THE EXCESSIVE HEAT. 381 Tuesday, June 9th.-Afloat a little after midnight. We passed many encampments of Koords and Arabs; their numerous flocks crowd down to the river, as if its waters were a consolation for the burning heat of the sun the banks are now but low mounds. We passed the village and tel of Eskei Mousul (old Mosul). Passed a ruined aqueduct, and a bridge also ruined; heat intense; and now the goal is near. The land that thrilled through one in description, when devoured on the page, is around. What is heat-what the toil of the journey? Mesopotamia on one side, Assyria on the other all vegetation is gone; sand, burnt, parched, crackled; earth alone before us; the river flows on to barren hills, bleak, dreary; vibrating beneath the sun, cheerless but blazing is the approach; all seems dead and lifeless; and the burning heat cries out, " Acknowledge my dominion, bow to my sway, or thou shalt not live." Hot east and south-east winds: it is like the blast from a furnace, and sadly mocks the cheek its breezes fan. The birds dart screaming over the waters; flying, dashing, screaming, and across the river, as if our downward course disturbed their quiet, 382 THE PIOUS BOATMAN. invaded their solitary rule. On the east a plain -a vast dead, flat plain-and over it comes the breeze laden with languor, fiery with heat. A few strong tufts of weeds have survived the death of the vegetation around, but they are dry and withered monuments that the verdure must obey the undeviating law of nature, and perish beneath the sun that brought it forth. Reach after reach is passed, each adding to our disappointment. The map seemed to have lost its utility; dried, curled, it was returned to its case. The boatmen exclaimed, "Far, far, far off," in tones of despair: the wind dried the perspiration it produced; the river was like molten lead-all was heat and discomfort. Pipes, nargillehs, have ceased to please; for we were in a blaze from them, when called for, as if they also refused to mock the heat, sufficient without them. At last the pious true-believing eye of the boatman detected the minarets of Mosul over the low land on the right. On our left was a large temporary village, built of dried grass, roughly and coarsely framed; low peaked mountains ahead broke the steel line of the sky. No sooner did our boatman detect the minarets, than he continued his prayers, confiding the oars to one of the servants. Poor fellow it was sad work; for the raft, as if in revenge for the way he had pulled her about, kept pertinaciously turning, and as it bore his Mecca-turned front to the north, east, or west, he had to stop his pious invocations that otherwise would have been wafted to some useless bourne; and then, as in the swing, she turned him to the black stone, he had to hurry on, like sportsmen anxious for some passing game. Often he rose, but seemed not satisfied, and again he knelt, and bowing prayed his Caaba-directing prayers. This man had not prayed before during the voyage. At last, over the land appeared a mud fort hardly distinguishable from the hill; before it a white-washed dome, a few straggling buildingsit was Mosul. Presently an angle is turned, and the broken ruinous walls of an Eastern town lies before us. 384 THE CASTLE OF MOSUL. CHAPTER XXIII. Situation of Mosul-Opposite Side of the River-Difficulties of Landing-Appearances from the River ere doing so-Iniquity of the Passport System at Mosul-Reception by Mr. Layard-Hospitality of the Consul-Researches of Mr. Layard-Domestic View from the top of a House The Mussulman Servant Lad-Diversity of Languages at Mosul General Appearance of Mosul-Christian Churches in the City-Reflections on the Religious Animosities of different Christian Sects in the East-The Maronites and the MissionariesAdventures of a Wandering Artist-His Treatment on his Travels— MOSUL Castle stands on a long low hill some distance from the river, here a truly majestic stream. To the south stands the town, covering the west side of a hill; high over it, as if capable of swathing it in its folds, floated the English consul's flag-good, hospitable Mr. Rassam. The only thing which sets up any claim to vie with it in conspicuousness, is the ugly white-washed dome of a mosque. On the opposite side of the river rises the huge mound of Koyunjik, "coverer of cities," succeeded by low sand hills and mounds, till all melts into distance, and the picturesque range of Djebel Macloub. LANDING AT MOSUL. 385 Drifting down the city walls, we passed a gate of marble defended by two round towers of mud; more wall active women beating the dirt out of clothes; another gate and one mud tower more, near which were bathers in their timid nakedness; a dome, a stork's nest, beside it the stork on one leg meditative. Bad smells; lower, more decayed walls; masses of houses, none good; more bathers, more washers; a picturesque fort; a species of water-port strides into the stream. We are whisked round and round; the boatman tugs franctically at the oar; doubts if we shall ever land, and, dashing against bathers, boys and men, we reach a low dirty place, which is the wharf. Here we found the other raft already clear of its fairer cargo. Officers besieged us for our teskeres, or quarantine bills (they are passports literally, but are of no use except for quarantine visées to Franks. I give them this name). They are necessary for the natives as passports, and are made a constant source of annoyance to them by every petty official. It is one among the many ingenious modes of extortion for instance, when a poor fellow arrives at a khan, the Mussulman sheik VOL. I. cc |