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 THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 LOS ANGELES
 
 PERSONAL NARRATIVE 
 
 OF 
 
 A JOURNEY 
 
 FROM 
 
 INDIA TO ENGLAND, 
 
 BY BUSSORAH, BAGDAD, THE RUINS OF BABYLON, CURDISTAX, 
 
 THE COURT OF TERSIA, THE AVESTERN SHORE OF THE 
 
 CASPIAN SEA, ASTRAKHAN, NISHNEY, NOVOGOROD, 
 
 MOSCOW, AND ST. PETERSBURGH. 
 
 BY 
 
 MAJOR, THE HON. GEORGE KEPPEL. 
 
 NEW EDITION. 
 IN TWO VOLUMES. 
 
 VOL. I. 
 
 LONDON: 
 PUBLISHED FOR HENRY COLBURN 
 
 BY R. BENTLEY. SOLD BY ALL BOOKSELLERS. 
 
 1834.
 
 4g,5 
 
 V, \ 
 
 TO 
 
 THE EARL OF ALBEMARLE. 
 
 In sending forth this my first Work, to the 
 Public, I am naturally anxious to obtain for 
 it a protector. To whom, then, can I better 
 apply than to you, my dear Father, for whose 
 entertainment I was first induced to keep a 
 Diary of my Travels ? 
 
 Your affectionate Son, 
 
 GEORGE KEPPEL. 
 
 Dublin Castle. 
 
 475*g|7
 
 ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 VOL. I. 
 
 No. 1. Portrait of the Author, in his Travelling 
 
 Costume ... to face the Title. 
 
 2. Map of the Author's Route ' . . Page 1 
 
 3. Ruins of a Pillar on the Eastern Bank of 
 
 the Tigris 125 
 
 4. Fragment of a Statue . . . .129 
 
 5. Tauk Kisra, a ruined Arch on the Site of 
 
 Ctesiphon 133 
 
 6. Babylonian Cylinders . . . .191,192 
 
 7. Tree on the Site of the Hanging Gardens . 213 
 
 8. Statue of a Lion found in the Ruins of Ba- 
 
 bylon 214 
 
 9. Specimen of the Ruins at Kisra Shereen .312 
 
 VOL. II. 
 
 1 . A Lesguy Tartar . to face the Title. 
 
 2. Capital of a Pillar at Be-sitoon . Page 74 
 
 3. Greek Inscription at Be-sitoon . . . 75 
 
 4. A Native of Durbund .... 226
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 OF THE FIRST VOLUME. 
 
 CHAPTER 1. 
 
 My fellow-travellers — Futteh Ali Khan — Departure 
 from Bombay — Persian Syyud — His compliment to the 
 English, and opinion of our devotion — Luminous surface 
 of the Sea — Dinner with the Prince — Persian Polite- 
 ness — Arrival at Muscat — Barren appearance of the 
 Cove — Fortifications — Shipping — Ignorance of the 
 Imaum and of his Officers in Navigation — Anecdote — 
 The Imaum and Futteh Ali Khan — Our Introduction 
 to the Imaum — His character — Wahhabbee Pirate — 
 Town of Muscat — Bazaar — Inhabitants — Method of 
 extracting Toll— Imaum's Stud — Slave Auction. 
 
 Page 1—22. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 Suburbs of Muscat — Drunken Persian — Fish-fed 
 Horses- Sterile appearance of the country — Village of 
 Podrshur — Giaffer's conduct — Set sail for Bussorah —
 
 Vlll CONTENTS. 
 
 Cape Jask — The Quoins — Cape Museldom — Islands of 
 the Tombs — Pulior — Cape Nabon — Cape Verdistan — 
 Bushire — Karrack — Arab Pilot — His Sehdum — Sick 
 Native — Cape Baungk — Pilot's mode of navigating the 
 Ship — Runs her ashore — His apology — Appearance of 
 the Coast — Behaviour of an Arab Sheikh. Page 23 — 44. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 The Sheikh's modest demeanour — His residence — 
 Repast — Spirited reply of the Sheikh's Son — Captain 
 Taylor — Land at Bussorah — New Governor — Ex-Go- 
 vernor — The New Governor's Public Entrance into 
 Bussorah — First act of his Government — His Visits to 
 the Political Agent — His Visit returned — Wearing 
 Shoes in the Chamber of an Asiatic — Horse-racing in 
 the Desert — The Governor's attempt at Oppression — 
 An Armenian's Betrothment — Pas de deux between a 
 Jew and a Turk. Page 45 — 65. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Ancient Ruins — Tombs of Ali the Barmecide, and of 
 Zobeir, an Arab Chief — Town of Zobeir — Sheikh of 
 Dirhemmia — City of Bussorah — Filth of the Streets — 
 Old and new Bazaars — Coffee-houses —Trade — Popula- 
 tion — Productions — Preparations for departure— Guard 
 of Arabs — Aboo Nasir — Entertainment on board the 
 Alligator. Page 66—78. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 We take leave of our Shipmates — And proceed on our 
 Voyage — Our boatmen and Guard — Abstinence from
 
 CONTENTS. IX 
 
 Wine — Aboo Nasir at dinner — Koorna — The River 
 Tigris — II Jezeerah, the reputed Site of Paradise — 
 Present Appearance of the Country — Its former state 
 — Our first Interview with the Desert Arabs — Aboo 
 Nasir — Arab Village — Conduct of our Guard — Goomruk 
 — Tribute — Extortion — Tomb of the Prophet Ezra — 
 Abundance of Game — Kill a brace of Partridges in the 
 Garden of Eden — Curious scene— Behaviour and ap- 
 pearance of the Female Arabs of the Desert. 
 
 Page 79—96. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Aboo Nasir — Village Jester — Akushee — English Gen- 
 tleman attacked by the Arabs — Munjummil — Thuyn II 
 Swyah — Mohumud Abool Hassan — We are challenged 
 from the shore by the Arabs — Our Boatmen's Answer — 
 Manner in which the Arabs lie in ambush for Travellers 
 — Cheshef— Illyauts — Black Tents illustrated by Scrip- 
 ture — Mr. Hamilton and I shoot at a Lioness — Curious 
 flight of Birds — Barter — Gubar Jumdeer — AH Shurgee 
 — Animals like Bats — Filifileh and Sooroot, an ancient 
 Ruin — Encampment of Arab Banditti — Aboo Nasir's 
 Answer to their Inquiries — Mudduk-il-Hujauje — Koote 
 — Horses procurable hence to Bagdad — Description of 
 the Village — Jubul Afeez, a Ruin — Arab Greyhounds — 
 A Dandy of the Desert — Mr. Hamilton proceeds by land 
 to Bagdad — Boats laden with firewood for Bagdad — 
 Ummuttumim, a large Canal — Grotesque description of 
 Boat — Shifeleh — Extensive Ruins — Observations on the 
 general appearance of Ruins in this Country — The
 
 X CONTENTS. 
 
 Ruins of Mumliheh — Coins — Want of instruments for 
 digging. Page 97 — 181; 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Tortuous course of the River — Extensive Ruins — Fire 
 Temple — Devil's dance — Dawurree, a tribe of thieves 
 and buffoons — Ruins of Seleucia — Camel-riding — Illus- 
 tration of the Prophecy of Isaiah — Ancient Statue- 
 Tradition — Powder Mill — Ctesiphon — Description of the 
 Tauk or Arch of Kisra — Suleiman Pauk — Historical 
 notices of Seleucia and Ctesiphon — Arrival at Bagdad — 
 Public Entrance — Mr. Hamilton's Journey across the 
 Desert — Anecdote of the Chief of the Artillery. 
 
 Page 122—147. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 The Pasha's Garden — Armenian Church — Our Host's 
 Policy — Monastery of Calendars — Tomb of Zobeide — 
 Visit to the Catholic Bishop of Bagdad — Anecdote — 
 Journey to Babylon — Our Establishment — Description 
 of a Caravanserai — Our first Night's Lodging. 
 
 Page 148—167. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Bir-iunus — Caravans of Persian Pilgrims — Scrip- 
 tural Illustrations — Mode of Travelling — Women — 
 Corpses — Coffins — Iskanderia — Earthenware Coffins — 
 Mohowel — An old Man and his Wives —Distant ap- 
 pearance of the Ruins of Babylon — Reasons for sup-
 
 CONTENTS. XI 
 
 posing the Ruins to be those of Babylon— Causes of 
 Deterioration— Mujillebe Mound— Illustration of the 
 Prophecy of Isaiah — Hilleh — Population — Musjid 
 Eshanis — Babylonian Inscriptions — Bricks — Cylinders — 
 Throwing the Jereed — Sham Fight — Tower of Babel — 
 Babylonian Boats — Earthenware Tombs — Statue of a 
 Lion — Hanging Gardens— Palace. Page 168 — 216. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 Triumph of Travelling over Prejudice — Grotesque 
 Dance — Fire Temple — Presentation to the Pasha of 
 Bagdad— Feast of St. Gregory — Visit from the Offi- 
 cers of the Pashalick — Instance of the Pasha's des- 
 potic Power — We return the Visit of the Officers — 
 The Pasha's Garden — Musruf Effendy and his Screw- 
 pump — First impressions on visiting Bagdad — Descrip- 
 tion of the Streets and Bazaars — Interior of a House 
 — Dress of the Women — Liberty enjoyed by Turkish 
 Females. Page 21 7—248. 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 Buildings in the time of Haroun Alraschid — A House 
 — Mosque — Disregard of the Turks for Antiquities — 
 Preparations for departure — Advice to Travellers — 
 Roguery of the British Agent — Mr. Wolff, a Mis- 
 sionary — Extortion of the Servants of Aga Saikeis — 
 We leave Bagdad — Gold-stick bearer — Benee-Sad — 
 Ruined state of the Town — Aboo Nasir throwing the 
 Jereed — Bacoubah — Devastation of the Army of Mo-
 
 Xll CONTENTS. 
 
 humud Ali Meerza — Alarm of Robbers — Aboo Nasir's 
 Request — The Silver-stick Bearer and Aboo Nasir 
 take leave. Page 249— 269. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 Ruins of Artemita — Historical Notice of Shehreban — 
 Ruins of Apollonia — Crossing the Diala — Ancient Tra- 
 dition — The Hamerine or Carduchian Mountains. 
 
 Page 270—288. 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 Ruin at Baradan — Gaur, the City of Magicians — 
 Ancient Ruins — Scriptural Illustrations — Khanaki — 
 Our Janizary — Calor, a Tribe of Banditti — Annoyances 
 of the Journey — The Shurgee or Siroc Wind — Ruins 
 of Kisra Shereen — We are visited by Robbers — Dan- 
 gerous Adventure. Page 289 — 316. 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 March by Moonlight — Our Chief Muleteer — Pool 
 Zohaub — Stupendous Scenery — Curious Custom of II- 
 lyaut Women — Ancient Sculpture — Ascent of the Zagri 
 Pilae — Magnificent Scenery — Pa-ee Takht — Suridage — 
 Vexatious Delay of the Muleteer — Town of Kurund — 
 Visit from the Governor. Page 317 — 338.
 
 D
 
 /: ■■'■ 
 
 NATIVE ©F D UM D >" ID). 
 ^;,- 1827.
 
 NARRATIVE, 
 
 SfC. S$c. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 My fellow-travellers — Futteh Ali Khan — Departure 
 from Bombay — Persian Syyud — His Compliment to 
 the English, and opinion of our Devotion — Luminous 
 Surface of the Sea — Dinner with the Prince — Persian 
 Politeness — Arrival at Muscat — Barren Appearance 
 of the Cove — Fortifications — Shipping — Ignorance of 
 the Imaum and of his Officers in Navigation — Anec- 
 dote — The Imaum and Futteh Ali Khan — Our Intro- 
 duction to the Imaum — His character — Wahhabbee 
 Pirate — Town of Muscat — Bazaar — Inhabitants- 
 Method of extracting Toll — Imaum's stud— Slave 
 Auction. 
 
 In the month of January, 1824, Mr. Ker 
 Baillie Hamilton, Mr. Lamb, Captain Hart, 
 and myself, met from different parts of India, 
 
 VOL. I. B
 
 2 FUTTEH ALI KHAN. 
 
 at the Presidency of Bombay. We were all 
 resolved upon an overland journey to England, 
 but differed as. to the precise route. By mak- 
 ing a few mutual concessions on this point, we 
 agreed to travel together ; .an arrangement in 
 which we were assisted by Captain Alexander, 
 who kindly granted us a passage to Bussorah 
 in his Majesty's ship Alligator, of which he 
 had the command. 
 
 January 26. — -The night before we sailed, 
 the officers of the frigate, and our travelling 
 party, dined with His Highness Futteh Ali 
 Khan, who, as well as ourselves, embarked on 
 board the Alligator the following morning. 
 
 Futteh Ali Khan is an eunuch in the se- 
 raglio of his brother-in-law, Abbas Meerza, 
 the Prince Royal of Persia, who married his 
 sister. He is the son of the brave but unfor- 
 tunate Lootf Ali Khan, (the last King of Per- 
 sia of the Zund dynasty,) who was murdered by 
 Aga Mohummud, in 1794. Lootf Ali has been 
 aptly compared to Richard Cceur-de-Lion of
 
 FUTTEH ALI KHAN. O 
 
 England, and Charles XII. of Sweden, and 
 he is still the subject of song and poetry in 
 Persia. The usurper destroyed nearly all the 
 members of the deposed family ; the remainder 
 he dispersed over . Mazanderaun. At the pe- 
 riod of his father's overthrow, our royal ship- 
 mate was seven years 1 old ; his life was spared 
 probably on account of his tender age ; but the 
 condition to which he was reduced by the bar- 
 barous policy of the conqueror made the boon 
 of little value. 
 
 The year previous to our meeting at Bom- 
 bay, I had seen His Highness at Calcutta, 
 where, in my capacity of aide-de-camp to the 
 Marquis of Hastings, the then Governor Ge- 
 neral of India, I had frequent opportunities 
 of conversing with him. He had at that time 
 just arrived from the Court of the Prince Royal 
 of Persia on a visit to India ; and our Govern- 
 ment, with its usual liberality, had allowed 
 him a hundred rupees a- clay, and a splen- 
 did establishment — attractions which proved so 
 b 2
 
 4 DEPARTURE FROM BOMBAY. 
 
 great to His Highness, that there is no know- 
 ing to what period he might have prolonged 
 his stay, had not ill health accelerated his de- 
 parture. 
 
 His Highness is tall and emaciated ; he has 
 large black eyes and a sallow complexion : 
 though not more than thirty-eight years old, 
 he appears double that age, and his voice and 
 features so resemble those of a female, that 
 when wrapped up in shawls, he might be easily 
 mistaken for an old woman. 
 
 January 9T{. — We went on board the Alli- 
 gator at ten this morning: shortly after us, 
 Futteh Ali Khan embarked, under a salute 
 from the batteries. Being in a delicate state 
 of health, he was hoisted, or in sea phrase, 
 " whipped on board." The sailors, whose no- 
 tions of princely appearance were probably 
 formed from the pictures of our own royal 
 family, seemed much surprised at the feminine 
 look of the unfortunate Persian, and many a
 
 A PERSIAN SYYUD. O 
 
 joke, incapable of repetition, did I hear made 
 on this wreck of a fallen dynasty. 
 
 We got under weigh the moment the Prince 
 was embarked. The weather was fine, and the 
 wind favourable. Those of our friends who 
 had come to take leave, were soon obliged to 
 retreat to their boats, as we were rapidly get- 
 ting out to sea. Before sun-set the town of 
 Bombay had disappeared from view, and the 
 high ghauts, (mountains) which mark this coast 
 were all we could discern of Indian land. 
 
 The principal person of the Prince's esta- 
 blishment, was a Persian Syyud, a man of 
 some information, and not deficient in humour. 
 As I could speak Persian with tolerable flu- 
 ency, I used frequently to amuse myself by 
 conversing with him upon the improvement of 
 our nation in different branches of science. 
 Amongst other subjects, I tried to explain to 
 him the properties of a steam-boat lately esta- 
 blished in Calcutta, which, from its power of
 
 6 HIS COMPLIMENT TO THE ENGLISH. 
 
 stemming wind, tide, and current, had been 
 called by the Indians " Sheitaun ko two," the 
 Devil's Boat. Wishing to pay a compliment 
 to our nation, the Syyud replied, " When arts 
 were in their infancy, it was natural to give 
 the Devil credit for any new invention ; but 
 now, so advanced are the English in every kind 
 of improvement, that they are more than a 
 match for the Devil himself." 
 
 Mahometans are at all times ready to ac- 
 knowledge our superiority in every thing con- 
 nected with manufactures and arts. This con- 
 cession, indeed, could not well be withheld, as 
 most articles of a finer quality are imported 
 from Europe into the East, and the greater 
 portion of them from England. Nevertheless 
 it is surprising that a people so bigoted to 
 their own superiority in most respects, have 
 allowed us a pre-eminence even in this. They 
 reconcile it, however, to their vanity, by ob- 
 serving that we, as infidels, have our enjoy- 
 ments in this life, while theirs, as true be-
 
 HIS OPINION OF OUR DEVOTION. 7 
 
 lievers, will be in a world to come. In short, 
 that we are as superior to them, as " the 
 children of this world are, in their generation, 
 wiser than the children of light." 
 
 January 29. — This morning, (Sunday,) 
 divine service was performed. As soon as 
 it was over, I went up to the Syyud, who 
 had been watching our motions, and, to ob- 
 serve his reply, asked him why he had not 
 said his prayers this morning ? His answer 
 was very laconic, Huftee mun, Rooze shuma. 
 " Daily I, weekly you." 
 
 The Mahometans believe, not with the 
 Syyud, that we pray once a week, but that 
 we never pray at all ; and, to say the truth, the 
 general conduct of our countrymen in the East 
 rather favours the supposition. 
 
 February 1. — The sea was covered this 
 morning with a vast quantity of luminous 
 blubber, the molusca of the medusa species. 
 It is sometimes of a scarlet colour; that 
 which we saw was blue, and resembled the
 
 8 PERSIAN POLITENESS. 
 
 flower of the convolvulus. At night it gave 
 the sea the appearance of waves of liquid fire. 
 This is a constant indication of an approach to 
 the Persian shore. 
 
 Captain Alexander being confined to his bed 
 by a severe, fall from a horse while at Bombay, 
 deputed me to do the honours of the table. 
 The Prince would sometimes favour us with 
 his company, though, except for the honour, 
 we could willingly have dispensed with his 
 visits. On some of these occasions, he would 
 describe, with true Persian minuteness, those 
 particulars of health which we generally re- 
 serve for our physician. At other times he 
 would sop his long skeleton fingers in all the 
 dishes most suitable to his palate, thrust them 
 into his mouth, and thence, while wet with saliva, 
 into the plate of some wondering midshipman 
 beside him. His Highness had one more habit 
 which, though contrary to our opinions of good 
 breeding, is reckoned in Persia the greatest 
 proof of politeness, as it intimates a compliment
 
 PERSIAN POLITENESS. 9 
 
 to the host's good cheer. I mean eructation. 
 In this sort of ventriloquism, His Highness 
 was so well-bred, as to give us daily specimens 
 of his powers, to the disgust of our naval 
 friends, who, not aware that such a custom 
 was fashionable in Persia, thought it " more 
 honoured in the breach, than in the obser- 
 vance." 
 
 February 2. — At two, p. m., we saw the high 
 land near Muscat, distinguished by a conspi- 
 cuous break in the mountains called the Devil's 
 Gap. At sun-set, the land was about thirty 
 miles distant. We continued under easy sail, 
 standing off and on during the night. Febru- 
 ary 3d. — At daybreak we were surprised to 
 find ourselves to the leeward of our port, hav- 
 ing been carried a long way to the north-west 
 by a current. 
 
 February 4. — We anchored in the Cove of 
 Muscat, the seat of government of a sovereign 
 Arab Prince, whose title is that of Imaum. 
 The Cove is formed by a deep circular inden-
 
 10 ARRIVAL AT MUSCAT. 
 
 tation in the coast, and the land, or rather rock, 
 for there is not the least appearance of soil, 
 rises nearly perpendicular in crude rugged 
 masses, presenting an aspect of the greatest 
 sterility imaginable. The roadstead and town 
 towards the sea are defended by a great parade 
 of fortifications, but they appear to be in so 
 ricketty a state, that the firing of their own 
 guns would demolish them. Four large vessels 
 belonging to the Imaum were at anchor in the 
 harbour ; one of these was the Liverpool fri- 
 gate, lately of his Majesty's service, which the 
 Imaum purchased two years ago. His High- 
 ness, though very fond of ships, knows but little 
 about them. From the manner in which his 
 fleet is managed, it may be considered rather 
 as a plaything, than as applicable to any ser- 
 viceable purpose : his officers are about as con- 
 versant with nautical affairs as himself. A 
 short time ago, one of the ships being in dan- 
 ger, it was recommended to the officer com- 
 manding, that a part of the standing rigging
 
 SHIPPING. 11 
 
 should be cut away, but he would not allow it 
 to be done, alleging that " it would spoil the 
 look of the ship !" 
 
 On anchoring in the Cove, we gave His 
 Highness a salute of eleven guns, which was 
 immediately answered from the shore. Shortly 
 after, Mr. Hunter, a lieutenant in the navy, 
 and Gulaub, a native of India, agent to our 
 Government, came on board to see if they 
 could be of any service. 
 
 We asked the Prince if he intended to go 
 ashore, but he declined because he was not on 
 good terms with the Imaum : we heard the 
 cause of difference to be this : Futteh Ali Khan 
 touched at Muscat on his way to India, and 
 the Imaum, agreeably to Oriental custom, sup- 
 plied his table with whatever was requisite, but 
 Futteh Ali, who is somewhat avaricious, made 
 an application for money equivalent to the food 
 with which he had been supplied. To this, 
 the Imaum replied by sending him a dollar a- 
 day ! Hence the coolness between their Persian
 
 12 FUTTEH ALI AND THE IMAUM. 
 
 and Arab Highnesses ! We heard another 
 anecdote of these two personages which is 
 characteristic of the distrust which Asiatics have 
 of each other. As Futteh Ali was about to 
 resume his voyage to India, the Imaum went 
 on board his ship to take leave, and a cup 
 of coffee, the indispensable ceremonial of an 
 Eastern visit, was presented; the Imaum ac- 
 cepted it, but suspicious of its contents, emptied 
 them into the sea. The manoeuvre was most 
 likely a necessary one : Eunuchs are notori- 
 ously revengeful, and from the few feelings 
 they have in common with other men, are 
 usually employed as agents of death. Futteh 
 Ali is not exempt from the general imputation 
 on those in his situation, and we were told that 
 had the Imaum met the fate he probably 
 avoided by his precaution, he would not have 
 been the first Prince whom our shipmate had 
 relieved from worldly cares. 
 
 Our party accompanied the first lieutenant 
 ashore. The beach, up to high-water mark,
 
 INTRODUCTION TO THE IMAUM. 13 
 
 was every where covered with oyster-shells : 
 the sea literally swarmed with fish, and the air 
 was almost darkened by the numerous water- 
 fowls in pursuit of their finny prey. We land- 
 ed at the northern extremity of the town, close 
 to the market-place, through which we passed 
 in our way to the Imaum's palace. As His 
 Highness was at prayers when we arrived, 
 we waited at the house of Mr. Hunter till 
 three o'clock, when we received a message 
 by Gulaub that the Imaum was ready to re- 
 ceive us. 
 
 We were admitted through a narrow wicket 
 into a square court. In the middle was a 
 fountain ; round it were a few sickly shrubs. 
 Arabs, variously armed, were collected into se- 
 veral groups, some sitting in a circle, others 
 sleeping. In a corner of this court was a ladder 
 like that used in a granary. We ascended to 
 the top, and found there the Imaum, who 
 shook hands with us separately, as we entered 
 a long, narrow, unadorned apartment, where
 
 14 INTRODUCTION TO THE IMAUM. 
 
 chairs were placed for himself and guests. 
 Though His Highness understands Persian, 
 and Hindoostany, and, it is said, English, he 
 spoke Arabic, and Gulaub officiated as inter- 
 preter. The conversation, as may be supposed, 
 was not of much interest. The Imaum made 
 many inquiries about the ship, and her rate of 
 sailing, and said (in allusion to Futteh Ali 
 Khan), that if Captain Alexander had been 
 alone, he would have gone to visit him. He 
 repeated several times that the English and 
 himself were as one, and that his house, 
 his ships, and all that he possessed, were 
 ours. A boy about ten years of age, who al- 
 ways accompanies the Imaum, was the only 
 person present during the interview, and Mr. 
 Hunter informed us, that it was not his custom 
 to allow his own people to be by, in his conver- 
 sation with Europeans. Some sherbet, well fla- 
 voured with rose-water, was handed round by 
 the eunuch in attendance. It may be worthy 
 of remark, that pipes were not brought in, the
 
 HIS CHARACTER. 15 
 
 Imaum, and other natives of Muscat, belonging 
 to a sect called Bee-asis, whose strict tenets for- 
 bid the use of tobacco. In half an hour we 
 took our leave, as much struck with the Imaum's 
 handsome person, as we were pleased at his po- 
 lite and unaffected address. 
 
 The patriarchal simplicity of the Arab cha- 
 racter is strongly marked with every thing con- 
 nected with this court. In the daily divan 
 held by the Imaum, every one seats himself 
 without any reference to priority. Even beg- 
 gars can demand this audience, and may be 
 sure of having a patient hearing given to their 
 complaints. 
 
 The Imaum has on all occasions shown him- 
 self a sincere ally of the English. It is owing, 
 indeed, to our having extirpated the Wahhab- 
 bee pirates, that he is now in possession of his 
 sovereignty. When about sixteen years old, he 
 succeeded his uncle, the late Imaum, in the fol- 
 lowing manner. 
 
 Being discontented with his conduct, he one
 
 16 WAHhABBEE PIRATE. 
 
 day proposed a ride to him. They were scarce- 
 ly outside the walls of the town, when the ne- 
 phew lurking behind, drew his scimitar, killed 
 his uncle, and, returning to Muscat, seated 
 himself without opposition on the vacant throne. 
 He is, notwithstanding, much beloved by his 
 subjects, who speak in high terms of his justice 
 and moderation. As to the mere act of mur- 
 dering his relative, it is held in the light of a 
 " family difference, 1 '' and is no bar to his stand- 
 ing well in public estimation, as a prince of 
 mild and peaceable demeanour. 
 
 In quitting the Imaum I must not forget to 
 mention an anecdote of the man who admitted 
 us into the court, his bold countenance having 
 peculiarly attracted our attention. He was for 
 many years one of the most formidable of the 
 Wahhabbee pirates, whose successful depreda- 
 tions struck terror throughout these seas, and 
 threatened the total extinction of the Imaum's 
 power. A reverse of fortune led him to offer 
 his services to the Imaum : they were immedi-
 
 TOWN OP MUSCAT. 17 
 
 ately accepted, and the pirate was not ungrate- 
 ful. In the action of Benee-boo-Ali, His 
 Highness was deserted by his troops, was 
 wounded in the wrist, and would have been 
 taken prisoner, but for the exertions of his for- 
 mer foe, who alone remained faithful to him, 
 and who has ever since held a confidential situa- 
 tion about his person. 
 
 From the palace we went to take a view of 
 the town. The bazaar, or market, is covered 
 in at the top to protect the wares, which are ex- 
 posed for sale on open platforms in front of the 
 shops. A large colony of Indians, principally 
 from the banks of the Indus, carry on the 
 wholesale and retail trade. Amongst other 
 articles exposed for sale, we observed coarse 
 cloths, different kinds of grain, and sweetmeats, 
 not very tempting in appearance; and there 
 were vast quantities of salt and sulphur, which 
 are all the remains of the once boasted " wealth 
 of Ormuz." We saw, also, fried locusts ; pro- 
 bably the same kind of food as that upon which 
 
 vol. i. c
 
 18 THE INHABITANTS. 
 
 St. John the Baptist # subsisted in the wilder- 
 ness. 
 
 The houses are flat roofed, and built of 
 unhewn stone. The streets are extremely filthy, 
 and so narrow, that by extending the arms, I 
 could touch the walls on both sides. The town 
 is of small extent, comprising a circumference 
 of two miles, and containing a population of two 
 thousand souls. 
 
 The natives are very squalid in appearance ; 
 there are scarcely any who have not sore eyes, 
 and one-tenth of the population is blind of an 
 eye. The inflammation is probably produced 
 by the light particles of sand blown from the 
 sea-shore by the powerful reflection of the sun's 
 rays from the walls, and by poverty of diet, 
 which consists almost entirely of fish. 
 
 The women, instead of the thick veil I have 
 seen in other Mahometan countries, wear a kind 
 of black domino, with large triangular holes 
 for the eyes. They are, generally speaking, the 
 
 * Math. iii. 4.
 
 THEIR RELIGION. 19 
 
 offspring of Arab men and Abyssinian ne- 
 gresses. They are not handsome, as they par- 
 take too much of the flat noses and thick lips of 
 their, mothers. 
 
 I have said that the natives of Muscat are of 
 a sect called Bee-asis. Before I notice them, it 
 may be as well to mention, that the two princi- 
 pal sects of Mahometans are Sunnis and Shiahs. 
 The Turks are of the former, and the Persians 
 of the latter persuasion. The Sunnis recognize 
 Aboobeker, Omar, and Ottoman, the three first 
 successors of Mahomet, as lawful Caliphs. The 
 Shiahs consider them as usurpers of the ca- 
 liphate ; which they affirm belonged of right 
 to Ali. The Sunnis receive the Sunna, or book 
 of oral traditions of Mahomet, as canonical au- 
 thority. The Shiahs reject it as unworthy of 
 credit. 
 
 The Bee-asis differ, in some respect, from 
 Sunnis and Shiahs: both of which sects have 
 a kind of veneration for the descendants of Ma- 
 homet. The Bee-asis, so far from granting 
 c 2
 
 20 CURIOUS MODE OF EXTRACTING TOLL. 
 
 them a pre-eminence, maintain that all who are 
 Mahometans by birth, are eligible for any em- 
 ployment in church or state. For this rea- 
 son, the Sovereign Prince of Muscat is called 
 Imaum ; which title, amongst other Mahometans, 
 is given only to Princes lineally descended from 
 their prophet. All Mahometans are forbidden 
 the use of strong drinks. The Bee-asis are 
 more rigid than the other sects, both in precept 
 and practice. They not only abstain from all 
 fermented liquors, but also from tobacco, and 
 from every description of pomp or magnificence 
 in their dress, their houses, or their mosques. 
 They worship no saints ; and have neither con- 
 vents nor dervishes. They have a great regard 
 for justice ; and an universal toleration for 
 other religions. 
 
 At the Custom-House we witnessed a curious 
 mode of extracting toll. A negro slave, stand- 
 ing on a mat at the gate, had in his hand a 
 long sharp grooved instrument, on the principle 
 of a cooper's bung-tap. With this he perfo-
 
 imaum's stud. 21 
 
 rated every bag of rice that was carried past 
 him, and extracted a small portion from each. 
 
 The Imaum possesses a tolerably good stud 
 of horses. We observed that the manes and 
 tails of the colts were kept close clipped. I 
 know not whether this custom be common 
 throughout Arabia; but here, as well as at 
 Bussorah and Bagdad, where this mode of clip- 
 ping is practised, the horses are all remarkable 
 for their flowing manes and long tails. 
 
 In visiting the slave auction, I felt almost 
 angry with myself, for not experiencing more 
 disgust at witnessing so disgraceful and unna- 
 tural a traffic. 
 
 The market was held in an open space near 
 the landing-place. Some twenty or thirty fat 
 little negresses, from twelve to fourteen years 
 of age, having their woolly locks neatly plaited, 
 and their bodies well oiled, to give them a sleek 
 appearance, were ranged in two rows, on some 
 logs of timber. Too young to trouble them- 
 selves with their degraded state, they sate gig-
 
 22 SLAVE AUCTION. 
 
 gling and chattering with the utmost noncha- 
 lance. Our uniforms appeared to afford them 
 much merriment. One dingy little coquette, 
 by significantly pointing to us, set the rest in a 
 roar of laughter. In the meantime the slave- 
 merchant was leading by the hand one of the 
 party, and calling out her price. As for her- 
 self, she seemed more intent to catch the joke 
 of her companion, than to ascertain any thing 
 respecting her future destiny.
 
 .SUBURBS. 23 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 Suburbs of Muscat — Drunken Persian — Fisb-fed Horses 
 — Sterile appearance of the country — Village of Poor- 
 shur — Giafar's conduct — Set sail for Bussorah — Cape 
 Jask — the Quoins — Cape Museldom — Islands of the 
 Tombs— Pulior — Cape Nabon — Cape Verdistan — Bu- 
 shire — Karrack — Arab Pilot — His Sebdum — Sick Na- 
 tive — Cape Baungk — Pilot's mode of navigating the 
 ship — Runs her ashore — His apology — Appearance of 
 the Coast — Behaviour of an Arab Sheikh. 
 
 February 5. — The suburbs of Muscat ap- 
 pear more populous than the town. The in- 
 habitants are principally Abyssinian slaves. 
 There is also a large encampment of Nomade 
 Arabs, who live in mat tents, which they trans- 
 port from place to place. We visited many of 
 these encampments in the course of the clay,
 
 24 NOMADE AltABS. 
 
 and found the inhabitants singing and dancing. 
 Their tents are in the form of a Bengal routee, 
 having an enclosure in front, in which the 
 cattle are lodged at night. 
 
 Half a mile from the town, we observed 
 several oxen employed in drawing water from 
 wells, which supply all Muscat, by means of 
 channels formed in the rock. Commanding 
 each spring is a circular bastion — a most neces- 
 sary defence against an enemy, who might, if 
 they were unguarded, easily divert the course 
 of these scanty reservoirs, and occasion a com- 
 plete drought in the town : for the same reason 
 " Uzziah built towers at the valley gate and 
 fortified them."* The scarcity of water in Ara- 
 bia, has always made that element of a value, 
 not so well understood in our country, where it 
 is in such abundance. Nearly the first conten- 
 tion of which we have an account in Scripture 
 History is, when " the herdsmen of Gcrar did 
 
 * 2 Chron. xxvi. 9.
 
 WELLS. 25 
 
 strive with Isaac's herdsmen," for some wells 
 which were called, on that account, Esek and 
 Sitnah, — " Contention and hatred. 1 ' When 
 " Israel rose up and smote the Moabites; they 
 stopped all the wells of water.'''* 
 
 Except in the immediate vicinity of the 
 wells, no verdure was observable on this side 
 the town, the whole country being a succession 
 of black, rugged, and lofty rocks. On the 
 other side we saw a few enclosures, containing 
 date-trees, wheat, and a few vegetables. 
 
 In the evening, our party dined with Mr. 
 Hunter, at whose hospitable board we had 
 an opportunity of ascertaining the excellent 
 flavour of the beef, mutton, and kid of Muscat, 
 which, in common with cattle of every descrip- 
 tion, are fed on dates, fish, and the seed of the 
 cotton plant. Strange to say, these animals 
 thrive under this peculiar diet, their flesh is not 
 affected by any fishy savour, and the butter was 
 the best I had tasted since leaving England. 
 
 * ii. Kings, iii. 24 and 25,
 
 26 1CHTHI0PHAGI, OR FISH-EATERS. 
 
 Arrian mentions the circumstance of the cattle 
 on the shores of the Persian Gulph being fed 
 upon fish, but contrary to what I state, asserts 
 their fishy taste.* 
 
 The inhabitants of this, and the opposite 
 coast, subsist almost entirely upon fish, not 
 having altered in this respect since the time of 
 Herodotus, who describes them as the Ichthyo- 
 phagi, or Fish Eaters. 
 
 February 6. — In consequence of a strong 
 N. W. wind, which caused a heavy surf, the 
 ship's company were prevented from getting 
 in their water till the evening. This caused a 
 day's delay, of which Mr. Lamb and I availed 
 ourselves to visit some hot- springs, twenty miles 
 distant. 
 
 We took with us a drunken Persian of 
 the name of Giafar, the superintendent of the 
 Imaum's stud, who had acted as our cicerone 
 the day before. We started at an early hour 
 in a canoe, to a small town called Muttra, dis- 
 
 * Ait. Hist. Iud. cap. xxvi.
 
 A DRUNKEN PERSIAN. 27 
 
 tant five miles. On our way, we observed one 
 of the pearl-divers, who remained ninety-one 
 seconds under water. Muscat is famed for its 
 pearl-fisheries ; but we had no opportunity of 
 visiting them. 
 
 At Muttra, we went to the house of a res- 
 pectable Parsee merchant, who very kindly 
 laid before us as comfortable a meal as his ha- 
 bitation afforded. We offered Giafar some 
 spirits, but his modesty got the better of his 
 inclination, and he declined. There were two 
 bottles of gin upon the table ; from one of 
 these we poured out a glass, which he drank 
 off, pretending to mistake it for water ; first, 
 however, looking cautiously round, lest any 
 Mussulman should observe him thus openly in- 
 fringe the Prophet's laws. 
 
 From the windows of our host's house, we 
 saw a sloop of war of twenty guns, building for 
 the Imaum. She was standing with her broad- 
 side on the beach, in which manner she was to 
 be pushed into the sea.
 
 28 FISH-FED HORSES. 
 
 By the kindness of the Imaum, all English- 
 men visiting Muscat are furnished with horses 
 from His Highness's stable. After breakfast 
 three were brought to the door for us. They 
 were small cat-hammed fish-fed wretches ; one 
 of them was a mare, large with foal, and they 
 were all apparently incapable of undergoing 
 the labour of such an excursion. They, how- 
 ever, belied their appearance ; for we were no 
 sooner seated on our saddles, than off they 
 scampered over stoney beds of torrents, up rug- 
 ged rocks, down frightful precipices, and not 
 always with the consent of their riders. 
 
 The road led N. along the coast, the course 
 of which we followed, ten miles distant from 
 the sea. We passed heights rising abruptly 
 immediately behind the town, and then went 
 over a level plain two miles in extent, many 
 parts bearing marks of cultivation, although 
 not a blade of verdure was then visible ; and 
 the thin sprinkling of soil with which it was 
 partially covered seemed little adapted for
 
 HOT-srRING. 29 
 
 crops of any description. In the places where 
 crops appear to have been raised, numerous 
 pits are dug for irrigation, without which no- 
 thing can be produced. We passed four small 
 villages on our journey, saw a few date-trees, 
 and some little cultivation. We reached the 
 village of Poorshur, near which the springs are 
 situate, in a couple of hours. About a mile from 
 the village, we crossed a sandy ridge, on which 
 were a few stunted plants of the Mimosa Nilo- 
 tica, the only natural vegetation which we saw 
 in this country. 
 
 The temperature of the hot-spring is 113 
 Farenheit. The water issues from a crevice 
 in the mountain (which is a conglomerate sand- 
 stone) in a rapid stream of three inches diameter. 
 No gas escapes from it, and from the taste it 
 has no mercurial properties. The villagers use 
 it for culinary purposes, and it is supposed to 
 be good for diseases of the skin. We filled a 
 bottle with the water, for analysis, but rode so 
 fast back again, that we were obliged to leave
 
 30 VILLAGE OF roORSHUR. 
 
 it behind. I was told by an Arab, that there 
 was a spring of boiling water twenty miles 
 beyond Poorshur. A small reservoir is built 
 near the place whence it issues from the rock, 
 for the convenience of bathing. Giafar jumped 
 in, and remained some time ; we followed his 
 example, but the heat made us as quickly jump 
 out again. 
 
 The village of Poorshur is the most agree- 
 ably situated of any we passed. A consider- 
 able portion of ground is cultivated around it, 
 and the scene is diversified by several large 
 trees. 
 
 A mat was laid in front of a small hut ; and 
 on the contents of a basket provided by Mr. 
 Hunter, we made a hearty dinner. While we 
 were eating, a crowd of villagers formed a se- 
 micircle in front of us. Giafar distributed 
 the fragments amongst them ; which some of 
 them tasted, apparently from curiosity. All the 
 time we remained, village females passed to and 
 from the spring for water, and generally without
 
 NATIVES OF BEL00CHISTAN. 31 
 
 being veiled. They were natives of Beloochis- 
 tan, a province of Persia, opposite Muscat. 
 Some of them had good figures, and regular 
 features ; but the complexion of all was a dingy 
 sallow. 
 
 Giafar played the great man amongst the 
 villagers ; and being an officer of the Imaum's, 
 ordered them about, as if they were his slaves. 
 He had now overcome his morning scruples, 
 and drank great quantities of wine and brandy. 
 Amongst other jokes, he tried to intoxicate a 
 female, who applied for relief from rheumatic 
 pains, by giving her brandy, and calling it 
 medicine. He then made her sit down beside 
 him, and eat some ham, which forbidden food 
 he told her was European mutton. He ac- 
 counted to us for his particular kindness to her, 
 by saying, that she had a very handsome sis- 
 ter ; who, if we wished, should be immediately 
 forthcoming. 
 
 In returning, Giafar gave us an account of 
 his life : he was very anxious to come with us
 
 32 giafar's conduct. 
 
 to Persia ; but we had seen too much of him 
 to desire a further acquaintance. 
 
 We found some difficulty in procuring a 
 boat at Mut.tra, to take us on boai-d, as it was 
 near sun- set, and the boats had not returned 
 from their daily employment. We at last en- 
 gaged a canoe ; but one of the slaves demurred 
 about rowing us alongside, lest we should press 
 him into the service. Two persons navigate 
 these canoes, which are formed out of a single 
 tree. We were challenged several times in 
 passing the batteries, and were informed that 
 the port regulations did not admit our quitting 
 the shore after dusk. 
 
