diff options
| author | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-15 02:14:49 -0700 |
|---|---|---|
| committer | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-15 02:14:49 -0700 |
| commit | a736f2503ff163fffdcb23c39ab6fd34b95fa4f5 (patch) | |
| tree | bd14865f70da43986ef35a3ddf0476f600270596 /24893-h/24893-h.htm | |
Diffstat (limited to '24893-h/24893-h.htm')
| -rw-r--r-- | 24893-h/24893-h.htm | 2593 |
1 files changed, 2593 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/24893-h/24893-h.htm b/24893-h/24893-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..2084af9 --- /dev/null +++ b/24893-h/24893-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,2593 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> + +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> + <head> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" /> + <title> + The Project Gutenberg eBook of In Mesopotamia, by Martin Swayne. + </title> + <style type="text/css"> +/*<![CDATA[ XML blockout */ +<!-- + p { margin-top: .75em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .75em; + text-indent: 1em; + } + p.t1 {text-align: center; font-size: 80%; margin-top: 4em;} + p.t2 {text-align: center; font-size: 120%;} + p.t3 {text-align: center; margin-top: 4em;} + p.t4 {text-align: center; font-size: 120%; margin-top: 4em;} + h1,h2,h3 { + text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ + clear: both; + } + hr { width: 33%; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + clear: both; + } + + table {margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;} + tr.chap {font-size: 120%} + + body{margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; + } + + a {text-decoration: none} /* no lines under links */ + .pagenum { /* uncomment the next line for invisible page numbers */ + visibility: hidden; + position: absolute; + left: 92%; + font-size: smaller; + text-align: right; + } /* page numbers */ + + .bbox {border: solid 1px; margin-right: 37%; margin-left: 37%; + margin-top: 4em; margin-bottom: 4em;} + + .center {text-align: center;} + .smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + + .caption {font-variant: small-caps;} + + .figcenter {margin: auto; text-align: center;} + + // --> + /* XML end ]]>*/ + </style> + </head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of In Mesopotamia, by Martin Swayne + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: In Mesopotamia + +Author: Martin Swayne + +Release Date: March 21, 2008 [EBook #24893] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK IN MESOPOTAMIA *** + + + + +Produced by Greg Bergquist and The Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries) + + + + + + +</pre> + + + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"><a name="Frontispiece" id="Frontispiece"></a> +<img src="images/image2.jpg" width="600" height="373" alt="The Garden of Eden, Kurna." title="" /> +<span class="caption">The Garden of Eden, Kurna.</span> +</div> + + +<hr /> +<h1>IN MESOPOTAMIA</h1> + + +<p class="t1">BY</p> +<p class="t2">MARTIN SWAYNE</p> + + +<p class="t3"><i>ILLUSTRATED BY THE AUTHOR</i></p> + + +<p class="t4">HODDER AND STOUGHTON</p> + +<p class="center">LONDON NEW YORK TORONTO</p> + +<p class="center"><small>MCMXVII</small></p> + + + +<hr /><div class="bbox"> +<p class="center"><small><i>BY THE SAME AUTHOR</i></small><br /> +<br /> +LORD RICHARD IN THE PANTRY<br /> +<br /> +THE SPORTING INSTINCT<br /> +<br /> +CUPID GOES NORTH<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<small>HODDER AND STOUGHTON</small><br /> +</p></div> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="CONTENTS" id="CONTENTS"></a>CONTENTS</h2> +<div class='center'> +<table border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="2" summary="CONTENTS"> + +<tr><td align='left'></td><td align='right'>PAGE</td></tr> + +<tr class="chap"><td align='center'>I</td></tr> + +<tr><td align='left'><a href="#Page_1">THE GATEWAY OF THE GARDEN OF EDEN</a></td><td align='right'>1</td></tr> + +<tr class="chap"><td align='center'>II</td></tr> + +<tr><td align='left'><a href="#Page_19">BASRA</a></td><td align='right'>19</td></tr> + +<tr class="chap"><td align='center'>III</td></tr> + +<tr><td align='left'><a href="#Page_37">THE SICK AND WOUNDED</a></td><td align='right'>37</td></tr> + +<tr class="chap"><td align='center'>IV</td></tr> + +<tr><td align='left'><a href="#Page_51">HEAT-STROKE</a></td><td align='right'>51</td></tr> + +<tr class="chap"><td align='center'>V</td></tr> + +<tr><td align='left'><a href="#Page_61">MIRAGE</a></td><td align='right'>61</td></tr> + +<tr class="chap"><td align='center'>VI</td></tr> + +<tr><td align='left'><a href="#Page_71">THE DAY'S WORK</a></td><td align='right'>71</td></tr> + +<tr class="chap"><td align='center'>VII</td></tr> + +<tr><td align='left'><a href="#Page_85">THE NARROWS</a></td><td align='right'>85</td></tr> + +<tr class="chap"><td align='center'>VIII</td></tr> + +<tr><td align='left'><a href="#Page_101">AMARA</a></td><td align='right'>101</td></tr> + +<tr class="chap"><td align='center'>IX</td></tr> + +<tr><td align='left'><a href="#Page_121">ARABIAN COMEDY</a></td><td align='right'>121</td></tr> + +<tr class="chap"><td align='center'>X</td></tr> + +<tr><td align='left'><a href="#Page_131">THE BATTLE OF THE BUND</a></td><td align='right'>131</td></tr> + +<tr class="chap"><td align='center'>XI</td></tr> + +<tr><td align='left'><a href="#Page_159">EDEN REVISITED</a></td><td align='right'>159</td></tr> +</table></div> + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="ILLUSTRATIONS" id="ILLUSTRATIONS"></a>ILLUSTRATIONS</h2> +<div class='center'> +<table border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="2" summary="ILLUSTRATIONS"> + +<tr><td align='left'></td><td align='right'>PAGE</td></tr> + +<tr><td align='left'><a href="#Frontispiece">The Garden of Eden, Kurna.</a></td><td align='right'><i>Frontispiece</i></td></tr> + +<tr><td align='left'><a href="#Page_9">Towing on the Tigris.</a></td><td align='right'>9</td></tr> + +<tr><td align='left'><a href="#Page_27">A Convoy of Sick and Wounded.</a></td><td align='right'>27</td></tr> + +<tr><td align='left'><a href="#Page_45">The Hospital Washing.</a></td><td align='right'>45</td></tr> + +<tr><td align='left'><a href="#Page_66">Donkey Labour in the Heat of the Day.</a></td><td align='right'>63</td></tr> + +<tr><td align='left'><a href="#Page_81">On the Shatt-el-Arab near Basra.</a></td><td align='right'>81</td></tr> + +<tr><td align='left'><a href="#Page_99">Arab Belum on Tigris.</a></td><td align='right'>99</td></tr> + +<tr><td align='left'><a href="#Page_117">Ezra's Tomb.</a></td><td align='right'>117</td></tr> + +<tr><td align='left'><a href="#Page_135">Walled Village on Banks of Tigris.</a></td><td align='right'>135</td></tr> + +<tr><td align='left'><a href="#Page_143">The Tigris near Kurna.</a></td><td align='right'>143</td></tr> +</table></div> + + + + +<hr /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[Pg 1]</a></span></p> +<h2>IN MESOPOTAMIA</h2> + +<h3>I<br /> +<br /> +THE GATEWAY OF THE GARDEN OF EDEN</h3> + + +<p><span class="smcap">There</span> is nothing to suggest that you are approaching the gateway of the +Garden of Eden when you reach the top of the Persian Gulf, unless the +sun be that Flaming Sword which turns every way to keep the way of the +Tree of Life. Of cherubim we could see no signs. We lay motionless +awaiting orders by wireless. Of the country before us we knew next to +nothing. We did not grasp that the great river at whose mouth we lay was +called<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[Pg 2]</a></span> the Shatt-el-Arab and not the Tigris; and I do not think that a +single one of us possessed a copy of the "Arabian Nights." Few of us +knew anything about the gun-running troubles in the Persian Gulf of +recent years, and of the exploits of the Royal Indian Marine.