (perhaps disappointed) growl, " Get away there !
didn't ye ever see a woman before?"
The Prince himself with his grand vizier, who seems to
be the Mentor in charge of the whole party, did not
come on board until the next morning, just before we got
under way. Besides the Zanzibar party, which consists
of over sixty persons, including slaves and attendants, \ve
have taken a wealthy pearl merchant with four ladies.
They are bound to Busheer in Persia, and claim first
class accommodations. A thick green curtain has been
stretched across the after part of the main cabin, behind
which they are to be located. But Abdul Azziz seems
hard to please. The captain and Yusef assure him again
and again, that his ladies will be quite secure from intru-
sion behind this screen. It is evident that he thinks his
Persian " Lu-lus" to be "pearls of great price." In per-
son Abdul is not attractive, having lost one eye, and in
complexion he is quite dark. The curtains are carefully
pinned together and secured, and at last he seems satisfied
and immensely relieved when he has deposited behind
them his precious parcels. It will hardly be safe for
either of us to venture within ten feet of the curtain,
unless we dare brave the scowl of that male dragon of a
/ DECLINE AN INVITATION TO ZANZIBAR.
Cyclops. So we leave him. . " They may be young or
old, dark or fair, we do not know nor do we care."
For three days we have now been quietly steaming down
the Red Sea, since leaving Jeddah. The pilgrims, from
prince to slave, have all become settled in their places.
Most of the time is passed on deck, and the prince am
I have become very good friends. He reads and write*
Arabic, and has shown me his Koran elegantly bound in
red morocco with clasps of gold, which he took from its
silken case and touched reverently to his lips and forehead.
But he would not permit me to handle it. He opened his
trunks and displayed his treasures of jewelry, amber am
pearl bracelets, etc., and boxes of perfumes of which all
Orientals are very fond. He is quick to learn, and I have
taught him to speak and write the numerals and several
English words. Having seen Mr. F and myself plaj
euchre, nothing would satisfy him until initiated into the
mysteries of that fascinating American game. Last nighl
at sunset when the muezzin called the faithful to prayers,
Sayd Hammond was playing his favorite game. At that
moment a new deal had given him a " lone hand," right,
left, and ace, so the line formed on deck with the cadi in
front, facing towards Mecca, had to wait until the prince
finished his game. I was showing him one day a small
silk American flag. He took it and very deftly twisting
it around my fez in the shape of a turban, exclaimed,
" You Arab Americaine, go Zanzibar." But his invita-
tion, afterwards several times renewed, I must decline.
Familiarity has bred its proverbial result. It is of no use
for him to urge that at Zanzibar I shall eat six times a
day and soon grow as fat as himself. I have given him
the photographs he admires so much, on which he lias
written his name and mine in Arabic, and with some
beautiful coral ornaments as souvenirs, I shall have to say
H W THE ENGL ISH AGO. HIRED PERIM. \ 35
farewell to-morrow at Aden, to the good natured young
Prince of Zanzibar.
Fifty miles above the entrance to the Indian Ocean, on
the east coast, we pass within sight of the half deserted
coffee city of Mocha. Its minarets glitter in the morning
sun, and a few small native craft can be seen in the har-
bor, but it is no longer a place of commercial importance,
the trade in its principal staple having been transferred to
Aden.
The little British island of Perim, lies in the middle of
the gateway at the entrance of the Red Sea. Here is a
lighthouse and a fort, where a regiment of troops is
stationed. This key which commands the gates is a
rocky island some acres in extent, situated in mid chan-
nel, and we pass so near that a biscuit might be tossed
from the high rock on board our steamer. The Suez canal
being a French work, and Egypt under French influence,
the seizure of Pcrim by the English was especially annoy-
ing to their neighbors. It happened in this wise : The
French emperor had determined to take possession of the
little island, and despatched a fleet for that purpose, which
put into Aden for coal. The governor of course invited
the French admiral and his officers to dinner, and regaled
them with unexceptionable champagne. In the course of
the evening some of the junior officers "let on" that they
were bound to Perim. The shrewd old governor penciled
a note to the harbor-master to delay the coaling of the
French ships ; and the same night two British men-of-war
left Aden and started up the coast. The next day after
a ceremonious leave-taking and courteous farewell to their
British hosts, the French fleet sailed for Perim. But
when they arrived, to their great mortification and chagrin
they found the British flag flying and a great show of guns
in position. Whether they put into Aden on their return,
history does not say.
9
CHAPTER XL
MAHOMET AND HIS RELIGION.
A Tempting Proposal, but Declined for the Present Mecca, Mahomet's
Birth-place Medina, his Tomb His Coffin Rests upon the Karth The
Descendants of Ishmael Their Plea for Robbery Traditions of Mecca
A Stone from Paradise Early Life of- Mahomet His First Convert
Persecution and Flight The Ilegira His Religion Enforced with the
Sword Its Rapid Spread Over the East The Doctrines of the Koran
Its Sensual Teachings " Bismillah " Moral Precepts and Religious
Duties Practices and Ceremonies The First Temperance Reformer
The Hadji's Prayer A Dress Parade Persian Poem The Pearl Mer-
chant The Prince and the llowadji.
HILE I was at Jeddah, my
friend, Yusef Effendi, to
whom I am indebted for
much information about the
liadjis, or pilgrims, offered
on my return to go with me
to Mecca. His plan was to
make the journey on horse-
back by night, and he
assured me that if I assumed
a Turkish or Arab dress, we
could penetrate to the sacred
Caaba itself, without detec-
tion. My complexion,
which, thanks to an African sun, was assuming a rich
mahogany color, would render the disguise quite easy-
presuming, of course, that I should keep my mouth shut
and, besides, lie urged, if any difficulty should occur, the
AL I HASSAN EFFENDL } 37
influence of the wealthy old patriarch, Mohamet Benaji,
would save me from harm.
This proposal, though rather startling at first, had its
attractions, in view of the fact that, so far as I know, no
American has ever penetrated to the holy city, although
it lias been visited and described by several European
travelers, disguised as dervishes. And then, I must con-
fess a fondness for adventure, (how else should I now be on
my way to Bagdad ? ) and here was just enough of danger
to give a charm to his scheme. So, without positively
declining, I left the matter open for future consideration.
But I ought not to pass within a few miles of Mecca,
the birth-place of one of the most remarkable men who
ever lived, without giving a short sketch of his history,
and the peculiarities of the religion he founded, which
at one period seemed destined to over-run all Europe
and extinguish Christianity. It may seem a strange
incongruity that any educated, intelligent man can be
a Mahometan. But I have met several such persons,
and made the acquaintance, among others at Cairo, of AH
Hassan Effendi, to whom I am indebted for much infor-
mation about the manners and customs of Mahometans.
He was born in Egypt, and was sent when ten years old
to England and educated at King's College, London.
He speaks and writes English perhaps better than myself,
is well read in ancient and modern history, as well as the
current literature of the day, wears a dress all European
except the fez and it is difficult to realize that such a
man believes the religion of the " false prophet," about
which he discoursed without the least reserve, and de-
fended with arguments to me quite novel. But I soon
found that he no more believed the absurd superstitions
of the ignorant Arabs, than an educated Protestant can
138 TIIE BEDOUINS' PLEA FOR ROBBERY.
receive as authentic the stories of miracles performed by
relics of the saints.
It is a common but erroneous impression that Mahomet
WAS buried at Mecca. His tomb is at Medina, a large
city about two hundred miles to the north. It is held as
a place of pilgrimage second only to Mecca, and its appcar-
.ance was described to me with great exactness by a hadjl
who lias been there. The absurd story of Mahomet's
coffin being suspended between heaven and earth is, of
course, a myth.
The Arabians claim to be one of the most ancient of
peoples, their writers tracing their genealogy back to Noah.
The wild tribes of the desert are descendants of Lshmael,
the son of Abraham and Ilagar. They excuse themselves
for the frequent robberies of travelers and merchants, by
alleging the hard usage of their father Lshmael, who,
being turned out of doors by Abraham, had the open
plains and deserts given him by God for his patrimony,
with permission to take whatever he could find there.
They therefore claim the right of levying contributions,
not only on the descendants of Isaac, but on everybody
else who comes in their way. Among themselves, how-
ever, they are strictly honest, and in tents and houses,
where things are left open, theft is almost unknown.
Long before the time of Mahomet, the Arabians went in
pilgrimage to Mecca to celebrate the memory of Abraham
and Ishmael. But this was only a custom. In the Koran,
Mahomet enjoined as a precept the journey to Mecca,
and prescribes the religious ceremonies connected with it.
In the center of that city is the holy temple called the
Caaba, built by Abraham, and the burial-place of Ishmael.
There are many curious traditions about this temple, one
being that it was built by Adam after his expulsion from
paradise, and modeled after one he had seen there and
A STONE FROM PARADISE.
in the last days of the world the Ethiopians will come and
demolish it. Within the building is a celebrated black
stone, set in silver, which is kissed with the greatest
devotion by all pilgrims, and called by some, the " Right
Hand of God on Earth." The fable is, that it is one of
the precious stones of Paradise, and fell to the earth with
Adam, that it was saved at the deluge by the angel
Gabriel, and by him brought back to Abraham when he
was rebuilding the Caaba. On it the patriarch stood, and
it rose and fell, a sort of moveable scaffold, as he was
raising the walls. This stone was originally whiter than
snow, but from the kisses of so many people, assuming
the sins of mankind, it has become black. All pilgrims
shave their heads ai Mecca, leaving only a little tuft of
hair on the crown, by which the Prophet is to lift them
up into paradise. A part of the ceremonies, as prescribed
in the Koran, is running a certain number of times around
the Caaba, sometimes stopping and looking about as if
one had lost something, to represent Hagar seeking water
for her son. Silly and ridiculous as many of these cere-
monies are, they are no worse than one sees among the
Christian hadjis at Jerusalem : and Mecca has this advan-
tage, that the rival sects among Mahometans never quarrel
or come to blows within their holy city.
That Mahomet was a man of no ordinary ability cannot
be denied, but historians differ widely as to his character.
Partial writers of his own faith are enthusiastic in praising
his religious and moral virtues, his piety, justice, liberality,
humility, and abstinence. His charity, they say, was so
great that he seldom had any money in his house, hardly
enough to support his family, that God having offered
him the keys to the treasures of the earth, he refused to
accept them.
On the other hand, the sudden spread of Mahometanism,
140 RELIGION IN THE SEVENTH CENTURY.
and the destruction of the Eastern Churches, once so
flourishing, have inspired such a horror among the old
Christian writers of this religion, that they represent the
character of its founder and his doctrines in the most
infamous light. Perhaps in no period in the world's his-
tory was such an opportunity as the seventh century offered
to Mahomet. The great Italian politician has said :
" without opportunities, it is impossible for any person to
make himself a prince or found a State." At that period,
the pure and simple religion of Christ had become con-
founded with the worst superstitions. Both Eastern and
Western Churches were torn to pieces by disputes on
points of doctrine. Emperors and bishops were ready to
condemn a man to death for a slight difference in religious
opinion, and according to some writers, Mahomet was
raised up by God, to be a scourge to the Christian churches
for not living true to the holy religion they had received
from their divine Master. At that time, the divinity of
the Virgin Mary was believed in by many so-called Chris-
tians, and she was worshiped as God. This was specially
condemned in the Koran as idolatry, and gave Mahomet
a pretext to attack the Trinity itself. His professed
object in establishing a new religion was to restore the
true and ancient worship of the One God, as professed by
Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, all of whom
he calls prophets, himself being the last and the comple-
ment of divine revelation.
His father was a merchant, who died leaving his wife
and infant son with no possessions but five camels and a
black slave. He was reared by his grandfather, and as a
merchant traveled all through Arabia, acquainting him-
self with the state of society, religious and political. His
success in business, and his marriage to a rich widow,
soon made him very wealthy, but he was forty years old
EARLY LIFE OF MAHOMET.
before lie promulgated his scheme of founding a new reli-
gion. His wife was bis first convert, to whom be an-
nounced that the angel Gabriel bad appeared to him, and
told him that be was appointed the Apostle of God. Khed-
jab, like a sensible wife, bad great faith in her husband,
and received the news with great joy. Other relatives
soon became his proselytes, among them bis nephew Ali,
afterwards his son-in-law and successor. But when he
began to preach bis mission in public be was bitterly per-
secuted and denounced. In the twelfth year of his career
as a prophet, bis enemies bad become so powerful that
they made Mecca too uncomfortable for him, and by the
light of the " stars and the crescent moon " he fled to a
cave in the mountains, from whence be afterwards escaped
to Medina, where he bad many adherents. This flight, or 7ic-
gira, is the date of the Mahometan era, about 1250 years ago.
Assuming that Mahomet was sincere at the commence-
ment of bis career, persecution, which usually advances
rather than obstructs the spreading of any new religion,
had now made him a fanatic. He wisely had never pro-
fessed to perform miracles, but he now announced that
the angel Gabriel had taken him in a single night to Je-
rusalem, and thence to Heaven, where he had a special
revelation from God. This absurd story, suggested per-
haps by the account of Moses, was well received by his
disciples, and added immensely to his reputation and influ-
ence. Up to this time he had used only persuasion to
propagate his new doctrines ; but now, embittered by per-
secution, be announced that God had given him permis-
sion to defend himself against the infidels, and extend the
true religion by force of arms.
One of the most convincing proofs that Mahomet was
an imposter, and the doctrines he taught a human inven-
tion, is the fact that for its progress it was indebted almost
THE RAPID SPREAD OF ISLAMIST.
entirely to the sword, while the divine origin of Chris-
tianity has enabled it to prevail against all the powers of
the world, by its own inherent truth. At the head of a
large army of fanatical followers, to whom he promised
immediate entrance to paradise if they fell in battle, he
returned and captured Mecca. So rapidly did his religion
spread, that at his death, which occurred six years after,
all Arabia, from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean,
and from Egypt to Persia, had submitted to his authority.
Ali, who was married to his favorite daughter, Fatima,
conquered Egypt and Persia, and at the close of the four-
teenth century, the Mahometan empire had extended over
India and all northern Africa, had conquered Constan-
tinople, and, crossing the Bosphorus, was only checked
under the walls of Vienna ; while from the west, Europe
was threatened by the Moors, who had crossed the Medi-
terranean, and occupied the most fertile provinces of the
Spanish peninsula.
To describe, other than very briefly, the peculiar doc-
trines of the Koran, will require too much space. This
book, which to a Mahometan is much more sacred than
the Bible to Christians, is made up of a series of revela-
tions, professedly received by the prophet from the angel
Gabriel, from time to time, as suited the exigency of the
occasion. Each chapter commences with the word " Bis-
millali" " In the name of the most merciful God." And
to this day you never enter a pious Moslem's house, par-
take of food, or accept the slightest service, without the
invariable greeting of " Bismillah" In Bagdad, I was
once following a European through a very muddy street,
picking our way close to the wall, when we came plump
upon a native ; my friend halted, and motioned to the
man to get out of the way. This he declined to do, but
with a graceful salaam lie pointed to the mud and ejacu-
THE DOCTRINES OF THE KORAN. 143
lated, " In tlie name of the most merciful God, take the
mud yourself."
The Koran not only prescribes all the doctrines relating
to faith and religious duties, but contains also a complete
code upon which is based the civil law of all Mahometan
countries. It varies but slightly from the Mosaic code, in
all that relates to marriage, divorce, and inheritance. It
acknowledges the divine authority of the Pentateuch,
Psalms, and Gospel, but Mahomet claimed that these
books had undergone so many alterations and corruptions,
that no credit should be given to the present copies in the
hands of Jews or Christians ; that the true, versions con-
tained many passages concerning himself, which have
been suppressed; and the revelations of God through him,
in the Koran, being the " seal of the prophets," no more
are to be expected to the end of the world.
The great doctrine of the Koran is the Unity of God, to
restore the worship of whom, Mahomet professed was the
chief end of his mission. Its style is usually beautiful and
fluent, especially where it imitates the prophetic manner
and Scripture phrases. It abounds in bold figures after
the Eastern taste, and some passages describing the ma-
jesty and attributes of God, are really grand. It teaches
resurrection and judgment ; and the torments of hell, as
well as the delights of paradise, are minutely described in
all the glory of Oriental imagery. The poor are to enter
paradise, five hundred years before the rich, and the pro-
phet says that when he took a look into paradise, he saw
the majority there to be the poor on earth.
It is difficult to convey to the common mind the idea of
spiritual pleasures, without the use of sensible objects.
This was especially true in the early ages, and the Scrip-
tures describe the mansion of the blessed as a glorious city,
with streets and gates of gold and precious stones. But
144 ITS SENSUAL TEACHINGS.
the Bible has no intimation even of the sensual delights of
the Mahometan paradise, so minutely described in the
Koran, inflaming the imaginations of these Eastern people,
who are more given to the pleasures of sense, than the
cooler blooded nations of the West. The law of predes-
tination, that whatever is to happen has been fixed by
God's irrevocable decree, was used in the Koran to urge his
followers to fight without fear and with desperation. This
idea of fatalism is so characteristic of Mahometan minds,
that it stands in the way of all progress or enterprise.
The common idea, that Mahomet allowed an unbounded
plurality of wives, is a mistake. The Koran expressly
limits the number to four, and adds the very sensible
advice, " if a man shall apprehend any inconvenience
from so many as that, he shall many one only." In Ma-
homet's time, unlimited polygamy was common among
the Arabians, so that this feature of his religion offered
no attraction to the sensualist to join his ranks, as Mor-
monism has done in a later and more civilized age. The
use of wine, and all games of chance, are specially forbid^
den, and the Koran put an end to the inhuman citstom,
then practised among the Arabs, of burying their daughters'
alive, to be freed from the expense of providing for them.
Resignation to the will of God, charity, honesty, hospi-
tality, fasting and prayer, are enjoined in many parts of
the Koran. This last was taught as so necessary a duty,
that Mahomet calls prayer the " pillar of religion and the
key to paradise." In another place he says, "there can
be no good in that religion wherein is no prayer." Five
times a day his followers are called upon to pray in the
morning before sunrise, at noon, in the afternoon, at sun-
set, and before retiring at night ; and during these devo-
tions, the face must be turned towards the sacred Caaba
at Mecca. Nor is the mere outward observance of these
MORAL PRECEPTS AND RELIGIOUS DUTIES.
forms of any avail, if performed without due attention,
reverence, and devotion. On such occasions, sumptuous
apparel and costly ornaments must be laid aside. The women
are not allowed to pray in the mosques at the same time
with the men, lest their presence should distract the minds
of the devout from the worship of God. Before prayer,
every Moslem must wash his face, hands, and feet, or if so
situated that water cannot be had, as in the desert, he is
permitted to use clean, dry sand. In a hot climate, fre-
quent ablution is conducive to health, and Mahomet was
wise in making the free use of water so important a reli-
gious observance.
I might go on and describe the religion of the " false
prophet of Mecca" at much greater length, but I fear that
my imperfect sketch has already occupied too much of the
space that I should have devoted to personal observations
and incidents of travel. My only apology is, that, although
this subject is familiar to scholars and theologians, the
great mass of the people have no definite ideas as to what
Mahomet taught, and the religious observances of his fol-
lowers, and as this journey is through Moslem countries,
some scenes hereafter to be described, may, perhaps, be the
more intelligible to the reader.
My experience among the Hadjis at Jeddah,and on our
steamer, has made me so familiar with the outward forms
of their religious exercises, that I shall need but little in-
struction, if I should accept Yusef Effendi's proposal to
visit Mecca. Being on the pilgrimage, they are very strict
in their ablutions, prayers, and prostrations. During the
day they are scattered over the deck, and spend their time
in eating, smoking, sleeping, and reading the Koran. At
the stated hours of prayer, we hear the shrill call of the
muezzin, who is perched on the highest point of the fore-
castle, instead of his usual place in the gallery of a min-
146 DRESS PARADE AT SUNSET.
aret. Then all is bustle and confusion. The sleepers
awake and rub their eyes, chibouks are laid aside, water is
drawn from the side of the ship for ablution, and here on
the quarter deck where the quality is located, it is poured
by the slaves over the hands of their masters. I should
not call these black servants slaves, for having been to
Mecca, by the Mahometan law they have become free.
Having combed their beards, and made their toilets, each
one spreads before him a clean mat or carpet, kept for this
purpose. The Prince has laid aside his richly embroidered
robe, for before God, prince and peasant are alike, and
they range themselves in line with faces towards Mecca.
The moollah, or class leader, stands a few feet in front,
and all being ready, what we irreverently term the " squad
drill" commences. They do not mind in the least our
watching their performances, but seem rather proud, than
ashamed of their religious exercises. The " dress parade"
at sunset is the most showy affair, and if any prayer has
been omitted during the day, it is now made up. First
each man strokes down his face and beard a few r times, and
holds his open hands before his eyes, thereby seeming to
shut out the world from his thoughts, and exactly follows
the moollah in all his motions. Then with closed eyes
and every appearance of devotion, he repeats in a low
voice, the prescribed formula of prayer. This is the first
chapter of the Koran, and answers to the Lord's Prayer
among Christians. In it the words " There is no God
but God, and Mahomet is his prophet" frequently occurs.
It is first said standing erect, then stooping forward with
the hands resting on the knees ; the third position is upon
all fours, with the forehead touching the ground, and rest-
ing upon a small piece of stone brought from Mecca.
Then sitting up, they say a shorter prayer, which they re-
peat with their heads again on the ground. This perform-
THE HADJI'S PRA YER.
147
ance occupies about fifteen minutes, and then all rise to
their feet, open their eyes and look about with a complai-
sant air, as if they had done their duty, and would be en-
titled to a record therefor in the world to corne. Some
MAHOMETAN AT PRAYER.
very devout ones, and others who have been remiss during
the day, go through the same programme two or three
times in succession. The less reverent drop out from the
ranks, carefully roll up their carpets, resume their chi-
bouks, and settle down for a pleasant chat among them-
selves, or with the Howadji, who has been a curious spec-
tator of the scene.
148 TIIE PRINCE AND THE HOWADJL
They usually retire early, but one bright moonlight
night, a party of Persians collected on the quarter deck,
and one of their number recited in a musical voice a long
poem in blank verse. It was described to us as a, " love
story," and from the frequent peals of laughter, must have
been full of humorous passages which were highly enjoyed
by the auditors. The pearl merchant, Abdul Azziz, seems
to be the chief Sheik among the Persians but, poor fel-
low, the responsibility of his harem, behind the green cur-
tains in the after cabin, causes him great care and anxiety.
He is constantly running below, scolding the attendants,
or peeping from the deck through the skylight which com-
mands a view of the cabin. The Prince, on the other
hand, jolly and fat, takes the world easy. With his grand
vizier he sleeps in the room opposite mine, with doors
wide open, and quite neglects the ladies of his suite, who
are shut up in the ladies' cabin. He sleeps soundly too
thanks to a clear conscience and good digestion. Listen-
ing to his loud breathing, the Howadji lies awake through
the long watches of the sultry night, and his thoughts
wander across the two oceans that separate him from the
dear ones at home.
CHAPTER XII.
ADEN.
The Gibraltcr of the Indian Ocean We Meet the Remains of Dr. Living-
stone Interviews with Jacob, his "Nassick Doy" A most Faithful
Servant His Account of Livingstone's Death His long Journey to the
Coast Aden, the Picture of Desolation Amphibious Arabs Street
Gamins The Parsee Merchant Steamer Landing Excursion to the
Town A Dilapidated Equipage John Chinaman Trains of Camels
An Abyssini m Exquisite and his Bride Description of the Reservoirs
The Kizaars The Climate of Aden a Suggestion of the Hereafter We
part with the Prince of Zanzibar A "Peg in the Coffin" of English
Officers.
S we steam into the land-
locked harbor of Aden, over
-svhich tower high volcanic
mountains, their rocky sides
unrelieved so far as the eye
can reach, by a single green
tree or a blade of grass, we no-
lice the flags at half mast, and
a steamer just arrived from
Zanzibar, in naval mourning,
viz : a light blue streak along
her sides, and a broad band
of the same color around her
funnel. She lias on board
the remains of one of the most famous travelers and ex-
plorers of modern times, the lamented Dr. Livingstone, on
their wav home to be placed at rest in Westminster Abbey,
150 TIIE REMA INS OF DR. L I VINGS TONE.
beside the dust of England's greatest warriors, statesmen,
and scholars.
Lieut. Murphey, of the Hoyal Artillery, who was one of
the party that had penetrated for his relief, as far as
Unyanyembe, and there met the Doctor's faithful servants
with his dead body, has come thus far, and now returns to
Zanzibar.
As soon as our anchor was down I went on board the
" Calcutta," where I had a very interesting interview with
his faithful and devoted servant, Jacob, a " Nassick boy"
who has been under the tuition of the English missionaries
at Zanzibar, and can speak and write English. lie is very
black, with short curly hair, intelligent and very communi-
cative. He goes on with the body to England. He has
kept a diary of all the events connected with the Doctor's
death, and of his adventures on his way to the coast, which
have been published.
Dr. Livingstone died in May, and Jacob says that they
were afraid if they did not bring away his body they might
be accused of killing him. They had a small quantity of
spirits and some salt, and Jacob used these in preparing
the body for its last long journey. They packed it in the
bark of a tree, and for over seven months toiled through
a wilderness of jungle, and past many hostile tribes to
Unyanyembe. From here they were two months more on
their way to Zanzibar.
In passing through the territory of some powerful chief,
he told me they were stopped, and a large sum of money
demanded as a ransom. This they did not have, and for
a time he was in despair. At last he got away by
stratagem. Pretending to bury the body with great cere-
mony, they secretly took it out from its case of bark, and
repacked it like a bale of goods.
The toils and hardships they passed through would fill
ADEN, THE GIBR ALTER OF THE INDIAN OCEAN.
a volume. Two large cases, containing the Doctor's papers
and charts, accompany the body to England. Jacob en-
tirely confirms Stanley's account of meeting Dr. Living-
stone, and sets at rest all controversy on that point. His
account of the Doctor's death was most touching, and the
tears which came to his eyes, showed how devotedly he
was attached to his master. His own efforts arid labors
were told in a modest, unassuming manner, and I was much
prepossessed in his favor. He will doubtless be made
much of when he reaches England. The mail steamer
left the next day for Suez, with the remains of one of
England's bravest sons, faithfully guarded by his devoted
servant.
Aden, the great half-way coaling station between the
Mediterranean and India, is situated on a peninsula that juts
out from the Arabian coast, and in appearance, is the most
desolate, barren, and forbidding place, that it is possible to
conceive of. Naked cliffs and volcanic ridges surround it on
every side some rising to the height of eighteen hundred
feet while forts mounting heavy guns, crown every peak,
and water batteries command every part of the harbor and
its entrance. Six years ago, during the Abyssinian war,
Aden was the base of supplies for the English troops
operating against King Theodore. Then the harbor was
full of ships-of-war and transports. Annesley bay, where
the British disembarked to march against Abyssinia, is
about three hundred miles up the coast, full of small,
rocky islands, and very difficult and dangerous of access.
At Aden, there are daily arrivals and departures of steam-
ers, plying through the Suez canal between Europe and
India and China. It is ninety-six miles from here to the
entrance of the Red Sea, and this lonely, barren rock, this
treeless, grassless, black ruin, which can most expressively
be described as " Hell with the fires put out," where not a
10
152 AM PHI BIO US ARABS.
drop of fresh water can be had, except that which is caught
from the clouds or condensed from the sea, is growing into
a busy town, with a population of thirty thousand people.
A score of small native craft are in the inner harbur, and
anchored around us are five or six large steamers, and
as many sailing ships.
Besides its importance as a coaling station, Aden has
secured to itself the export trade in Mocha coffee, amount-
ing to twenty thousand tons a year.
Notwithstanding its desolate and oven-like appearance,
this place is said to be quite healthy from October to April.
If the "fires are put out" during the winter months, the
terrific, scorching ,heat of summer, must give 'the inhab-
itants a foretaste of the lower regions with the fires at full
blast.
Aden is very strongly fortified, and cannon bristle from
every point commanding the harbor. It lias been held by
the English about thirty-five years, and its importance has
increased immensely since the new route to the East was
opened across the isthmus. Half way between Europe and
India, every steamer here replenishes its supply of fuel,
and from its position, it commands the Red Sea trade, as
Gibraltar does the Mediterranean. The warlike tribes on
the neighboring coast, have several times attacked the place,
but for the past ten years, their chiefs have rested quiet,
with the annual stipend allowed them by the British Gov-
ernment. The garrison consists of one European and
two native regiments of Sepoys from India.
Our steamer is soon surrounded by a fleet of tiny boats,
or " dugouts," each containing a shining little Arab, in
most primitive toilet, who clamors for the privilege of div-
ing for any coin we may throw into the water. They seem
more than half amphibious, and as they slip in and out
their canoes, diving and sporting in the clear sea, their
FALL OF OSTRICH FEATHERS.
153
smooth, glossy black skins, remind us of a school of por-
poises. We throw them a bright sixpence, and a dozen at
once go for it. We see them kicking and struggling deep
under water, then the victor rises to the surface with a grin,
shows the coveted coin between his teeth, and shakes his
woolly head like a spaniel. Other boats contain the deal-
ers in ostrich feathers, red coral and curious shells. These
are mostly sharp fellows, and if they do not sell their own
wares, are sure to steal whatever they can lay their hands
on. They are not allowed to come on board, but sometimes
will smuggle themselves up the ladder, and if discovered,
the sailors take great delight in playing upon them with
the hose, or unceremoniously pitching them, feathers and
all, into the sea.
J
OSTRICH FEATHER DEALERS AT ADEN.
We spend the days on shore but find it more com-
fortable to sleep at night on the ship. At the landing we
154 C0 WASJEE DINSIIA IV, A PARSES MERCHANT.
are surrounded by a crowd of gamins, real street Arabs,
who follow us everywhere, clamoring for baksheesh, offer-
ing to procure for us a carriage, or donkey, or to get up a
fight for our amusement. Words being of no avail, we
have to use our sticks freely, to keep them off, but nothing
daunted, they follow us at a little distance, watching their
opportunity. We sit down for a moment, to rest in the
shade, and one comes up stealthily behind and commences
fanning me with & punkah. This delicate attention meets
its reward, and the baksheesh is won. There is said to be
over five hundred of these little fellows in Aden, from ten
to fifteen years old, who come from the neighboring tribe
of Abdalees, on the mainland. They have a community of
their own, and live upon a small rocky island in the harbor,
or in caves on the mountain side.
Along the bund facing the water, are immense piles of
coal, several large stores and warehouses, and two hotels.
The most important personage here, is a Parsee merchant,
Cowasjee Dinshaw. He is the agent of several lines of
steamers, and the broad veranda in front of his place, is
a general rendezvous for strangers. His warehouse is
crammed with a most varied and heterogeneous stock
of merchandise. It is a " variety store" and " curiosity
shop" combined. Japan, China, India, France, Ger-
many, and England, all are represented on his shelves,
and there, too, can be found Cleveland petroleum and Con-
necticut clocks. He will fill your order for anything you
may desire, from an elephant to a paper of pins, only you
must expect to pay handsomely for whatever you buy of
"Old Cowasjee."
This is called the "Harbor Landing;" the town and can-
tonments of the troops are situated in a hollow among the
volcanic hills five miles away.
From the many dilapidated vehicles at the landing, we
TO THE TOWX.
155
selected the most promising one, but it had evidently
served out its full term in some European city before being
transported to another continent. The horse was wild and
half broken, the harness supplemented with pieces of rope,
and the native driver seemed in keeping with the establish-
ment. I must, however, do him the justice to say that what-
ever he may have lacked in wearing apparel, he was not
wanting in activity and energy. He rode sometimes on the
shafts and sometimes on a seat perched in front of the ve-
hicle and was continually jumping off to run alongside,
DOWN GRADE.
and urge the horse to greater speed. He always rode up
the hills, but when we came to a steep descent, he would
jump off and help hold back the carriage. We noticed
that the vicious beast at such times, laid back his ears, as
if not satisfied with the hold-back arrangements, and
seemed inclined to throw his heels in the air, which would
not be pleasant to a driver directly in the rear.
156 AN ABYSSINIAN EXQUISITE AND HIS BRIDE.
The road was hard and smooth, and for two miles
wound along the shore, then turning inland with, many
sharp curves, through ravines and round the base of high
cliffs, on which not a particle of vegetable life could be
seen. The scenery was unique and grand, but the very
picture of desolation. We were in high spirits, like a
couple of sailors taking a run ashore, after a long sea voy-
age. We met long trains of camels, some laden with bags
of " Mocha," others carrying goat skins of water, from a
small stream fifteen miles away on the main land.
These ungainly beasts, with crane-like necks and awk-
ward gait, plodding along in single file, each one sur-
mounted with a black urchin, perched high in the air,
were in strong contrast with the little donkeys, scarcely
bigger than a Newfoundland dog, and carrying burdens
larger than themselves, or mounted by natives whose feet
dangled to the ground. The people here, are of every race
known in the East, and we met one unmistakable u John-
ny" with pigtail and slanting almond eyes, who told me
in u pigeon English" that ho was cook on a steamer in the
harbor. But most of the natives we met, were Abyssin-
ians, very black, with Asiatic, not negro, features, and hair
cultivated in long corkscrew curls, sticking out in all di-
rections, and by the application of lime, faded out from
black to a dingy brown. These shock heads, in which
both sexes seem to take great pride, were not unlike the
prevailing style of young girls' hair at home. The ap-
pearance of the women was by no means attractive. All
wore enormous silver ear ornaments and nose rings, strings
of glass beads, and anklets and armlets, more massive than
ornamental. One couple especially attracted our atten-
tion. They were gotten up in the most exquisite style of
Abyssinian art, especially the young woman, and seemed
to create quite a sensation on the road. She was profusely
ENTRANCE TO THE TO WX. 157
decorated, and wore in her nose a large ring with the
three pearls, indicating that she was a bride. Her " fel-
larV wool, originally black, had been colored to a dingy
blonde, and was elaborately curled until it would fill a half
bushel measure. The lady rode a donkey, and the groom
walked by her side (barefooted, of course), and so absorbed
were they in each other, that we drove slowly by and
stared at them, wit.hout attracting their notice.
The entrance to the town is through a deep gorge, where
for a space of one hundred yards the Avails rise from eighty
to one hundred feet in height, on each side. A massive
gateway and cannon, guard the entrance, and a squad of
native soldiers in red coats (Sikhs from India), presented
arms as we passed. Emerging from the narrow ravine,
the town was before us, occupying a basin about a mile in
diameter, evidently the crater of an extinct volcano. A
circle of jagged peaks surround it, some of them covered
with forts and batteries. Several regiments of troops are
quartered here in airy stone cantonments, forming a large
fort in the center of the town.
The most curious feature in Aden is the tanks or reser-
voirs, for supplying the town with water. The fall of rain
is very slight, sometimes not a drop for three or four years.
There are no springs, and the nearest fresh water on the
mainland, is fifteen miles off. These magnificent cisterns,
date back to the sixth century, and as originally con-
structed, had a capacity of over thirty million gallons. They
are excavated in part out of the solid rock, and lined with a
hard white cement, having the appearance of marble.
When the British took possession of Aden, they were in
ruins and filled with rubbish. Within the last fifteen
years, a large sum has been expended on their restoration,
and they are now capable, when filled, of supplying the
town for over a year. It is very difficult to give a descrip-
158 DESCRIPTION OF THE RESERVOIRS.
tion of these great works, intelligible to one who has never
seen them. The range of hills forming the walls of the
crater, is nearly circular, the inner side of these hills is
very steep, hut the descent is broken by a large plateau,
about midway between the summit, and the sea level.