 When on board, Giafar intreated us to give 
 him either more money or more liquor ; but we 
 refused, as he had already had plenty of both. 
 Finding us persist in our denials, he threw him- 
 self on his face, and repeatedly kissed the deck, 
 to enforce his petition. 
 
 February 7. — We sailed this morning at 
 break of day, with the wind as favourable as it
 
 SET SAIL FOR BUSSORAH. 33 
 
 could blow. Our numbers were increased by 
 Lieutenant Taylor of the Madras Cavalry, his 
 lady, and Mr. Harrison of the Bombay Ma- 
 rine. They had come from Bombay to Muscat 
 in the Liverpool, and had been waiting for an 
 opportunity to proceed up the Gulph, when 
 Captain Alexander, with his usual kindness, 
 granted them a passage. Lieutenant and Mrs. 
 Taylor were going on a visit to their brother 
 Captain Taylor, our political agent at Bussorah. 
 Mr. Harrison was proceeding to join one of the 
 Company's cruisers. 
 
 February 8, 9. — We passed Cape Jask on 
 the 8th ; and, on the evening of the 9th, ar- 
 rived off the Quoins. These are five small rocky 
 islands. Ships generally prefer going outside ; 
 but the wind was too scant to enable us to do 
 so. 
 
 The wind continued favourable, and the 
 weather delightful. The kindness and good hu- 
 mour of the officers and of every one on board, 
 made the voyage quite a party of pleasure. 
 
 VOL. t. d
 
 34 CAPE MUSELDOM. 
 
 We had a beautiful view of Cape Muselclom, 
 of the islands of the Tombs, and of Pulior, in 
 succession : this last, the UlXupu of Arrian,* we 
 passed within a mile. They are all rocky, and 
 elevated three or four hundred feet. From the 
 distance at which we were, they had a volcanic 
 appearance ; which is, I believe, their charac- 
 ter. 
 
 February 10, 11. — We passed Cape Nabon 
 on the 10th, and Cape Verdistan on the 11th. 
 
 February 12. — The S. E. wind, which had 
 blown gently hitherto, now increased to a strong- 
 breeze. The next morning we arrived at Bu- 
 shire, (or more properly, Abooshehr.) At this 
 place travellers disembark, who intend taking 
 the direct route through Persia. It was Cap- 
 tain Alexander's intention to have touched here, 
 but the wind not serving to enter the harbour, 
 and being favourable for pursuing our voyage, 
 we took advantage of the opportunity of meet- 
 
 * Arr. Hist. Ind., xxxvii.
 
 KARKACK. 
 
 35 
 
 ing the Honourable Company's cruiser Dis- 
 covery, and sent letters and parcels by her to 
 Bushire. After which, we proceeded on our 
 voyage, and reached Karrack at three in the 
 afternoon. The Discovery was engaged on a 
 survey of the Arabian shore. Her officers in- 
 formed us that they had discovered a large in- 
 let, into which they proceeded to lat. 21. in the 
 meridian of Muscat. 
 
 Karrack, which was called Icarus by Alexan- 
 der the Great,* is a small rocky island, famous 
 for its pearl fishery. It was formerly in pos- 
 session of the Dutch, when the population 
 amounted to three thousand; but it has now 
 not more than three hundred inhabitants. 
 They manufacture a coarse kind of cloth ; 
 and subsist upon the produce of their gardens 
 and fishing nets. The ruins of warehouses, 
 and a church, bespeak the former prosperity 
 of the place. 
 
 * Arr. Hist. Ind., xx. 
 D 2
 
 36 ARAB PILOT. 
 
 As ships bound to Bussorah engage a pilot 
 here, we sent on shore for one. He came off, 
 accompanied by a boy, who acted as his servant, 
 and by a sick townsman, whom he brought for 
 medical advice. 
 
 The ship had been lying to for a couple of 
 hours for the pilot, and was only waiting for 
 his directions to make sail. The sun was just 
 setting as he came upon deck ; he, however, 
 took no notice of our impatience to proceed, 
 but went aft, and spreading his mat, was soon 
 so engaged in prayer, as to be seemingly un- 
 conscious of all external objects. His devo- 
 tions over, he called for his pipe, which, after 
 inhaling a certain quantity of smoke, he re- 
 turned to his attendant with a characteristic 
 gravity, undisturbed by the gaze of curiosity 
 he excited from the surrounding tars. 
 
 The pilot's pipe was formed of a large cocoa- 
 nut shell, half filled with water : into this were 
 fixed two hollow pieces of bamboo ; one was sur- 
 mounted by an earthen cup containing tobacco,
 
 CASli OF THE SICK MAN. i37 
 
 the other was put into the mouth, and through 
 it the smoke was drawn into the lungs, after 
 having been cooled and purified by its progress 
 through the water. The tobacco used in this pipe 
 is of so strong a quality, that no one can take 
 more than three whiffs at a time; hence it is ap- 
 propriately called Seh dum, " Three breaths." 
 
 The case of the sick man who accompanied 
 the pilot, is rather singular. About ten months 
 ago, in digging for the foundation of a house, 
 he found a quantity of ancient gold coins. The 
 discovery soon came to the knowledge of the 
 Sheikh, or Governor of Bushire, who imme- 
 diately caused the whole treasure to be trans- 
 ferred to his own coffers. The Sheikh's officers, 
 long after all had been given up, so alarmed the 
 poor finder of the gold, by going to him daily, 
 and saying that they were come to lead him to 
 instant execution, that they drove him to a state 
 of derangement, under which he was labour- 
 ing when we saw him. The apprehensions of 
 losing his life, had so worked upon his imagi-
 
 38 pilot's mode of navigating the ship. 
 
 nation, that he continually fancied he heard 
 voices, bidding him prepare for instant death. 
 
 In making sail, some of the tackle of the 
 mainyard gave way. During the consequent 
 delay, our favourable wind forsook us. Being 
 now within the influence of the tide, we were 
 obliged, when it changed against us, to anchor 
 on the Persian shore, off Cape Baungk, the 
 Bang of the charts. 
 
 The South-East wind, called Shurgce, had 
 blown unusually long for the season. The 
 North-West, or Shumaul, being the regular 
 wind at this period. 
 
 We continued close along the Persian shore, 
 beating to the West, while favoured by the 
 tide, and anchoring when it changed. 
 
 The mode adopted by our pilot for ascer- 
 taining the proper channel, was by the state of 
 the soundings. If hard, he would decide that 
 we had reached the bank of the channel, and 
 would put the ship about, till a similar indica- 
 tion proved we were on the other side, when he
 
 RUNS HER ASHORE. 3i) 
 
 would order the ship on the opposite tack. His 
 whole stock of English consisted in two inqui- 
 ries ; one relative to the ship's course, and the 
 other, to her soundings. The repeated queries 
 of, " How is her head ? Hard or soft ?" pro- 
 duced a combination of words that afforded 
 much merriment to the sailors. 
 
 February 16. — In this manner we continued 
 to grope our way for the channel till the morn- 
 ing of the 16th ; when as I was standing at the 
 gangway, repeating in Persian to the pilot 
 the soundings as given by the man in the 
 chains, some one forward cried out, " Shoal 
 a-head." I immediately informed the pilot of 
 this; but as he would not alter the ship's 
 course, in one moment we found ourselves 
 aground. Every effort was made for relief. 
 Our water was started, and a small anchor laid 
 out, by which means, in two hours, she was 
 hauled off, and very fortunately, without sus- 
 taining any damage. We anchored soon after, 
 in three fathoms water at high tide ; and as the
 
 40 HIS APOLOGY. 
 
 tide fell nine feet, the ship lay aground for 
 some time ; but the bottom being soft she was 
 quite safe. 
 
 While this was going on, the author of our 
 calamity was pacing the deck, the picture of 
 terror and indecision, calling aloud on Maho- 
 met to assist us out of the danger. His fears 
 were not much lessened by the threats thrown 
 out by each passing tar. " I say, Jack, 1 ' said 
 one of them, " we '11 string you up for this ;" 
 making his observation intelligible, by pointing 
 with one hand to the yard-arm, and with the 
 other, to the neck of his auditor, at the same 
 time imitating the convulsive guggle of stran- 
 gulation. When called to account for his ob- 
 stinacy, the pilot gave us an answer in the true 
 spirit of predestination : " If it be God's plea- 
 sure that the ship should go ashore, what busi- 
 ness is it of mine ?" 
 
 The place where we ran aground was one of 
 the banks, at the mouth of the united streams
 
 LAND OF MESOPOTAMIA. 41 
 
 of Euphrates and Tigris, called Shut ul Arab, 
 or Boundary of Arabia. Seven channels form 
 the approach to the river, but only one is navi- 
 gable for large ships. On the morning of the 
 17th we came in sight of the once famed land 
 of Mesopotamia, than which nothing can be 
 more uninteresting in appearance. The coun- 
 try is so dead a flat, that the numerous peli- 
 cans, which darken the sands at the mouth of 
 the river;, are the first indications we obtained 
 of our approach to shore. Shortly after, when 
 the land was on both sides of us, the classical 
 Euphrates was to be seen lazily pursuing its 
 course between low banks of mud and rushes. 
 In proceeding up the river, the scene changed, 
 offering a nearly uninterrupted succession of 
 date-trees till we reached Bussorah. 
 
 A short time before we anchored, we passed 
 the ship Sultan, and sent letters by her to our 
 Indian friends. The Sultan had on board a 
 cargo of horses, from Bussorah, for the Cat-
 
 42 AHAIS SHEIKH. 
 
 cutta market. Ships trading between the In- 
 dian Presidencies and the Gulph find horses 
 a profitable speculation. 
 
 February 18. — In working up the river this 
 afternoon, we were visited by the Sheikh, or 
 chieftain, of the adjacent country, who brought 
 a present of fish for the Captain. He was a 
 tall commanding-looking man, wore a dagger 
 in his girdle, and was dressed in loose flowing 
 robes of light green silk. 
 
 A few minutes after he came on board, he 
 addressed himself to me, as the interpreter, 
 and said, in a whisper, that he should like 
 to pledge the officers in a glass of brandy and 
 water ; but, being a Mahometan, he felt a 
 difficulty in drinking before the Prince. On 
 this hint, he was invited into the gun-room, 
 and a brandy bottle being placed before him, 
 he made such copious libations, that he com- 
 pletely overcame his Mahometan notions of mo- 
 desty, and when summoned to dinner, seated
 
 BEHAVIOUR OF AN ARAB SHEIKH, 43 
 
 himself next the Prince, and so terrified him 
 with his drunken embraces, that His Highness 
 begged I would sit between them. By this 
 unenviable honour, I came in for the greater 
 share of his kindness. It was not, however, 
 confined to me. Seizing the dishes within his 
 grasp, he severed, with his brawny fingers, the 
 several meats contained in them, and threw a 
 piece to every person at table. Then turning 
 to the Prince, and flourishing his greasy arm, 
 bared to the elbow, he abused His Highness 
 for not pledging him, in no very measured 
 terms. 
 
 If the Arab showed too much national dis- 
 like to the Persian, he was rather too cordial 
 towards us, calling us brothers, and expressing 
 his regard by gestures, as well as by words. His 
 attentions were beginning to be rather annoy- 
 ing, when he was luckily obliged to make a 
 speedy retreat from the table. 
 
 The scene, though distressing on account of
 
 44 BEHAVIOUR OF AN ARAB SHEIKH. 
 
 the agony which the effeminate Persian en- 
 dured, under the muscular grasp of this Arab 
 barbarian, was nevertheless amusing, — the ti- 
 mid uneasiness of the one being ludicrously 
 contrasted with the satyr-like drunkenness of 
 the other.
 
 THE SHElKIl's MODEST DEMEANOUR. 45 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 The Sheikh's modest demeanour — His Residence — Re- 
 past — Spirited Reply of the Sheikh's Son — Captain 
 Taylor — Land at Bussorah — New Governor — Ex- 
 Governor — The new Governor's Public Entrance into 
 Bussorah — First act of his Government — His Visits 
 to the Political Agent — His Visit returned — Wearing- 
 Shoes in the Chamber of an Asiatic — Horse-racing 
 in the Desert — The Governor's attempt at oppression 
 — An Armenian's Betrothment — Pas de deux between 
 a Jew and a Turk. 
 
 February 19. — It was entertaining to observe 
 the timid and downcast look which the Sheikh 
 put on his countenance this morning, differing 
 so widely from the habitual ferocity of his as- 
 pect. To cheer him up, and to make his mind 
 easy, Mr. Hamilton and myself accepted his 
 invitation to go to his house. Once out of the
 
 46 the sheikh's residence. 
 
 ship, ho soon regained his spirits, and proved 
 to be a very agreeable companion. 
 
 The Sheikh told us, that within a few miles 
 of Mohumrah, there was a stone with an in- 
 scription in European characters. This may 
 possibly be an ancient record, and worthy the 
 notice of some future traveller. From the di- 
 rection in which he pointed, it must be nearly 
 south of Mohumrah. 
 
 The Sheikh's residence is in a quadrangular 
 mud fort ; the walls of which, in many places, 
 have been battered down by the rain. 
 
 The mansion, like the fort, is built entirely 
 of mud ; round it are the huts of the Sheikh's 
 retainers. The interior of the dwelling is 
 entirely destitute of ornament. A carpet was 
 spread for us on the dusty floor, round which 
 we seated ourselves very comfortably, to some 
 excellent fish, fruits, and sweetmeats ; and with 
 this good cheer forgot the unfurnished state of 
 the apartment, and the absence of knives and 
 forks.
 
 SHEIKH'S SON — HIS SPIRITED EEPLY. 47 
 
 We were much amused with the Sheikh's 
 son, a child three years old, whose spirited 
 answers were strong indications of the manner 
 in which his father was bringing him up. I 
 asked him, among other questions, if he was an 
 Arab or a Persian. Indignant that there should 
 be a doubt upon the subject, his little hand 
 grasped the dagger in his girdle, as he replied 
 in an angry tone, " God be praised, I am an 
 Arab !" an example how early a mutual hatred 
 is instilled into the youth of these rival nations. 
 
 February 20. — We anchored within ten miles 
 of Bussorah. Captain Taylor, the political 
 agent, came on board, was received with the 
 customary salute, and after dinner returned 
 ashore. 
 
 The next morning, the ship anchored oppo- 
 site the town. Mr. and Mrs. Taylor, and our 
 travelling party disembarked, and landed at the 
 British factory, the residence of the political 
 agent. With the exception of the palace, this 
 is the best house in town. It is situate a mile
 
 48 EX-GOVERNOR OF BUSSORAII. 
 
 up a narrow creek, which discharges itself into 
 the Shut ul Arab. 
 
 A few days before our arrival, the brother 
 of the Pasha of Bagdad, himself a Pasha of 
 two tails, had been appointed Governor of 
 Bussorah. He was encamped in the Desert, 
 outside the walls, and was shortly to make his 
 public entrance into the town. 
 
 The late Governor, having a short time be- 
 fore received secret intelligence that his suc- 
 cessor was appointed, one night mounted his 
 horse, and traversed the Desert to Bagdad. 
 He thought it expedient not to wait to deliver 
 up his authority formally ; because it is the 
 usual custom of a new governor to seize upon 
 the person of his predecessor, and to extract 
 from him what money he can. By this means, 
 the ex-governor has generally to refund some 
 of his ill-gotten wealth here, and on arriving 
 at Bagdad, to answer the additional demands 
 made upon him by the Pasha of that city, 
 whose delegate he is. In the present instance,
 
 governor's public entry. 49 
 
 he has only to satisfy the rapacity of the one, 
 instead of both the brothers. He will then fall 
 back into his original situation of janizary, with 
 which he must be content, till his stars guide 
 him to another government, or a bow-string. 
 
 February 22. — The Pasha made his pub- 
 lic entrance this morning. We saw the whole 
 procession from the windows of a Persian's 
 house. They came in the following order : — 
 
 At nine o'clock, a body of armed men, 
 forming an advance guard, announced their 
 approach by a continual discharge of mus- 
 quetry, and passed us at a jog trot ; then ano- 
 ther party, who occasionally halted, and danced 
 in a circle ; marking time by striking their 
 swords against each others' shields. These 
 were followed by large parties of Desert Arabs, 
 of the Zobeir tribe, preceded by their imme- 
 diate petty chiefs, on horseback. Each of them 
 had carried before him a large flag, red, green, 
 and red. The Zobeir Arabs are mercenary 
 troops, and acknowledge a kind of subjection 
 
 VOL. I. E
 
 50 governor's public entry. 
 
 to the Governor : they are small, mean-looking 
 men, with an Indian cast of features. They 
 carried either fire-arms, or swords and shields. 
 Some had their robes bound at the waist with a 
 girdle ; others wore only a loose shirt. Several 
 had on the handkerchief turban, peculiar to the 
 Arabs ; and a few were bareheaded, having 
 their hair twisted into several long plaits. 
 This appears to have been the ancient custom 
 of the people of the Persian Gulph. Diodorus 
 Siculus describes the inhabitants of Gedrosia,* 
 as keeping their hair thick and matted, to 
 Tpi^wfua 7Tsm\oofA£vov. 
 
 After these came the t oof un gees, personal 
 troops of the Governor, distinguishable by fur 
 caps, nearly a yard in diameter ; then the 
 Pasha's led horses richly caparisoned. Behind 
 them, a troop of mounted Tchousses, (messen- 
 
 * Gedrosia is now the province of Mekran. Alex- 
 ander the Great passed through it, on his return from 
 India. It was the country of the Ichthiophagi, and the 
 present name, Mekran, has the same signification.
 
 governor's public entry. 51 
 
 gers,) beating small drums placed at the saddle 
 bow. These were followed by the native offi- 
 cers of the English factory, mounted on horses 
 " trimly decked.'' Then the Capitan Pasha, 
 (the Admiral,) who, with a watch in his hand, 
 was timeing the auspicious moment, as laid 
 down by the astrologers, for the Pasha's 
 entrance into his palace. This was decided to 
 be twenty minutes past three, Turkish time ; or 
 twenty minutes past nine, according to Euro- 
 pean computation. Next came the Cadi and 
 Mufti, whose offices are so often mentioned in 
 the Arabian Nights ; and then the Pasha, with 
 his hand on his breast, returning the salutations 
 of the populace. At the moment of his ap- 
 pearing, a group of women, covered from head 
 to foot, set up a loud and shrill cry. A troop 
 of mounted Janizaries brought up the rear, 
 having with them a band, the music of whose 
 instruments resembled that of so many penny 
 trumpets. 
 
 During this procession, muskets were inces- 
 e 2
 
 52 VISITS THE POLITICAL AGENT. 
 
 santly fired off"; the report of which, combined 
 with the squeaking of the music, the noise of 
 the tantams, the squalling of the women, and 
 the rude singing of the soldiery, formed a din 
 of discord more easily conceived than described. 
 
 Salutes from His Majesty's ship Alligator, 
 and all the ships at anchor, announced the 
 reading of the firman, or order, appointing the 
 the Pasha Mooselim Governor ; and the first 
 act of his government was to publish an edict, 
 graciously informing the loyal citizens of Bus- 
 sorah, that any of them, found in the bazaar 
 after nine in the evening, would certainly be 
 hanged. 
 
 February 24. — After some diplomatic dis- 
 cussion, the Pasha consented to pay the poli- 
 tical agent the first visit, provided the com- 
 pliment were immediately returned. He came 
 this morning, attended by the same retinue 
 which accompanied him on his arrival into 
 town. The interview was uninteresting; the 
 Pasha being a man of mean abilities, and ex-
 
 VISIT RETURNED. 53 
 
 celling in nothing, but that at which most 
 despots are proficients — extortion. 
 
 February 26. — This morning, Captain Tay- 
 lor returned the Pasha's visit. He was pre- 
 ceded by his Dragomans, Tchousses, and 
 Janizaries, bearing banners ; and accompanied 
 by Captain Alexander, the officers of the 
 Alligator, and our travelling party. Follow- 
 ing us, were numerous Christians, Jews, and 
 Mahometans, enjoying British protection. Our 
 procession, though not quite so numerous as 
 that of the Pasha, was more regular and or- 
 derly ; and our pageant was considerably swell- 
 ed by the addition of the Alligator's marines, 
 whose steady march formed a strong contrast 
 with the savage dance of the wild Arab sol- 
 diery we had seen a few days before. When 
 we arrived at the Serai, (palace,) we dismount- 
 ed from our horses, and ascended the stairs. 
 We were no sooner in sight of the Pasha, than 
 two of his officers, one on each side, put their 
 arms under his shoulders, and carried him into
 
 54 CURIOUS CEREMONY. 
 
 the hall of audience, as if he had been sud- 
 denly deprived of the use of his legs : a similar 
 form was observed by the attendants of Cap- 
 tain Taylor. In this manner, both, according 
 to established etiquette, entered the apartment 
 together : for, as in Turkey the inferior rises 
 to receive the superior, and as both here con- 
 sidered themselves equal, the one rising for 
 the other would have been a concession that 
 neither would have made. 
 
 The ceremony of carrying the great man into 
 the Divan is an ancient custom, and is mention- 
 ed in the Arabian Nights. Abon Hassan, (the 
 Sleeper awakened,) when acting the Caliph, 
 was lifted up the steps of the throne by Mes- 
 rour the Chief of the Eunuchs, and another 
 officer, whose business it was to assist in this 
 ceremony. 
 
 The floor of the room in which we were re- 
 ceived, was covered with Persian carpets, and 
 Turkish pillows were placed round the walls. 
 The Pasha, and his European guests, occupied
 
 WEARING SHOES. 55 
 
 chairs. Servants came in and threw over eacli 
 of us an embroidered scarf, by way of a nap- 
 kin ; we were then presented with sweetmeats, 
 coffee, Turkish and Persian pipes, and sherbet. 
 The Pasha very civilly offered to give our tra- 
 velling party letters to his brother, the Pasha 
 of Bagdad ; but this favour was declined for 
 us by Captain Taylor, on the plea, that we felt 
 assured of a kind reception. In half an hour, 
 the attendants brought us rose-water, and some 
 chafing dishes containing incense for perfuming 
 the beard, a ceremony, which was performed by 
 every downy cheeked midshipman of the Alli- 
 gator. 
 
 During this visit, we wore our hats, in con- 
 formity to the Eastern custom of always keep- 
 ing the head covered : and agreeably to an 
 exclusive privilege granted to Englishmen, we 
 did not take off our shoes. Without entering; 
 into the merits of that John Bull policy, which 
 exacts from the natives of the country in which 
 we are residing a conformity to our customs,
 
 56 
 
 WEARING SHOES. 
 
 instead of our adopting theirs, the privilege we 
 Englishmen claim, both at Bagdad and at this 
 place, of keeping on our shoes in the presence 
 of the Pasha, certainly does appear an useless 
 acquisition of privilege on our parts, and one 
 that cannot but be highly offensive to their 
 Asiatic feelings. Of the early objection in the 
 East to the practice of which I complain, the 
 Scripture affords abundant examples, and shows 
 that it had its origin in a religious feeling. We 
 read in Exodus, the Divine command to Moses, 
 " Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the 
 place whereon thou standest is holy ground. ,,# 
 And in another place, we are told that the 
 Captain of the Lord's host said unto Joshua, 
 " Loose thy shoe from off thy foot, for the 
 place whereon thou standest is holy ."•-[- It is 
 scarcely necessary to mention, that throughout 
 Asia the same feeling still exists, and the mere 
 act of a native entering a room with shoes on, 
 is the greatest possible insult ; it is very na- 
 
 * Exod. iii. 5. f Josh. v. 15.
 
 HORSE-RACING IN THE DESERT. 57 
 
 turally so considered, as it. is on the floor that 
 all meals are eaten. Let us put the question 
 to ourselves. Would any of us be pleased, if 
 a foi'eigner were to claim the right of coming 
 from the streets, in his dirty boots, and of 
 dancing up and down our dinner-table ? 
 
 March 1. — We went this afternoon into the 
 Desert to a horse-race ; an amusement, of which 
 the natives of Bussorah are as fond as our own 
 countrymen ; though I fear, if an English 
 jockey had been here, he would have thought 
 the profession disgraced by the exhibition. For 
 our own parts, we were more amused, than if 
 the business had been conducted according to 
 the strictest rules of the turf. The spot se- 
 lected was the Great Desert, which commences 
 immediately outside the town ; a circular fur- 
 row of two miles marked the course ; and the 
 stakes consisted of a small subscription raised 
 from amongst our European party. The five 
 candidates who started for the prize, were well 
 suited to the general character of the scene.
 
 58 HORSE RACING IN THE DESERT. 
 
 Instead of being decked in all the colours of 
 the rainbow, a coarse loose shirt comprised all 
 the clothing of the Arab jockey ; and the pow- 
 erful bit of the country was the only article of 
 equipment of the horse he bestrode. Thus 
 simply accoutred, at a signal given, these half- 
 naked savages set off at full speed, each giving 
 a shout to animate his horse. They arrived 
 like a team at the goal ; the prize was ad- 
 judged to an Ethiopian slave. The scene was 
 highly animated and interesting, though we 
 had neither splendid equipages, nor fair ladies 
 to grace our sports ; but what we lost in splen- 
 dour and beauty, we gained in novelty ; and 
 though, when occasionally gazing on some 
 wearer of gaudy silks, the bright smile of 
 woman did not repay our curiosity, we almost 
 forgot the disappointment in beholding the 
 animated countenance of a bearded and tur- 
 baned Turk, who would gallop past us with 
 jereed in hand, to challenge a comrade to the
 
 pasha's attempt at extortion. 59 
 
 contest ; and, spurred on by his favourite amuse- 
 ment, would lay aside the gravity of the divan, 
 in the all exhilarating air of the Desert. 
 
 Such an exhibition was amusingly set off 
 by the performances of our shipmates. Every 
 youngster of the Alligator had provided him- 
 self with a horse, and, as much at home here as 
 if on Southampton Downs, was to be seen scam- 
 pering across the Desert on Arabs, scarcely 
 broke. One of these, zealous for the honour of 
 his cloth, challenged me to ride a race with 
 him : off we both set in gallant style, but in his 
 anxiety to get to windward of " the soldier offi- 
 cer," he ran foul of a comrade, whom he cap- 
 sized, as well as himself, at the same moment ; 
 the palm was consequently adjudged to me, 
 though my rival competitor swore, " he should 
 certainly have won, if the lubber had not come 
 athwart his hawse !'' 
 
 March 2. — The Pasha hearing of the feat of 
 the successful horse of yesterday, sent for it
 
 60 AN ARMENIAN BETROTHMENT. 
 
 this morning to his own stable ; and it was only 
 on the representation of Captain Taylor that he 
 was induced to forego his claim. 
 
 March 3.— Mr. Taylor, the officers of the 
 Alligator, and our travelling party, went this 
 afternoon to the house of an Armenian, named 
 Parsigh (the head dragoman to the British fac- 
 tory), for the purpose of being present at the 
 ceremony of his betrothment to an Armenian 
 lady, whom he had never seen, now resident at 
 Bu shire. 
 
 We were admitted into a long narrow apart- 
 ment, fitted up in the Turkish style, where we 
 found, seated with their backs to the wall, fifty 
 Armenian ladies, who rose on our approach. 
 At the top of the room was the nishaun, or be- 
 trothing present, consisting of a bottle of rose- 
 water, sugar-candy, and oranges covered with 
 gold-leaf; over the nishaun were thrown two 
 or three embroidered scarfs. The Armenian 
 bishop, accompanied by two priests, now en- 
 tered the room, carrying wax-candles, orna-
 
 AN ARMENIAN BETROTHMENT. 61 
 
 merited with gold-leaf. The dress of these eccle- 
 siastics was simple and uniform, being merely 
 loose black robes, clasped in front with a small 
 silver crucifix. Their heads were shaved, with 
 the exception of the crown, thus completely re- 
 versing the mode of tonsure practised by the 
 Roman Catholic clergy. An officiating priest 
 brought in a glass of wine, over which the 
 bishop waved the crucifix, and dropped in a 
 diamond ring. Chapters from the Old and New 
 Testament were then chanted by the bishop 
 and priests. 
 
 This ceremony of betrothing only takes place 
 when the parties are at a distance from each 
 other. In this instance, the nishaun and ring 
 are to be forwarded to the betrothed at Bu- 
 shire. When the ceremony was over, we retired 
 to another room to dine. Among a great va- 
 riety of dishes, I recognized many of those 
 mentioned in the Arabian Nights in the ima- 
 ginary feast of Hindbad the Porter, with the 
 merry Barmecide Lord.
 
 62 ROMAIC DANCE. 
 
 After dinner one of our party proposed the 
 health of the bride elect, which was drank with 
 " three times three, 1 '' to the astonishment of our 
 host, who did not know what to make of our 
 noisy civilities ; but as we were rulers of the 
 feast, we had it all our own way, and amused 
 ourselves with joking the future bridegroom on 
 the fertile subject of matrimony. In this, we 
 were joined by his relations, while the subject 
 of our merriment sate blushing and smiling 
 with all becoming modesty. In the course of 
 the evening, one of the relations sang a song, 
 with a loud nasal twang, to our national air of 
 " God Save the King." 
 
 In the midst of this revelry, attracted by the 
 sounds of music, we stole on to a terrace where 
 we found all the ladies assembled. They were 
 dancing in a circle with a slow measured step, 
 with their little fingers linked together. This 
 dance is the Romaic, which I have myself fre- 
 quently danced in the Ionian Islands, and which 
 is accurately described by Lord Byron : —
 
 A PAS DE DEUX. 63 
 
 " A groupe of Grecian girls, 
 The first and tallest her white kerchief waving, 
 Were strung together like a row of pearls, 
 Linked hand in hand and dancing'." 
 
 Two very pretty girls, with their hair neatly 
 plaited down their backs, then danced a pas de 
 deux. The step, though slow, was not deficient 
 in grace. The females that we saw were hand- 
 some. Their hair, from the straggling speci- 
 mens which escaped from out the handkerchief, 
 appeared to be generally of a beautiful auburn. 
 Of their figures no correct opinion could be 
 formed, from the disadvantageous shape of a 
 dress consisting of loose quilted robes, open in 
 the front so as to leave the chest quite exposed, 
 and a large scarf tied negligently about the 
 hips. 
 
 As the evening advanced, we Europeans took 
 share in the performances in a merry reel, to 
 the music of the drum and fife of the marines. 
 After this, we witnessed the curious ceremony 
 of a Turk and a Jew dancing together to cele-
 
 64 
 
 A JEW AND A TURK. 
 
 brate the betrothment of a Christian — a circum- 
 stance remarkable in a country so distinguished 
 for religious rancour towards those of a different 
 persuasion. The exhibition was truly panto- 
 mimic and highly entertaining, as it served to 
 contrast the bustling activity of the European 
 with the steady demeanour of the Asiatic. The 
 dance was meant to represent a fight for a fair 
 lady. It commenced with divers gliding move- 
 ments, and at last ended in an open-handed 
 sparring match, in which both turbans were 
 ^discomposed : not so the gravity of the wearers, 
 who during the dance, which lasted upwards of 
 a quarter of an hour, moved not a muscle of 
 their features. At a late hour we retired to 
 rest, attended by a numerous host of servants 
 carrying linen lanterns, which, reflecting on the 
 mingled group of Europeans and Asiatics, had 
 a very picturesque appearance ; so, not having, 
 like the inhabitants, the fear of a halter before 
 our eyes for keeping late hours, we placed the
 
 A JEW AND A TURK. 05 
 
 drummer and fifer in the van, and returned to 
 the Factory singing and dancing all the way ; 
 our sounds of merriment breaking in upon the 
 dead silence of the streets. 
 
 VOT-. i.
 
 66 
 
 VrSIT SOME ANCIENT RUINS. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Ancient Ruins — Tombs of Ali the Barmecide, and of 
 Zobeir, an Arab Chief — Town of Zobeir — Sheikh of 
 Dirhemmia — City of Bussorah — Filth of the Streets — 
 Old and New Bazaars — Coffee-houses — Trade — Popu- 
 lation — Productions — Preparations for departure — 
 Guard of Arabs — Aboo Nasir — Entertainment on 
 board the Alligator. 
 
 March 5. — Mr. Hamilton, two officers of the 
 Alligator, and myself, went eight miles to 
 examine some ruins in the neighbourhood of a 
 town called Zobeir, situate on the side of the ca- 
 ravan road leading across the desert to Aleppo. 
 The road was strewed with numerous carcases 
 of camels, and here and there we saw some 
 Martello-shaped towers, which had been built
 
 VISIT SOME ANCIENT RUINS. 67 
 
 for a protection to the traveller against the 
 wandering Arabs, both pretty strong indica- 
 tions of the casualties attendant upon a jour- 
 ney through this country. We passed several 
 people of both sexes : they were mounted 
 either on horses or asses ; the nostrils of these 
 last were slit half way up. I was told that 
 the wind of the animal was improved by the 
 operation. The greater number of the asses 
 were white, and are not esteemed more than 
 those of any other colour. Amongst the ancient 
 Israelites they appear to have been highly priz- 
 ed, and to have been a mark of dignity either 
 conferred or assumed by the judges of the land. 
 " Speak, ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit 
 in judgement.* 
 
 Within two miles of the town, the remains of 
 a wall can be traced ; and here commence the 
 ruins, which are very extensive. Large frag- 
 ments of stone pillars lie scattered in every 
 direction ; many of which remaining in the 
 * Judg. v, 10. 
 
 f2
 
 68 TOMB OF ALI THE BARMECIDE. 
 
 original position, show that the former buildings 
 were spacious, and supported by colonnades : 
 about a mile west of Zobeir, the remains of 
 buildings are much more indicative of former 
 splendour, than elsewhere. Our guides inform- 
 ed us, that this quarter was formerly inhabited 
 by the wealthy Barmecides, of whom mention 
 is made in the Arabian Nights. This noble fa- 
 mily was of Persian extraction, but settling 
 afterwards in the cities of Bagdad and Busso- 
 rah, its members enjoyed, under several succes- 
 sive Caliphs, the highest honours of the state. 
 The portion of a handsome arch, containing a 
 Cufic inscription, was pointed out to us, as the 
 Jamee Ali Barmekee. the tomb of Ali the Bar- 
 mecide. This personage was the uncle of our 
 old acquaintance, the Vizier Giaffer, of Arabian 
 Nights' celebrity. Half a mile to the west of 
 this tomb, is a small mosque, covered with 
 glazed tiles, containing the tomb -of Zobeir, 
 an Arab chief, from whom the neighbouring 
 town derives its name. Zobeir was one of the
 
 THE TOMB OF ZOBEIR. 69 
 
 earliest followers of Mahomet, and was slain at 
 the battle of the Camel,* which was fought near 
 this place ; an action memorable in the Maho- 
 metan annals, as the first in which the arms of 
 the " faithful" were stained with civil blood. 
 
 It would be difficult to assign a correct date 
 to these ruins. D'Anville considers them to be- 
 long to the city of the Orchaeni, a sect of Chal- 
 dean astronomers and mathematicians, whom 
 Pliny designates as "tertia Chaldccorum doc- 
 trinal These Orchard are supposed to derive 
 their name from Erech,f in the land of Shinar, 
 the next city after Babylon of which mention is 
 made in the Scripture. Niebuhr, and other tra- 
 vellers, say they are those of ancient Bussorah ; 
 but then the time in which that city was found- 
 ed has never been correctly defined. By some, 
 we are assured, that Bussorah owed its exist- 
 ence to Omar, in the 14th year of the Hegira, 
 and 635th of the Christian era ; and by others 
 
 * A. D. 665. Gen. x. 10.
 
 70 SHEIKH OF DIRHEMMIA. 
 
 it is attributed to the Roman Emperor Trajan, 
 who reigned five hundred years previous to the 
 former date. 
 
 We were met within a mile of Zobeir by 
 Hajee Yusuf, one of the principal inhabitants, 
 who, with two or three horsemen, paid us the 
 compliment of preceding us into the town. 
 On arriving at the Hajee's house, we alighted 
 from our horses, and partook of a plentiful 
 Arab breakfast. 
 
 The town of Zobeir has regular streets, and 
 an air of cleanliness that must strike every one 
 coming from the stinking city of Bussorah. 
 It was built a century ago, by some Arabs, 
 who fortified themselves in it, against the at- 
 tacks of that desperate gang of Mahometan 
 dissenters — the Wahhabbees, so called from 
 their leader Abdool Wahheb. 
 
 After breakfast, we received a visit from the 
 Sheikh, or Chief of Dirhemmia, who begged 
 us to pay him a visit. His residence was of the 
 general appearance of an Arab chieftain's. It
 
 CITY OF BUSSOEAH. 71 
 
 was inclosed within a mud fort, and consider- 
 ing its situation in a sandy desert, certainly did 
 great credit to the projector. The name Dir- 
 hemmia is derived from Dirhem, a small coin, 
 signifying the expense the building occasioned. 
 In taking us round the premises, it was easy to 
 see that our host expected unqualified appro- 
 bation of every thing he showed us. That 
 upon which he seemed most to pride himself, 
 were his large reservoirs of water, a charac- 
 teristic of the value the desert Arab attaches 
 to this first necessary of life. He next took us 
 round the fortifications, which, as he seemed to 
 appeal to us for an opinion, we pronounced 
 to be tajoob, (wonderful ;) though we would 
 scarcely have trusted our backs against the 
 battlements. 
 
 The city of Bussorah is enclosed within a 
 wall eight miles in circumference. Of this 
 space, the greatest portion is laid out in gar- 
 dens and plantations of date-trees. It is tra- 
 versed throughout by numerous canals, sup-
 
 72 FILTH OF THE STREETS. 
 
 plied by the Euphrates, into which they empty 
 themselves at every turn of tide. The abun- 
 dance of water, besides irrigating the gardens, 
 which it does effectually, might also be the 
 means of keeping the town clean, were there 
 not in the inhabitants an innate love of filth. 
 Bussorah is the dirtiest town even in the Turk- 
 ish dominions. The streets, which are narrow 
 and irregular, are almost insupportable from 
 the stench, Some houses are built of kiln- 
 burnt bricks, but the greater number are of 
 mud. From these, project several long sprouts 
 made of the body of the date-tree, which con- 
 vey filth of every description into the streets, 
 so that a passenger is in frequent danger of an 
 Edinburgh salutation, without the friendly cau- 
 tion of Gardez loo. 
 
 The old bazaar is extremely mean. Rafters 
 are laid across the top, and covered with ragged 
 mats, which prove but a poor protection against 
 the heat of the sun. Throughout the bazaar,
 
 COFFEE-HOUSES. 73 
 
 we observed numerous coffee-houses ; they are 
 spacious, unfurnished apartments, with benches 
 of masonry built round the walls, and raised 
 about three feet from the ground. On these 
 are placed mats ; at the bar are ranged nume- 
 rous coffee-pots, and pipes of different descrip- 
 tions. It is customary for every smoker to 
 bring his own tobacco. These houses were 
 principally filled by Janizaries, who were 
 puffing clouds from their pipes in true Turkish 
 taciturnity. 
 
 The principal trade is with our Indian pos- 
 sessions, which, with the exception of a few 
 English ships, is confined to Arabian vessels. 
 The return for the articles with which we fur- 
 nish them, are pearls, horses, copper, dates, and 
 raw silk. The population is estimated at sixty 
 thousand, principally Arabs, Turks, and Ar- 
 menians ; but I have no doubt, that on a close 
 inquiry, there would be found natives of every 
 country in Asia. Dates are the principal pro-
 
 74 PREPARATIONS FOR DEPARTURE. 
 
 duction here ; there are, besides, quantities of 
 rice, wheat, barley, and abundance of fruits and 
 vegetables. 
 
 March 6. — The ordinary mode of proceeding 
 to Bagdad by water, is to secure a passage on 
 board one of a fleet of boats, which start at this 
 season of the year, whenever their numbers are 
 sufficient to enable them to resist the attacks of 
 the lawless tribes of wandering Arabs, which 
 infest the banks of the river. On our arrival 
 at Bussorah, several of these vessels had taken 
 in their cargo, and were only waiting for others 
 to join them, to proceed on their voyage. We 
 had originally intended to have availed ourselves 
 of this opportunity; but our patience being quite 
 exhausted by their departure being delayed from 
 day to day, we adopted the more expeditious 
 mode of procuring a boat for our entire use, and 
 proceeding alone. This was a description of ves- 
 sel called a Bughalow. It was sixty feet long, 
 fourteen wide at the broadest part, and much 
 # peaked at the fore; the cabin was ten feet
 
 GUARD OF ARABS. 75 
 
 square, and four high. There was one mast, 
 with a lateen sail, which was used for crossing 
 the river ; for the wind blowing mostly from the 
 northward, we could seldom use it for sailing. 
 As the voyage was principally performed by 
 tracking, to ensure expedition we engaged a 
 double set of boatmen, whose business it was to 
 track, or tow the boat, as horses do in canals 
 in England. Our agreement was, that they 
 should proceed night and day; and, as a de- 
 fence against the attacks of the wandering ban- 
 ditti, we engaged a guard of twenty of the 
 Zobeir Arabs. Besides the captain of the boat, 
 and the commander of the guard, we had a su- 
 perintendent over the whole establishment, by 
 name Aboo Nasir, a good-natured, drunken va- 
 gabond, whose gratitude for a life, thrice spared 
 by British influence from the sentence of three 
 successive Pashas, we deemed a sufficient gua- 
 rantee for his fidelity to us, and in no instance 
 did we find our confidence misplaced. This 
 man was a stout, tall, elderly Arab, on whose
 
 76 ABOO NASIR. 
 
 face the sun and strong liquor seemed for many 
 a year to have been contending which could 
 give it the strongest tinge of scarlet, for Aboo 
 Nasir was one who had long " forsworn thin 
 potations.' 1 
 
 The expense of our whole establishment, in- 
 cluding fees to the different powerful sheikhs, 
 through whose country we were to pass, amount- 
 ed to sixteen hundred and ninety piastres. 
 