</p> + +<p>The approach to the Shatt-el-Arab is remarkably featureless. After the +stark fissured coast hills of Persia and the strip of red Arabian coast +that marks Kuweit, the mouth of the river appeared as a yellow line on +the horizon intersected by the distant sails of fishing boats. At the +bar where the sand has silted, a few steamers were lying. A steam yacht +flying the White Ensign, with a pennant that trailed almost down to her +decks, showing the length of service she had seen, passed us and dropped +her anchor a mile to the south. The silence was only broken by the +clacking of the fans in the saloon. One gazed listlessly west wards at<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[Pg 3]</a></span> +the quivering haze that veiled Kuweit. There was a rumour that the +ship's launch was going there with a party of nurses and a sharp voice +sounded: "Nobody allowed on shore without a helmet." But it was too hot +to move. At length a fishing boat emerged from the haze and slowly +approached, rowed by four Arabs. It drew alongside, a spot of vivid +colour against the dark sea. In it were half a dozen big fish. The Arabs +began to harangue the occupants of the lower deck. We watched them +curiously, perhaps wondering if they had poisoned the fish. The Tommies +stared at them in silence. They were the first inhabitants of the +country that we had seen.</p> + +<p>The business of transhipping at the bar is a burden to all concerned. A +steamer of shallower draught came alongside, and the derricks started to +grind and clatter, and the big crates swung up from one hold and +plunged<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[Pg 4]</a></span> down into the other for hour after hour. A squall arose and the +ships had to part company and we lay for two days tossing and rolling in +a dun-coloured atmosphere. Then once more we joined up, and the +unloading continued of the four hundred tons of equipment, which had +already been dumped on shore at Alexandria. It is a costly business +bringing out a hospital to these parts. About midday we weighed anchor +on the new ship, and crept up the channel over the bar. There were no +gas buoys to mark its course, and Fao, which lies near the mouth of the +river, had no lighthouse, so night traffic was presumably impossible.</p> + +<p>The sudden sight of the belts of palm trees, the occasional square mud +dwellings, and the steamy, hot-house look of the banks came as a +surprise. Those of us who had been to the Dardanelles had half expected +that this end of Turkey would be much like the other—broken<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</a></span> country +and sandy scrub, with hills. But here is only a broad swift river, a +strip of vivid green verdure, and beyond the immense plain stretching to +the horizon. In the stream was a small tug bearing the letters A.P.O.C. +At Abadan we saw the big circular tanks of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company +where the oil from Ahwaz, which travels through miles of piping, is +refined. Above Abadan, which is just a cluster of circular tanks, +slender chimneys and square houses on the arid plain, with a mass of +barges lining the numerous wharfs, we passed Mohammerah. On the opposite +bank—the west bank is called the right bank—you can see the Turkish +trenches where they opposed our first advance among the palms at the +battle of Sahil on November 16th, 1914, with a force of five thousand +men and twelve guns. The ground is intersected with narrow creeks cut +for irrigation purposes; and the trenches<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[Pg 6]</a></span> form little crescent-shaped +depressions almost hidden by the reeds and grasses. From the ship it +looks a lush green country here, for there are rice fields dotted about +and the river broadens out and surrounds an emerald island. Our 4,000 +ton vessel swept up-stream at a speed of ten knots, with a great wash +spreading behind her, and her funnels towering high above the palms. Our +destination was reached at six in the evening, about sixty miles from +the mouth of the river, and the whole way up the scene had been +practically unvarying—river and plain, and countless palms. We had +passed the vessels sunk by the Turks to bar the progress of the original +expedition. Masts and a funnel are visible, standing clear of the main +channel.</p> + +<p>Basra was like coming on a bit of the London Thames from a distance. +Lines of big ships appeared suddenly, round a bend of the river,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span> +anchored in mid-stream. There were hospital ships, cargo vessels, +transports, war-ships, monitors, tugs, river boats, oil-driven +lighters—the ones we made the landing from at Suvla, with a coat of new +paint and the letters ML instead of K—barges, launches, native +dhows—which travel to Mombasa and Bombay—and innumerable lesser craft. +Basra itself lies up a creek, and is invisible from the river. What you +see on the shore is properly called Ashar, but the two places merge into +one another. Owing to the absolute flatness of the country, a sense of +smallness is produced everywhere. There is no background to give +perspective, and the great breadth of the sable river dwarfs the shore.</p> + +<p>We dropped anchor a little below the town, near Korah creek. It was +Sunday and at that time it was still the custom of the inhabitants of +Basra to collect on the banks of the creek<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</a></span> and hold a kind of social +parade from which the suggestion of a slave market was not entirely +absent. There was a continual procession of boats and painted <i>belums</i>, +the native gondola, long and narrow, with curved ends, and either rowed +or poled by two <i>belumchis</i>. In them were fair-skinned, unveiled women +with many bangles on their arms, wearing robes of dark brilliant hues. +On the shore, under the palms, wandered a crowd of white-robed Arabs, +with red or blue turbans. Occasionally one saw a khaki uniform. It was +intensely hot and damp. A haze lay over the further reaches of the +river, and the sky had a brassy look unlike the intense turquoise +clarity of the Egyptian sky. The palm fronds seemed metallic. As far as +the eye could see along the right bank lay a confused mass of low white +buildings, tents, huts of yellow matting and piles of stores. Gangs of +Arabs and Indian coolies were at work at the low wooden landing stage, +and over the scene towered the gaunt masts of the wireless station. The +left bank was chiefly palm grove, save for a gap where stood a big +building taken over by our flying men.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span></p> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 368px;"> +<img src="images/image17.jpg" width="368" height="600" alt="Towing on the Tigris." title="" /> +<span class="caption">Towing on the Tigris.</span> +</div> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span></p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span></p><p>A military authority came on board, wondering whether we were a cargo +of wood or mules. A hospital had not been expected, and we passed the +next day in idleness. On the third day our four hundred tons of stuff +were swung off into <i>mahallas</i>, the native barges, which are wide craft +decorated with carving and paint, both stem and stern pointed and high +out of the water, and amidships close down to the water-line. The Arabs +squatting on the painted poops of these ships seemed sullen. They looked +as cut-throat a lot as you could desire. When the boats were loaded up +they drifted off, and by means of a tattered bit<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span> of sacking for a sail, +and a long pole, managed to reach their destination somehow. It was +curious to see these primitive craft filled with the black cases of the +precious X-ray plant.