This table land is intersected by numerous ravines, nearly
all of which converge into one valley, which thus receives
the drainage of a large area. The steepness of the hills,
the hardness of the rocks, and the lack of soil upon them,
prevent any great amount of absorption, and a moderate
fall of rain sends a tremendous torrent of water down the
valley ; and here the reservoirs are built. They are very
fantastic in their shape, which is made to conform with
the natural walls of rock on either side. Some are built
like dykes, across the gorge of the valley, and every feature
of the adjacent rocks is taken advantage of. The overflow
from each is conducted into the succeeding one, and a com-
plete chain is thus formed, reaching to the very heart of
the town. The edges of these great basins are protected
by iron railings, and stone steps lead from one level to the
next. Everything about them is kept scrupulously clean,
and the glare of the mid-day sun upon these white walls
was exceedingly painful to the eyes. When I was here
three years ago, they were nearly full, but now they con-
tain very little water, which is not surprising, as it has not
rained during all that time. The British government,
which never does anything in the way of public works by
halves, not satisfied with expending an immense amount of
money on these great cisterns, has also constructed large
condensing works, by which the sea water is rendered fit
for use, and is now building an aqueduct to convey the
water from the main land to the town.
From the tanks, we drove through the bazaars, which
are very filthy and mean, with more gew-gaws of European
A PEG IN THE COFFIN. 159
manufacture than native goods. The specialties of Aden
are ostrich and marabout feathers, ostrich eggs, leopard
and lion skins ; which we found very cheap.
We have spent some days at Aden, and said good-bye
to the Prince with many expressions of regret. At part-
ing he repeated his offer of hospitality at Zanzibar, with
six or any number of meals a day, not to be eaten with the
fingers after the native style, but with knives and forks and
other civilized appliances.
But Zanzibar even with these attractions must be de-
clined, for it is close under the equator and the climate is
too hot for a summer campaign.
While here we called by invitation on the English offi-
cers of the " Artillery Mess," whose bronzed faces showed
long service in the East. Here, as in India, the visitor is
always welcomed with a " peg," which means brandy and
soda, and a peg it has proved in the coffin of many a poor
fellow who has measured his length in a foreign soil, before
the expiration of his seven years service, which would en-
title him to a fuiioudi home.
CHAPTER XIII.
ON THE ARABIAN SEA.
Good-bye to Aden Life at Sea The Yankee Sea Serpent Flying Fish and
Porpoises Muscat The Streets and Bazaars The Sultan's Palace His
Body Guard An Uncnvied King Under English Protection Novel
Auction Sale The Naval Squadron Assisted by English Gunboats
Near View of the Forts " Ormus and Ind" Bundar Abbas Lingeh
Reception of the Hadji, Abdul Assiz He Safely Lands his Lu-lu The
Pearl Fisheries How they arc Managed A Valuable Fruit Lingeh to
Bushirc The "Land of Roses, Poets, and Nightingales."
E are not sorry when the
" Gunga" leaves behind her
these desolate peaks, and
turns her prow to the north-
east, for a long stretch of thir-
teen hundred miles across the
Arabian Seatowards Muscat.
The monotony of our life at
sea is unvaried by storm or
rough weather. All day we
watch the flying fish, or peer
ill rough the glass at a faint
line of smoke far away on
the horizon, which betokens a
passing steamer. One morning the captain called our at-
tention to a " Yankee sea serpent." Crossing our bow,
half a mile off, was a long procession of benetas, a large
black fish. At regular intervals, they leaped a few feet
above the water i-n graceful curves, which might easily be
mistaken for the long folds of that fabulous sea monster.
THE ARAB TAX CITY OF MUSCAT.
At night we lean for hours over the rail, watching the
schools of porpoises that sport around us, darting through
the phosphorescent sea like streaks of silver.
After six days steadily steaming, with no land in sight,
we approached the coast of Muscat. This is a province
in Arabia, ruled by an independent Sultan or King, and
extending several hundred miles along the coast, and in-
land an indefinite distance, depending upon the ability of
the Sultan to enforce his authority over the wild and rest-
less tribes of the interior. Under the late Sultan, Zanzi-
bar and Muscat were united in one kingdom, but at his
death, the two elder sons divided these provinces between
them. Our young prince, Sayd Hammoud, is their brother.
The city of Muscat has about sixty thousand inhabitants,
and presents a very picturesque appearance when ap-
proached from the sea. The coast line is bold and rocky.
We sail close in shore, passing several lofty headlands,
on one of which is a dilapidated fort, and suddenly the
town opens to view at the bottom of a deep cove, the
houses built along the beach, with a background of pre-
cipitous rocks, and so close to the water, that the sea
washes against them at high tide. In front of the town
the shipping lies at anchor, and on every peak and crag,
are formidable-looking forts, mounting iron guns of small
calibre, over which flies the red flag of Muscat.
The Portugese held this place for one hundred and fifty
years, and their commerce made it a very important port.
They built these fortifications some of them perched upon
the summit of almost inaccessible cliffs according to the
best military experience of their day. But in 1648 they
were expelled from all their possessions in Arabia, by a
simultaneous revolution among the Arabs.
As our stay here will be short, we hasten to go on shore
and see the town. The boats are long and narrow, shaped
1 (32 TIJE SUL TAN 'S PALACE.
like an Indian canoe, and almost as easily upset. "We sit
flat on the bottom, and, holding on to the sides with both
hands, are quickly propelled by paddles shaped like mus-
tard spoons, to the landing place. Here we find a native
guide who speaks a little English, and we follow him
through narrow crooked streets to the British Consulate,
where I post a letter for home. It must travel over ten
thousand miles, and be two months on the way ; and I feel
somewhat doubtful whether it will ever reach its destina-
tion. He then leads us through the bazaars, unpavcd, very
crooked and dirty, that remind me of a Chinese city. Tliey
are scarcely four feet wide, and the shops are crowded with
all sorts of merchandise, among which I recognize articles
of Yankee manufacture. Muscat is the only port in this
part of the world, that has any trade with America. Three
or four sailing ships come here every year, touching at
Zanzibar, and return laden with coffee, dates, ivory, and
gums. In front of the market place is the Sultan's palace,
and we step inside the gate, where a magnificent African
lion is pacing up and down his wooden cage. Lounging
around the court yard, we see about a hundred soldiers
and such soldiers ! no attempt at uniform, some armed
with matchlocks, some with single or double barreled shot
guns, and others with long spears. Hanging against the
palace walls, arc round, antique looking bucklers or shields,
which are carried upon the left arm. The Sultan, though
nominally an independent prince, with whom England and
other European countries have treaties, is in reality but a
dependent of Great Britain, and protected by that power.
Two English gunboats arc now in port, having just re-
turned from an expedition down the coast, some fifty miles,
where, at his request, they knocked to pieces a strong fort
held by some of his rebellious subjects, whom he was
unable to subdue. Political matters arc just now in a very
SCENE IN THE BAZAARS.
165
unsettled condition in Muscat, and the lives and property
of the natives are so insecure, that trade is deserting the
place. To assassinate a Grand Vizier is no uncommon
occurrence, and everybody seems armed. Even the fruit
seller of whom we bought some dates, wore in his belt an
ugly looking, crooked sword called a creese. We saw loung-
ing through the streets, many dark skinned, wild looking
Arabs, with fierce, restless eyes, long black hair, and
armed with swords and matchlocks. Their lithe forms
and savage looks, reminded me of a tiger, who would be a
far less dangerous animal to meet alone in the desert.
These are Bedouins belonging to the wild tribes in the
interior. We are told, that the Sultan rarely dares show
himself outside the palace walls, for fear of being assas-
SWORD AUCTIONEER AT MUSCAT.
sinated. Uneasy must rest the head that wears the crown
of Muscat.
NEAR VIEW OF TUE FORTS.
While iii the bazaar, we witnessed a novel auction sale.
A man came along singing at the top of his voice tin
praises of an old, but very handsome sword, the scabban
and hilt richly ornamented with silver and gold. It was
a curious and valuable relic, and I wanted very much
to add it to my collection of weapons. The highest bid
so far was sixty-four rupees about thirty dollars. The
auctioneer will carry it around in this way for three days,
and our guide said it would probably sell for one hundred
rupees. These Eastern people are very fond of showy
weapons, and great sums arc lavished on swords and
daggers, which are ostentatiously worn, not so much for
use as ornament, and as marks of rank and distinction.
They arc handed down as heirlooms, and will only be
parted with in case of urgent necessity.
On our way back to the landing we passed one of the
forts which looked so formidable at a distance. A nearer
view showed it to be much dilapidated, and the guns old
and rusty. Workmen were busy patching up the holes
made by shot at a recent bombardment. There is a Por-
tuguese inscription over the inner gate, and the date 1588.
Not wishing to tarry after dark within the town, we called
our boatman and were quickly paddled back to the steamer,
passing close to an old thirty-six gun frigate, and some
armed bucjalalis, which comprise the Muscat squadron.
From this place our course is to the entrance of the Per-
sian Gulf, through a narrow strait, and past many high
rocky islands, on one of which is the grave of Captain Baffin,
the English navigator, who gave his name to a bay in the
North Atlantic. We pass the island of Ormus, just as the
sun is setting behind its rocky hills, lighting them up with
a glow of gold and sapphire.
This is the " Ormus and Ind," whose wealth was once
proverbial. In olden times a very rich and populous city
BUNDAR ABBAS, AND LING EH.
stood upon the plain between the hills and the sea. It
commanded the richest commerce of the world, from India
up the Persian Gulf and the Euphrates. The ruins of a
strong Portuguese fort, and a population of four hundred
fishermen, living in mat huts, are all that remain to mark
the spot.
We approached the town of Bundar Abbas by moon-
light, and signaled with rockets for boats to take off the
native passengers and freight. This place was once of
great commercial importance, and the remains of large
European warehouses are yet to be seen. It is defended
by a wall with towers at regular intervals, and lias now a
population of about twelve thousand. The only foreign
resident is the agent of the " British India Company,"
to whom our steamer is consigned. He seemed heartily
glad to meet English faces ; to him the only connecting
link with the civilized world.
The next day, we anchor off the town of Lingeh, one of
the most flourishing places on the Persian coast. Its ap-
pearance from the sea is very pleasant, the houses being
built of white stone, and surrounded by date trees.
From a high building in the center of the town, the resi-
dence of the governor, the flag of the Shah of Persia, the
" lion and the sun," is flying, and at the masthead of a
native lugalali we see the favorite banner of the Persians,
the two-bladed sword of Ali, on a white ground with a
dark green border. Here we land sixty more of our pil-
grims. The greeting to the new-comers is quite affection-
ate. Dark, black-bearded men kiss each other on both
cheeks, and the pilgrims are addressed with the honorary
title of "Hadji" prefixed to their names, which they ever
after retain. Bands of music and processions wait at the
landing to escort them to their homes. They have been
absent on the pilgrimage over four months, and if called
THE PEARL MERCHANT AT HOME.
upon to tliank their friends and neighbors for this kind
reception, they can truly say that this is the proudest a
happiest moment of their lives. The pearl merchant
leaves us here, and his four ladies, closely wrapped from
head to foot, arc safely deposited in the boat. 80 carefully
has he watched over his precious charge, that not one of
the passengers or officers has been able to catch the slightest
glimpse of their faces, during the two weeks of their sojourn
behind the green curtain. Abdul at times lias been quite
sociable. In the moonlight evenings, he would sometimes
bring on deck his elegant chibouk with an amber mouth-
piece of immense size, and pass it around for our delecta-
tion. His servant would keep it filled with delicious " turn-
back," and under its tranquilizing influence he would fora
while forget his dread responsibilities as a family man, and
tell us about the pearl fisheries, in which he is largely in-
terested. He is the Sheik of the Island of Gais, near
Lingeh, which is the most important place for pearls on
the Persian Gulf. He has fifty boats and several hundred
divers, whose pay, he says, is the dates they eat and the
clothes they wear, while a few rich men enjoy the proceeds
of their dangerous calling. They are dropped down with
ropes under their arms and weights tied to their feet, in
water from thirty to fifty feet deep, collect an armful of
the oysters and arc drawn up to the boats. Long prac-
tice enables the diver to remain under water from a minute
to a minute and a half, and while on the bottom he must
stir round lively. They arc armed with knives, and some-
times have desperate encounters with the sharks that
guard, like fabled genii, the treasures of the deep. The
oysters, which are as large as ordinary breakfast plates,
are carried on shore at night and delivered to the Sheik.
At sunset all assemble for evening prayers, the Sheik
especially praying to Allah for a lucky haul. At daylight
L U-L U SAP EL Y LANDED. 169
the next morning the oysters are opened and the pearls
carefully collected. They vary in size, from a pin's head
to a large pea, and the result of a day's fishing is very
uncertain.
The shells, as mother of pearl, are worth in Europe
about twenty dollars per hundred weight, and the pearls
are packed in an envelope of dark red cloth, the parcel
being made the exact size and shape of a pomegranate.
A bit of red sealing wax secures the end, and the valuable
fruit is forwarded to Bombay, where it will sometimes
bring twenty-five thousand rupees.
Abdul had no pearls with him, but had taken quite a
valuable stock when he started on the pilgrimage, and
combining business with piety, had disposed of them to
good advantage in Mecca. If the rumors were true, he
had invested a part of the proceeds in a beautiful young
Circassian one of the four just now safely landed at
Lingeh. As he stepped into his own boat and pushed away
from the ship, he waved to us on deck a parting salute,
and his one eye seemed to gleam with an expression of
joy and triumph. We imagined him humming the popular
air
"Lu-lu is my darling pride Lu-lu bright! Lu-lu gay!"
From Lingeh it was two days' sail to Bushire, the prin-
cipal seaport of Persia, and the largest city on the gulf.
But my impressions of the territory of the Shah must be
given in another chapter.
11
CHAPTER XIV.
PERSIA.
Iranistan, the Land of tlie Shah Its Climate Picture of the Towns and
Villages Persian Costumes A Convenient Disguise Beauty a Poetical
Myth Situation of Bushirc English Cannon have Left their Mark
Darya-Beg, the "Lord of the Sea" The Arsenal A Yankee Gun
Persian Soldiers How they Secure their Back Pay Wind Towers-
Jealousy of Foreigners The Telegraph A Costly Mcssnge Persian
Carpets How they are Made A Devil in Limbo Water Carriers
Postage Stamps A Bright Idea A Persian Mint The Shah's Car-
riage Island of Karnak The Key of the Persian Gulf A New Route
to India The ""Wandering Jew " of the Mahometans.
HE Persia of to-day, ruled
by the Shall, who still as-
sumes the title of " King of
Kings," seems on the map
but a small province, com-
pared with the magnificent
empire that once extended
from the Mediterranean to
the Indies. Its sovereign
owes his throne to the suc-
cessful raid of a Kurdish
chieftain, a few generations
ago, and is no more a descen-
dant from Darius or Cyrus,
than his capital is to be identified or compared with ancient
Persepolis, the glories of which are handed down to us
by the " Father of History," or deciphered from the in-
scription on its ruined walls.
PERSIAN TOWNS AND VILLAGES.
The names Arabia and Persia are riot those by which
these countries are known to their inhabitants. The
Arabs call their country Jezeret-al-Arab " country of the
Arabs." The Persians call it Arabistan. The word
Persia comes from the Greek Persis. Their own name
for their country is Iranistan. The climate of that part
of Persia bordering on the Gulf and extending up to the
mouth of the Euphrates, is exceedingly trying to Euro-
peans, though perhaps not quite as unhealthy as India.
The intense heat of summer is aggravated by the hu-
midity of tho atmosphere. In winter the winds are very
cold and piercing. The saying is, that there is always too
much wind or none at all.
The small towns are all very similar a square fort of
rough stone, with loop-holed bastions at the angles, or
several detached round towers ; the Sheik's house, and a
few more of stone ; others of mud, or mats made from
date leaf stalks ; a grove of date trees in the immediate
vicinity, and a detached tower or two near the walls.
These are the invariable features. The larger towns are
walled round, and have a greater proportion of stone build-
ings. Nowhere is there the slightest pretense at ostenta-
tion on the outside of their buildings, public or private.
Luxury and wealth may be profuse inside their homes,
but none is shown to the public as a temptation to the
spoiler.
The people arc Mahometans, with a small sprinkling of
Jews and native Christians. They belong to a sect quite
different from the Arabs, and revere the memory of Ali
almost as much as Mahomet. His tomb, near Bagdad, is
one of their sacred shrines.
The common dress of the Persians, as seen in the
streets, differs somewhat from any we have heretofore
seen. A hat of black felt, without brim, or a large turban,
172 TIIE WOMEN OF PERSIA.
takes the place of the Arab kaffeah. Instead of the long
striped abbah of camel's hair, they wear a loose robe of
cotton or silk, with long sleeves, and a shawl tied around
the waist, in the folds of which they carry their money and
valuables. The wealthy have richly embroidered under
vests, the outer robe being open from the throat to the
waist. The women wear the universal loose, baggy gown,
of white or dark blue cotton, and over the face a white
mask in which is a small open-work space for the eyes.
The disguise is so complete, that one might pass his own
wife or sister in the street without recognizing her. It is
said that this offers the greatest facility for 'intrigue, to
which these Mahometan women are very much in^Lned.
In the bazaars, especially those devoted to silks and wear-
ing apparel, you sec great numbers of females chaffering
with the shop keepers. But the men pass them by with-
out notice, as it is impossible to tell, unless they choose to
raise the corner of their veils, whether they are white or
black, ugly or beautiful. At home in the harems, the
wealthy ladies arc said to be very richly dressed, with a
profusion of jewels and ornaments. In my travels in
Mahometan countries, 1 have never yet seen a really beau-
tiful woman. Circassian and Georgian females, who are
especially admired for their large, liquid black eyes, and
long silken lashes, over which the Persian poets go into
ccstacics, arc but handsome-faced animals, without educa-
tion or intelligence. Refinement and intellect are attrac-
tions to them unknown, and would be unappreciated by
their sensual masters. The children are remarkably
pretty, with fair complexions, and very precocious.
I find myself in Bushire, the guest of an English mer-
chant, whose house is three miles outside the walls, to
which we ride out every night and return in the early morn-
ing. Bushire is the largest seaport in Persia, and has a
THE SITUATION OF BU SHIRE. 1^3
population of about twenty thousand. It is built upon a
low point of land, and the water in the harbor is so shallow
that all large vessels have to anchor three miles from the
town. It is guarded towards the sea by many round de-
tached towers. During the war with Persia in 185G,
Bushire was bombarded and captured by the English, and
these fortifications were badly shattered. They have never
been repaired, and now seem utterly useless as a means of
defense. A wall extends across the land side of the town,
but it is half in ruins, and AVC ride out upon the plain
through a gap made by British shot and shell.
The buildings are of a light, porous stone, the principal
ones being the English Residency and the Persian Gov-
ernor's palace. The latter personage is called by the
sonorous title of Darya-Beg " The Lord of the Sea." lie
is a near relative of the Shah, and rules with despotic
sway over a large province. He has a garrison of regular
Persian troops, and a few light field pieces. My guide
took me one day to the arsenal near the palace, and pointed
with much pride to a row of old iron cannon of European
manufacture, mostly ship guns, mounted on rickety car-
riages of very primitive construction.
I am not well versed in artillery, but my impression is
that there would be more danger behind than in front of
them. I should think about half the charge would escape
through the vent. There was, however, one very line
bronze six-pounder, on a modern carriage, with an inscrip-
tion showing that it was a present to the Sultan of Muscat,
from a firm of Boston merchants. How it came into the
possession of the Persians I was unable to ascertain. I
have noticed in several places the habit they have of post-
ing several cannon quite unprotected, outside the walls of
their forts, which seems about as sensible, in a military
point of view, as digging a ditch inside the walls.
174 IIOW PERSIAN SOLDIERS COLLECT BACK PA Y.
The soldiers are said to be patient, quick to learn, and
all I have seen are tall, athletic-looking men good mate-
rial for a fine army. But their officers arc unskilled and
careless, and the discipline and drill are very Lad. One
regiment is posted outside the walls, and we passed it one
evening at dress parade. Their arms are flint-lock
muskets, and their uniform very shabby. They have not
been paid for three years, as the finances of the country are
in a chronic state of disorder. This part of Persia suffered
frightfully during the famine three years ago, and the
country is poor from successive short crops, so that the
people cannot pay their taxes. The Governor is now ab-
sent in the interior, with a body of troops to enforce the
payment of taxes due from some of the Sheiks, or local
chiefs.
A regiment sent out not long ago on a similar mission,
came back without any money for the Governor, but the
officers and men had a valuable loot which they had appro-
priated to their own use as back pay. There arc a few
hundred Armenians in Bushire, who have the only Chris-
tian church, and within this enclosure, arc the graves of
several Englishmen. There are about twenty-five foreign-
ers living here, inclusive of the British diplomatic Resident
and his suite, the telegraph corps and one firm of English
merchants. The restrictions placed by the government
officers on the foreign trade are very annoying, although one
principal source of revenue is the duties levied on imports.
They are very jealous of the encroachments of foreigners,
and with the history of India as a warning, they will not
permit any but a native to acquire a title to real estate.
One peculiar feature in Bushire is the wind towers, ris-
ing like large chimneys ten or twelve feet above the flat
roofs. These have openings towards the prevailing winds
in summer, and conduct currents of air into the sleeping
SCENES IN THE BAZAARS. 1J5
rooms below. Many houses have a frame Avork of poles,
covered with mats, upon their roofs, under which they
sleep during the hot season. The air is full of moisture,
and the fall of dew is so great that no one can sleep in the
open air without some protection.
The India cable is landed here, and one line controlled
by the English is carried overland to Teheran, the capital,
and thence to Europe, while another cable connects Bu-
shire with Fau, at. the mouth of the Euphrates, whence the
Turks have a line through Bagdad to Aleppo and Constan-
tinople. Router's telegrams pass through here to India,
China, and Japan. As I listened to the click of the instru-
ment working a through circuit to London, I was tempted
to send a message, via London and New York, to Cleve-
land. The manager very kindly offered to send it at
once ; but when I came to count the cost nearly forty
dollars for ten words I was obliged to decline.
The bazaars here are quite interesting and in many re-
spects peculiar. The Persian merchants are active and
enterprising. These people are very fond of sweets, and
there arc many stalls where " lollipops " are sold. I must
confess a weakness for such things, which I never expect to
outgrow. The variety and cheapness of these preparations,
for which I can give no English names, and their delicious
flavor surpassed anything I have ever seen in Europe or
America. Human nature has many characteristics which
can be recognized the world over. I thought of tins, as I
watched a bright-eyed little boy standing in front of the
stall, with a copper coin in his chubby fist, and gazing wist-
fully up at the treasures, seemingly unable to decide in
which one to invest.
The carpet bazaar, too, is very attractive. They spread
out before me those beautiful fabrics, thick and soft, with
that marvelous combination and blending of colors, which
176 A LITTLE DEVIL IN LIMBO.
in Persian carpets is the admiration of the Western world,
and causes the patterns to be copied in the looms of
Europe and America. Like the shawls of Cashmere these
carpets are made by hand in the interior villages, the wools
being drawn through and through, as in the quilting days
of our grandmothers, and the surface cut and shaved
smooth and soft like velvet. It is one of the wonders of
the East, that people so rude and uncultivated, should have
such skill and taste in forms and colors. But nature here
is prodigal in graceful shapes and colors pleasing to the
eye. The feathery palm and the bright tints of tropical
flowers and plants, are a constant suggestion of beauty to
those who have no conception of what we call art.
In my investments, I ventured to offer not more than
half the prices asked, which were always accepted after a
proper amount of protests and hesitation. But when I
exhibited my purchases to my host, he did not compliment
me on any great bargains. I am well satisfied, however,
provided Uncle Sam is not too hard in the matter of im-
port duties.
At a street corner I noticed a round, dome-shaped pil-
lar, about six feet high and two in diameter. " Here,"
my guide says, " a little devil is shut up." I am curious
to know more about the evil spirit, and make an effort to
examine into his abode, but he hurries me forward, as if
afraid that the sable gentleman would break out and de-
vour us.
Outside the walls the first mile is across a level, sandy
plain. Then we came to cultivated land, slightly undulat-
ing, and covered with waving wheat and barley. In
another month these fields will be harvested, and during
the hot weather they will be parched and dry like a desert,
except the few small oases around the wells, where vegeta-
tion is kept alive by irrigation.
FEMALE WATER CARRIERS.
177
All ihc water used in the town is brought from these
wclh, and we met long processions of women carrying
goat skins filled with water, across the plain. They be-
long to the peasant class, and their life seems a hard one
as they toil along in the hot sun, stooping under a burden
of sixty or eighty pounds upon their heads, or strapped
WATER CARRIERS IN PERSIA.
to their shoulders. But it is a brighter side to the picture,
when we pass others returning to the wells with empty goat
skins, laughing and chattering among themselves, quite in-
different to the presence of strangers. They are mostly
young, but hard toil and coarse living have left no traces
of beauty in their forms or faces.
Though ice, as an article of domestic use, is unknown
in this country, there is plenty of snow within sight, a tan-
talizing view in a climate as hot as this. On ur left is a
range of very lofty mountains. The highest peaks are from
thirty to forty miles distant, and their snow-covered caps
178 TI1E SffAff ADOPTS EUROPEAN INSTITUTIONS.
loom up nearly ten thousand feet above the level of the sea.
No vegetation can be seen upon their bare and deeply fur-
rowed sides. They are separated by deep valleys, which
are very fertile, and there is a belt of low land of varying
width between these mountain ranges and the sea, -which
is called by the Persians the hot district. Situated at the
southern foot of these hills, watered by no river, and its
summer heat tempered by no rain, this district in which
Bushire is the principal city, well merits the reputation of
being one of the hottest places in the world.
There are many stories current among Europeans here,
which illustrate the inefficiency of the Shah and his govern-
ment. I cannot vouch for their truth, and this may be a
good place to quote the adage, " believe nothing that you
hear and but half you see." They are, however, so
characteristic of these Eastern princes, that I give them
for what they are worth.
During the recent visit of the Shah to Europe, where
the crowned heads were so delighted to do him honor, he
saw postage stamps for the first time, and their use was
explained to him. The bright idea struck him that here
was an opportunity to benefit his own people, and what
was of more importance, make some money for himself.
So he ordered a large quantity of postage stamps, which
he had printed in Paris, and forwarded to Teheran. As
there are no post-offices in Persia, it cannot be expected
that he will realize a very large sum from the sale of
stamps.
The coinage of Persia is principally silver Jcerans, value
about one franc. They are made by hand, of unalloyed
silver. Of course, a mint would be a convenient in-
stitution. So one was ordered, with all its expensive
machinery, six years ago, from Europe. It came by sea
as far as Bushire,, and after much delay and difficulty, the
THERE? TO THE PERSIAN GULF.
heavy and cumbrous machine was started by caravan
towards the capital. It got stuck fast in a mountain
pass about one hundred miles from here, and there it
has remained ever since. An elegant English carriage
designed for the use of the Shah's harem, is said to
have met the same fate.
About thirty miles from Bushire is the island of Kar-
rack, the most important strategic point in the Persian
Gulf. This island is ten miles long by three in width.
It has about three thousand inhabitants, and a consider-
able portion of the land is under cultivation. The highest
point is nearly three hundred feet above the sea, and it
is quite healthy for Europeans, with an abundance of
good water. In event of the opening of a new route to
India, by the Euphrates Valley Railway, which, if ever
constructed, must be built by British capital, this island
will be seized and fortified by the English like another
Aden. It is perhaps the only spot in the Persian Gulf
which is in every way suitable for permanent military
occupation. Ic commands on the one hand the largest
sea-port of Persia, and on the other, the mouth of the
Euphrates, and through it, the immense territories of
Turkish Arabia and Mesopotamia. Karrack was occupied
temporarily by British troops during the Persian war in
1856. As we steamed past the island we could see
the remains of a fort built in 1754 by the Dutch, who
then had a flourishing settlement here. Upon the rising
ground west of the fort, is a tomb with a mosque
attached. It is the shrine of Mir Mahomet, the son of
Ali, the conqueror of Persia. An inscription states that
it was rebuilt five hundred and fifty years ago. There are
several other shrines on the island, in one of which is
the impression of the foot of the prophet Al Khizir, who,
according to Mahometan tradition, is still alive and on
his travels over the world, like the wandering Jew.
CHAPTER XV.
TURKISH ARABIA.
Approach to the Euphrates The Invisible Banks Mesopotamia Fau
Mahomrah Sheik Jarbah The Young Sheik A Boat Excursion The
"Bellum" An Unwelcome Guest Bassorah Running the Quarantine
English Merchants Captain Carter, th^ English Sheik A Warm Wel-
come to Marghil A Pet Lion Musselman and Infidel Exports from
the Euphrates The Garden of Eden Uiver Scenes on the Tigris and the
Euphrates The Bedouin's Tent An Arabian Horse Ezra's Tomb
The Sportsman's Paradise We cannot Bag a Lion Ctesiphon and Seleu-
cia The Barber and the Mule Driver of the Prophet The City of the
Caliphs in Sight.
OR more than thirty miles
from its mouth, the yello\v r
'? waters of the Euphrates
pouring into the Gulf, give
notice of our approach to a
great river. I am reminded
of the Yanyt-si, in China,
whose muddy waters have
given its name to the Yellow
Sea. But the river we are
now approaching is associa-
ted with the earliest recorded
history of the human race.
On its banks was located, ac-
cording to tradition, the Garden of Eden. Here, too, can
still be seen, rising one hundred and fifty feet above the
sandy plain, an immense mass of masonry, supposed to be
the remains of the Tower of Babel its top fused as if by
THE EUPHRATES, AND THE TIGRIS.
lightning, into rock-like masses, where the impious attempt
of the first descendants of Noah was arrested by fire from
heaven. On the banks of the river are the half explored
ruins of Nineveh and Babylon, those mighty cities whose
magnificence and extent were the wonder of the ancient
world.
The two great rivers, the Tigris and the Euphrates, ris-
ing among the mountains far away in the north, and flow-
ing southward for more than a thousand miles, unite about
one hundred miles from the Gulf, in one broad stream
called by the Arabs, the Sliat-al-Arab, or river of the
Arabs. . The immense fertile plains of alluvial soil em-
braced between these two rivers, have been known from
the earliest times as" Mesopotamia" once cultivated like
a garden, and supporting a very large population.
There is as yet no land in sight, but the Arab pilot
says we arc within the banks of the river. This sounds
rather paradoxical. But presently I am convinced of its
truth, as the steamer runs into the invisible bank, and
is there stuck hard and fast for five hours, until a rise in
the tide floats her off. Again we steam slowly and care-
fully on, and soon the low coast dotted with palm trees
comes in sight. At its mouth the river is more than a
mile in width and flows with a rapid muddy current. It
is said that the upper end of the Persian Gulf is gradually
filling up. But as this process has been going on from the
foundation of the world, it is not a very alarming matter
to the present generation. The delta of the Euphrates,
like those of the Nile and the Mississippi, is the gradual
formation of ages, and the soil formed from the deposits of
these mighty rivers, is exceedingly fertile. On the right
bank at the mouth of the river, is a small village called
Fan. Here we see the low mud walls of a fort, above
which from a tall flag-staff the " Crescent and Star " is
182 A PERSIAN SHEIK.
flying, and a small Turkish gunboat is moored near the
shore. A long wooden building, with side verandahs, is
the English telegraph station. The engines stop, and a
boat is sent on shore with our bill of health, for the quar-
antine officers. It returns with a young Englishman of
the telegraph corps, who has a week's leave of absence to
recruit his health up the river. The town of Bassorah is
situated sixty miles from the Gulf on the western bank,
to which point there is sufficient depth of water for the
largest ships. The river, up as far as Bassorah, is the
boundary between Persia and Arabia. The inhabitants on
the western side thoroughly hate their masters, the Turks,
and witli no fear of extradition treaties, cross the river into
Persian territory to avoid conscription or punishment for
offenses.
Before dark we came to anchor, and the next morning
soon after sunrise are off the Persian town of Mahomrah
at the mouth of the Kairoon, a large river which has its
rise in the interior of Persia. This place and all the ter-
ritory from Bassorah to the Gulf, is ruled by Sheik Jarbah,
in true patriarchal style. His power is absolute over life
and property, and so long as he promptly pays over to the
Persian Government the required amount of taxes, they do
not interfere. In the war of 1856 the Persian fort at Ma-
homrah was bombarded and captured by the English, and
the Persian soldiers, headed by the Sheik, skedaddled into
the-interior. lie is an old man of seventy, but very energetic
and enterprising, and the wealthiest man in this part of
the country. From where we are anchored we can see the
large white buildings of the Sheik's residence, one of which
is evidently the harem, as on its broad piazza there is a
great fluttering of female figures in bright colored drapery.
We are warned not to direct our glasses in that direction,
as it would be a breach of etiquette, and give offense to the
A RIVER EXCURSION.
old Sheik. There are several Europeans here in the ser-
vice of the Sheik, or connected with him in mercantile en-
terprises, who come on board, and with them the old
man's son, a fine looking young fellow of about twenty-live,
to whom we are introduced. He is richly dressed, rather
reserved in manner, and treated with great respect by all
about him. He is very fond of hunting, a capital shot,
and in feats of horsemanship would rival a Comanche on
our plains. In matters of business he is sharp and enter-
prising " a chip of the old block."
We have on board a small iron steamer, built for Sheik
Jarbah in England, and sent out in pieces. It is one hundred
feet long and intended for the navigation of the Kairoon.
To discharge this, the " Gunga " will be detained here two
days, and as Bassorah is but twenty-five miles further up the
river, we decided to take a small boat called a bellum and
push on to our destination. These boats with a name so
suggestive of war, are very long and narrow, and usually
painted on the outside in alternate black and white squares
that look like ports. Declining an invitation to breakfast
on shore, we pack our satchels, leaving our heavy luggage
to go up on the steamer, spread our soft Persian rugs in
the bottom of the boat, put in a gun and a brace of revolv-
ers, some umbrellas, and a basket well stocked with pro-
visions for our lunch. Before nine o'clock we are off, hop-
ing to make the distance in about six hours. The bellum
is propelled by t\vo men in the bows with long bamboo
poles, assisted by a third man, who sits aft, and steers with
a paddle. We keep close to the banks to avoid the swift
current in the middle of the stream, and for the first two
or three hours find it very pleasant. Groves of date palms
line the shore on both sides all the way to Bassorah, and
are said to produce the finest dates in the world. Behind
this fringe of palms we can see broad, fertile meadows, on
AN UNWELCOME VISITOR.
which are grazing large herds of cattle and buffaloes. The
river is very high, and in many places overflowing its
banks. There are frequent canals leading out from the
river for irrigation, and close to the banks arc many small
weirs, made of date sticks, for trapping fish. The tide is
now running up, and we push along at quite a rapid rate.
We get an occasional shot from our " Wesley-Richards" at
ducks and pelicans. Of inhabitants we see but fc\v, and
they are not prepossessing in appearance. Sonic swarthy,
half-naked Arabs crawl out of their mud huts to gaze at us,
while children entirely nude, run along the shore, scream-
ing and holding out their hands for baksheesh.
Soon after noon we stopped for half an hour to lunch,
and give our boatmen a rest. We found a pleasant, grassy
bank, unpacked our basket of provisions, put our bottled
ale in the river to cool, and were congratulating each
other upon our grand picnic, when a new comer, in the
shape of a venomous spotted snake, proposed to join our
party. The unwelcome visitor was despatched by the boat-
men, but we concluded to adjourn to the boat to finish our
meal. As the day advanced, the hot sun began to tell
upon ourselves as well as our men. The tide had turned
and was no\v running against us, giving increased velocity
to the current. At every bend of the river we looked anx-
iously ahead for some appearance of a town.
Our men could not speak a word except in Arabic or
Persian, and were evidently slackening in their exertions.
We were scarcely making two miles an hour, and would
have jumped ashore and walked, but t-he ground was so
swampy, and intersected by GO many canals and ditches, as
to render that impracticable. But the application of coin
has sometimes a marvelous effect in reviving the flagging
energies. We gave to each of our men a rupee as extra
baksheesh, and by pantomime urged them forward.