 When there was sufficient water in the canal, 
 our boat was moored alongside of the British 
 factory, where we embarked our baggage, and 
 a fortnight's stock of provisions and necessaries, 
 consisting of tea, coffee, sugar, spices, dates, 
 biscuits, rice, tobacco, and a plentiful supply of 
 spirits. We had had some difficulty in procur- 
 ing servants, but at last succeeded in engaging 
 three : an Indian Syyud, who had officiated 
 while on board the Alligator, as cook to Futteh 
 Ali Khan, continued with us in the same capa- 
 city ; the other two were, a Persian, who had 
 made the pilgrimage to Mecca, and a half-
 
 ENTERTAINMENT IN THE ALLIGATOR. 77 
 
 starved Ethiopian. At three o'clock the gates 
 of the British factory were opened, and first 
 discovered to us our guard of Arabs; who, 
 armed with swords, shields, and muskets, 
 scrambled on board, singing and dancing to the 
 rude music of the fife and tantam, — presenting 
 as wild an appearance as any of those savages 
 against whom they were engaged to protect us. 
 
 It had been our intention to have started the 
 same evening, but we remained till the follow- 
 ing night, to bid farewell to our kind friend 
 Captain Alexander, who was to give an enter- 
 tainment to Captain Taylor and some Arme- 
 nian ladies. After seeing our boat safely moor- 
 ed at the mouth of the creek, we went on board 
 the Alligator, and dined with the gun-room 
 officers. 
 
 March 7. — The quarter-deck of the Alliga- 
 tor was tastefully fitted up with flags for the 
 reception of the guests, who came on board at 
 five in the afternoon. Captain Alexander, 
 thinking it would gratify the curiosity of the
 
 78 ENTERTAINMENT IN THE ALLIGATOR. 
 
 Armenian ladies, showed them every part of 
 the ship, which was in most admirable order; 
 but we could not discover whether they were 
 pleased or otherwise, for they went through the 
 business like victims, and looked at every thing 
 that was shown them, with the most immove- 
 able gravity. I handed to dinner a pretty look- 
 ing girl, from whom I tried in vain to extract 
 an answer to any of my questions. Amongst 
 the party was a handsome girl, a native of Ispa- 
 han; whence her parents had fled with her a 
 few months back. They had come to Busso- 
 rah for British protection, to save her from 
 being immured in a Mussulman harem. From 
 living among Mussulmans, the Armenians have 
 in many respects adopted their customs, and 
 amongst others, that of the seclusion of women 
 in their own families, though they allow them 
 to go abroad. The party who visited the 
 Alligator, consisted entirely of females, unac- 
 companied by any male relation, and we were 
 informed that the two sexes are never seen toge- 
 ther in public.
 
 TAKE LEAVE OF OUR SHIPMATES. 79 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 We take leave of our Shipmates — And proceed on our 
 Voyage — Our Boatmen and Guard — Abstinence from 
 Wine — Aboo Nasir at dinner — Koorna — The River 
 Tigris — II Jezeerah, the reputed site of Paradise — 
 Present Appearance of the Country — Its former state 
 — Our first interview with the Desert Arabs — Aboo 
 Nasir — Arab Village — Conduct of our Guard — Goom- 
 ruk — Tribute — Extortion — Tomb of the Prophet Ezra 
 — Abundance of Game — Kill a brace of Partridges in 
 the Garden of Eden — Curious Scene — Behaviour and 
 Appearance of the Female Arabs of the Desert. 
 
 At ten o'clock we left the ship, and went 
 on board our boat, after taking an affectionate 
 leave of our shipmates ; to many of whom, I 
 grieve to say, we bade an eternal adieu. Since 
 my arrival in England, I have received the 
 afflicting intelligence that our excellent host,
 
 80 ARABS CONTRASTED. 
 
 Captain Alexander, and five of his officers, 
 have fallen victims to the Indian climate. 
 
 March 8. — We were neai'ly starved with cold 
 last night, our cabin was shut in on two sides 
 by mats only, which were imperfectly closed 
 up, and a strong north-west wind blowing, we 
 could not keep ourselves warm with all the bed- 
 clothes we could procure. We halted three 
 hours during the night, and proceeded again at 
 day-break. Flocks of cattle and sheep were 
 every where grazing on the banks, and we saw 
 some very fine horses loose, but all having 
 clothing. 
 
 The natives of no two countries could form a 
 stronger contrast to each other in appearance, 
 than our Arab guard and our Arab boatmen; 
 the former (with the exception of two tall ne- 
 groes) were small thin young men, about five 
 feet five inches in height, with sallow complex- 
 ions and Indian features ; while the latter were 
 as hardy and muscular-looking fellows as I ever 
 saw. A loose brown shirt, of the coarseness of
 
 ABSTINENCE FIIOM WINE. 81 
 
 sackcloth, was the only covering of the latter. 
 This, whenever labour required it, was thrown 
 aside, and discovered forms most admirably 
 adapted to their laborious avocations; indeed, 
 any of the boatmen would have made an excel- 
 lent model for a Hercules ; and one in parti- 
 cular, with uncombed hair and shaggy beard, 
 struck us all with the remarkable resemblance 
 he bore to the statues of that deity. 
 
 In the evening we sate down cross-legged, to 
 our first meal as fellow-travellers— a well greased 
 pilau. Though amply provided with spirits, 
 and all professing due allegiance to the bottle, 
 we tried to content ourselves with water ; an 
 experiment which we found to answer so well 
 that, while actually on the road, we entirely 
 abstained from drinking any thing else. To 
 this circumstance we alone attribute our health 
 during our long and fatiguing journey, and we 
 earnestly recommend the substitution of the 
 pure element for fermented liquors to the se- 
 rious consideration of all, but more particularly 
 
 VOL. 1. G
 
 82 ABOO NASIR AT DINNER. 
 
 of Oriental travellers. It is, however, to be 
 understood, that whenever the traveller halts 
 for a few days, he will, as we always did, make 
 up for the abstinence during the journey. 
 
 During the whole of yesterday, Aboo Nasir 
 was so tipsy, as to be unable to stand, so he was 
 stretched out at his length in the middle of the 
 vessel, and remained in that position as motion- 
 less as the bale of rice on which he lay. We 
 saw him this morning in the arms of four of our 
 Arab guard, who nursed him with such care, 
 that in the evening he was sufficiently sober to 
 honour us with his company at dinner. After 
 crossing his legs and adjusting his robes with 
 true Arab gravity, he proceeded to business by 
 baring his arm to the elbow ; he then grasped a 
 handful of rice, sopped it in all the sauces, and 
 moulded it into the shape, and I had almost 
 said, the consistency of a tennis-ball : large as it 
 was, this palatable bolus found its way down 
 his throat, with the aid of a huge lump of but- 
 ter by which it was accompanied. This meal
 
 KOORNA. 
 
 over, the more important avocation of the eve- 
 ning commenced, and after a few bumpers of 
 spirits, our worthy visitor soon restored himself 
 to that comfortable state from which he had so 
 lately arisen. As his sobriety left him, his 
 gravity also forsook him ; he became loud and 
 unintelligible, his huge turban was shifted to 
 one side of his head, and discovered a crop of 
 grey hair of two days growth, which was a- 
 musingly contrasted with his blue dyed beard ; 
 his arm gradually acquired a certain authorita- 
 tive swing, but the sapient closing of his left 
 eye showed that he had attained the summit of 
 all earthly enjoyment. 
 
 March 9- — We passed this morning a Turk- 
 ish three-decker at anchor, commanded by the 
 Captain Pacha. It was a rotten hulk, seventy 
 years old, with seven men on board, though the 
 Government was charged with the expense qf 
 the full equipment. 
 
 At nine, we arrived off the town of Koorna, 
 the ancient Apamea, a city built by Seleucus 
 g 2
 
 84 PASSAGE UP THE TIGRIS. 
 
 Nicator, in honour of his wife of that name : it 
 is situate at the extremity of a narrow slip of 
 land, formed by the confluence of the Euphrates 
 and Tigris, and stands nearly on the southern 
 extremity of the plain of Shinar or ancient 
 Babylonia. We saw here several boats, waiting 
 to be joined by others from Bussorah, as the 
 navigation beyond is unsafe for single vessels, 
 owing to the lawless tribes that infest the banks. 
 We did not land at the town, as we wished, 
 because our Arabs were at enmity with those on 
 shore ; we therefore kept the opposite bank, and 
 our guards, with a view perhaps to demon- 
 strate their force, assembled at the head of the 
 boat, struck up their music, and forming them- 
 selves into a circle, began singing, dancing, and 
 striking each other's shields with their drawn 
 swords. Boats in general pay duty here, but 
 we passed unmolested. 
 
 Leaving the Euphrates to the west, we pro- 
 ceeded up the Tigris, where we soon found 
 ourselves in a current running between six and
 
 THE SITE OF PAltADISE. 85 
 
 seven knots an hour, which fully proved to us 
 the appropriate name of Teer (arrow), which 
 the ancient Persians gave to this river on ac- 
 count of the rapidity of its course. 
 
 Two miles above Koorna, the plantations 
 of date-trees, which had hitherto covered the 
 banks, ceased, and the land on both sides was 
 overflowed. We landed in the afternoon on the 
 west bank to shoot, and walked several miles ; 
 the ground was very wet, and the state of the 
 vegetation indicated little fertility. This des- 
 titute place, is now" called II Jezeerah (The 
 Island), and in addition to its claims on our 
 interest as Babylonia, is by some held to be the 
 site of Paradise.* If such be the case, it certain- 
 ly is not what the garden of our first parents is 
 described to have been. Only a few shrubs 
 have been visible since we left the vicinity of 
 Koorna. The whole country is a dead flat ; 
 and so much flooded in many parts, that we 
 
 * Well's Geography on the site of Paradise.
 
 86 DESERT ARABS. 
 
 could hardly pass through it. The few dry 
 patches of soil were covered with salt. 
 
 It is curious to contrast the present barren 
 appearance of this country with the description 
 given of it by ancient authors. Herodotus says 
 the satrapy of Babylon was considered ade- 
 quate to a third portion of Asia, and concludes 
 his account of its various productions, by say- 
 ing that the fertility of the soil was scarcely 
 credible ;* Quintus Curtius states the pasture 
 to have been so rich, that cattle were driven 
 from it to prevent their dying of surfeit ;-f- and 
 Pliny calls it the most fertile country of all the 
 East (agrum totius OricntisfertUhsimum).\ 
 
 Half an hour before sunset, we arrived at a 
 village of wandering Arabs : one of the men, 
 a wild-looking savage, on seeing us approach, 
 ran forwards in a frantic manner, and throwing 
 down his turban at our feet, fiercely demanded 
 Buxis (a present) : he was made to replace his 
 
 * Her. Clio, cxcii. cxciii. 
 f Quint. Curt. lib. v. cap. 1. J Plin. Hist. Nat.
 
 ARAB VILLAGE. 87 
 
 turban, but continued screaming as if distract- 
 ed. This fellow's noise, and our appearance, 
 soon collected a crowd of men, women, and 
 children ; the greater number had evidently 
 never seen an European before. The men ad- 
 vanced close to us with aspects far from friend- 
 ly. The commander of our guard expressed a 
 wish that we should not enter the village : but 
 so ardent was our curiosity in this our first in- 
 terview with the Arabs of the Desert, that we 
 disregarded his advice. Seeing us resolved, he 
 let us have our own way ; but would not allow 
 any of the people to approach, being doubtful 
 of their intentions towards us. 
 
 The village was a collection of about fifty 
 mat huts, with pent roofs, from thirty to sixty 
 feet long. The frame of the huts somewhat 
 resembled the ribs of a ship inverted. It was 
 formed of bundles of reeds tied together ; the 
 mat covering was of the leaves of the date 
 tree. An old Mussulman tomb stands on a 
 mounl at the south end of the village, and is
 
 88 CONDUCT OF OUR GUARD. 
 
 the only building in which any other material 
 than reed and date-leaves have been employed. 
 
 When we reached the banks of the river, we 
 had to wait for our boat, which was tracking 
 round a headland, and was still at some dis- 
 tance from us : so we stood with our backs to 
 the water to prevent any attack from the rear. 
 In the mean time, crowds of the inhabitants 
 continued to press forward. As their num- 
 bers were greatly superior to ours, and their 
 demeanour rather equivocal, we tried by our 
 manners to show as little distrust of them as 
 possible ; not so, our guards, who, from being 
 of the same profession as these marauders, 
 treated them with less ceremony, and stood by 
 us the whole time with their guns loaded and 
 cocked, their fingers on the triggers, and the 
 muzzles presented towards the crowd. Some 
 of the Arabs occasionally came forward to look 
 at our fire-arms, particularly our double-bar- 
 relled guns, but whenever they attempted to 
 touch them, were always repulsed by our
 
 DRESS OF THE ARABS. 89 
 
 guard, who kept them at a distance. In the 
 midst of this curious interview, the sheikh, or 
 chief of the village, a venerable-looking old man 
 with a long white beard, came, accompanied 
 by two others, and brought us a present of 
 a sheep ; for which, according to custom, we 
 gave double its value in money. The sheikh's 
 arrival, and our pecuniary acknowledgment of 
 his present, seemed to be an earnest of amity, 
 as the crowd, by his directions, retired to a 
 small distance, and formed themselves into a 
 semicircle — himself and his two friends sitting 
 about four yards in front. 
 
 The scene to us was of the most lively 
 interest. Around us, as far as the eye could 
 reach, was a treeless desert ; to our left was 
 the rude village of the wanderers, and imme- 
 diately in the foreground were their primitive 
 inhabitants, unchanged, probably, in dress, 
 customs, or language, since the time of the 
 " wild man 1 ' Ishmael, their ancestor. There 
 was little variety in the dress of the men — a
 
 90 DRESS OF THE AaABS. 
 
 large brown shirt with open sleeves, extending 
 to the knee, and bound round the loins with 
 a leathern girdle, formed their principal, and 
 sometimes only habiliment; a few wore the 
 handkerchief or turban. They were armed 
 either with long spears or massive clubs. The 
 dress of the females was also a loose shirt, but 
 not being bound at the waist, it left the person 
 considerably exposed. Some of the women had 
 rings in their noses, others wore necklaces of 
 silver coins, and the hair of several of the girls 
 was divided into long plaits, and completely 
 studded with coins : they were all more or less 
 tattooed on the face, hands, and feet, and some 
 were marked on the ancles with punctures re- 
 sembling the clock of a silk stocking. The 
 custom of tattooing is of high antiquity. It 
 was, according to Lucian, universal amongst 
 the ancient inhabitants of this country, who 
 practised it in honour of their Gods.* 
 
 • Vide Lucian de dea Syria.
 
 TRIBUTE. 91 
 
 This village is called Goomruk ; its inhabi- 
 tants, who are notorious robbers, are subject to 
 the sheikh of Montefeikh : they are accustomed 
 to exact a stipulated tribute from every boat 
 that passes ; this, after some conversation, we 
 paid, and (our people not wishing to stay) we 
 proceeded on our voyage, having much better 
 luck than a boat we left here, with horses for 
 the Pasha of Bussorah, which, not being strong 
 enough to resist the demand, was detained for 
 an additional exaction. Five boats which had 
 left Bussorah a week before us, had only 
 proceeded that morning on their voyage to 
 Bagdad . 
 
 We continued our voyage while moonlight 
 lasted, and then anchored till daybreak. At 
 nine in the evening we passed an Arab encamp- 
 ment, pitched so close to the bank that our 
 track-rope damaged several of the tents. This 
 occasioned an uproar from a crowd of men, 
 women, children, and dogs. They all rushed 
 out together to discover the cause of the dis-
 
 92 THE TOMB OF THE PROPHET EZRA. 
 
 turbance. On our guards calling; out Ab- 
 dillah, their chief's name, we were welcomed 
 from the shore, as a friendly tribe, with an as- 
 surance that they would send off milk, butter, 
 and whatever else their camp could furnish. 
 
 March 10. — We now came in sight of the 
 Hamerine Mountains, to the north-east. At 
 a little before daylight, we passed a building, 
 called II Azer, (Ezra), reported by tradition to 
 be the tomb of that prophet. It is surmount- 
 ed by a large dome covered with glazed tiles 
 of a turquoise colour. The tomb is held in 
 high veneration both by Jews and Mahome- 
 tans, and is said to contain great riches — the 
 offerings of pilgrims, particularly those of the 
 former persuasion. 
 
 We saw numerous encampments of the wan- 
 dering tribes, many of whom brought us milk, 
 butter, and dates, and appeared to be most 
 kindly disposed towards ourselves and crew. 
 
 Three of our party went out shooting in the 
 Desert, and had excellent sport. Hares, black
 
 SPORTING IN THE DESERT. 93 
 
 partridges, and snipes, were in the greatest 
 abundance. For my own share of the game, 
 I claim a brace of partridges, not a little proud, 
 that nearly the first birds which ever fell by 
 my gun, should have been killed in the garden 
 of Eden. Another of our party killed a hare, 
 but the boatmen objected to our having it 
 dressed on board, as it had not undergone the 
 ceremony of being made hulaul, (lawful.) This 
 is performed by repeating a prayer, and by 
 cutting the throat of the animal, with the neck 
 placed towards the tomb of Mahomet. Yet, 
 according to the Jewish law, from which nearly 
 all Mahometan prohibitions respecting food, are 
 taken, the hare is an unclean animal, " be- 
 cause he cheweth the cud, and divideth not the 
 hoof:'* 
 
 At two, r. m., we passed the residence of 
 Sheikh Abdillah Bin Ali, an Arab chief. As 
 
 " For the circumstance of the hare chewing the cud, 
 vide Levit. chap, xi., and also the account given hy 
 Cowper, of his three hares-
 
 94 CURIOUS SCENE. 
 
 we continued our shooting excursion over a de- 
 sert track, unmarked by human habitation, we 
 approached a boy tending cattle, who, immedi- 
 ately on perceiving us, set up a loud cry, and 
 ran with all his might to a small mound, so 
 gradually elevated as to be scarcely perceptible 
 to us. In an instant, like the dragon's teeth 
 which Cadmus sowed, a large body of men, 
 armed with spears, appeared on the brow of the 
 hill, and seemed to have grown out from the 
 till then unpeopled spot. The men set up a 
 loud shout, in which they were joined by the 
 women and children, who now made their ap- 
 pearance. All, with one accord, rushed im- 
 petuously towards us, demanding the nature of 
 our intentions : they were no sooner assured 
 of our pacific disposition, than their clamour 
 ceased, and in two minutes we were on the most 
 friendly terms. 
 
 A little after this, several women, accompa- 
 nied by a host of children, brought milk, but- 
 ter, and curds, for sale, and followed the boat
 
 APPEAEANCE OF AJIAB FEMALES. 95 
 
 for some time. One of the women, from whom 
 we received a vessel of milk, was offered some 
 dates in return by our servants : not satisfied 
 with them, she desired to have her milk again. 
 A piastre was thrown to her, which after taking 
 up and examining, she ran off to a conside- 
 rable distance, dancing and shouting with joy. 
 Another very handsome young woman, with a 
 child in her arms, asked for some cloth to cover 
 her infant's head ; we gave her a silk handker- 
 chief, which so delighted her, that she ap- 
 proached the boat, and, with her right hand 
 raised to Heaven, invoked every blessing on us 
 in return. The handkerchief appeared to ex- 
 cite great curiosity, for a crowd collected round 
 her, and it was held up and examined in every 
 direction, seemingly with much delight. 
 
 The behaviour of these females formed a 
 striking contrast with the manners of the Indian 
 women, and still more with those of the veiled 
 dames of Bussorah. They came to our boats 
 with the frankness of innocence, and there was
 
 96 APPEARANCE OF ARAB FEMALES. 
 
 a freedom in their manners, bordering perhaps 
 on the masculine ; nevertheless, their fine fea- 
 tures, and well-turned limbs, presented a toute 
 ensemble of beauty, not often surpassed, per- 
 haps, even in the brilliant assemblies of civilized 
 life. True it is, their complexions were of a 
 gipsey brown ; but, even on this point, there 
 may be some who see 
 
 " A Helen's beauty in a brow of Egypt." 
 The woman who was so grateful for the 
 •handkerchief, as she stood on the edge of the 
 bank, her beautiful eyes beaming with grati- 
 tude, would have been a fine illustration of 
 some of the striking passages in Scott's forcible 
 delineations of female character.
 
 A BOO NASIK. 97 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Aboo Nasir— Village Jester — Akushee — English Gen- 
 tlemen attacked by the Arabs — Munjummil — Thuyn 
 II Swyah — Mohumud Abool Hassan — We are chal- 
 lenged from the shore by the Arabs — Our Boatmen's 
 answer — Manner in which the Arabs lie in ambush 
 for Travellers— Cheshef— Illyauts— Black Tents il- 
 lustrated by Scripture — Mr. Hamilton and I shoot at 
 a Lioness— Curious flight of birds — Barter — Gubur 
 Jumdeer — Ali Shurgee — Animals like Bats — Filifileh 
 and Sooroot, an ancient ruin — Encampment of Arab 
 Banditti — Aboo Nasir's answer to their inquiries — 
 Mudduk-il-Hujauje— Koote— Horses procurable hence 
 to Bagdad— Description of the village— Jubul Afeez, 
 a ruin— Arab Greyhounds— A Dandy of the Desert 
 —Mr. Hamilton proceeds by land to Bagdad— Boats 
 laden with firewood for Bagdad— Ummuttumim, a 
 large Canal — Grotesque description of Boat— Shifeleh 
 — Extensive Ruins — Observations on the general 
 appearance of Ruins in this country — The ruins of 
 Mumliheh— Coins— Want of instruments for digging. 
 
 At four, p. m. we passed an encampment 
 similar to that we had seen the night before; 
 here our European costume and white faces so 
 
 VOL. I. h
 
 98 A VILLAGE JESTER. 
 
 much attracted the attention and curiosity of 
 the inhabitants, that they accompanied us along 
 the bank for vipwards of a mile, singing and 
 dancing all the way. Aboo Nasir, who was a 
 friend of their chief, had just drank sufficient 
 to put on that solemn aspect a tipsy man so 
 often assumes. Seating himself in midships, 
 with his pipe in one hand, and his silver baton 
 of authority in the other, he returned the salu- 
 tations of the mob with the most amusing gra- 
 vity, while our band squeaked a tune, and our 
 guard figured away in the sword-dance. 
 
 In every village that we passed there was 
 a merry noisy fellow, who seemed by general 
 consent to be the common spokesman and buf- 
 foon. At this place, in particular, the repre- 
 sentative of the people appeared to be highly 
 agreeable to his constituents, as every sentence 
 that he uttered brought down from them a roar 
 of laughter, which was immediately re-echoed 
 by our boat's crew. 
 " Our mode of passing the time during this
 
 A COFFEE RECIPE, 99 
 
 interesting excursion up the river, was much 
 as follows. We rose early, and breakfasted on 
 rice, biscuits, butter, tea, and camel's milk ; we 
 then smoked our chibouques for half an hour, 
 and always finished our repast with a cup of 
 coffee, for which, as it was excellent, I beg to 
 mention our recipe. The grain was first heated 
 on a sheet of iron ; it was then pounded in a 
 mortar, which epicures say is better than when 
 it is ground ; the proportion of a cup of powder 
 to a cup of water were then boiled together, 
 and served up without either milk or sugar. 
 I should mention, that the grain is never baked 
 until the moment coffee is called for. To save 
 time, we had on coming on board ordered a bag 
 to be baked and pounded. Our servants com- 
 plied with our directions, but to our surprise, 
 on the second day of our trip, we saw them 
 emptying into the river, as useless, a fortnight's 
 stock of pounded coffee. 
 
 In the daytime we always found ample 
 amusement in shooting, in searching for ancient
 
 100 AKUSHEE. 
 
 ruins, or in visiting the tents of the Arab wan- 
 derers. We dined always at dusk, and Aboo 
 Nasir, " witty himself, and the cause of wit in 
 others," was a never-failing resource for our 
 evenings'' amusement. We occasionally whiled 
 away an hour in listening to a young Arab, who 
 used to read to us stories from the Arabian 
 Nights in the original language. 
 
 Eight, p. m. off Akushee. At this place, some 
 time ago, a Mr. Low and another Englishman 
 were taken by the Arab hordes, and obliged to 
 pay a stipulated sum for their release; but they 
 had not proceeded far, when numbers came off 
 in boats to attack them, for the purpose of 
 extorting an additional sum. Incensed at this 
 conduct, our countrymen fired on their treache- 
 rous opponents, and killed two of them, but 
 knowing that their tribe, which occupied both 
 banks, would soon be up in arms against them, 
 and the current being too strong to contend 
 with, they were obliged to return to Bussorah. 
 
 March 11. — At nine in the morriing, we
 
 ENCAMPMENT. OF ARABS. 101 
 
 passed a station called Munjummil, from an 
 Arab Sheikh of that name, which, from the 
 time of Ishmael, has been the general origin 
 of names borne by different places in these 
 countries. " These are the sons of Ishmael, 
 and these are their names, by their towns, and 
 by their castles. 1 ' * 
 
 We have not met with any habitations that 
 could be considered permanent, nor any form- 
 ed of more substantial materials than mats 
 and reeds. The liability to inundations, and the 
 habits of these wanderers, would prevent them 
 from erecting buildings which could not be 
 moved. 
 
 We passed in succession on the right bank, 
 the usual station of Thuyn II Swyah, and Mo- 
 humud Abool Hassan, Arab chiefs of note. 
 
 We saw numerous encampments of Arabs 
 on both sides, all of whom, as our boat ap- 
 proached, loudly demanded who we were. We 
 
 * Gen. xxv. 10'.
 
 ICfe ARABS IN AMBUSH. 
 
 always answered them by mentioning the name 
 of Mohumud, a powerful sheikh of the Mon- 
 tefeekh tribe, whose protection our boatmen 
 claim. This question was repeated night and 
 day, and men frequently started up in the 
 jungle, where neither habitations nor any ap- 
 pearance of population were observable. 
 
 We were given to understand, that a boat 
 was in no danger of being attacked when any 
 number of Arabs were collected on the banks, 
 as there was then no premeditated intention of 
 robbery ; but when only one or two made their 
 appearance, there was reason to suspect that 
 the remainder of the gang were at no great 
 distance ; and we frequently observed that 
 Aboo Nasir and the boatmen were always more 
 on the alert on these occasions. Indeed, the 
 circumstance of our boat having to make its 
 way against a rapid and tortuous stream, 
 through a treeless desert, gave to robbers, who 
 might be disposed to molest us, a great facility 
 of observation, as well as ample time to make
 
 ILLYAUTS. 103 
 
 every necessary preparation for attack. Jere- 
 miah alludes to this mode of lying in ambush, 
 in his denunciation against the wickedness of 
 Judah, " In the ways hast thou sat for them, 
 as the Arabian in the wilderness."* 
 
 At two, p. m. off Cheshe. Here we fell in, 
 for the first time, with the Illyauts, another 
 description of wandering Arabs. Instead of 
 the mat-huts we had before seen, they occu- 
 pied black tents, probably of the same descrip- 
 tion as those of their earliest ancestors. We 
 have a curious illustration of this in the Songs 
 of Solomon, where his bride compares the 
 blackness of her complexion to the tents of 
 Kedar. " I am black but comely, oh ye 
 daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, 
 the curtains of Solomon."-f- 
 
 Kedar, whose tribe is here alluded to, was 
 the second son of Ishmael:^ his tribe, un- 
 der the name of Cedrcam, are mentioned by 
 
 * Jer. iii, 2. f Sol, Song, i. 5. + Gen. xxv. 13.
 
 104 ABUNDANCE OF GAME. 
 
 Pliny. The Cedraan Arabs form a part of the 
 Saracens. 
 
 We made frequent visits to these encamp- 
 ments, which were all extremely wretched. 
 The tents were about six feet long and three 
 high, and brought strongly to mind the habi- 
 tations of the English gypsies. A large stud 
 of blood horses were grazing near the tents, 
 which being well cased in body cloths, formed 
 a curious contrast with the miserable appear- 
 ance of those by whom they were attended. 
 
 At four o'clock, we stopped at a patch of 
 brushwood jungle, where nearly all the boat- 
 men and guard went to cut wood for fuel. In 
 the midst of this employment, one of the party 
 disturbed a lion that was sleeping under a bush. 
 The man was greatly frightened, and speedily 
 communicated his terror to his comrades, who 
 hastened on board. The lion stole away, and 
 the trackers who had to walk through the same 
 jungle, continued their work without making 
 any objection. Game of every description is
 
 FIIIE AT A LIONESS. 105 
 
 abundant throughout, which reminds us that 
 we are in the ancient kingdom of Nimrod, that 
 " mighty hunter before the Lord. 1 '' The spot 
 we were now passing, was quite living with 
 the vast quantities of animals of all descriptions. 
 At every step, our trackers put up pelicans, 
 swans, geese, ducks, and snipes, and numbers of 
 hogs were seen galloping about in every direc- 
 tion ; a lioness strolled towards our boat, and 
 stood staring at us for two or three seconds ; 
 when within thirty yards, Mr. Hamilton and 
 myself both fired at her, but as we were loaded 
 with small shot, we did her no injm*y; the 
 noise of our guns made her turn quietly round, 
 and she went away as leisurely as she came. 
 
 We saw, this afternoon, a numerous flock of 
 small birds, which presented the appearance of 
 a large whirlwind, and literally darkened the 
 air in their flight. Both Mr. Lamb and Mr. 
 Hart had seen the same in India, and told me 
 that they were birds of the ortolan species. 
 
 March 12. — We remained on board this
 
 10G ALI SHURGEE. 
 
 morning by desire of Aboo Nasir, who told us 
 that the Arabs here were very uncivilized, and 
 likely to molest us. As the strongest proof of 
 the sincerity of his advice, he remained sober 
 the whole day. 
 
 In the afternoon, we arrived off a small vil- 
 lage, where we took in some milk and butter, 
 and gave in exchange a handful of dried dates, 
 which these primitive inhabitants liked equally 
 as well as money. We saw here some small 
 trading boats laden with dates, which they bar- 
 ter with the inhabitants for ghee and coarse 
 cloths, manufactured from the wool of their 
 sheep. We passed a small mound, called Gu- 
 bur Jumdeer, erected in memory of a sheikh of 
 the Bence Lam tribe, who died there, but whose 
 body was sent for interment to Mushed Ali, the 
 holy land of the Shiah sect of Mahometans. 
 
 Ten, p. m. — On the left banks of the river, 
 we passed a place marked by a large clump of 
 trees, called Ali Shurgee, where the Mahome- 
 tan proph?t Ali is said to have left the print of
 
 FILIFILEH AND SOOROOT. ]0T 
 
 his foot in his ascent to heaven. We saw here 
 several animals, which might have been birds, 
 flitting about the trees, but which appeared to 
 us like the large Bengal bats, called the flying 
 foxes.* 
 
 March 14. — We visited the remains of an an- 
 cient building on the right bank of the Tigris, 
 composed of a large square mound of sun-burnt 
 bricks, sixty paces long, forty-eight wide, and 
 about twenty feet high. This place the Arabs 
 called Filifileh, from a lady of rank and beauty, 
 who, they said, flourished in the reign of King 
 Kisra : a causeway extended to the east, inter- 
 rupted by the river, to a similar mound, called 
 Sooroot, so named from a handsome young hus- 
 bandman who lived on the opposite bank, and 
 with whom Filifileh is said to have fallen des- 
 perately in love. The tradition is, that Sooroot, 
 like Leander, was in the habit of swimming 
 across the river to his lady love, who, grieving 
 
 * The PestpertigHo ingens of Linnaeus.
 
 108 KING KISRA. 
 
 that any time should be lost in such an exploit, 
 erected this causeway to facilitate his visits. 
 
 The name of the monarch, Kisra,* which, as 
 well as Khosro and Chosroes, are synonymous 
 with Cyrus, is intended by the Arabs to desig- 
 nate Noosheervan, surnamed Adil (the Just), 
 who is highly celebrated in Oriental history for 
 his justice and piety. It was the boast of Ma- 
 homet that he was born in this monarch's reign ; 
 and so proud are the modern natives of his 
 memory, that they assign to him all doubtful 
 remains of antiquity. 
 
 March 14. — We went on shore to an encamp- 
 ment of Illyauts, whom we found employed in 
 making the carpets for which they are so cele- 
 brated. The inhabitants here were remarkably 
 civil and respectful, and brought us several 
 bowls of milk : our swords and pistols were as 
 
 * " Kisra or Cosra, Chosroes or Cyrus, an Emperor, 
 the surname of several kings of Parthia, like Ptolemy 
 amongst the Egyptians, or Cfesar with the Romans." — 
 Richardson's Persian Dictionary.
 
 ENCAMPMENT OF ILLYAUTS. 109 
 
 usual the great objects of their curiosity. We 
 gave some money to a woman, which one of our 
 guard attempted to appropriate to himself, but 
 being discovered, was obliged to refund. When 
 we returned on board we made a complaint to 
 Aboo Nasir, who ordered him to be flogged ; 
 the culprit, on hearing his sentence, rushed into 
 the cabin, threw himself on his knees, kissed 
 the cuff of Mr. Lamb's coat, and was pardon- 
 ed at our intercession. 
 
 The kissing the cuff of the coat, a ceremony 
 we frequently witnessed, is intended as a mark 
 of respect and submission, and appears to be a 
 remnant of the old custom alluded by St. Mat- 
 thew, in the account of the woman who kissed 
 the hem of our Saviour's garment.* 
 
 At ten at night we reached an encampment 
 of renowned robbers, and immediately received 
 a caution from Aboo Nasir to be on the alert. 
 They appeared either to have just arrived, or 
 
 * Matt. ix. 20.
 
 110 MUDDUK-IL-HUJAUJE. 
 
 to have been on the point of departure, all their 
 tents (with the exception of eight or ten) being 
 struck. In a few minutes, three men appeared 
 on the bank, and demanded why our boat tra- 
 velled at night, and what we were laden with. 
 Aboo Nasir answered, " We have troops on 
 board, and are pursuing our journey; we are 
 laden with jive, with which, if you don't leave 
 the bank, we shall accommodate you. 1 ' Our 
 querists took the hint as we intended, disap- 
 peared on the instant, and we were troubled 
 with no farther questions. 
 
 March 15. — The windings of the river were 
 exceedingly tortuous to-day. At one, p. m. we 
 observed an extensive mark on the right bank 
 of the river, the remains of an encampment, 
 where one of the great Mecca caravans was 
 plundered a hundred and thirty years ago. 
 The place has been deserted ever since. It is 
 called Mudduk-il-Hiijauje, and appears to 
 have been of great extent, for we came again
 
 KOOTE. Ill 
 
 upon its ruins, at another turn of the river, 
 several hours afterwards. 
 
 Towards evening, we saw the apparent re- 
 mains of ancient buildings, in a northerly direc- 
 tion, and at dusk reached the village of Koote, 
 which is considered half-way between Bussorah 
 and Bagdad. 
 
 At this place, horses in any number are 
 always ready for the traveller who may wish to 
 perform the rest of the journey to Bagdad by 
 land. The distance is 120 miles, through a 
 barren desert. In the dry season, the journey 
 is performed in thirty-six hours, when it is 
 necessary to carry provisions and water, both 
 for riders and horses ; but at this time of the 
 year, abundance of water is found in the Desert, 
 as also numerous encampments of Arabs, so 
 that the traveller may proceed at his leisure. 
 Mr. Hamilton wished to avail himself of this 
 opportunity, and horses were immediately put 
 in requisition for his use, but we preferred
 
 112 .TUBUL AFEEZ. 
 
 remaining on board our boat, being anxious 
 to visit the ruins of Seleucia and Ctesiphon, 
 situate on the banks of the river, 
 
 March 16. — At daybreak, Mr. Lamb and 
 myself went on shore to examine the neigh- 
 bourhood. Koote is a small, square, and 
 wretched mud-built village, surrounded by a 
 wall, not more than six feet high ; and is the 
 first permanent establishment we have seen 
 since we left Koorna. It is the residence of the 
 powerful chieftain of the Benee Lam Arabs, 
 whose influence extends as far as Goomruk to 
 the south, and Bagdad to the north. Shut-ul- 
 Hie, a navigable stream, runs opposite Koote, 
 into the Euphrates. Two miles north of Koote, 
 are the remains of a wall thrown across the 
 neck of the peninsula, formed by the winding 
 of the river. 
 
 To the north of the wall was a mound, co- 
 vered with large sunburnt bricks, apparently 
 the remains of a fortress; and, from the posi- 
 tion of the whole, I should be inclined to think,
 
 ARAB SUPERSTITION. 113 
 
 it might have formed the field-work of a mili- 
 tary camp. This place was called by the Arabs, 
 Jubal Afeez. It is said to be coeval with the 
 ruins at Filifileh and Sooroot. While we were 
 examining these ruins, we put up great num- 
 bers of hares and partridges. We met also 
 some men with greyhounds ; these dogs are 
 very beautiful animals, and are somewhat 
 smaller than the English breed; the ears hang 
 down, the tail is feathered, and both are cover- 
 ed with hair as fine as silk. The Arabs are 
 very fond of this species; but the dog being 
 an unclean animal according to the Mahometan 
 law, the Faithful are not allowed to touch it, 
 except on the crown of the head, that being the 
 only part of the animal which he is unable to 
 pollute with his tongue. 
 
 The superstitious objection of the Mussul- 
 man to this animal is mentioned in the Arabian 
 Nights, in the story of Sidi Nonman, who, 
 being transformed by his wife Amina into a 
 dog, is driven out of the tripeman's shop. 
 
 VOL. I. i
 
 114 AN ARAB DANDY. 
 
 The owner of these dogs was rather an ano- 
 malous being for an inhabitant of the Desert — 
 a young Arab dandy ; his turban and robes 
 were adjusted with the greatest neatness, his 
 eyelids were stained with antimony, two or 
 three rings graced each finger, and he con- 
 versed with an air of the most amusing pup- 
 pyism. 
 
 In our excursion, we met Mr. Hamilton and 
 his party. All were armed from head to foot ; 
 he was accompanied by our Ethiopian servant 
 Yacoot, a guide, and five of our Arab guard, 
 all of whom were mounted at his expense; the 
 hire of each horse from Koote to Bag-dad being 
 ten piastres ; the horses of the party were 
 very small, and apparently ill calculated to 
 sustain the fatigues of the journey ; but of high 
 blood, and accustomed to go through it with 
 ease. 
 
 While waiting for our boat, I shot a crow, 
 which our guard, after having roasted it by a
 
 WIND-liOUND. 115 
 
 fire they made in the jungle, ate; though the 
 crow is forbidden by the Mahometan as well as 
 the Levitical law. 
 
 We returned on board at eight in the morn- 
 ing, and tried to make way against a strong 
 wind, which increased so much by ten o'clock, 
 that our trackers, unable to proceed against it, 
 were obliged to lay by till two in the afternoon, 
 when the wind moderating, we continued our 
 journey. This was the first time we were 
 wind-bound. 
 
 During our detention, Arabs encamped in 
 the vicinity brought cloaks, skins, and worsted 
 yarn for sale ; we procured two fine milk goats 
 and kids, for which we paid eleven piastres. 
 We passed a boat cutting fire-wood from the 
 brush- wood of the jungle, for sale at Bagdad; 
 this must be a scarce article, since a journey of 
 three hundred miles is made to obtain it. 
 
 At four, p. m. at a place called Ummuttu- 
 mim, we came to a large canal, running in an 
 i 2
 
 116 UMMUTTUMIM. 
 
 easterly direction, the bed of which was filled 
 up nearly to the level of the surrounding coun- 
 try, but the banks on both sides distinctly 
 marked its course ; the brick foundation of a 
 wall was here visible. The canal appeared to 
 fall into the Tigris, about two miles from the 
 place where we approached it, and might have 
 been made for the purpose of carrying off the 
 superabundant waters of the river during the 
 freshes, for which purpose so many canals were 
 said to have been formed in ancient Babylonia. 
 We followed its course upwards of four miles to 
 the north-west, but did not see its termination 
 in that direction. The river, to-day, has not 
 been so winding as yesterday, though we have 
 had one or two very abrupt turns. 
 
 Owing to the strong N. W. wind which has 
 prevailed the whole of the day, our progress 
 has been very slow, more so indeed than on 
 any day since leaving Bussorah ; the water is 
 rapidly decreasing, as appears by the banks, 
 which have fallen nearly six feet. 
 
 March 17. — The windings of the river in-
 
 CURIOUS DESCRIPTION OF BOATS. 117 
 
 creased, and the water continued to fall very 
 rapidly. We saw great quantities of brush- 
 wood on both banks, and passed many boats 
 laden with it. These vessels are of a very 
 grotesque description, being nearly as broad as 
 they are long, and deviate very little from the 
 circular boat common to the Euphrates and 
 Tigris : they are constructed of wicker, and 
 coated with naphtha, and, when laden with 
 brushwood, piled twelve or fourteen feet high, 
 appeared too unwieldy to be moved in any 
 other direction than that of the current. We 
 stopped at noon to lay in a stock of firewood, 
 having been informed that we should not meet 
 with any more jungle on our voyage. 
 
 At two, p. m., at an abrupt curve of the 
 river, we passed Shifileh, a square brick fort, 
 the residence of Sheikh Tyobeid, a powerful 
 Arab chief, whose country extends from the 
 right bank of the Shut-ul-Hie to Bagdad, while 
 the left bank, from Koote to Bagdad, is under 
 the influence of Sheikh Zummeir. 
 