</p> + +<p>The creeks round Ashar branch off at right angles to the Shatt-el-Arab +at intervals of a few hundred yards, and extend for two or three miles +inland. They are broad and richly bordered with palms and pomegranate. +In places a network of vines festoons the trunks. A yellow tinge in the +heart of the palms showed the coming crop of dates. Seen in a picture +these creeks are idyllic, winding broad, calm and peaceful through the +groves. Slim boats glide up and down them, nut-brown children splash in +them, and women, veiled in black, come from the little villages to draw +water in brass vessels at their margins with graceful movements.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span></p><p>We landed from a roomy barge with a tug fastened alongside. The men +were cheery, and a mouth-organ and a mandoline wafted us on. Something +dark and indeterminate swept by on the swift current. It was said to be +the body of a dead Turk, bound for the Persian Gulf, after its voyage of +two hundred odd miles from Kut. We landed, uncomfortably hot. The men +fell in and we prepared to march off. A swarthy Arab, in red and white +headgear held in position by two thick rings of camel hair, wearing +curved slippers and saffron-coloured robes, stood scowling before us, +spitting at intervals. A group of sappers near by seemed unaffected by +his behaviour. The scowl and the spitting seem merely habits, induced by +the country. But it is necessary to orientate oneself very carefully in +the East. A long tramp followed up Dusty Lane, between scorching mud +walls. We passed dirty booths,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span> naked children with frizzy hair, thin +faced women with swaggering hips, and occasional military police in +shirt-sleeves carrying thick sticks. The sight of a large cat sitting in +a niche, blinking in that excellent manner of inward ecstasy, was +cheering. On, beyond the town the march continued, the sweat pouring off +us, and tunics becoming stained with dark patches—through the camp +area, past Indian troops; past horses, tossing and switching, surrounded +by clouds of flies; past bullocks, huge, delicately pastel-tinted +beasts, sprawling under the feathery palms; past screaming mules, motor +lorries, wayside canteens and squads of men, until Makina Plain came in +sight. It was in this neighbourhood that our site lay, alongside a creek +where a liquorice factory had been in the days of peace. The first +impression was desolating. The place looked like a bricklayer's yard. A +glance was<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span> sufficient to estimate it would take many long weeks before +it was completed for use. Several large iron-roofed sheds stood by the +water's edge. Gangs of Arabs were at work; strings of donkeys carrying +mud raised the dust in heavy clouds; carpenters in blue trousers +hammered and sawed; planks, bricks, barrels of concrete, and piles of +matting littered the ground: and upon all the vertical rays of the sun +beat down unmercifully. The creek was full of the <i>mahallas</i> that had +brought up our equipment, and for the rest of that day our men toiled +and sweated over the crates and boxes, and bedsteads and bales of +blankets, singing in monotone a rhythmic refrain in imitation of the +native coolies when carrying loads. The native chants are simple.</p> + +<p>Singer: "To-morrow we will eat rice and meat!"</p> + +<p>Chorus: "May Allah grant it!"</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span></p><p>Singer: "We are doing a great deal of work!"</p> + +<p>Chorus: "May Allah reward us!"</p> + +<hr style='width: 25%;' /> + +<p>The Tommies' refrain was more picturesque. Imagine six men carrying a +crate.</p> + +<p>Singer: (Softly) "Is it 'ot?" (Pause.)</p> + +<p>Chorus: "I don't think!"</p> + +<p>Singer: (Fuller and staccato) "'Ot as 'ell?"</p> + +<p>Chorus: "I don't think!" etc.</p> + +<p>General Chorus: (repeatedly, with passion).</p> + +<p> +<span style="margin-left: 6em;">"Aller, Oller, Aller!</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 5em;">Oh, Aller, Oller, Aller!</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 6em;">Aller, Oller Oo!"</span><br /> +</p> + +<p>Bully beef came along in the afternoon, and we had landed with full +water-bottles, for drinking water was unavailable. Towards evening some +double-roofed tents were run up. The men settled down in the empty sheds +alongside the creek. We got to bed in a thunderstorm—a vivid zigzag +banging affair<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span> that circled round most of the night. The rain turned +the ground into something beyond description as regards its slippery +properties. Only a native donkey can keep footing in such ground. There +is no road metal available in Mesopotamia. It is a stoneless place. The +frogs trumpeted in chorus all night; packs of dogs or jackals swept +about in droves, once at full pelt through our tent, like devils of the +storm. It was nightmarish, but sleep brought that wonderful balancing +force that sometimes clothes itself in dreams, and steeps the spirit in +all that is lacking. Just before falling asleep I reflected that Adam +and Eve might well have been excused in such a country.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span></p> +<h3>II<br /> +<br /> +BASRA</h3> + + +<p><span class="smcap">We</span> reached Mesopotamia when the hot weather was beginning. The campaign +to relieve Kut was at its height, and the wounded and sick were coming +down river in thousands. Apart from these there were big reinforcement +camps on Makina Plain, and all around us the daily sick rate was rapidly +increasing, and men straight from England, unused to hot climates, were +being sent in big batches off the incoming transports. There was very +little ice to be had, and so far as we were concerned there were no +fans, electric or otherwise, with which to ventilate the sheds.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span></p><p>The urgency of the situation demanded that we should open what wards we +could for the reception of sick and wounded at once. We had no nurses, +partly because there was no accommodation for them. Four sheds alongside +the creek were got in order. Iron bedsteads draped in white, mosquito +nets resembling bridal veils, bedside tables, and cupboards arranged +themselves in rows. An immense hammering and shouting filled the +stifling air. The sheds began to look moderately inviting—neat and +clean, smelling faintly of antiseptics which smelt better than the +things in the creek. At first about fifty beds were put into each shed; +in a short time beds were crowded into every available corner of the +clearing. Fresh sheds were being erected by natives. Since the ground +was undermined by marsh, the sheds had to be built on piles driven six +feet into the spongy soil. There was only one pile driver,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span> which +resembled a cross-section of a lamp post, and was worked by a fatigue +party of wild-haired Indian troops from Afghanistan regions. One would +have thought from their flashing eyes when the pile driver crashed home +that they played a secret game in which each imagined his bitterest +enemy was in the place of the pile.