HUNXJXG THE QUARANTINE. 185
It acted like a charm, and before long the tall masts of
a Turkish guard ship were discerned above the date trees
round a bend of the river. She was anchored near a
large fort at the mouth of a creek, a mile up which is
situated the town of Bassorah. Near the guard ship were
two foreign steamers and several marlialahs , or river boats,
with large lateen sails. The custom house and the yellow
flag of a quarantine station came next in x view.
But now a new difficulty arose. Our ship had not
received pratique, and we had no right to land. If the
health officers should see us we would be arrested for violat-
ing the quarantine regulations. There is no other country
in the world where quarantine laws are so stringent as in
Turkey. In this matter even money is useless. This
country has suffered so often from the frightful ravages of
the plague and cholera, that a most vigorous system is
enforced with all ships coming into Turkish ports.
Our destination was not the town of Bassorah, but a
place two miles higher up the river, called Marghil, where
the docks and warehouses of Lynch & Co., are located.
We replaced our India pith hats, which are only worn by
Europeans, with the red Turkish fez, and directed our
boatmen to keep close to the opposite shore. We took
down our sun umbrellas and put out of sight everything
that would mark us as strangers. As we passed the
guard ship, the officer on deck directed his glass towards
our boat, but seeing nothing suspicious allowed us to pass.
Before we readied Marghil, one of our men, overcome
by the heat and nine hours' incessant labor, sank down
exhausted ; but he speedily revived with the application
of cold water, to which we added a few drops of brandy.
We reached Marghil before sunset and were warmly
welcomed by Captain Carter, the manager of Lynch &
Go's business in Bassorah. This is the only firm of
12
BASS OR All, THE PORT OF MESOPOTAMIA.
English merchants in Turkish Arabia. It was established
forty years ago, and lias agencies in Bassorah, and Bag-
dad, which is about five hundred miles up the river. For
friany years one of the partners resided at Bagdad, but
their headquarters are in London. A few years ago they
obtained, after much difficulty, a firman from the Turkish
government permitting them to establish a line of steamers
between Bassorah and Bagdad, under the name of the
" Tigris and Euphrates Navigation Company." This line
deceives a liberal subsidy for carrying the English mail
between these two points, and lias developed a large and
constantly increasing traffic. The shipments by this firm
to England were last year over one thousand tons of
dates, two thousand five hundred bales of wool, and large -
quantities of gall-nuts and gums.
At Bagdad, the British government has a diplomatic
representative, who is also Consul General, under the name
of " Resident." It is a very important position, and it is
now worthily filled by Colonel Herbert, a veteran English
officer and a most accomplished gentleman, who has seen
twenty-five years service in India.
My friend Finnis, who has been so long my compagnon
de voyage, is a junior member of the firm of Lynch & Co.,
and now visits for the first time their establishments in the
East.
Bassorah is the port of Mesopotamia, and contains about
fifteen thousand inhabitants, a mixture of Turks, Arabs,
'Persians, Armenians, and Jews. Most of the buildings
within the walls, which are of great extent, arc in ruins.
The houses are of sun-dried bricks, and the streets very
filthy. The governor is a Turkish officer, appointed by
'the Pasha of Bagdad. The summer heat is intense and
'the situation very unhealthy, the adjacent country being
frequently flooded by water from the overflow of the
THE LNGLISn SIIKIK. 1Q9
river. It is hard to realize that tins' was once one of the
richest and most populous of all the commercial cities of
the East. When Babylon was in its glory, long before
Bagdad was founded, Bassorah was the entrepot of the
rich fabrics of India, and the Euphrates the great artery of
commerce between Europe and the East. It has suffered
terribly from the plague. In 1773, ii is said that two
hundred thousand of its inhabitants perished. At the last
visitation of this fearful pestilence, in 1831, it was almost
depopulated. Whole families became extinct, and many
valuable estates, including houses and date groves, were
left without owners.
Returning from my one short visit to the town, Marghil
seemed like a paradise. Here, enclosed within the walls
of the compound, arc the work houses, coal depots, machine
shops, and w^ool presses of the firm. The bales of wool
arc submitted to hydraulic pressure and reduced to the
smallest possible compass before shipment. Outside the
walls there has grown up quite a village of native em-
ployees, of whom Captain Carter is the Sheik. To them his
word is law. He decides their disputes, dispenses medi-
cines to the sick, is quite skillful as a surgeon, and, as he
speaks Arabic like a native, and has that manner of com-
mand acquired as a sea captain, his influence is unbounded.
Of his social accomplishments, his generous hospitality,
and the comforts, and even elegance, of his bachelor
quarters, I shall ever retain the pleasantest memories.
There are many pets about the premises that are curious
and amusing birds and monkeys of various kinds, and a
young lion about half grown, as large as a Newfoundland
dog. He had been permitted to run loose, but was now
chained up, as he could no longer get along amicably with
his former playmate, a large English dog, called " Paul."
In fact, Paul's mate, " Virginia," had come to grief in a
190
MUSSULMAN AND 1NF1DLL LION I
little trial of strength about the possession of a bone. He
is soon to take a sea voyage for his health, and will have
his permanent residence at the " Zoo " in Regent's Park.
During the last trip of the steamer up the Euphrates, four
lions were shot from the deck of the boat. They were on
SHOOTING LIONS FROM THE BOAT.
a small island, and a sudden rise in the river had cut off
their retreat to the main land. The largest weighed three
hundred and fifty pounds, and the skin, one of the finest I
ever saw, was presented to my friend. The Mesopotamia
lion is usually without the dark and shaggy mane of the
African species, but some have been found on the Kairoon
river with a long, black mane. The people of the country
make a distinction between these, the former being Mus-
sulmen and the latter Kaffirs, or infidels. By a proper
remonstrance, and at the same time pronouncing the pro-
fession of faith, the former may be induced to spare one's
'life, but the unbelieving lion is inexorable.
THE TRADITIONAL GAIIDEX OF EDLX.
The time here has passed like a dream. While my
friends during the day have been engaged in matters of
business, I have lounged on the grass in the garden, where
the orange and citron are mingled with the date and
mulberry trees, the faithful Mahomet always within call
to bring coffee or make a chibouk. This life has been the
more enjoyable after the confinement and monotony of
our long sea voyage. But now we must say good bye to
Marghil and its genial host, and go on board the steamer
for the last stage of our journey.
The "London" and the "Dijleh" or "Tigris" are two
iron sidewhcel steamers, built expressly for the river
service, with powerful engines to stem the rapid current.
They are one hundred and seventy-five feet long, flat
bottomed, the plates of the hull being of steel, and draw,
when loaded down to the guards, but three and a half
feet of water.
Forty miles above Bassorah we reach Kcrnah, the junc-
tion of the Tigris and Euphrates. Our course is to the
right, up the Tigris upon which Bagdad is situated. Ac-
cording to tradition, Kernah is the site of the original
garden of Eden. But alas for these degenerate days ! we
look in vain for any relic of paradise, for the "tree of
knowledge," or any other tree, among the mud huts of the
miserable Arab town. Can these swarthy, half-grown
children that swarm on the banks, be descendants from
our first parents? If so, the "descent of man" is here
practically demonstrated. Near Kernah, on the Tigris,
there was sunk about ten years ago, a vessel laden with
interesting relics excavated by the French Government at
Nineveh. They were mostly slabs of marble of great
beauty, and the loss to antiquarians is irreparable.
The river is very crooked, and to avoid the force of the
current the " London " keeps near the shore. As we swing
round the sharp bends, we can almost jump from her deck
192 WE VISIT A BEDOUIN SHEIK.
on to the bank. The water is very high, and in many
places has overflowed the banks and formed broad lagoons
over which are hovering flocks of ducks, herons, and other
wild fowls. Laborers are strengthening the dykes with
mud mixed with coarse grass and reeds to save their crops
of wheat and barley from destruction. The fringe of date
palms, so attractive a feature of the Euphrates from the
Gulf to Kernah, is no longer seen, only broad, fertile,
alluvial plains, over which, when uncultivated, there waves
a strong, coarse grass that reminds one of our great western
prairies. Here are immense herds of cattle, and flocks of
coarse-wool sheep, buffaloes, whose black smooth hides
and humped shoulders seem to indicate a cross with the
hippopotamus, wallowing in the mud and water close to the
shore, sometimes with only their heads or nostrils above
the surface. Mud villages, where the whole population,
men, women, children, and dogs turn out and line the
shore to gaze at the passing steamer ; black Bedouin tents,
always at a little distance from the river's bank, and
around them horses grazing ; these are some of the char-
acteristic scenes of our first two days.
At one place we landed and visited the encampment of
a Bedouin Sheik. The tents of black goat's hair were
pitched promiscuously, large and small, one, two, and three
poles in length. Carefully picking our way to avoid
stumbling over the tent poles, we entered the lodge of the
head man, who welcomed us at the entrance, and invited
us to be seated on a carpet and regaled us with black
coffee, goat's milk, cheese, and other Arab delicacies, fol-
lowed by the inevitable chibouk. The tent looked more
comfortable and much better furnished than I expected.
The upper end was hung with striped cloth and the ground
covered with carpets and mats, while saddle bags, copper
utensils, and arms were hung on pegs, or scattered on the
THE SPORTSMAN'S PARADISE.
floor near the entrance. Our call was short, and the con-
versation, entirely by pantomine, could not be very ani-
mated. The chief was courteous and polite, frequently
bowing and salaaming, to which we responded after the
same fashion.
As we passed out we stopped to admire a beautiful full-
blooded, iron-grey Arab mare, tethered to a long spear
stuck in the ground. Her arched neck, fine delicate
nostrils, intelligent eyes, and smooth limbs would have
turned the heads of many an enthusiastic horse fancier.
A Bedouin never parts with such an animal as this, am}
if she dies the whole tribe goes into mourning.
The second day after leaving Marghil, we passed Ezra's
Tomb, a large picturesque building, with an immense
green dome in the center. Near it are groves of date and
willow trees, and it is a conspicuous object for many miles
over the level plain. It is a sacred shrine to the Jews,
who come here in great numbers from Bagdad, at certain
seasons of the year, to celebrate their feasts.
For three days we pass through a country that is almost
destitute of cultivation or inhabitants. Sometimes we see
large mounds, once the site of populous towns and cities,
but now only the jackals and the wild beasts of the desert
prowl among these deserted places. A perfect network of
canals and water courses, now choked up with sand, in
ancient times rendered this country most fertile and pro-
ductive.
But game is plenty, and there is an almost constant
fusilade of guns and rifles from the deck of the "London."
Besides waterfowl, such as pelicans, herons, cranes, and
ducks, which are always in sight, we have w T ild boars,
jackals, and antelopes.
In winter the wild boar is hunted on horseback with
spears, a most exciting and dangerous sport. My friend
194 THE ARCH OF CTESIPIIOX.
is a keen sportsman, and with his long range " Henry
Martinez" rifle, is a dead shot at a wild boar at fiv^lmndred
yards. We are especially on the lookout for lions, but see
none during our trip. The officers of the steamer, all
English, join in the sport. Captain Cowley, elated by
his recent experience, says laughingly that he is above
all such small game as wild boars and antelopes, and
will not stop his boat to bag anything short of a lion.
The day before reaching Bagdad we arrived at Ctesi-
phon, where there is one of the most remarkable ruins on
the Tigris. On the opposite bank a long line of mounds
mark the site of Seleucia, which like Ctesiphon was built
almost entirely from materials brought from Babylon.
All that remains of Ctesiphon, once the proud capital of
the Parthian empire, is an immense archway one hundred
and six feet high, being the entrance to a vaulted hall
about one hundred and fifty feet in depth. The front of
the building, of which this arch is the center, is over three
hundred feet long and ornamented with four tiers of pilas-
ters and small arches like corridors. What a magnificent
palace the whole structure must have been, with an arch-
way over a hundred feet in height for an entrance.
Mounds surround the building for many acres, made up
of broken bricks, and fragments of pottery and glass.
About half a mile from the arch are two mosques to
which, as sacred shrines, the Mahometans make pilgrim-
ages. One is the burial place of the barber of the Prophet,
the other of his mule-driver. Though bearing evidence of
great age, for if genuine they must date back nearly
thirteen hundred years ago, these tombs seemed almost
modern compared with the relic at least five hundred
years older, which we had just visited.
At length on the sixth day after leaving Bassorah, just
as the sun was rising, the morning air heavy with the odor
I^^^V s&
OSI r^4 :'s
THE Cl TY OF THE CALIPHS IN SIGHT.
197
of orange blossoms, we entered the long reach of the
Tigris, on both sides of which Bagdad is built, and the
" City of the Caliphs," with its vaulted domes and lofty
minarets, is before us.
CHAPTER XVI.
THE CALIPHS OF BAGDAD.
B.igdad in its Glory A Picture of Barbaric Splendor Sketch of the
Caliphs of Bag-dad The early Successors of Mahomet Abu-Bekcr
Omar, the Second Caliph His Visit to Jerusalem His frugality and
Simplicity of Manners Conquest of Syria and Persia The Greek Em-
peror and the Caliph Othman Ali, the " Brave and the Ti ue " Sects
among the Moslems Sonnites and Sheahs Hassan, the Grandson of Ma-
homet Vloawiyah Ommiades, the " Caliphs of Damascus" Rapid Ad-
vance of the Crescent Charles Martel The Abassides, "Caliphs of
Bagdad" Ilaroun-al-Kaschid The Maecenas of the East Royal
Munificence The Later Caliph* Dissolution of the Empire of Mahomet
Bagdad Captured by the Moguls Last of the Sacred Race The Sul-
tan now " Commander of the Faithful."
O most people the very name
of Bagdad is suggestive of
Oriental magnificence.
There is a glamour of ro-
mance about this city, that
was once the glory and pride
of Islam. The glowing de-
scriptions in the Arabian
Nights, of the splendors of
the court of Haroun-al-
Raschid and his beautiful
queen, Zobcide, though
doubtless exaggerated, and
embellished by all the hyper-
bole of Eastern imagery, had a substantial foundation in
historical facts. About the eighth century, under the
reigns of the Caliphs, Bagdad attained its greatest splen-
A PICTURE OF BARBARIC SPLEND OR. ^99
dor, and here the wealth of the world at that time appears
to have centered. Manufactures, commerce, science, and
the arts all flourished under their fostering care. Colleges
and schools were founded and liberally endowed, and the
abstruse sciences were cultivated with enthusiasm and suc-
cess. The artisans of Bagdad were famous for their ingenu-
ity and skill ; and we read of a Clepsydra, or water-clock,
originally devised in Greece, issuing from its work-shops
and being deemed a present worthy of acceptance from one
of the Caliphs to a king of France. At that time it was
doubtless the most brilliant and wealthy city of the world.
The annals of an Arabian writer (Abulfeda) give an
account of the magnificence at the reception by one of the
Caliphs of an ambassador from Greece. " The army was
drawn up to the number of one hundred and sixty thou-
sand men. The Caliph himself, surrounded by his chief
ministers and favorite slaves covered with gold and jewels,
resembled a planet amid a galaxy of stars. Eunuchs,
black and white, with inferior officers to the number of
eight thousand, served as a foil to these gems. Silk and
gold-embroidered tapestry, numbering thirty-eight thou-
sand pieces, ornamented the palace walls, and on a curious
tree of gold and silver were perched a variety of birds,
whose movements and notes were regulated by machinery.
Twenty-two thousand carpets covered the floors, and there
floated on the broad stream of the Tigris, before the win-
dows of th.c palace, thousands of vessels, each splendidly
decorated ; while a hundred lions, in charge of their keep-
ers, lent a contrast to the glittering scene."
Such are the brilliant pictures painted by the early
chroniclers of the glories of this famous city. But the
wealth and prosperity of its people, and its abundance of
riches acquired by the strong arm and abstemious habits
of its early Arab conquerors, led to luxury and effeminacy.
200 THE FIRST SUCCESSOR OF MAHOMET.
The last of its Caliphs passed away, and the succeeding
dynasty quarreling among themselves, Bagdad became an
easy prey to the Persians, the Tartars, and the Turks, each
in succession capturing and sacking the city. In the time
of its prosperity its population must have been immense.
When captured by the Tartar Chief, Halalcu, in the thir-
teenth century, it is said that three hundred thousand of
its defenders were massacred in cold blood, and two hun-
dred years later, when sacked by the conquering hordes of
Tamerlane, he erected beyond the gates two pyramids, as
the trophies of his prowess, constructed of the heads of
ninety thousand of its most influential people. By some
singular incongruity, in view of its bloody history, this
city originally received and still retains the Arab name,
signifying the " Abode of Peace."
But before I attempt to picture the Bagdad of to-day, it
may not be out of place to devote one chapter to a histor-
ical sketch of the Caliphs, whose reign extended from the
death of the founder of Islam down to the middle of the
thirteenth century.
From the glowing pages of Gibbon later historians have
drawn the stern but truthful pictures of the degeneracy of
Christianity, at the period when the " False Prophet of
Mecca " promulgated his new religion of the Unity of God,
and his followers, raising the battle-cry of " victory or
paradise," swept with resistless fury over the plains of
Asia and Egypt.
Mahomet's immediate successor had been one of his
earliest and most devoted converts. Abu-Beker, on whom
the mantle of the Prophet fell, despising the pompous
epithets of royalty, adopted the simple and unpretentious
titles of " Caliph," and " Commander of the Faithful."
The term" Saracen" is probably derived from the Arabic
word Sharack, meaning " Eastern People," which the Ma-
THE CALIPH OMAR. 201
hometans were called in reference to the European nations.
The short reign of Abu-Beker was followed by that of
Omar, the second Caliph, whose generals led the fanatical
hosts of Islam across the desert to Damascus, captured
Jerusalem, overran all Syria, and extended the rule of the
Saracens throughout Egypt and Persia. Historians record
the visit made ly the Caliph Omar to Jerusalem, where his
victorious generals had compelled the imperial city of
David and Solomon to surrender after a fierce and bloody
defense.
On this occasion the Emperor of the Faithful, the con-
queror of the East, courted no distinction in attire or reti-
nue above the meanest of his followers. His dress was
a coarse woolen garment, with a scimitar hung from one
shoulder, and a bow from the other. He rode on a red
camel, carrying in two sacks the provisions for his jour-
ney ; before him was a leathern bottle of water, and behind
was suspended a large wooden platter. When he halted
on the way, the company was uniformly invited to share
his homely fare, and the humblest of his retinue dipped
their fingers in the same dish with the mighty successor
of the Prophet. The spot where he reposed for the night
was never abandoned in the morning without the regular
performance of prayers.
The abstemiousness and frugality of Omar is in strong
contrast with the extravagance and luxury of some of his
successors, into whose coffers the wealth of the East was
poured, and by whom it was spent in most lavish profu-
sion.
By order of the Caliph, the ground on which stood the
temple of Solomon was cleared of rubbish, and the foun-
dations laid for the splendid mosque which still bears his
name. For over twelve centuries the Holy City has re-
mained in the possession of the Mahometans, except dur-
202 CONQUEST OF MESOPOTAMIA AND PERSfA.
ing an interval of ninety years, when the valor of the
crusaders restored it to Christian rule.
The conquest of Antioch, the seat of the Greek Em-
perors, soon followed, and Heraclius escaped with a few
followers to the Mediterranean, where he embarked for
Constantinople.
The attention of Omar was called, early in his reign, to
the " golden soil of Chaldea," so famed for its fertility, the
magnificence of its cities, the extent and variety of its
manufactures, and the multitude of its flocks and herds.
The hosts of Persia were as feeble as in the days of Darius ;
the power and resources of that empire melted away before
the impetuous assaults of the Arabs, and the splendor of
the conquest and spoliation of Mesopotamia and Persia
filled the conquerors with surprise and delight. After ten
years reign and a most brilliant career of conquest, Caliph
Omar fell under the dagger of an assassin. II is piety,
justice, abstinence, and simplicity procured for his memory
more reverence than any of his successors ; and Arabic
historians relate many stories illustrative of his virtues.
A conversation is recorded between the Greek Emperor
and some of his Moslem captives as to the person and
dignity of their sovereign. " What sort of a palace,"
said Heraclius, " has your Caliph ?" " Of mud." " And
who are his attendants?" " Beggars and poor people."
" What tapestry does he sit upon ?" " Justice and up-
rightness." " And what is his throne ?" " Abstinence
and wisdom." " And what is his treasure ?" u Trust in
God." "And who are his guards?'^ " The bravest of
the Unitarians."
Othman, the successor of Omar, extended the conquests
of the Saracens far into Africa, and by the subjection of
the tribes westward of Egypt, prepared the way for the
future invasion of Europe across the Straits of Gibraltar.
CALIPH ALT, " THE BRAVE AND THE TRUE." 203
The third Caliph, like his predecessor, perished by assas-
sination.
Ali, the son-in-law of Mahomet, and one of his bravest
and most devoted followers, succeeded to the Caliphate,
twenty-four years after the death of the Prophet. On
assuming the regal and sacerdotal duties, he retained the
accustomed simplicity of his attire. On the day of his
inauguration, he went to the mosque dressed in a thin cot-
ton gown, tied around him with a girdle, a coarse turban
on his head, his slippers in one hand and his bow in the
other for a walking staff. This Prince was not only a
brave soldier, but a poet and scholar, and his partisans
are fulsome and extravagant in his praise. A volume of
maxims and poems, ascribed by Arabic scholars to the
Caliph Ali, still remains as a monument of his wisdom
and learning.
His reign was disastrous in insurrections and political
convulsions. For the first time, the arms of the Moslems
were turned against each other, and stained with civil
blood. They now became divided into two bitter and irre-
concilable sects, the Sonnites and the Sheahs, which re-
main to this day. At first , the difference was rather one
of political parties than of religious tenets. The Sonnites
which still prevail throughout Arabia and Egypt call them-
selves Orthodox, and profess a belief in the " traditions "
which are not directly embodied in the Koran, but have
come down mostly through the authority of the first
Caliph. The latter sect, or Sheahs, claim that Ali, him-
self the cousin, and his wife the daughter, of Mahomet,
should have been, by divine right, his immediate successor ;
and maintain that the first three Caliphs and all their
descendants who afterwards occupied the throne, were
usurpers. The Persians, and the Mahometans of India
and other more Eastern lands, are Sheahs, and the hostility
204 AKBA1I, THE CONQUEROR OF EGYPT.
between these rival sects is still very bitter. During ihe
Ramidan, or holy month, great numbers of both Sonnites
and Shcalis from the furthermost limits of Ihe Mahometan
world meet at Mecca, but unlike the rival sects of Christian
pilgrims in Jerusalem, they never openly come to blows
while visiting the sacred places of their religion.
The virtues and accomplishments of AH could not save
him from a violent death, and his son Hassan, though
inheriting his father's piety, was deficient in the courage
and energy necessary to rule a turbulent people. lie soon
resigned the Caliphate, and retired to Medina, devoting his
life to deeds of charity and benevolence.
His successor, Moawiyah, the sixth Caliph, was the first
of the dynasty of the Ommiades, who are generally styled
the u Caliphs of Syria," their capital being at Damascus.
During the period that this dynasty remained in power
scarcely one hundred years sixteen Caliphs in succession
ascended the throne, of whom seven perished by the hands
of assassins. In the meantime Akbah, the conqueror of
Egypt, had crossed the great desert and the Atlas range
of mountains, and traversed the wilderness in which the
Moslems afterwards erected the splendid capitals of Fez
and Morocco. His career, though not his zeal, was checked
by the prospect of a boundless ocean. Spurring his horse
into the waves, and raising his eyes to heaven, he ex-
claimed : " Great God ! if my course were not stopped by
this sea, 1 would still go on to the unknown regions of the
West, preaching the unity of thy holy name, and putting
to the sword the rebellious nations who worship any other
gods but ihee !" Before the close of the reign of the Om-
miades the Mahometan empire h d extended from the
Indus to the Pillars of Hercules. Nor did the banner of
the Crescent stop here. The Moors from Africa had over-
run the most fertile provinces of the Spanish Peninsula,
THE CRESCENT CHECKED IX EUROPE. OQ5
and laid the foundations of a State which was to make
the name of Grenada famous in history. Their victorious
generals had already formed the bold design of making
themselves masters of all Europe. With a vast armament,
In* sea and land, they were preparing to invade Europe, to
cross the Pyrenees, and subvert the Kingdom of the Franks
in Gaul then distracted by the wars of two contending
dynasties ; to extinguish the power of the Lombards in
Italy, and place an Arabian Imaum in the chair of St. Peter.
Hence, after subduing the barbarous hordes of Germany,
they proposed to follow the course of the Danube, from
its source to the Euxine Sea, where they would have joined
their countrymen under the wall of Constantinople.*
From these impending calamities was Christendom de-
livered by the genius and fortune of one man, Charles
Martel. His huge mace, which he wielded with resistless
force, gave him the epithet of Martel, or the Hammer.
At the head of his troops he stayed the advance of the
victorious Saracens, and rolled back the tide of battle.
For the first time in Europe the Crescent met with a
serious repulse. The Arabs turned their arms towards the
East, pressing the siege of Constantinople, and hoping to
strike Europe over the ruins of the Byzantine Empire.
The dynasty that succeeded the Ommiades, about the
middle of the eighth century, was that of Abbas, the uncle
of Mahomet. The Abbassides, as they are called, are
known in history as the " Caliphs of Bagdad," the city to
which they transferred their court. For more than five
hundred years, from the eighth to the thirteenth century,
they ruled the Eastern world with various degrees of au-
thority. During this period, thirty-two Caliphs ascended
the throne. In the height of their power, these Ma-
* Crichton's History of Arabia.
13
206 THE CALIPHS OF BAGDAD.
hometan Princes were the most powerful and absolute
rulers on earth. They united in one person all regal and
sacerdotal authority, and though the Koran was nominally
their rule of action, they claimed to be the infallible judges
and interpreters of that book most sacred to Mahometans.
Bagdad was founded by the Caliph Almansor, in the
145th year of the Hcgira (A. D. 763). On the long roll
of his successors there are but few names familiar even to
the student of history. But so long as the fascination of
that wonderful book, " The Tales of the Arabian Nights,"
shall endure, the name of the fifth Caliph of Bagdad,
Haroun-al-Raschid, will remain a household word in both
Christian and heathen lands. During his reign of nineteen
years, Bagdad reached the height of its glory. Beauti-
fully situated on the banks of the Tigris, a splendid
metropolis, the seat of imperial power and luxury, it
seemed to merit the titles of the " City of the Enchantress"
the " Abode of Peace."
This Caliph, whose name Eastern romance has made so
familiar to us, was eminently a liberal and humane ruler.
He excelled as a warrior, a statesman, and a scholar. He
conversed familiarly with all classes of his subjects, and
from his personal adventures in wandering through the
streets of his capital, many anecdotes have been derived,
which historians have been careful to preserve. To the
attractions of these adventures there is added the romance
associated with the name of his beautiful and virtuous
Queen Zobeide. The author of the Arabian Nights may
never be surely known, but I remember with what feelings
of reverence I looked upon the marble tomb of the Persian
poet Chusero, near Delhi, in Northern India, from which I
brought away a few rose leaves as mementoes of one who is
the reputed author of the " Thousand and One Stories."
And now, as I wander through the streets of Bagdad, and
IIARO UN-AL-RAS CHID.
20T
see reproduced many of the identical scenes that so delight-
ed my youthful imagination, the most marvelous of these
stories assume an air of probability.
BAGDAD IS ITS GLORY.
Almamoun, the son and successor of Haroun-al-Raschid,
(or " Aaron, the Just,") is generally regarded as the most
profuse and generous of all the Caliphs of Bagdad. At
his nuptials a thousand pearls of the largest size were
showered on the head of the bride, gifts in lands and
houses were scattered in lottery tickets among the populace,
and before drawing his foot from the stirrup, he gave away
2,400,000 gold dinars ($5,000,000), being three-fourths of
the income of a province.
He was called the Maecenas of the East, and learned
men from all parts of the world were invited to visit Bag-
dad, where they were treated with great honor. In return
for such marks of imperial favor, these happy scholars
208 DECLINE OF THE MAHOMETAN EMPIRE.
-were expected, of course, to extol, in prose and verse, the
glory of their generous patron.
The history of the Caliphs, from the time of their great-
est prosperity down to the capture of Bagdad by the Tartar
hordes in 1258, is a succession of pictures showing the
increasing corruption and degeneracy of the people, and
the effeminacy and weakness of the rulers. During the
later reigns, insurrections broke out in almost every pro-
vince. Usurpers arose, who succeeded in making them-
selves independent sovereigns. Corruption and venality
crept into every department of the State. Bitter religious
feuds broke out, and rival sects hated each other AVOTSC
than infidels. Vice and licentiousness everywhere pre-
vailed. Like other great nations of antiquity, the policy
of the Saracens seemed better adapted for the acquisition
of an empire than for its preservation.
The wild tribes of Tartary poured down over the fertile
plains of Mesopotamia, and with the capture of Bagdad,
the history of the Saracens, both as a military and political
nation, may be said to have expired. The second dynasty
of the Caliphs of the House of Abbas, held a nominal
supremacy in matters of religion for two hundred and fifty
years after. But Bagdad was no longer the seat of a
mighty empire, and gradually sunk to be the capital of a
province. The Sultans of Turkey who acquired supremacy
over Arabia in the sixteenth century did not, like the
Caliphs, style themselves the descendants and successors
of the Apostle of God.
A stray scion of the race of the Caliphs, whose ancestor
had fled from Bagdad to Cairo when that city was sacked
by the Moguls, was yet living in Egypt. The Sultan Selim
invited this last remnant of a sacred race to Constantino-
ple, where he was treated with every mark of honor and
Tespect. Before his death he made to the Sultan a formal
THE PRESENT COMMANDER OF THE FAITHFUL. OQQ
renunciation and transfer of the Caliphate. By this empty
title the Turkish Sovereigns have secured a distinction of
great service to them in maintaining authority over the
Arab tribes, as well as pious Mussclmen throughout the
world. The Sultan of Turkey is now saluted as " Com-
mander of the Faithful."
CHAPTER XVII.
THE CITY OF THE ENCHANTRESS.
Approach to Bagdad Views of the River Front The Residency British
Gunboat and Sepoys The Goopha A Unique Boat The Kallek
Pasha's Palace Arsenal Haifa Mosque No Cook's Tourists A Bird's-
Eye View Kaithmain Tomb of Zobeide Akker-Goof A Peep over the
Scenes Dwellings Unroofed Dome tie Life Houses and Streets Mi-
narof the Storks Reverent Birds An Eclipse Driving Away the Evil
Spirits Fakeers and Dervishes Professors of tire Black Art Religious
Jugglery Repudiated by Intelligent Mahometans Superstition of the
Common People.
receive a favorable impres-
sion of Bagdad, one should
approach it, as it was my
good fortune to do, in an
early morning in Spring.
For miles below we had been
passing through groves of
date palms and orange trees,
and the fragrance of their
g blossoms was almost oppres-
= sive. The Tigris is here
' nearly half a mile wide, and
flows in a broad, full stream,
washing the buildings and
gardens on either side. The city seems half buried in
palm trees, which rise above the buildings in every direc-
tion, but far above the palms tower the cupolas and
minarets, ornamented with colored glazed tiles, arranged
in arabesque designs. The houses facing the river are
THE RIVER FRONT. 213
not imposing in height or style of architecture. They
are evidently dwellings and not places of business. The
numerous lattices, projecting windows, and verandas look-
ing out upon the stream, give them a picturesque and
agreeable appearance. Many houses have small gardens
facing the river, where one can see the bright spring
flowers, and latticed awnings of wood or canvas, under
which are seats and divans, suggestive of the coolness
and comfort of an out-door lounge.
We steam slowly up the stream, past the Residency,
with its beautiful garden, in which w r e see the uniform of
Sepoy soldiers from India. In the river opposite the
British Residency, is moored an English gunboat, the
"Comet." Thus Great Britain everywhere in the East,
leaves with her diplomatic representatives the emblems
of her power by land and sea. The impression is a
salutary one on both the people and the government. A
short distance above we drop anchor near the custom
house, where a floating bridge, resting on boats, spans the
river. We are quickly surrounded by the most curious
of boats, called goophas, which have been used on those
rivers from the earliest times. Not even the original
Noah's Ark would attract so much attention on the Thames
or the Hudson as a Bagdad yoopha. It is made of light
wicker work and covered on the outside with a thick
coating of black bitumen, and ornamented sometimes with
cowrie shells. It is perfectly round, being slightly drawn
in at the top, and from eight to ten feet in diameter. It
suggested to me at once the nursery story about the
" three wise men of Gotham who went to sea in a bowl."
To an inexperienced eye it seems the most unmanageable
of all boats, but two men with short paddles propel it
quite rapidly across the swift stream, and being light, its
carrying capacity is very great. As many men as can
214 THE PASHA'S PALACE.
stand upright, or twenty sheep, and sometimes horses, are
thus ferried across.
Near us there is moored to the bank another transport
which is peculiar to the rivers of Mesopotamia. It is a
raft of skins called a kallek, which has floated down the
Tigris five hundred miles from Mosul. The timber and
inflated goat skins of which it is composed, as well as the
produce which forms its freight, all find a market in
Bagdad.
Above the floating bridge, on the eastern bank, extend
for a long distance the gardens and low buildings attached
to the Pasha's palace. There one can see, scattered in
groups over the grounds, or reclining on divans under the
broad verandas, amidst wreaths of smoke, the officers
and soldiers attached to the Governor's household. On
the opposite shore is a large building with a tall smoke
stack, the only un-Oriental .object within sight. This is
the government arsenal and machine shops, where they
are constructing under the supervision of English en-
gineers, a small iron war steamer. Still further up on the
same side at the bend of the river, a singular object
attracts our attention. It is a mosque cut in two by the
undermining of the rapid current. One half its lofty
dome still remains, leaving the innermost recesses of its
places of prayer exposed to view.
This is the only interior of a temple sacred to Moslem
worship Avhich an unbeliever can sec in Bagdad. The
people here are not especially fanatics. The largest liberty
in the exercise of their religion is granted to Jew and
Christian, and this has been characteristic of Bagdad
from the earliest times. It is rather pleasant to feel that
I am outside and beyond the great stream of European
travel. But when the enterprising Cook shall extend his
" tours " in this direction, and the crowd of London cock-
A BIRD'S-EYE VIEW. 215
neys, who follow in the wake of " Gaze & Co.," shall fill
the streets, the power of baksheesh will probably open to
the Giaours the most sacred precincts of the holy places.
To the stranger who arrives here by the river, the first
impressions of Bagdad are curious sights, even if he has
seen Cairo, Damascus, and Constantinople, so that the
charm of novelty lasts longer than in any other city in
the East, and to describe a few of these is all that I shall
attempt to do.
And first let me take the reader to the highest attaina-
ble point from whence the city can be viewed. It is the
top of a half ruined minaret which overlooks the " cotton-
thread market." The mosque to which it was once at-
tached has all crumbled away and disappeared. The sa-
credness of the place being gone, we are permitted to climb
its' broken stairway to the gallery, about ninety feet from
the ground, where six hundred years ago the Muezzin
called the faithful to prayer.
From this point, we command a fine view of the whole
city and surrounding country for miles in every direction.
We trace the line of the crumbling walls which enclose an
area of about six hundred and fifty acres, not over one-
third of which is covered with buildings. Groves of
palms and other trees fill large areas in the south-eastern
part of the city, through which we can see the ruins of a
once densely populated tract, as if nature was trying to
cover from sight these sad relics of former grandeur. To
the north and south as far as the eye can reach, the river,
glistening in the morning sun, winds through dense groves
of palm and orange trees, but in every other direction the
desert sands come up to the very walls of the city. Six
miles up the river the double gilded domes and four ele-
gant minarets of Keith-main, rise high above the sombre
foliage of the trees. This is the burial place of two
2 1 G DOMESTIC LIFE IN BA GDAD.