 Shortly afterwards, we came upon some ex-
 
 118 SHIFILEH. 
 
 tensive ruins on the left bank of the river, which 
 we landed to examine : indeed, hence to Bagdad, 
 this now desert tract bears the marks of hav- 
 ing once been covered with large and populous 
 cities. Previous to entering upon a description 
 of this place, a few general observations are 
 necessary respecting the appearance of all ruins 
 of this region, which could formerly boast of 
 the cities of " Babel and Erech, and Accad and 
 Calneh,"" and subsequently of Opis Seleucia and 
 Ctesiphon. 
 
 The soil of the plains of ancient Assyria 
 and Babylonia, consists of a fine clay, mixed 
 with sand, with which, as the waters of the 
 river retire, the shores are covered. This com- 
 post, when dried by the heat of the sun, be- 
 comes a hard and solid mass, and forms the 
 finest material for the beautiful bricks for which 
 Babylon was so celebrated. We all put to the 
 test the adaptation of this mud for pottery, by 
 taking some of it while wet from the bank of 
 the river, and then moulding it into any form
 
 MUML1HEH. 119 
 
 we pleased. Having been exposed to the sun for 
 half an hour, it became as hard as stone. These 
 remarks are important, as the indication of 
 buildings throughout this region are different 
 from those of other countries, the universal sub- 
 stitution of brick for stone being observable 
 in all the numerous ruins we visited, including 
 those of the great cities of Seleucia, Ctesi- 
 phon, and of the mighty Babylon herself, for 
 which we have the authority of Scripture, that 
 her builders " had brick for stone, and slime 
 had they for mortar.'" * 
 
 In consequence of this circumstance, the ruins 
 now before us, which our guides called Mura- 
 liheh, instead of showing fragments of pillars, 
 or any marks by which we might conjecture 
 the order of architecture, exhibit an accumu- 
 lation of mounds, which, on a dead flat, soon 
 attract the eye of a traveller, and have at 
 first sight the appearance of sandy hillocks. 
 
 * CJen. xi. 3.
 
 120 MUMLIHEH. 
 
 On a nearer inspection they prove to be square 
 masses of brick, facing the cardinal points, and, 
 though sometimes much worn by the weather, 
 built with much regularity ; the neighbourhood 
 of these large mounds are strewed with frag- 
 ments of tile, broken pottery, and manufac- 
 tured vitreous substances. Coins, the incon- 
 testable proofs of former population, are gene- 
 rally to be found. In this place, they are so 
 abundant, that many persons come from Bag- 
 dad in the dry season to search for them. 
 Aboo Nasir told us, that some time ago he 
 found a pot full of coins ; Mr. Hart picked 
 up two, with apparently Cufic inscriptions, but 
 their characters were not very decypherable. 
 Near the place where they were found, was the 
 fragment of a vessel which had possibly con- 
 tained them. 
 
 Travellers, in making this tour, ought to pro- 
 vide themselves with instruments for digging, 
 which would both facilitate their researches,
 
 MUMLIHEH. 121 
 
 and in all probability amply repay their curio- 
 sity. 
 
 At midnight, we passed the western side of 
 a considerable island, by which the river is 
 divided into two navigable channels. The 
 nights are beautifully clear, and well suited to 
 the study of astronomy ; which reminds us 
 that we are in the land of the Chaldeans, the 
 earliest professors of that science.
 
 122 COURSE Ol< THE KIVE1 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Tortuous course of the River — Extensive Ruins — Fire 
 Temple — Devil's dance — Dawurree, a tribe of thieves 
 and buffoons — Ruins of Seleucia — Camel-riding — Il- 
 lustration of the Prophecy of Isaiah — Ancient Statue 
 — Tradition — Powder Mill — Ctesiphon — Description 
 of the Tauk, or Arch of Kisra — Suleiman Pauk — 
 Historical notices of Seleucia and Ctesiphon — Arrival 
 at Bagdad — Public Entrance — Mr. Hamilton's jour- 
 ney across the Desert — Anecdote of the Chief of the 
 Artillery. 
 
 March 18. — The river becomes more wind- 
 ing as we ascend, forming a chain of penin- 
 sulas, which makes the distance by water fully 
 three times longer than by land ; the bed of 
 the river is enlarged, and numerous banks are 
 formed in it, rendering the navigation very 
 difficult when the water is low. Our boat ran 
 aground several times after leaving Kootc, but
 
 SHEJER. 12') 
 
 being light, we got off without difficulty, and 
 this happening at a time when the river is so 
 high, proves that it must be wholly unnaviga- 
 ble in the dry season. 
 
 At noon, we passed extensive mounds on the 
 north bank, which they told us were called 
 Shejer ; considered half way between Koote 
 and Bagdad. An Arab whom we met here, 
 informed us of Mr. Hamilton's arrival at Bag- 
 dad, yesterday, at the hour of afternoon prayer 
 (four o'clock). 
 
 We passed to-day, numbers of turtles on the 
 banks and shoals, which the rapid fall of the 
 river had recently left exposed. 
 
 At noon, we examined some extensive mounds 
 of the same general description as those we saw 
 yesterday. One of our party picked up a brick 
 with an inscription, but of a very imperfect 
 character. Half a mile from the banks of the 
 river was the portion of a pillar, composed of 
 sun-burnt bricks, twenty feet two inches high, 
 and sixty-three feet in circumference. It was
 
 124 EXTENSIVE RUINS. 
 
 formed of eight layers of bricks, consisting 
 of seven layers placed horizontally, and one 
 vertically ; between the layers was interspers- 
 ed cement, one-half the thickness of the brick. 
 The pillar stands at the eastern side of a 
 large mass of ruins, apparently the remains of 
 an extensive palace, or temple ; that portion 
 which is left, proves it to be detached, and 
 there were evidently no means of ascending 
 it ; we were not provided with instruments 
 with which we could open its base, or examine 
 among the ruins for any part of its capital, or 
 ornament, and we could gain no information 
 respecting it. The annexed sketch will show 
 the resemblance this pillar bears to those an- 
 cient columns so common in Ireland. Amongst 
 the ruins we found some different kinds of glass, 
 perfectly white and transparent, like flint-glass ; 
 the surface of which was corroded, indicating a 
 long exposure. A raised causeway extended 
 due S. from these ruins, to some mounds appa- 
 rently four or five miles distant. Half a mile
 
 EXTENSIVE RUINS. 
 
 125 
 
 to the W. N. W. on the banks of the river 
 are some mounds, the remains of a burying- 
 
 ground, on which the river has evidently en- 
 croached, and recently washed down a consider- 
 able portion. At this place, was an earthen- 
 ware vessel of an oval shape; this Mr. Hart 
 broke open with his dagger, and found to con- 
 tain the skeleton of a child, which crumbled to 
 pieces on being exposed to the air ; the vessel 
 was eighteen inches deep, three feet long, and
 
 126 FIRE-TEMPLE. 
 
 twenty-two inches wide : higher up in the bank, 
 was another vessel, somewhat larger, but cor- 
 responding with the other in its general appear- 
 ance ; but as this had been broken, no bones 
 were discoverable. In the course of our jour- 
 ney, we found vessels of a similar description, 
 of which 1 shall make mention in another part 
 of the journal. 
 
 Near sunset, we saw at some distance, bear- 
 ing south by west, an elevated mound, which 
 Aboo Nasir called Gubri Bena, the temple of 
 the Ghebers, or ancient fire-worshippers. As 
 we looked upon Aboo Nasir to be less super- 
 stitious than his countrymen, we were not a 
 little surprized to hear him gravely assert that 
 a large troop of devils were in the habit of 
 assembling at the temple every night, and danc- 
 ing round it, amidst flames of fire : he added, 
 that many Arabs had seen them at a distance, 
 that none had ever dared to appi-oach the spot 
 by night, and that no Englishman had ever 
 visited the haunt of these evil spirits.
 
 TAUK KISRA. 127 
 
 March 19. — Our boat was accompanied this 
 morning for a considerable distance by a party 
 of fellows, who kept up a kind of running 
 dance, of a most grotesque description; with 
 them, was a man playing a flute, made of bam- 
 boo, from which he managed to extract some 
 kind of melody. They belonged to a tribe 
 called Dawurree, and are countenanced by the 
 Pasha of Bagdad ; are professed thieves and 
 buffoons, and said to be very skilful in both 
 callings. As far as we could judge, their ap- 
 pearance certainly did not belie their vocations. 
 
 The banks of the river were lined with 
 camels and cattle ; and numerous encamp- 
 ments of Illyauts. 
 
 During the day, we passed an uninterrupted 
 succession of mounds, the remains of the once 
 magnificent cities of Seleucia and Ctesiphon. 
 At night, we came in sight of Tauk Kisra, 
 an ancient arch, which we visited the follow- 
 ing day. 
 
 March 20. — We landed first on the W. bank
 
 128 TAUK KISRA. 
 
 of the river, on the site of the ancient Seleu- 
 cia. Having to go some distance in search of 
 a statue, and not being able to procure horses, 
 we each hired a camel from amongst some 
 which we found grazing on the banks ; these 
 animals had nothing on their backs but the 
 common wooden frame, or pack-saddle for car- 
 rying burdens, and were totally unprovided 
 with any convenience for riding ; so we each 
 seated ourselves on their rumps, and guided 
 them with a long stick, by striking their cheek 
 on the opposite side to that which we wished 
 them to go. I do not answer for my compa- 
 nions, some of whom were fastidious respect- 
 ing their conveyance, but for my own part the 
 motion was not intolerable, nor so rough as 
 to prevent me from writing legibly, while my 
 beast was going his best walking-pace. 
 
 We reached the statue of which we were 
 in search, after a ride of five miles, through a 
 country strewed with fragments of ruined 
 buildings. As far as the eye could reach, the 
 horizon presented a broken line of mounds ;
 
 ANCIENT STATUE. 
 
 129 
 
 the whole of this place was a desert flat ; the 
 only vegetation was a small prickly shrub, 
 thinly scattered over the plain, and some patches 
 of grass, where the water had lodged in pools, 
 occupied by immense flocks of bitterns : so lite- 
 rally has the prophecy of Isaiah been fulfilled, 
 respecting devoted Babylon : " I will also make 
 it a possession for the bittern and pooh of wa- 
 ter : and I will sweep it with the besom of de- 
 struction, saith the Lord of Lords." 1 ''* 

 
 130 
 
 ANCIENT STATUE. 
 
 The statue was lying on the ground near 
 the remains of some extensive buildings. It 
 consisted of the lower portion of a figure in a 
 sitting posture in long vestments, the form of 
 which prove them to belong to a female. It 
 is executed with considerable skill, particularly 
 the ornamental part of the robe, and the feet, 
 which are exceedingly well delineated. The 
 figure is seated on a square stool, standing 
 on a base ten inches thick, apparently for the 
 purpose of fixing it in its place, as it is left 
 rough ; the- upper portion is broken off, as it 
 would seem from having falling down from a 
 height. This is indicated by the manner of 
 the fracture, which is obliquely downwards, 
 while the stone is rent throughout. The en- 
 tire figure appears to consist of a block of com- 
 pact granite, of great tenacity, as we found 
 on making an unsuccessful attempt to break 
 off a small portion from the fractured part. 
 
 Our guides had as usual a tradition respect-
 
 TRADITION. 131 
 
 ing the ruins and the statue. The city, they 
 said, was destroyed by the Almighty, for the 
 sins of the people. In former times, a brother 
 and sister, both very beautiful, were so constant- 
 ly together, that, as they grew up, an impro- 
 per attachment was formed, and God to punish 
 them, turned them to stone. 
 
 We returned a different way from that which 
 we came, but the same signs of building were 
 apparent: the people who accompanied us on 
 foot, picked up four copper coins, but they were 
 so much corroded that they could not be made 
 out. On our return, we passed what appears to 
 have been the W. wall of the city, composed of 
 sun-dried bricks, with layers of reeds. It is of 
 great thickness, and in many places, notwith- 
 standing its long exposure to the washing of the 
 rains, upwards of twenty feet high. It stands 
 about a mile from the present channel of the 
 river ; the line of the southern wall can also be 
 traced, and the remains of a mound running 
 k 2
 
 132 POWDER-MILLS. 
 
 east. The water is encroaching in this direc- 
 tion, and has washed away the eastern wall, 
 if such ever existed. 
 
 The Turks have established a gunpowder 
 manufactory, at which we found some men at 
 work : the ruins of a small square fort, evident- 
 ly of a later erection, stand about the middle of 
 the southern wall, from which it is separated a 
 hundred yards, and must have been commanded 
 from it. The form of the interior building, 
 which is of burnt bricks, can still be traced, 
 and we saw a well on one of the bastions. 
 Though a brisk wind was blowing, the heat was 
 very oppressive, and we were glad to get to the 
 protection of the boat. We found a servant of 
 Aga Saikeis, the British agent at Bagdad, wait- 
 ing on board, with a letter from Mr. Hamilton, 
 informing us, that apartments were preparing 
 in the agent's house, and that horses would be 
 sent to this place to take us on to Bagdad. 
 
 In the afternoon, we crossed over to the E. 
 bank near to the Tauk ( Arch), which we went
 
 ARCH OF K1SRA. 133 
 
 to examine, after having rested a couple of 
 hours. It stands about half a mile from the 
 river, the intervening space being entirely co- 
 vered with brick mounds, which, in every direc- 
 tion, appeared to extend as far as we could 
 see. We rode on asses, which we obtained on 
 hire. The annual fair, which is held at the 
 tomb of Suleiman Pauk (a Mahometan saint), 
 terminated yesterday, and a number of the 
 visitors still remained. The view of the ruin 
 far exceeded our expectations. From a scene 
 of broken walls entirely devoid of ornament, we 
 came suddenly in sight of this large and noble 
 pile of building. The arch in the centre is, 
 according to our measurement, eighty-five feet 
 wide, and one hundred and one feet high ; the 
 curve of the arch forms a large parabola, 
 springing from about half the height ; this 
 leads to a vaulted hall of the same breadth and 
 height, one hundred and fifty-seven feet long ; 
 this is the only portion of the interior, of which 
 the roof remains : the back is also broken down,
 
 134 ARCH OF KISRA. 
 
 as are fifteen feet towards the front : the ceiling 
 is pierced with a number of holes at regular 
 distances, which, according to our conductors, 
 formerly held chandeliers. The whole is built 
 of well-made kiln-burnt bricks, one foot square, 
 and three inches thick ; but they do not, as is 
 generally asserted, belong to the Babylonian 
 ruins. The massive structure of the whole 
 building has saved it from a similar fate from 
 the roof. It does not appear to have suffered 
 much dilapidation since it was visited by Ives, 
 in 1758; and, if left to the effect of time, may 
 endure for many years. The walls that support 
 the arch are fifteen feet thick ; four tiers of 
 arches remain, diminishing in succession. Tra- 
 dition asserts that the palace when entire was 
 double its present height. 
 
 In the annexed drawing of this building and 
 of the ruined pillar of which a sketch is given, 
 it will be perceived that the base of both are 
 much injured ; this is produced by the perio- 
 dical overflow of the river, which leaves the
 
 AttCH OF KISRA. 135 
 
 country inundated from two to three months 
 of every year, and is the principal cause of de- 
 cay of the ancient towns in this country, a 
 circumstance I wish strongly to impress upon 
 my readers as they accompany me in the exami- 
 nation of this ruin, in order to prepare them 
 to consider minutely the more important one 
 of Babylon. 
 
 While we were engaged in our measurements, 
 a Turk attended by a large suite, dismounted 
 and spread his mat near us. We sat down, 
 smoked a pipe together, and drank some coffee, 
 while he directed one of his attendants to as- 
 cend the top of the building, a work of some 
 difficulty. The crowd seemed to admire our 
 measuring line, and the facility with which we 
 wrote with our pencils. One of our party, in 
 opening his coat to look for a pencil, discovered 
 to the bystanders a small pistol in each waist- 
 coat pocket. Significant glances were exchang- 
 ed by the crowd, who seemed impressed with 
 a high opinion of our desperate courage, from
 
 136' TOMB OF SULEIMAN PAUK. 
 
 having concealed arms about us. With the 
 Asiatic traveller, his weapons of defence are 
 the most conspicuous appendages of his dress, 
 his object being more to intimidate the robber 
 from attempting an assault than to resist when 
 attacked. 
 
 From the ruin, we went to the tomb of 
 Suleiman Pauk, whose name has superseded 
 that of the builder of this magnificent pile, in 
 giving a name to the district. The tomb is a 
 small building with a dome ; the interior (to 
 which they allowed us access, on our pulling 
 off our shoes,) was ornamented with arabesque 
 arches, and the surrounding enclosure was used 
 as a caravanserai. 
 
 Suleiman Pauk, or Solomon the Clean, was 
 the contemporary and zealous partisan of Ma- 
 homet, and is now the patron saint of the 
 barbers, who come from Bagdad in annual pro- 
 cession to visit his tomb. 
 
 Seleucia stands prominent in the page of his- 
 tory, as having caused the final destruction of
 
 SELEUCIA. 137 
 
 Babylon. On the death of Alexander the 
 Great, which happened in the latter city as he 
 was about to rebuild the Tower of Babel, his 
 immediate successor in Asia, Seleucus Nicator, 
 built Seleucia for the avowed purpose of ruining 
 Babylon. The spot selected, though now a 
 desert, was at that time the most fertile of the 
 East. Seleucia, which became the metropolis of 
 Assyria, was formed on a Greek model, and 
 received from the founder a free constitution. 
 Such attractions soon drew from the already 
 exhausted Babylon its few remaining inhabi- 
 tants, and the population of the new city in- 
 creased so rapidly, that, according to Pliny, it 
 soon amounted to six hundred thousand. Se- 
 leucia continued to flourish for several centu- 
 ries ; and that author, who lived five hundred 
 years after the foundation, says, that even in 
 his time it still enjoyed the blessings of free- 
 dom — '* Libera hodie ac sui juris* " 
 
 * Plin. lib. 6. cap. xxvi.
 
 138 CTESIPHON. 
 
 Meanwhile Ctesiphon appears to have been 
 a small town on the opposite bank. As the 
 Seleucians, who were a free people, would na- 
 turally have viewed with jealousy the establish- 
 ment of a military force within their walls, the 
 monarchs were accustomed to quarter in Ctesi- 
 phon their Scythian soldiers, who performed the 
 same military service at that period, which 
 their descendants, the wanderings tribes, do 
 for the sovereigns of the present day. 
 
 Seleucia suffered at the hands of the Par- 
 tisans the same fate which she had inflicted 
 on Babylon. Ctesiphon, in her turn, became a 
 great and populous city, the capital of the 
 kingdom. In the time of the Emperor Julian, 
 she was in the zenith of her glory ; and the 
 recollection becomes more interesting, from 
 being connected with the history of that singu- 
 lar character, the splendour of whose great and 
 good qualities has been obscured by the for- 
 bidding though well-merited epithet of " The 
 Apostate."
 
 CTESIPHOX IL MKDAYN. 139 
 
 Ctesiphon is said by Ammianus Marcellinus, 
 the historian and contemporary of Julian, to 
 have been built by Vardanes, and afterwards 
 beautified and walled by Pacorus, a Parthian 
 king. This city is by some supposed to be the 
 site of Calneh, in the land of Shinar, mentioned 
 in Genesis :* and Pliny's placing Ctesiphon in 
 Chalo?iitis,-f favours the idea. Why not too 
 the expression in the sixth chapter of Amos, 
 applicable to this, " Pass ye into Calneh and 
 see." 
 
 Ctesiphon and Seleucia were subsequently 
 united under the name of II Medayn, the dual 
 number of an Arabic word, signifying two ci- 
 ties, which Nooshirvan, surnamed Kisra the 
 Just, adorned with many beautiful palaces, the 
 principal of which was the Tauk or Arch, which 
 I have described. Gibbon gives a detailed ac- 
 
 * And the beginning of his (Nimrod's) kingdom was 
 Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land 
 of Shinar. — Gen. x. 10. 
 
 f Ctesiphontem juxta tertium lapidem in Chalonitide 
 condidere Parthi. — Plin. lib. vi. cap. xxvi. p. 136.
 
 140 ARRIVAL AT BAGDAD. 
 
 count of the sacking of this palace by the Sara- 
 cens, and of the immense wealth found within 
 the walls. The barbarians seemed struck with 
 the riches, and, as they entered, exclaimed, 
 " This is the white palace of Chosroes ! — this is 
 the promise of the apostle of God !" 
 
 We returned on board at dusk, intending to 
 resume our examination next day ; but Aboo 
 Nasir, as tipsy as usual, had weighed and sail- 
 ed without our knowledge. Luckily a strong 
 breeze sprang up from the southward, which 
 brought us in the morning off the renowned 
 city of Bagdad. 
 
 March 21. — As we approached the suburbs, 
 the novelty of our dress attracted numbers of 
 people on the bank. There were several wo- 
 men in the crowd, who did not scruple to lift 
 their veils, the better to indulge their curiosity. 
 Some of them set up the same kind of cry, as 
 that with which the women welcomed the new 
 governor into Bussorah. They have tolerably 
 good features, but their pale pink complexions
 
 PUBLIC ENTRANCE INTO BAGDAD. 141 
 
 strongly mark their state of habitual seclusion. 
 Their robes being open as far as the chest, leave 
 the person considerably exposed. 
 
 Our boat was moored near the gates of the 
 town. An hour after, two of the agent's 
 Tchousses (avant couriers) came to tell us that 
 the horses had been sent to Suleiman Pauk, but 
 they would soon return. Hearing this, we pro- 
 posed walking ; but the Tchousses stared with 
 astonishment at the idea of an Englishman 
 compromising his dignity so much, as to walk in 
 the streets at noon-day. As this was impracti- 
 cable, we remained for another hour, when the 
 horses arrived at last, and with them came a 
 host of attendants, who accompanied us into 
 Bagdad. One of them, a mounted Tchouss, 
 went before us with his baton of office, a silver 
 stick, surmounted with a gilt ball of fllligree 
 work. Our horses' 1 bridles were very hand- 
 somely ornamented, and the furniture of our 
 saddles, which covered nearly the whole body 
 of the horse, consisted of velvet studded with
 
 142 JOURNEY ACROSS THE DESERT. 
 
 gilt and silver nobs. In short, we entered this 
 city with a state that would have better befit- 
 ted ambassadors than private travellers. 
 
 We were received with much attention by 
 Aga Saikeis, the British agent. Shortly after 
 our arrival, the Pasha's secretary sent a message 
 welcoming us to Bagdad, and apologizing for 
 not visiting us in person. 
 
 On meeting with Mr. Hamilton, he gave us 
 a lively description of his journey across the 
 Desert, which we here repeat, to help the choice 
 of a future traveller between the land and 
 water journey. 
 
 " On the 18th, Mr. Hamilton passed through 
 several encampments of Arabs, from whom he 
 experienced all those rites of hospitality for 
 which those tribes are celebrated. He describes 
 the plain as being in some parts quite alive 
 with numerous encampments and their attend- 
 ant herds of camels, oxen, and horses. At nine 
 in the evening, he came to the bed of a very
 
 ARAB BEY. 143 
 
 broad canal, the banks of which are thirty feet 
 high. 
 
 " He saw vast quantities of birds, called 
 bitterns, of which the Scriptures tell us that 
 Babylonia was to become the possession. 
 
 " He met an Arab Bey, attended by four 
 men well armed and mounted ; these carried 
 hawks on their wrists, and were followed by 
 several greyhounds. Mr. Hamilton drank coffee 
 with his new acquaintance out of cups with 
 gold saucers. The Bey was very civil, and 
 promised to show him some good hawking on 
 a future occasion. 
 
 " He slept the first part of the night in the 
 tent of an Arab, the father of two beautiful 
 girls. A sheep was brought to the tent door, 
 and milked by one of his fair hostesses ; a 
 carpet was spread for him in the upper part 
 of the tent, a fire was lighted, and he was 
 regaled with pipes, coffee, milk, butter, and a 
 sheep roasted whole. He bivouacked from one
 
 144 ARAB BK\ r . 
 
 till three o'clock in the morning, to rest his 
 cattle. On resuming the march, the cold was 
 so intense, that his party were obliged to 
 alight from their horses and make a fire with 
 some brushwood they found in the jungle. 
 The heat during the day had been nearly 
 insupportable, and the opposite extreme at this 
 time brings to mind Jacob's spirited remon- 
 strance with his father-in-law, Laban, when 
 in a similar situation. " In the day the drought 
 consumed me, and the frost by night.''''* 
 
 " They were all huddled round the fire, when 
 a soldier gave the alarm of robbers. They 
 were up in arms in a moment; but the enemy, 
 on seeing their numbers, made off. 
 
 "On the 19th, he saw the ruins of a circular 
 building, which, from its description, must 
 have resembled that we saw on the banks of 
 the Tigris.f It was forty feet in diameter, and 
 built of red bricks fourteen inches square. 
 
 * Gen. xxxi. 40. + Vide page 123.
 
 HUMMAUM. 145 
 
 "Every flock of sheep that he saw in the 
 night was attended by three or four armed men. 
 At midnight he reached another encampment, 
 and met with treatment similar to that of the 
 night before. 
 
 " The Arab, in whose tent he was breakfast- 
 ing, was told by a boy, that a party had car- 
 ried off some of his sheep : he seized his sword 
 and spear, snatched a musket from one of the 
 soldiers, mounted his horse bare-backed, and 
 in one moment was scouring across the Desert. 
 
 " They resumed their march on the morning 
 of the 20th, and reached Bagdad in the after- 
 noon." 
 
 In the evening we went to the Hummaum, 
 (hot bath) not quietly as we wished, but with 
 the same retinue as in the morning. A Turk- 
 ish Hummaum has been so often described, 
 that it will be sufficient to mention our having 
 undergone the whole process of kneading, 
 cracking joints, and champooing. After the 
 oath, we were, by the civility of Aga Saikeis, 
 
 VOL. I. L
 
 146 CHIEF OF ARTILLERY. 
 
 regaled with iced water, pipes, coffee, and 
 sherbet ; we were then sprinkled with some 
 rose-water ; and frankincense was brought us 
 to perfume our mustaches. 
 
 March 22. — We received a visit next morn- 
 ing from the chief of the artillery to the Pasha 
 of Bagdad. He was a tall thin man, about 
 sixty years of age ; his weather-beaten face had 
 been bronzed by a long exposure to an Eastern 
 sun ; formidable white mustaches graced his 
 upper lip ; and over his eyes were a pair of 
 ferocious bushy eye-brows, the peculiar eleva- 
 tion of which infallibly stamped him a French- 
 man. 
 
 The variety observable in his dress marked 
 the true Soldado : the buttons of his coat were 
 adorned with the imperial crown and initial of 
 Napoleon ; from the button-hole was suspended 
 a croix of Louis the Desired ; and a flaming 
 pair of capacious Turkish trowsers bespoke his 
 present service. The top of this gaunt figure
 
 CHIEF OF ARTILLERY. 147 
 
 was crowned with a small hat, which rested on 
 his left ear. 
 
 With the volubility which so strongly cha- 
 racterizes his nation, he dilated on every sub- 
 ject. Hearing my name mentioned, he inquired 
 of me if I were related to " the unfortunate 
 Keppel.'' 1 Perceiving that he confounded the 
 fate of the two admirals,* I attempted to con- 
 vince him that it was Byng, and not Keppel, 
 who had been unfortunate ; but he interrupted 
 me with a " pardonnez,'"' and assured the com- 
 pany that an English friend of his threw up his 
 commission in consequence of Keppefs execu- 
 tion. 
 
 * Admiral Byng was tried and executed in 1757. 
 Admiral Keppel was tried and acquitted in 1779, and 
 in 1782, was made First Lord of the Admiralty. 
 
 L 2
 
 148 the pasha's garden. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 The Pasha's Garden — Armenian Church — Our Host's 
 Policy — Monastery of Calendars — Tomb of Zobeide — 
 Visit to the Catholic Bishop of Bagdad — Anecdote — 
 Journey to Babylon — Our Establishment — Description 
 of a Caravanserai — Our First Night's Lodging. 
 
 In the afternoon we visited one of the Pa- 
 sha's gardens — our heads full of the splendid 
 descriptions in the Arabian Nights. Though 
 not so sanguine as to expect a garden like that 
 in which Ibrahim entertained the fair Persian, 
 we hoped at least to see something like Eastern 
 magnificence in the summer retreat of a three- 
 tailed Basha. We were doomed to be disap- 
 pointed. The garden, comprising eight or ten 
 acres, and enclosed within a mud wall, contained
 
 ARMENIAN CHURCH. 149 
 
 a confused assemblage of shrubs and fruit trees. 
 A summer-house on the banks of the Tigris, 
 well worthy of the garden, was a rickety little 
 building, where dirt, damp, and neglect, had 
 obliterated nearly every trace of the fresco 
 daubinffs of flowers, with which the walls had 
 once been decorated. 
 
 To compensate in some degree for this de- 
 struction of our air-built castles, we had, from 
 the windows of the summer-house, a fine view 
 of Bagdad and its neighbourhood. 
 
 In our way home, we stopped in a small by- 
 street to visit the Armenian church, which look- 
 ed, indeed, as if it belonged to a despised and 
 persecuted religion; and gave us an idea of 
 what our churches might have been in the early 
 times of Christianity. The door by which we 
 entered was not above five feet high, and the 
 exterior of the building had nothing to distin- 
 guish it from the humble dwellings in its neigh- 
 bourhood. An old grey-bearded priest admit, 
 ted us through an inner court into the church.
 
 150 ARMENIAN CHURCH. 
 
 It was a small narrow apartment ; at the east 
 end stood an altar, decorated with faded silk 
 and silver tinsel ; a few wax tapers on the ta- 
 bles were lighted by the priest, who seemed 
 anxious that his church shoidd be seen to the 
 best advantage. A few paltry daubs hung 
 upon the walls, executed with the true Eastern 
 contempt for perspective and chronology. One 
 represented Abraham about to sacrifice Isaac, 
 with the Crucifixion of our Saviour in the 
 back-ground ! 
 
 In the course of conversation, we mentioned 
 to Aga Saikeis our wish to be acquainted with 
 the Pasha of Bagdad. Perceiving his unwil- 
 lingness to introduce us, we pressed him for his 
 reasons ; and were not a little surprised to find, 
 that our omitting to call upon the Pasha was 
 to form part of a plan he had in view to fright- 
 en that potentate, and by so doing, to render 
 him subservient to his own purposes. 
 
 To explain our host's policy, it may be men- 
 tioned, that some time before our arrival at
 
 our host's policy. 151 
 
 Bussorah, Captain Taylor, the political agent, 
 had, for some infraction of the treaty on the 
 part of the Pasha, hauled down the British 
 flag, and did not intend to hoist it again till he 
 had received instructions from the Indian Go- 
 vernment. Shortly after this, the Alligator had 
 arrived at Bussorah, and the Pasha's brother 
 had taken possession of his government. 
 
 A British man-of-war anchoring off Bus- 
 sorah was an event so unusual, that it struck 
 alarm into the mind of the new governor, who, 
 soon after our visit, wrote to his brother at 
 Bagdad, informing him that a king's ship had 
 arrived for some especial purpose ; that a large 
 European force was on board (so he termed the 
 marines) ; and that four Europeans (meaning 
 our party) were about to proceed to Persia 
 through Bagdad, as he surmised, on some poli- 
 tical mission. 
 
 These concurring, though accidental circum- 
 stances, were such as would naturally alarm an 
 Asiatic, ignorant of our customs. It was with
 
 152 A MONASTERY OF CALENDARS. 
 
 the view of keeping alive these fears, that Aga 
 Saikeis wished to prevent our waiting upon the 
 Pasha ; by which he intended to make it 
 appear, that we, the pseudo-diplomatists, had 
 received instructions from our Government thus 
 to express a negative disapprobation of the 
 Pasha's conduct. 
 
 March 23. — Mr. Hamilton and I went this 
 morning to the opposite bank, to visit a mo- 
 nastery of wandering dervishes, called Calen- 
 dars, of which sect mention is made in the Ara- 
 bian Nights. The bridge, which we crossed on 
 horseback, had a somewhat alarming appear- 
 ance. It was formed by a number of boats, 
 irregularly fastened together, and surmounted 
 by a narrow platform made of the trunks of 
 date-trees. This, in many places, was full of 
 holes ; and, as there was no balustrade, and a 
 crowd was constantly passing to and fro, the 
 slightest start of our horses would have pre- 
 cipitated us into the river. When the wind 
 sets in at the S. E., the bridge becomes impass-
 
 A MONASTERY OF CALENDARS. 153 
 
 able, and the communication between Bagdad 
 and its suburbs is suspended for several days. 
 
 At a quarter of a mile from the bridge is the 
 monastery, presenting the appearance of sub- 
 stantial neatness. On the walls are numerous 
 inscriptions in the Arabic and Cufic characters, 
 and one of considerable length over the gate- 
 way. In the court-yard, are a number of fruit- 
 trees, principally the orange and the vine. 
 
 On dismounting from our horses, we were 
 conducted to the Sheikh Calendar (the Superior 
 of the monastery). He was seated on a tiger's 
 skin, in a room describing three sides of a square 
 of twenty-eight feet, and about forty high. We 
 saw fixed on the walls several rude iron instru- 
 ments, which had been implements of war prior 
 to the use of fire-arms, and had been present- 
 ed to the monastery by various contributors. 
 There were also some brass urns, a number of 
 ostrich eggs, and some white stones, fixed in 
 the walls. The Sheikh wore a low drab cloth 
 turban, bound round with green, called the
 
 154 A MONASTERY OF CALENDARS. 
 
 taje.e-dervekhaun (dervish's cap) ; the other 
 Calendars had caps of a similar shape, with red 
 tassels. From the neck of each Calendar were 
 suspended a circular onyx-stone, with indented 
 edges, somewhat bigger than a crown-piece, 
 (this was called the sung-i-tulsim, or talismanic 
 stone), and one somewhat larger, called the 
 sung-i-canaut (the stone of repose), emblematic 
 of the peaceful life of the wearer. Round the 
 waist was worn a stone of an oval form, called 
 the Kumberia, which accompanies the wearer 
 to the grave. 
 
 The Sheikh was a clever talkative little man, 
 and possessed that agreeable vivacity and store 
 of anecdote which are occasionally found in 
 men who have had much intercourse with the 
 world. He had seen various countries, and 
 spoke Persian with great fluency — in which 
 language we conversed. On our approaching 
 him, he vociferated a dozen doggrel rhymes in 
 token of his self-abasement, calling himself a 
 Jew, an infidel, a rogue, and a drunkard. As
 
 A MONASTERY OF CALENDARS. 155 
 
 he repeated these frequently, I caught the fol- 
 lowing lines, which may serve as a specimen of 
 the metre : — 
 
 Herkeh poshum 
 Baiid-I noshiim 
 Meferoshum . 
 
 He next began a long speech, thanking us for the 
 honour we had conferred on a poor dervish who 
 had quitted the world ; though, from his lively 
 conversation, there was little of the anchorite 
 perceptible in him. We were very anxious to 
 learn some account of his Order ; but he was 
 so fond of hearing himself talk, that we were 
 obliged to let him have his own way. He 
 dwelt much on the forbearing and pacific doc- 
 trine of the Calendars 1 code ; and told us that 
 for a blow given no blow would be returned, 
 but the simple ejaculation of " God's will be 
 done V We observed, however, that no Ca- 
 lendar was without a dagger in his girdle. He 
 informed us the monastery was built by the 
 Caliph Haroun Alraschid, nine hundred and
 
 156 ACCOUNT OF THEIR ORDER. 
 
 twenty-five years ago : he also showed us a 
 picture, which he said was intended to repre- 
 sent the circumstance of an European king 
 coming to pay his respects to the King of the 
 Calendars. In the adjoining room we were 
 shown a small niche, in which the Calendars 
 are supposed to sit. It was covered with Ara- 
 bic inscriptions — most probably quotations from 
 the Koran. 
 
 On returning to the first room, the Sheikh 
 gave us pipes and coffee, and an excellent 
 breakfast of milk, dates, and sweetmeats ; after 
 winch we took our leave, much pleased with 
 the eccentricity of our reception. 
 
 The Arabian Nights furnish but few details 
 respecting this Order : the only place where 
 they are mentioned, is the story in which three 
 sons of kings, all blind of the right eye, assume 
 the habits of Calendars, and sup with the three 
 sisters, where they meet Haroun Alraschid, the 
 Vizier Giafar, and Mesrour, the chief of the 
 Eunuchs. These Calendars were said to have
 
 TOMB OF ZOBEIDE. 157 
 
 shaved their beards and eyebrows ; by which it 
 would seem, that formerly such a custom form- 
 ed a part of the duties of a Calendar, but I 
 was not able to extract from our talkative host 
 any elucidation of this custom. The Calen- 
 dars, so called from Calendar, the name of 
 their founder, are a sect of Mahometan der- 
 vishes, whose debauched morals and vagabond 
 habits give great offence to their more orthodox 
 brethren. They wander as mendicants over all 
 parts of Asia. In India they wear a party- 
 coloured dress, to denote, as I should suppose, 
 their extreme poverty. 
 
 In returning home, we visited the tomb of 
 Zobeide, the wife of Haroun Alraschid, which, 
 even when new, must have been very inferior to 
 what we should naturally have expected in ho- 
 nour of the favourite of so renowned a caliph. 
 The building under which Zobeide lies buried, 
 is a column formed of a pyramid of polygons 
 of thirty feet high, decreasing in number of 
 sides towards the vertex. The interior of this
 
 158 TOMB OF ZOBEIDE. 
 
 building is seven paces and a half wide ; in it 
 are three tombs of brickwork, in a very dilapi- 
 dated state, containing the bodies of the mo- 
 ther of one Pasha, and the son of another : in 
 the third is all that now remains of the once 
 beautiful Zobeide. There is no appearance of 
 any inscription to perpetuate her memory : the 
 only one visible in the building was to Ali Bey, 
 the son of Mohumud Pasha ; nor were there 
 any traces of ornamental work, so common in 
 the Arabic buildings. 
 
 We have been kept such close prisoners, 
 ever since our arrival in Bagdad, that we have 
 not been permitted to leave the house without 
 a numerous train of attendants. Against this 
 ridiculous and petty annoyance remonstrance 
 has been tried without effect. We are answered 
 by an appeal to our pride, that " the English 
 name is great in Bagdad," and that it would 
 be wrong in us to compromise it, by doing any 
 thing so derogatory to the Turkish ideas of 
 great men, as to go into the streets unattended.
 
 VISIT TO THE CATHOLIC BISHOP. 159 
 
 It is in vain we tell Aga Saikeis that such 
 observations are inapplicable to private travel- 
 lers like ourselves, who have no wish to be 
 taken for great men : but no ; he is deaf to our 
 entreaties for liberty ; and we are obliged to 
 submit with the best grace we can. This even- 
 ing we wished to see a mosque that had been 
 built by Haroun Alraschid ; and knowing that 
 a large retinue would attract a crowd, we tried 
 to escape from our guard, and to steal out un- 
 perceived, but without success; our persecu- 
 tors soon overtook, and preceded us as usual. 
 These men, thinking it impossible that we 
 could go out except on a visit of ceremony, 
 conducted us by mistake to the house of the 
 Catholic Bishop of Bagdad. This gentleman 
 had been sent out by the French Government, 
 and, as it is supposed, will shortly be appointed 
 Consul for that nation. 
 
 We found in the Bishop, all that politeness 
 and vivacity which form the characteristics of 
 the Frenchman. Although we were at first
 
 160 VISIT TO THE CATHOLIC BISHOP. 
 
 disappointed at not finding the object of our 
 search, we soon forgot our chagrin, by listening 
 to his agreeable conversation. 
 
 The Bishop detailed to us, with considerable 
 humour, the account of his journey by the 
 caravan, across the Desert, from Aleppo to this 
 place. He told us that he had been robbed 
 three times by the wandering tribes. On one 
 of these occasions, the robbers, seeing him with 
 a very neat and clean pair of boots, were so 
 polite and obliging as to take them off his feet, 
 without giving him the trouble to dismount : at 
 the same time one of the gang was about to 
 seize a small chest containing all his valuables ; 
 but this was saved, by one of the fellow's 
 comrades desiring him to leave it alone, as it 
 only contained medicines, or, according to the 
 Bishop's version of the story, " Bah ! c'est tin 
 Franc, il rCa que la medicine" 
 
 March 24. — At four this afternoon, our ar- 
 rangements being complete for our visit to the 
 ruins of Babylon, we left Bagdad with the
 
 OUIt ESTABLISHMENT. 161 
 
 buoyant spirit of schoolboys breaking up for 
 the holidays, so pleased were we at leaving our 
 state-prison, and exchanging it for the pure air 
 of the Desert. 
 
 Our present establishment consisted of the 
 Syyud, who continued to officiate as cook ; Ya- 
 coot the Ethiopian, who, upon our drawing lots 
 for him, fell to Mr. Hart ; Yusuf, an Armeni 
 an, was Mr. Lamb's servant; Mohumud Ali, 
 Mr. Hamilton's ; and Hajee Ali, my own. As 
 we had frequently to speak of our servants in 
 their presence, and as some of them understood 
 English, we deemed it necessary to designate 
 each by some epithet which he could not under- 
 stand : thus, we called the Syyud, " the Des- 
 cendant of the Prophet ;" the Ethiopian, "the 
 Raven," from his hoarse voice and black colour; 
 the Armenian, the " Dandy," from the care he 
 paid to his toilet; Mohumud Ali, the well de- 
 served appellation of " the Policon;" and Hajee 
 Ali, "the Carney 1 from the resemblance his 
 face and figure bore to that animal. 
 VOL. i. m
 
 162 
 
 OUR ESTABLISHMENT. 
 