</p> + +<p>The problem of water arose at once. There was no general water supply at +that time, and each unit had to solve its own problem. Our supply had to +come from the creek, which was thick and turbid and contained a +multitude of unsavoury things. At first it was sedimented with alum, +which precipitated the suspended matter in a gelatinous mass, and the +clear fluid was chlorinated with bleaching powder. There is only one +consolation in drinking well chlorinated water. You know that it +contains nothing except chlorine. With<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span> whisky it forms a mixture that +it is difficult to describe. After a time two tanks were put in order +and arranged on brick furnaces, and from a third tank water that had +been allowed to settle was run off and boiled. These were satisfactory. +An hour's exposure of the boiling water in jars of porous +clay—chatties—made it decently cool. Chatties of great size were +procured from the bazaar and placed outside each ward. Nowadays water +comes in pipes from the Shatt-el-Arab, being taken from the middle +layer, which is clearest. The best water comes from the Euphrates, which +joins the yellow Tigris at Kurna about forty miles above Basra. It sends +down a tributary which flows into the Tigris a few miles above Basra. +From here water could have been conveyed in pipes. But the scheme was +thought unnecessarily elaborate and costly.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span></p><p>It must be remembered that in a place like Mesopotamia water is the +main problem. A clear, clean, pure water supply means an incalculable +saving of life. A dirty supply may mean the failure of the campaign. In +order to get good water for troops nothing should be neglected or +overlooked, and no kind of compromise should be permitted. There is +perhaps not a single act in war more criminal and more worthy of death +than to allow troops to muddle along and get what water they can, under +local arrangements, when a pure central supply is possible.</p> + +<p>Sick Tommies in tropical climates appreciate soda water. At first we +were told to get our supply from a native in the bazaar at Ashar. The +problem at this time did not concern the soda water but the bottles. +There was a great shortage of soda water bottles in Mesopotamia. Breaks +and bursts were frequent, and it<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span> seemed impossible to import any new +ones, and they cost about sixpence each. Our hospital was situated at a +considerable distance from the town. We were not allowed a motor launch, +and the roads were often impassable for bullock tongas, owing to the +floods which were then prevalent. Soda water was therefore fetched by +<i>belum</i>. You were poled down the creek to the river, and rowed through +the maze of traffic to Ashar creek. Turning out of the broad swift +river, up the noisy creek you came on the river-side cafés, built on +piles and filled with splenetic-eyed Arabs sipping coffee and various +coloured sweet drinks. A cheap gramophone playing a thin Eastern music, +may be sounding. The conversation is animated and guttural, constantly +interspersed with that hollow, metallic rasp that is like the noise of +an engine exhaust. The town is of white mud and stone, with wooden +balconies<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span> painted a vivid blue, and flat roofs. A minaret rises behind +it with a blue-tiled extremity supporting the upraised hand and +crescent. The streets are narrow and airless. In the shops are a mass of +articles of all descriptions: tinned stuff, tobacco, clocks, hair-oil, +cheap jewellery, odd bottles of doubtful wine, scent, rugs, copper +vessels, sweets, sauces, pickles. Innumerable flies surround everything. +On much of the tinned stuff were very old labels. No man of experience +up-country in India will touch tinned stuff of that description. The +soda water factory was in a small courtyard. There was a big green +gasometer of carbon dioxide, a glittering brass-bound pump and a filling +apparatus. Three tubs were on the floor containing a blue, a red and a +clear fluid. These, said the Arab proprietor, were English disinfectants +in which the bottles were rinsed. Here you waited until<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span> your bottles +were refilled, at one anna (one penny) each. This represented a profit +of 1,200 per cent. The water which was used for filling them was taken +from the centre of the Tigris. Ice was obtained elsewhere, made from an +ammonia plant, in bars two feet by six inches. The necessity for ice was +imperative, but it could only be supplied in small quantities then. +These native plants were mostly taken over by the military as time went +on. A single bad heat-stroke case would often use up the whole day's +supply to the hospital. That was why ice was an imperative necessity. It +meant so many lives saved. In India ice is manufactured by machines in +quantity wherever it is required.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span></p> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/image35.jpg" width="600" height="410" alt="A Convoy of Sick and Wounded." title="" /> +<span class="caption">A Convoy of Sick and Wounded.</span> +</div><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span></p> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span></p><p>After soda water, the sick Tommy requires certain delicacies in food. +Eggs and chickens and fruit and vegetables were necessary. The +quartermaster soon began to lift up his voice. What with the supply and +transport depots of the Indian Army and our own Army Service Corps, and +the inevitable confusion of two different Army systems, he became +extremely irritable. This confusion existed in every department. On the +medical side, there was the British scale of field ambulances and +hospitals, and this differs entirely from the Indian scale. What could +have been more suitable for muddling than this? Its effects could be +seen in the expression of the quartermaster.</p> + +<p>I can see him clearly, a plump, stocky man, with arms akimbo, his helmet +on the back of his head, the flesh of his face in folds of disgust with +sweat pouring off him, and his once elegant waxed moustache drooping, +saying in a chant: "The man who gets me out to this —— country again +isn't born yet." That was when the bullock tongas, after travelling +over<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span> the surface of this cradle of the earth all day in search of +certain supplies, returned empty. Chickens and eggs were local produce. +The natives put fancy prices on things. What we paid was supposed to be +a controlled price. It must be remembered that we introduced a lot of +money into the country, and entirely changed the financial standards of +the Arabs. Arab coolies got tenpence a day—that is, their pay was not +far short of the European Tommy. Sometimes they struck for higher wages. +It did not breed a good spirit, but it may have been the best spirit +under the circumstances. It was, at times, necessary to use violence to +<i>belumchis</i>, who insolently demanded absurd charges, and a certain padre +gained respect by administering a severe thrashing to one of these +rascals. When the Russians came down, one of them was obstructed for a +moment by an Arab on the river bank. The Russian officer—a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span> big +fellow—picked him up and threw him into the river.</p> + +<p>The chickens were poor. Three might weigh in the aggregate a pound and a +half. The supply of eggs was limited when procured through contractors, +but it was possible to obtain a few from other sources. As regards +fruit, there was practically none. Potatoes were procurable in this +part, but not higher up the river. Owing to the intense heat and lack of +storage accommodation, vast quantities of food perished. Piles of boxes +containing cigarettes, that had lain in the sun, were found to contain +nothing but fine dust on being opened. It was the same way with +biscuits. Potatoes rotted in millions. The whole problem was one of +immense difficulty. The milk that was used was almost wholly tinned. The +use of fresh milk which was tried later at Amara was not a very +successful experiment. It required<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</a></span> careful boiling, and often curdled +in mass. It was then boiled in a large number of small vessels, with +better results, but the supply drawn from outlying villages, and brought +down by river, was never adequate, and boiled milk is not very pleasant. +Bread was baked in the neighbourhood by army bakers, and eventually, +when proper ovens were made, was good. Sugar was plentiful, sandy in +colour, and full of extraneous matter, but quite adequate. There was no +shortage in tea. Fresh meat was a ration in Basra, but Indian cooks +seemed to make a better job of it than British. It was tough and stringy +and required a great deal of stewing. Rice was an occasional ration in +Basra, and a daily ration higher up, where it took the place of +potatoes. Lime juice, as a ration, was very uncertain. It was possible +to get it in the bazaar, and the Tommy could get it at the Y.M.C.A. +huts.