Imaums, direct descendants of Mahomet, and is visited
every year by thousands of pilgrims, especially from Per-
sia and India. A short distance from this shrine we see a
pine-shaped cone of snowy whiteness which covers the
tomb of Zobeide the lovely queen of Haroun-al-Raschid.
Ten miles away, standing alone in the desert, is a tower
one hundred and fifty feet in height called Akker-goof.
A spiral way ascends on the outside, like the common
ideal pictures of the tower of Babel. It is of great an-
tiquity, and early travelers supposed it to be the work of
the immediate descendants of Noah.
But while we have been scanning these interesting objects
in the far distance, a scene is passing at our feet too char-
acteristic of Bagdad to escape notice. The houses here
are usually built two stories in height, with ranges of
apartments opening into a square or inner court. Subter-
ranean rooms called serdaitbs^&TG occupied during the day
for the shelter they afford from the intense heat, but the
flat roofs are used for the evening meal and for sleeping
on at night. From this lofty station hundreds of these
bedrooms are exposed to view, and domestic scenes, illus-
trative of the habits and manners of the Bagdadees such
as we read of in Madrid, when " Le Diable Boiteux " un-
roofed the houses are open before us. These people are
early risers, and in most cases, it being now a few minutes
after sunrise, the servants have rolled up the beds and
carried them to the rooms below, to which the occupants
have retired for the bath and to commence the occupations
of the day. But a few late sleepers still linger on the ter-
races, and little suspect that the stranger is taking note of
their movements.
The English traveler, Buckingham, who stood on this
spot nearly fifty years ago, thus describes the scene in
which half a centuiy has produced no change. 1 " Among
SLEEPING APARTMENT AL FEES CO. 217
the more wealthy, the husband sleeps on a raised bedstead,
made of light wicker work, called a doeshick. It has a
mattress and cushions of silk or cotton, and covered by a
thick quilt, but is without curtains or mosquito net. The
night air is always dry, and towards morning there usually
springs up a cool breeze that dies away soon after sunrise.
The wife occupies a similar bed but always on the ground
that is, without a bedstead, and at a respectful distance
from her husband. The children are scattered about on
mattresses, and the slaves or servants sleep on mats, but
all within sight of each other. In a few houses there are
low parapets dividing off the sleeping apartments, but these
are rare and probably occupied by Europeans. On retir-
ing the natives do not divest themselves of the clothing
worn during the day, except to lay aside the outer robes."
" After rising the husband performs his devotions, and
then seats himself on his carpet, where his wife serves him
with a chibouk and coffee with her own hands, retiring at
a respectful distance to wait for the cup, and sometimes
with hands crossed, and even kissing his hand on receiv-
ing the cup from it a mark of respect very common in
the East. While the husband is lounging 011 the carpet or
cushions enjoying his morning pipe the women of the fam-
ily generally pray, going through the same forms and pros-
trations as the men, but the children under twelve years
of age never join their devotions."
But while we arc lingering in our lofty perch the sun is
getting uncomfortably hot, and we descend, groping our
way down the dark stairway, and emerge into the narrow
and crooked streets, as yet cool and shady. The walls on
either side look solid and substantial. The building ma-
terial is hard kilnburned bricks of a light dun color.
Their rounded corners show that they have been used over
and over again, taken from the ruins of one edifice to con-
218 THE MINAR OF THE STORKS.
struct another. New bricks are very rarely seen, and can
readily be detected. The streets are narrow and unpaved
and in wet weather are very muddy and disagreeable.
There are few windows or other openings except heavy
iron-clamped doors on the first stories, but oriels, or pro-
jecting windows, frequently overhang the street, and you
may chance to see a pair of bright eyes peering through
the half closed lattice. Sometimes the projections cross
the street and unite two houses on opposite sides.
As you glance within the open doors you frequently see
the square court yard shaded by orange and lemon trees ;
or the leaning date palm overhangs the wall and its long
pendant leaves droop down in the street. These date
palms seem to spring up singly from the most crowded
parts of the city, and must have a remarkable tenacity of
life to flourish in such locations. They do not afford much
shade, but their graceful forms and feathery leaves are a
great relief to the eye.
On our way back to the Khan of Lynch & Co., we pass
a tall minaret attached to a rained mosque, called the
" Minar of the Storks." On its summit these birds have
built an enormous nest, and hold undisputed possession of
the place. They are never molested, but held as sacred
by all Moslems. During the winter months they migrate
to some warmer clime, but it is firmly believed that at this
time every year they make a pilgrimage to Mecca. These
birds arc so pious and reverent that if a number of persons
cry out, "Allah!" "Allah!" as they fly overhead, they
will drop to the ground and bury their heads in the earth.
If once touched by human hands they never rise again but
droop and die. 1 will not vouch for the truth of this, but
the Mahometans all believe it most sincerely, and I have
met Europeans of undoubted credibility, who assert that
they have witnessed such a feat.
AN ECLIPSE OF THE MOON.
219
Shortly after my arrival, on the evening of the first of
May, as we were dining at eight o'clock on the terrace, we
were startled by a terrific din. We then noticed that there
was a nearly total eclipse of the moon, and on consulting
THE ECLIPSE. FRIGHTENING AWAY THE JIX.
an English almanac, we found that " it would be invisible
at Greenwich, but a total eclipse in Australia and some
parts of Asia." The tumult increased, and soon the whole
population of Bagdad seemed to have assembled on the
housetops, armed with pots, pans, and kitchen utensils,
which they beat with a tremendous clatter, at the same
time screaming and howling at the top of their voices.
Frequent explosions of guns and pistols added to the tur-
moil, and it was kept up for nearly an hour, until they had
succeeded in frightening away the Jin, or evil spirit, who
had caught hold of the planet. It was a most amusing
scene. Our own servants caught the excitement, and our
host told us the next day that they well nigh knocked out
220 PROFESSORS OF THE BLACK ART.
the bottoms of all his cooking utensils. It was a dozen
New Years Eves, Fourth of Julys, and wedding serenades
rolled into one, and the noise was sufficient to drive away
a whole army of evil spirits, even at so great a distance.
The ignorant Mahometan population of Bagdad are ex-
ceedingly superstitious, and the Fakeers, Dervishes, and
other mendicant orders, contrive to make a very comforta-
ble living out of the charity of the faithful. The members
of these societies do not openly or clamorously beg,
although they do not refuse the gifts of the charitably dis-
posed, but they elicit money by the performance of pre-
tended miracles, giving charms against illness, wounds and
evils of all kinds. One sect assert they are invulnerable
to steel, and incapable of being burned by fire.
The Arabs are implicit believers in the efficacy of
charms and other mystic arts. No species of knowledge
is more venerated than that of the occult sciences, which
afford maintenance to a vast number of quacks and ignor-
ant pretenders. Some of the professors of the " black
art" pretend to know what is passing in their absence, to
expel evil spirits, cure diseases by laying on of hands,
calm tempests at sea, and to be able to say their noon-day
prayers at Mecca without stirring from their houses in.
Bagdad. A still lower class of mendicant dervishes and
mollahs practice the art of jugglery, in which they are
adepts. To the astonished spectators, they seem to pierce
their bodies with spears, strike sharp pointed lances into
their eyes, or leap from the roofs of houses upon poles
shod with iron, which appear to run through their bodies,
after which they arc carried like spitted victims about the
streets.
I have before described the weekly exhibitions of the
dancing dervishes in Cairo, but their howling brethren in
Bagdad far surpass these in wildncss and frenzy. Edu-
RELIGIOUS JUGGLERY,
221
cated and intelligent Mahometans repudiate these sects,
but their hold on the ignorant and superstitious masses is
so strong that not even the government dares interfere,
except in extreme cases to preserve the public peace.
CHAPTER XVIII.
STREET SCENES IN BAGDAD.
The Bazaars, Market Places, and Coffee Houses The "Water Carriers
Female Costumes Beautv or Ugliness Safe Behind a Mask A Glittering
Picture The Turkish Merchant Camels, Mules, and Donkeys The
Nartrhileh Persian Tobacco Arabian Coffee How it is Prepared
"Mocha" the only Variety All others Classed as "Beans" Social
Amusements Storv Tellers An Incident in Damascus Backgammon
I Play with an Arabian Gentleman I Lose and Propose to Pay the
Score Expressive Pantomime Cheap Iiecreation Honesty without a
Precedent in Christian Lands The Corn Maiket Date Palms Ma-
homet's Injunction Bassorah Dates Unknown in America A Delicious
Fruit.
HE street scenes in Bagdad,
the bazaars, market places,
and coffee houses, are more
unique and curious than any
I have ever before seen.
They deserve a more minute
description than space will
allow me to give. I have
strolled through all parts of
the city, at first accompanied
by my servant, Yusef, but
latterly alone, as I have be-
come more familiar with the
streets and localities. Every
where I have been treated with civility, without the scowls
that I have sometimes detected on the faces of the Chinese,
when the "foreign barbarian" invades their seclusion. I
SCEXZS JN THE BAZAARS. 223
have picked up a few words of Arabic, but of course I
cannot understand any comments or remarks that may be
made by the people about me. It is a national trait of
these Arabs and Turks, never to show any surprise or
curiosity.
The bazaars in every Eastern town are interesting, and
especially so here, where they are very extensive, and
seem crowded at all hours of the day with the most varied
and heterogeneous mass of humanity that the sun shines
on. It can best be likened to the constantly changing
views of a kaleidoscope.
Everywhere, in streets and bazaars, you meet trains of
donkeys laden with water-skins. Many hundreds must be
employed in this business, as all water used in the city is
brought from the river in this manner.
The attractions of bright colors and gaudy costumes all
belong to the male sex. The street dress of the women
is the extreme of ugliness, being the same hideous wrapper
of black or white cotton, enveloping them from head to
foot. Sometimes a dainty little yellow boot peeps out from
under this disguise, and one is tempted with sacrilegious
hand to lift the veil that perhaps conceals a face of ravish-
ing beauty, such as romance associates with the ladies of
Bagdad.
The females here wear in the street a peculiar black
mask of thinly woven horse hair. It effectually conceals
the face, but allows the free circulation of air, and through
it they can see all that passes before them. Behind this
friendly screen, youth and age, deformity and beauty, are
alike safe from prying curiosity or insulting stare. I have
sometimes laughed, when an accident has deranged one
of these veils, to see behind it a face blacker than the
mask itself.
The lower class of Arab women go abroad unveiled.
14
224 A GLITTERING PICTURE.
They arc very ugly, their arms being tattooed with blue
marks, and the married ones wearing on the side of one
nostril a gold or silver ornament like an immense filigree-
work button, and large anklets and bracelets of silver or
brass, according to their means.
The indoor dress of the wealthy ladies of Bagdad is
spoken of as singularly rich and beautiful in color and
material, but as I have never had the good fortune to see
the penetralia of a Turkish house, I shall not attempt to
describe it.
These Eastern people are fond of any shade of red and
other bright colors, and there is always a glittering stir, in
which gay-colored flowing robes, shawled turbans, silver-
hilted daggers, swords, and pistols, make up a lively pic-
ture. The Persian, the Bedouin, the Arab, the Turk, the
Jew, and the Christian, each has his characteristic dress,
and to describe all the different costumes that pass me
every half hour, would fill a small volume.
The principal bazaars are in a triple range, and are
shaded from the sun by a lofty, arched roof of brick and
mortar. Each kind of merchandise and branch of trade
has its own section. Here can be seen the beautiful fabrics
of Persia and Cashmere, the jewels of India, the spices
and perfumes of Arabia, and the more familiar manufac-
tures of Europe. The languages spoken are as various as
the costumes of the people.
In the center of a stall sits a bearded Turkish merchant,
with his legs crossed under him, as stately and motionless
as a statue, waiting with true Oriental resignation, while
he slowly puffs his chibouk, for Providence to send him a
customer. If you stop to look at his wares he silently dis-
plays the goods required, and names the price with seeming
indifference whether you purchase or not. If you pass on
without buying, he quietly resumes his pipe, and without
COFFEE SHOPS OF BAGDAD. 225
showing the least disappointment, he smokes on until an-
other customer calls his attention.
The bazaars are none of them over twelve feet wide,
and while we arc gazing about, half bewildered at the
curious scenes, we are in danger of being trampled on by
a train of loaded camels, mules, or donkeys, or from the
heels of a mettled Arab horse, whose rider, a Bedouin
from the desert, looks neither to the right nor the left, but
goes his Avay with an air of fierce independence, as if lord
of the soil.
A long procession of donkeys loaded with wood, remind
me of the lady in the ''Arabian Nights," who by falsely
attributing the wound in her cheek to a blow from the
pannier of that animal, endangered the lives of the whole
respectable community of wood drivers.
The coffee shops are very numerous, and on the large
benches, covered with straw matting, there is always a
crowd of loungers. I am told that wine, forbidden by the
Koran, and arrack, a fiery spirit distilled from dates, are
sold in many of these places, but I have never seen a
person here who seemed intoxicated.
I have often stopped when alone, at one of these shops,
where room would be made for me on one of the divans,
and an attendant would bring a little egg cup, holding not
over a tables poonful of strong, black coffee of most delicious
flavor. Then a nargliileh a supply of which is always
kept ready for use. This pipe, which in India is called a
hookaJt, and in Persia a billion, is made here in the form
of a letter V without the long flexible tube common in
Damascus and Constantinople. The mouth-piece is a reed,
and the water through which the smoke passes is held in a
large cocoanut shell. The tobacco used for the narghileh
is of a peculiar kind, and is wet before being lighted, in
doing which they always use a piece of live charcoal. The
226 NA R GIIIL EIIS A ND CIIIB UKS.
smoke is dcliciously cooled and purified "by passing through
scented rose water. For this entertainment, I pay at the
coffee shops two comrais about five cents.
The narghileJi is as universally used among Europeans
residing here, as by the natives. It is brought in after every
meal, among the wealthy people being richly ornamented
with silver, and placed upon a little stand by your side.
These two articles, coffee and tobacco, are so intimately
associated with life in the East, that they may be called
the habitual refreshment, and only want of a Turk or an
Arab. They are the chief mediums of social communica-
tion and hospitality, being offered as a matter of course,
to every visitor and stranger on his arrival.
The tobacco of Arabia and Persia is lighter colored and
milder than that grown in Syria and Egypt. The soothing
weed of Persia does not satisfy the craving of English
residents here, accustomed to the use of wines and strong
stimulants. They use narghilelis and chibouks only as pre-
liminary to the more rank and powerful narcotic that has
come across the Atlantic from Virginia.
The story of the wandering Arab who built his fire be-
neath a wild shrub on the edge of the desert, and thus first
inhaled the delicious fragrance of the roasted berry, is
probably as authentic as that told by the " gentle Elia" of
the accidental burning of a Chinaman's house, by which
" roast pig " came to the knowledge of mankind.
The reader may be curious to hear a little about Arabian
coffee, and how it is prepared, although it may be tantaliz-
ing to a devoted lover of the fragrant berry. Palgrave, in
his " Travels in Arabia," says that the only real coffee is
that grown in the Arabian province of Yemen, and com-
monly called " Mocha," from its main port of exportation.
Of this but a small proportion ever reaches the Mediter-
ranean. It is picked over and over by hand, sifted and
ARABIAN COFFEE. IW\V IT IS PREPARED. 927
resiftcd, the hard, rounded, half-transparent, greenish-
brown berries being selected, grain by grain, for home
consumption. It is only the flattened, opaque and whitish
berries that find their way to Europe. According to this
authority, the list of coffees begins and ends with " Mocha,"
and the produce of India, Java, and South America should
be classified as beans. It is well in these days of rye and
chicory that all of us have not so refined and delicate a
taste as Palgrave.
In an Arab house, to prepare and pour the coffee is the
special duty of a favorite servant, as it forms so important
a part of the domestic economy of the household. A large
coffee pot about two-thirds full of water is placed close to
the fire an 1 becomes gradually warm, while the other
operations are in progress. Two or three handfuls of un-
roasted coffee arc in the meantime taken from a niche in
the wall close by, carefully picked over, and being poured
into a large open iron ladle, are placed over the glowing
charcoal. They crackle, redden, and smoke a little, but
are withdrawn long before they turn black or become
charred. They are then pounded in a mortar till they are
coarsely broken, but not reduced to powder. A smaller
coffee pot is then half filled with boiling water from the
larger one, and the coffee poured into it. A few aromatic
seeds or saffron are added, and the boiling process is not
allowed to be long or vehement. Last of all the liquid is
strained off through some fibres of the inner palm-bark,
placed for that purpose in the spout. It is served very hot,
in this country without sugar, in small cups which are never
more than half filled. In Egypt and Syria it is made very
sweet by adding sugar while boiling. It is considered
etiquette to sip but a single mouthful, and return the cup
to be frequently refilled. In the coffee shops the prepara-
tion is not so elaborate as here described, but the flavor
228 SOCIAL AMUSEMENTS OF THE PEOPLE.
always seemed to me more delicate than any I ever tasted
in Europe or America. Whether this is to be attributed to
the mode of preparation or to the quality of the berry, I
am unable to say.
The social amusements of the people, both here and in
other Oriental cities, are very few and simple. Cards are
unknown, but chess, draughts, and a game called mangold,
are frequently played in the coffee houses, and in the open
air around the market places. The latter game is by far
the most common, and it consists of a table or board,
with about a dozen holes, into which the players drop cow-
rie shells or small pebbles. The more domestic amuse-
ments are singing, dancing, and story telling. Of the latter
they are excessively fond, and the professional reader, or
teller of stories located in the golden age of the Caliphs, is
sure of a circle of eager and attentive listeners.
Some years ago when in Damascus, which next to Bag-
dad is the most thoroughly Oriental city of the world, I
strolled out one day alone, and entered a large public gar-
den, where several hundred people of the better class were
seated under the trees, enjoying the delicious coolness and
shade. The waters of the Abana and the Pharpar, the
beautiful rivers of Damascus flowed through the garden,
and sparkled in many a fountain, as beautiful now as in
the time of Naaman, the Syrian. I wore a fez and no
one stared at me, although I was known, of course, to be
a Frank, or European.
I stopped for a moment to watch a game being played by
two well dressed Arabian gentlemen, which seemed identi-
cal with our common game of back-gammon, except that
no boxes were used, the dice being thrown by the hand.
Presently one of the players rose, and the other with a
courteous salaam motioned me to the vacant seat. I ac-
cepted the invitation and played nine games, winning four
AN INCIDENT IN DAMASCUS.
229
of them, but losing the others. In the meantime I ordered
narghilehs and coffee for both of us. My opponent Avas
very polite, and at the end of every game with its varying
result, his pleasant nod and smile were as full of meaning
as any words could possibly be. My knowledge of Arabic
was very limited, and my companion could speak no French
or English ; but whatever our conversation may have
lacked in brilliancy was amply made up by the most ex-
DAMASCUS.
pressive pantomime. At the close of the play, the major-
ity of the games being against me, I called the attendant,
and being the losing party, I proposed according to West-
ern customs, to pay the score. This my Arabian friend at
first strenuously opposed, but I insisted, and holding out to
the servant a dozen or more silver coins of various denom-
230
EXPRESSIVE PANTOMIME.
inations from a piaster (five cents) to a mejeide (about a
dollar) I pointed to the narghilehs and coffee, and by pan-
tomime, told him to take his pay. Having no definite idea
of the proper charge, 1 should have been entirely satisfied
if he had chosen the largest coin in my hand. To my
surprise lie selected a two-piaster peice. Thinking that he
had made a mistake, I again pointed to the table, narghilehs
and coffee, and held out my hand for him to take the
proper sum. But he only made a low salaam, and held up
the trifling coin as all right.
TEST OP MAHOMETAN HONESTY.
The result of such a trial to the honesty of a waiter in
Europe or America can readily be imagined. In the one
case he would certainly have selected the largest piece of-
fered him but in an American restaurant I fear the waiter
would have shown his advance in knowledge since he
landed on our shores, by taking all the coins in my hand,
and perhaps asking for more.
BASS OR All DA TES 231
Some whole streets in Bagdad are devoted to provisions
and fruits. Rice, barley, and wheat arc stored in great
quantities in a quarter of the city called the " Corn Mar-
ket." Oranges, melons, and cucumbers are very abundant,
and many kinds of fruit of which I do not know even the
names. But no one fruit as an article of food or com-
merce, compares in importance with the product of the
date palm. It is sometimes called " the bread of the land,
the staff of life, and the staple of commerce." Mahomet
said to his followers, " Honor the palm tree for she is your
mother." There arc more than a dozen varieties of dates,
the choicest being of a rich amber color and semi-trans-
parent. The yearly product of a date tree is from one hun-
dred to three hundred pounds, worth from four to ten
dollars. Some of the date groves number thousands of
trees, growing quite closely together, and requiring very
little care or attention. The dates exported from Basso-
rah, near the mouth of the Euphrates, are very large and
of fine quality. I am told that no Bassorah dates are sent
to America. Our supply comes entirely from Muscat,
which produces a smaller and inferior variety. This fruit,
which when fresh is about the size of a large plum, is juicy
and of delicious flavor. During the date season, August
and September, it forms the staple article of food for all
classes of people.
It bears no more resemblance in looks or taste to the
mashed and sticky mass sewed up in matting, that is fa-
miliar to us under that name, than a bunch of fresh grapes
to a box of raisins.
CHAPTER XIX.
THE PASHA OF BAGDAD.
A Despotic Ruler over a Large Province Inundation Threatened The
' Pasha Equal to the Emergency The Whole Population Impressed My
Credentials from the Grand Vizier A Formidable Document My Visit
to the Pasha The Fez In -Bagdad worn only by Turks The Palace
Guards Everywhere The Interviews Personal Appearance of Redif
Pasha Complimentary Speeches I Decline a Guard of Soldiers Ven-
ality and Corruption of Officials Improbable Stories The " Far East"
not Unlike the " Far West " Dishonesty the Exception, not the Rule
The Christian Churches of Bagdad An Armenian Bishop " Yankee-
donia," an Arabic Word A Jewish Familv The Wealth of the Jews
their Protection The Ex-King of Oude The Richest Man i Bagdad.
HE Pasha of Bagdad is Gov-
ernor of a Province three
times as large as the State
of New York, and contain-
ing a population of about
two millions. He is an ab-
solute and despotic ruler,
subject only to his master,
the Sultan of Turkey. He
has the command of a large
army stationed in Bagdad
and other large towns within,
the Pashalic, which is bound-
ed on the east and south by
the Persian frontier and the Gulf. More than once, ambi-
tious men holding this position so remote from Constanti-
nople, have been suspected of designs to render themselves
THE THREATENED INUNDATION. 233
independent sovereigns, as was successfully accomplished
by Mohamet All, Pasha of Egypt. The present governor
is Redif Pasha, who has occupied this post for about a
year. He was a successful general in the late campaign
of the Turkish army against the revolting Arab tribes in
Yemen, and is a man of unquestioned energy and ability.
As he is supposed to be hostile to foreign influence and
projects within his province, he is not popular with the
foreign residents and officials.
Since I have been here, he has had an opportunity to
show his power as a despotic ruler, and has acted with a
nerve and energy worthy of all praise. About two weeks
ago the Tigris, which has been on the rampage for the
past two months, reached a point unprecedented within
ten years, and the city was threatened with inundation.
The water broke through the dikes ten miles up the river,
and the torrent swept down with irresistible force, doing
great damage to crops, and in a single day turning the
broad plain back of the city, into an immense lake. Since
then Bagdad has been an island, having no communication
with the country, except by boats. The water was only
kept from flowing into the city by a broad embankment,
or sud, just outside the walls, which in many places is out
of repair. Great alarm was felt of such an inundation as
occurred in 1831 the year of the plague when seven
thousand houses were undermined and fell in a single day.
Here was an emergency for prompt action. The Pasha
issued an order closing all the bazaars and shops, and for
four days impressed the whole male population (foreigners
excepted) to work on the dikes. Half the force was sent
up the river, and the balance set to work under the direc-
tion of the officials to repair the embankments around the
city. I rode out in that direction one morning, and the
scene was a lively one. Several thousand men were at
2,34 CREDENTIALS FROM THE GRAND VIZIER.
work, and the Pasha himself was on the spot, surrounded
by a brilliantly uniformed staff, superintending the opera-
tions. These energetic measures saved the city. The break
in the dike up the river was stopped and the water gradu-
ally subsided. But much sickness is sure to follow, as the
lake outside evaporates under the scorching heat of the sun.
Before I left Cairo, at the suggestion of Mr. Beardsley,
our Consul General to Egypt, who informed me that there
were no American officials, ministers or consuls, in the
countries I was about to visit, I enclosed a letter of intro-
duction kindly given me by Hon. John M. Francis, late
United States Minister to Greece, to the United States
Minister at Constantinople, with the request that he would
forward to me at Bagdad such credentials to the Pasha as
would be of service in any excursions I might desire to
make to Babylon or other places of interest in Mesopotamia.
I found awaiting me at Bagdad an envelope of portentous
size, containing a very polite note from Mr. Boker, and a
firman from the Turkish Government. This document
was addressed to the Pasha of Bagdad, and written in
Turkish characters, on a large sheet of heavy official paper.
The translation reads in English as follows :
" To Redif Pasha, Governor General of Bagdad :
" Excellency :
" The bearer, an American Citizen of distinc-
tion, intends to resort to Bagdad in order to visit the country round that
city. The American Legation has consequently requested me to address a
letter of recommendation to your Excellency.
" The voyage of foreigners having always been considered as an object
of protection and special deference, I request you to treat the said traveler
with all honors on his arrival at Bagdad, and to afford him all possible facili-
ties, under any circumstances, which may be in conformity with existing
treaties ; and to extend to him your protection and hospitality.
" I am, Sir, etc., etc."
Seal of the Grand Vizier,
"Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Constantinople, Fcb'y 19th, 12S9.
(The date, 1289, being of the Hegira.)
1
" ' i v
THE TURKISH FEZ.
237
About a week after my arrival, armed with this formid-
able document, and escorted by two Cawasses from the
Residency in showy uniforms, I started to pay my official
visit to the Pasha.
Declining the offer of a horse, as the narrow streets and
bazaars can be threaded with more convenience, if less
ostentation, on foot, I proceeded to the /Serai, or palace,
accompanied by my armed escort, who cleared the way
through the crowded streets with, as it seemed to me, un-
necessary rudeness. But the officials strutted on, regard-
less of remarks, not complimentary, I fancy, hurled at
them by persons whom they jostled out of the way. As a
compliment' to the official I was about to visit, I wore my
Turkish fez a plain red cap with long black tassel such
as are frequently worn by travelers in Egypt and Syria.
In Cairo the fez is worn by every officer and soldier, from
the Khedive down to the drummer boy. It is considered
a matter of etiquette never to remove it at dinner, ball or
opera, neither hi the presence of the highest officials, nor
in the mosque. Even the Sultan, when I saw him going
from his palace on the Bosphorus to the mosque, wore a
fez, in appearance the same, though perhaps of finer
texture than that on the head of his meanest subject. But
here in Bagdad tliefez is considered the distinctive mark
of a Turk, and it is seldom worn by foreigners, and never
by a native Arab, unless he is in some way connected with
the government. While wearing my fez in the streets of
Bagdad, I have sometimes noticed a scowl as an Arab
glanced towards me, such as I never saw when I had on
my much more comfortable Indian pith hat, and was taken
for an Englishman.
The Palace is not an imposing building, but its situation
on the river's bank is very pleasant. Adjoining it are the
barracks and arsenal, built a few years ago by a former
238
THE SERAI, OR PALACE.
pasha, large and handsome structures in modern style of
architecture. The Serai is only occupied by the Pasha
during the day for the transaction of business. An ele-
gant palace two miles up the river, surrounded by gardens,
is his private residence. Passing through the guards at
the gate and an outer court, where several horses saddled
and bridled were held by grooms, past more guards, we
entered a large court-yard, filled with groups of soldiers
and surrounded by long two-storied buildings, witli veran-
das facing the court, occupied by officers and clerks. I
sent in my credentials and card by one of the cawasses and
requested an audience with his Excellency. He quickly
THE PASHA OF BAGDAD.
returned, accompanied by a handsome young Turkish
officer, aid-de-camp to the Pasha, who ushered me through
an ante-chamber where several officers were waiting, the
doors guarded by soldiers with fixed bayonets, into a large
INTERVIEW WITH THE PASHA. 239
and handsomely furnished audience room overlooking the
river. Wide divans covered with silk ran around the
lofty room, and the hangings over the doors and windows
were heavy and of rich materials. The Pasha was seated
at the further end of the apartment, and near him was a
large table, on which were writing materials and piles of
papers. As I advanced down the long room he rose to
receive me, shook hands, and courteously motioned me to
a seat beside him. He is a large man, tall and quite
portly, perhaps forty-five years old, with a brown beard,
full face, and eyes sharp and piercing. His dress was
entirely European, except the fez, without even a button
to indicate his rank. His countenance indicates energy
and firmness, and his manners are very courteous and
pleasant. Several officers of rank standing near were pre-
sented to me, but none were seated except the Pasha and
myself.
As he spoke only Turkish and Arabic, Mr. Stanno, a
Levantine in the service of the government, was summoned
to act as interpreter. Our conversation was necessarily
slow, but the questions and replies were very readily trans-
lated, and I felt quite at my ease. The Pasha enquired by
what route I had come, how long I intended to stay, etc.,
and seemed gratified when I told him that I was better
pleased with Bagdad than with Cairo or Constantinople. I
took occasion to compliment him on the energy and efficien-
cy of the measures he had taken to prevent an inundation.
Taking up my credentials, which mentioned me in compli-
mentary terms as a traveler, he made very intelligent
enquiries regarding the countries I had visited, and seemed
fully to comprehend that England and America are two
distinct and separate countries. He kindly offered me
every facility for seeing Bagdad, and said that, as I was
the only American who had visited him, he hoped I should
240 * DECLINE A G UARD OF SOLDIERS.
receive a favorable impression. When I mentioned my
plans for visiting the ruins of Babylon, he offered me an
escort of soldiers, and letters to the governors of the differ-
ent towns on the route. I accepted with thanks his offer
of letters, but said that a guard of soldiers was quite
unnecessary, as under his efficient rule the country was
everywhere safe to a peaceful traveler.
In the meantime, a servant had brought in coffee and
sherbet on a silver tray, and long, jasmine -stemmed
chibouks. My audience lasted about an hour, and as I
rose to take leave he again shook hands with me and
renewed his offers of anything in his power to render my
visit to Bagdad pleasant.
I left with a very agreeable impression of the courtesy
and politeness of a Turkish Pasha. The next day Mr.
Stanno brought me a document in Turkish, similar in
appearance to the one before given, addressed to the
governors and other officials on the route to Hillah and
Babylon, and commending the "American Traveler" in
the strongest terms to their attentions and protection.
How this firman, which I still retain as a souvenir of my
journey, saved my life, perhaps, in a position of great
difficulty and danger, will be told hereafter.
The traveler in the East often hears the most extrava-
gant statements as to the venality and corruption of
officials that they are open to bribery from the highest
to the lowest, that foreign goods are admitted without
paying duties, that fraudulent contracts are made in be-
half of the government, etc. I have heard of a former
Pasha of Bagdad who paid off his soldiers in tobacco and
soap at exorbitant prices, which the poor fellows were
obliged to dispose of in the bazaars at half their cost. A
story was once told me with a sober face, that a Persian
governor of Bushire once cleared off the arrears due his
C ORR UP T10N OF OFFICIALS. 241
men with bricks, a species of "hard currency" not con-
venient to handle, but easy to obtain in a town where half
the buildings are in ruins. I cannot put faitli in such
stories. An Englishman's standard of official integrity is
very high, and I honor them for it. But it is hardly fair
to judge an Oriental people by their ideal. Government
officers are nowhere in this country held to such strict
accountability as in Europe.
The rulers of provinces distant from the home govern-
ment, and with difficult means of communication, are
especially liable to temptation, with no fear of " Investi-
gating Committees " before their eyes. And yet I believe
that dishonesty is the exception, not the rule.
Corrupt officials are not the exclusive outgrowth of
Oriental barbarism. As extremes sometimes meet, the
" far East " and the c; far West " may have much in com-
mon. Pashas as well as Members of Congress sometimes
get rich during their terms of office. The Turk feels jus-
tified in pocketing a, " retainer," and so does the M. C.
But it is neither charitable nor just to infer that all officials
on either continent are equally corrupt.
The person who is always on the lookout for a rogue is
apt to overlook an honest man when he meets him. It has
been my good fortune to meet a large proportion of honest
and conscientious people of every nationality, in different
parts of the world. A far plcasantcr retrospect this will
ever be to me, than a long row of thieves and rascals, whom I
might perhaps have detected, had my attention been spe-
cially directed to the dark sido of human nature.
Every Sunday morning the English Episcopal service is
read by Colonel Herbert at the Residency, to a congrega-
tion of about twenty persons, which comprises nearly the
whole Protestant population at Bagdad. I visited the dif-
ferent Christian places of worship one Sunday afternoon
15
242 TIIE CHRISTIAN CHURCHES OF BAGDAD.
with Doctor Colvill, who has resided here for a long time,
and speaks Arabic and Persian like a native. In the East
no class of foreigners have so much influence as physicians.
The doctor is welcome alike in the Klian of the wealthy
merchant and the tent of the Bedouin Sheik.
We first called at the Latin (Catholic) church, attached
to which is a school for children. The entrance is through
a heavy iron-studded door in a blank wall, then a narrow
passage leads to a court, in which are the church and school
buildings. The priests are French and their flock is com-
posed of the few residents in Bagdad from the Catholic
countries of Europe, some of whom are married to native
women. The church is neatly fitted up, with the usual
tinsel decorations on the altar, and there are several
paintings on the walls, none of any especial merit, except
one of the Virgin and child, of which the priests are very
proud.
From here we went to the Chaldean and Armenian
Churches, of which there are two distinct sects. The
orthodox Armenians comprise many of the oldest and
wealthiest Christian families.
The other Church of this ancient race acknowledges the
Pope as its spiritual head, and includes within its fold a
large population of Chaldeans and Copts. This church is
large and handsome. Adjoining is the residence of the
Bishop upon whom we called, and Dr. C. being his special
friend, we were received and entertained with much
honor. The Bishop is a fine looking man, wearing a full
black beard, with a bright intelligent face and courteous
manners. He was dressed in a robe of purple silk, with
cap and shoes of the same color. He visited Rome at the
time of the Ecumenical Council five years ago, and was
invested with the rank of a Cardinal. He is the head of
all the churches of his denominations in Arabia. Coffee
THE JEWISH POPULATION. 243
and cigarettes were brought according to the universal
custom, and the Doctor acting as interpreter, a very inter-
esting conversation followed. I was introduced as an
American, and the Bishop expressed a great desire to visit
that country, and was only prevented from fear of the
stormy Atlantic. During the interview 1 detected the
word " Yankeedonia," and my friend, being a native of
the " land o' cakes," I supposed it was of his own inven-
tion to signify America. But I learned that this is a
proper Arabic word and means the " New World."
Leaving the Christian prelate, we next called at the
house of a wealthy Jew, and were presented to the whole
family, from the aged patriarchal grandfather, down to the
youngest children, with each of whom we in turn shook
hands. They were very hospitable and polite, the ladies
were quite good looking, and the children handsome and
well bred. One of the ladies was disfigured by the " date
mark," a scar the size and shape of a date, resulting from
a boil, to which all the people of this country are subject
once in their lifetime. Every European who remains here
any length of time has to pass through this ordeal. When
it appears on the face the scar it leaves is especially un-
fortunate.
The Jewish population of Bagdad is about twenty thous-
and. Here as elsewhere, they are the principal serafs, or
money changers, and brokers, and are confidentially em-
ployed by all classes in the money transactions of the
place. Their great wealth, which in former times was a
temptation to rob and oppress them, now commands the
respect even of the most bigoted Turk and Mohametan.