 Some apology is necessary for introducing 
 these vagabonds to notice ; but they occasion- 
 ally afforded much amusement to us, and often 
 dissipated the ennui of a dull and oppressive 
 march. In addition to these, who Avere well 
 armed and mounted, we took with us our old 
 friend and messmate, Aboo Nasir, the mounted 
 Tchous of Aga Saikeis, and six of our old Arab 
 guard, who were also mounted and armed at all 
 points ; a precaution more than usually neces- 
 sary, from the circumstance of a caravan having 
 been plundered only two days previous to our 
 march. 
 
 Each of our party rode his own horse, and 
 mules were hired to carry our attendants ; we 
 also had a firman (order) from the Pasha, to be 
 supplied with whatever we might require on the 
 journey. 
 
 The traveller finds himself in the Desert the 
 moment he is outside the walls of Bagdad. 
 The first part of the road is a beaten track, 
 formed by the constant journeying of pilgrims
 
 JOURNEY TO BABYLON. 163 
 
 to the tomb of their patron Saint, Ali, the 
 cousin of Mahomet, who is buried to the west- 
 ward of Babylon, at Meshed Ali, to which 
 place he has given the name. Fully to appre- 
 ciate the pleasure of our mode of travelling — 
 and while the novelty lasted, it was not without 
 its charms — all ideas of European expedition or 
 comfort must be set aside. We seldom went 
 faster than a foot-pace, and the stoppages were 
 so numerous, from the laziness and inattention 
 of our muleteers, that our rate rarely exceeded 
 two miles an hour. 
 
 The country hence to the ruins comprises 
 an arid desert, without either a tree or hill to 
 break the level uniformity of the prospect. 
 This characteristic feature is, according to the 
 ancients, the reason why the Chaldeans were 
 the first who observed the motions of the stars. 
 Strabo compares the plain of Babylon to the 
 sea, from its extreme flatness ;* and Cicero says, 
 
 * Sfrab. lib. 11. p. 109, ed. Paris. 
 M 2
 
 104 JOURNEY TO BABYLON. 
 
 that tlie Babylonians dwelt in seas of open 
 plains, " Babylonii in eampornm patentium 
 ccquoribus habitantes."* Of the absence of 
 trees here, Strabo informs us, that Alexander 
 wishing to build some ships, wanted the cypress 
 trees from the gardens, because of the scarcity 
 of wood, cnavis v\yj$ svTcwQu.'f 
 
 Before dark, we saw Tauk Kisra, about six 
 miles to the E. At two fursukhsj from Bag- 
 dad, we passed the caravanserai of Kiahya 
 Khan, which, from its vicinity to the city, is 
 seldom used. One of these caravanserai is 
 to be found at the distance of two fursukhs 
 from the other, the whole way between Bagdad 
 and Meshed Ali : they have been erected by 
 the piety of some rich Persian pilgrims, for the 
 benefit of their countrymen in general. From 
 
 * Cicero de Div. lib. i. 42. f Strab. lib. xvi. 741. 
 
 % Tlie fursukh, by the Greeks spelt <papaaavyo-; para- 
 s.ingus, comprised thirty stadia, about four English 
 miles.
 
 DESCRIPTION OF A CARAVANSERAI. 165 
 
 the earliest periods, caravanserais have been 
 established in Oriental countries, and at about 
 the same distance from each other, as at pre- 
 sent. Herodotus enumerates one hundred and 
 eleven of these stathmi, or mansions, in the 
 dominions of the King of Persia, all of which 
 he describes as being beautiful and splendid : 
 and I am disposed to think they were of the 
 same description as those " towers in the De- 
 sert,"* which were built by Uzziah. 
 
 At nine in the evening we arrived at Assad 
 Khan, where we, or rather our servants, found 
 the best accommodations occupied by other 
 travellers, who, by virtue of the Pasha's firman, 
 were unceremoniously turned out to make way 
 for us. This caravanserai, which differed but 
 little from any that we afterwards saw, was a 
 quadrangular building, with a court-yard. In 
 the centre was a square, comprising about forty 
 
 2 Chron. xxvi. 10.
 
 166 oun night's lodging. 
 
 feet of solid masonry, raised three feet, called 
 the Bauri Kesh, for travellers' baggage. The 
 entire building occupied about two acres of 
 ground : a range of cloisters, having a succes- 
 sion of recesses ten feet in breadth and height, 
 served either as apartments for travellers, or 
 as mangers for their cattle — to both of which 
 purposes we applied them. 
 
 Having arrived some hours after dark, com- 
 pletely harassed by travelling by night, we had 
 to wait for some time before we could procure 
 a light. The fire that was boiling water for 
 our tea, nearly suffocated us with its smoke ; 
 our mules, which were close to us, almost 
 stunned us with the incessant jingling of their 
 bells ; our servants kept up a constant and 
 angry chattering ; our horses, a loud and con- 
 tinual neigh ; while we, by our bitter lamenta- 
 tions, added to the general discord. Our beds, 
 composed only of Persian carpets, were but a 
 poor defence, to our bruised bones, ngainst the
 
 our night's lodging. 187 
 
 hardness and unevenness of the ill-paved floor. 
 If to these grievances were added the attacks 
 of myriads of fleas, which did not leave us till 
 they had marked us like lepers, it will be 
 allowed that we must have passed any thing 
 but an agreeable night.
 
 16*8 BIR-IUNUS. 
 
 CHArTER IX. 
 
 Bir-iunus — Caravans of Persian Pilgrims — Scriptural 
 Illustrations — Mode of Travelling — Women — Corpses 
 — Coffins — Iskanderia — Earthenware Coffins — Mo- 
 howel — An old Man and his Wives — Distant appear- 
 ance of the Ruins of Babylon — Reasons for supposing 
 the Ruins to be those of Babylon — Causes of Deterio- 
 ration — MujillebeMound — Illustration of the Prophecy 
 of Isaiah — Hilleh — Population — Musjid Eshams — 
 Babylonian inscriptions — Bricks — Cylinders — Throw- 
 ing the Jereed — Sham fight — Tower of Babel — Baby- 
 lonian boats — Earthenware tombs — Statue of a Lion — 
 Hanging Gardens — Palace. 
 
 At daylight the following morning, we left 
 our comfortless lodging, and stopped to break- 
 fast at Bir-iunus, another caravanserai, eieht 
 miles distant. At these halting-places, the 
 traveller is always sure of being supplied, at a
 
 SCRIPTURAL ILLUSTRATIONS. 169 
 
 moderate price, with eggs, poultry, dates, sweet 
 limes, and generally with mutton and kid. 
 
 We saw, in the course of the day, various 
 caravans of Persians ; some going to, and others 
 returning from their pilgrimage. We were 
 much interested, as well by viewing the pictu- 
 resque appearance of these passing groups, as 
 by the recollection that we were witnessing a 
 mode of travelling which, from the predatory 
 habits of the unchanged wanderers of the de- 
 sert, has been rendered necessary, from the 
 most remote periods of history to the present 
 hour. " In Arabia shall ye lodge, O ye tra- 
 velling companies of Dedanim.' 1 * 
 
 The higher class of Persians were generally 
 mounted on good horses, unencumbered by any 
 burthen except the apparatus of the kuleoon, 
 or Persian pipe. Two or three servants, 
 mounted on horses lightly laden with baggage, 
 formed the suite of one person. The equi- 
 
 * Is. xxi. 13.
 
 170 MODE OF TRAVELLING. 
 
 pages are always very light — a Persian re- 
 jecting, as superfluous, many travelling arti- 
 cles that would with us be deemed indispens- 
 able. The bed, for instance, is a small carpet 
 of the size of a hearth-rug, which familiarizes 
 the injunction of our Saviour to the man whom 
 he had healed, " Take up thy bed, and walk."* 
 In each caravan, the women comprised about 
 a third of the party. The wives of the rich rode 
 astride on horses ; those of the poorer class 
 were either placed on the baggage-cattle, or 
 seated in a pair of covered panniers slung 
 across a mule — one woman in each pannier. 
 They wore loose trowsers gathered in at the 
 instep, and terminating in a sock. The upper 
 part of their person was enveloped in loose 
 robes ; some of white, others of blue check : 
 their veils, differing from those of the Bagdad 
 women, were composed of a piece of open net- 
 work (half the circumference of the face), 
 
 * Matt. ix. 6.
 
 THE CORPSES, 171 
 
 through which they could see and breathe. It 
 was, possibly, a veil of a similar kind, to which 
 Abimelech alludes, when he figuratively tells 
 Sarah that her brother (Abraham) was to her 
 " a covering of the eyes." * 
 
 The most remarkable, and not the least nu- 
 merous part of this assemblage, was the crowd 
 of defunct Shias, whose corpses were going to 
 be buried at the tomb of the patron Saint. 
 These bodies were enclosed in common wooden 
 coffins, in shape and size not unlike those used 
 by the lower orders in England : two of them 
 "were slung across one mule. One man had 
 generally the charge of six or eight bodies. 
 
 The men who convey these corpses to Meshed 
 Ali are not the relations of the deceased par- 
 ties, but persons who gain a livelihood by this 
 peculiar occupation. 
 
 No order of march seemed to be observed 
 in the caravans — the living and dead were in- 
 
 * Gen. xx. 16.
 
 172 ARAB SALUTATION. 
 
 discriminate^ jumbled together. Often, when 
 halted for the night, the coffins were thrown 
 down in the first vacant space in the caravanse- 
 rai; and the bodies, though embalmed, were not 
 so impervious to a burning sun as to be free 
 from a most disagreeable smell. According to 
 Niebuhr, 2,000 dead and 5,000 living annually 
 go to Meshed Aii. Besides the corpses which 
 come direct from Persia for interment, many 
 are brought from India for the same purpose. 
 
 Our friend Aboo Nasir, who seemed to have 
 a very general acquaintance, was frequently 
 accosted by the passing pilgrims. After mak- 
 ing inquiries respecting his health, they usually 
 touched his beard with their right hands, and 
 pressed it to their lips. A similar salutation is 
 mentioned in the Second Book of Samuel — 
 " Joab said to Amasa, art thou in health, my 
 brother? and Joab took Amasa by the beard 
 with the right hand to kiss him." * 
 
 .' Sam. xx. 9.
 
 ISKANDERIA. 173 
 
 Three miles from Bir-iunus, the road branches 
 off in a south-west direction to Meshed Ali. 
 At twelve o'clock we came to a caravanserai, 
 which, in common with the district, is called 
 Iskanderia. Iskanderia, or Roomia, are names 
 given by Oriental nations to the remains of 
 towns supposed to have been built by Alexander 
 the Great, who is well known in the East as 
 Iskander Roomee (Alexander of Greece). Here 
 we saw large and extensive mounds, exhibiting 
 the same appearance as the ruins of Seleucia 
 and Ctesiphon. A quarter of a mile to the 
 northward of these mounds, and in a situation 
 that would have constituted the exterior of the 
 town, we saw some circular earthenware vessels, 
 similar to those containing human bones, which 
 we had seen on the banks of the Tigris on the 
 13th of March. 
 
 From the name of the place, and its vicinity 
 to Babylon, it seems fair to infer that these 
 mounds are the remains of some town built by 
 Alexander the Great, although no mention is
 
 174 CARAVANSERAI OF MOHOWEL. 
 
 made in ancient authors of a city on this precise 
 spot. The nearest town, of the name of Alex- 
 andria, is placed by D'Anville on the banks of 
 the Pallacopa. 
 
 If we consider the ease and facility with 
 which the Macedonian Hero built such towns 
 as Alexandria, on the banks of the laxartes, 
 said to be in circumference three leagues, the 
 ramparts and houses of which were, according 
 to Rollin, completed in twenty days, — it is not 
 unreasonable to suppose that he might have 
 built a town in the neighbourhood of his capi- 
 tal, though no mention should be made of it by 
 his contemporaries. 
 
 In the evening we arrived at a caravanserai, 
 called Mohowel. A squinting old man came in 
 shortly after, attended by four women, to one of 
 whom he gave a good beating for turning back 
 to look at our party. On dismounting from 
 their horses, the four women retired to one of 
 the small recesses, and were concealed from the
 
 CARAVANSERAI OF MOHOWEL. 175 
 
 rest of the company by a curtain placed be- 
 fore it. 
 
 Within a mile of the caravanserai is the bed 
 of a large canal, and near it a considerable 
 mound of bricks. Mr. Hart, and some of our 
 servants, picked up two or three copper coins, 
 but they were so thickly incrusted with verdi- 
 grise, that the impressions were undecipherable. 
 I found a brick, with an inscription in the 
 arrow-headed characters : it was coated with a 
 vitrified or bituminous substance, of so hard a 
 composition, that I broke the brick in attempt- 
 ing to chip a bit off. 
 
 From this place, the ruins of the once mighty 
 Babylon are distinctly visible, presenting the 
 appearance of a number of irregular and mis- 
 shapen hills. Ten miles to the S S. W. is the 
 Tower of Babel, now known by the name of 
 Nimrod's Tower.* Since my return to Eng- 
 land, I have been occasionally asked, what 
 
 * Birs Nimrod.
 
 176 APPEARANCE OF THE RUINS. 
 
 grounds I had for supposing the ruins I visited 
 were those of Babylon. Jlennell and Rich have 
 already so completely established* their identity 
 with that city, that I shall merely state the fol- 
 lowing reasons for my belief. 
 
 The place in question is still called Babel, 
 and the supposed tower of Babel is assigned to 
 Nimrod, by the natives of the country. The 
 traditions of Oriental writers, and those of the 
 neighbouring Arabs, assign the highest antiqui- 
 ty to the ruins. The accounts given by ancient 
 authors agree with the Oriental traditions. The 
 appearance of the place answers the description 
 given by those authors,-}" and the position agrees 
 in the relative distance of Babylon from other 
 great cities : the city of Seleucia,^ for instance, 
 
 * Rennell's Geography of Herodotus. 
 
 f Herodotus., Quintus Curtius, Pliny, Diodorus Sicu- 
 lus. Strain ». 
 
 £ According to Strabo, and the Theodosian tables, Se- 
 leucia was forty-four Roman miles from Babylon.
 
 HISTORICAL NOTICES. 177 
 
 to the north-east, and that of Is* to the north- 
 west. The ruins seen by me correspond with 
 all ancient accounts, both in their geographical 
 relation to Babylon, and to the peculiar descrip- 
 tion of building. The appearance of the fallen 
 city is precisely that which the divine writings 
 predict Babylon should exhibit after her down- 
 fal. The geographical accounts convince me 
 that Babylon could not have stood elsewhere 
 than on the spot I visited ; and the prodigious 
 remains are conclusive evidence, that they could 
 have belonged to no other city. 
 
 The next point for consideration is, the reason 
 why greater remains of Babylon are not to be 
 found ? Remembering the circumstances under 
 
 * " Within an eight days' journey from Babylon is a 
 city called Is, near which flows a river of the same name, 
 which empties itself into the Euphrates. With the cur- 
 rent of this river, particles of bitumen descend towards 
 Babylon, by the means of which the walls were con- 
 structed,*' — Herodotus, Clio. c. ITS, Its modern name 
 is Hit. 
 
 vol.. I. N
 
 178 CAUSES OE DECREASE. 
 
 which this city was built, there will be no diffi- 
 culty in accounting for the deficiency. It is the 
 vast size of Babylon, and not the want of dura- 
 bility in its materials, that ought to excite our 
 wonder. I have before stated, on the authority 
 of Scripture, that the builders of Babylon sub- 
 stituted " bricks for stone, and slime for mor- 
 tar;" a peculiarity which is mentioned by He- 
 rodotus, and by various ancient authors ; and I 
 have also remarked on the ready adaptation of 
 the wet mud on the banks of the river for the 
 making of bricks. When we consider the sandy 
 nature of the soil on which Babylon stood, the 
 perishable materials of which the city was com- 
 posed, and the many large cities that have been 
 built of the ruins ; when it is remembered, that 
 workmen have been constantly employed in re- 
 moving the bricks ; that, for two thousand years, 
 the ruins have been subject to the operations 
 of the weather, and that in consequence of the 
 Euphrates periodically overflowing its banks,
 
 CAUSES OF DECREASE. 179 
 
 they are for two months of every year in a state 
 of inundation; — we ought the rather to be 
 surprised, that such vast masses should have 
 withstood so many concurring causes for total 
 extinction. From these circumstances, I take it 
 for granted, that all the ordinary buildings are 
 crumbled into dust, and that only the remains 
 of the largest exist. 
 
 Whoever has seen the mud habitations of an 
 Eastern city, will readily accede to this sugges- 
 tion. If any further argument were wanting, 
 the fact mentioned by Diodorus Siculus, that 
 the greater portion of the space within the 
 walls was ploughed up in his time, would be, 
 in my opinion, conclusive evidence. 
 
 After stating upon what grounds I rest my 
 belief in the identity of these ruins, it is fair 
 to add, that our party, in commoir with other 
 travellers, have totally failed in discovering any 
 traces of the city-walls. 
 
 The divine predictions against Babylon have 
 n 2
 
 180 CAUSES OF DECREASE. 
 
 been so literally fulfilled in the appearance of 
 the ruins, that I am disposed to give the full- 
 est signification to the prediction of Jeremiah, 
 that " the wall of Babylon shall fall" that 
 " the broad walls of Babylon shall be utterly 
 broken."* We are told by Herodotus,-f- that 
 Babylon was surrounded by a very wide and 
 deep trench, with the earth of which, the wall 
 was constructed. This wall was 200 cubits or 
 300 feet high. When Darius took Babylon, 
 being exasperated against the inhabitants for 
 the resistance they had shown him, he reduced 
 their wall from its original height to 50 cubits. 
 As his object was evidently to incapacitate the 
 proud citizens from again opposing him, it is 
 highly probable that he refilled the trench with 
 the earth which had been taken from it. The 
 work of destruction did not stop here. Xerxes, 
 on returning from his ill-fated Grecian expe- 
 dition, is said to have levelled the remaining 
 
 * Jer. li. 4.4, 58. f Her. Clio. 178, 179.
 
 MUJTLLEBE. 181 
 
 part of the wall. This statement, however, 
 must not be taken too literally. St. Jerome, 
 who lived in the fourth century of the Christian 
 era, states, that the wall was still standing; 
 nevertheless, the reduction by Xerxes must 
 have been very considerable. From the time 
 of Jerome, no mention is made of Babylon for 
 several centuries, in which interval it is most 
 probable, that, what remained of the wall must 
 have contributed to the building of the nume- 
 rous cities which have been formed out of these 
 ruins. 
 
 March 26. — At daylight we quitted Mo- 
 howel, from which place the ruins of Babel 
 commence, though they are not of a nature to 
 merit particular notice. At eight o'clock we 
 arrived at the first ruin of any magnitude ; it is 
 called by the natives, the Mujillebe, or " over- 
 turned. 11 In 1616, it was visited by Pietro 
 della Valle, who, not having examined the vast 
 ruin on the opposite bank of the river, supposed 
 it to be the Tower of Babel. The form of the
 
 182 MFJJILLEBE. 
 
 Mujilleb& may have been originally square, but, 
 owing probably to the operations of time and 
 weather, it is now oblong. The sides face 
 the cardinal points of the compass. Those to 
 the north and south are upwards of two hun- 
 dred paces* in extent ; that to the east, one 
 hundred and eighty; and that to the west, one 
 hundred and thirty-six. The height is very 
 irregular. To the south-east, it rises one hun- 
 dred and forty feet. It is well worthy of ob- 
 servation, that in Pietro della Valle's time, the 
 altitude of this ruin was two hundred feet, and 
 the base measured about two thousand six hun- 
 dred — a circumstance proving the remark I 
 have before made, of the liability of the Ba- 
 bylonian ruins to gradual decrease ; for, in the 
 space of two hundred years, this mound has 
 diminished sixty feet in height, and nearly five 
 
 * I have throughout adopted Rich's measurements, 
 in his Memoir on the Ruins of Babylon, after personally 
 ascertaining their correctness.
 
 MUJILLEBE. 183 
 
 hundred in circumference. Let us suppose the 
 decrease of the ruin, in each preceding cen- 
 tury, to be only half of what I have stated, and 
 the size of the original building would exceed 
 the accounts of any ancient author. 
 
 The western side, by which we ascended, 
 though the lowest, is the most remarkable, as 
 it shows more distinctly the form of the struc- 
 ture. The mound appears to be a solid mass : 
 it is composed of sun-dried bricks, cemented 
 with clay-mortar : between each layer of bricks 
 is one of reeds, and not, as Herodotus says, only 
 " between every thirtieth course." The sum- 
 mit is traversed throughout by large channels 
 formed by the rain. In walking, we stepped 
 on several pieces of alabaster, and on a vitre- 
 ous substance resembling glass. We saw great 
 quantities of ornamental and other kinds of 
 pottery. There were vast numbers of entire 
 kiln-burnt bricks, which were fourteen inches 
 square, and three thick, answering to the square
 
 184 SCRIPTURAL ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 bricks baked in a furnace mentioned by Hero- 
 dotus, as well as to the account given us in the 
 Scriptures,* " Let us make brick, and burn 
 them thoroughly. And they had brick for 
 stone, and slime had they for mortar. "-f- On 
 many were inscribed those unknown characters 
 resembling arrow-heads, so remarkable in the 
 ruins of Babylon and Persepolis. The fresh- 
 ness of the inscriptions was astonishing, ap- 
 pearing to have been recently stamped, instead 
 of having stood the test of upwards of four 
 thousand years. From the mode in which the 
 bricks are disposed in these, and several other 
 ruins, it is evident that, with some exceptions, 
 the interior of the great buildings of Babylon 
 were composed of sun-dried bricks, and that 
 the outer surface was coated with bricks burnt 
 in the furnace. 
 
 The mound was full of large holes : we en- 
 tered some of them, and found them strewed 
 
 * Her. clxxix. f Gen. xi. 3.
 
 SCRIPTURAL ILLUSTRATIONS. 185 
 
 with the carcases and skeletons of animals re- 
 cently killed. The ordure of wild beasts was 
 so strong, that prudence got the better of cu- 
 riosity, for we had no doubt as to the savage 
 nature of the inhabitants. Our guides, indeed, 
 told us, that all the ruins abounded in lions, 
 and other wild beasts ; so literally has the di- 
 vine prediction been fulfilled, that " wild beasts 
 of the Desert should lie there ;" that " their 
 houses should be full of doleful creatures ; 1 ' 
 that " wild beasts of the islands should cry in 
 their desolate houses. 11 * 
 
 After exploring the Mujillebe, we proceeded 
 to Hilleh. With the exception of a few huts, 
 the town is situate on the west bank of the 
 Euphrates. We crossed the river by a bridge 
 of boats, like that at Bagdad. The Euphrates, 
 at this point, is four hundred and fifty feet 
 broad. 
 
 On producing our firman, the house of Syyud 
 
 * Isaiah xiii. 21, 22.
 
 186* MOSQUE OF THE SUN. 
 
 Murad, the governor of Kerbela, was given up 
 for our accommodation, and a janizary was sent 
 by the governor to attend us. 
 
 Hilleh was built in the twelfth century, out 
 of the ruins of Babylon. It is enclosed within 
 a mud wall, of mean appearance, but the ba- 
 zaar is tolerably good. If we except the few 
 Turks who are employed in the government, 
 the population consists entirely of either Arabs 
 or Jews: the number of inhabitants is esti- 
 mated at ten thousand. Near one of the gates 
 of the town, we were shown the Musjid Eshams, 
 or Mosque of the Sun. The outside resem- 
 bles the tomb of Zobeide. The interior is a 
 fine specimen of arabesque architecture : it is 
 said to contain the tomb of Joshua ; but the 
 Mahometans reverence it as the place where 
 Ali offered up his early prayers to his cousin, 
 the prophet. On the summit of this mosque 
 is a small cone, which our guides told us moved 
 with the sun, to commemorate the event of the
 
 HILT.EH. 187 
 
 sun's having stood still to enable Ali to fight 
 the enemies of Mahomet. The account given 
 in Scripture of a similar miracle having been 
 performed in favour of Joshua has probably 
 given rise to this fable ; though it must be re- 
 membered that this event was known in the an- 
 cient city, as may be inferred from the Chro- 
 nicles, in which it is mentioned, that the ambas- 
 sadors of the Princes of Babylon were scut to 
 Hezekiah, " to inquire into the wonder that 
 was done in the land." * 
 
 Hilleh is under the subjection of the Pasha 
 of Bagdad, who lets it out to one of his own 
 officers for the sum of £60,000 piastres. Be- 
 sides this rent, the governor has to pay a stipu- 
 lated sum to the Kia-hya, (lieutenant governor,) 
 and to the principal officers of the Pashalick, all 
 of which demands are wrung from the wretched 
 inhabitants. The office of Cadi, a circumstance 
 
 * 2 Chron. xxxii. 31.
 
 188 BABYLONIAN INSCRIPTIONS. 
 
 uncommon in a Turkish government, is here 
 hereditary : the family of the present officer 
 has held it for a long time. The town is sur- 
 rounded by a number of gardens, which pro- 
 duce rice, dates, and grain. The soil is very 
 productive ; but, as is natural under such an 
 extortionate government, it is but little culti- 
 vated. If any thing could identify the mo- 
 dern inhabitants of Hilleh as the descendants 
 of the ancient Babylonians, it would be their 
 extreme profligacy, for which they are notorious 
 even amongst their immoral neighbours. 
 
 The veranda of the house we occupied, was 
 paved with inscribed Babylonian bricks. We 
 amused ourselves during the day in compar- 
 ing them with others we had brought from the 
 ruins.* At first sight, many appeared exactly 
 alike ; but, on a closer examination, some let- 
 ters were found to be different : these charac- 
 
 * I have presented one of these bricks to the Calcutta 
 Asiatic Society.
 
 BABYLONIAN CYLINDERS. 189 
 
 ters have hitherto baffled the inquiries of the 
 learned ; of some, however, at Persepolis, a 
 Dr. Grotefund,* of Frankfort, has given a 
 translation. The Doctor has furnished tables 
 for any one who may wish to attempt the task 
 of decyphering them. Maurice, in his Memoir 
 on the Ruins of Babylon,-f- considered the in- 
 scriptions to have reference to astronomy, an 
 opinion in which I fully concur. The custom 
 of inscribing upon bricks, appears to have been 
 practised in Babylon at a very early period ; 
 and when it is remembered that the inhabitants 
 of this city were the Chaldeans, the most cele- 
 brated, if not the earliest, astronomers of the 
 world, it seems fair to deduce, that these in- 
 scriptions may relate to the motion of the hea- 
 venly bodies. 
 
 The philosopher Callisthenes, who accom- 
 panied Alexander in his Eastern expedition, 
 sent to Aristotle, from Babylon, astronomical 
 
 * Vide Rich's second Memoir on Babylon, p. 48. 
 f Page 2.
 
 190 BABYLONIAN CYLINDERS. 
 
 observations for a period of one thousand and 
 ninety-three years, which he found inscribed 
 upon baked bricks.* Pliny, quoting Epigines, 
 a Chaldean astrologer, whom he calls an author 
 of great merit, says that the Babylonians had in- 
 scribed upon baked bricks observations of the 
 stars for seven hundred and twenty years ; and 
 that Berosus and Critodemus, who give the 
 lowest calculation, compute the period at four 
 hundred and ninety years. -f- 
 
 We brought with us, from Babylon, several 
 curious cylinders, upon all of which, was some- 
 thing engraven. Numbers are found among 
 the ruins ; they are of different sizes, but are 
 generally about an inch long : they are all per- 
 forated in the centre, and, as I should suppose 
 from their shape, have been worn round the 
 neck or the arm ; this last mode, which is com- 
 mon to several Asiatic and African nations of 
 
 * Simplicius on Aristotle de Coelo, lib. I. cap. 3. 
 f Plin. Hist. Nat. vii. 50. Vide Appendix (A).
 
 BABYLONIAN CYLINDERS. 
 
 191 
 
 the present day, appears to be alluded to in 
 Solomon's Song, " Set me as a seal upon thine 
 arm/'' * 
 
 No. 1. 
 
 No. 2. 
 
 No. 3. 
 
 * Sol. Song, viii. 6.
 
 192 BABYLONIAN CVLINDKKS. 
 
 No. 4. 
 
 No. 6.
 
 BABYLONIAN CYLINDERS. 193 
 
 The sketches marked No. 1, 2, and 3, were 
 presented by me to the British Museum ; No. 4, 
 is in the possession of Captain Hart ; Nos. 5 
 and 6, are from the collection of the late Mr. 
 Rich, and are intended to illustrate the subject 
 of the other cylinders. It is highly interesting 
 to find that they all bear a decided astrological 
 character, which furnishes, in my opinion, ano- 
 ther mark of identity to the ruins of a city, 
 the downfal of which, we are told by Isaiah, 
 was in consequence of those very practices to 
 which these amulets refer. The Prophet, apos- 
 trophizing Babylon as " the daughter of the 
 Chaldeans," says, " Stand now with thine ' en- 
 chantments, and with the multitude of thy 
 sorceries ; let now the astrologers, the star- 
 gazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up 
 and save thee from these things that shall 
 come upon thee."* 
 March 27. — Early this morning, we set out 
 
 * Is. xlvii. 12, 13. Vide Appendix B, 
 VOL. I. o
 
 194 THROWING THE JEREEI). 
 
 to visit the Tower of Babel, accompanied by 
 our Tchouss, one of the governor of Hilleh's 
 janizaries, two servants, and five of our guard, 
 all well armed and mounted. At a short dis- 
 tance from Hilleh, we took in a reinforcement 
 of ten horsemen, furnished us by order of the 
 governor. A just idea may be formed of the 
 state of the country, by our being obliged to 
 have a party of twenty armed horsemen to go a 
 distance of six miles, though we had nothing 
 except our arms to attract the cupidity of 
 robbers. On our road, we met a large body 
 of the Desert Arabs, who, though more nu- 
 merous than our party, offered it no moles- 
 tation, but gave us the usual salutation of 
 " Salam Aleikum."" They were probably of 
 the same tribe as our guard, otherwise it is 
 not likely we should have escaped so well. 
 When we arrived in the Desert, our new de- 
 tachment galloped before us and threw the 
 blunt jereed. This instrument, which is made 
 of any heavy wood, is about a yard long, and
 
 THROWING THE JEREED. 195 
 
 the thickness of a mop-stick. One horseman 
 galloping forward with loud shouts and me- 
 nacing attitudes, challenged his comrades ; an 
 opponent soon appeared ; — as these retired, 
 two new champions started forward in the 
 same manner. It is astonishing to see the 
 dexterity used in this game: the object is for 
 one party to pursue and the other to fly and 
 try to elude being struck by the jereed, which 
 is managed by the person pursued throwing 
 himself completely out of the saddle, and 
 clinging to the cantle, either by the heel or 
 the lower part of the leg, at the moment the 
 jereed is darted. If the jereed strikes him, 
 he is obliged to pick it up, which he gene- 
 rally does, not by dismounting, but by throw- 
 ing himself out of the saddle as before, till 
 his hand touches the ground ; and if it misses 
 him, the other picks up his own jereed, and 
 in turn becomes the party pursued. Our 
 guard was amusing itself in this manner, when 
 we came within sight of a few miserable huts. 
 o 2
 
 196 A SHAM FIGHT. 
 
 From these, a large body of Arab horsemen, 
 armed with swords and long spears, rushed 
 suddenly forth, and began shouting with all 
 their might. Both parties halted for a mi- 
 nute : a herald from each met half way, and, 
 after a few moments' conference, gave a shout, 
 which was immediately re-echoed on both sides. 
 All was again in motion. The two companies 
 struck their shovel stirrups into their horses" 
 sides, rode at each other with equal speed, 
 and, resuming their shout, commenced a sham 
 fight. 
 
 Nothing could be more animated, or would 
 have afforded a finer subject for the painter, 
 than this group of wild men. It is difficult 
 to conceive the effect of a large party of armed 
 horsemen thus huddled together in the great- 
 est apparent confusion, with drawn swords and 
 couched lances. Through this was a gentle 
 passage of arms, it was not without its interest ; 
 but it not unfrequently happens that two hostile 
 tribes meet, who then put into fierce execu-
 
 TOWER OF BABEL. 197 
 
 tion the address which they acquire by this 
 constant practice. 
 
 From Herodotus we learn that the Tower 
 of Babel, or (what was doubtless the same) 
 the Temple of Belus, was a stadium in length 
 and breadth, a-rahou xa» to fwjxoj xct) to evpo$* 
 This, according to Rich's computation, which 
 allows five hundred feet to the stadium, would 
 give a circumference of two thousand feet. 
 The temple consisted of eight turrets rising 
 in succession one above the other. Rennel 
 supposes the height to be five hundred feet. 
 The ascent was on the outside, and there was 
 a convenient resting-place halfway up. This 
 temple was destroyed by Xerxes. Alexander 
 wished to rebuild it, but died before he com- 
 menced the undertaking. All that he did was 
 
 * I have given the quotation, because I am aware 
 that it is a disputed passage. The translating the word 
 fxrJKos " height" instead of " length," has caused much 
 abuse of Herodotus; but Wesseling's edition of that 
 author's works has repaired his injured fame. — Vide 
 Herod. Wess. p. 85. Note.
 
 198 RUINS OF BABEL. 
 
 to employ ten thousand soldiers for the space 
 of two months to remove the rubbish.* The 
 ruins of the Tower of Babel are six miles 
 S. W. of Hilleh. At first sight, they present 
 the appearance of a hill with a castle on the 
 top ; the greater portion is covered with a 
 light sandy soil, and it is only in ascending 
 that the traveller discovers he is walking on 
 a vast heap of bricks. This mound, like the 
 Mujillebe, is oblong. The total circumference 
 has been found to be two thousand two hun- 
 dred and eighty-six feet, which gives to the 
 ruins a much greater extent of base than to 
 the original building. The surplus is very 
 great, when one considers the quantity that 
 must have been removed by the Macedonian 
 soldiers, and how much, in the course of ages, 
 must have been taken by the workmen em- 
 ployed in digging for bricks. The elevation 
 of the mound is irregular: to the west it is 
 
 * Vide Strabo and Arrian,
 
 RUINS OF BABEL. 199 
 
 one hundred and ninety-eight feet high. On 
 the top is that which looked like a castle in 
 the distance; it is a solid mass of kiln-burnt 
 bricks, thirty-seven feet high, and twenty-eight 
 broad. The bricks, which are of an excellent 
 description, are laid in with a fine and scarcely 
 perceptible cement. At regular intervals, some 
 bricks are omitted so as to leave square aper- 
 tures through the mass : these may possibly 
 have been intended to procure a free current 
 of air, that should prevent the admission of 
 damp into the brick-work. The summit of 
 the mass is much broken, and the fractures 
 are so made as to carry conviction that vio- 
 lence has been used to reduce it to this state. 
 
 Distinct from the pile of bricks just de- 
 scribed, and lower down on the north face of 
 the large mound, is another mass exactly simi- 
 lar. Pieces of marble, stones, and broken 
 bricks, lie scattered over the ruin. The most 
 curious of the fragments are several misshapen 
 masses of brickwork, quite black, except in a
 
 200 SCRIPTURAL ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 few places where regular layers of kiln-burnt 
 bricks are discernible : these have certainly been 
 subjected to some fierce heat, as they are com- 
 pletely molten — a strong presumption that fire 
 was used in the destruction of the Tower, 
 which, in parts, resembles what the Scriptures 
 prophecied it should become, " a burnt moun- 
 tain."* 
 
 Travellers visiting this spot, have been struck 
 with the curious appearance of these fragments, 
 and, having only seen the black surface, have 
 altogether rejected the idea of | their being- 
 bricks. In the prophecy respecting Babylon, 
 fire is particularly mentioned as an agent 
 against it. To this, Isaiah evidently alludes in 
 that eloquent denunciation, that " Babylon, 
 the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chal- 
 dees' excellency, shall be as when God over- 
 threw Sodom and Gomorrah ;" upon which 
 cities, as we are told in another passage, " The 
 
 * Jer. li. 25.
 
 SCRIPTURAL ILLUSTRATIONS. 201 
 
 Lord rained brimstone and Jire."* Again, in 
 Jeremiah, " They have burned her dwelling 
 places." " I will kindle a fire in his cities, and 
 it shall devour all round about him ;" and in 
 another place, " Her high gates shall be burned 
 with fire, and the people shall labour in vain, 
 and the folk in the fire, and they shall be weary." 
 
 Taking into calculation the brick mass on 
 the top of the large mound, the ruins are two 
 hundred and thirty-five feet high ; which gives 
 nearly half the height of the Tower in its per- 
 fect state. Rich thought he could trace four 
 stages, or stories of this building; and the 
 united observations of our party induce the 
 same conviction. 
 
 Wild beasts appeared to be as numerous 
 here as at the Mujillebe. Mr. Lamb gave up 
 his examination, from seeing an animal crouch- 
 
 * Some of the Jewish Doctors say, " that God over- 
 turned the tower (Babel) by a terrible tempest, or burnt 
 it by fire from heaven." — Hewlett's Annotations on 
 Scripture, vol. i. p. 194.
 
 202 VIEW OF ANCIENT BABYLON. 
 
 ed in one of the square apertures. I saw an- 
 other in a similar situation, and the large foot- 
 print of a lion was so fresh, that the beast must 
 have stolen away on our approach. From the 
 summit we had a distinct view of the vast heaps 
 which constitute all that now remains of ancient 
 Babylon; a more complete picture of desola- 
 tion could not well be imagined. The eye 
 wandered over a barren desert, in which the 
 ruins were nearly the only indication that it had 
 ever been inhabited. It was impossible to be- 
 hold this scene and not to be reminded how 
 exactly the predictions of Isaiah and Jeremiah 
 have been fulfilled, even in the appearance 
 that Babylon was doomed to present : that she 
 should " never be inhabited ;" that " the Ara- 
 bian should not pitch his tent there ;" that she 
 should " become heaps ;" that her cities should 
 be " a desolation, a dry land, and a wilder- 
 ness ! ,,# 
 
 * Jer li. 37. 43
 
 EXCURSION UP THE EUPHRATES. 203 
 
 In Rich's Memoir of Babylon is an account 
 of some earthenware vessels containing human 
 bones, similar to those seen by us on two occa- 
 sions. With a view to compare them with 
 what we had observed, we went up the river 
 this afternoon. 
 
 Our boat was of a peculiar construction. It was 
 in shape like a large circular basket; the sides 
 were of willow, covered over with bitumen, the 
 bottom was laid with reeds. It had two men with 
 paddles, one of whom pulled towards him, as 
 the other pushed from him. This sort of boat 
 is common to the Euphrates and Tigris, and is, 
 probably, best adapted to the strong currents 
 common to these rivers. May not these boats 
 be of the same kind as the " vessels of bull- 
 rushes upon the waters, 1 ' alluded to by Isaiah ?* 
 
 By comparing my description with that given 
 by Herodotus of the boats used in his time, 
 it will be seen how little their structure has 
 
 * Is. xviii. 2.
 
 204 BABYLONIAN BOATS. 
 
 altered since that remote period. The passage 
 referred to is not long, and may be worthy 
 attention. 
 
 " Of all that I saw in this country, next to 
 Babylon itself, what to me appeared the great- 
 est curiosity, were the boats. These, which 
 are used by persons who come to the city, are 
 of a circular form, and made of skins. They 
 are constructed in Armenia, in the ports above 
 Assyria, where the sides being formed of wil- 
 low, are covered externally with skins, and hav- 
 ing no distinction of head or stern, are modelled 
 in the shape of a shield. Lining the bottoms 
 of these boats with reeds, they take on board 
 their merchandize, and thus commit themselves 
 to the stream. The principal article of their 
 commerce is palm wine, which they carry in 
 casks. The boats have two oars, one man to each ; 
 one pulls to him, the other pushes from him. 
 These boats are of very different dimensions ; 
 some of them so large as to bear freight to the 
 value of five thousand talents ; the smaller of
 
 EARTHENWARE TOMBS. 205 
 
 them has one ass on board, the larger several. 
 On their arrival at Babylon they dispose of all 
 their cargo, selling the ribs of their boats, the 
 matting, and every thing but the skins which 
 cover them . these they lay upon their asses, 
 and with them return to Armenia. The ra- 
 pidity of the stream is too great to render their 
 return by water practicable. This is, perhaps, 
 the reason which induces them to make their 
 boats of skin rather than of wood. On their 
 return with their asses to Armenia, they make 
 other vessels in the manner I have before de- 
 scribed."* 
 
 We continued our trip up the river for about 
 a mile, but the current was so strong against 
 us, that we abandoned our intention of going to 
 the place proposed. Our excursion, however, 
 proved most satisfactory, for though we did not 
 see the vessels mentioned by Rich, we found, 
 on returning to Hilleh, a number of the same 
 description we had seen, and containing human 
 
 * Her. Clio, cxciv.
 
 206 EARTHENWARE TOMBS. 
 
 bones : thus fully confirming our own observa- 
 tions and those of Mr. Rich. 
 
 These vessels were three quarters of a mile 
 from the bridge, on the west bank of the river. 
 The place appeared to have been an ancient 
 burying-ground, encroached upon by the Eu- 
 phrates. 
 
 As this mode of disposing of the dead is so 
 much at variance with the customs of the Ba- 
 bylonians and ancient Persians, it appears pro- 
 bable that the tombs may contain the bodies of 
 some of the Greeks who accompanied Alexan- 
 der on his Eastern expedition. In marching 
 through a country where the scarcity of wood 
 first suggested the idea of the hanging garden, 
 the substitution of the famous Babylonian clay 
 for coffins seems natural and obvious. 
 