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</a></span> Of these huts it is impossible to speak too highly. The Tommy +alone knows what he would have done without them. You drank, in the hot +weather, amazing quantities of fluid, and lime juice and water was the +usual mixture until the sun went down. One paid two shillings and +eightpence—two rupees—for one of those long, narrow, golden bottles, +with leaves and fruit moulded on their exterior. Wines and spirits could +be ordered through agents in Basra from Bombay at reasonable rates. +Bombay is about five days by steamer from Basra. It was almost a +universal experience to find alcohol necessary in the evening. The mind +was exhausted, food was unattractive, conversation was impossible, the +passage of time immeasurably slow, and a restless irritation pervaded +one until a dose of alcohol was taken. Its effect was humanising. Still, +it is worth remembering that the Prophet<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span> forbade alcohol to the people +of the country. But then he permitted other things.</p> + +<p>Owing to the complaints about food supplies, in the early part of June, +in the second year of the campaign, there was published an order that +all troops were to have certain fruit and vegetable variations in diet. +Lists of articles were given, and the scale was very generous and +sensible. The actual supply of the stuff, however, did not come as we +might have been led to expect. This was because most of the articles in +the lists were starred, which meant that they were only supplied when +available, and I suppose India, which had to run several other +expeditions besides Mesopotamia, could not possibly produce enough +material to satisfy all requirements. At this time, too, many of the +cargo vessels were occupied in bringing immense supplies of wood from +India, and the local produce of Mesopotamia did not go nearly<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span> far +enough for the purpose. Some officers planted various seeds in patches +adjoining their quarters, but the business of watering them was +troublesome. A ration of fresh limes was served to our men on the 21st +of June for the first time, but the supply of these ran out the next +day. Some of the men retained these small, wrinkled fruits as +curiosities. Fish, an intermediate diet for intestinal cases, was sorely +missed. But it was quite out of the question. The river fish, of course, +were fairly numerous, but the uncertainty of their supply was too great, +and they had to be cooked very soon after being caught. There was always +a great deal of amateur angling in the evenings, and in the creek by our +hospital a kind of mud fish was caught, full of small, apparently +unattached bones, and tasting flat and stale.</p> + +<p>It is curious to reflect that, in the second<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</a></span> year of the campaign, this +great country of future agricultural development which is traversed by +immense volumes of water and whose atmosphere resembles that of a +hot-house, could not produce sufficient fruit or vegetables to supply +the relatively small military forces it contained. For these forces, if +stretched out along one bank in single file, each man at arm's length +from his fellow, would not nearly have reached from the mouth of the +Shatt-el-Arab to Basra itself. And the front lay more than two hundred +miles above Basra.</p> + + + +<hr /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</a></span></p> +<h3>III<br /> +<br /> +THE SICK AND WOUNDED</h3> + + +<p><span class="smcap">The</span> sick and wounded began to arrive as soon as the wards were ready, +coming up the creek in boats from the convoys that were in the river. +The convoys consisted of river boats with a big barge lashed on each +side. The steamers were taken from many quarters, from the great rivers +of India, from the Nile—some saw service in the Nile War—and from the +Thames. Some were local and belonged to Messrs. Lynch, who ran a service +to Baghdad before the war. Some burned coal and some oil. A large +convoy—that is the steamer and its two lateral barges—might carry +three or<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</a></span> four hundred cases in emergencies. The time they took to +travel from the front down to Basra, which is a distance of about two +hundred miles, depended very much on the luck they experienced in +getting through the Narrows. The passage of this bit of the river will +be described in a later page. Three days was a pretty quick journey. +Travelling by night was impossible. In rounding the sharp bends of the +river, which winds across the plain in a most extraordinary manner, +these convoys often cannoned helplessly against the banks. At well-known +cannoning places Arabs collected with baskets of eggs and chickens and +melons for sale. The sick and wounded lay closely packed on the deck +under a single thickness of canvas awning. In the great heat of +midsummer this was insufficient protection, but it was impossible for +the medical officers of the ships to obtain any extra canvas,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</a></span> and it +was thought that reed matting in close proximity to the funnels would be +dangerous. Tinned milk for bad cases and bully beef, stew, and bread and +jam for those fit to eat it were the main rations, but soup and eggs +were often available. The difficulties of catering for a crowded convoy, +with only a small galley, were considerable. Water was taken from the +river, and chlorinated in tanks on board.</p> + +<p>On reaching Basra the convoys discharged their patients either at the +big British hospital, that was formerly the palace of a Sheik, and +stands on the river's edge, or at one or other of the Indian hospitals +that lie beside it. The accommodation for British troops was not great +at the time, so that it was the custom to transfer cases as soon as +possible into the hospital ships, which could come right alongside the +piers, and send them to India. Our hospital<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</a></span> had four hundred beds +available within a short period. As a matter of fact, many more were +squeezed into odd places during times of pressure.</p> + +<p>The appearance of the sick and wounded defies description. Like the +Gallipoli lot, only worse, they were lean, gaunt, haggard skeletons, +hollow-eyed, with rivulets of perspiration furrowing the dirt of their +faces. Looking back from a better state of affairs to those days, the +strange spectres that staggered off the boat become softened in outline. +It is only by the aid of pen, pencil, brush or film that their grimness +is kept alive in the mind.