Our last call was on the ex-King of Oude, who is called
here The Nawdb. He is very rich, and besides his private
fortune, receives a pension of $60,000 a year from the Eng-
lish Government. His name is Akbar-ood-Dowlah, and he
244 THE EX-KING OF OUDE.
is addressed officially as " His Royal Highness." His
house and grounds are on. the banks of the Tigris and very
beautiful. He fortunately yielded his royal dignities and
palaces in Lucknow to the English, before the breaking
out of the Sepoy rebellion, and has ever since resided
here, enjoying the protection of a British subject. The
Naivab entertained us with coffee, sherbet and nargldlelis.
He understands English and has traveled all over Europe.
In England he was received by the Queen with the honors
due to his former rank. He is an old man of about sixty-
five, but still active and vigorous, and has the courteous
manners of a cultivated gentleman.
CHAPTER XX.
HABITS AND CUSTOMS OF THE ARABS.
Their Courtesy and Politeness Morning Salutations Scurrilous Language
Very Rare The Beard Always Worn Hardy Children Rite of Cir-
cumcision Hospitality, an Ancient and Hereditary Virtue Under no
Circumstances to be Violated Robbery no Crime An Arab's Property
Courtship, and Marriage Ceremonies The Bride Sometimes to be Caught
She Scratches and Bites like a Vixen But only for Show The Husband
Pays for the Wife Widows and Divorced Women Half Pr.'ce Song of
the Lover, Rather Rough on che Father Divorce Made Easy Funeral
Ceremonies Ai-abian Horses Their Beauty, Intelligence, and Speed
Description of a Famous Breed Their Wonderful Endurance National
Dress of the Arabs Picture of a Bedouin Characteristics of the Race
Customs Unchanged for a Thousand Years.
HE Arabs who dwell outside
the towns, though rude in
manners and fierce in gen-
eral character, are not with-
out civility and politeness.
Their usual salutation is,
" P e a c e be with you."
When friends meet after a
long absence, shaking hands
and kissing are the usual
custom, and sometimes a
passage, returning thanks
to Allah, is repeated from
the Koran. On entering a
house or tent, the pious exclamation, " Bismillah," is
rarely omitted. In the towns, where more ceremonious
246 MORNING SALUTATIONS.
phrases are current, the morning salutation to an acquaint-
ance is, " May your day be white " and the reply, " May
yours be like milk." I have sometimes seen gray-bearded
old patriarchs, meeting in the street, stop and embrace
each other, kissing the beard, or if there is much difference
in rank, the hand, with every indication of kindness and
respect. The women salute each other by kissing the
forehead, the chin, and both cheeks. Even in quarreling,
the Arabs rarely use the ill names and scurrilous language
so often heard among more polished nations. In some
interior provinces, and during the pilgrimage to Mecca, the
head is closely shaved, but the beard is invariably worn its
natural length, and is considered a mark of dignity and
honor. In some parts of Arabia it is the fashion to dye
the beards a bright red, but this practice is not common.
Among the Arabs the children are brought up in the
most hardy manner. The name is given them immedi-
ately on their birth, and at the age of six or seven the
boys undergo the ceremony of circumcision. This is an
occasion of great feasting and rejoicing. The boys are
dressed in the richest stutfs, put upon fine horses, highly
adorned with trappings, and carried in public procession
through the streets with drums and rude music. These
celebrations are kept up far into the night at the houses of
their parents, but in the absence of all intoxicating drinks,
the wild music, and shrill discordant singing are not asso-
ciated with a disturbance of the peace. Though the
revelers may awake the next morning with splitting head-
aches, they never find themselves in the police station.
Hospitality, the ancient and hereditary virtue of the
Arabs, is strictly enforced by the Koran, and one of the
most prominent traits of their social life. The tent of the
Sheik is always located at the point where the stranger
will be most likely to approach, and if seen coming from
3in
HOSPITALITY A MOST SACRED VIRTUE. 247
afar he is reckoned the guest of the person who first des-
cries him. So long as lie remains a guest his life and
property is perfectly secure. Should any robbery occur,
his host is bound in honor to indemnify him for any loss he
may sustain while tinder his protection. No emergency
can be so urgent as to palliate, much less excuse, any vio-
lation of the sacred rights of hospitality, after the stranger,
whether friend or foe, has put his hand upon the tent pole
of a Bedouin, or tasted his bread and salt.
An Arab has been heard to say that if his bitterest
enemy should present himself at the door of his tent, car-
rying the head of his own son, he would still be entitled
to a hospitable reception. No greater insult can be offered
to an Arab than to tell him that he has not treated his
guests with proper civility and attention.
The force of custom and tradition leads to such in-
congruities, that the defenceless traveler, who is sure to
receive every kindness as a guest, is liable a few days
after, to be waylaid, seized, and stripped of everything he
may possess by his former host. His life is rarely taken,
unless lie resists to the shedding of the blood of his assail-
ants. With the wild tribes of the desert, robbery is a
science, and in their predatory raids it is reduced to a
regular system, in which they display great skill and
audacity. If detected and captured, the robber is kept in
close confinement until ransomed by his relatives and
friends. They attach no disgrace or criminality to
theft, but if the attempt at robbery proves a failure through
bungling or bad management, it reflects discredit upon
the whole tribe.
An Arab's property consists in his flocks and herds.
No family can subsist without a least one camel; the man
who has ten is reckoned poor ; thirty or forty place him in
easy circumstances ; and sixty make him a rich man.
248
COURTSHIP AND MARRIAGE CEREMONIES.
Marriages are generally solemnized on Friday. After
the preliminary negotiation with the father, for the Arab
husband pays for his wife instead of receiving a marriage
portion, tl.e contract is drawn up by the Cadi. The father
usually consults the wishes of his daughter, but in some
tribes the girl is only made acquainted with the proposed
change in her condition, by being waylaid at a short dis-
tance from the camp by her future spouse, who seizes her
and carries her by force to her father's tent. Though she
BEDOUIN STEALING A BRIDE.
may entertain no dislike to her lover, she defends herself
to the best of her ability, and the more she struggles, bites,
kicks, and cries, the more she is applauded ever after by
her companions.
She is conducted to the women's apartment in her
father's tent, where she is decked out in all her finery, the
wedding suit being provided by the bridegroom, then
DIVORCE MADE EASY. 249
mounted on a camel and escorted by her female relations,
she is conducted to the camp of her husband. During these
proceedings, etiquette requires that she should sob and cry
most bitterly; but as her face is covered with a veil, it is
not supposed that her weeping is more than empty sound.
The sum paid to the father depends upon the rank and
circumstances of the parties; but if the bride be a widow,
or a divorced woman, tho price paid is never more than
half what is expected for a maiden. These marriages are
always reckoned ill-omened, and an occasion of very little
ceremony or rejoicing.
Under the Mahometan law divorce is easy, and reflects
no discredit or dishonor on the woman or her relatives.
If she is turned away without any valid reason, she is en-
titled to a small sum of money, or some articles of house-
hold property. The process of divorce is simple, and cases
of this description never cumber the dockets of the courts.
The husband has only to pronounce the words, " Thou art
divorced," in the presence of a witness, and the deed is
done, and cannot be revoked.
But this does not prevent the man from again marrying
the same woman, if both parties get over their pet, and
consent to be once more united. The wife, too, lias a kind
of divorce. If ill-used or unhappy, she may fly to her
father's house, and her husband has no right to reclaim
her against her will.
In courtship the Arab often displays a good deal of gal-
lantry, but owing to the constraint to which the women
are subjected, the opportunities of the lover's meeting or
seeing the face of the object of his affections are rare.
While Europeans merely languish and sigh, and town
Arabs compose amorous verses, the Bedouins have been
known to cut and slash themselves to show the violence of
their affections. In their amatory songs the lover some-
250 FUNERAL RITES.
times expresses liis passion in language that sounds oddly
to western ears: " 0, Ghalia! if my father were a jack-
ass I would sell him to purchase Ihee, my darling Ghalia !"
Funerals in Arabia are attended with some peculiar
ceremonies. They usually take place at sunset, and the
MollaJiSj or priests, read passages from the Koran over the
grave. Some tribes bury with the dead man his sword,
turban and girdle. Women, but not men, wear mourning,
and at the houses of the dead and in the processions to
the burial place, there are females, hired for the occasion,
who howl in the most heart-rending manner, beating their
arms, tearing their hair, and behaving like furies.
In saying their prayers for the dead, Mahometans make
no prostrations. This omission is considered significant
of the coming resurrection. A man expecting shortly to
meet a violent death will sometimes recite these same
prayers by way of preparation, in anticipation of the CA*ent.
They always lay the dead body on its side, with its face
towards Mecca.
It is an authentic saying of Mahomet that " ghosts, ap-
paritions, and the like, have nothing to do with Lslamism."
But it is well known that the Prophet himself was not free
from superstition, and was especially credulous in regard
to omens.
To most people of the West the name of Arabia is
associated with the idea of horses of most wonderful
beauty, intelligence, and speed. We have all read how
they play witli the children, eat and drink with their mas-
ters, and sleep alongside them on the desert. All the
pretty anecdotes of their docility and gentleness may be
authentic, but even Palgrave, who is most enthusiastic in
praise of Arab horseflesh, thinks that a Bedouin would be
quite likely to rap his mare over the nose if she thrust
it into his porridge. He describes the famous Nejdean
ARABIAN HORSES.
251
breed which he saw in the royal stables at Raid, the capital
of Waluibees, as the loveliest collection of horses, about
three hundred in number, that he had ever seen or imag-
ined. " Their average height was only about fourteen
hands, but they were so exquisitely well shaped that want
of greater size seemed hardly a defect. They were re-
markably full in the haunches, having a shoulder shaped
with exquisite elegance, a little saddle-backed, 'just the
curve which indicates springiness without any weakness,'
a head broad at the top and tapering down to the finest
nose, a most intelligent and yet a singularly gentle look,
full eye, sharp thorn-like ear, legs fore and hind that
seemed as if made of hammered iron, so clean and yet so
well twisted with sinew ; a neat round hoof, just the
requisite for hard ground ; the tail set, or rather thrown
out at a perfect arch ; coat smooth, shining, and light ; the
mane long, but not overgrown nor heavy ; the prevailing
color chestnut or pray. Horses of this description are
never sold they only pass by war, legacy, or by free gift.
When policy requires a present to Egypt, Persia, or Con-
stantinople, mares are never sent, but the poorest stallions,
though deserving to pass elsewhere for real beauties, are
picked out for that purpose."
No Arab ever dreams of tying up a horse by the neck ;
a tether replaces the halter. In Arabia, horses are much
less vicious and refractory than in Europe or America.
They are brought up in close contact with men, and hav-
ing the free use of their .senses and limbs, the Arab quad-
ruped naturally developes more intelligence and gentleness
than the closely stabled, blinkered, harnessed animal of
western countries. Of the wonderful endurance of these
choicest Arab horses the stories told are most marvelous.
Twenty-four hours on the road, without drink and without
flagging, under the burning Arabian sky, seems almost in-
252 NATIONAL DRLSS OF THE ARABS.
credible, but when that period is doubled under the same
conditions at a single stretch, no one can be expected to
believe it, though vouched for by an authority as good as
Palgravc. The exportation of horses is strictly forbidden,
both from Egypt and all parts of Arabia.
The peculiar national dress of the Arabs is well worth
description. A coarse shirt, on which is a close fitting
tunic of silk or cotton, generally striped, and closely
belted around the waist, over this is worn the abba, or
cloak of camel's hair, black, or with broad white bars,
through which the arms are thrust. On their feet are red
shoes, pointed and turned up at the toes. The head dress
is neither a turban nor a fez, but a square, thick handker-
chief of silk or part cotton, in yellow or red stripes, the
woof of the ends being twisted in cords like a long fringe.
This is doubled triangularly, and thrown over the head so
that the two long ends hang down before the shoulders
and the third hangs down the back. Around the crown
of the head is wound a double wisp of brown camel's
hair, partially twisted. With this strange head gear and
their long, coarse cloaks, they rather resemble witch-like
women than men. In very cold weather, they wind the
long ends of the kaffeah around their chins, leaving only
their eyes visible. Silk being a non-conductor, this head
dress forms an excellent protection against both heat and
cold.
The Bedouins are tanned to an almost sooty blackness,
and with this wild head dress, and their black, piercing
eyes looking out from under elf-like locks, as they scour
along on their blooded horses, their clothes flying wide i]
the wind, their long spears shaking over their shoulders,
they form a picture which must be seen to realize in full
its wild effect.
The basis of the Arab character is frank and manly
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE RACE. 253
the intellect active, the perceptive faculties acute, the
judgment sound. Good qualities, but stunted, and often
blighted, by the mere savageness of their life : good
materials, spoilt or wasted in the using. The cool nights
are often spent outside their tents in story telling and
poetical recitations. Frequent sleep during the day ren-
ders them independent of the prolonged night rest usual
among inhabitants of towns and villages.
Away from the large cities, the wild Bedouin tribes are
essentially the same now as they were a thousand years
ago. Their manners are patriarchal, and their virtues, as
well as their vices, are such as naturally result from a
nomadic life. Their natural jealousy and fiery tempera-
ment have always been the source of implacable enmities
and feuds among themselves. Quick to resent an injury
and sensitive to the slightest violation of etiquette, quarrels
frequently arise which result in bloodshed. These wild
tribes would long ago have exterminated each other, but
for that provision in the Arab code which permits the
shedding of blood to be atoned for, by payment of money
or property. Their laws are very full and explicit, regu-
lating the revenge for blood and the right and privilege
of asylum.
There are many very curious social customs and tradi-
tions which retain their hold with wonderful tenacity
among these people, despite their constantly increasing
intercourse with foreigners, resulting from more intimate
commercial relations, and easier communications with
Europe. To my own experience and observation, I have
added in the short account above given the results of
other writers, whose more extensive travels in the interior
and longer residence in the country, render them good
authority as to the social manners and habits of the
people.
CHAPTER XXI.
EXCURSION TO BABYLON.
Once a Garden, now a Desert Danger from Flood and Pestilence The
Start Yusef, the Guide Hassan, the Muleteer How to Pack a Mule
Inventory of my Outfit Caravans and Bedouin Horsemen A Gallop
over the Plain The Caravanserai The Hotel of the Desert No Snub-
bing by the " Gentlemany Clerk" Fording a Wallah A Nawab on his
Travels A Hot Ride Exhibition of Mirage We Reach Moseyib Hil-
lah declared in Quarantine A Dilemma Yusef s Philosophy, "No Fear
it, No Catch it" I decide to go Ahead Battle Field of Cunaxa Ana-
basis of Xenophon A Night on the Kerbella Canal Pleasant Fancies
and Reflections Recollections of the Plague of 1831 A Frightful Pic-
ture of Suffering A Pasha of Bagdad begging for Bread Sleep at Last
A wake in Kerbella.
IIE site of ancient Babylon
is on the Euphrates, about
sixty miles southwest from
Bagdad. The ruins cover a
large tract on both sides of
the river, and near them is
built the modern town of Hil-
lah. The country lying be-
tween the Tigris and the
Euphrates, except a narrow
belt bordering on each
stream,is now a sandy desert.
In ancient times this great
plain was most populous and
covered with groves of palm trees and beautiful gar-
A complete network of canals and water courses
over the plain carrying fertility to hundreds ol
fertile,
dens.
spread
DANGER FROM FLOOD AND PESTILENCE. 255
towns and villages, which are now heaps of rubbish. These
canals were neglected and became gradually choked up,
vegetation ceased, and a vast arid desert, parched by the
burning sun, in time replaced the fertile gardens and teem-
ing population of this part of Mesopotamia
But Babylon, though in ruins, is classic, indeed sacred
ground. Here was the resting place of the first families
of our race. Here Nimrod built his tower to Belus, and
called down upon himself the wrath of the Almighty. In
these deserted halls Nebuchadnezzar boasted of the glories
of his capital, and was punished for his pride. Here Bel-
shazzar feasted and beheld the writing on the wall, while
the victorious Persian was thundering at his gates.
My excursion to these great ruins was undertaken under
difficulties, and had nearly ended in disaster to myself.
In some villages a few miles below Ilillah, a disease, rapid
and fatal in its effects, had lately made its appearance,
which had been pronounced to be the plague, and the panic
had spread even to Bagdad. It was rumored that a quar-
antine would soon be declared, cutting off communication
with all that neighborhood, to prevent the spread of this
terrible disease. It was now the second week in May, and
the weather would soon be too hot to make such an excur-
sion possible. My friend, Mr. Finnis, could not accompany
me, and I must either give up my project, or go alone.
But to visit this country without seeing Babylon would be
leaving the part of Hamlet out of the play, and after con-
siderable hesitation, I decided to go, trusting to my uni-
form good fortune to see me safely through.
My friends were by no means agreed as to the prudence
of this decision, some predicting difficulty from the flood
as well as the threatened pestilence. The unprecedented
high water in both rivers had flooded some portions of the
plains, and I must be prepared to wade, or perhaps to
2.56 PREPARATIONS FOR THE JOURNEY.
swim. This, however, did not frighten me, but what was
more to be dreaded, was being caught within the cordon of
the quarantine, in case one should suddenly be declared.
This matter of quarantine is one of the things most to
be dreaded in Turkey. Once on the wrong side of the line,
and not even all the power of the Pasha could save me un-
til I had served out the forty days.
On the other hand it was not fully decided that the dis-
ease was the plague, and a commission of medical men
were to start in a few days for the infected district. It
did not seem probable that any quarantine would be estab-
lished until their report was received, and this was the
impression in official circles when I called at the palace
to make inquiries. The Pasha's Secretary assured me
that I should have a w T eek before the commission returned,
which was all the time I required.
My preparations being made, and armed with credentials
from the Pasha and letters to the Nawab, Agha-Dowlah, a
wealthy Indian nabob residing at Kerbella, I found myself
on Tuesday morning before sunrise, in a yoopha with my
servant and guide, Yusef, and all my baggage, to cross the
Tigris to the west side where our horses had been taken the
day before. As I gaily said au revoir to the friends who
had come down to see me start, 1 had for a moment the
feeling that I was taking too much risk. But it was now
too late to turn back, nor was I inclined to show the ivhite
feather. We were quickly paddled across the rapid stream,
and found Hassan, our Arab muleteer, waiting with two
horses and a pack mule on the opposite bank. I had left
preparation of the outfit to Yusef, whose experience in
such matters rendered him thoroughly competent to man-
age my small caravan. He is a Mosulie Christian, from
near Mosul, far up the Tigris, a man of energy and re-
source equal to any emergency, well acquainted with all
THE START FROM BAGDAD. 957
the places on our route, and speaks Arabic, Persian, and
Turkish, as well as sufficient English to make himself un-
derstood. As the " traps " are being landed from the
'goopha, under his direction, let us take an inventory of
the outfit : An English saddle, bridle, riding whip, and sun
umbrella ; a thin cotton mattress, quilt and pillow, rolled
up tightly in a Persian carpet and around it a waterproof
blanket ; a small satchel containing a change of clothing
and a few toilet articles of the simplest campaign character.
Next come large Arab saddle-bags, w r ell stuffed with the
commissary stores, tea, sugar, coffee, salt, knife, fork and
spoon, cold chicken and sandwiches, half a dozen bottles
Bass' ale, one ditto brandy, a tin tea-pot, and a supply of
Persian tobacco for my chibouk ; then two unglazed water
jars, called cudjees. My kind and hospitable friends seem
determined that I shall be neither hungry or thirsty on the
desert. The last articles are a large clumsy Arab, saddle
for Yusef, and a roll containing his bed clothing. My own
kit is all white, an Indian pith hat, and high riding boots.
My horse was first saddled, and mounting my "Arab
steed," I watched with curiosity the operation of packing
these various sized bundles upon the mule. The art seems
to be to arrange all into pairs as nearly equal as possible in
weight, so as to balance each other on the animal, then tie
them on so securely that if he should take a notion to lie
down in the road, or bolt off at a tangent with heels in the
air, he cannot get rid of his load. All being secured Has-
san climbs up from the rear, perches himself on the top,
guiding the mule with a halter decorated with cowrie
shells, and in his hand a persuasive argument in the shape
of a stout, sharp-pointed stick.
We thread the narrow streets single file, Yusef leading
the way, and the sun is just rising as we pass through a
gateway in the half ruined wall, and emerge upon the open
16
258 TnE HOTEL OF THE DESERT.
plain. These Eastern people are early risers, and the road
is already alive with caravans camels, horses, mules and
donkeys by the hundred Arabs on foot, leading pack ani-
mals with enormous loads of fresh cut grass or faggots to-
wards the city Bedouin horsemen scouring along the
road, armed with guns, swords, or long, quivering spears.
They pass us at full speed without deigning a glance, their
long, dark abbas, or cloaks, and the ends of bright kaffeahs
tied round their heads, streaming out behind like banners.
Our course for the first hour is along the river's bank,
among date groves and through fields of waving corn.
Then diverging to the right, leaving behind the strip of
cultivated land, all vegetation disappears, and we are fairly
launched upon the desert. It rained last night and there
is no dust, the road is a mere track across the sandy plain,
and, exhilarated by the pure, clear air and the novelty of
the situation, I touch my horse with the spur and he darts
ahead at a fast gallop, leaving my little caravan far be-
hind. A caravanserai is within sight four or five miles
ahead, a conspicuous object standing alone in the desert,
and here in the shade of its low walls I wait for them to
come up.
These I&ians are built at intervals of six or eight miles
along all the main roads throughout Arabia and Persia for
the free accommodation of travelers. They are usually
of brick, one story in height, with an open court in the
centre. The gates are very heavy and strongly barred,
and the outer walls are loopholed. The arrangements in-
side are most primitive. Stone or brick platforms about
five feet from the ground, covered with an arched roof for
protection from the sun and rain, and open to tin
courtyard, where the animals are secured, are the onlj
apartments they furnish. On these the traveler spreads
his carpet and makes himself at home. On his a]
NO SNUBBING BY THE " GENTLEMANLY CLERK." 259
rival here, no dashing hotel clerk holds out a pen for him
to register his name, nor scans with lordly disdain his
dusty and travel-stained garments, while the poor fellow
submissively waits to be shown to the meanest room in the
topmost story.
THE HOTEL OF THE DESEUT.
As I ride through the arched gateway of the Khan-a-
Zmd an Arab holds the stirrup for me to dismount, loos-
ens the saddle girth and walks my horse slowly up and
down in the shade. Another piles some fresh cut grass
on the stone platform, on which I sit while he brings me a
small cup of strong black coffee. Then lie offers me a bowl of
fresh water or sweet milk, and brings a live coal to light
my chibouk. Not a word is said except the first respectful
salutation of " Salaamar"
Soon after Yuscf and Hassan came up, took their coffee,
and in half an hour we were again on the road. As Yusef
paid the bill I noticed how pitiful a sum it was, and told
260 A NAWAB ON HIS TRAVELS.
him to give them as much more for baksheesh. A short
distance beyond this Khan we came to a wallah, or hollow
place, nearly a hundred yards in width, which the Tigris,
overflowing its banks, had filled with water. This, and
several others in the course of the day, we were obliged to
ford, but in no case was the water above our horses'
girths, so that they were not considered a serious obstacle.
Our first day's journey was to Moseyib, a town on the
Euphrates, forty very long miles from Bagdad. The sun
was now getting hot, and I began to feel its influence in
spite of pith hat and umbrella. Leaving Yusef as a guard
to the pack mule, I pushed on towards the Khan Moham-
medeah, half way to Moseyib, which I reached about noon.
On the road I met many parties on horse-back, most of
whom I recognized by their dress as Persians returning
from a pilgrimage to the shrines at Kerbella and Kifil.
Just before reaching the half-way Khan I discovered
ahead a large cavalcade, and as it approached I saw it was
no ordinary caravan. My servants were a, long distance
behind, and my only weapon being a small " Smith &
Wesson " I felt a little nervous. Most of the party were
armed, and at the head rode a fine looking man of about
thirty, mounted on a beautiful full-blood Arab horse. As
he came up I touched my hat with a courteous salaam,
and was startled at his suddenly reining up, and saluting
me in English with " Good morning, sir ; are you going
to Hillah ?" We exchanged a few words and rode on. In
the center of his armed band, and surrounded by black ser-
vants, was a large howdah, covered with bright scarlet cloth
and carried on four mules. Through the partly open cur-
tains I could see that it contained his wife, and as I passed
I caught just a glimpse of a pair of flashing black eyes peep-
ing curiously out from beneath a veil that covered her face.
I knew it would be resented as an insult to stare in that
THE MIRAGE ON THE DESERT. 261
direction, or to turn in my saddle and look back. Behind
the howdah were several females, probably servants, riding
on mules, and seated on double panniers of light wicker-
work. A dozen or more well-armed horsemen brought up
the rear. It was the Navvab Agha-Dowlah, to whom I
had letters, coming from Kerbella to Bagdad. When the
Nawab met Yusef and ascertained who I was, he sent a man
back with his compliments and regrets that he should be
absent, and said that so soon as he readied Bagdad he
should telegraph to his steward to place his hou.se at Ker-
bella at my service.
We stopped but a short time at the Khan Mohamme-
deah, as we had the hardest and hottest six hours ride
yet before us, and it was necessary to reach Moseyib before
dark, so as to secure a boat for the night to go through
the Kerbella canal. The sun was-pouring down its fiercest
rays and the air seemed stifling. I stopped at two other
KJians only long enough to secure a cup of coffee, while I
waited in the shade for Yusef and Hassan to come up.
During this afternoon's ride I saw for the first time the
wonderful effects of a mirage on a desert. Far away across
the sandy plain, under the quivering rays of the sun, was
a KJian, but between me and it was a river, which receded
as I approached, and then suddenly disappeared, as if by
magic. The deception was so complete that I thought
several times that the Euphrates was in sight. Then the
exhibition took another form. Clumps of palm trees and
long processions of camels could be seen raised several de-
grees above the horizon. These objects were usually reversed,
the trees upside down, and the camels standing upon their
heads. I can realize now what I have often read of the
poor weary and thirsty traveler on the desert, who sees be-
fore him the green oasis and sparkling water, enticing him
262 II ILL AH DECLARED IN QUARANTINE.
on with tantalizing mockery, then suddenly vanish, leav-
ing him to drop down exhausted and perish.
It was after sunset when we reached Moseyib, a large
town surrounded by palm trees and gardens. Riding
through the narrow streets and bazaars, down to the banks
of the river, we stopped at the guard-house, where a crazy
bridge of boats crossed the Euphrates to the house of the
governor on the opposite shore. I sent Yusef with my let-
ter from the Pasha of Bagdad, and requested the governor
to furnish me a boat for the canal. Yusef speedily returned
with the message "The governor send plenty salaams,
and says you have boat in half an hour." A large mar-
hallah, or river boat, of eighteen or twenty tons, was
promptly forthcoming. My carpet and mattress were
spread upon her deck, and I threw myself down completely
exhausted .with my twelve hours' ride. Yusef prepared for
me a cup of tea, but I was too tired to eat.
My plans were to go that night to Kcrbella, where I
should spend the next day, and thence by the Hindeah
canal the next night to Kuul, the ancient capital of the
Kufic Empire, and to Kifil, where there is a shrine very
sacred to Mahometans, being the burial place of Ali, the
son-in-law of the Prophet. Our horses, under the care of
Hassan, were to meet us at a place called Nejif, whence we
could ride to Hillah and the ruins of Babylon.
But now Hassan comes in a fright, having been told
that the Turkish soldiers are seizing all the horses in the
neighborhood. So I again dispatch Yusef to the governor
with my compliments, and a request for a protection for
my animals as far as Nejif. He returns with the startling
jiews that the governor lias just received a telegram from
Bagdad, declaring Hillah in quarantine, as the plague lias
broken out in that town; but I might go as far as Kerbella,
that place being outside the cordon sanitaire. Here was a
THE BATTLE-FIELD OF CUNAXA. 263
dilemma. Prudence dictated an immediate return to Bag-
dad, but pride and a desire and hope to yet see Babylon
opposed that course. 1 appealed to my man Friday.
" Now Yusef, what shall we do ?" " Whatever you please,
Sahib," was his reply. " Are you not afraid of the
plague?" "No, Sahib, no fear it, na catch it." I com-
mended Yusef 's philosophy, and determined to push on that
night for Kerbclla, a very interesting place, almost within
sight of the Birs Nimroud, or the tower of Babel, sec what
I could the next day, and return the night after to the
horses. Our luggage was all on board, and in five minutes
more we were off toward the "infected district."
The boatmen hoist the large lateen sail, .and we cross
the rapid stream diagonally towards the mouth of the Ker-
bella canal. I can just discern in the dim twilight, the
plain where more than twenty centuries ago the battle of
Cunaxa was fought, which proved so disastrous to the
younger Cyrus, as minutely described by Xenophon in the
Anabasis. Visions of that text book, whose smooth and
elegant Greek was never a hard task in my younger days,
rise before me, and I wonder whether the unfortunate ex-
pedition against Babylon in which the 'ten thousand ' took
part is not an unlucky omen for my present raid in that
direction. And shall 1 be as fortunate in my retreat as
were the Greeks under the wise leadership of Xenophon.
Once under weigh I half repented my decision, but it
was now too late to turn back. Yusef filled and lit my
chibouk, and I made myself as comfortable as circum-
stances would permit. The marhallah was drawn by four
Arab tracke'-s, who walked along the bank pulling the
heavy boat by a long rope attached to the mast.
The Re is, or captain, was close behind me steering the
boat, and continually shouting to the trackers on the bank,
264 RECOLLECTIONS OF THE PLAGUE.
whose monotonous chanting was by no means soothing to
the weary traveler.
As we passed through the mud villages hundreds of
dogs took part in the concert, which was varied on the
open plains by the howling of jackals, whose cries at times
were a perfect imitation of the wailing of infant children.
Add to all these, the blood-thirsty zip of mosquitoes by the
million, and it can easily be seen that in spite of fatigue,
sleep was impossible.
The night was warm and clear, and for hours I gazed
up at the bright stars overhead, my only coverlid, and re-
called the incidents, as related to me by an old resident,
almost the only European survivor, of the plague of 1831,
which in two months carried off one hundred thousand of
the inhabitants of Bagdad.
The people of the West have no conception of the horror
which the very name of the plague suggests to Oriental
nations. We think of it only as a disease which in remote
ages afflicted humanity or possibly we may remember
reading of the " great fire" and the plague, which within
the same century ravaged London, over two hundred years
ago. But in several countries of the East the plague is
endemic, and the dread of it is ever present. Scarcely a
year passes that some alarm or rumors of this frightful
disease do not spread through Persia and Arabia, or the
Turkish ports of the Mediterranean. It is strictly conta-
gious, very rapid in its progress, and fatal with two-thirds
of the persons attacked. Complete isolation is the only
preventive, and upon its appearance the people shut them-
selves up in their houses, provisioned as for a siege, and
hold no communication with friends or neighbors until the
" Angel of death" has passed by.
In the Spring of 1831, when the plague broke out in
Bagdad, the city contained about one hundred and fifty
THE PASHA OF BAGDAD BEGGING FOR BREAD. 265
thousand inhabitants. The ruling governor, Daoud-Pasha,
had largely increased his army, and being ambitious and
very popular, he was suspected of an intention to throw
off the yoke of the Sultan, and follow the successful ex-
ample of Mohamet AH in Egypt. He kept up a brilliant
court, encouraged commerce, and the city was rapidly in-
creasing in population and wealth.
The terrible disease was brought by Persian pilgrims to
Kerbella, and a more frightful detail of human suffering
can hardly be found on the page of history. The Pasha,
by a mistaken policy, to prevent undue alarm, prevented
the egress of those who would have fled, so that the disease
had full scope within the city walls. The daily mortality
rapidly increased to five thousand ; many houses were emp-
tied, and no one was to be met, except the persons employed
to drag to the river's bank the dead bodies thrown over the
walls of the dwellings into the streets. Many dying parents
exposed their young children in the streets, hoping to
attract the sympathy of the charitable ; but at such a time
all feelings of humanity seemed deadened, and the help-
less little creatures were left to perish.
When the mortality was at its height, the misery of the
wretched inhabitants was increased by the river overflow-
ing its banks, bursting through the walls and undermining
the mud-built foundations of the houses, of which seven
thousand fell in a single day, burying in their ruins many
of the sick, the dying and the dead.
Nor was the Pasha better off than his subjects. His
palace was in ruins ; his guards were dead, or had fled,
and he was indebted to the bounty of a poor fisherman for
a little food to save him from starvation. The British
Minister and his family escaped down the river. Of the
eighteen Sepoys and servants left at the Residency, but
two survived, and some whole sections of the city were left
266 SLEEP AT LAST.
without a single inhabitant. Other towns in the neigh-
borhood suffered frightfully. Hillah, which contained
ten thousand people, was entirely depopulated. Some, no
doubt, had fled, but the greater number fell victims to the
disease.
Such are some of the horrible details of the pestilence
in 1831, within the memory of many of the inhabitants of
Bagdad now living. In 1772 the plague was still more
destructive of human life. At that time it is supposed
that over a million people perished in this section of Arabia
and Persia.
Revolving such pleasant fancies in mind, I lay awake
until long past midnight. But tired nature at last triumphed,
and I fell into a sound sleep. I awoke with a start to find
the bright sun shining in my eyes, and Yusef standing by
with a cup of coffee in one hand, and my lighted chibouk
in the other.
CHAPTER XXII.
HOSPITALITIES IN BABYLON.
Arrival at Kerbella A Hospitable Reception The Nawab's Palace
Shrines of Kerbella Mosque of Abbas " Clay of the Saints " Indian
Nabobs as British Subjects Visit in State to the Bazaars We Call on
the Ex-Qneen of India A Royal Indian Entertainment Sweetmeats
and Hubble Bubbles Babylon as Described by Herodotus and Benjamin
of Tudela The Ruins, as they appear To-Day The Three Great
Mounds Last Relic of the Hanging Gardens An Arab Tradition
Daniel's Lion The Birs Nimroud, or Tower of Babel Burial Place of
Ali I Commence my Retreat Stopped by a Turkish Governor Alarm-
ing Intelligence Orderel Back to Kerbella I am Inside the Quarantine.
my great surprise I found
that we had already reached
Kerbella. My marliallah
was moored alongside many
other boats of various kinds,
and all around us were the
bustle and activity of a large
town. After a simple '-canal
boat toilet " I followed Yusef
to the residence of the
Nawab, where I found every
preparation had been made
for my comfort by Mirzah,
the head steward, to whom
the hospitable proprietor had sent a telegram the night
before.
Refreshed by a bath and two hours sleep in a cool, dark-
ened room, I was invited to a breakfast of coffee, sweets,
2(3 y ^ HOSPITABLE RECEPTIOX.
and a great variety of curious dishes. Then Mirzah
showed me through the different apartments of the house,
which is the finest in Kerbella. That portion occupied by
the ladies, called the harem, was separated by a wall from
the reception rooms for male visitors, and was built round
an open court, paved with marble, in the center of which
was a beautiful fountain. We passed through these ele-
gantly furnished rooms, now unoccupied, to the top of the
house, from which we had a fine view of the city.
Kerbella is a great resort of pilgrims from Persia and
India. These Mahometans are all of the Sheah sect, who
revere the memory of Ali almost as much as the Prophet
himself. In this place are two very sacred shrines of
Abbas and of Hassein, grandsons of Mahomet, who are
buried here and worshiped as saints. Thousands of the
devout come here to die, as the Hindoos resort to Benares,
their sacred city, to drown themselves in the Ganges. The
two mosques containing the ashes of these saints arc very
beautiful. I could only see the outside, as no " dog of an
unbeliever" is ever permitted to enter the sacred pre-
cincts. The mosque of Abbas has an immense dome and
one of its minarets is entirely covered with plates of bur-
nished gold. The dome and minarets of the other mosque
are beautifully ornamented with glazed tiles of various colors
arranged in arabesque designs, and with passages from the
Koran. No mosque in Cairo, Damascus, or Constantinople
will compare with these in richness of exterior decoration.