 In support of this opinion, the physician who 
 attended General Gardane, the French ambas- 
 sador to the court of Persia, told a friend of 
 mine, that he had seen vessels of a similar
 
 EARTHENWARE TOMBS. 207 
 
 description, used for the same purpose, in se- 
 veral parts of Greece : and Sir William Ouseley 
 has, in the Asiatic Collections, given an account 
 of some earthenware vessels having in them hu- 
 man bones, which were found in the neighbour- 
 hood of Bushire, near which place Alexander 
 must have met his fleet under Nearchus, after 
 his return from India. 
 
 March 28. — We left Hilleh this morning to 
 resume our examination, and took with us a 
 party of workmen to dig for us. The ruins on 
 the west bank of the river commence two miles 
 north of the town. Including the Mujilleb&, 
 they extend three miles north and south, and 
 upwards of two miles east and west. The first 
 heap of ruins, though of considerable extent, 
 has a very indeterminate form, and presents 
 only the general appearance observable through- 
 out, — mounds channelled by the weather, and 
 strewed with fragments of buildings. I shall, 
 therefore, pass them without further mention,
 
 208 HANGING GARDENS rALACE. 
 
 and proceed to describe those which I consider 
 to be the site of the Hanging Gardens, and of 
 the palace. 
 
 Diodorus says the palace was near the bridge. 
 Strabo and Quintus Curtius state the gardens 
 to have been near the Euphrates, whence they 
 were supplied with water, by means of engines. 
 All these three authors are agreed as to their 
 having been situated within the walls of the 
 palace. 
 
 The entire mound comprises a square of two 
 thousand eight hundred feet. In addition to 
 the usual vestiges, are several broken alabaster 
 vessels ; we remarked also great quantities of 
 varnished tiles, the colours of which were re- 
 markably fine. According to Diodorus, the walls 
 and towers of the palace were covered with tiles 
 of different colours, representing a grand hunt- 
 ing-piece, more than four cubits in size. In 
 this, were described a great variety of wild 
 beasts : here was to be seen Semiramis on 
 horseback, brandishing a spear ; and near her 

 
 VAltNISHED TILES. 209 
 
 was Ninus, in the act of killing a lion. The 
 colours are said to have been laid in before the 
 bricks were baked, h oopais eri ruig 7rA»v0o<£. # 
 
 We have a curious confirmation of this cus- 
 tom of drawing upon tile in Ezekiel, who, it 
 must be remembered, was a Jewish captive at 
 Babylon f and was therefore an eye-witness of 
 the subject to which he alludes : " Thou also, 
 son of man, take thee a tile, and lay it before 
 thee, and pourtray upon it the city, even Jeru- 
 salem :"| but the passage which bears most upon 
 this subject, is where the same prophet is speak- 
 ing of the defection of Judah, under the character 
 of the harlot, Aholibah. " She saw men pourtray- 
 ed upon the wall, the images of the Chaldasans 
 pourtrayed with vermilion, girded with girdles 
 upon their loins, exceeding in dyed attire upon 
 their heads, all of them princes to look to, after 
 the manner of the Babylonians of Chaldaea.'^ 
 
 * Diod. Sicu. Wess. Ed i. J 21. f Ez. i. 1. 
 I Ibid iv. 1. § Ibid xxiii. xiv. 15. 
 
 vol. i. r
 
 210 SUBTEItRANEAN PASSAGES. 
 
 This mode of exterior decoration is still 
 common throughout the East. Numerous spe- 
 cimens came within my own observation, in 
 the course of the journey, particularly in the 
 cities of Bussorah, Bagdad, and Teheraun. 
 
 Captain Hart brought me the portion of 
 a highly varnished blue vase, to which were 
 sticking some fragments of human bones that 
 had undergone the action of fire. I attempted 
 to separate them from the vessel, but they 
 pulverized on being touched. The bricks are 
 finer here than in any other part of the ruins ; 
 their superiority is attested by the number 
 of men we found employed in digging for 
 them. The ruins are so perforated in con- 
 sequence, that the original design is entirely 
 lost : all that could favour any conjecture of 
 wardens built on terraces, are two subterra- 
 nean passages, which we saw at some distance 
 from each other. The people digging for 
 bricks say that they are of great extent, and
 
 WILD BEASTS. 211 
 
 very high in many places. We made our 
 workmen dig at each entrance, hoping to trace 
 a communication ; but we were unsuccessful, 
 as they were nearly closed up with bricks and 
 rubbish, and our men were afraid to continue 
 their work, many people having been acci- 
 dentally buried in the ruins. To judge from 
 what we saw, there can be no doubt that 
 both passages are of vast extent: they are 
 lined with bricks laid in with bitumen, and 
 covered over with large masses of stone. 
 This is nearly the only place where stone is 
 observable. 
 
 While we were exploring the cave, an enor- 
 mous wild boar of a reddish colour started up 
 from amongst the ruins. Our party imme- 
 diately gave chase, but he eluded us. In 
 the eagerness of pursuit, I snatched a gun 
 from a servant and fired ; luckily I missed the 
 animal, for the shot was too small to kill him ; 
 and his instinctive revenge, it is well known, 
 p 2
 
 212 CURIOUS TREK. 
 
 might have made me pay dearly for my te- 
 merity. 
 
 The prophecy of Isaiah, that Babylon should 
 be inhabited by wild beasts, was fulfilled after 
 the extinction of the Seleucidae ; for their suc- 
 cessors, the Parthians, turned the city into a 
 park, and stocked it with wild beasts, for the 
 purpose of hunting. Amongst these, the wild 
 boar is enumerated.* 
 
 It has been supposed that many curious 
 trees are to be found on the site of the hang- 
 ing gardens. This is not the case ; there is 
 but one, and that is in the most elevated 
 spot. It is a kind of cedar, possibly one of 
 the xetylvai of Diodorus. One half of the 
 trunk is standing, and is about five feet in 
 circumference. Though the body is decayed, 
 the branches are still green and healthy, and 
 droop like those of the willow. With .the ex- 
 ception of one at Bussorah, there is no tree 
 
 * St. Jerome.
 
 CURIOUS TREE. 
 
 213 
 
 like it throughout Irak Arabia. The Arabs 
 call it Athele. Our guides said, that this tree 
 was left in the hanging gardens for the purpose 
 of enabling Ali to tie his horse to it after the 
 battle of Hilleh. 
 
 
 Not far from this tree, we saw indications 
 of a statue, of which only the upper part had
 
 214 
 
 STATUE OF A LION. 
 
 been seen by Beauchamp and Rich. We set 
 our men to work, and in two hours found a 
 colossal piece of sculpture, in black marble, 
 representing a lion standing over a man. 
 
 When Rich was here, the figure was entire ; 
 but when we saw it, the head was gone. The 
 length of the pedestal, the height of the shoul- 
 ders, and the length of the statue, measured, 
 in each of their respective parts, nine feet.
 
 THE ritOPHET DANIEL. 215 
 
 I would venture to suggest that this statue 
 might have reference to Daniel in the lion's 
 den, and that it formerly stood over one of the 
 gates, either of the palace, or of the hanging 
 gardens. It is natural to suppose that so ex- 
 traordinary a miracle would have been cele- 
 brated by the Babylonians, particularly as 
 Daniel was afterwards governor of their city. 
 
 The prophet was also governor of Susa (the 
 Shushan of Scripture), where he frequently 
 went in the discharge of his official duties, and 
 at which place he died. A short time ago, 
 Susa was visited "by some French officers in the 
 service of the Prince of Kermanshah : amongst 
 other antiquities, they found a block of white 
 marble covered with Babylonian characters, 
 having sculptured on it the figures of two men 
 and two lions. This may also allude to the 
 same event. 
 
 The finest specimen of Babylonian structure 
 is a large building, called by the workmen the 
 Kasr, or Palace. Its form is quadrangular,
 
 216 THE KASR, OR PALACE. 
 
 and it faces the cardinal points. It is com- 
 posed entirely of kiln-burnt bricks of the finest 
 description, which are laid in with a cement of 
 the utmost tenacity. The workmen have long 
 left this untouched, from the impossibility of 
 detaching the bricks from the cement. As the 
 palace is in the midst of other elevated ruins, 
 the precise height cannot be ascertained, though 
 it is possible that the foundation may be on a 
 level with the plain. The walls are eight feet 
 thick; they are rent throughout, but evidently 
 not by the hand of man, as nothing but some 
 violent convulsion of nature could produce the 
 vast chasms observable in this ruin. The fresh- 
 ness of the brickwork is such, that we should 
 have had difficulty in identifying it with the 
 ruins of Babylon, had we not found it situated 
 in the midst of other buildings, instead of beino- 
 detached from them. The solid appearance of 
 the original structure impressed the mind the 
 more strongly with the image of devastation 
 that it now presents.
 
 M0HOWEL. 217 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 Triumph of Travelling over Prejudice — Grotesque 
 Dance — Fire Temple — Presentation to the Pasha of* 
 Bagdad — Feast of St. Gregory — Visit from the Offi- 
 cers of the Pashalick — Instance of the Pasha's des- 
 potic Power — We return the Visit of the Officers — 
 The Pasha's Garden — Musruf Effendy and his Screw- 
 pump — First impressions on visiting Bagdad — De- 
 scription of the Streets and Bazaars — Interior of a 
 House — Dress of the Women — Liberty enjoyed by 
 Turkish Females. 
 
 Having concluded our examinations of the 
 ruins, we retraced our steps towards Bagdad, 
 and reached Mohowel, the nearest caravanserai 
 to Babylon, in the evening. After we had 
 dined, our servants and the chief muleteer sat 
 down together, and made a meal on the provi- 
 sions that were left, — an incident showing how
 
 218 PREJUDICE OVERCOME. 
 
 far travelling had been able to overcome na- 
 tional and religious prejudices. The persons 
 composing the party were, two Sunnis and four 
 Shiahs, betwixt which sects there exists the most 
 violent hatred; and, to complete the party, two 
 Christian " Infidels' 11 were on the present occa- 
 sion welcome partakers of the same meal with 
 the "True Believers:' 1 of all the party, the 
 Indian Syyud was perhaps the person who had 
 made the greatest sacrifice of his religious scru- 
 ples ; for the Indian Mahometans, following 
 the prejudices of the Gentoos, deem it a pro- 
 fanation to eat with others not professing 
 exactly the same tenets as themselves, and to 
 eat " the leavings 11 of another has become in 
 India a proverbial expression of abuse. What 
 then must have been the situation of this de- 
 scendant of the Prophet, who scrupled not to 
 eat the leavings of those who deny the Divine 
 mission of his great ancestor, in company with 
 two individuals of that hated race ? 
 
 March 29- — We resumed our march this
 
 FIRE-TEMPLE. 219 
 
 morning, and passed as many pilgrims as be- 
 fore. We arrived at Khana Zund in the even- 
 ing, where we halted for the night. A few 
 miles from the caravanserai we observed a 
 mound, which we thought might be the Fire 
 Temple described by Aboo Nasir, where he 
 told us the devils were in the habit of dancing 
 amidst flames. Notwithstanding his denial of 
 it now, we were convinced it was the same 
 place ; because it cori'esponded with the bear- 
 ings we had taken on board our boat, and more 
 particularly because he showed so fixed a de- 
 termination not to go with us to the spot, beg- 
 ging to be excused on account of sickness, — 
 a plea which but ill accorded with his ruddy 
 features. Aware of his superstitious fears, we 
 amused ourselves by pressing him to accompany 
 us after dark ; but he was obstinate, and we 
 were ultimately obliged to give up the point. 
 
 As the night came on, we went out frequent- 
 ly to try if we could not observe any fire 
 produced by naphtha, for which Babylonia was
 
 220 GROTESQUE DAXCE. 
 
 so famous, thinking it possible that some such 
 production might have given rise to the tra- 
 dition ; but we could see nothing to justify this 
 conjecture. 
 
 Before we went to sleep, two of our Arab 
 guards entertained us with a dance of the most 
 grotesque description ; one, who represented a 
 lover, evinced his attachment by hallooing with 
 all his might and jumping round the other, who 
 personated a female, and continued dancing 
 within the circle, preserving as much diffidence 
 of demeanour as might have been expected 
 from a fair Arab of the Desert. If strength 
 of lungs and activity of limbs would have been 
 claims to the hand of a fair lady, this athletic 
 Stentor would have proved a formidable rival. 
 
 Besides our own attendants, all the chance 
 inmates of the caravanserai assembled to witness 
 this dance, and, with loud expressions of ap- 
 plause, animated the performers to continue 
 their exertions. The whole, indeed, formed a 
 very interesting group ; for the unsteady glare
 
 TEMPLE OF THE GUEBRES. 221 
 
 of a dying fire reflecting on the swarthy coun- 
 tenance of the dancers, was no bad illustration 
 of Aboo Nasir's account of the devil's dance. 
 
 March 30. — We visited the Guebri Bena 
 (the Temple of the Guebres) at daylight, but 
 could not persuade Aboo Nasir to make one of 
 the party. It is constructed of mud cemented 
 with rushes, like the Mujellebe at Babylon. 
 Each side faces a cardinal point ; that towards 
 the west gradually inclines to the plain. It 
 measures thirty feet from the summit to the 
 visible base, and is two hundred and thirty- 
 three feet in circumference. We saw the usual 
 fragments in the neighbourhood. The whole 
 ruin exhibits considerable marks of the ravages 
 of time. It bears W. of Ctesiphon, and N. by 
 W. of Khana Zund caravanserai. Notwith- 
 standing the dilapidated state of this mound, I 
 feel no difficulty in conjecturing the form of 
 the original structure. 
 
 I suppose that, like the Babylonian ruins, it 
 was a quadrangular building ; the interior of
 
 222 TEMPLE OF THE GUEBJIES. 
 
 which was composed of regular layers of mud 
 and reeds, and, as may be deduced from the 
 fragments around, coated with kiln-burnt bricks. 
 The gradual slope towards the plain to the west, 
 would indicate that on that side was the ascent 
 to the temple ; the east being the place where 
 stood the altar on which was placed the sacred 
 fire. Ezekiel,* describing his vision, says that 
 there " were about five-and-twenty men, with 
 their backs toward the temple of the Lord, and 
 their faces toward the east ; and they worship- 
 ped the sun towards the east." 
 
 To consider the subject further, let us re- 
 member in what the temples of the Guebres 
 differed from those of other worshippers. The 
 doctrine of Zoroaster was, that there was an 
 infinite and all-powerful Being, to whom the 
 early Persians were taught to pay their devo- 
 tions. So simple a doctrine could not long 
 satisfy the corrupt nature of man, and the sun, 
 
 * Ezek. viii. !6.
 
 TEMPLE OF THE GUEBRES. 223 
 
 as the brightest emblem, and subsequently fire, 
 were allowed to be worshipped as symbols of 
 the Deity. It was not, however, till the ap- 
 pearance of a second Zoroaster, that temples 
 were adopted ; but even then, they were of the 
 simplest structure, probably of the form I have 
 just described. Roofs, walls, or pillars, were 
 expressly forbidden in these edifices. 
 
 To illustrate this circumstance, Xerxes de- 
 stroyed the temples of the Greeks when he over- 
 ran their country, because they presumed to en- 
 close within walls Him who was the universe it- 
 self. I cannot dismiss this subject, without once 
 more recurring to AbooNasir's tradition, because 
 it serves to identify the ruin with that of a Gue- 
 bre-temple. The circular dance was one of the 
 ancient ceremonies used in the worship of the 
 sun (or of its symbol fire). It was, according 
 to Lucian,* intended to imitate the rotatory 
 motion of the planets round the solar orb. It 
 
 * Lucian de Saltatione.
 
 224 RETURN TO BAGDAD. 
 
 was the same as that which the Israelites per- 
 formed in their idolatrous worship in the wild- 
 erness, when " Moses came nigh unto the camp, 
 and saw the calf and the dancing."* It was 
 the same also as that mentioned of the pro- 
 phets of Baal, who, endeavouring to compete 
 with Elijah, " leaped upon the altar^f or, 
 according to Dr. Adam Clarke, " danced 
 round it." 
 
 At eight miles from Bagdad, we met a cara- 
 van of Persians, which appeared to form the 
 suite of some woman of rank. Nine veiled fe- 
 males, all mounted astride on horses, were 
 riding in a line. She who by the superiority of 
 dress appeared to be the principal lady, had 
 her horse led by an eunuch. 
 
 We arrived in Bagdad at half-past three in 
 the afternoon, having suffered so much from 
 the intense heat of the sun that our hands and 
 faces were completely blistered. We found 
 
 * Ex. xxxii. 19. 1 Kings xviii. 26.
 
 ACTION ON THE MOUSSOUL ROAD. 225 
 
 Aga Saikeis in considerable alarm for our safety, 
 as we had returned a day later than had been 
 proposed, and during our absence a battle had 
 been fought between the Turks and Arabs, in 
 which the latter were victorious. 
 
 March 31. — We employed the morning in 
 returning the visits of the European gentlemen 
 who had called upon us : they all received us 
 in the Turkish style, with pipes and coffee. 
 The Chief of the Artillery introduced us to his 
 wife, an Armenian, and his family, consisting of 
 three daughters and one son, who were dressed 
 in the costume of their country. He gave us 
 an account of the action, which had taken place 
 on the Moussoul road, between the Arabs and 
 the Pasha's troops : the latter, it appeared, had 
 lost forty men and three pieces of cannon. He 
 appeared to be much annoyed at the result of 
 the engagement : not so much on account of 
 the men killed, " for they," as he said, " could 
 easily be replaced ; nor of the guns, for there 
 were enough of them ;" the 'object of his great 
 
 VOL. I. 0.
 
 226 PRESENTATION TO THE PASHA. 
 
 grief was the loss of the carriages on which 
 they stood. Observing us smile at this pecu- 
 liar cause of grievance, he told us that the Pa- 
 sha was so extremely parsimonious, that when 
 the gun-carriages were worn out, he would not 
 go to the expense of new ones ; consequently, 
 half the guns on the ramparts were dismounted 
 and unserviceable. As an example of the nig- 
 gardly disposition of the Pasha in this particu- 
 lar, he told us that the British agent some time 
 ago presented him with a handsome English 
 chariot, which was placed in the Palace yard, 
 and where it has remained unemployed ever 
 since. The only observation made by the Pa- 
 sha on receiving the present was, whether the 
 wheels could not be taken off and turned into 
 gun-carriages ! 
 
 April 2. — We went this morning to pay our 
 respects to the Pasha of Bagdad, dressed in full 
 uniform, mounted on horses gaily caparisoned, 
 and accompanied by a numerous mounted re- 
 tinue. The Pasha's secretary sent several of his
 
 OUR RECEPTION. 227 
 
 servants to attend us, and we were met at some 
 distance from the palace by a deputation of ja- 
 nizaries. On passing through the gates of the 
 palace, we entered a spacious court, where the 
 Pasha's troops were drawn up under the com- 
 mand of our friend the Chief of Artillery, who 
 presented arms to us as we passed. At the 
 gates of the second court, we dismounted : here 
 the principal officers of the Pasha received us, 
 and ushered us into his presence, to which we 
 passed through two lines of janizaries, who, 
 standing with their arms folded, preserved an 
 immoveable gravity. The hall of audience was 
 fitted up in the Oriental style, and decorated 
 with numerous small looking-glasses of a triangu- 
 lar form, which had a curious and dazzling effect. 
 In one corner, was seated the Pasha, supported 
 by cushions : chairs were placed for us ; and, as 
 had been previously stipulated, we seated our- 
 selves without taking off either our hats or 
 shoes. The Pasha was remarkably affable and 
 polite, and begged we would fix an early day 
 q 2
 
 5228 CHARACTER OF THE PASHA. 
 
 for visiting one of his gardens, distant a few 
 miles from Bagdad. We took our leave, after 
 going through the usual routine of coffee, sweet- 
 meats, &c. 
 
 Davoud (David) Pasha is a Georgian by 
 birth, and was formerly a slave to Syyud 
 Pasha; but having at an early age abjured 
 Christianity, he assumed the character of a Ma- 
 hometan devotee, and, seating himself at the pa- 
 lace gate, acquired so large a sum by begging, 
 that he was sufficiently rich to become a candi- 
 date for the purchase of the Pashalick, and sent 
 his proposals to the Grand Signior. His appli- 
 cation was answered in the usual way, by for- 
 warding an order for the execution of the ruling- 
 Pasha ; which being put into immediate effect, 
 the mendicant slave stepped quietly into the 
 place of his decapitated master. He had no 
 sooner possessed himself of the Pashalick, than 
 he threw off the mark of the ascetic, and appeared 
 in his true colours. Convinced that a situation 
 which was gained by blood, " by blood must
 
 FEAST OF ST. GUEGOKY. 229 
 
 be maintained," he has been as reckless of life 
 as any of his predecessors ; and no less than 
 fifteen hundred persons have fallen victims to 
 his ambition or rapacity. He is a good- 
 humoured looking man, apparently between 
 forty and fifty years of age, and of very pre- 
 possessing manners. During the interview, I 
 tried to discover in his fine countenance any 
 lines of remorse for such a load of crime ; but I 
 looked in vain ; — and, remembering Byron's de- 
 scriptive lines on Ali Pasha, found it not less 
 difficult 
 
 " to trace 
 
 The deeds which lurk beneath, and stain him with dis- 
 grace." 
 
 Previous to leaving the palace, we called 
 upon the Kia-hya, (lieutenant-governor,) whom 
 we found seated in his divan, and surrounded 
 by Georgian slaves. 
 
 April 3. — This being the feast of St. Gre- 
 gory, the patron Saint of Armenia, we went 
 with the agent to the Armenian church, attend-
 
 230 FEAST OF ST. GREGORY. 
 
 ed by the usual state retinue. The place was 
 very crowded : the women were in a separate 
 apartment from the men, having been kept out 
 of sight in compliment to us. We occupied 
 seats close to the altar. During the service, 
 frankincense was frequently presented to us. 
 The service was chanted by priests, and a 
 choir of boys ; the ceremonies were similar to 
 those in use amongst the Greeks, but more nu- 
 merous. In one of them the principal priest 
 held up his hands, and, after a variety of cere- 
 monies, placed them, with the palms closed 
 together, before the second, who, having kissed 
 them, in like manner offered his hands to be 
 kissed by a third ; and in this manner the sanc- 
 tified kiss went through the whole congregation. 
 The service was indolently and unimpressively 
 performed. One of the boys assisting in the 
 choir got a sound box on the ear for inatten- 
 tion, which immediately set the rest of them 
 laughing. Aga Saikeis remained for a short
 
 PROPOSAL FROM THE PASHA. 231 
 
 time, and then left the church in the middle of 
 the ceremony. 
 
 April 4. — Some of the principal officers of 
 the government, amongst whom were the Chief 
 of the Janizaries, the secretary, and the Mus- 
 ruf Effendy, the treasurer, paid us a visit this 
 morning, to acknowledge the Pasha's sense of 
 our civility in waiting upon him : at least, that 
 was the ostensible, though not the actual rea- 
 son of their visit ; for, after sitting with us 
 for some time, they spoke privately to Mr. 
 Lamb, who had formerly practised medicine, 
 and laid before him a proposal from the Pasha 
 to make him his physician. I forget the terms 
 of the offer; but, of a definite sum, part was 
 to be paid by the Pasha himself, and the re- 
 mainder was to be made up by each of his 
 officers being forced to employ Mr. Lamb in 
 his professional capacity. My fellow-traveller 
 replied, that though he could not, under any 
 circumstances, avail himself of the Pasha's flat-
 
 232 pasha's despotic power. 
 
 tering offer, he had no objection to give advice 
 gratuitously during our stay in Bagdad. The 
 high estimation in which European doctors 
 are held in the East, is a proof how deficient 
 the Asiatics are in this most important science ; 
 but, in spite of their present ignorance, I doubt 
 whether they are worse informed now than in 
 the earlier periods of their history. We are 
 told by Herodotus, that even at Babylon, in 
 its most prosperous times, the custom was to 
 carry a sick person into a public square, for 
 the purpose of being questioned by the passers- 
 by ; and if any one happened to have been 
 once suffering from a similar complaint, he 
 would detail to the invalid by what means 
 his own cure had been effected.* 
 
 We had a practical illustration, this after- 
 noon, of the Pasha's despotic will and power. 
 Having occasion to make some purchases in the 
 bazaar, we were informed that the Pasha had 
 depreciated the coin one-half the current price. 
 
 * Her. Clio, cxcvii.
 
 VISIT TO THE SECRETARY. 233 
 
 Jpril 5. — The following morning (5th) we 
 returned the calls of our Turkish acquaint- 
 ances. Our first visit was to the Yunitchery 
 Assy (chief of the janizaries), whose dress was 
 remarkable from its resemblance to an English 
 judge's gown, being a loose scarlet robe, with 
 a broad collar of ermine. 
 
 This officer enjoys a high reputation in Bag- 
 dad, and has always proved himself friendly 
 to the British interests, in gratitude (as he 
 told us) for his life having been once saved 
 by the intercession of our agent, Mr. Rich, 
 after he had been condemned to death by 
 Syyud Pasha. 
 
 On leaving the chief of the janizaries, we 
 went to the secretary, who was in his haram 
 when we arrived. Amongst the servants in 
 attendance, a woman was pointed out to me, 
 who, dressed as an eunuch, formed one of 
 the suite ; this being a privilege occasionally 
 granted to women, when (as in the present 
 instance) age and appearance are a sufficient
 
 231* INTRODUCTION TO MKE15ZA NASIR. 
 
 guarantee for their good behaviour. The se- 
 cretary soon made his appearance, bringing 
 with him a tolerably correct Arab map of 
 the Grand Signior's dominions, of which he 
 seemed to have no very indistinct idea. While 
 we were looking at this specimen of Arab 
 science, Meerza* Nasir, a Persian of rank, came 
 in, having just arrived on a mission from the 
 prince governor of Kermanshah relative to the 
 safe conduct of the body of his Highness's 
 father, the late governor of that province,-}- to 
 Meshed Ali, the proposed place of its inter- 
 ment. As soon as we were introduced to this 
 gentleman, he overwhelmed us with protesta- 
 tions of kindness. Understanding we were 
 about to proceed to Kermanshah, he promised 
 to write to all his friends there, to insure us 
 a good reception. 
 
 * The word Meerza before a name signifies secretary , 
 after it, prince. 
 
 ■f Mohummud Ali Meerza, eldest son of the King of 
 Persia, whom I shall hereafter have occasion to mention, 
 died two years previous to the date of this notice.
 
 INTRODUCTION TO MEEItZA NASIR. 235 
 
 From having the map before us, the conver- 
 sation naturally turned on the subject of our 
 travels. It was amusing to observe the sur- 
 prize our auditors expressed on hearing that 
 we travelled for our own gratification only. 
 Meerza Nasir, in particular, asked how we, as 
 officers of the King, could find funds to defray 
 our expenses ; and if any of us should die on 
 the journey, what would become of any pro- 
 perty we might leave. We told him that the 
 King paid us just the same as if we were ac- 
 tually on his duty ; and that on the death of 
 either of us, the next of kin would succeed to 
 the property, even if his Majesty wished it 
 otherwise. This was so contrary to the custom 
 of Persia, where every casualty goes in favour 
 of the existing power, that he interrupted us 
 with an incredulous expression of ajieeb ! {won- 
 derful!) evidently thinking we were indulging 
 in a traveller's privilege, notwithstanding the 
 Persian proverb, that " an Englishman never 
 tells a lie/""
 
 236 the pasha's garden. 
 
 April 6. — We went this morning, according 
 to our appointment, to a garden of the Pasha, 
 distant about four miles from the city, and 
 reached it after an hour's pleasant ride along 
 the banks of the Tigris. 
 
 The Pasha in this, as in every other instance, 
 seemed desirous to show us every attention ; 
 for we found assembled at the appointed place 
 the Lieutenant-Governor and the principal per- 
 sons of the Pashalick — an honour, which we 
 were given to understand, was seldom, if ever, 
 shown to private individual. We entered a 
 small oblong room, where all these personages 
 were seated, smoking their pipes with true 
 Turkish solemnity. 
 
 Through the centre of this room ran a 
 stream of water, of which I was first made 
 aware by stepping my foot into it, in my 
 anxiety to do the honours correctly. We sate 
 cross-legged : and remained so long in this 
 painful position, that we were completely tired
 
 THE SCREW PUMP. 237 
 
 of our honour's, when luckily the Musruf 
 Effendy (treasurer) called us out to look at an 
 awkward kind of pump, worked by one horse, 
 on the principle of the Archimedes'' screw, for 
 letting the water of the Tigris into the Pasha's 
 garden. 
 
 The Musruf looked with peculiar compla- 
 cency on this machine, and claimed the honour 
 of the invention ; although one of his detractors 
 whispered in my ear that he was indebted for 
 it to a Persian. Be this as it may, the Musruf 
 is unquestionably a man deservedly celebrated 
 for every species of expediency ; in proof of 
 which, may be mentioned an admirable plan he 
 has lately invented, in his own department of 
 treasurer, for settling with the troops, whose 
 pay is four piastres, or two shillings English, 
 a month. In lieu of this, he has given them a 
 certain quantity of tobacco, worth about half 
 the sum. So valuable a servant could not but 
 be highly acceptable to his master ; accord-
 
 238 IRRIGATION OF LAND. 
 
 ingly, there are few persons in such high fa- 
 vour, as is the Musruf Effendy with the Pasha 
 of Bagdad. 
 
 Attracted by an arbour formed of vine-trees, 
 we bent our steps towards it for the advantage 
 of its shade, as we were now suffering from the 
 meridian rays of an Eastern sun ; but alas ! the 
 approach to it was completely inundated, owing 
 to the active mechanism of the Musruf's screw- 
 pump. 
 
 This mode of watering a garden, however 
 inconsistent with our ideas of English neatness, 
 has probably been found to be most efficient, as 
 it is the common mode in use both on the banks 
 of the Euphrates and the Tigris, and has been 
 so from the most ancient period of history. 
 Herodotus mentions that the Assyrians used 
 hydraulic machines for irrigating their lands.* 
 With the knowledge of this circumstance, it 
 is somewhat difficult to reconcile the accounts 
 
 * Her. Clio, exciii.
 
 FIRST IMPRESSIONS. 239 
 
 given in the Arabian Nights of the delightful 
 walks taken by various heroes and heroines in 
 these same gardens of Bagdad ; for the irriga- 
 tion, having been a daily process, must have 
 rendered the paths somewhat too muddy, one 
 might think, for the luxurious promenade of 
 Eastern beauty. 
 
 Being now about to take our departure 
 from this city, a few general remarks may not 
 be unacceptable. 
 
 A traveller coming by water from Bussorah 
 is likely to be much struck with Bagdad on his 
 first arrival. Having been for some time past 
 accustomed to see nothing but a desert — there 
 being no cultivation on that side of the city by 
 which he arrives — he does not observe any 
 change that would warn him of his approach to 
 a populous city. He continues winding up the 
 Tigris through all its numerous headlands, 
 when this once renowned city of gardens bursts 
 suddenly on his sight. Its first view justifies 
 the idea that he is approaching the residence of
 
 240 DESCRIPTION OF BAGDAD. 
 
 the renowned Caliph, Haroun Alraschid, in the 
 height of its splendour ; a crowd of early asso- 
 ciations rushes across his mind, and seems to 
 reduce to reality scenes which, from boyish re- 
 collections, are so blended with magic and 
 fairy lore, that he may for a moment imagine 
 himself arrived at the City of the Enchanters. 
 
 Bagdad is surrounded by a battlemented 
 wall ; the part towards the palace, as was the 
 case in ancient Babylon, is ornamented with 
 glazed tiles of various colours. The graceful 
 minarets, and the beautifully shaped domes of 
 the mosques, are sure to attract his eye. One 
 or two of these are gaudily decorated with 
 glazed tiles of blue, white, and yellow, which, 
 formed into a mosaic of flowers, reflect the rays 
 of the sun : the variegated foliage of the trees 
 of these numerous gardens,* which most proba- 
 bly have given the name to the city, serve as a 
 
 * Bag, or more properly Baugh, (the first syllable of 
 the word Baughdad), signifies garden.
 
 DESCRIPTION OF BAGDAD. 241 
 
 beautiful back-ground to the picture. Thus far 
 the traveller is allowed to indulge his reverie ; 
 but on entering the walls, his vision is dis- 
 pelled. 
 
 The walls are of mud : the streets, which 
 are scarcely wide enough to allow two persons 
 to pass, are so empty, that he could almost 
 fancy the inhabitants had died of the plague : 
 he looks upwards — two dead walls meet his 
 eyes *, he now enters the bazaar, and finds that 
 he has no reason to complain of want of popu- 
 lation ; a mass of dirty wretches renders his 
 road almost impassable ; with some difficulty 
 he jostles through a succession of narrow clois- 
 tered passages, traversing each other at right 
 angles ; the light, which is admitted by holes 
 a foot in diameter from the top, gives to the 
 sallow features of the crowd below a truly con- 
 sumptive appearance, agreeing well with the 
 close, hot, fulsome smell of bad ventilation. 
 The traveller, by this time, has seen sufficient 
 to cure him of the dreams of earlier life; and, 
 
 vol. i. "
 
 242 DESCRIPTION OF THE HOUSES. 
 
 on arriving at his destination, lie makes a woful 
 comparison between the reality of the scenes 
 and the picture imagination had drawn. Such, 
 or nearly such, was the impression first made 
 by my arrival in Bagdad. 
 
 The interior of a house is much more com- 
 fortable than its outward appearance would 
 lead you to expect. The i-esidence of Aga 
 Saikeis is no bad specimen of this; it consists 
 of a succession of square courts surrounded by 
 galleries, each forming a distinct habitation. 
 In the outer court is a room, or rather a recess, 
 forming three sides of a square, and open to- 
 wards the front ; this in Persian, is called the 
 Dufter Khoneh (office), where the ordinary 
 business of the day is transacted : the second 
 court is somewhat larger, but of a similar struc- 
 ture, in which is also a recess ; this is the 
 (Dewan Khoneh) audience-room. * From the 
 galleries several rooms are partitioned off, some 
 
 * Dewan, pronounced in England Divan.
 
 TURKISH HOUSES. 243 
 
 of which we occupied, having windows opening 
 to the court, formed of small diamond-shaped 
 panes of glass of every colour, and disposed in 
 various fantastic shapes : the interior of these 
 chambers is decorated in the same style ; the 
 ceiling is composed of a kind of trellice-work 
 describing flowers of different colours. The 
 walls are formed into small arched recesses, of 
 the Arabesque order, and are gilded in a gaudy 
 manner. The number of these courts is in- 
 creased according to the size of the house ; the 
 innermost always comprising the haram, or 
 women's apartments. The few windows that 
 look towards the street, are covered with a 
 frame of lattice-work. During the warm wea- 
 ther, the inhabitants sleep on beadsteads placed 
 on the roofs, which are flat, and surrounded by 
 parapet walls. As some of the roofs are more 
 elevated than others, those occupying the high- 
 est can observe the women who dwell in the 
 lower apartments ; but a stranger will think 
 well before he indulges his curiosity, as a 
 r 2
 
 £44 SCRIPTURAL ALLUSIONS. 
 
 Turk would feel himself justified in sending 
 a ball through the head of his prying neigh- 
 bour. 
 
 There is every reason to believe that Eastern 
 houses are of the same form, and applied to the 
 same purposes as formerly. From a variety 
 of texts of Scripture, the roof appears to 
 have been always inhabited. The expression 
 of Isaiah, that " thou art wholly gone up to 
 the house tops, 1 '* evidently refers to this cir- 
 cumstance. It was from "the roof of the 
 king's house'" that David first saw Bathsheba.-f- 
 This he could easily do, as, of course, the royal 
 palace was more elevated than the surround- 
 ing habitations. Samuel communed with Saul 
 on the top of the house, and the next morning 
 called him up to the same place, to send him 
 away.j 
 
 In my note upon Bussorah, I have mention- 
 
 " Is. xxii. 1. t 2 Sam. xi. 2. 
 
 \ 1 Sam. ix. 25, 26.
 
 SCR1PTUHAL ALLUSIONS. 245 
 
 ed, that at an Armenian feast, a large party 
 were assembled on the terrace to celebrate the 
 betrothment of our host. In the same manner, 
 three thousand Philistines met on the roof of 
 the house, on the day of a " great sacrifice unto 
 Dagon, their god," and to rejoice "that Samson 
 had been delivered into their hands." 
 
 The parapet wall round these terraces, was 
 ordained by the Jewish law to prevent any one 
 from falling off: "When thou buildest a new 
 house, then thou shalt make a battlement for 
 thy roof, that thou bring not blood upon thine 
 house, if any man fall from thence."* 
 
 The lattice on the windows, is also mention- 
 ed in Holy Writ. " The mother of Sisera 
 looked out at a window, and cried through the 
 lattice. 11 ^ In Solomon's Song, the bride says 
 " he looketh forth at the windows, showing 
 himself through the lattice."! 
 
 There is hardly any variety in the dress of 
 
 * Deut. xxii. 8. t Judg. v. 28, 
 
 X Sol. Sonsj-, ii. 9.
 
 246 DRESS OF THE BAGDAD WOMEN. 
 
 the Bagdad females. A blue check robe, en- 
 veloping the whole person, has been selected by 
 the Turks, probably from the homeliness of its 
 colour, as least likely to attract attention ; a 
 thick horse-hair veil, through which it is im- 
 possible to discern the features of the wearer, 
 extends to the chest : a lady thus habited is 
 allowed to go abroad, attended by a female 
 servant, whose dress differs from that of her 
 mistress only in the coarser texture of the ma- 
 terials. Numbers of these females may be seen 
 in an evening outside the walls of the city : 
 some of them mounted on mules, when a pair 
 of long yellow boots is added to the dress ; 
 others on foot, proceeding towards the garden 
 to fulfil an assignation with their lovers. In 
 our evening rides, we frequently passed some of 
 these females, who, if they were alone, and a 
 Mussulman not in sight, would lift up their 
 veils, and show such a disposition to become 
 better acquainted, that if we had been inclined 
 for this species of adventure, our addresses
 
 GARDENS OF BAGDAD. J247 
 
 would doubtless have met with a favourable 
 reception . 
 
 The gardens commence within half a mile of 
 the walls of the city, and extend four or five 
 miles along the water's edge. They are sepa- 
 rated from each other by walls ; a small door 
 opens from each garden towards the river, 
 which often serves to admit some female, who, 
 gliding softly in a small boat, enters the garden 
 by this means, while her lover comes in from 
 the opposite side : here the precautionary mea- 
 sures of dress, that were intended to ensure 
 fidelity, prove useful only in preventing disco- 
 very. A woman thus disguised can escape 
 without much fear of detection ; the uniformity 
 of the dress prevents any one from identifying 
 her figure, and no man, whatever may be his 
 suspicions, will dare to lift the veil of a woman 
 in public. In Constantinople, Englishmen who 
 have engaged in this description of adventure, 
 have disappeared, and never been heard of af- 
 terwards. In Bagdad there docs not appear to
 
 248 LIBERTY OF TURKISH WOMEN. 
 
 be so much danger ; we heard of some of our 
 own countrymen having escaped, even after de- 
 tection, though, in some instances, the female, 
 and some of the principal abettors of the in- 
 trigue have fallen victims to their imprudence. 
 
 From these circumstances, it will appear that 
 Turkish women have more liberty than is 
 usually supposed, and though, by the customs 
 of the East, they are deprived of that respect 
 and admiration of the men, which are the 
 birthright of Englishwomen, they have, per- 
 haps, more power of indulging their licentious 
 inclinations, and with less fear of detection than 
 our ladies, who, like our monarch, have a legi- 
 timate though limited sway.
 
 BAGDAD 249 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 Buildings in the time of Haroun Alraschid — A House 
 — Mosque — Disregard of the Turks for Antiquities — 
 Preparations for departure — Advice to Travellers — 
 Roguery of the British Agent— Mr. Wolff, a Mis- 
 sionary — Extortion of the Servants of Aga Saikeis — 
 We leave Bagdad — Gold-stick bearer — Benee-Sad — 
 Ruined state of the Town — Ahoo Nasir throwing the 
 
 Jereed Bacouhah — Devastation of the Army of Mo- 
 
 humud Ali Meerza — Alarm of Robbers — Aboo Nasir's 
 Request — The Silver-stick Bearer and Aboo Nasir 
 take leave. 
 
 During our stay in Bagdad, we were very 
 anxious to observe any customs in use amongst 
 the modern inhabitants, with which we might 
 associate our recollections of their ancestors, as 
 recorded in the Arabian Nights ; but Bagdad 
 is no longer the Court of the Caliphs. The
 
 250 BUILDINGS. 
 
 former capital of the Eastern empire, has 
 dwindled into the seat of government of a 
 remote province. The deputy of the Caliph's 
 successor occupies the seat once filled by com- 
 manders of the faithful ; and although in the 
 decline of a great city there must be a smaller 
 field for the delineation of character, than in 
 the days of its prosperity, the customs of the 
 present inhabitants have such an affinity to the 
 accounts handed down to us of the days of 
 splendour, as to bear ample testimony to the 
 fidelity of that admirable picture of Oriental 
 life. 
 
 In our search for illustrations of the Arabian 
 Nights, we were not unmindful of buildings in 
 the time of the Caliph Haroun Alraschid, the 
 detail of whose midnight pranks has so amused 
 our earlier life. Though there are few remains 
 of this merry monarch, these few, unsatisfacto- 
 ry as they were to our craving curiosity, were 
 visited by us with a grateful respect for his 
 memory, proportionate to the pleasure we had
 
 RESIDENCE OF HAROUN. 251 
 
 derived from the perusal of his exploits. A 
 house situate on the banks of the Tigris was 
 shown to us as having once been the residence 
 of Haroun. There is nothing in its actual 
 appearance to attract notice, though it is re- 
 markable for the judicious situation in which it 
 is built. The far-famed Tigris washes its walls, 
 and from its lattices is a fine view of the sur- 
 rounding scenery. 
 