</p> + +<p>They cheered up considerably after a day or two, and when it came to +censoring their letters, not a word of complaint did one find; nor, for +that matter, any news. The absence of nurses was a disappointment for +them, but the luxury of a spring mattress, of cool water<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</a></span> in quantity, +and of being under a roof out of the sun made up for that in some +degree. They were full of rumours. Of the general situation they knew +nothing. One said we had half a million men in the field. Another +reckoned we had a division or two at the most. Many seemed to put the +figure at six divisions. A British division is about eighteen thousand +men, and an Indian division less. They were sure that Kut would be +relieved. It was at the time when the news was looked for daily. The +whole place was rich in tales. Every depot on shore, and every ship in +the stream, had its stories. Kut was to be occupied by us on the +following Sunday. General X had stated it quite decisively, with an +elegant gesture of confidence. General Y had sworn it, banging the +table. General Z had mentioned it casually, a cigar between his teeth. +The Turks were hopelessly demoralised. They had<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</a></span> no ammunition, no food, +and no heart. Hopes ran high, and everyone who came up from Ashar was +eagerly questioned. We woke one morning to hear a great noise of steam +sirens from the river, and for a time lay in blissful happiness, certain +it could only mean one thing. It was like the night we lay on the +Gallipoli sand some days after the landing, in the darkness, sipping our +first tot of rum. Our hearts were merry, for had we not just heard that +Achi Baba had fallen, that Bulgaria and Roumania had declared war on +Turkey, and that the crackle of musketry to the north-east was due to +certain Boers who were swarming up the heights overhanging the Kishlar +Rocks? She must be a woman of temperament, Rumour, for when she smiles +she is so charming; but when she frowns, who can be so ugly?</p> + +<p>During this time considerable activity prevailed<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</a></span> throughout the Basra +region. Near by, on Makina Plain, a vast flat expanse of bare earth +beyond the shadow of the palm plantations, a perpetual dust arose. +Transport columns, guns and troops were always on the move, and the +camps grew in size until the whole place was dotted with white canvas +and yellow matting huts. The skirling of the pipes, the beating of the +drums, the sound of the bugle and the tramp of feet continually came +from the road that ran along the bank opposite the hospital. Wagons +rumbled over the wooden bridge, and the deep note of the incoming +steamers reverberated over the groves. But a difficulty began to arise. +All these incoming troops that were concentrating on the plain were new +to the country. The heat was increasing rapidly. It had long passed the +limits of the most intense English summer, and the mercury was now +rising above 100 degrees<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</a></span> in the shade. The sky was cloudless and +brassy. The floods each day left great areas of damp, steamy marsh when +the tidal river fell. Mosquitoes were beginning to fill the night with +their thin screaming. Small, almost impalpable, colourless insects, +whose bite is like a red hot wire and who can penetrate the meshes of an +ordinary mosquito net with ease, began to infest the place. These were +sand-flies. They are surely the most successfully maddening insect ever +designed by the Lord of Flies. They give rise to a malady known as +sand-fly fever, which is like influenza and drains the body of all +vitality for many days. In addition to this, either the food, the water, +the dust, or the day flies were spreading about a form of diarrhœa +which rapidly turned into dysentery. The day flies were a swiftly +growing army. Breeding grounds in the surrounding camps, in the horse +lines, the bullock lines and native villages were numerous. They were +nothing like the flies at Mudros when the whole roof of a tent at night +might be uniformly black with them, and eating was in the nature of a +free fight. A couple of hundred or so to each tent was perhaps the +average, but they made rest a matter of difficulty. The Red Cross +fortunately supplied us with instruments of fly destruction, and later +on fly experts were sent out.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</a></span></p> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/image53.jpg" width="600" height="407" alt="The Hospital Washing." title="" /> +<span class="caption">The Hospital Washing.</span> +</div><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</a></span></p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</a></span></p><p>The result of all this was that the curve of sickness began to mount +steeply, and it became necessary to make some provision for the victims. +Since our position was central as regards reinforcement camps, we were +delegated to deal with local sick, and after that arrangement very few +of the cases sent down from the front came our way. For the first few +days the number of incoming sick could be dealt with adequately. But as +time went on,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</a></span> and the mercury rose higher and higher in the lifeless +air, the number increased and became formidable. Long lines of ambulance +wagons and bullock tongas crept steadily from every quarter to the +hospital. Beds were crowded into every corner of the wards. We had no +fans. Imagine, you who live in civilisation, what an electric fan may +mean. You can see it spinning in the corner of your club or restaurant +and think nothing of it. But in that place it meant the difference +between life and death. Picture yourself tossing in a high fever in the +centre of a stifling ward, with the temperature above 90 degrees all +through the night, and not a breath of wind stirring. Then think what it +would mean to find yourself placed suddenly under the whirling vanes of +a big fan, lying with your mouth wide open, taking great gulps of the +cool rushing air. When we moved up river, three months later,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</a></span> it was +rumoured the fans were on their way from India.</p> + +<p>The maladies that were commonest were malaria, diarrhœa, dysentery, +jaundice and heat-stroke. There were some scattered cases of cholera, +and a few of typhoid. The typhoid began in earnest later on, as well as +sand-fly fever. Besides these there was a skin disease which we called +Basra sore—a very indolent ulcer which is not painful, but tends to +spread over the legs and arms, leaving a flexible, bluish scar when it +eventually heals. There was also an ill-defined syndrome, termed +variously Mesopotamitis or acute debility, or the Fear of God. +Officially one described it as the effects of heat. But of all these the +most pitiful was heat-stroke.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</a></span></p> +<h3>IV<br /> +<br /> +HEAT-STROKE</h3> + + +<p><span class="smcap">I do</span> not know of any other malady so dramatic, or so painful to witness, +as heat-stroke, with the exception, perhaps, of acute cholera. It is +something that belongs to Mesopotamia in a peculiar sense, in that it +seems to express in visible and concentrated form the silent hostility +of the country which was noticed by the ancients. For Mesopotamia +welcomes no man. It is a profound enigma. What do those two gigantic +rivers mean that rush through those vast stretches of barren land? For +what ultimate destiny were<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</a></span> they designed? It is like looking on two +enormous electric cables, carrying a current of incalculable amperage, +lying beside a vast but motionless machinery, because no contact has +been made. Whatever the answer may be it has been long in coming. +Dwelling beside them, one cannot help speculating, for there is a kind +of fatality that concerns the disposition of matter in Nature. Oil +fields and rubber trees existed, one might say, as enigmas, until the +internal combustion engine and motor cars dawned on the world and +explained their riddle. This was their fate. And of Mesopotamia, who +shall say that it may not be concerned with a yet unborn attitude in us +Europeans when we will turn wholly to the produce of the earth?