From the number of devotees buried at Kerbella, the soil
is full of human bones. Pilgrims carry away as relics
small pieces of the " clay of the saints," upon which they
rest their foreheads in saying their prayers.
Here is the residence of several hundred nabobs from
India, some of whom arc very wealthy. Many of these arc
from Lucknow the capital of Oude and were relatives of
WE CALL ON AN EX- QUEEN. o(jg
the former ruling princes of that province. When the
English seized that most important kingdom in India, they
granted liberal pensions to all connected with the royal
family. They reside here, protected as British subjects,
and are all Mohametans of the same sect as the Persians.
After breakfast I was called upon by another Nawab,
who proposed to show me through the bazaars. Our pro-
cession as we passed along the crowded streets was decid-
edly showy. My ideas of republican simplicity were rather
shocked at the unceremonious manner in which the Caw-
asses, who marched ahead, armed with swords and in
showy uniform, pushed aside the people. Next came the
stranger with a dignitary on either side, and a dozen or
more servants and Cawasses brought up the rear. The
bazaars were very interesting, but 1 was myself too much
an object of curiosity to make it comfortable to stop and
examine the shops. I presume at that time there was not
another European or foreigner nearer than Bagdad.
On our way back, we stopped to call on the widow of one
of the ex-kings of India an old lady over eighty years of
age. She receives a pension of six thousand rupees (three
thousand dollars) a month from the English government,
and maintains a large establishment. Of course, I did
not see the ex-queen herself that would not be according
to etiquette but as I was being conducted through a long
passage towards the reception room, I caught a glimpse of
a very old and wrinkled face peering through a half opened
door, and am inclined to think that she saw me. I was
received by her brother and cousins, and seated myself on
a cushion placed upon a large Persian carpet. Five or six
officers of high rank were located around me on the carpet,
while those of lower grade sat upon the marble floor
farther down the room.
After exchanging elaborate salaams, coffee was brought
270 A ROYAL ENTERTAINMENT.
in and offered to me on a silver tray, then a dish of pre-
served fruit. A narghileh came next, richly decorated
with gold and silver filagree work, and prepared with rose-
scented water. Supposing this to be the end of the enter-
tainment, I now made a movement toward my hat but
my conductors politely intimated that more was yet to
come, so I resigned myself to see the end of the play.
A large tray was brought in, on which was a bowl of
pink-colored sherbet, from which the servant filled a glass
with a curiously carved ladle of sandal wood ; and some
very sweet cakes were a part of this course. Again came
the " hubble-bubble " pipe, but this time of a different
pattern. The last course consisted of four dishes of sweet-
meats, which were urged upon me by my hosts, as especially
Indian preparations ; so as a matter of courtesy I had to
taste of each. It is impossible to describe them, or to tell
of what they were made, but they certainly were very deli-
cious. Another bowl of sherbet of a different color and
flavor, and then a chibouk with amber mouthpiece and
long jasmine stem closed the entertainment.
We took leave of the ex-royal family with the usual
amount of bowing and salaaming, and returned to the
Nawab's, where I found a lunch spread, consisting of tea,
coffee, and more sweetmeats. Now, I have confessed a
weakness for this sort of condiments, but here I began to
feel a surfeit. As an article of exclusive diet I would
prefer something else to sugar.
It was now past noon, and I began to feel anxious to
get started towards Moseyib. From what I had heard
that morning about the plague being in the immediate
neighborhood of Kerbella, and the evident panic among
the people there, I was not inclined to waste any time
after I had seen everything of interest in that place. So
I took leave of my kind hosts, who insisted upon accom-
BABYLON, AS DESCRIBED BY HERODOTUS. 271
panying me through the hot sun down to my boat. Here
I was surprised to find, as a present from the ex-queen,
a neat willow basket containing the last four dishes of
sweetmeats which I had tasted and praised at her house.
The Reis and his men were fast asleep, but Yusef roused
them without ceremony, and urged an immediate depart-
ure.
But before we leave this, the nearest point I shall attain
to ancient Babylon, and within sight of the loftiest tower
that marks these ruins, I must give the reader a brief
description, gathered from eye witnesses and the records
of other travelers.
According to Herodotus, the only ancient writer who
has left a description of Babylon from personal observa-
tion, the city formed a square of which each side was
twelve miles long. It was built on both sides of the
Euphrates, which was spanned by a bridge of stone, and
the banks of the river were lined with bricks. In the
midst of one quarter stood the royal palace and hanging
gardens, in the other the temple of Belus. The city was
surrounded by a double wall of hard-burnt bricks, and
between them was a wide and deep moat. The streets were
all straight and at right angles ; those toward the river
had gates of brass. The houses were three and four
stories in height, and Babylon was the most richly adorned
city the historian had ever seen.
Benjamin of Tudela, a learned Hebrew traveler, visited
Babylon in the twelfth century, and states that in his
time no less than twenty thousand Jews resided near the
ancient city, and worshiped in a synagogue built, accord-
ing to tradition, by the prophet Daniel himself. These
Hebrew families claimed to be descended from the Jews
of the Captivity, and traced their lineage from the princes
and prophets of Judah. Their chief, who lived at Bagdad,
272 THE RUINS AS THEY NOW APPEAR.
was called the " Lord Prince of the Captivity," and traced
his descent from King David.
Let us take a rapid survey of the ruins as they appear
to-day, which in extent seem to warrant the most extrava-
gant descriptions of the glories of Babylon under the
successive dynasties of the Assyrians, the Chaldeans, and
the Persians.
Coming from Bagdad, which in a direct line is fifty
miles distant, three immense mounds appear in succes-
sion, which have the appearance of natural hills. But
close examination shows that they are composed of bricks,
and are the remains of large buildings. These are on the
eastern side of the Euphrates, and the largest is about
one hundred and fifty feet in height. They are supposed
to be an ancient citadel that defended this part of the
town, the royal palace, and a temple. How immense
must the original buildings have been, when it is con-
sidered that these mounds have been the storehouses from
which for twenty centuries bricks of the finest description
have been taken to build the great cities of Ctesiphon,
Selucia, and Bagdad. Fragments of alabaster vessels and
ANCIENT LA.MPS FROM BABYLON.
images, fine earthenware, marble, and great quantities of
enameled tiles, the glazing and coloring of which are still
surprisingly fresh, can yet be found in these mounds. On
the face of every brick is stamped in cuneiform characters
A RELIC OF THE HANGING GARDENS. 9^3
the name and titles of Xcbuehadnczzer. They arc all laid
face downward, and the cement in which they are im-
bedded is so hard that they can only be detached with the
greatest difficulty. Near these ruins arc the remains of
ANTIQUE VASES AND FIGUIJKS.
pillars and buttresses that supported the celebrated hang-
ing gardens and terraces which were numbered among the
wonders of the world.
Among these ruins stands a solitary tamarisk tree, a
species strange to this country. It bears every mark of
great antiquity, its originally enormous trunk being worn
away and shattered by time. Travelers early in the
present century have described its spreading evergreen
branches, adorned with tress-like tendrils, as very beauti-
ful. This is perhaps the last descendant of the trees that
decorated the hanging gardens of the Chaldean monarch.
The. Arabs have a tradition that this tree was saved by
God at the general destruction of the city, that AH might
rest beneath its shade after the defeat of the enemies of
the prophet at the great battle of Hillah.
The enormous stone lion, described by Rich, still lies
half buried in the ruins. Some imaginative travelers see
17
274
THE TO WER OF DAB EL.
in the group a representation of Daniel in the lion's den,
as it stands over a man with outstretched arms.
DANIEL S LtOX .
On the western bank of the river, and several miles
low the ruins above described, is the largest monumenl
that yet remains of ancient Babylon. It has the appeal
ance of an immense oblong hill. It is nearly half a mih
in circumference at the baso, and rises about one Imndra
and seventy feet above the plain. Upon its summit is
tower forty feet high, of beautiful masonry. The whole
mound is composed of kiln-burnt bricks, and the ruin upon
the top appears to have formed the angle of some squar
building, originally of much greater height. This ruin ii
rent nearly from top to bottom, as if struck by lightning.
This great mound is called the Birs Nimroud, " palace
of Nimrod," by the Arabs. By the Jews it is called the
" Prison of Nebuchadnezzar." But most Christian travel-
ers recognize this as the veritable remains of the Towei
I
/ COMMENCE MY RETREAT.
of Babel. It can be seen many miles away across the
plain, and was pointed out to me while it seemed but a
speck upon the horizon. Fragments of stone, marble, and
basalt are scattered among the rubbish at its base, and
show that it was adorned by other materials besides the
kiln-burnt bricks of which it was composed. The cement
which connects the bricks is so hard that it is impossible
to detach one entire from the mass, and shows the perfec-
tion of Babylonian masonry.
An early traveler says : " The Tower of Nimrod is sub-
lime even in its ruins. Clouds play about its summits.
Its recesses are inhabited by lions." Thus the words of
the prophet are fulfilled. "Wild beasts of the desert shall
lie there. Jackals shall feed in their palaces, and the wild
beasts in their pleasant places."
Within sight from the top of Birs !\imroud is the shrine
of Nejif, sacred to the Jews as the tomb Ezekiel, and a few
miles beyond in the same direction is Kifil, where Ali was
buried. After his death, in accordance with the orders he
had given, his devoted followers placed his body upon his
favorite mare, and buried it on the spot where she laid
down to rest. A splendid mosque covers his remains, and
a large town, half buried in date trees, is the resort of
thousands of pilgrims. After Mecca and Medina it is the
most sacred shrine to the Sheah Mahometans.
And now leaving behind us these grand ruins of ancient
Babylon, which from the Mosaic records and the accounts
that have come clown to us from later historians, must
have been for many centuries the most magnificent city in
the world, we will return to the marhallah, on which I was
slowly retreating towards Moseyib.
An awning had been spread over the deck and I was
fast asleep. In my dreams hubble-bubbles and sweet-meats,
278 T AM INSIDE THE QUARANTINE!
narghilehs, and chibouks were mixed up with nabobs and
Nawabs in inextricable confusion.
I was suddenly awakened by Yuscf, who pointed to a large
boat, rowed by six men, on which I could see officers and
soldiers in uniform, coming rapidly down towards us. In
the stern was the Turkish flag, and Yusef, in evident alarm,
told me it was the Governor of Mosey ib. I quickly roused
myself as the boat came alongside, and the Governor step-
ped on board my marhallah. He was a tall, fine looking
man of about forty, with full black beard, and wearing the
dark, gold-laced uniform of a Turkish officer. He said a
few words to the Reis, who salaamed very low, and then
courteously, but with rather a haughty air, saluted me.
He held in his hand a dispatch which he read and Yusef
translated. It was from Bagdad, and contained the alarm-
ing intelligence that Kerbclla had been placed in quaran-
tine, directing him to turn back all boats coining from that
place, and to stop all communication between Moscyib and
the capital. This announcement was indeed astonishing,
and I felt that my affairs had now reached a crisis. In-
side the quarantine shut up for an indefinite period, with
no countryman or European near, but the terrible pesti-
lence all around me the weather every day growing hot-
ter, and no communication with my friends in Bagdad or
at home.
CHAPTER XXIII.
THE RETURN' FROM BABYLON.
Inconvenience of not Knowing Turkish I invite the Governo*- to taste Eng-
lish Beer A Happy Thought He Returns with me to Moseyib Bass'
Ale as a Solvent The Governor Melts Winning my Way Effect of
English Arrack in Small Doses Undeveloped Musical Talent A Med-
ley of Songs Great Applause Invited to dine with the Governor We
reach Moseyib How Turkish Officials Transact Business Suspicious
Circumstances The Force of Habit Dinner a la Turque A Picture fur
an Artist A Moonlight Flitting " The Desert is Liberty" An Arab
Breakfast Fordinsr the Stream A Refreshing Bath Convenience of an
Umbrella Bagdad in Sight A Warm Welcome.
HE captain of my boat, in
obedience to the Governor's
orders, was detaching the
tow rope, and I began to feel
desperate. But I could not
give up without an effort. I
showed him my letter from
the Pasha of Bagdad, and he
then recognized me as the
traveler who had applied to
him for a boat. He could
speak only Turkish, so that
all our conversation had to
be interpreted by Yusef.
I would have given all I know of other tongues (ex-
cept the vernacular) if 1 could only talk with the Turk in
his own language, and try my powers of persuasion and
eloquence.
We had been standing in the hot sun, and I invited him
280 ENGLISH ALE AS A SOLVENT.
to a seat beneath my awning. Then, with the instinct of
hospitality, I asked him if he would drink some English
beer. The Governor shrugged his shoulders and nodded
assent. A bottle had been towing astern to cool, which
Yusef quickly opened, and filled a large glass with foam-
ing Bass' ale. The Governor took it down at a gulp, and
held out the glass for more. Now, theoretically, at least,
no Mussulman can drink wine, beer, or spirits ; but the
Turks are not very strict observers of the Koran in this re-
spect. It was plain that my guest was no ascetic. In re-
ply to his inquiry I told him I had two more bottles of
beer and one of brandy, " all of which were at his service."
A happy thought seemed to strike him. He called his
secretary, and after a short consultation announced that he
would return to Moseyib in my marhallah, and send his
own boat on to Kerbella, which was but a few miles dis-
tant, with letters and dispatches. His soldiers and ser-
vants, carpet, cushions, chibouk, etc., were transferred to
my boat, and four Arab idlers, who had collected on the
bank, were impressed, in Turkish style, to man an
extra tow rope. We were soon spinning along towards
Moseyib at a rapid rate, with the prospect of reaching that
place before dark, instead of at midnight, as 1 had ex-
pected.
The Turk now made himself comfortable. It was aw-
fully hot, so he doffed his heavy military coat, rolled up
shirt sleeves, kicked off his patent leather gaiters, called
for his chibouk, and squatted on his carpet and cushions
which had been spread under the awning. I did the hos-
pitalities to the best of my ability. Perhaps never before
did I exert myself so much to please a guest.
I made Yusef spread out the remains of yesterday's
lunch, to which I added the basket of sweetmeats sent me
by the ex-queen, and another bottle of ale. With the
THE GOVERNOR MELTS.
281
second bottle, the Governor began to melt, and asking to
see again the Pasha's letter, he apologized for not calling
upon me when I was in Moseyib, and invited me to dine
with him that evening. The third bottle made him quite
sociable. He repeated his apologies, renewed his invita-
tion to dinner, and said he would manage some way to get
me through the quarantine.
I exerted all my powers to please and entertain him. I
showed him my pictures, my little revolver, which he ad-
mired very much, and I thought seriously of presenting it
to him on the spot. But we were getting on swimmingly
now, and I held it back in reserve for an emergency.
Having finished the ale he signified a wish to taste the
English arrack, which I told Yusef to administer in very
small doses, as I was fearful of its effects. But my fears
\vere groundless, for he proved to be thoroughly seasoned,
and never got beyond the point of feeling social and good
humored.
When I told him that I had been in Constantinople and
had seen the Sultan, his respect for me was immensely in-
creased. He was lamentably ignorant about America
did not know whether we were ruled by an Emperor, King
or President and I gave him the first lesson he ever had
in the geography of the New World. He did not even
know our flag, so I drew the " Stars and Stripes" on pa-
per, but he would not admit that any flag was handsomer
than the " Star and Crescent."
As all this had to be done through an interpreter, or by
pantomime, it was no easy task, but I saw that by winning
his good will I had a chance of escape, and I succeeded
even beyond my expectations. Only once, when the Gov-
ernor proposed that I should sing, I felt that lie had me at
disadvantage. Now, my talents as a vocalist had never
been developed, and I needed as much urging as if I had
282 UNDEVELOPED MUSICAL TALENTS.
really been a first-rate tenor. But the Turk insisted, and
by way of an encouragement volunteered to hum an air he
had heard in a cafe cJiantant at Pera. This was so hor-
ribly discordant that I yielded at once, and gave him the
" Star spangled Banner," mixed up with " The beautiful
star." As my audience understood neither the words nor
the tune, it is not surprising that I achieved a wonderful
success, and elicited great applause. The version was so
entirely original, that if my audience had understood Eng-
lish, it would perhaps have been encored. Elated at this un-
expected success, I tried "Rally round the flag," "Old John
Brown," and " Marching through Georgia." Then a
medley of negro songs closed the entertainment. The
whole performance was so comically absurd, that I laughed
as heartily as the Governor himself. He slapped me on
the shoulder and said : " You are a good fellow ; I like
you. Come and dine at my house then we drink arrack
and liavc more songs. When the moon rises 1 let you go
to Bagdad." I saw a twinkle in Yusef s eyes as he trans-
lated this speech, and he said to me in English : "We are
all right now, Sahib."
Before dark we reached Moseyib. I at once sent Yusef
across the river to look up Hassan, and bring the horses
to the palace, so as to be in readiness for a moonlight flit-
ting, as soon as it should be light enough to see the road.
I followed the Governor through the gateway, where the
guard presented arms, and up to the reception room, where,
motioning me to a scat on the divan, he excused himself
and retired to the harem, when I presume he dipped his
head into cold water, for he soon returned looking as fresh
as if Bass's ale and English arrack were his daily bever-
ages. He had exchanged his uniform for a striped silk
robe, a Cashmere shawl tied round the waist, the inevitable
red/ez, and loose white trowsers. Calling for his narghi-
HOW TURKISH OFFICIALS TRANSACT BUSINESS. 933
Icl^ he tucked Ins bare feet under him on the divan, and
looked every inch a Turk.
A servant had drawn off my boots and replaced them
with a pair of embroidered slippers, and I was curled up
at the other end of the divan, puffing away at a long-
stemmed chibouk. Quite a large crowd was waiting for an
audience with the governor, and I was an amused spectator
of the way business is dispatched by a Turkish official.
I could not understand a word that was said, but heard
" quarantina " often repeated, and as each one in turn was
admitted and stated his business, 1 inferred that they were
soliciting permits for themselves or their goods to pass the
lines. The Governor seemed to generally deny their re-
quests, but several times there was a little by-play. The
applicant would whisper a few words to the secretary ;
then there would be a private confab with his Excellency,
and the man would go away apparently satisfied.
It is the common impression that all Turkish officials,
from the highest to the lowest, arc open to bribes. I can
only say that what I saw looked suspicious. The Turks
have a horror of the plague, and the quarantine is their
only method of checking its ravages. Remissness of duty
on the part of any subordinate would be fatal while in
the matter of customs and taxes all such 2^ccadillo8 as
bribes are considered pardonable. So strong is this im-
pression, even among those who denounce all the officials
as a set of k ' blackmailing scoundrels," that I was warned
before leaving Bagdad that once within the quarantine,
neit her money nor influence could relieve me. But per-
haps the force of habit is strong with my friend the Gov-
ernor, and he presumes that the quarantine regulations are
not yet firmly established.
It was nine o'clock before the last applicant was dis-
missed, and in the meantime Yusef had returned and
284 DINXER A LA TURQ.UE.
whispered to me that Hassan and the horses were in the
court-yard below. Dinner was now announced, and was as
unique an entertainment as my breakfast at the Nawab's,
or my tiffin at the house of the ex-Queen of Oude.
A servant brought in a large round tray, which he
placed on the divan between the governor and myself. In
the center was a dish of stewed chicken, and on each side
a napkin, fork, and spoon. My host, inviting me to follow
his example, tucked the napkin under his chin, seized
spoon and fork, and went in with a good relish. Thinking
of the old adage, which will suggest itself to the reader, I
followed suit. This dish was removed, and others followed
in quick succession, but whether fish, flesh, or fowl I could
not always tell. I dipped into each as a matter of cour-
tesy, although the flavor was sometimes far from agreeable
to my taste. The last course was boiled rice and curry,
then came small cups of coffee, and the tray being re-
moved, two servants came in, one holding a towel and a
large basin, while the other poured water from a ewer over
our hands.
The dinner was now over, and the Governor, who had
evidently enjoyed the repast, fell back into his corner of
the divan. Nargliilelis of the Turkish pattern, with long,
flexible tubes, were brought in, and arrack in small wine-
glasses passed round. My host again urged me to sing,
but I had made reputation enough in that line for one day,
and excused myself on the ground of fatigue. It was now
getting late, and the governor seemed tired and sleepy.
So I told him, through Yusef, not to sit up on my account,
as I would rest on the divan until it was time for me to
leave. He called an officer of the guard, gave some direc-
tions about allowing me to pass, then cordially shook hands
and pointing through the window in the direction where
A MOONLIGHT FLITTING. 285
the moon would rise, by pantomime wished me a good nap,
and retired to his own apartments.
I tried in vain to sleep. The exciting events of the day,
my narrow escape, the uncertainty of reaching Bagdad, for
there was a possibility of being quarantined at its very
gates, the breakfast a la Jndienne, the dinner a la Turque,
all passed in review before me. The divan was in the pro-
jection of a large open window, and beneath it the wide,
swiftly-flowing river. It was yet dark, but I could hear
the ripple of the water against the boats of the floating
bridge, and across the broad stream I could discern the
outline of the higher buildings of the town, and the masts
of vessels moored along the banks. At last the moon
rose from behind the city, deepening the shadows and form-
ing a weird-like picture, bringing out dome and minaret,
palm-tree and mast, in bold relief, and sparkling brightly,
like silver, as its rays touched the rippling water.
I awoke Yusef, who was asleep in the outer room, and
in half an hour he came up to tell me that all was ready.
We quietly descended, mounted our horses, rode through
the gate past the sleepy sentinel, filed across the bridge,
and turning to the left, so as to avoid the town, soon struck
the road leading out on the plain.
Once more fairly on the desert track, I cared nothing for
the long, weary ride before us. I was free from the hor-
rors of quarantine and plague, and felt elated like a Bed-
ouin escaping from the restraints of city walls, to whom
the " desert is liberty." Then came drowsiness. For
three nights I had slept scarcely as many hours. We
could only ride at a foot pace in single file. For the four
hours until sunrise it was with the greatest difficulty that
I could prevent myself from falling asleep in the saddle.
At length the sun appeared, slowly rising above the horizon
of sand, and I struck out at a faster pace towards a Khan
28(3 AN ARAB BREAKFAST.
two or three miles away. Here I got a cup of Arab coffee
and a draught of fresh new milk, and as it was advisable
to reach the halfway station as early as possible, I pushed
on towards the Khan Mohammedeah. The Arabs recog-
nized me, and spreading an abba on one of the stone plat-
forms, I was asleep long before my caravan came up. Yu-
sef very considerately did not disturb me, and after two
hours refreshing sleep I awoke to find a breakfast piepared,
that tasted infinitely better than the Indian sweetmeats, or
the most elaborate products of the Turkish cuisine. Arab
bread, unleavened, and baked in thin, wafer-like cakes,
new sweet butter, white cheese from goats' milk, a bowl of
roasted wheat coarsely ground, and plenty of fresh new
milk. This was a regular Arab meal, and I did it full
justice.
Before noon we were again in the saddle, with the hard-
est and hottest part of our journey yet before us. The
quarantine had put an embargo on travel, and the road,
on which a few days before we had met an almost constant
stream of caravans, was now deserted. With the increas-
ing heat the same wonderful exhibition of mirage appeared
which I have before described.
When we reached the wallah, which we had forded on
our way out with no difficulty, we found that another rise in
the river had caused the water to flow back on the plain,
and it was now fully five feet in depth. I sent Yusef in
to explore, and the water in the deepest part came up to
his neck. Here was a fix ; but there was no way getting
round it, and it must be bravely met.
While we were deliberating a small caravan of Arabs,
in which there were four women carried on mules in
wicker panniers, came up the opposite bank, and we
watched their proceedings before making the attempt our-
selves. The men stripped off their clothes, roiled them
CONVENIENCE OF AN UMBRELLA.
287
into bundles which they carried upon their heads, and
boldly dashed in, leading the horses by the bridles. Then
they returned and carried the women over, holding the
panniers above the water.
Following their example, I first sent the animals across,
where they were left in charge of Hassan, who spread out
the wet packs to dry in the sun. Then Yusef came back
for me, and I took to the water, Arab fashion. He car-
ried over my clothes rolled up in a bundle, and with the
umbrella to keep off the sun I went in. It was rather
embarrassing, as the Arabs delayed starting. We heard
them laughing, and Yusef said they were chaffing the
F011D1XO THE STUliAM.
Sahib, and calling out " good," " good." I thought I
detected in the sound more silvery tones than the hoarse
voices of men, but my umbrella answered a double pur-
pose, and I rather enjoyed the bath, as the water was re-
freshingly cool. After an hour's delay, we are again on
288 A WARM WELCOME TO BAGDAD.
the road. Before sunset the welcome date-groves and
above them the domes and minarets of Bagdad came
within sight.
Passing through the gates without question as to whence
we had come, we hurried down to the river banks, where
our horses were left, and our baggage transferred to a
goopha. Crossing the river I jumped on shore and hastened
to the Khan. My friends received me with open arms,
and welcomed me almost as one risen from the dead.
The unexpected declaration of quarantine on the same
day that I left Bagdad had taken everybody by surprise,
and they had given me up, and were even consulting as to
what message should be sent to my friends at home by the
next mail. As I glanced into a mirror for the first time
since I left, I scarcely recognized my own face, so black
and sunburnt had it become. Thoroughly exhausted by
my sixteen hours in the saddle, I threw myself down on
a divan and drank cup after cup of tea, the best thing to
quench one's thirst.
A bath, clean clothes, a good dinner, a most sincere
welcome from my friends, followed by a sound night's
sleep in a clean bed, and the next day I was as well as
ever. But not the sight of all the ruins in the world, pres-
ent or prospective, from the tower of Babel to the time
when the New Zealander shall sit upon the ruined arch of
London bridge, would tempt me again to repeat my adven-
tures in search of Babylon.
CHAPTER XXIV.
NINEVEH AND ITS REMAINS.
Difficulties in the Way of my Visiting Nineveh The Site of that Ancient
Citv Sdi'ans disagree as to its Size Sketch of Modem Explorations
Inscriptions upon the Walls of its Palaces The Cuneiform Language
An Unknown Character of an Unknown Tongue Significance of the
Word "Cuneiform " Ancient Civilization of Assyria and Egypt Biblical
Accounts confirmed by Modern Discoveries The Behistun Rocks Rec-
ords of Darius, "the Great King" Peculiarities of Cuneiform Writing
Bricks of Babylon and Nineveh Translation of a Babylonian Cylinder
George Smith, the Discoverer of the "Deluge-Tablets " Ilisown Account of
this Remarkable Discovery His recent Book of "Assyrian Explorations"
Extracts from the Flood Series of Legends The Chaldean Account of
the Deluge.
visit the site of Ancient
Nineveh, before leaving this
country, had been my earnest
desire. But as my journey
was not one of exploration
or scientific discovery, I was
obliged to forego the satis-
faction of standing upon the
spot identified with so many
historical associations, which
could only be enjoyed at the
expense of much personal
discomfort and loss of time.
The modern town of Mo-
sul is situated upon the western bank of the Tigris, nearly
290 "AN EXCEEDING GREAT CITY:'
opposite the ruins which mark the site of Nineveh, and about
three hundred miles north of Bagdad. The rapid current of
the river makes its upward navigation impracticable, and
Mosul can only be reached from Bagdad by a horseback
journey of ten days, which, during the hot season, with
recent Babylonian experiences fresh in my mind, is not an
attractive excursion. Add to this the probability that the
plague, if it spreads to Bagdad, will cut off my retreat
down the river to the Persian Gulf, and I think the most
enthusiastic antiquarian would come to the conclusion that
in this case, " discretion is the better part of valor."
But as I am here in Babylonia, with the atmosphere of
the antique all around me, I shall venture to give a short
and necessarily imperfect sketch of the explorations and
discoveries, which within the last thirty years have attracted
the attention of the civilized world, and opened anew chap-
ter to the student of ancient history.
Although the site and identity of these ruins with an-
cient Nineveh is unquestioned, yet savans differ as to the
extent and size of the city when visited by the prophet
Jonah, and described by him as "an exceeding great city
of three days' journey."
Rawlinson maintains that "a city of three days' jour-
ney may be one which it requires three days to traverse
from end to end, or one which is three days' journey in
circumference, or, lastly, one which cannot be thoroughly
visited and explored by a prophet commissioned to warn
its inhabitants of a coming danger, in less than three clays
time." And he adds, that if Nineveh was in Jonah's time
a city of even one hundred and twenty thousand people, it
would deserve the title of " an exceeding great city," and
the prophet might well be occupied three days in travers-
ing its squares and streets. His theory is that the walls
which can now be traced on the plain, and arc only eight
MUSING AMONG THE RUINS.
291
miles in circuit, once enclosed the whole of that great capital
of the Ninevite kings. This would give much more limited
dimensions to the city than
would seem consistent with the
Biblical account, unless one
adopts the ingenious explana-
tion above given.
Layard maintains that three
other great palace-mounds ly-
ing on the east bank of the
Tigris, which, if connected,
would have required walls over
fifty miles in circuit, should,
also, be included as portions
of the site of a city so grand
D.nd populous as Nineveh is
represented to have been by
both sacred and profane his-
torians.
Heaps of earth, and grass-
grown mounds, with no signs
}f habitation, and no indica-
tions that they cover the ru-
ined palaces of great kings
whose empire extended for a thousand years over the larger
portion of the then known world, can now be seen scattered
over this great area. There are immense trenches and
excavations in these mounds, through which, under the
direction of Layard and other explorers, hundreds of Arabs
dragged with ropes the colossal winged bulls that guarded
the entrances of these grand palaces. The British Museum
and the Louvre at Paris are enriched with splendid collec-
tions of Assyrian marbles, and although but a small fraction
of these long-buried antiquities have as yet seen the light,
18
SENNACHERIB.
292 THE MYSTERY OF AN UNKNOWN TONGUE.
after nearly thirty centuries of entombment, it would al-
most seem as if the proud capital of the Chaldean monarch*
had been transferred to the banks of the Thames and th<
Seine.
The first explorations at Nineveh were made by M. Botta,
the eminent French savant, who was appointed French con-
sul at Mosul in 1842. Mr. Layard commenced operations
in 1845, and the interesting account of his explorations
has made the subject familiar wherever the English lan-
guage is spoken. Then came Colonel, (now Sir Henry)
Rawlinson; and more recently the "Assyrian Discoveries "
of Mr. George Smith, of the British Museum, in 1873 4, hav
thrown much additional light upon the history, language,
manners, and customs of ancient Assyria and Babylonia.
But, although the walls of these palaces were covered
with inscriptions, they were in an unknown tongue, and as
mysterious and unintelligible as was the handwriting on
the wall to the priests of Belshazzar. To decipher the
unknown characters of an unknown language is no easy
task, and Prof. Grotefend was the first to find a clue to
the mysteries of the Cuneiform, or Arrow-head language.
The word cuneiform is derived from the Latin cuneus
a wedge and in this style of letter are all the monumental
records of the ancient empires of Assyria, Babylonia, and
Persia. The accidental discovery of the famous Rosetta
Stone, (now in the British Museum) furnished the key to
decipher the hieroglyphics of Ancient Egypt, by means of
which a flood of light has been thrown upon the history
and civilization of the Pharaohs. The patience and per-
severance of Rawlinson, Layard, and others have rescued
the Cuneiform from the position of a " dead language,"
and have made it one full of life and interest to the
antiquarian student.
Pliny declares that it is to the Assyrians we owe the
THE RECORDS OF THE ROCKS. 093
invention of letters ; and it would seem probable that
simple perpendicular and horizontal lines, of which the
Cuneiform is composed, preceded the rounded or cursive
forms, being better suited to letters carved by a primitive
people on stone tablets, or the smoothed faces of rocks.
The great antiquity of carved documents on stone is
shown by the Bible. The Divine commands were first
given to mankind on stone tablets, and in early ages this
was considered the most appropriate and durable method
of perpetuating records. The cuneiform inscriptions on
most of the monuments of Assyria and Persia were formed
with great neatness and care. The letters were evidently
cut with sharp implements of iron or copper, and on the
seals, gems, and small cylinders of stone the characters
were so elaborately made and so accurately minute, that
only an instrument of the most delicate construction could
have produced them. It is said that no implements or
tools of iron or steel, but only those of copper have been
discovered among the ruins of ancient Egypt. But the
cutting-tools of the Egyptians, as well as of the early
Asiatic nations, were not of pure copper, nor were they of
bronze, according to the modern acceptation of that term.
They were made of copper with an alloy of about five per
cent, of tin, which gave them the requisite hardness for
use.
We know little of the civilization of the Assyrians, ex-
cept what can be gathered from the casual notices scattered
through the works of the Greeks. It is evident that they
attained a high degree of culture at a very remote period.
The testimony of the Bible, and the monuments of the
Egyptians, on which the conquests of that people over the
Asiatic nations are recorded, lead to this conclusion. There
is a great discrepancy in the date assigned by savans
to the earlier monuments of Egypt, but very fc\v ascribe
294 THE GLORY DEPARTED.
them to an epoch later than that of the foundation of Nin-
eveh, about 2,000 years B. c. It is probable that the As-
syrians at that time shared in the arts and sciences which
had already reached so high a degree of perfection in
Egypt. They copied nature carefully, and gave more scope
to taste and invention than their Egyptian rivals, who were
restricted by certain prejudices and superstitions to a con-
ventional style, from which it was not lawful to depart.
The exact date of the destruction of Nineveh, the proud
capital of the Eastern world, by Cyaxares, king of the
Medes and Persians, as fixed by the concurrent testimony
of Scripture and Herodotus, was about 60S years B. c. It
did not occur before the death of Josiali, King of Judah B. c.
609, because a " King of Assyria" is mentioned at that time ;
and Zephaniah in a prophecy delivered in the reign of Jo-
siah predicts the destruction of Nineveh as a future event.
But the prophecy of Jeremiah, written in the first year of
the captivity of the Jews, B. c. 605, enumerates all the
"Kings of the North," far and wide, and "all the Kingdoms
of the World," and among these Nineveh is not named. The
statement of Herodotus that in the year 603 B. c. Cyax-
ares conquered Assyria to revenge his father's death is re-
markably consistent with the accounts of Scripture. The
destruction of Nineveh was so complete that when Xeno-
phon passed over the remains of that city in his retreat,
some centuries later, with the " Ten Thousand Greeks," its
very name had been forgotten, and he describes it as a vast
uninhabited city, called Narissa, anciently inhabited by the
Medes. Lucian speaks of it as so completely laid waste,
that not an inhabitant nor scarcely a vestige remained of the
magnificent palaces, once the dwelling-place of the Assyr-
ian Monarchs ; and in modern times, so utterly was it for-
gotten, that skeptics of the last century even denied its
very existence.
W ON D ERF UL D IS CO VER [ES OF LAYARD. O 95
Mr. Layard, speaking of the results of liis own important
discoveries, and of the utter destruction which had visited
this once magnificent city, wrote :
" The ruins of Nimroud had been again covered up, and
its palaces were once more hidden from the eye. The
sculptures taken from them had been safely removed to
Busrah, and were now awaiting their final transport to
England. The inscriptions, which promise to instruct
us in the history and civilization of one of the most
ancient and illustrious nations of the earth, had been
carefully copied.
" On looking back upon the few months that I had
passed in Assyria, I could not but feel some satisfaction
at the result of my labors. Scarcely a year before, with
the exception of the ruins of Khorsabad, not one Assyrian
monument was known ; almost sufficient materials had
now been obtained to enable us to restore much of the
lost history of the country, and to confirm the vague
traditions of the learning and civilization of its people,
hitherto treated as fabulous.
"It had often occurred to me, during my labors, that
the time of the discovery of these remains was so oppor-
tune, that a person inclined to be superstitious might look
upon it as something more than accidental. Had these
palaces been by chance exposed to view some years before,
no one could have been ready to take advantage of the cir-
cumstance, and they would have been completely destroyed
by the inhabitants of the country. Had they been dis-
covered a little later, it is highly probable that there would
have been insurmountable objections to their removal. It
was, consequently, just at the right moment that they were
disinterred ; and we have been fortunate enough to discover
the most convincing and lasting evidence of that magnifi-
cence and power which made Nineveh the wonder of the
296 THE EARLIEST RECORDS OF MANKIND.
ancient world, and her fall the theme of the prophets, as
the most signal instance of divine vengeance.