 Another memento of the Caliph, is a mosque 
 in a dilapidated state, which bears marks of 
 having once been beautiful and elegant ; it is 
 nearly the highest building in the city. Cap- 
 tain Hart attempted to make a sketch of it, but 
 was prevented by the importunate curiosity of 
 the Turks, who had gathered round us to dis- 
 cover the objects of our attention. 
 
 Here it may not be irrelevant to offer a few 
 remarks on that disposition so observable in 
 Eastern nations to allow the works of antiquity 
 to decay. The people who do not look back- 
 ward to their ancestors, will never look forward
 
 252 INDOLENCE OF THE TURKS. 
 
 to posterity. The Turk, careless and indolent, 
 dozes through his existence, unmindful of the 
 past, regardless of the future. With us, the 
 actions of our forefathers are associated with 
 our own. The motives which stimulate us to 
 present exertion are the recollection of our pre- 
 decessors, and the hope of benefiting our poste- 
 rity. The Turk, from the frail hold by which 
 he clings to life, merely regards the moment of 
 present enjoyment. To-morrow he may be 
 dead, or he may be a beggar. To-day, is his 
 existence. He knows that like the mighty 
 Davoud, the slave may become the three-tailed 
 bashaw, but he also knows that the same sum 
 which purchased the head of his predecessor, 
 may be given for his own. He exercises power 
 while he may, in extortion and oppression. 
 Prodigal of the life of others, equally careless 
 of his own, he yields when his turn comes, with 
 the indifference of a predestinarian, and res- 
 pectfully submits his neck to the bowstring,
 
 AGA SAIKF.IS. 253 
 
 whenever " the vicar of the holy prophet 1 ' shall 
 doom him to destruction. 
 
 April 8. — For some reasons, that we were 
 unable to divine, Aga Saikeis threw every 
 obstacle in the way of our departure. When- 
 ever we made inquiries respecting any oppor- 
 tunity of joining a party proceeding to Ker- 
 manshah, our next halting place, he always 
 evaded giving us an answer, till the caravan in 
 question had proceeded on its journey. 
 
 Impatient at this protracted delay, and being 
 suspicious that we were again to become the 
 innocent instruments of some deceitful project, 
 we determined to follow the plan we had adopt- 
 ed at Bussorah, of forming our own caravan> 
 and travelling independent of others. For this 
 purpose, we purchased tents; Mr. Hart and 
 Mr. Lamb had a small one a-piece, and Mr. 
 Hamilton and myself a larger one between us. 
 I must digress for one moment to notice the 
 door of Mr. Hart's tent, which was fancifully
 
 254 PREPARATION FOR DEPARTURE. 
 
 worked with different colours in the form of 
 Howers, and appeared to resemble the descrip- 
 tion given in Exodus of the " hanging for the 
 door of the tent ; of blue, and purple, and 
 scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with 
 needle work."* We were assisted in our ar- 
 rangements by Gaspar Khan, a wealthy mer- 
 chant, who engaged for us twenty-four mules, 
 to carry our servants and baggage. The chief 
 muleteer gave us a written agreement, by which 
 he was bound to go to Kermanshah within a 
 o-iven time, or to remain on the road as many 
 days as we required. We had each two ser- 
 vants, and two saddle horses ; we hired two 
 tent-pitchers for the whole party, and the de- 
 scendant of Mahomet still continued to act as 
 cook. The Pasha hearing of our projected 
 departure, sent a janisary to escort us to the 
 Persian frontier, with a firman, exempting us 
 from all tolls and exactions whatever. Aboo 
 Nasir begged us to allow him to accompany us 
 * Ex. xxvi. 36, 37.
 
 ADVICE TO TRAVELLERS. 255 
 
 the two first stages, for the sake of old acquaint- 
 ance, a proposal to which we willingly acceded. 
 
 From the moment that Aga Saikeis saw these 
 preparations, his spirits entirely forsook him. 
 He frequently tried to rally, but in vain ; and 
 there can be little doubt that, by our departure, 
 we defeated some favourite plan he had formed 
 for his aggrandisement ; as from the time we 
 commenced our preparations for the journey, 
 we observed him in close conference with his 
 confidential secretary, an Armenian of the esta- 
 blishment, whose sympathetic features reflected 
 the woe-begone countenance of his principal. 
 
 Should any traveller follow our route, he 
 need not employ so large an equipage as that 
 imposed upon us by Aga Saikeis. If he travel 
 alone, he will only have occasion for a saddle- 
 horse for his own riding, and two mules, one of 
 which, more lightly laden than the other, will 
 also carry his servant. With so small an equi- 
 page, however, it will be advisable for him to 
 join a caravan ; indeed, at all events, he had
 
 256 ADVICE TO TRAVELLERS. 
 
 better do so, as there is considerable danger in 
 passing the frontier, on account of the nume- 
 rous predatory hordes that infest the moun- 
 tains; and, though we did not come in actual 
 contact with these robbers, we have good cause 
 to remember them. The traveller is recom- 
 mended not to put himself to any expense in 
 the purchase of portmanteaux, as the articles of 
 the country are infinitely cheaper and better 
 adapted to the mule loads. A small breakfast- 
 canteen is indispensable. With regard to equip- 
 ment, and an estimate of expenses, Lieutenant 
 Colonel Johnson's Journey through Persia, to 
 London, gives very excellent advice to travel- 
 lers. It is the best itinerary that has been 
 published of a Persian tour, and affords a fair 
 valuation of expenses, though, perhaps, occa- 
 sionally underrated : at least, we were unable 
 to make such good bargains. Our route was 
 not the same as Colonel Johnson's, but his re- 
 marks are equally applicable to both lines of 
 march.
 
 ROGUERY OF THE BRITISH AGENT. 257 
 
 I cannot close these observations without 
 strongly recommending any future traveller 
 visiting Bagdad, to avoid the house of Aga 
 Saikeis : if his object be either curiosity, eco- 
 nomy, or expedition, he will in all probabil- 
 ity enjoy as little liberty to pursue his obser- 
 vation as ourselves ; the good cheer of which 
 he may partake, though not charged in a bill, 
 will draw from his pocket, by indirect means, 
 an ample remuneration ; and if it should suit 
 the views of the agent, so many obstacles will 
 be thrown in the way of his departure, that no- 
 thing but the most decisive conduct will pre- 
 vent his detention. It was not till some time 
 after our departure from Bagdad, that we were 
 fully convinced of this Armenian's rogueries ; 
 each succeeding day brought to light some fresh 
 instance of his extortion ; in proof of which, can- 
 dour obliges me to relate a circumstance, which, 
 for the reputation of our party, ought to be 
 kept secret, the misfortune being of that de- 
 scription which would obtain us no commisera- 
 
 vol. i. s
 
 258 ROGUERY OF THE BRITISH AGENT. 
 
 tion from our sporting countrymen. In short, 
 Aga Saikeis, with some very few exceptions, 
 took in the whole of our party in the sale of 
 horses. 
 
 As I could not presume to impeach the judg- 
 ment of my fellow travellers, upon a point 
 about which all Englishmen are so punctilious, 
 the names of the sufferers must not be men- 
 tioned ; but out of our stud, one horse wanted 
 an eye; a second, a pair of hind legs; a third, 
 recommended as likely to suit a timid gentle- 
 man, ran away with him every day, to the 
 amusement of the rest of the party ; and of the 
 two horses I bought, one died at Teheran, and 
 the other was very well sold at Tabriz for a 
 sum equivalent to two pounds sterling. 
 
 Having thus pointed out the shoals of which 
 the traveller is to steer clear, it is but fair to give 
 a few directions for the course he ought to pur- 
 sue. He is recommended to hire apartments 
 for himself, and to employ no servant but his 
 own. If he should require information con-
 
 MR. WOLFF. £59 
 
 nected either with arrangements for his journey, 
 or with objects worthy of his curiosity, he is re- 
 commended to the Chief of the Artillery, who 
 will be proud to afford him every assistance in 
 his power, and to whose good offices our party 
 feel themselves so much indebted. 
 
 While we were at breakfast this morning, 
 Mr. Wolff, a Missionary, came in, having just 
 arrived from Aleppo, after a long and arduous 
 journey across the Desert. Of this, his appear- 
 ance bore ample testimony, as his complexion, 
 naturally fair, had turned to a copper colour 
 from the scorching influence of the sun. He 
 appeared to have encountered various difficul- 
 ties and dangers, and seemed so overjoyed at 
 a«ain meeting with European faces, that he 
 could scarce restrain his satisfaction within 
 bounds. He gave us an interesting account of 
 his journey through Mesopotamia, and of the 
 various perils he had encountered on his road. 
 
 At a short distance from Merdan he met 
 with the Yezedees, an extraordinary sect, who 
 < o
 
 260 WORSHIPPERS OF THE DEVIL. 
 
 entertain a sort of pious regard for the Devil. 
 On one occasion being seated between two men, 
 he asked one of them, who was a Christian, of 
 what persuasion the other was ? The person 
 alluded to, replied, that he belonged to a par- 
 ticular tribe, who neither bowed the head, nor 
 bent the knee in prayer. Mr. Wolff then asked 
 him if he was not one of the worshippers of the 
 Devil ? He replied, " We worship nothing ; 
 but we never pronounce that name which you 
 have just uttered."" We staid so short a time 
 with Mr. Wolff, that we were unable to gain 
 much information respecting this extraordinary 
 people, who, he told us, believed that the Devil 
 was a fallen angel, but that in the course of time 
 he would again be received into divine favour. 
 
 We were much interested in our new ac- 
 quaintance, who, in the course of conversation, 
 evinced an inexhaustible fund of anecdote, and 
 showed such enthusiasm in the laborious and 
 perilous office in which he was employed, that, 
 though we might not agree with him in the
 
 MR. WOLFF. 
 
 261 
 
 efficacy of his mission, we could not help ad- 
 miring his unaffected piety, and the sincerity of 
 his religious zeal. 
 
 Mr. Wolff is a native of Germany, and was, 
 in early life, of the Jewish persuasion, from 
 which he was converted to Catholicism, and 
 became a member of the " propaganda fide." 
 Living at Rome, he observed so many prac- 
 tices which he deemed inconsistent with his 
 notions of Christianity, that he abjured popery, 
 and published such an anathema against his 
 Holiness himself, that his friends, in regard for 
 his safety, hurried him out of the Holy City. 
 His mission, when we saw him, was from the 
 London Bible Society, to inquire into the reli- 
 gious state of the Jews in the East ; and the 
 result of his observations has since appeared in 
 a periodical work entitled the " Jewish Expo- 
 sitor." 
 
 It was his intention to have sent his journal 
 home by us; but as our arrangements were 
 made for departing in the course of the day,
 
 262 MR. WOLFF. 
 
 and we found that his baggage might be de- 
 tained for some time, we were reluctantly com- 
 pelled to forego the pleasure of its perusal. 
 
 We had various visitors this morning, who 
 came either on business with the agent, on a 
 visit to Mr. Wolff, or to take leave of us. 
 During the day, the conversation was carried 
 on in no less than ten languages. Aga Saikeis 
 had occasion at different times to speak Turk- 
 ish, Arabic, Armenian, and Persian; Mr. Wolff 
 spoke Italian, German, and Dutch ; and our 
 party spoke French to the Chief of Artillery, 
 Hindostany to our servants, and English among 
 ourselves. 
 
 The rest of the day was less pleasantly occu- 
 pied. No sooner had we retired to our rooms, 
 than we were besieged by the whole household 
 of Aga Saikeis, who, collectively and indivi- 
 dually, put in their claims to be remune- 
 rated for some alleged services. In this emer- 
 gency, we sought their master to protect us
 
 QUIT BAGDAD. 263 
 
 from imposition. As usual, when our interests 
 required his presence, he had some convenient 
 occupation that called him out of the way ; 
 finding our condition hopeless, we acted as our 
 countrymen always do in like cases — we paid 
 the money, not failing, when we found Aga 
 Saikeis, to make a statement of our grievances. 
 Instead of assisting us, he replied with his 
 favourite theory, that we were charged more 
 than usually high for every thing, because " the 
 English name was so great in Bagdad. 1, 
 
 After satisfying the demands of these cormo- 
 rants, we sent forward our servants and bag- 
 gage, and, at five in the evening, had the 
 satisfaction of finding ourselves outside the 
 walls of Bagdad, on our road to Kermanshah. 
 We were accompanied by Aga Saikeis, and a 
 large party of native gentlemen, for some dis- 
 tance out of the city, and submitted to their 
 presence with patience, knowing that it was the 
 last time we should have the honour of their
 
 264 SILVER-STICK BEARKK. 
 
 society, of which, to say the truth, we began 
 to be a little tired. 
 
 We had not proceeded more than two miles 
 on our journey, when we were overtaken by the 
 silver-stick bearer, who, seeming to think his 
 presence necessary, said he was ordered to ac- 
 company us to Bacoubah, two stages distant ; 
 we told him we had no farther occasion for his 
 services ; but the hopes of more fees induced 
 him to disregard our hint, and to take his usual 
 station in our retinue. 
 
 We pursued our course in a N. N. E. direc- 
 tion. At eight, we passed some mounds. The 
 road for a considerable distance was strewed 
 with broken bricks ; and we saw a number of old 
 water-courses. We traversed, for three miles, 
 what appeared to be the old bed of a river. 
 These remains indicate a former state of cul- 
 ture, of which they are the only vestiges. 
 
 With the exception of a few patches of ver- 
 dure in some hollow places, where the rain has 
 lodged, the whole extent from the foot of the
 
 BENEE SAD. 965 
 
 wall of Bagdad is a barren waste, without a 
 blade of vegetation of any description. At 
 ten p. m. we were at Benee Sad ; our tents 
 were pitched at the north side of the caravan- 
 serai, on the edge of a swamp, over which 
 the wind blew piercingly cold. Adjoining the 
 caravanserai is a small village, from which we 
 procured sheep and fowls. We arrived very 
 hungry on our ground, but had nothing ready 
 to eat. In our journey to Babylon, our 
 Bagdad host laid in an ample store of cold 
 provisions, and bread sufficient for us till our 
 return. On the present occasion of our final 
 departure, he had not thought any attention 
 of this kind necessary, the ends of his policy, 
 regarding us, having been accomplished. 
 
 The advanced guard of the army under Mo- 
 hummud Ali Meerza, the late Prince of Ker- 
 manshah, marched as far as this place, on their 
 road to Bagdad. They have left striking proofs 
 of their visit, in the ruinous and desolate state 
 of the town, which they destroyed.
 
 266 THROWING THE JEREED. 
 
 April 9. — We left Benee Sad at seven a.m. 
 After three hours' march we crossed the bed of 
 the river Nar, which tradition states to have 
 been the ancient bed of the Tigris, one branch 
 of which falls into the sea. 
 
 Our day's march was not without its amuse- 
 ment. Aboo Nasir, having indulged in a stir- 
 rup-cup, was more than usually merry; riding 
 before us, jereed in hand, he dared us to the 
 contest. We each of us grasped a jereed, and 
 in turns pursued him ; but his legs, which were 
 the only sober members of his body, stuck so 
 close to the saddle, that we could neither upset 
 him, nor touch him with the jereed, as he al- 
 ways managed to elude the blow, at the mo- 
 ment we expected to see him prostrate on the 
 ground. 
 
 At eleven we arrived at the river Diala, the 
 Delas or Pasitrigis of ancient history : we cross- 
 ed it on a large platform ferry, that carried 
 over the cattle with the load on their backs. 
 
 Near the ferry was a garden, in which we re-
 
 SAHARAUB. BACOUBAH. l 26l 
 
 mained till our party was ready to proceed ; 
 here we drank coffee, smoked our pipes, and 
 ate sweet limes, which we found truly refresh- 
 ing, as the heat was very oppressive. That 
 curious optical delusion, called by the Persians 
 the Saharaub,* was so strong that we were de- 
 ceived into a belief that we were close to the 
 Diala long before we reached it. 
 
 From the ferry we rode about two miles 
 along the banks of the river, and arrived at 
 Bacoubah, our second day's march. This ap- 
 pears to have been a very considerable place, 
 but has been laid almost entirely in ruins by 
 the army of Coords, under the command of 
 Mohummud Ali Meerza, late Prince Governor 
 of Kermanshah, whose head-quarters had been 
 established here for some time. The cholera 
 morbus breaking out among them caused their 
 speedy return to Kermanshah, where the Prince 
 soon after died. 
 
 ' Literally, " water of the desert."
 
 268 BACOUBAH. 
 
 The time he wasted at this station saved the 
 Pashalick ; had he marched immediately to 
 Bagdad, it is the general opinion that he would 
 have obtained possession of it, so great was the 
 terror his former successes had occasioned. 
 
 Two or three attempts were made to-day to 
 frighten us into a belief of robbers, and to urge 
 the necessity of a guard of twelve men. In the 
 eveninc we were informed that three fine horses 
 had been carried off the night before, from the 
 very spot where we were encamped. Aboo 
 Nasir, upon hearing this, volunteered to keep 
 watch, and sent to us for a bottle of brandy to 
 keep him awake ; whether owing to his vigi- 
 lance, or not, certainly no robbers came. 
 
 April 10. — As Aboo Nasir was to leave us 
 this stage, he came to us in the morning and 
 asked us to give him a written character, which 
 he might show to an)' of our countrymen pur- 
 suing the same route. As soon as he had 
 obtained the document, he said to us, " I can't 
 think of asking you for any liquor; I therefore,
 
 ABOO nasir's request. 269 
 
 positively, shall not accept more than five bot- 
 tles of spirits." Such an appeal it was impossi- 
 ble to resist ; so we gave him the five bottles, 
 and he left the tent, his drunken eyes gleaming 
 with anticipated enjoyment. 
 
 We were setting off on the journey, when, as 
 we had premised, it was intimated that a present 
 would be very acceptable to the silver-stick 
 bearer; but we were so disgusted at this ad- 
 ditional attempt at extortion, by one we had 
 treated so well, that we unanimously resisted 
 his demand, advising him to go for payment to 
 him who had sent him on so fruitless an errand. 
 As we were about to depart, Aboo Nasir, drunk 
 as usual, came rolling in his saddle to bid us 
 good-bye ; his jolly scarlet face being humor- 
 ously contrasted with the serious disappointed 
 demeanour of his companion of the silver-stick.
 
 270 IXLYAUTS. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 Ruins of Artemita — Historical Notice of Shehreban — 
 Ruins of Apollonia — Crossing the Diala — Ancient Tra- 
 dition — The Hamerine or Carduchian Mountains. 
 
 We started at three r. m. that we might 
 have time, before dark, to examine ruins which 
 lay on one side of the road, two hours 1 journey 
 hence. Our road was N. E., over grass plains 
 highly capable of cultivation, with numerous 
 encampments of Illyauts, through two of which 
 we passed, and were treated by the wanderers 
 with the greatest attention and respect. 
 
 Seven miles E. of Bacoubah we came upon 
 ruins, which I consider to be those of the an- 
 cient city of Artemita, the favourite residence 
 of Chosroes, King of Persia, the rival of the
 
 ARTEMITA. 271 
 
 Emperor Heraclius. The first was a square 
 mound of bricks facing the cardinal points, re- 
 sembling in form the Gubri Bina on the road to 
 Babylon: it was called by our guides Hud 
 Mootsir, and is probably the site of some tem- 
 ple in the suburbs of the ancient city. A mile 
 beyond this temple, the ruins themselves com- 
 mence, which, from the regularity of the mounds, 
 appear to have been built with much taste 
 and judgment : a succession of longitudinal 
 mounds, bearing N. and S., and traversed by 
 others E. and W., show the regularity with 
 which the streets must have been formed. In 
 the western extremity of these ruins, in a situa- 
 tion that would have constituted the principal 
 street, is a mound higher than the rest, which 
 we suppose to have formed the royal residence. 
 Before it is a grass plain, about as large as 
 Lincoln's Inn Square, which I shall call the 
 park or garden of the sovereign: of this, the 
 circumstance that the grass grows in every 
 place but where it is impeded by the founda-
 
 272 A11TEM1TA. 
 
 tion of buildings, is a sufficient indication. 
 Immediately before the supposed palace, there 
 are several other square spaces covered with 
 grass, and may probably have once been the 
 gardens of the city. The whole is surrounded 
 by mounds, which mark the foundations of the 
 outer walls ; and circular bastions may be traced 
 at regular distances: even the vacant spaces, 
 occasioned by the entrance gates, are very ap- 
 parent ; many of the bricks are fourteen inches 
 square, of the same appearance and dimensions 
 as those at Babylon. We saw here great 
 quantities of broken pottery : Mr. Hamilton 
 found part of an enamelled vessel, on which was 
 the figure of a head encircled with a wreath. 
 We were informed, that after a shower of rain, 
 the Arabs were in the habit of finding amulets, 
 and numerous coins of gold, silver, and copper. 
 In the short space of half an hour, Mr. Hart 
 picked up twenty-one copper coins : on one of 
 these we could distinctly trace the head of a 
 male figure on one side, and that of a female on
 
 AR.TEM1TA. 273 
 
 the other. This would favour the conjecture of 
 a residence of Chosroes, many of whose coins 
 were stamped on one side with his own head, 
 and on the reverse with that of his queen, the 
 fair Sira, or Shereen. The Arabs called this 
 place Kurustur, but could give us no farther 
 information respecting it. We regretted not 
 having been previously informed that these 
 ruins were so well worthy attention, that we 
 might have encamped in the vicinity, and de- 
 voted a day to their examination. 
 
 D'Anville* places Artemita near a town call- 
 ed Descara ; and Kinnier-f- considers it the same 
 as Kisra Shereen, a ruined city in the Hame- 
 rine Mountains, five days 1 journey hence. 
 
 As some explanation is necessary for differ- 
 ing from two such respectable authorities, it 
 may be mentioned, that our party, after care- 
 
 * D'Anville M6n. de l'Academie des Inscriptions, 
 torn, xxxii. pp. 268, 571. 
 
 f Kinnier's Geographical Memoir of the Persian Em- 
 pire. 
 
 vol,. I. T
 
 274 SITE OF ARTEMITA. 
 
 fully examining the place mentioned by D'An- 
 ville, could find no traces of buildings what- 
 ever. As the learned antiquary never visited 
 this country, and formed his opinion from geo- 
 graphical deduction, I shall consider the absence 
 of ruins a sufficient reason for rejecting his 
 opinion ; and state my objections against that 
 of Mr. Kinnier. 
 
 Gibbon* says, " In the space of twenty-four 
 years, he (Chosroes) was deterred by supersti- 
 tion or resentment from approaching the gates 
 of Ctesiphon ; and his favourite residence, Ar- 
 temita, or Destigerd, was situate beyond the 
 Tigris, about sixty miles to the north of the 
 capital." 
 
 It is well known that the Persian monarchs 
 were accustomed to pass their summer months 
 in the mountains, for the benefit of the cool 
 air, and during the winter to reside in the 
 plains.-f- 
 
 * Gibbon, viii. 46. f Strabo, xi. .522.
 
 SITE OF AUTEMITA. 275 
 
 Strabo* informs us, that on account of the 
 mildness of the climate, Ctesiphon was the 
 winter residence of the Parthian kings : it is, 
 therefore, highly improbable that Destagerd 
 should have been in so elevated a situation as 
 Kisra Shereen ; besides, that city, instead of 
 sixty, is nearly a hundred miles north of Ctesi- 
 phon. 
 
 Isidorus of Charax, and Strabo,-f- both speak 
 of Artemita as a great and populous city. 
 D'Herbelot gives an account of its former 
 splendour, and Theophanes of its subsequent 
 ruin. In the year 627 it was taken by the 
 Greek Emperor Heraclius, who, in revenge for 
 the numerous calamities that had been inflicted 
 by Chosroes on the Grecian provinces, destroy- 
 ed with fire all the valuables that the army 
 could not carry away. The renowned Chosroes 
 escaped through a hole in the walL, and sought 
 refuge in the hut of a neighbouring peasant. 
 
 * Strabo, xvi. 743. t lb. p. 744. 
 
 T 2
 
 276 DEPARTURE FROM ARTEMITA. 
 
 From the destruction of Artemita may be 
 dated, not only the overthrow of Chosroes, but 
 the extinction of the whole race of Guebres. 
 A very few years after, the mighty Mahomet 
 appeared, and involved Greeks and Persians in 
 one common ruin. 
 
 On leaving the ruins of Artemita, we fol- 
 lowed the course of a canal for about three 
 miles. We met with several oval earthen ves- 
 sels on its banks, and many i-emains of build- 
 ings. We then passed over a rich plain, with 
 numerous water- courses for irrigation ; the 
 country was well cultivated. The road was 
 mostly flooded, and in many parts very difficult 
 to pass. We saw the fires of Illyaut camps in 
 in every direction, but met with none of the 
 plunderers, which we had been taught to ex- 
 pect. 
 
 We reached Shehreban at eleven o'clock p. m., 
 and found it almost entirely deserted. It is a 
 place of considerable extent. We wandered
 
 ANCIENT AF0LI.0NIA. 277 
 
 through the desolate streets some time, without 
 finding any house with inhabitants, till we came 
 to a caravanserai, where we met a man who 
 told us that all the inhabitants had left the 
 place, which had been sacked and ruined by 
 the Coords. 
 
 We pitched our tents a quarter of a mile 
 from the town ; and remained the following 
 day at Shehreban, to enable us to examine some 
 ruins in the neighbourhood. 
 
 April 11.— In the morning, Mr. Hart and 
 myself mounted our horses, and took with us 
 a guide. About three miles to the N. of Sheh- 
 reban, we came to a spot bearing the usual 
 indications of ruined cities in the East. The 
 most remarkable of these, was a square space 
 of half a mile, enclosed in a wall : the sides to 
 the N. and E. are to be traced ; towards the 
 S. and W. the wall is in many places thirty 
 feet high. Three hundred yards to the E. 
 side, is a high abrupt mound of sun-burnt
 
 278 RUINS OF APOLLONIA. 
 
 bricks, strewed as usual with broken tiles, frag- 
 ments of ornamented pottei'y, &c. We could 
 gain nothing satisfactory from our guide, of the 
 traditions respecting this place: he called it 
 Uske Bagdad (Ancient Bagdad), and said that 
 it was the ruin of a city built by Chosroes, to 
 whom all doubtful remains of ancient buildings 
 are attributed in this country. 
 
 According to D'Anville, this spot is the site 
 of the ancient Apollonia, a town which gave 
 the name of Apolloniatis to the surrounding dis- 
 trict. It was probably coeval with Seleucia on 
 the banks of the Tigris, and built by Seleucus, 
 who doubtless gave it the name, to commemo- 
 rate his pretended descent from Apollo.* In 
 the early part of the reign of Antiochus the 
 
 * Respecting the divine origin of Seleucus we have 
 these words in Justin : — " Laodice cum nupta esset An- 
 tiocho, claro inter Philipi duces viro, visa est sibi per 
 quietem ex concubitu Appollinis concepisse." 
 
 This place is mentioned in Ptolemy, lib. vi., cap. 1. 
 Poly biu s, lib. 5.
 
 RUINS OF APOLLONIA. 279 
 
 Great, Molo, the Satrap of Media, presuming 
 on the youth of the king, led an army against 
 him, and rendered himself master of Apollo- 
 niatis ; and after various successes, retired with 
 his army into the city of Apollonia, to which 
 place he was pursued by Antiochus, and being 
 betrayed by his followers, killed himself in 
 despair. 
 
 From these ruins, we proceeded to an extra- 
 ordinary-looking building', which formed a long 
 and solid mass. The bricks, which are four- 
 teen inches square, are connected together by a 
 hard and beautiful cement, composed of lime- 
 stone and alabaster. This building, generally 
 speaking, is in high preservation. To the 
 eastward, at regular distances from each other, 
 protrude sixteen well-formed bastions ; twelve 
 of them are entire, two in rather a ruined state, 
 and two with the bases only visible. The W. side 
 is a flat wall, the brickwork of which is in most 
 places very perfect : corresponding with each 
 bastion, is a regular ascent from the opposite
 
 280 RUINS OF APOLLONIA. 
 
 side, and a kind of arch across. In the wall, 
 between each bastion, are three loop-holes, 
 which one would suppose were for the admit- 
 tance of air to a subterranean passage, but its 
 appearance impressed us with the idea that the 
 whole is a solid substance. The building mea- 
 sures from the summit of the bastion to its 
 visible base, twenty-eight feet, the semicircum- 
 ference is one hundred feet, and the space be- 
 tween each bastion fifty-eight feet. The Arabs 
 call this place the Zindan, or prison, and, with 
 their usual love for the marvellous, tell you 
 hat in it are a number of cells, inhabited by 
 genii, who take off the heads of every one who 
 may be unfortunate enough to enter this en- 
 chanted habitation. If, as its name implies, it 
 were formerly a prison, the loss of head might 
 occur to the luckless inmate without the aid of 
 supernatural agency, and some such circum- 
 stance has probably given rise to the tradition. 
 In the evening, we visited Shehreban, or 
 rather its ruins, as there was scarcely one
 
 SHEHUKBAN. 281 
 
 entire house remaining. A winding stream of 
 water, occasioned by a cut from the Diala, 
 traverses nearly every house. This stream has 
 been occasionally embanked with masonry, of 
 which many portions remain that appear an- 
 cient, and may have been built during the time 
 of the former city. There are also numerous 
 bridges of bricks, forming communications with 
 the different streets, but, apparently, not older 
 than the modern town. 
 
 No remains of ancient buildings exist, and 
 the present town bids fair to add its heap of 
 ashes to its predecessor. It was for some time 
 in the hands of the Persians. The works they 
 have left here, and at the other places we have 
 passed, give abundant proofs of their expertness 
 in spoliation. The spectacle it presents is truly 
 wretched. The roofs of most of the houses are 
 fallen in ; the wood having been probably used 
 for fuel. 
 
 This town was, not many months back, one of 
 the most populous and thriving in the Pashalick
 
 282 
 
 KUINS OF SHEHREBAN. 
 
 of Bagdad ; now the whole population consists 
 of about three families. 
 
 The Mosque, which is very large, has been 
 spared by these marauders, probably from a 
 religious feeling. The same inducement has 
 made them leave the caravanserai untouched, 
 for the use of their countrymen on a pilgrimage 
 to the tomb of their saint. Whatever may be 
 their motives, the effect of these three buildings 
 in preservation, only serves to complete the 
 picture of desolation, by the contrast they bear 
 with the rest of the city. 
 
 Before we returned to our tents, we examined 
 the fortifications and outer works. Some of 
 these are almost level with the ground. Those 
 that remain standing, every where pierced with 
 cannon shot, have left ample traces of its de- 
 structive powers; here the action must have 
 been desperate ; the point of attack being on 
 the E. side of the city, it must have been ne- 
 cessary for the besiegers to have escaladed the 
 garden walls, after having carried the outworks.
 
 RUINS ON THE DIALA. 28(5 
 
 We could distinctly trace the several breaches 
 that had been made. 
 
 April 1%. — We left Shehreban early in the 
 morning. We sent forward our baggage and 
 servants to Khizil Hubaut, distant eighteen 
 miles. After an hour's ride, we diverged from 
 our road two miles to the N. W. to see a place 
 where the enamoured Khosro is reported to 
 have built a palace for the fair Shereen, 
 situate on the right bank of the Diala. The 
 country was covered with verdure, chiefly wild 
 barley and oats, and watered with numerous 
 rills. From a distance, we thought we could 
 distinctly trace the outline of an extensive 
 building. On our nearer approach, we per- 
 ceived that a piece of rock of peculiar form 
 had caused this delusion ; an hour and a half 
 brought us to the Diala, at its embouchure 
 from the hills. The whole of this spot showed 
 marks rather of the commencement of some un- 
 dertaking, than the remains of a finished build- 
 ing. It is possible that Khosro might have
 
 284 CROSSING THE DIAL A. 
 
 here been engaged in constructing an edifice, 
 when the approach of the Emperor Heraclius 
 obliged him to make so precipitate a retreat. 
 
 On the left bank of the Diala, we observed 
 what had the appearance of a large unfinished 
 flight of steps, composed of masses of stone four 
 feet in length, and one and a half in depth and 
 thickness; this extended nearly to the water's 
 edge, and is all we met with to indicate the site 
 of a palace. 
 
 AVe were ferried across the classical Diala, on 
 a small raft, called a ke/luck, composed of inflated 
 sheep skins, supporting a platform of reeds, 
 which had been prepared on purpose for us. 
 The raft was managed by two men, and though 
 one of them had lost his right arm from the el- 
 bow, he appeared to be equally expert with his 
 companion. The stream is about a hundred 
 yards wide, and very rapid : they conducted 
 the raft with paddles of the most primitive de- 
 scription, formed also of reeds : notwithstand- 
 ing the fragile texture of the platform, which
 
 PALACE OF SHEREEN. 285 
 
 one of our party fell through, on entering upon 
 it, we went and returned without accident ; we 
 landed at the place they call the Palace of She- 
 reen, close to the river side. 
 
 Instead of the large building which appeared 
 at a distance, we found a perpendicular rock, 
 with some excavations, apparently the stations 
 of ascetics. In one of them, is the figure of a 
 man rudely traced on the rock, with some marks 
 like hieroglyphics near it. The largest cave is 
 about fourteen feet square, and vaulted in the 
 roof; the rock is a mass of soft reddish sand- 
 stone, resting on a stratum of large oyster 
 shells, and bedded in clay. On the top of this 
 rock are many parts scarped for the foundation 
 of buildings, and a small portion of a wall re- 
 maining. To the N. E. of this scarped part, 
 and considerably higher, are two large heaps of 
 rounded pebbles of limestone, apparently an 
 original deposit. 
 
 The view from this eminence was very fine, 
 especially as contrasted with the scenery we had
 
 286 ANCIENT TRADITION. 
 
 just left. The Diala could be traced some dis- 
 tance, winding among the hills, and to a consider- 
 able extent over the plain we had traversed, 
 which it fertilizes. The numerous water-courses 
 we have passed in our journey from Bagdad, 
 have been supplied from its stream, which at one 
 time they must have almost absorbed. — We 
 were rather astonished to hear our Arabs relate 
 the well-known tradition of Herodotus, that in 
 consequence of one of the horses dedicated to 
 the sun having been lost in this river, Cyrus 
 vowed he would make it so contemptible a 
 stream, that a lady should be able to pass over 
 it without wetting her knees.* 
 
 On regaining the road, we arrived at the 
 lowest range of the Hamerine Mountains : hav- 
 ing so long been accustomed to traverse a dead 
 flat, we were much gratified at being relieved 
 from the usual monotony of our march, though 
 
 * Her. Clio, clxxxix.
 
 ANCIENT TKADITION. £87 
 
 the change was only from desert plains to bar- 
 ren hills. 
 
 This chain of mountains, which formerly 
 separated the empires of Assyria and Media, 
 was called Mount Zagros, and, distinctly mark- 
 ing the limits of these once splendid rivals, 
 seemed to form a kind of neutral barrier be- 
 tween them. The chain, commencing in Ar- 
 menia, and extending to the Persian Gulf, may 
 still be considered as fixing the boundaries of 
 the same countries, distinguished in modern 
 language as Arabian and Persian Irak. 
 
 It will doubtless be remembered, that the 
 mountains of Curdistan have, from time im- 
 memorial, been inhabited by wandering tribes, 
 who, though formerly in the immediate vicinity 
 of Media and Assyria, led,- unawed by their 
 civilized neighbours, a lawless, predatory life. 
 This people, who, beyond a doubt, formed one 
 of the tribes of Ishmael, are mentioned as the 
 Carduchi by Xenophon, who had good reason 
 to remember them, from the reception they
 
 288 coords. 
 
 gave him and the ten thousand Greeks, after 
 the memorable battle of Canaxa. In the more 
 modern appellation of Coords, they have, dur- 
 ing a lapse of ages, been always observed to 
 adhere to the predatory habits of their proge- 
 nitors, whenever their turbulent spirit brought 
 them forward in the page of history. The 
 Emperor Saladin, himself a Coord, from his 
 contest with our forefathers in the chivalrous 
 days of the Crusades, has left behind him a 
 name that must be familiar to every one.
 
 CARAVANSERAI. 289 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 Ruin at Baradan — Gaur the City of Magicians — An- 
 cient Ruins — Scriptural Illustrations — Khanaki — Our 
 Janizary — Calor, a tribe of Banditti — Annoyances 
 of the Journey — The Shurgee or Siroc Wind — Ruins 
 of Kisra Shereen — We are visited by Robbers — Dan- 
 gerous Adventure. 
 
 We continued our march for about five 
 miles over a succession of eminences, with 
 rounded flattened tops, composed of limestone 
 shingles. The road was very rugged, and 
 mostly over a succession of deep narrow ruts 
 formed by the passage of cattle. On arriving 
 at the summit of this mountain, we came in 
 sight of an extensive plain ; and, at what ap- 
 peared the distance of two miles, we saw the 
 caravanserai of Khizil Rubaut. The weather 
 
 vol. i. u
 
 290 KHIZIL RUBAUT. 
 
 being intensely hot, we comforted ourselves 
 with the hope of soon reaching our destination ; 
 but we were wofully disappointed in finding, 
 that instead of two, we had to traverse a tract 
 of nine miles. The plain which we now enter- 
 ed, was rich, and for the most part well culti- 
 vated. After a march of three hours we 
 arrived at Khizil Rubaut, completely worn out 
 with the heat and closeness of the atmosphere. 
 
 Our tents were pitched to the north of the 
 town. Khizil Rubaut, in common with its 
 neighbours, has suffered from the vindictive 
 spirits of its Coordish enemies. A body of the 
 Pasha's troops were stationed here, and gave to 
 it a less desolate appearance than the other 
 town through which we passed. 
 
 The valley abounds in remains of ancient 
 buildings, and proves how populous this coun- 
 try must have been in times of old. To the 
 south-west of Khizil Rubaut are some extensive 
 ruins, possibly the site of the ancient Celonse, a 
 town said to be situated near Mount Zagros,
 
 ANCIENT BUILDINGS. 291 
 
 through which the army of Xerxes marched on 
 its road from Susa to Critalis in Cappadocia, 
 the general rendezvous of that monarch prepa- 
 ratory to his intended invasion of Greece. 
 
 At two hours' journey, near a small village 
 called Baradan, is a large mound. Three quar- 
 ters of a mile to the east-north-east, were the 
 ruins of the ancient City of Gaur, called, in 
 the Arabian Nights, the City of Enchanters. 
 Three miles to the north-west are the ruins of 
 another ancient town, said to be of very great 
 extent. 
 
 We were so much fatigued with the heat of 
 our march, and our visit to the excavations, 
 that we felt no inclination to undertake any 
 distant excursion ; we therefore confined our 
 examination to some old water-mills about a 
 mile from our tents, to which we walked in the 
 evening. The channel supplying water was 
 broken down and dry. Respecting the machi- 
 nery, we could only judge by the disposition of 
 the masonry, that the water had been supplied 
 u 2
 
 292 ANCIENT BUILDINGS. 
 
 from a height in the manner of vertical wheels 
 with buckets. A small Martello-shaped tower 
 is attached to each, with a spiral staircase to 
 the top, which has probably been constructed 
 to defend the works. I am the more inclined 
 to this opinion from having seen the same sort 
 of towers near Bussorah, to protect travellers 
 from the Wahhabbees, and at Muscat, where a 
 number were regularly fortified for the purpose 
 of defending the stream which supplied the 
 whole town with water. 
 
 April 13. — We halted to-day, to examine 
 some of the ruins of the neighbourhood. Mr. 
 Lamb and I visited Baradan, two hours dis- 
 tance from Khizil Rubaut. We took with us 
 our Janizary, and a guide, and proceeded in a 
 S. W. direction. Two miles from our tents we 
 crossed the Diala on a kelluck. The stream is 
 as broad and as rapid here as at the place where 
 we went over yesterday : we were obliged to 
 make our horses swim across. From the Diala, 
 we followed the course of a canal which served to
 
 A FIRE-TEMPLE. 293 
 
 irrigate the plain. In an hour and a half we 
 found ourselves at Baradan, which, in common 
 with other villages, has suffered from the inroads 
 of the Coordish army. A mile and a half before 
 we reached Baradan, we found the road strew- 
 ed with broken bricks and small mounds, the 
 remains of buildings. 
 
 To the S. W. of the village, is a mound little 
 inferior to the Tower of Babel. It consists of 
 a raised platform two hundred yards square, 
 and thirty feet high. From this mass, rises a 
 quadrangular tower, ninety yards long, fifty 
 yards wide, and eighty feet high. The whole 
 consists of earth mixed with rounded pebbles ; a 
 portion to the N. E. which has recently fallen 
 down, exhibits its structure of successive layers. 
 From the quantity of broken bricks, it has 
 evidently, like the Babylonian ruins, been coat- 
 ed with them. The centre of the mound is 
 much injured; huge ravines being formed on 
 three sides of it by the rain. We found nume- 
 rous fragments of broken pottery, &c. Near the
 
 294 FIRE-TEM1LE. 
 
 top of the upper mass, we saw a vessel contain- 
 ing the bones of animals. 
 