</p> + +<p>To gain some idea of heat-stroke it is necessary to grasp the conditions +that produce it.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</a></span> A typical hot day begins with a dawn that comes as a +sudden hot yellow behind the motionless palms. A glittering host of +dragon-flies rises up from the swamps, wheeling and darting after the +mosquitoes. In the growing light mysterious shapes slink past. They are +the camp dogs returning from their sing-song, which has kept you awake +half the night. Inside the mosquito net you see various gorged little +insects struggling to get out of the meshing through which they passed +so easily when they were slim and hungry. The hot beam of the sun picks +out your tent, and the mercury goes up steadily. At five you are bathed +in perspiration as you lie in bed. It has been in the neighbourhood of +90 degrees throughout the night; you have probably spent most of it +smoking in a chair in the moonlight listening to horses whinnying, +donkeys braying, dogs barking and yelping without a pause, and men<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</a></span> +groaning and tossing in the steamy sick tents. The business of getting +up is one of infinite weariness. There is nothing fresh in the morning +feeling. At eight the mercury is probably 100 degrees. At times, as you +dress after a tepid bath, it is necessary to sit down and take a rest. +Your vesture is simple—a thin shirt, open at the collar, and a pair of +shorts, stockings and shoes. During the day your feelings do not +correspond to the height of the mercury, for after breakfast a certain +amount of energy possesses you, and the morning's work becomes possible. +But after a couple of hours, in the neighbourhood of eleven, when it may +be anything from 110 to 120 degrees in the shade, a kind of enervation +sets in. This is partly due to lack of food. For some reason we found it +necessary to eat a considerable amount. The theory of a simple diet, a +little fruit, meat once a day and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</a></span> in small quantity, did not work out +in practice. After midday the world is a blinding glare and the intake +of air seems to burn the lungs. A comparative stillness descends on the +scene. On the plain activities cease. Through the double canvas roofing +of a tent the sun beats down like a giant with a leaden club. The +temperature in the wards increases. At the worst moments you feel +distinctly that it would be possible, by giving way to something that +escapes definition, to go off your head. A spirit of indifference to +everything is necessary. Any kind of worry is simply a mode of suicide. +A man, for instance, who feels continually he ought to be up and doing, +and that to lie still in vacancy is a sin, does not do well, unless, +perhaps, he dwells in a cool stone house, under fans, with plenty of +ice, as was the luck of some. There must be no inner conflicts. Cranks +soon suffer. Life becomes simplified. An oriental<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</a></span> contempt of the West, +with all its preoccupations, grows insensibly. When a dripping orderly +came to rouse you to see some case, you understood perfectly the +attitude of mind that has produced the idea of Kismet. Why move? If the +man dies, it is Allah's will. It is Allah's will that he is sick. Let +him remain in the hands of Allah.</p> + +<p>It was during the afternoon and evening that heat-stroke occurred in the +main when the humidity of the air began to go up. A great many of the +new troops had no idea of the danger of the sun. The Tommy does not +estimate a situation very quickly. The attempt to change the main meal +of the day to an evening hour did not meet with success, and during the +afternoon the men would sit bucking away in their tents, and refuse to +adapt themselves to the idea of a siesta. Moreover, the Tommy is +obstinate by nature and does not<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</a></span> like to give in. He goes on marching +in the sun, even though he feels bad, and the collapse is swift and +fatal.</p> + +<p>At about five o'clock, with the temperature falling and the humidity of +the air increasing, a period of intense discomfort set in. Perspiration +was so profuse that clothes became wringing wet like bathing suits, even +if you were sitting still. A kind of air hunger ensued. The few birds in +the groves sat with their beaks wide open. It was then that the +ambulance wagons began to roll in with their burden of heat-stroke +cases, and continued until after sunset. It is a malady which, as I have +said, is dramatic and painful to witness....</p> + +<p>A heat-stroke station was prepared at the water's edge containing a +couple of baths and an ice chest, and patients were put into the chill +water as soon as possible. They were<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</a></span> slapped and punched and laved till +they began to turn blue and the temperature fell. Then they were put in +a blanket, if any collapse showed, or just left naked on a bed in the +open. Fear played a powerful part in the malady. It tended to produce it +and to cause relapses, and it was good practice to use direct +counter-suggestion whenever the patient was conscious, as well as brandy +and morphia. The worst of it was that many of those patients who +recovered over night died next afternoon as they lay in the suffocating +ward. What was possible with wet sheets and small pieces of ice was +done, but it was a wretched business, and those who were in Basra at +that time and saw those spectacles will never forget them; nor will they +forget the silent, impotent rage that filled the mind at the thought of +the giant-bodied, small-headed Colossus of war which makes a useless +sacrifice of men in ways<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</a></span> such as these every day. But it had one useful +effect, perhaps. A really Zoroastrian reverence for the sun came after +seeing a case, and a man learnt to look on his pith helmet and spine pad +as his best friends.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</a></span></p> +<h3>V<br /> +<br /> +MIRAGE</h3> + + +<p><span class="smcap">On</span> the 28th of April, after a week of conflicting rumours, we heard that +Kut had fallen. As a nation we take reverses with consummate coolness. +Whatever one thought inwardly, work went on as usual, and in the men's +lines there was very little comment. Up to the last moment Rumour was +optimistic. She spread a most mysterious yarn about the ship that tried +to escape Turkish vigilance and get to Kut with supplies. It was, she +said, full of gold. For what purpose she did not specify, but it sounded +promising. This was her last fling. After that she changed her mask and +looked<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</a></span> ugly. Forty thousand Arabs were mustering at Kuweit. German +cruisers were in the Persian Gulf, sinking shipping right and left. The +Turks were coming down on Nasireyah in tremendous force. Trouble was +brewing at Shaiba. In the last respect she proved correct, though the +trouble was not great. At Shaiba, which lies about twenty miles west of +Basra across the plain, a remarkable battle was fought in the April of +the year before. A Turkish force of twelve thousand regulars and thirty +odd guns, with numerous Arabs, was routed at an extreme and critical +moment, it is said, owing to a mistake. The mistake, for once, was on +the part of the Turks. Fighting had been very severe. We had no reserves +and things were looking black. Numerous Arab