" Without the evidence that these monuments afford,
we might almost have doubted that the great Nineveh
ever existed, so completely ' has she become a desolation
and a waste.' '
The earliest records of the Assyrians, like those of most
other ancient nations, were probably monumental, and
these are all in the arrow-head, or cuneiform character.
There are three dialects or forms of these letters the As-
syrian or Babylonian, the Median, and the Persian, and to
one of these may be referred all the cuneiform inscriptions
that are known to exist. The Babylo- Assyrian alphabet
contains about three hundred letters, while the Persian
cuneiform has but forty. The former is supposed to be of
much more ancient date, as in this dialect are all the in-
scriptions found in Nimroud and Nineveh, belonging to a
period preceding the Persian domination.
The element of all the characters in the three different
dialects of the cuneiform is the ivedye ; and they differ
only in the combination of wedges to form the letters. In
many of the records of the Persian monarchs the three di-
alects occur in parallel columns, representing three lan-
guages.
The most remarkable inscription in this tri-lingual cunei-
form character is that on the sacred rocks at a place called
Behistun (" God's Place") on the western frontiers of Per-
sia. Here Darius, u the Great King," inscribed his con-
quests and the most important events of his reign. Until
within a few years this immense tablet has been a wonder
and a puzzle to the most learned antiquaries, and to the few
European travelers who have visited these remote regions.
The labor of deciphering an unknown character, probably
representing an extinct dialect, if not an extinct language,
THE STORY OF ; < THE GREAT KIXO." 297
must be very great. To Sir Henry Rawlinson, whose in-
genuity and perseverance have given an accurate transla-
tion of the inscription at Behistun, we are indebted for this
valuable addition to the written records of the ancient
world.
Here upon the main road between Assyria and Persia,
the rocks rise abruptly from the plain to the height of
nearly seventeen hundred feet. The inscription covers sev-
eral hundred square feet. It is unrivalled in extent, beauty
of execution, and correctness, especially the Persian, which
is said to be superior to- any engraving of the kind, even
that on the tomb of Darius, at Persepolis, the ancient cap-
ital of Persia. It is about three hundred feet above the
base of the rock, and its inaccessibility has preserved it
from the iconoclastic fury of the Mahometans. It is prob-
able that after the inscription was completed the rock be-
neath was cut away, so that the whole immense face is
nearly vertical. The rock is limestone, and a coat of sili-
cious varnish is yet visible on the tablet, which was de-
signed to protect it from the atmosphere.
Darius begins by proclaiming his genealogy and titles,
tracing his descent from Adam. He then enumerates the
provinces of his empire, which in extent would seem to en-
title him to the name of " the great King." After these
follow the great events of his reign, the reform of the na-
tional faith, his victories over the rebels in Assyria and
Babylon, and the suppression of insurrections in other
parts of his vast empire. He also engraves his thanksgiv-
ing to Ormuzd on this sacred spot, and in many particulars
this record corroborates the Mosaic accounts as well as the
writings of Herodotus.
There is one peculiarity of all cuneiform writing, that it
reads from left to right; while the ancient languages com-
posed of rounded forms of letters (the Arabic, Hebrew,
298
THE TALE TOLD BY THE BRICKS.
and Persian), read from right to left. These characters
are stamped or engraved, according to the nature of
the material, on all the ruins of the great cities of Assyria
and Babylonia on the bricks of all the public buildings
on the walls of the temples, palaces, and other edifices, on
stone slabs and bas-reliefs, on vases, gems, seals, and small
cylinders, some being so minute as to require a microscope
to decipher them.
I have before mentioned that the bricks of Babylon are
uniform in size, and that all have stamped upon them the
standard inscription of Nebuchadnezzar. It gives his name
and titles, describes the wonders of the great city, and in-
vokes the gods to grant duration to the temples and other
great edifices which he had built. The inscriptions on the
Babylonian bricks are always enclosed in a small square,
and are formed with considerable care and nicety. They
appear to have been impressed with a stamp upon which
the entire inscription, not isolated letters, was cut in
relief. This art,
so nearly a p-
proach ing the
modern invention
of printing, is
proved to have
been known to the
Egyptians and
Chinese at a very
remote p c r i o d.
The Pharaohs
stamped their
BABYLONIAN BRICK. amCS O11 kHcks ?
the stamps used
being of wood, and several are preserved in European col-
lections. But all the impressions on Egyptian bricks, unlike
WHAT THE LITTLE BLACK CYLINDER SAID. 999
those of Assyria arc in relief. The Babylonian bricks are
about fifteen inches by three inches thick. They are made
of a very tenacious clay, mixed with chopped straw and burnt
hard in a kiln. They were always laid i'acc downward in a
cement of bitumen so hard as to make it almost impos-
sible to remove one entire.
The bricks from Nineveh arc also rectangular, but some-
what thicker than the Babylonian. The inscriptions on
these Assyrian bricks appear to have been made in single
cuneiform letters, and sometimes the workmen seem to have
been careless in stamping them.
Among other antiques from Babylon which I was for-
tunate enough to secure is a small black cylinder of very
hard stone with an exceedingly fine grain. It is an inch
long by about three-eighths of an inch in diameter, and was
picked up in the sand among the mounds of the ancient
city. The surface of the cylinder is completely covered
with an inscription in minute cuneiform letters very finely
cut. A copy is given below, the letters being considerably
magnified. For the translation I am indebted to the kind-
ness of Mr. Smith, of the British Museum.
-
[" The seal, or amulet, of a man named Kizirtu. son of the
woman Satumani, servant (or priest) of Ishtar and JVano."]
Mr. George Smith, in his recently published work enti-
tled " Assyrian Discoveries," gives an interesting account
of the progress made by himself during the eight years that
300 CALENDARS OF ANCIENT DA YS.
he lias been engaged in the study and translation of the
cuneiform inscriptions. He says, " Everyone has some
bent or inclination which, if fostered by favorable circum-
stances, will color the rest of his life. My own taste has
always been for Oriental studies, and from my youth I have
taken a great interest in Eastern explorations and discov-
eries, particularly in the great work in which Layard and
Rawlinson were engaged." " In 1866, seeing the unsatis-
factory state of our knowledge of those parts of Assyrian
history which bore upon the history of the Bible, I felt
anxious to do something towards settling a few of the ques-
tions involved." Through the kindness of Sir Henry Raw-
linson he was granted permission to examine the large col-
lection of paper casts of cuneiform inscriptions in his work-
room at the British Museum.
For several years Mr. Smith devoted himself to this
study with an assiduity and perseverance that evinced his
eminent fitness for this class of scientific investigation, and
was rewarded with discoveries that attracted much atten-
tion from savans both in Europe and America. " In 1869,"
he says, " I discovered, among other things, a curious relig-
ious calendar 'of the Assyrians, in which every month was
divided into four weeks, and the seventh days or ' Sabbaths'
were marked out as days on which no work should be un-
dertaken." But the discovery which has especially made
him famous, and which has linked his name with the men
most eminent in cuneiform research, is that of the celebra-
ted " Deluge Tablets." I give his account of this fortunate
discovery in his own words.
" In 1872 I had the good fortune to make a far more in-
teresting discovery, namely, that of the tablets containing
the Chaldean account of the deluge. The first fragment I
discovered contained about half of the account ; it was the
largest single fragment of these legends.
MR. SMITH GOES OX IffS TRAVELS.
" As soon as I recognized this, I began a search among the
fragments of the Assyrian library to find the remainder of
the story.
" This library was first discovered by Mr. Layard, who
sent home many boxes full of fragments of terra-cotta tab-
lets, and after the close of Mr. Layard's work Mr.Rassamand
Mr. Loftus recovered much more of this collection. These
fragments of clay tablets were of all sizes, from half an
inch to a foot long, and were thickly coated with dirt, so
that they had to be cleaned before anything could be seen
on the surface. Whenever I found anything of interest, it
was my practice to examine the most likely parts of this
collection, and pick out all the fragments that would give>
or throw light on the new subject. My search for fragments
of the ' Deluge Story' was soon rewarded by some good
' finds,' and I then ascertained that this tablet, of which I
obtained three copies, was the eleventh in a series of tab-
lets giving the history of an unknown hero, named Izdu-
bar ; and I subsequently ascertained that the series con-
tained in all twelve tablets. These tablets were of remark-
able interest, and a notice of them being published, they
at once attracted a considerable amount of attention, both
in England and abroad."
In consequence of the wide interest taken in these dis-
coveries, the proprietors of the '''Daily Telegraph" news-
paper came forward and offered to advance the sum of one
thousand guineas for fresh researches at Nineveh, in order
to recover more of these interesting inscriptions.
This liberal offer was accepted, and Mr. Smith, having
obtained six months leave of absence from the trustees of the
British Museum, started for the East in January, 1873.
The records of this journey and of the subsequent expe-
dition in 1874, are given to the public in the book already re-
ferred to. Mr. Smith encountered much difficulty, and hac 1
302 D [SCO VERY OF A HERO.
every possible obstacle thrown in Iris way by the local Turk-
ish officials, but he persevered, and ultimately succeeded
in excavating at Kouyunjik, near Nineveh, many additional
portions of these inscriptions, which he calls the u Flood
series of Legends."
I was shown by him one of these tcrra-cotta fragments
of the " Deluge Tablets." It was about a foot long by eight
inches in width, and completely covered with cuneiform
characters. The initial design at the head of this chapter
is Vifac-simile copy of a fragment of one of these " Deluge-
Tablets."
Beside giving the Chaldean account of the deluge, they
form one of the most remarkable scries of inscriptions yet
discovered. These tablets record the adventures of a hero
whose name is given as Izdubar, who has given no incon-
siderable amount of employment to the learned. Mr.
Smith is of opinion that this fabulous personage is the same
as the Nimrod of the Bible, and that these legends were
composed more than 2,000 years r>. c. The translations of
these Izdubar legends seem to be literal, but they arc
very fragmentary and disconnected in form. So far as they
are preserved they represent Izdubar, or Nimrod, as a
mighty hunter, or giant, whose mission it was to destroy
" the divine bull," and other fabulous monsters and wild
animals, and who in the height of his power ruled over
all the valley of the Tigris and Euphrates, from the Per-
sian Gulf to the Armenian Mountains. Mr. Smith says,
" During the early Babylonian monarchy, from u. c. 200
to 1500, there arc constant allusions to these legends. The
destruction of the lion, the divine bull, and other monsters
by Izdubar, is often depicted on the cylinders and en-
graved gems, and Izdubar in Iris boat is also on some spec-
imens. The legend of the flood is alluded to in inscriptions
of the same epoch, and the ' city of the ark' is mentioned in
NO AH'S STORY SECOND EDITION. 3Q3
a geographical list, which is one of the oldest cuneiform in-
scriptions we possess."
1 give belo\v r but a few extracts from the "Flood Le-
gends" to show the outlines of the story :
" And lie spake to me . . . Make a ship after this
. . , I destroy the sinwers and life . . . Cause to
go in the seed of life, all of it to the midst of the ship
. . . Into the deep launch it . . . I entered to the
midst of the ship and shut the door . . . The raging
of the storm in the morning . . . The bright earth
to a waste was turned . . . The surface of the earth
like ... it swept. It destroyed all life from the
face of the earth , . . Six days and nights passed.
. . . The wind, deluge, and storm overwhelmed . . .
On the seventh day in its course was calmed all the storm
and all the deluge . . . The sea he caused to dry, and
the wind and deluge ended ... I sent fortli a dove
and it left . . . The dove went and turned and a rest-
ing place, it did not find and it returned ... I sent
forth a swallow and it left . . . The swallow went and
turned, and a resting place it did not find, and it returned
I sent forth a raven and it left . . . The
raven went, and the corpses on the water it saw, and it did
eat, it swam and wandered away, and did not return . . .
I sent the animals forth to the four winds ... I
poured forth a libation ... I built an altar on the
peak of the mountain."
The few extracts above given are not consecutive, but
they show a remarkable similarity of this traditionary ac-
count of the Flood with the Biblical record of that event.
The question of priority, or which is the editio princeps, I
will not here discuss. What are traditions but unauthen-
ticated history?
The facility with which Mr. Smith reads the cuneiform Ian-
304
WHAT THE SA FANS ARE DOING.
guage is very remarkable. The fine inscriptions upon the
cylinder before mentioned, and upon other antiques which
I submitted to him, he copied and translated at sight, as
readily as a Professor of Greek would read a sentence in
that language. A lexicon of the cuneiform I presume has
yet to be made. For thousands of years these inscriptions
were an unknown tongue. An attempt to do justice to the
wonders which the key to the cuneiform inscriptions has
unlocked would occupy volumes. I can only hope in this
chapter to call attention to a subject on which very little
is known to the mass of the people. This is an age of sci-
entific research, and while our savans are opening new
fields of knowledge, it seems eminently proper that they
should recover from the remote past whatever of value is
already recorded upon tables of stone.
CHAPTER XXY.
VISIT TO THE PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS.
I take leave of the Pasha A Pleasant Interview A Suggestion to Presi-
dent Grant Euphrates Valley Railway Invited to Visit the Public In-
stitutionsThe Pasha's Barge Arsenal and Machine Shops The New
Steamers The " Tale of a Traveler" The Military Hospital An Accom-
plished Turk The Palace Beautiful Horses The Industrial School
Midhut Pasha A Wise and Honest Ruler No " Story with a Moral,"
but something better substituted Cheers for America The Printing Of-
fice A Newspaper in Turkish and Arabic An Official Organ without
Politics Suspension Bridge Wanted A Chance for American Engineers
The Barracks Hope in the Future for Young Bagdad.
FEW days after my re-
turn from Babylon I called
at the palace to thank the
Pasha for his kindness and
attention, and to take leave
of his Excellency, as I ex-
pected soon to start on my
return to Europe. I was re-
ceived as before, with much
politeness, and when I told
him of some of my adven-
tures in search of the ruins,
leaving out, of course, all
mention of Bass' ale and
moonlight flitting, he expressed the hope that I should
come again next year and complete my explorations. He
said that the cordon sanitaire was now extended entirely
around the city, three miles outside the walls, and orders had
306 INVITED TO VISIT THE PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS.
been issued to shoot every man that attempted to cross
the line. But the increasing heat of the weather he
thought would soon check the spread of the plague, al-
though its effect would be the opposite in case of cholera.
He hoped President Grant would send a diplomatic or
consular representative to Bagdad ; but I reminded him
of how few Americans had ever found their way to Turk-
ish Arabia, and that at present we have no commercial in-
tercourse with this country. He then unrolled a map and
pointed out to me the line of the Euphrates Valley Rail-
way, already commenced, from the port of Alcxandretta
on the Mediterranean to Aleppo, and thence to a point on
the Euphrates eight hundred miles from Bagdad. This
road when completed will be about one hundred and fifty
miles long, and will open a new route by railway and river
from the Mediterranean to the Persian Gulf, and thence to
India. The Pasha pointed through the open windows to the
government machine shops on the opposite side of the Ti-
gris, where he is building two iron steamers for the navi-
gation of the upper Euphrates, and asked if I would like
to inspect them, as well as the Arsenal, Military Hospital,
Palace and other public buildings. I was most happy to
accept his invitation, and taking my leave, he accompa-
nied me to the door, an especial mark of honor, and told
his aide-de-camp, the young Turkish officer whom I had be-
fore met, to take me round in his own barge. These at-
tentions were quite unexpected by me, and were doubtless
the result of the credentials sent to me from Constantino-
ple. They were very gratifying, not so much from the pres-
tige they gave me, as from the opportunity they afforded to see
everything of interest to a stranger, and to obtain the in-
formation I was seeking as to the country, the people, and
their institutions.
The Pasha's barge was moored at the garden steps on
TALE OF AN A MERfCA ,V TRA VEL ER.
the river in front of the palace. It was an elegant affair,
manned by eight oarsmen, the cushioned seats protected
from the sun by a scarlet awning on which were embroid-
ered the " Star and Crescent."
Mr. Stanno accompanied us as interpreter, and we were
first rowed across the river to visit the arsenal, machine-
shops and foundry. Here about sixty men are employed
under the charge of an English engineer. The machinery
is all imported from Europe, but the workmen are natives,
and seem skillful and intelligent. Some pieces of work
were shown me by the superintendent, which to my inex-
perienced eye would be creditable to any workshop in
Europe. I examined with much interest the two iron
steamers pointed out by the Pasha, which were built on the
Clyde, sent out in pieces, put together here, and are now.
nearly ready to launch. They are one hundred and ten feet
long, flat-bottomed, covered with thin steel plates, furnished
with powerful engines, and are expected to draw when
loaded but one foot of water. They are intended to ply
on the upper Euphrates, where the river during the dry
season is very shallow and rapid.
Being an American I was supposed to know something
about river navigation, and both the Englishman and the
Turk expressed great astonishment when I told them that
we have steamers in America, which, it is said, can go any-
where, if there is only a heavy dew. As I was careful to
explain that I could not vouch for the literal truth of this
statement, I trust they will not repeat it except as one of
the "tales of a traveler."
We were then rowed a short distance up the river to the
military hospital, a large, handsome building, where I was
introduced to the surgeon in charge. He conducted me
through the wards, where there are one hundred and
eighty patients, all soldiers, in various stages of convales-
19
3Q3 THE PASHAS PALACE.
cence. The rooms are lofty and well ventilated, the cots
neat and clean, and the whole management as systematic
and well conducted as in any European institution of the
kind. I was shown through the dispensary, bath houses,
and well shaded grounds, and then to the private offices of
the superintendent, where cigarettes, coffee and sherbet
awaited us. The Doctor spoke excellent French, but to
my surprise informed me that he was a native Turk, born
and educated for his profession in Constantinople.
Taking leave of the polite and accomplished surgeon, my
.conductors next took me to the Pasha's palace, about two
miles up the river, on the eastern bank, beyond the city walls.
It is an elegant modern villa, surrounded by a garden
handsomely laid out in European style. It was built four
years ago for the especial use of the Shah of Persia, on the
occasion of his visit to Bagdad. It is now unoccupied, but
,is being put in readiness for the Pasha's family, or harem,
who are soon expected from Constantinople. The apart-
ments are furnished with the greatest luxury, and regard-
less of expense. Elegant crystal chandeliers, French fur-
niture and bijouterie, soft Persian carpets and silken hang-
ings seemed to make it a palace worthy of the Caliph
Haroun-al-Raschid, in the palmy days of Bagdad. In the
garden was the most beautiful tent I ever saw. It was
made of alternate stripes of blue and crimson silk, and
.above it floated the flag of the Pasha. In the stables
were a score of the finest Arab horses, several of which
.were brought out for our inspection. I am not especially
a horse fancier, but I thought if the Pasha, with all his
kindness, would only ask me to select, as a souvenir of
Bagdad, one of those beautiful animals, so intelligent, do-
cile and graceful in every motion, I should be extremely
grateful, and fully appreciate the present.
It was very fortunate for me that the harem had not
THE INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL. 309
arrived, for then the palace and grounds will be tabooed
to all male visitors.
As we passed out through the gates of the palace the
guard presented arms, and entering the boat I was next
taken to an institution by far more interesting than any I had
visited. It is an "industrial school "for orphan boys.
The superintendent, whose benignant face and white beard
suggested his fitness for the position, received us with
great courtesy, and conducted us through the building.
Here are eighty boys from ten to fifteen years old, dressed
in a neat gray uniform, and as bright, intelligent looking
lads as any country can boast. Some were weaving differ-
ent fabrics of silk and cotton on hand looms, others making
shoes and sewing garments, while about a dozen were set-
ting type -in an adjoining building. The manufactured
articles were shown me, and they certainly were creditable
to the industry and mechanical skill of the boys.
In one of the school-rooms a class was receiving instruc-
tion in the elements of geometry from a teacher, formerly
one of the pupils, which he illustrated on a blackboard.
"We were shown through the dining room, dormitories,
and hospital, where the clean white cots were without an
occupant. Our visit was unexpected, and we saw every-
thing in its ordinary working condition. In reply to my
inquiry as to how he enforced discipline, he said that he
very rarely was obliged to resort to corporeal punishment,
but " boys will be boys" all the world over, and he took
me to a cell-like chamber where a bright eyed little fellow
was being punished for some breach of discipline, by being
made to stand upon a barrel in the middle of the room.
This charitable institution, as well as the hospital which
I had before visited, was founded by Midhut Pasha, the pre-
decessor of the present ruler. To this enlightened and in-
telligent governor, Bagdad is indebted for nearly all tho
310 A ]V1SE AND IIOXLST RUL1.R.
benevolent institutions and public enterprises of which it
can boast. He built a tramway, or street railroad, to
Kasmaine, six miles up the river, and a great resort of
pilgrims, encouraged steam navigation on the Tigris and
Euphrates, and built the military barracks, by far the finest
buildings in the city. He was very popular with both
natives and foreign residents. But the home government
was displeased at his spending the money instead of remit-
ting it to Constantinople, and perhaps was alarmed at his
increasing popularity. He was superseded, and carried
away with him the regrets and good will of all his people ;
but was so poor that he was obliged to borrow money to
pay his expenses home. This last fact was an evidence of
honesty almost without a precedent, for a Pasha is expected
to retire immensely rich. On the wall of the superin-
tendent's office, to which I was invited for coffee, etc., was
hanging an engraving of Midhut Pasha, and imy attention
was called to it with every mark of respect.
Before we left, the boys were collected in the large room,
and the superintendent introduced me to them as the first
American who had ever visited the institution. I was so
much gratified at what I had seen that I longed once more
to be able to speak Arabic or Turkish, that I might tell
the boys something about my own country. I do not sup-
pose that even the teachers had very definite ideas of
America ; and the lads before me probably knew less about
our land, its institutions and history, than an American
school-boy does about the Hottentots. I did not care to
make them a speech, or give them a lesson in geography;
but it is not often in one's life that he can have an attentive
audience of bright, intelligent lads, not one of whom has
ever heard of Washington and his little hatchet, or of
Franklin munching his roll through the streets of Phila-
delphia. What an opportunity was lost, to be sure ! But
.-1 STORY WITH A MORAL.
311
it occurred to me that the present of a gold lirali, as a
prize for the best boy at the next examination, would be
quite as acceptable, and perhaps do more good, than a
" story with a moral."
It was no affectation in the superintendent to say that he
was "taken by surprise," and he accepted it in behalf of
the boys with many thanks. Holding up the coin, he ex-
plained the matter to the lads, and the scene that followed
I shall not soon forget. Instantly every boy rose to his
feet and three ringing cheers for America echoed through
TI1UEE ClIEEUS FOR AMEU1CA.
the building. Far more gratifying it was to me than if
the cheers had come from a whole regiment of Turkish
soldiers. If this little story has a moral, I respectfully
commend it to the visitors of similar institutions at home.
Adjoining the industrial school is the government print-
ing office, the next object of our visit. I had never
suspected that such an institution existed in Bagdad.
312 A BAGDAD NEWSPAPER.
Here I found a steam-power press with the capacity of
thirty-five hundred impressions an hour, besides several
hand presses and a machine for cutting and folding en-
velopes. All the type-setting and light work is done by
the boys from the industrial school. Everything looked
neat and orderly, and it seemed in every respect a well
managed establishment. They were working off an edi-
tion of a weekly paper, printed on one side in Turkish and
on the other in Arabic. Besides the newspaper, which
being an official institution, is probably neither republican
nor democratic in politics, they execute here all the blanks
and forms used by the Pasha's government.
While crossing the river Mr. Stanno mentioned to me
that among the projects of the present ruler of Bagdad, is
the building of a suspension bridge across the Tigris.
They are obliged for two or three months every year to
remove the present floating bridges, to prevent their being
carried away by the rapid current. I surprised him by
saying that the greatest number, as well as longest suspen-
sion bridges in the world were in America. He earnestly
requested that on my return home I would put the Pasha's
government in communication with some of our most
eminent engineers. The feeling here is very favorable
towards our countrymen, and I have no doubt there is an
opening in this matter for American science and skill.
We afterwards visited the barracks, a large and hand-
some building adjoining the Serai, which can accommodate
several thousand troops. The bakery of this establish-
ment is on a most extensive scale, and is fitted up with
machinery which to me was quite novel. Bread in this
country is a much more important article of diet with all
classes than in western lands.
Having finished our tour of inspection, I said good-bye
to my polite escort with a much better impression of the
HO PE IN THE FUTURE FOR YOUNG BAGDAD.
313
civilization of Bagdad than I had ever before conceived of.
Who will say that there is no hope of future progress
among a people where an hospital, an orphan asylum and
a printing office have been established, and are in success-
ful operation ! And who would expect to find these evi-
dences of refinement and civilization in a city which is
only associated in the minds of Europeans, as well as
Americans with the barbaric splendor of the Caliphs in the
time of the " Arabian Nights ! "
CHAPTER XXYI.
SOCIAL LIFE OF NATIVES AND FOREIGNERS.
CILnate of Bagdad In Cellars by Day, and on the Roofs at Night No Ice
Cudjees a Substitute Population and Currency Antiques from Baby-
lon and Nineveh Slavery among the Mahometans No Colorphobia
White Donkeys The Pariah Dogs Noises of Bagdad Abdallah Adver-
tising his Band Municipal Regulations Social Life among the English
Residents The English Minister, Colonel Herbert Dr. Colville Officers
and Civilians No Hotel Americans Rarely Seen A Dubious Compli-
ment A Day's Routine Story by AJ>be Hue" Our American Cousin's''
Experience of Bagdad Hospitality Routes Home The Dromedary Mai-
Foundered in the Desert The Only Line of Retreat for the Writer.
HE climate of Bagdad, gen-
erally speaking, may be
deemed a healthy one. The
great heat is at times almost
insupportable, and yet it is
said that the least sickness
prevails during the hottest
summers. "While the air on
the Persian Gulf is very
moist, with heavy dews at
night, and consequently sick-
ly, here the air is remarkably
dry and pure, so that the
whole population sleep in the
open air during the hot months. In winter it is one of the
finest climates in the world, the thermometer standing at
fifty degrees, the air cool, yet mild and invigorating. The
ancient Persian Kings preferred these plains bordering on
IN CELLARS BY DAY AND ON THE ROOFS AT NIGHT.
the Tigris to any other winter residence. During the hot-
test summer months the range of the thermometer is from
ninety to one hundred and twenty-five degrees ; in the
middle of the day usually as high as one hundred and five
degrees. When the shammdl, or north wind, blows, it is
quite cool and comfortable ; but during the " date season,"
or August and September, it is frequently a dead calm, and
the heat is suffocating. Sometimes a sirocco will blow
from the south, and then all business is suspended, the
people shutting themselves up in their houses until the
" hot blast" is over.
The underground apartments, or serddbs, are peculiar to
Bagdad. About the first of June the desks and furniture
from offices and parlors, are transferred to these unique
rooms with high arched ceilings, the punkahs, or fans, are
suspended from above and kept constantly in motion, and
here the hot hours of the day are spent. The dim light
streams down through grated windows near the ceiling, the
temperature is cool and uniform, and much less humid
than in such cellar-like apartments with us. After the sun
goes down they ascend to the flat roofs, or terraces, where
they have the evening meal and sleep.
People who at home object to city-built houses, where
they " eat in the basement and sleep in the attic," would
call this living in the cellar and sleeping on the roof. No
one goes out of doors, if it can be avoided, during the heat
of the day. Business is transacted and exercise taken
during the early morning or after sunset.
To those of us who are accustomed to a supply of ice
during our comparatively temperate summers, it would
seem impossible to live comfortably without a particle
of this luxury with the temperature at one hundred and
five degrees. But a wise provision of nature comes to
the aid of people living in tropical countries. Evaporation
316
produces cold. Water is always kept in porous, unglaze(
earthen jars, called cudjees. These are made of every
shape and size, and are in universal use. The evaporation
from the exterior of these cudjees keeps the water from ten
to twenty degrees colder than the air, and quite cool enough
to be wholesome to drink. Milk, butter, wine, and every
article that can be immersed in water is cooled in this way.
It is only when I think of the delights of a long iced drink,
or a dish of ice cream, that I miss the article considered so
indispensable to comfort at home.
ANTIQUE COINS.
Bagdad contains a population of about one hundred thou-
sand. Nowhere, perhaps, in the world, can there be seen an
admixture of so many races, and in no city can be heard such
a diversity of language. At the table of the English Res-
ident, where the guests sometimes comprise many different
SLA VKR Y IN THE EAST.
nationalities, a medley of thirteen languages has been
counted iu one room.
The coins- in ordinary circulation are as various as the
speech of the people. Very curious Persian, Indian, and
Turkish coins are mixed in the change given me in the
bazaars, with European, and especially Russian money. I
can no more tell whether my change is correct than I
could decipher the cuneiform inscription on an antique
from Babylon. To the " specimen bricks" from Nineveh
and Babylon, and many other interesting antiques which I
hope will reach home in safety, I shall be able to add some
very curious coins for the collections of any of my friends
who are interested in numismatics.
Slavery in the East is quite a different institution from
our idea of this " relic of barbarism " as it existed in the
Southern States. The Turks are very lenient in their treat-
ment of slaves, and they frequently occupy important posi-
tions of honor and trust. Color seems to have very little to
do with the matter. By Mahometan law slave families can-
not be separated, and all slaves taken to Mecca become
free. The slave mother of a child by her master, not only
becomes free, but, together with her child, is entitled to a
share in his estate. The mothers of all the Sultans of
Turkey have been Circassian or Georgian slaves, and
some of the most devoted and faithful officers under the
Viceroy of Egypt were slave boys whom he has educated.
So far from opposing, the laws encourage the education
of slaves, and the institution as it has existed here from
time immemorial, is free from many of those obnoxious
and inhuman features which, under the influence of ava-
rice and colorphoUa, were developed in America.
In Bagdad the very black slaves are preferred as house-
hold servants. We frequently see them very richly dressed
in attendance upon their masters and mistresses. The
318 WHITE DONKEYS AND PARIAH DOGS.
supply of these fashionable black slaves has hitherto come
from Zanzibar and Madagascar, but lately the English have
in a great measure put a stop to the traffic. They wear no
air of abject misery, but strut through the bazaars, better fed,
and more insolent and conceited than the free Arabs aroum
them. Their beauty consists in its special and perfect ug-
liness, and they seem to be valued on the same principle
Isle of Skye terriers.
The white donkeys of Bagdad are famous all through
the East, and sell at high prices. Some of them are of
considerable size, and fancifully dyed with henna, their
tails and ears bright red, and their bodies spotted, like the
heraldic talbot, with the same color. As in ancient times,
they bear the chief priests and men of the law, and the
ladies prefer them to any other animal. They are splen-
didly caparisoned, and each one has his nostrils slit a
practice prevalent also in Persia which is supposed to
make them longer zvinded. I never hear a donkey bray
without thinking this quite unnecessary.
The clogs of Bagdad are so important and prominent a
feature in the life of the place, that they almost deserve a
chapter by themselves. They are all pariahs, that is, they
have no especial masters or owners, but here, as in other
oriental cities, they are considered a public institution.
They number many thousands, and are the scavengers to
whom the inhabitants arc indebted for keeping the streets
clean from offal. You see them basking all day in the sun,
stretched in the middle of the thoroughfare, where there
is a constant stream of camels, horses, and mules. But
they seem to escape all these perils, and if disturbed, they
sneak away with a cowed and suspicious look. They are of
a light dun color, and their appearance betrays their wolf-
ish descent. These neglected curs have regular quarters
to which each one belongs. They are divided into repub-
STREET NOISES IN BAGDAD. g|r)
lies, and woe betide a foreign dog who crosses the frontier
of his own territory. He is set upon tooth and nail, and
is glad to beat an ignominious retreat. It is a curious fact
that in this great multitude of half-starved dogs, hydro-
phobia is unknown. It is said that at night the jackals
from the desert come into the city over the ruined walls,
and join their brothers hardly more civilized, in doing
duty as scavengers. These dogs seem to sleep during the
day, but when night comes the howling and barking is in-
cessant. They have no attachment to persons, and noth-
ing amongst the canine tribes of the East is to be heard
like the honest bark of the faithful house dog, when he gives
a cheerful welcome to his master on his return home.
Bagdad is certainly the most noisy place I was ever in.
The only quiet time is at midday. Then for an hour or
two everybody and everything, except flies and mosquitoes,
seem to be asleep. An Arab never talks except at the top
of his voice, and I at first supposed they were quarreling,
when in fact, they were only conversing in their ordinary
tone. During the day and often until late in the evening,
there are constant processions headed by tom-toms and
dulcimers^ an car piercing wind instrument something
like a clarionet. The occasion of these processions I
could not always tell. Sometimes they were weddings or
betrothals, and sometimes funerals. In the latter case,
the body was carried on men's shoulders, and followed
by the mourners, some the relations of the deceased,
and others professional howlers, who vied with each
other in their wailings and mournful cries. Add to
these the official town criers, the beggars and fakeers
soliciting charities " in the name of Allah and the Proph-
et," the muezzins calling the faithful to prayer from the
gallery of the minarets, professional singers practicing
their voices, and every morning the heavy bass drum
320
A WISE MUNICIPAL REGULATION.
of Abdallali, who is the conductor of a band, and goes
through the streets to advertise his calling and solicit or-
ders. Many of these sounds, together with the howling
of dogs and braying of don-
keys, arc kept up half the
night. But one gets uscc
to all noises, and after the
first night 1 think they nev-
er deprived me of a min-
ute's sleep.
Much of the space within
the walls once covered with
houses, is now laid out in
gardens and date groves.
These arc surrounded by
walls eight or ten feet high,
made of tenacious mud
mixed with cut straw. In
my walks among the gar-
dens, T noticed frequent recesses where the walls were set
back about Ihree feet, and in some places where they had
fallen, the workmen were rebuilding them that distance
back from the street line. This I found to be a municipal
regulation. Whenever a man permits his wall to fall he
must rebuild it three feet from the street. This regulation
is calculated to make land owners keep their walls in re-
pair, and in course of time will widen many of the narrow
streets of the city.
Of the social life of the English colony at Bagdad it is
pleasant to speak. In so small a circle the distinctions of
rank, which would obtain at home, are in a great measure
lost sight of, though not entirely ignored. The British
Minister Resident and his charming family are, from
official position, as well as eminent social accomplish-
AKAIi ItKGGAR.
SOCIAL LIFE AMONG THE ENGLISH RESIDENTS. 323
mcnts, the head of the English speaking community.
That generous hospitality, which in all foreign lands
characterizes the representatives of the English govern-
ment, is here maintained in a style befitting the great
power, wealth, and commercial importance of the English
nation. The accomplished Surgeon to the Residency, and
the officers of the gunboat " Comet," are gentlemen whose
genial qualities would be appreciated in any community.
Dr. Colville's long residence in the East, his familiarity
with the manners and customs of the people, his knowl-
edge of the many languages spoken in Bagdad, as well as
his eminent skill as a physician, give him great influence
with the best class of people of all the different nationali-
ties. His official duties are only nominal, but his house is
often filled with people who seek his professional advice. I
do not know how lucrative his practice may be, but his
kindness of heart never permits him to turn away from his
door the sick and needy who ask his assistance. Besides
these, the manager of the great commercial establishment of
Lynch & Co., the only English merchants in Bagdad, and
the several young men attached to the house, arc import-
ant elements in the social life of the place. It is not
unlikely that the coming of my friend, Mr. Finnis, as the
first visit to Bagdad of a member of the firm since the
senior partner returned to London some years ago, is
looked upon as an important event in the little community.
There are no hotels here, and the few visitors and travelers
are the welcome guests of the foreign residents. So rarely
does an American find his way here that I have several
times been asked, much to my amusement, whether I
knew Mr. W , who, I would be told, was an American
from Philadelphia, and spent a few days here some four
or five years ago. Of course, I do not know Mr. W ,
but I have heard so much about him, that I should almost
24 A DATS ROU TINE.
recognize him were I to meet him in the street or on a
train of cars at home.