 The appearance of this mound corresponds 
 with the accounts given by Strabo and Pau- 
 sanias of some Fire- temples, which, on account 
 of their being situated on large mounds of 
 earth, they called Xofot /xajosjSejs- from their re- 
 semblance to a woman's breast. Herodotus* 
 and Diodorus state that Semiramis erected a 
 number of them in Assyria. From the reve- 
 rence in which these places of worship were 
 held, and from their capability of defence, they 
 became repositories of treasure. Strabo men- 
 tions, that in this country-f- (Assyria) there 
 was one called Azara, (a name signifying trea- 
 sure,) which was plundered by the Parthians of 
 ten thousand talents. These to$oi are probably 
 the "high places of worship," so frequently men- 
 tioned in Scripture. " I will destroy your high 
 places, and cut down your images,"! " ^alak 
 
 * Her. Clio, clxxxiv. f Strabo, lib. 26. p. 1080. 
 
 t Lev. xxvi. 30.
 
 CONDUCT OF THE VILLAGERS. 295 
 
 took Balaam, and brought him up into the 
 high places of Baal.'"* Josiah " put down the 
 idolatrous priests whom the Kings of Judah 
 had ordained to burn incense .in the high places 
 in the cities of Judah, and in the places round 
 about Jerusalem ; them also that burned incense 
 unto Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to 
 the planets, and to all the host of heaven."*f- 
 
 During the time that we were occupied in 
 these ruins, a crowd of villagers collected about 
 us, and smoked their pipes with us ; and though 
 our appearance attracted their curiosity, they 
 behaved to us with great respect. This was 
 not a little heightened by our worthy janizary, 
 who we overheard telling them that Mr. Lamb 
 was the King of England's principal physician, 
 and that I was a general in the royal army. 
 From the manner in which this officer has 
 conducted himself towards us, he doubtless be- 
 lieves us to be the high personages he has re- 
 
 * Num. xxii. 41. t 2 Kings, xxiii. 5.
 
 296 QUIT KHIZIL RUBAUT. 
 
 presented ; and we strongly suspect, that we 
 are indebted to Aga Saikeis for these unsoli- 
 cited titles, which always occasioned us much 
 inconvenience, the usual companion of great- 
 ness ; and, as is often the case with high ho- 
 nours, were attended with some danger. 
 
 We returned by the same road that we came, 
 and reached our tents at five in the evening. 
 Messrs. Hart and Hamilton had been, in the 
 mean time, to the ruins of Gaur, the city of 
 Magicians of the Arabian Nights, which lies to 
 the N. E. of Khizil Rubaut, at the distance of 
 about a mile. 
 
 April 14. — We left Khizil Rubaut at four in 
 the morning. Our road lying nearly N. E. was 
 chiefly over a succession of sand-stone hills, 
 similar to those we had already passed. As we 
 were now approaching the frontier, our chief 
 muleteer was so well acquainted with the cus- 
 toms of the road;, as to know that more than 
 usual caution was necessary. Whenever he 
 found us either straggling to the rear, or going
 
 KHANAKI. 297 
 
 too much in advance, he rode up to us and re- 
 quested that we would keep close to the bag- 
 gage, telling us much danger was to be appre- 
 hended from robbers. By his good generalship 
 we marched in a more disciplined manner than 
 ordinary, and reached Khanaki at nine in the 
 morning. We crossed the Diala, which washes 
 the northern walls of the town, over a hand- 
 some bridge, built by the Persians to facilitate 
 their pilgrimage to Meshed Ali. About a mile 
 to the N. we pitched our tents in the neigh- 
 bourhood of some gardens. 
 
 Khanaki, which is of reputed antiquity, de- 
 fines the frontier of the Pashalick of Bagdad, 
 and has met with a fate natural to its unfor- 
 tunate position between two rival powers. 
 About two years ago, it was taken by Mohum- 
 mud Ali Meerza, and must at that time have 
 had its share of the calamities of war. Upon 
 the retreat of the Prince into Kermanshah, he 
 left behind him a garrison of three hundred 
 Coords, who were surprised by the Pasha of
 
 298 CONDUCT OF A JANIZARY. 
 
 Bagdad, and, without exception, put to the 
 sword. This catastrophe occurred only six 
 months back. 
 
 The works of devastation here are even more 
 marked than at any place we have yet seen. 
 The fruit-trees in the gardens appeared to have 
 been recently cut down ; the village is one en- 
 tire scene of desolation. The caravanserai, 
 which is large and in good repair, stands to the 
 W. side, and when we arrived was crowded 
 with travellers. The few inhabitants, who have 
 come after the general slaughter which so re- 
 cently took place, occupy some huts adjoining ; 
 but we could procure nothing from them, and 
 were supplied with some bread and eggs by the 
 wandering tribes. 
 
 As the power of the Pasha could now no 
 longer avail us, we took leave of our janizary. 
 He was well satisfied with the gratuity we made 
 him, and prayed earnestly for our safety and 
 prosperity. 
 
 The conduct of this officer has been unob-
 
 QUIT K1IANAKI. 299 
 
 trusive, respectful, and attentive ; three extra- 
 ordinary qualities in a Turk. He has executed 
 with much diligence the duties of his situation, 
 and we have never heard that he has been 
 guilty of any acts of oppression while with us, 
 although the firman of the Pasha would have 
 afforded him ample opportunities, had he been 
 so disposed. In taking leave of him, we could 
 not help feeling regret, that, as a janizary, he 
 will be obliged to recur to violence, so neces- 
 sary for the support of his existence, which is 
 at the same time so inconsistent with the appa- 
 rent mildness of his character. 
 
 April 15. — At half past four in the morning, 
 we left Khanaki. In the preceding marches, 
 we had been in the habit of going forward 
 without waiting for the lading of the mules; 
 but the chief muleteer so strongly urged the 
 necessity of our keeping close together, that we 
 all started at the same time in the morning. 
 This order of march was so tedious, from the 
 slow rate at which wc journeyed, that we did
 
 300 MOUNTAIN SCENERY. 
 
 not attend so strictly to his instructions as we 
 ought. 
 
 As the day broke, we found ourselves as- 
 cending a range of hills, similar to those of yes- 
 terday, but considerably improved in appear- 
 ance. Our present ascent was rather more rug- 
 ged : the mountains, instead of having their 
 usual aspect of bleak rock, were covered with a 
 bright verdure, which afforded some relief to 
 the wearied eye. 
 
 This rocky region, divided into a variety of 
 ravines, through which the road traverses with 
 many windings, is in every respect well calcu- 
 lated for the haunts of robbers ; its numerous 
 ambushed covers afford so many points from 
 which the plunderers can mark, unobserved, the 
 traveller's progress, while the ravines secure an 
 easy retreat to those acquainted with the intri- 
 cacy of their recesses. 
 
 Soon after day-break, as Mr. Lamb and I 
 were riding together, some hundred yards in 
 advance of our party, three men on horseback
 
 CAl,OK BANDITTI. 301 
 
 came suddenly into the road from among the 
 rocks, at one of the narrow passes of the moun- 
 tain, fifty paces in advance of us, and seemed to 
 regard us with no small degree of attention. 
 He who appeared to be the Chief of the party, 
 was mounted on a black horse. They conti- 
 nued to march a short distance before us for 
 several miles, frequently slackening their pace 
 till we got near them, and then moving on 
 more briskly. 
 
 When we arrived near the end of our stage, 
 they turned back, and allowed us to pass, giv- 
 in. the usual traveller's salutation of " Peace I 1 ' 
 a phrase little in consonance with their hostile 
 appearance. After we had passed them some 
 distance, they struck into the mountains, and 
 were soon out of sight. 
 
 Our conjectures respecting them, as it after- 
 wards appeared, were not without foundation. 
 On our arrival at Kermanshah, a young Arab 
 chieftain informed us that twenty Coords of the 
 Calor tribe (one of the most numerous and
 
 302 BANDITTI". 
 
 powerful of Coordistan) had followed us from 
 Khanaki, for the express purpose of plundering 
 our party, and of murdering us if we made any 
 resistance ; of this party, twelve were on horse- 
 back, and eight on foot, armed with match- 
 locks. The chief, who he told us rode a black 
 horse, exactly coincided, in description, with 
 the person we had seen. The Arab said they 
 had been watching night and day for a favour- 
 able opportunity to put their plan in execution : 
 but always finding us so much on our guard, 
 had never thought fit to make the attempt, and 
 had been ultimately obliged to abandon their 
 purpose, on arriving at the mountain pass of 
 Pae-Takht, where a military force was sta- 
 tioned. 
 
 Their chief inducement to attack us, was the 
 intelligence they had received from Bagdad, 
 that our party consisted of an ambassador and 
 his suite, travelling with a large treasure. The 
 danger we were led into by this honour, is
 
 BANDITTI. 303 
 
 another of the obligations we owe to Aga 
 Saikeis. 
 
 They were deterred from attempting their 
 purpose, by the dread of the European officers 
 at Kermanshah revenging our deaths ; and 
 their extravagant notions of European prowess 
 and skill in arms ; which (notwithstanding their 
 numbers) made them consider the result of an 
 attack too doubtful to hazard, even for the 
 abundant harvest they expected to reap. 
 
 We were disposed to doubt the accuracy of 
 our informant's intelligence ; but he fully satis- 
 fied us, by entering into so minute a detail of 
 the circumstances of our march, from the time 
 this party had waylaid us, that had we not 
 been assured he himself was at Kermanshah 
 during this time, we should have believed him 
 to have been present with the party. 
 
 Our curiosity being strongly excited to learn 
 the sources of his intelligence, he at last told 
 us, that his authority was the leader of the
 
 304 BANDITTI. 
 
 band himself, his most intimate friend, but 
 that he could not reveal his name, as a betrayal 
 of confidence would cost him his life. 
 
 From several circumstances that escaped him, 
 it was proved beyond doubt, that his informant 
 was our morning visitor on the black horse. It 
 appeared, also, that this band was under the 
 protection of one of the principal courtiers 
 of Kermanshah, who shared in its booty, and 
 shielded it, through his influence, in that cor- 
 rupt government. 
 
 We owe this information to a feeling of gra- 
 titude on the part of the young chieftain, for 
 some important services rendered to his family 
 by the late Mr. Rich. He should not, he said, 
 have revealed the circumstances confided to 
 him, if the party had not intended to make 
 another attempt on our leaving Kermanshah ; 
 and it was to put us on our guard, that he had 
 made the friendly communication. It was near 
 this place that Sir Robert Ker Porter was 
 attacked on his journey to Bagdad.
 
 ANNOYANCES OF THE JOURNEY. 305 
 
 The scenery, »on approaching Kisra Shereen, 
 is very picturesque. The road leads along the 
 banks of a branch of the Diala, which runs 
 through a narrow valley at the foot of a steep 
 hill. A back-ground of mountains rises in 
 gradual succession one above the other, the 
 highest of which are covered with snow, but 
 the absence of wood detracts from the beauty 
 of the landscape in this country. 
 
 We suffered more in this march than in any 
 of the preceding. The heat was intolerable : 
 myriads of small gnats hovered around, and 
 either got into our eyes, or feasted on our 
 fevered blood. 
 
 We turned abruptly round a projecting point 
 of the hill, and came suddenly in sight of the 
 caravanserai of Kisra Shereen, which, from this 
 distance, had the appearance of a strong forti- 
 fication. 
 
 The ground in the neighbourhood of the 
 caravanserai is so covered with stones, that we 
 had great difficulty in finding a place to encamp 
 
 vol.. i. x
 
 306 ANNOYANCES OF THE JOURNEY. 
 
 on. We at length discovered a small level spot, 
 of extent just sufficient for our party. It was 
 situate on the banks of the river, which, in con- 
 sequence of the melting of the snows in the moun- 
 tains, was swollen to a considerable size, and, 
 forcing its way through large disjointed masses of 
 rocks, rushed past us with roaring impetuosity. 
 
 This small space was surrounded on three 
 sides by a semicircular range of hills, at the 
 top of which were the ruins of the ancient city 
 of Kisra Shereen. 
 
 While pitching our tents, the master of the 
 caravanserai came, attended by some country 
 people, and intreated us not to encamp outside, 
 as the greatest danger was to be apprehended 
 from robbers, which he stated were very nume- 
 rous; adding, that as Franks of distinction, he 
 was responsible for our safety, but could not 
 guarantee it, if we persevered in our present 
 intention. 
 
 To prove his assertion, he pointed to the 
 neighbouring village, which was completely
 
 ANNOYANCES OF THE JO'UltNEY. 307 
 
 deserted on account of robbers; the few re- 
 maining inhabitants being lodged in the cara- 
 vanserai. 
 
 Being too much accustomed to the miserable 
 accommodation of a caravanserai, we rejected 
 his advice : he then offered to furnish a guard 
 of twelve men, which he told us would be abso- 
 lutely necessary for our protection. This we 
 also refused, saying that we were able to pro- 
 tect ourselves, having found, on all other occa- 
 sions, that we could dispense with the proffered 
 assistance. 
 
 After some time we got into tolerable order, 
 but were all so harassed with our march, that, 
 notwithstanding the beauty of the scenery, we 
 lost both our spirits and temper. The caterer 
 of the week delayed our breakfast a full hour 
 beyond the usual time, and for sheer spite ex- 
 posed the milk and butter to the sun, till the 
 one was sour, and the other rancid. We work- 
 ed ourselves up to a state of wretched irrita- 
 bility, that was little consonant with the good 
 x 2
 
 308 THE SHURGEE, OR SIROC WIND. 
 
 humour and harmony that usually prevailed 
 among us. 
 
 April 15. — As we had determined to resist 
 the expense of an additional guard, deeming 
 it at the time an imposition, our servants 
 kept watch last night, and passed the time in 
 smoking, singing, and playing the dumbuck, a 
 species of guitar. At intervals, during the 
 night, they discharged their fire-arms, to show 
 the robbers they were on the alert. This ap- 
 peared to have effect, as they did not think 
 fit to honour us with a visit, and morning 
 dawned without an adventure to grace our tale. 
 
 For the last three days, we have all been 
 affected by the influence of the S. E. wind. Of 
 the party, I have, perhaps, been the greatest 
 sufferer. The effects produced by this wind, 
 resemble, in many respects, the symptoms of a 
 low fever ; violent head-ache, pains in the 
 bones, loss of appetite, nervous irritability, and 
 a general lassitude which renders any kind of 
 exertion painful.
 
 THE SHURGEE, OR SIROC WIND. 309 
 
 Last night, I retired to rest with all these 
 distressing symptoms, but on awaking in the 
 morning, I felt so restored, and my spirits were 
 so buoyant, that I needed not to be informed 
 that the wind had shifted to another quarter. 
 
 The S. E. wind is called in Arabic and Per- 
 sian, the Shurgee, and, by a natural analogy in 
 Oriental languages, is the same word as the 
 Siroc, from the effects of which I have often 
 suffered in the Mediterranean. 
 
 The natives of the Ionian Islands are so well 
 acquainted with the unpleasant sensations pro- 
 duced by the Siroc, that when they perceive its 
 approach, they immediately shut every door 
 and window, and while it lasts, never go into 
 the streets except on urgent business; while 
 our countrymen, disdaining to avail themselves 
 of the experience of the natives, and, believing 
 air to be necessary to health, leave unclosed 
 every aperture that can admit the pestilential 
 blast. 
 
 At sunrise, we visited the ruins of Kisra
 
 310 RUINS OF KISKA SHEREEN. 
 
 Shereen. The first of these is a fort, situated 
 on the edge of a plateau, in a position to com- 
 mand the road, which passes along the valley 
 by two of its faces. It is built of large quadr- 
 angular pieces of compact limestone, with 
 conical towers placed at small intervals. The 
 towers are all vaulted, and vaulted communica- 
 tions lead to them along the walls. The E. 
 and N. sides of the fort stand on the verge of 
 the plateau. In the W. and S. faces, there is 
 a deep ditch excavated in the rock. The walls 
 of the fort are levelled to the plain of the in- 
 terior, as are also the buildings, which can be 
 distinctly traced on the outside. The walls, 
 which are from fifteen to forty feet high, are of 
 so massive a structure, and composed of such 
 durable materials, that they are likely to remain 
 in their present condition for many ages. A 
 quarter of a mile from the fort are extensive 
 enclosures, surrounded by a wall about fifteen 
 feet high, composed of massive square stones. 
 We passed over a level flat, which the na-
 
 HUINS OF KISItA SHEBEEN. 311 
 
 tives call the garden. In the centre, is the ruin 
 of an extensive palace of very massive structure : 
 the walls stand from about ten to twenty feet, 
 sufficient to mark its plan. To the north of 
 the garden, is an oblong enclosure similar to a 
 stadium. We were shown the baths, and a 
 large mass of building, with vaulted roofs, call- 
 ed the bazaar of Kisra. We went hence to a 
 large square building, the hall of audience : the 
 walls are entire ; but the roof, which appears to 
 have been vaulted, has fallen in. This build- 
 ing has four entrances, facing the cardinal 
 points ; whence the sovereign is said to have 
 issued his commands to the four quarters of the 
 globe. These entrances have arches of a para- 
 bolic form. 
 
 Our guides brought us to a hill, on which, 
 they said, was formerly the Nukurah Khanah, 
 and pointed to one similar on the opposite side 
 of the valley, to which they gave a similar de- 
 nomination. The remains of buildings could 
 be traced in these two places. The accompa-
 
 312 
 
 RUINS OF K1S11A SHEREEN. 
 
 nying sketch will convey an idea of the usual 
 appearance of the buildings, and of the form of 
 some of the arches, which, it will be observed, 
 differ from that on the site of Ctesiphon. 
 
 We were informed, that about two years and 
 a half ago, an European had made an accurate 
 survey of all the buildings, and had taken with 
 him a stone covered with inscriptions. Who the 
 European was we have yet to learn: at the time, 
 we thought it might have been Sir Robert Ker 
 Porter, who visited these ruins some time since ;
 
 RUINS OF KISRA SHEREEN. 313 
 
 but we have met with that gentleman, who saw 
 no stone such as described by our guide. 
 
 The city, as its name implies, was built by 
 Kisra, or Chosroes, in honour of his beloved 
 Shereen. This princess is said to have been a 
 Christian, and the daughter of the Emperor 
 Maurice. 
 
 To have fully surveyed the mass of ruins 
 which exist here, would have occupied at least 
 two days ; but in this, as in other instances, the 
 desire of proceeding on our journey made us 
 give less time to our examination than they de- 
 served. 
 
 April 16. — We suffered so much from heat 
 in our last day's march, that we were deter- 
 mined for the future to travel by night. We 
 separated soon after dusk, to take a little repose 
 preparatory to our journey ; but, as we thought 
 it possible robbers might attack us this evening, 
 we posted our sentinels as before. Our horses 
 were secured by each foot being fastened by a 
 hair rope to an iron staple, which was fixed in
 
 314 VISITED BY ROBBERS. 
 
 the ground. A similar mode of picketing 
 horses is mentioned in Scripture, in the account 
 which the four lepers give of their visit to the 
 deserted camp of the Syrians, that " there was 
 no man there, but the horses tied, and asses tied, 
 and the tents as they were.""* Gibbon relates, 
 that the success of Galerius, a Roman General, 
 in the reign of Diocletian, was to be attributed 
 to his having attacked the Persians in the night, 
 who were consequently unable to resist him, 
 from the difficulty they had in unshackling their 
 horses.-f- 
 
 For the better securing our baggage, we 
 placed it within a small space in the centre of 
 our little camp. Having made fast the doors 
 of the tents, we were about to sleep, when we 
 heard a shot fired, which was quickly followed 
 by two others. On inquiry, we found the rob- 
 bers had descended the hill, and had com- 
 menced unloosing the cords by which our 
 
 ' 2 Kings vii. 10. f Gibbon, 2. chap. xii. UG.
 
 DANGEROUS ADVENTURE. 315 
 
 horses' feet were fastened to the ground ; but, 
 being fired upon, had fled. Shortly after, ano- 
 ther set of men (for the same could scarcely 
 have got round in the time) came to the oppo- 
 site side, made a similar attempt, and met with 
 a similar reception. This seemed to satisfy 
 them, for we saw no more of them : though, as 
 we afterwards heard, they formed a part of the 
 Calor banditti. 
 
 After these interruptions, we again laid our- 
 selves down to rest, when an incident occurred, 
 which was nearly proving of a tragical nature, 
 and will serve to show the state of watchfulness 
 in which we were. 
 
 It had been our custom every night, previous 
 to sleeping, to examine our arms, and then to 
 place our swords beside us, and our pistols 
 under our pillows. 
 
 I had been asleep about half an hour, when 
 I was awoke by a rustling in the tent : upon 
 looking to the place whence the noise proceeded, 
 I could distinctly perceive the figure of a man
 
 316 DANGEROUS ADVENTURE. 
 
 forcing himself through one of the divisions. 
 With my mind fully occupied on the late at- 
 tack, 1 immediately cocked my pistols; and, 
 with the muzzle presented to the dark figure 
 which appeared to be creeping along, I begged 
 that Mr. Hamilton, to prevent accidents, would 
 come close to me before I fired. By great good 
 fortune he called out, and I discovered that he 
 was the supposed robber, who, having gone to 
 speak to Mr. Lamb, had been unable to open 
 the door on his return, and had forced his way 
 in the manner described.
 
 MARCH BY MOONLIGHT. 317 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 March by Moonlight— Our Chief Muleteer— Pool Zo- 
 haub— Stupendous Scenery— Curious Custom of II- 
 lyaut Women — Ancient Sculpture— Ascent of the 
 Zagxi Pilae— Magnificent Scenery — Pa-ee Takht— 
 Suridage— Vexatious Delay of the Muleteer—Town 
 of Kurund — Visit from the Governor. 
 
 We commenced our march this evening as 
 the moon was majestically rising from behind 
 the mountains. The night was delightfully 
 cool, and we all felt the difference between our 
 present situation and when suffering from the 
 heat of a burning sun, augmented by the re- 
 flection from the surrounding rocks ; nor do I 
 think we were losers by the change, even on 
 the score of scenery. Daylight is necessary to
 
 318 Ol.R CHIEF MULETEER. 
 
 develope the beauties of a landscape, marked 
 by a variety of tints ; but in such as we here 
 passed, the uniform colour of the hills, and the 
 want of wood, soon palled on the eye. On the 
 other hand, the bright beams of an Eastern 
 moon striking upon the projecting points of the 
 mountains, and presenting to our view their 
 tops silvered by the snow, while the recesses 
 were thrown into the deepest shade, left fancy 
 to raise up images which reality could not 
 identify. 
 
 We had frequent occasion to admire the ac- 
 tivity and skilful arrangement of our intelligent 
 muleteer. Mounted on a small high-bred Arab, 
 he galloped over the most broken ground with 
 the same fearless security, as if he was scouring 
 his native plains, constantly passing from front 
 to rear, admonishing the indolent and encou- 
 raging the active, himself setting an example 
 Avhich seemed to inspire the others with emula- 
 tion. When we approached any narrow pass 
 where robbers were accustomed to take post,
 
 POOL ZOHAUB. 1)19 
 
 he galloped on several hundred yards to re- 
 connoitre ; thus forming an advance picket 
 to afford us time to put ourselves on our 
 guard. 
 
 Indefatigable as was his attention to the du- 
 ties of his situation, he was equally mindful 
 to those of his religion. Daily as the sun was 
 about to rise, he would gallop forward with the 
 rapidity of an arrow, throw himself from his 
 horse, which grazed unrestrained by his side, 
 and falling on his knees would finish his devo- 
 tion about the time we came up. 
 
 April 17. — The weather continued temperate 
 till a short time before dawn, when we came to 
 a low swampy plain, and felt a chilly rawness 
 in the air that was very unpleasant. 
 
 We reached Pool Zohaub, or Serpool, at 
 sunrise, crossed the river over a well-built 
 bridge, and pitched our tents on a rich plain, 
 about half a mile to the south-east of the vil- 
 lage, near an immense wall of limestone, which 
 divides this from another fertile valley, about
 
 320 MAGNIFICENT SCENERY. 
 
 two miles wide, extending- to the bottom of 
 the higher range of the Hamerine Mountains. 
 
 Viewed from a distance in the dim twilight 
 of morning, this singular rocky mass had the 
 appearance of being the wall of a large caravan- 
 serai ; although it was upwards of six hundred 
 feet high, so small did it appear in comparison 
 with the rest of the mountain range behind it. 
 To the west, it rises almost perpendicular from 
 the plain, presenting a vast wall of rugged rock 
 of astonishing magnitude. The eastern side 
 rises in a steep slope to about a hundred yards 
 from the summit, when it shoots up in rugged 
 perpendicular masses, pointed at the top, giving 
 the form of a wedge flattened at one side. 
 
 As we were still shivering with the cold, we 
 were not sorry to crowd round a large fire 
 which some neighbouring Illyauts had assisted 
 us in making. Mr. Lamb, who had strolled 
 from our party to view the country, now re- 
 turned, much pleased with the magnificence of 
 the prospect. In ascending the mountain, he
 
 CURIOUS CUSTOM OF ILLYAUTS. 321 
 
 saw in a ravine near the top, some sheep^s wool 
 and some bones, and smelt a strong odour so 
 like to that of a lion, that it accelerated his 
 return, hearing that lions were often seen in 
 this neighbourhood. 
 
 He passed, in the plain, a small horde of 
 miserable-looking Illyauts, and was surrounded 
 by the females of the party, who importuned 
 him for alms till they had completely emptied 
 his pockets; some of them seized him by the 
 arm, others kissed his sleeve, and others, in 
 soliciting charity, opened their robes in front, 
 and exposed their bosoms and nearly the whole 
 of their persons to view. This was practised 
 by young and old, and might be intended to 
 excite his commiseration by an appeal to their 
 wretched condition. Such a freedom is always 
 remarkable, when compared with the distance 
 and fastidious reserve of Oriental females in 
 general. Mr. Lamb says they were mostly 
 good-looking, and all of them had very beauti- 
 ful teeth. 
 
 VOL. I. V
 
 322 CURIOUS CUSTOM OF 1LLYAUTS. 
 
 While he was thus employed in resisting the 
 importunities of the fair beggars, I was besieged 
 by a merry old Illyaut woman, who brought us 
 bread, eggs, and milk, for breakfast. She was 
 not the least abashed by the strange appearance 
 we must have presented, but seemed determined 
 to indulge her curiosity to the utmost ; and, ex- 
 amining us from head to foot, asked me nume- 
 rous questions respecting different parts of my 
 dress. She drew my sword, which was a staff 
 regulation, and calling it a maali cubaub, lite- 
 rally, " a roasting skewer,"' burst out a laughing, 
 not a little delighted with her own wit. She 
 then proceeded to rummage my pockets, and 
 was not satisfied till she had ascertained their 
 separate uses. 
 
 The village of Serpool stands in a very pictu- 
 resque situation, at the bottom of the N. extre- 
 mity of the massy wall, with the stream of the 
 Hulwan running in front. The caravanserai is 
 a handsome building, with a small cupola; and 
 the remains of an old serai stand at a little dis-
 
 VILLAGE OF SERPOOL. 323 
 
 tance. This place is one of the most pleasing 
 we have yet seen. 
 
 In the afternoon, as we were proceeding to 
 examine some ancient sculptures, to which the 
 natives attach much importance, we were over- 
 taken by a number of Coords who seemed to be 
 returning from work. We were rather sur- 
 prized at the time, to observe many of these men 
 salute us in the military mode, by putting their 
 hands to their caps. We afterwards heard, that 
 the troops of the Prince of Kermanshah had 
 been drilled to the European system by some 
 French officers in the service of His Highness. 
 The short but bloody war between the late 
 Prince and the Pasha of Bagdad having ceased 
 with the death of the former, the greater por- 
 tion of these troops had been allowed to return 
 to their homes, till their services should be 
 ao-ain required. The Coords we saw, formed a 
 part of that army which, two years before, had 
 caused the complete desolation which we wit- 
 nessed on our march. 
 
 y 2
 
 324 COORDISH SOLDIER. 
 
 One of this party, a stout, fearless-looki no- 
 ruffian, mounted on an ass, rode up to me, and 
 asked me if I had ever met Davoud Pasha ? 
 Upon my replying in the affirmative, he said, 
 with a kind of savage glee, while his wild eye 
 sparkled with triumph as he spoke : " When 
 next you go to Davoud, tell him you have seen 
 one who gave his baratollis (troops) a tremen- 
 dous beating." This boast appeared to be 
 peculiarly gratifying to his companions, who 
 acknowledged its point by a loud roar of ap- 
 plause. 
 
 The sculptures are on the western face, on 
 the limestone ridge, situated near a large gap, 
 about three miles to the S. E. of our tents. 
 We found the figure of a man, sculptured in 
 low relief, dressed in a long robe, and hold- 
 ing in his hand what had the appearance of a 
 club. This figure is about twenty feet from 
 the bottom of the rock : the tradition of the 
 country calls it a figure of David, and a small 
 square chamber excavated at a considerable
 
 ANCIENT SCULPTURE. 325 
 
 height above it, is shown as the place whence 
 David saw Bathsheba, who lived in a neigh- 
 bouring village, to the ruins of which they 
 pointed. The chamber is called Dekani Da- 
 voud (the shop of David), and the place is 
 held in much respect by the natives, who make 
 pilgrimages to it. We found a number of 
 stones, having pieces of rag attached to them, 
 and many little heaps of stones in the neigh- 
 bourhood, both of which are common at the 
 shrines of Eastern saints. 
 
 April 18. — We proceeded on our journey an 
 hour after midnight. We passed through the 
 stupendous mass of limestone that had so 
 excited our admiration the preceding day, and 
 which lost none of its grandeur from the dis- 
 tinct outline given by the moon, which was now 
 shining in all her splendour. Having entered 
 this chasm in the rock, we found ourselves in 
 the beautiful valley in which we had seen my- 
 riads of cattle a few hours before ; but these 
 had all departed, and nothing animate could
 
 326 MAGNIFICENT SCENERY. 
 
 be seen or heard to break in upon the dead 
 silence and stillness of night. Upon entering 
 the valley, we turned abruptly to the right, 
 and continued our course along the base of the 
 mountain. Numerous rills issued from it, and, 
 in their union, formed a rapid stream, that 
 traversed the valley to its whole extent. As 
 we proceeded, the principal source of this water 
 could be traced in the mountain, descend- 
 ing from a considerable height, to which the re- 
 flection of the moon gave the appearance of 
 quicksilver, as it pursued its serpentine course 
 along the valley. 
 
 At dawn, we reached the bottom of the pass, 
 leading over the loftiest range. The scenery at 
 this place is inexpressibly grand ; stupendous 
 mountains rising with almost perpendicular 
 abruptness, encompass a small valley, and form 
 a basin, the sides of which are two thousand 
 feet high, and broken into the wildest possible 
 forms. We entered the gorge of this valley a 
 little before dawn, and found it illumined with
 
 ASCENT OK THE ZAGIU PYL.E. 327 
 
 the fires of large parties of travellers in the 
 bustle of preparation to commence the ascent 
 by the first break of day : they were chiefly 
 Illyauts marching- with their families and flocks. 
 By the time we reached the bottom of the pass, 
 we were surrounded by numerous flocks of 
 sheep and cattle; the latter were laden with 
 the mat tents and other property of the wan- 
 derers. The ascent, which is two miles in 
 length, occupies somewhat more than two hours. 
 It is mostly very steep, and covered with loose 
 stones, which greatly add to the difficulty and 
 the danger of the ascent. The parapet wall 
 appears to have been built when the road was 
 originally constructed, and has been broken 
 down in many places by the fall of masses of 
 rock from above. As the present system of the 
 government is not to expend money in works of 
 public utility, the road is in many places nearly 
 impassable. We had to scramble over and 
 between large fragments of rock, and we could 
 not but admire the sagacity with which our
 
 328 PA-EE TAKHT. 
 
 horses succeeded in getting over obstacles which 
 to us appeared insurmountable. Our situation 
 was not free from danger, for in ascending we 
 met a large caravan, which we had much diffi- 
 culty in passing, and were several times nearly 
 thrown down the precipice by the rear mules, 
 which, laden with bulky articles of baggage, 
 and unrestrained by driver or bridle, rushed 
 impetuously past us to join those in advance. 
 
 Half way up the pass, a military party was 
 stationed, consisting of an officer and ten men, 
 in the service of the Prince of Kermanshah. 
 One could not but admire the judicious situa- 
 tion that had been selected at a period, perhaps, 
 when the art of war was better understood 
 in this country than it is at present ; for here 
 a handful of men might with ease dispute the 
 passage of a large opposing army. The guard 
 occupied a small square building, with an 
 arched front of Grecian architecture, evidently 
 of considerable antiquity. It is called Pa-ee 
 Takht, (foot of the throne, which name is also
 
 SUMMIT OF THE ZAGRI VYL.E. 329 
 
 given to the pass,) and has probably been built 
 originally for the purpose to which it is now 
 appropriated. The natives of the country at- 
 tribute it to their favourite Khosro, who, they 
 tell us, constructed it as a place of repose after 
 the fatigues of the chase. The guard claimed 
 a present, which we gave on being informed by 
 the muleteer that it was customary. We should 
 have given it the more willingly, had we known 
 at the time our obligations to them, for it was 
 to the circumstance of their being stationed 
 here, that the Calor banditti had for a while 
 abandoned their hostile intentions towards us. 
 
 We at length arrived at the top of this stu- 
 pendous pass, arid paused for a few moments 
 to rest ourselves and cattle, and to enjoy the 
 view which, combining so many magnificent ob- 
 jects, amply compensated for the labour of 
 the ascent. From this height, we felt an invo- 
 luntary shudder in gazing at the yawning abyss 
 beneath. The valley is covered with dwarf 
 oaks, about twenty feet high, which, compared
 
 330 SUKIDAGE. 
 
 with the surrounding scenery, looked like un- 
 derwood. The road, formed on the brink of 
 the precipice, was still occupied by crowds of 
 travellers, who, contrasted with the lofty scenery 
 around them, resembled Lilliputians creeping 
 along the narrow ridge at the imminent danger 
 of their lives. 
 
 We descended a little after reaching the top 
 of the pass. At the distance of two miles, we 
 reached the caravanserai of Suridage, adjoining 
 a small Coordish village, whence we procured 
 every necessary supply. 
 
 Immediately on our arrival, a farrier came to 
 offer his services, which were much wanted, as 
 our horses had suffered considerably since our 
 arrival in the mountains, and particularly from 
 this day's march. Indeed, there could scarcely 
 have been a place better chosen than this for 
 one of his calling. 
 
 We encamped close to the serai, in a small 
 basin formed by precipitous mountains, rising 
 from a thousand to fifteen hundred feet on all
 
 OUR MULETEER. 331 
 
 sides. The ruins of a small square fort, with 
 four bastions, occupy a little mound in the cen- 
 tre of the basin ; the tradition of which is, that 
 it was built by the Guebres. 
 
 The caravanserai was built by the late Mo- 
 hummud Ali Meerza, at an expense of three 
 thousand tomauns. The whole of this ranoe 
 of mountains consists of limestone. We were 
 strongly recommended by the muleteer to go to 
 Kurund, the next stage, but we rejected his ad- 
 vice, having no inclination for a hot ride in the 
 sun ; and we soon found that his reason for 
 wishing us to proceed, was his being obliged to 
 purchase forage for his mules, from the dearth 
 of pasture — every spot admitting of cultivation 
 having been appropriated to tillage. 
 
 After breakfast, Mr. Hart went some distance 
 to take a sketch of the pass. While he was 
 thus employed, two of the guard accosted him, 
 and told him that they had received orders to 
 allow no traveller to wander alone in the moun- 
 tains, on account of the numerous banditti that
 
 332 DELAY OF THE MULETEER. 
 
 infest this neighbourhood : he was therefore 
 obliged to put up his drawings, and the guard 
 gave him safe conduct to the tents. 
 
 April 19. — The moon rose at two in the 
 morning, and in a short time our party was 
 ready to start ; but our muleteer was so long in 
 loading, that we did not leave our ground till 
 near four. The delay was occasioned by a 
 Persian family, who, availing themselves of the 
 protection of our escort, had travelled with us 
 from Bagdad. The party consisted of a man 
 and three females, the eldest twelve years old, 
 and the youngest seven ; the girls were carried 
 in a pair of covered paniers, slung across a 
 mule, the two youngest rode together. The 
 morning was raw and cold, and we suffered 
 much from the inconvenience, as the Persian 
 party did not prepare for the march till we 
 were ready to set out, and all the mules having 
 to travel together, we were compelled to wait 
 for them. By threatening the muleteer to with-
 
 KURUXD. 833 
 
 hold a present, we hoped to make him more 
 alert for the future. 
 
 The road led through a narrow richly-wood- 
 ed valley, between two ranges of lofty moun- 
 tains, rising abruptly, and terminating in rug- 
 ged precipitous summits; our course was, as 
 usual, south-east, the general direction of this 
 vast range of mountains. We continued as- 
 cending over a very stony rugged road till day- 
 break, when we reached an open level plain, 
 running along the foot of a mountain, called by 
 the natives, Akooshautt. It is still covered with 
 snow on the north side, to a considerable 
 distance from the summit. 
 
 The stream which waters the valley, takes 
 its rise at the top of this pass, which is called 
 Sunny. The ruins of a small fort, like that at 
 the last stage, stand at the top of the pass, 
 which it effectually commands ; this, the natives 
 call Mauli Giaour, the " Property of the Infi- 
 del :"" a Mahometan mode of assigning a date to 
 any building prior to the birth of their prophet.
 
 334 KURUND. 
 
 Two hours from the top of this pass, along a 
 fine level road, brought lis to the village of Ku- 
 rund, where we encamped. We passed several 
 small villages of low, flat-roofed houses, built 
 on the northern side of the valley, at the bot- 
 tom of the mountains, which shelter them from 
 the north wind. 
 
 The entrance into this valley presented a 
 more cheerful appearance than any place we 
 had yet seen. Heretofore, our road had lain 
 through an almost uncultivated waste, though 
 capable of tillage, as might be observed by the 
 partial spaces covered with corn, surrounding 
 the black tents of the Ulyauts. This place 
 was, for the most part, highly cultivated, and 
 the present scene, as compared with the past, 
 marked the difference between the pastoral and 
 agricultural state. 
 
 Kurund has a southern exposure. It is 
 built on the ascent of the mountain on the 
 north side of the valley, with a ravine behind 
 it, whence issues a fine stream of water, which 

 
 VISIT FROM THE GOVERNOR. 335 
 
 runs through the centre of the town. It is sur- 
 rounded with extensive orchards and vineyards, 
 that produce the finest grapes in the whole of 
 the Persian dominions. The gardens are kept 
 in the neatest order, and every thing indicates 
 an advanced state of agriculture. It was the 
 season for dressing the vines, which they cut 
 close, and dispose in deep trenches. Our tents 
 were pitched in a field, half a mile from the 
 town. Immediately on our arrival, several men 
 who were at work in the adjoining field, came 
 up to us, and entered into conversation with us 
 in the most unceremonious manner, examining 
 our dress and arms, and asking us numerous 
 questions : a crowd surrounded our tents the 
 whole of the day. 
 
 Just as we were sitting down to dinner, the 
 Governor of the town paid us a visit. He was 
 accompanied by his brother and attended by a 
 numerous suite. He apologized for not coming 
 before, having, he said, been hunting in the 
 mountains, but, that immediately on seeing our
 
 336 VISIT FROM THE GOVERNOR. 
 
 tents, he had hastened to welcome us to Ku- 
 rund ; he said that if he had sooner known of 
 our arrival, he would have sent us some game, 
 which is in great abundance in the hills. After 
 these civilities, he asked us if we ever tasted 
 spirits. Taking the hint, we told him that we 
 seldom drank any ourselves, but had some at 
 the disposal of our friends. While our ser- 
 vants were bringing in the spirits, the Gover- 
 nor's brother, who seemed to wish to prepare 
 us for what was to follow, said by way of pre- 
 face, " When a Mahometan drinks at all, it 
 is not with moderation, as Europeans, but to 
 a great excess;" an assertion we had not long 
 reason to doubt. We filled a large breakfast 
 cup with spirits for the Governor, who hastily 
 finished the draught, and held out the cup to 
 be replenished ; this he emptied in as short a 
 time as the first, and again asked for another, 
 but his brother prudently tried to dissuade him 
 from another cup, reminding him that it was 
 against the law. " It is true," replied the Go-
 
 MAHOMETAN VISITORS. 337 
 
 vernor, " that spirits are forbidden by our law, 
 but the Franks drink, and I like to follow such 
 good examples:" saying which he quaffed off 
 a third bumper, to prove his admiration of 
 European customs. His brother, who was 
 aware of his failing, now nodded to him to de- 
 part, a hint he obeyed with some difficulty, from 
 the effect of these quickly repeated potations. 
 He was at last hoisted into the saddle, and had 
 just power of speech left, to stutter his thanks 
 for the liquor he had already drank, and for 
 two bottles of whisky, which we gave to his 
 servants for him. 
 
 The success which the Governor met with in 
 his visit, brought numbers of his family to us, 
 with similar eulogiums on the excellence of 
 English liquor ; but as we had no intention of 
 converting our tents into a drinking-booth, our 
 visitors went away, disappointed to find they 
 had reckoned without their host. 
 
 In the evening we strolled out to look at the 
 town, and went to a neighbouring burying- 
 
 vol. i. z
 
 338 THE GOVERNOR INTOXICATED. 
 
 ground, situate on an eminence, to enjoy a finer 
 view. Here we observed a crowd assembled 
 round a tomb. Thinking there might be a 
 funeral, we went a little nearer, and saw, not 
 indeed a dead body, but one in a state of al- 
 most suspended animation, that of no less a 
 personage than our new acquaintance, the Go- 
 vernor, who, stretched out at his length, with 
 his head reposing on a tombstone, and sur- 
 rounded by his attendants, was lying totally 
 insensible, from the potent effects of our 
 whisky. 
 
 END OF VOL. I. 
 
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