A few days ago one of my English friends said to m<
at dinner, intending it doubtless as a compliment : " Why,
my dear sir, you don't seem to me like an American."
In reply, I said that he must not suppose every Americai
talks through his nose and " guesses " in every sentence
like the stage Yankee ; that I am always and everywhere
an American, but I trust never offensively so ; that I have
too much respect for the prejudices and opinions of others
to make my republican ideas unduly prominent, while I
am the honored guest of those who conscientiously believe
in the " divine right of kings."
It may be interesting to know how the day is spent in
this out of the way place, where the mail and the daily
newspaper form no part of the routine of life. We sleep
upon the terraced roofs in the open air, and half an hour
before sunrise it is the duty of our servants to wake us,
and bring a chibouk of fragrant Persian tobacco and a
small cup of tea or coffee. Then we hastily dress and
mount our horses, which arc ready saddled in the court-
yard below. We slowly thread our way, single file,
through the narrow streets, already filled with people,
towards the half-ruined South gate, leading out upon the
open desert. Our horses are restive, and, from a bad
habit they have of kicking and biting each other, must be
kept well apart. No sooner do we emerge upon the plain
than off we dash at full run, our horses wild with delight
and excitement, sometimes rearing, and the next moment
with their heels in the air. It requires skillful horseman-
ship to keep one's seat, and spills are by no means infre-
quent. But these tough, wiry young Englishmen, accus-
tomed to field sports, make light of such accidents. A wild
ride of half an hour and we return to the town by the East
STORY OF THE ABBE HUC. 25
gate, invigorated in frame and spirits by the pure morn-
ing air. Then a bath and a light meal of bread, eggs, and
tea. Now we are ready for the day's work, provided we
have anything to do. If I have no writing on hand I stroll
through the bazaars, or make a morning call. At noon
comes the regular breakfast, consisting of several courses
of meats and vegetables, washed down by Bass' ale. Then
a siesta until two o'clock, after which another hour or two
is given to business. As the sun gets low and the oppres-
sive heat is no longer felt, the horses are again in readiness,
or we take a quiet walk through the " green lanes" some-
times a game of croquet or quoits in a date garden, or a
sailing party on the river is made up, in which the few la-
dies will join, and occupies the time until dark. At eight
we dine on the terrace, never alone, but by previous ar-
rangement, with some of our friends, or on the cool deck
of the " Comet." Dinner to an Englishman is always the
event of the day, and if at the Residency, it means full
dress. At the bachelors' quarters it is not so ceremonious.
Dinner over, whist always follows, which lasts until mid-
mght. Each person has his own personal servant, who
accompanies his master when he goes out to dinner, waits
upon him at table, prepares and lights his narghileh^ and
when the party breaks up, escorts him home through the
dark and narrow streets, carrying a lantern.
It is related by the Abbe Hue in his Travels in China,
as an instance of the inconvenience of not understanding
the habits and customs of a strange people, or the rites and
ceremonies of well-bred natives, that a country cousin com-
ing unexpectedly from a great distance, was invited to dine
by his city relative. After waiting some hours and seeing
no signs of the meal, he ventured to hint that it was get-
ting late and he was very hungry upon which his relation
and host burst into a torrent of abuse. " What ?" said
20
326
OUR AMERICAN COUSIN'S EXPERIENCE.
he, " Are you so ignorant and rustic as not to know that
it was my duty to ask you, but by the same rites and cere-
monies it was your duty to refuse the invitation ?"
The experience of " our American cousin" at Bagdad
has been so different from that of the " Heathen Chinee,"
that had he been of their own flesh and blood, his English
friends could not have treated him with more kind and
generous hospitality. My best wish to any of my country-
men who may come after me, is that they may meet as
cordial a reception. If the railway from Alexandretta to
Aleppo shall ever be finished, and the navigation of the
THE imOMKDUtY MAIL.
upper Euphrates prove a success, this part of the world
will lose the charm of novelty, and be overrun with cock-
ney tourists. But with the present facilities for travel to
reach the Mediterranean is almost as difficult as it was to
Xenophon and his ten thousand Greeks. The shortest but
THE DIFFERENT ROUTES HENCE. 327
most dangerous route is to Damascus and Beyrout, via Pal-
myra the " city of the desert." The English residents
of Bagdad maintain a fortnightly mail with Europe by this
route, which is carried on a fast dromedary in eighteen
days to Damascus, six or eight of which are without water.
Occasionally both mail and rider disappear, never being
heard from after they leave port, like a ship foundered at
sea.
They are supposed to be gobbled up by the wild Be-
douins, who care nothing for the letters nor the Arab rider,
but rarely miss a good opportunity to appropriate a fast
camel or dromedary.
Another route is up the Tigris three hundred miles to
Mosul, near the site of ancient Nineveh, thence via Diabekia
and Aleppo to Alcxandretta. This involves a fatiguing
journey of nine hundred miles on horseback, subject to all
the annoyances of stopping at the public khans at night, and
traveling by day under a burning sun.
The third and most attractive route is eastward through
Persia to Teheran, its capital thence to the Caspian Sea,
in all a horseback journey of seven hundred miles by
steamer up the Caspian and the Volga through Russia to
eastern Europe. I give these several routes for the ben-
efit of any future wanderer in these strange lands. The
season is now so far advanced that they are all impractica-
ble to me on account of the heat. The best line of retreat
open to one who has no dread of a sea voyage in the
tropics, is the route by which I came, down the Persian
and Arabian Gulfs, and up the Red Sea to Egypt, thence
across the Mediterranean to Europe.
CHAPTER XXVII.
FROM BAGDAD TO BASSORAJL
Farewell to Bagdad Night Scene The " City of the Enchanters " Disap-
pears Seleucia Ctesiphon <'o:il from England Novel Uccripts for
Specie Seals instead of Signatures A Young Aral) Chief Sto: y of
Abdul-Kareem I let rayed bv his Friend Executed without Trial Arab
Hatred for the Betrayer Abundance of Game Shooting "\Vi!d Hoars
How they arc usual'y Hunted An Ugly Customer Live'y Sport My
Brcech-L->ader Ahead of the " Enfieltl " Fig Leaves from the Garden of
Eden "A Thous nd Welcomes to Marghil " Now I Passed the Time
There The Lonely English Cemetery Wailing Jackals Trip i:i a
JI/cwAoo/- Climate of Bassorah The Shammii! Arrival of the Mesopo-
tamia The Steamer's Cargo Through Tropical Seas in Midsummer A
Trying Journey Before Me.
" Dijlcli" was to leave
Bagdad at midnight. My
luggage was on board, and
the farewells had all been
said, except to the half score
friends with whom I was to
dine that night. La'c in
the evening a message came
from Captain Holland that
the boat was only Availing
for the passenger. Still wo
did not hurry ; but when the
last rubber was finished, the
whole party adjourned to the
banks of the river. As the "Dijleh" swung round with
the swift current, the splash of her paddle-wheels mingled
SELEUCIA AND CTES1PHON. 29
with the notes of "Aukl Lang Sync," sung by my friends
on the bank. To me it seemed more like leaving home
than any parting I had ever known on a foreign shore.
It had been my good fortune to first approach Bagdad
while the early morning sun was gilding dome and min-
aret, and pouring a flood of brightness through palm and
orange groves. Now, as 1 sadly bade good-bye to the " city
of the Caliphs," the moon, just rising in the east, threw
far out on the river dark shadows from buildings, trees, and
gardens, and there was something weird and unreal in the
scene. We dropped rapidly past the custom-house, the
Residency garden, the silent "Comet" shrouded in her
white awnings, and then suddenly, as if under the wave of
a magic wand, the "City of the Enchantress" disappeared
from view, to be hereafter to me but a memory and a
dream.
Early the next day we passed the sandy mounds where
the successors of Alexander built the great city of Seleucia,
floating through the canals between the Euphrates and the
Tigris the building materials for their new capital from the
inexhaustible mounds of Babylon. A short distance be-
low, on the opposite shore, stands the magnificent arch of
Ctesiphon, a solitary monument to mark the spot where a
few centuries lite: the Parthian monarchs founded a great
city. Here the Persian kings reveled in wealth and luxury,
until the fierce invaders from Arabia came pouring down
upon them like an avalanche, shouting the battle cry,
"There is but one God, and Mahomet is his Prophet." As
we glided past, not a human being could be seen on cither
shore the picture of desolation was complete.
Tha rapid current bears us swiftly down the river, which
is now in every direction overflowing its low banks.
Sometimes for miles the country ^eems one vast maze of
swamps, through which only the keen eye of the Arab pilot
330 SEALS IN PLACE OF SIGNATURES.
can detect the winding channel. At dark we came to
anchor until the moon rose, for when the river is so high
the downward trip is very liable to accidents from the in-
creased speed of the boat, and the danger of her paddle-
wheels striking the banks.
The " Dijleh " stops for an hour or two at Amarah to
discharge and receive freight. This town being about half
way between Bassorah and Bagdad, the owners of the
steamers maintain here a coal depot. The fuel for these
English boats and for all the Turkish steamers at Bassorah
and Bagdad, is brought out from England. It costs at
Newcastle about five dollars a ton, but when it reaches the
Euphrates the freight has increased its value six-fold.
Coal of poor quality, almost as soft as bitumen, has lately
been discovered near the Tigris, about four hundred miles
north of Bagdad, and the government arc trying, with
poor success, to use it on their steamers. A mine of good
coal would be of great value to this country in promoting
steam navigation on these rivers.
The " strong box " in the clerk's cabin contains many
packages of specie remitted by native merchants. I notice
the receipts taken on the delivery of these parcels are
merely the seal of the consignee, impressed on the bill of
lading. Every town Arab wears a seal ring for use rather
than ornament, and carries in his pocket a bit of India ink.
During my interview with the Pasha of Bagdad his secre-
tary laid before him some documents for his signature ;
but instead of writing his name, he merely stamped upon
them his official seal.
While our boat was stopping at Amarah a bright and
handsome little boy, about six years old, came on board
and sought ont Captain Holland, with whom lie seemed a
great favorite. He was well dressed, and had the air and
manner of one born to command. Great deference was
TUX S TOR Y OF A ED UL -AM R EEM. o ^
paid to him by the Arabs, and our genial captain filled his
pockets with nuts and bonbons. When the bell rang
to start, he was carefully set on shore in charge of his
attendant. He is the son of Abdul-Karcem, the chief
of the Shammas, the most populous and warlike tribe of
Arabs in Lower Mesopotamia. His father was a man of
independent spirit and great influence, but being suspected
of conspiring against the government, a price was set upon
his head. Last year one of his friends betrayed him to
the Turks. Having invited him to a feast, he arranged to
have soldiers placed in ambush, and he was captured in
the house of his entertainer. The chief was taken to Bag-
dad and tried by a court-martial, but there was not suffi-
cient evidence to convict him. He was then ordered to
be sent under guard to Constantinople. When the party
having him in charge reached Mosul they received a tele-
gram from the Porte ordering his immediate execution.
As they crossed the bridge over the Tigris at that place,
the unfortunate prisoner caught sight of a rope dangling
from a beam overhead, and knew that his hour had come.
The party halted, the rope was put around his neck and
his horse led from under him. He died a brave man, pro-
testing his innocence, and sending his last blessing to his
boy. But the traitor who betrayed him, though Sheik of
a powerful tribe, lives with the mark of Cain upon his
brow. He violated the most sacred rights of hospitality,
and his life is not safe for a moment. If he visits the
town, even the beggars in the streets spit upon him. It
is necessary, of course, to keep the Arab tribes in subjec-
tion, but treachery and bad faith reflect no credit upon the
Turkish government.
The second day was through a section of the country
where game was very abundant. Cranes, pelicans, herons,
ducks, and other water fowl, were always within shot, but
332 LIVEL Y SPORT.
attracted little attention. We are on the lookout for larger
game, such as wild boars, antelopes, and jackals. My
friend, Mr. Finnis, had loaned me his breech-loading rifle,
and supplied me with a hundred cartridges, which I was
told to use unsparingly.
One morning I was awakened by the shout of " pig ! pig !"
from one of the officers, and glancing through the open
.window of my cabin, I saw a large, black, wild boar
clumsily galloping along where the water, overflowing the
banks, was about two feet deep. His long pointed snout,
sharp, curved tusks, and back embellished with bristles,
like " quills upon the fretted porcupine," gave him a savage
and .ferocious look, and he would have been an ugly cus-
HUNTING THE WILD BOAR.
tomer to attack single-handed on shore. Wild boars are
usually hunted in this country by parties of Europeans on
.horseback, armed with spears and revolvers. They are
THE TRADITIONAL GAllDEN OF LDEX. 300
very tenacious of life, and when wounded, frequently turn
upon their pursuers and show fight. It becomes dangerous
and exciting sport, when the enraged beast rips up ahorse
and goes for the dismounted hunter, with half a dozen
broken spear shafts bristling from his tough hide. But
now I had "piggy "at disadvantage. Quickly adjusting
the sight at two hundred yards, I shoved my rifle through
the window and poured five Minnie bullets into him in
quick succession. There was an Arab encampment at
some distance out on the plain, just in range, and a stray
ball might do mischief in that direction. But at the last
shot the boar went under with a great splash, and I heard
a cheer from the Arab passengers who had been watching
the sport from the upper deck. During (he morning I had
many fine shots, and at breakfast the coffee and hot rolls
suddenly lost their attraction, when a bend in the river
brought a prowling jackal within range.
The rivalry between the first engineer and myself was
at times rather lively. While oflf duty, his station, Enfield
rifle in hand, was on the forward deck, and my position
being further aft on the wheel house, he often secured the
first shot. But my superior weapon was more than an
offset for his greater experience and advantage of position.
There were over a hundred deck passengers, all Arabs and
Persians, who took a lively interest in the sport.
When we reached Kernah, where the two rivers unite
to form the " Shat-el-Arab," we made a short stop, and I
improved the opportunity to set foot on the reputed ki Gar-
den of Eden." I very naturally looked about me for
" apple trees" ; but if that fruit ever grew in this locality
it has long since disappeared. I am rather fond of
souvenirs from interesting places, but in this dirty Arab
village I could see nothing suggestive of the Paradise of
334 WELCOME TO M ARCHIL.
our first parents, except an old fig tree, from which I
brought away a few leaves as mementoes.
Before night we brought to under the walls of the Itfian
at Marghil, where I had spent a few days so pleasantly
three months before. I had expected to find in the river at
Bassorah, three miles below, an English steamer about to
sail for Suez. But she had not arrived, and I concluded to
wait here for the " Mesopotamia," a steamer belonging to
my English friends, which would be due in about ten days.
Captain Carter was absent, having left a few days before
on a short trip to Bagdad to recruit his health. But as
soon as he heard of my arrival and necessary detention,
he sent the characteristic telegram: "A thousand wel-
comes to Marghil. Mr. C - is instructed to do every-
thing in his power to make you comfortable."
My life at Marghil during the next two weeks was very
quiet and lonely, but .by no means unpleasant. The early
mornings were spent under the great mulberry tree in the
garden, and a large collection of miscellaneous books
afforded all the reading I could desire. During the hot
hours of the day, I roamed from room to room, sometimes
writing for an hour or two when so inclined, taking long
siestas, while the servants kept the punkah in motion,
thus creating an artificial current of air. The walls of
the house were very thick and protected from the sun
by wide verandas. My servant, Yusef, had accompanied
me from Bagdad, bringing with him the elegant narghileli
which had been specially appropriated to my use, and now
his principal duty was to be always within call to " make,"
or prepare, the chibouk and narghileli, and bring coffee or
tea as often as required. The light morning meal, the
breakfast, luncheon, and dinner, were served with the
same regularity and in as elegant style as if the house
was full of guests. As it grew cooler towards evening,
A TRIP IN A MASIIOOF.
the large lounging chairs were taken out into the garden,
and sometimes Mr. Cadenhead, who in the absence of
Captain Carter had charge of the office in Bassorah, came
up to dine and spend the night.
I frequently took long solitary walks through the date
groves to the edge of the desert as the sun ncared the
western horizon, and sometimes visited the little lonely
cemetery, where several marble slabs mark the resting
place of the Europeans who have fallen victims to a
pestilential climate. It is neatly enclosed, planted with
English roses, and tenderly cared for by Captain Carter.
After sunset, and sometimes during the lone hours of
the night, I could hear the wailing cries of prowling
jackals, echoing from one side of the river to the other,
in crescendo tones, then gradually die away, to commence
again a few minutes later, seeming to approach nearer and
nearer. To a nervous person, such sounds would be far
from soothing to quiet sleep, or promotive of pleasant
dreams.
One morning I accompanied Mr C in his mashoof
down the river to Bassorah. This is a peculiar boat, a
double-ender, very long and narrow, and as easily upset as
an Indian birch canoe. An awning stretched over hoops
fitted close to the sides, and it was paddled very swiftly
by a boatman sitting astride each end. We carefully
placed ourselves in the bottom, and were obliged to keep
very quiet, as the sides were but a few inches above the
water. The river is here more than a mile in width, very
deep, with a rapid current. The mashoof is made of
bitumen spread over a frame work of date-sticks, and if
filled with water would sink like a shot to the bottom.
The boatmen, to take advantage of the current, pushed
out into the middle of the river, and as the wind was
blowing quite fresh, every few minutes a splash of water
3C8 A DRY SAND STORM.
would come over the side. My companion took it quite
coolly, aL hough he could not swim, but I never before
fully appreciated the value of a life-preserver. 1 had in my
pockets several pounds weight of silver rupees, which I
quietly unloaded into the bottom of the boat, thinking
they would not increase my buoyancy in case of an acci-
dent. But the strongest swimmer could hardly have
reached the shore through the swirling eddies, if our boat
had swamped. Not to be outdone in coolness, I reclined
back in the mashoof, holding by each hand to the gunwale,
and smoked my cheroot with apparent unconcern. But it
occurred very vividly to my mind at that moment, that
my life insurance policies were both invalid, as I had gone
"without permit" beyond the limits of travel allowed by
Insurance Companies. AVc reached the shore in safety,
but on our return, having left my friend in Bassorah, I
insisted that the boatmen keep near the banks of the river,
and have never accepted another invitation to ride in a
mashoof.
The climate of Bassorah is quite different from that of
Bagdad. Everywhere near the shores of the Persian Gulf
the air is moist, and a heavy dew at night makes it neces-
sary to sleep under a thatched awning, which is supported
by poles upon the housetop. Miasmatic diseases are prev-
alent, especially during the hot weather, and European
constitutions are sure to break down after a few years' res-
idence in this country. One day the temperature fell in
an hour nearly twenty degrees, and the wind suddenly
changing, blow fiercely from the north, charged with fine
dust and sand. The sky darkened and at times assumed
a peculiar violet hue, rather alarming to one unaccustomed
to such a phenomenon. In spite of closed doors and
tightly drawn blinds, there being no glass windows here,
the fine particles of sand penetrated every crevice of fur-
ARRIVAL OF THE MESOPOTAMIA. o^ri
t>O t/
11 it-lire and clothing, and the skin became dry and parched.
The Shdmmdl subsided as suddenly as it had arisen, and
when the sun again came out I counted over a dozen na-
tive boats and marhallahs driven on shore by the violence
of the gale. This dry sand storm left a very unpleasant
impression of the climate of Bassorah, and for a perma-
nent residence I should certainly select some other local-
ity.
At last the arrival of the " Mesopotamia" was tele-
graphed from Fau, at the mouth of the river, after a voy-
age of forty-five days from London, via the Mediteranean
and Suez Canal. She is an iron steamer, three years old,
built expressly for this trade, and though not remarkable
for speed, is a very staunch and safe vessel. As she was
to be my home for several weeks, I looked for her arrival
with no little interest, and went down as far as Bassorah
to meet her. Here she was detained only long enough for
custom house permits, and then steamed up to the wharf
at Marghil.
The next fifteen days were full of life and excitement
at the Khan. Large gangs of natives were at once set to
work unloading the ship, and putting on board the freight
for her return voyage, which was stored in the large ware-
houses of the firm. The fifteen hundred tons of cargo
consisted of wool in closely compressed bales, several
thousand sacks of grain, and packages of gall nuts, Arabian
spices and gums. Mr. Finnis and Captain Carter soon
after arrived from Bagdad, and every exertion was made
to hasten her departure, as the south-west monsoon, which
blows steadily up the Arabian Sea and Persian Gulf from
June to October, was every day increasing in strength, and
would be directly in our teeth for nearly three thousand
miles. My unexpected detention of almost four weeks at
Bassorah was unfortunate, as I must now pass over this
o^O A TRYING JOURNEY.
route and up the Red Sea to Egypt during the hottest sea-
son of the year, when 'they are said to be like the fiery fur-
nace, seven times heated. But perfect health, a somewhat
salamanderish faculty of enduring the heat, and above all,
visions of home, will cheer the traveler on his trying
journey.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
FROM BASSORAII TO EUROPE.
Our Last Night at Marghil Song and Story My "Younger Brother's"
Farewell A Dilapidated Blockade Runner Good-Bye to the Euphrates
In the Persian Gulf Life at Sea Busliire The Persian Cat and the
Buhl-Buhls Narrow Escape for Both The Example of Sinbad For us
no Rue's Eggs, nor V alley of Diamonds In the Indian Ocean The
Monsoon Dangerous Currents We Strike at Night on the Arabian
Coast Darkness and Confusion The Scene from the Deck The Mal-
tese Steward He Suddenly Becomes Devout "Scrap Iron in Half an
Hour" Life Preservers of Little -Use "Get Ready to Pass In Your
Checks" The Ship Draws Off We are Saved The Life Poats Our
Chances of Escape Discussed Recklessness of Sailors Short Supply of
Coal We Reach Aden The "Deerhound" A Rebel Tender Turned
Smuggler Up the Red Sea t> Suez Across Egypt in Summer Venice
to London Adieu.
HE "Mesopotamia" was to
sail at six o'clock the next
morning. In honor of our
departure the whole English
population of Bassorah, num-
bering but two 2wsons out-
side of those attached to
Lynch <fe Co.'s establish-
ment, were invited to dine
and spend the night at Mar-
ghil. Captain Carter had
given his steward a carfe
IhimJie for an entertain-
ment of unusual brilliancy.
His harmonium had been taken up on the terraced roof,
342 MY LAST NIGHT IN ARABIA.
for the night was to be made joyous with song and festiv-
ity. The dinner was served in elegant style, and my last
night in Arabia was one long to be remembered. Our
genial host seemed equally at home in the serious, (he sen-
timental, and the comic. He played the accompaniment
to his Negro melodies, Irish songs, and Scottish ballads,
and the fun never flagged for a moment. I had seen him
the day before scouring over the plain like the wind,
mounted on a full blooded Arab mare given to him by the
young Sheik Jarbah ; and now he sung " My Arab Steed "
with unaffected pathos and feeling. His experience as a
sailor and officer in all parts of the world furnished an in-
exhaustible fund of anecdotes, some of which were located
in New York, Savannah, and New Orleans. Nor were his
guests far behind in story and jest. The hours of the
short night sped rapidly away, and before we were aware
of it the morning light streaked the eastern horizon. We
adjourned to the garden below, and in the wide reclining
chairs once more enjoyed our coffee under the spreading
branches of the great mulberry tree. Then came the hour
of parting. Captain Phillips, of the Mesopotamia, to whose
care I had been commended more as a guest than an ordi-
nary passenger, gave the signal to throw off the hawsers,
the English flag was hoisted to the peak, and with ringing
cheers, in which a crowd of Arabs joined with the Eu-
ropeans on ship and shore, the stately vessel swung round
into the stream, and we were off for Europe. While the
white walls of the Khan remained in sight I watched
through a glass the waving handkerchief of my friend
Finnis, my "younger brother," with whom I had been in-
timately associated for so many months, signaling his
good bye. His parting injunction was, " Now don't iail to
go and visit my father's family when you reach England
they know all about you and will surely expect you." I
GOOD-DYE TO THE EUPHRATES. 543
need scarcely add that I fulfilled the promise then made,
and met the cordial welcome and generous hospitality of
an Englishman at home.
As we passed at full speed the Turkish gunboats oil Bas-
sorah we dipped our ensign, and the salute was promptly
returned. Among them was a long, narrow, side-wheel
steamer, with three raking funnels, very sharp in the hows,
and evidently built for speed. She w r as a famous blockade
runner during the rebellion, and made several successful,
trips between Nassau and Wilmington. At the close of
the war she was sold to the Turks, and now looks old, di-
lapidated, and rusty. I was told that she was much out of
repair, and no longer seaworthy. Before dark we passed
the fort and telegraph station at the mouth of the river,
and exchanged the yellow, turbid Euphrates for the clear
blue waters of the Persian Gulf.
I was the only passenger on the "Mesopotamia," and the
whole ladies' cabin was assigned to my use. If she had
been my OW T II private yacht Captain Phillips and his offi-
cers could not have treated me with more civility and at-
tention. A double awning protected the deck, and al-
though the sun was intensely hot, the motion of the ship
produced an agreeable breeze. In a few days everything
settled down to the usual routine of life at sea. The cab-
ins were so hot that all my time was passed on deck. For-
tunately no elaborate toilet was required, and, of course,
the thinnest possible clothing was brought into requisition.
Out of deference to the well known prejudice of English-
men in regard to dinner costume, I once ventured to add
for that occasion a collar and a black neck ribbon ; but the
captain good naturedly chaffed me about " putting on
style." At night the steward spread my mattress on the
skylight where I always slept. We stopped one day at the
Persian port of Bushire, but I was glad to exchange the
21
344 THE PERSIAN CAT AND THE BUHL-BUHLS.
stifling heat of the shore for the cooler and purer air on
board our ship. While here I was urged to buy a white,
long-haired Persian cat, which a native brought off to the
ship. These animals are highly esteemed in Western
lands by cat fanciers ; but when I tested her temper, I
found that she would spit, snap, and bite most savagely ;
so I concluded that the snarling, half wild brute would
be a troublesome traveling companion before I reached
America. But without my knowledge one of the sailors
bought her to take home as a speculation. I had onboard
many valuable curiosities, antiques and relics, which 1 had
secured at Bagdad including bricks from Babylon and
Nineveh, old coins, Persian and Arab costumes, etc. As a
souvenir of Marghil, Yusef Marini had presented me with
a pair of buhl-buhls, or Persian nightingales, which I found
plenty of leisure during the voyage to make very tame. I
'kept them on deck in a date stick cage near the skylight
on which I slept. Soon after leaving Bushire I awoke one
morning and saw stretched out alongside the cage that white
Persian cat. At one bound I " went for" the animal, but
she -was too quick for me, or the sailor's private venture
would have gone overboard. Some feathers scattered on
the deck was all that remained of one of my pets, and in a
few minutes more the other would have shared the same
tragic fate. But " Dickey" has survived all perils by sea
and land, as well as change of climate, and readied Amer-
ica in safety.
We had seven days of smooth sea and fair weather from
the head of the Persian Gulf to the straits connecting that
sea with the Indian ocean. But here our trials began.
In each of those memorable voyages of " Sinbad the Sailor,"
it is related that he started from Bagdad and sailed from
Bassorah, after which he had a few days of fine weather.
Then came the wrecks and the roc's eggs, the desert is-
DANGEROUS CURRENTS. 04-
lands and the diamond valleys. My story is not an " Ara-
bian Nights" tale, so that the most interesting part of Sin-
bad's adventures cannot here be narrated. But fate had
in store for me an experience so near a wreck, that for a
pocket full of diamonds I would not be willing to try my
chances again.
We passed Ras al Hat, a bold promontory extending out
from the coast, then shaping our course to the south-west,
the monsoon struck us with full force. For the next
twelve days until we arrived at Aden, it blew steadily
ahead, and raised a heavy sea. The square sails were un-
ibent and the yards sent down, as all useless rigging impe-
ded our progress. The effect of the monsoon, which in
'liese seas blows during so many months in one direction,
is to produce surface currents, the force of which cannot
be calculated. These variable currents often throw a ship
off her course, and cause serious difficulties in navigation.
My intimate relations with the captain gave me an oppor-
tunity of studying the charts, and knowing at all times the
location of the ship. The observation at noon on the third,
day after passing Ras al Hat gave our exact position,
which the captain pointed out to me on the chart. He said
at our present rate of speed, live miles an hour by the pa-
tent log, we should pass about midnight Ras Madraka, an-
other headland jutting out from the Arabian coast, giving
it at least forty miles leeway.
That night when the twelve o'clock watch was called I was
awake, and the first officer as he passed me after hauling in
the log, said that we had made twenty miles during the
last four hours. The sea was quite rough, and sometimes
a dash of spray would reach my bed on the skylight. So
I rolled up my mattress, and for the first and only night
while on board, I went below and crawled into one of the
berths in my cabin. Three hours later I was awakened
346 WE STRIKE, OFF THE ARAB COAST.
by a rude shock, and knew, almost instinctively, that the
ship had struck. Slipping out of my berth I was quickly
on deck, and there clinging to the door of the companion
way, a scene met my view that would have appalled the
stoutest heart. All was darkness and confusion. Our gal-
lant ship was thumping heavily with every receding wave,
and looking ahead I could dimly see high rocky cliffs
looming up through the thick haze. Both on our right
and left, but a few hundred yards away, the white breakers
were dashing over rocks, while astern the rough sea
seemed to cut off all retreat. When the ship struck, Cap-
tain Phillips was asleep in the chart-room under the bridge,
but at the first alarm he was on deck, and now I could
hear his ringing voice issuing orders in loud and excited
tones. Neither the officer in charge nor the look-out on
the forecastle had seen the land until too late ; and the
ship struck at full speed. An unknown current had car-
ried us more than forty miles off our course since noon
the day before, and we had struck on the projecting Cape
of Ras Madraka. On the charts this part of the coast of
Arabia is marked as inhabited by inhospitable and bar-
barous tribes, who would rob and murder every ship-
wrecked mariner whom the sea might cast upon their
shores. It needed but a single glance around to show the
imminent danger of our situation.
I went down to my cabin,, struck a match, slipped on a
light overcoat, unlocked my trunk, put a roll of gold into
one pocket and my watch into the other, and again made
my way on deck, holding by the balusters, while the ship
thumped and rolled, as if struggling to free herself from
impending destruction. The Steward, a Maltese, came up
to me, and with chattering teeth asked whether I thought
we should go to pieces. I told him that it seemed quite
likely ; and he dropped on his knees, dcvoutedly crossed
SCRAP in OX IX HALF AX HOUR:
C4T
himself, and muttered some prayers the first lie had said,
I fancy, for a long time. When I reached the deck the
second time there seemed no improvement in our condi-
tion. Fortunately we had struck on a spit of sand a
short distance on either side were rocks, the first thump
on which would have punched a hole in the bottom of our
ship, and, as Captain Phillips expressed it the next day,
" the Mesopotamia would have been scrap iron in half an
hour." In the meantime everything that experience and
good seamanship could suggest was done. Soundings
were taken on all sides to ascertain the depth of water,
the engines reversed, and all steam put on. I looked
about me for something that would float if worst came to
"GET KEADY TO PASS IN YOUU CHECKS."
worst, and started towards a life preserver lashed to the
rail near by. But it then occurred to me how little
use it would lie, with the gale blowing off shore, as I
343 WHAT MIGHT HAVE SEEN.
should be carried out to sea, and have not one chance in
ten thousand of being picked up on this lonely ocean.
Of course, no one paid the least attention to me, but I
recognized and hailed the second officer with the remark that
it looked very bad " D d bad " was his emphatic reply.
" I advise you to get ready to pass in your checks," and
he disappeared in the darkness. But there was a better
fate in store for us than his expressive, but somewhat pro-
fane remark indicated. It was now about twenty minutes
since the first alarm, the ominous pounding ceased ; the
ship slowly drew off from the land, and turning her head
towards the open sea, the rocks and breakers disappeared
from sight. The pumps were sounded and it was found
that no seams had started, nor any serious damage been
sustained by the ship. At daylight no land was in sight,
everything had resumed its usual routine, and the perilous
night's experience seemed but a wild dream.
During the remainder of the voyage we often discussed
the possibilities of a different result. The Captain said
that for fifteen years he had been master of a ship on
these seas, and never before had he come so near losing
his vessel. He said if she had gone to pieces he should
have launched the two life boats, and sailed back before the
monsoon, five hundred miles, to Muscat. These boats arc
of wood and rest upon skids in the waist of the ship. They
have never been in the water, and having for three years
been exposed to a tropical sun, I doubt very much whether
they would float. To clear them out, launch, provision,
and equip them witli sails, charts, and instruments for such
a voyage, would be the work of hours in daylight, with a
smooth sea. To accomplish this in darkness, amid the
confusion of storm and wreck, would be next to impossible.
Life at sea is surrounded with peculiar perils. Sailors are
proverbially reckless of danger, and when the sudden
THE YA CUT D EER HO UND.
emergency comes they are often found unprepared to meet
it.
With the monsoon blowing directly in our teeth the av-
erage speed of the vessel was lessened from seven and a
half to five miles an hour. Before we reached Aden some
anxiety began to be felt about our supply of coal. Besides
filling the bunkers, iifty tons had been stored on deck be-
fore leaving Bassorah. The chief engineer had each day's
consumption carefully weighed, and close calculations were
made as to how long it would hold out. To be caught a
hundred miles from port, with the fuel exhausted, and a
head wind, would be disastrous. A large steamer of the
" Peninsular and Oriental Line " from Bombay, was not long
ago obliged to burn all her extra spars and the mahogany
wood work of her elegant cabins to reach Aden. But
when the Mesopotamia sighted the high cliffs of Aden we
had still about fifty tons of coal on hand.
In that harbor we found the steam yacht Deerhound,
which rescued Captain Scmmes after the destruction of
the Alabama. I was curious to see this famous vessel, and
was courteously shown over her by the officers in charge.
She is a beautiful craft of about two hundred tons, but since
the event that associated her name with the rebel pirate, she
has been very unfortunate, and has several times changed
owners. She was seized in attempting to smuggle arms
from England to the Carlists in Spain, and is now on her
way to Zanzibar, the owner expecting to sell her to the
Sultan of that country. She started from this port a
month ago for her destination, but being unable to make
headway against the wind, she has returned to Aden to
wait until the monsoon is over.
After two days stay to coal our ship, we steamed towards
the entrance of the Red Sea. This last part of our voy-
age was especially dreaded ; but though the midsummer's
350 RETURNING HOME.
heat was oppressive, it was not so uncomfortable as I had
anticipated. Seven days of clear weather brought us to
Suez, where I bade adieu to the Mesopotamia and her kind
officers, as they were bound to London, via the Suez Canal
and the Mediterranean. I proposed to take the shorter
route across Egypt to Alexandria, and thence to Europe.
.Although this country during the summer months is con-
sidered decidedly tropical, I found it so much cooler than
the climate from which I had come, that colored clothing
took the place of white linen, and when, after a week at
Cairo and Alexandria, I crossed to Brundisi and Venice,
woolen garments were not uncomfortable. From Venice
across Italy and France to Paris, and thence to London, is
so common a journey as to require no description.
Oriental countries have their especial charms and fasci-
nations ; but life surrounded by the superior comforts of West-
ern civilization seems never so attractive as when the trav-
eler returns from a long journey through the East. My ex-
periences in the " Land of the Arabian Nights " will al-
ways form some of the pleasantest pictures in my recollec-
tions of foreign travel. The happiest faculty that tiic
wanderer in strange lands can possess, is that of making
the best of everything and looking only on the bright side.
And I trust the reader will sec no cause for regret that the
more sombre tints and the darker shadows have not been
brought out with more prominence.
PLEASE DO NOT REMOVE
CARDS OR SLIPS FROM THIS POCKET
UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO LIBRARY
DS Fogg, William Perry
4B Arabistan
F65