tribesmen who had remained +as neutral spectators were beginning to take it into their heads that we +were losing, and that only means one thing to them. <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</a></span>It means they at +once join forces with th<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[Pg 64]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</a></span>e victorious side, and add their ghastly +devilry to the general merriment. The Turks, under Suleiman Askari, had +been certain of victory. Victory would have meant the evacuation of +Basra, if not of Mesopotamia. So sure had the Turks been that they had +struck a medal for the occasion, celebrating the triumph of the capture +of Basra. Our men found sacks full of these cheap aluminum badges in the +Turkish trenches, and they were sold afterwards in the bazaar at Basra +by the thousand. But the Turks never wore them, for, at the most extreme +and critical moment, across the plain there came a swirling column of +dust, a flashing of wheels, and a thundering of hoofs. The sight was too +much for the Turks. Another battery, or even a whole brigade of +artillery, after those three exhausting days of fighting, was not worth +waiting for. So they rose from their trenches<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[Pg 66]</a></span> and began to flee, and +the Arabs, changing their minds with incredible swiftness, fell on them +in the rear and cut and slashed them about considerably. In the +meanwhile the strange column galloped up. But there were no guns. In +place of guns stood a strangely assorted collection of wagons, spring +carts, tongas—anything on wheels—that a certain doctor had got +together and brought up at full speed to take away the wounded. The +Turkish Commander, Suleiman Askari, committed suicide.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/image71.jpg" width="600" height="362" alt="Donkey Labour in the Heat of the Day." title="" /> +<span class="caption">Donkey Labour in the Heat of the Day.</span> +</div> + +<p>A New Zealander came into hospital one day from Shaiba way. He was a +wireless man, and being so, had found something in the desert that +puzzled the science of his mind. He explained the matter. Out there it +is a white, undulating expanse, burning hot, but with more air than in +Basra. There are extraordinary effects of perspective. A man standing a +short way off may assume gigantic proportions, or<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</a></span> look like a dwarf. A +motor car near by would seem to lose its solidity and dissolve into a +few filmy lines. The mirage of water is everywhere. An Arab might lie in +the open and no one would see him. A post might look like a horseman at +full gallop. It was a country of topsy-turveydom as regards the +subjective estimate of the eyes. But what puzzled the wireless man was +this. He thought he understood how eye-strain and difference of +refractive power of the layers of heated air, or reflected light from +the ground and such physical considerations could cause these illusions. +But what he could not understand was how it came about that several men +would experience exactly the same illusion. Why should a post +simultaneously appear as an Arab on horseback or an Arab crawling +stealthily on the ground to half a dozen men? Mirage, like Rumour, is a +curious thing. It may have some inner connection<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</a></span> with the set of a +man's feelings. It has its pleasant side when it paints water and palms +where there is no water nor any palms. It has its sinister side when it +clothes the most innocent features of the landscape in images of dread. +Who knows how it touched up that flying column of ambulance wagons in +the eyes of the Turks? There are certain areas that are constantly the +site of mirage. Our gunners found this a continual difficulty at the +front, for the hostile Arabs, knowing the mirage areas, would get into +them and make ranging impossible. A transport column on the move through +mirage is a curious sight. You see, across the plain, a long line of +black dots, which are the wagons on the move. But apparently they are +passing through the centre of a narrow lake, that runs in the same +direction as their line of advance. The reflection in the lake is +perfect in every detail and that is suspicious, for a train of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[Pg 69]</a></span> wagons +and horses crossing a shallow lake would stir up the water and disturb +reflection. But there is another thing that helps you to recognise +mirage. At the tail of the column rises a cloud of dust and here and +there along the line you can make out a little wreath of dust rising +apparently from the surface of the mirroring water.</p> + +<p>The fall of Kut did not ease the pressure at the hospitals. The sick +rate was increasing steadily. The Shimal, the north-west wind that comes +just in time to make it possible for you to believe in Providence, was +not due until the middle of June. Down by the river-side, where the +official meteorological station stood, the day temperature was far over +100 degrees, and up in the airless creeks, in the palm groves, it was +much higher. Clinical thermometers cracked if they were left lying about +on tables. Our staff was getting seriously depleted. No<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[Pg 70]</a></span> Tommy had to +work so hard as those hospital orderlies, and it is not surprising that +our casualties in sick men were very heavy. Clerks in the office became +ward masters at a moment's notice. But in spite of all this the spirit +of the place remained unshaken. However great the heat, it did not +destroy that sense of humour which is the glory of the British Army. +Rather be beaten and retain that sense than be victorious and lose it. +And if you come to think of it, no man who retains his sense of humour +is ever really beaten.</p> + + + +<hr /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</a></span></p> +<h3>VI<br /> +<br /> +THE DAY'S WORK</h3> + + +<p><span class="smcap">The</span> great distances that separate the main stations in Mesopotamia, and +the long sea voyage between Basra and Bombay, threw a considerable +strain on that part of the army that sits in offices and deals with army +forms. At Poona the supreme headquarters of the campaign resided amid +the clear breezes of the Indian hills. The consequence was that in cases +where two or three copies of a form would have sufficed on the Western +front, there it was necessary to multiply them indefinitely, so as to +satisfy all the various authorities down the line. For example, in +sending sick to India,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</a></span> a nominal roll is compiled with name, number, +rank, regiment, nature of disease and so on. This, in triplicate, is an +ordinary procedure anywhere. But in Basra it was necessary, for some +reason, to make out over twenty copies, and this is a long business on a +typewriter that will only do a small number at a time, and is wanted for +other things. It also caused a great delay before indents could +materialise. You wished, say, to order a truss for a patient. Out there, +owing to the heat, articles of this nature perished quickly. You +reported the measurements to the quartermaster. He made a copy of the +indent in triplicate, as well as an office copy. The indents went to the +Assistant Director of Medical Services for approval. They were then sent +back to the quartermaster. He then sent them to the Base Medical Depot, +who acknowledged their receipt and said they would be<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</a></span> sent to India as +soon as possible. In India they passed through other complicated +machinery and the weeks went by. A truss, I suppose, is worth a few +shillings.</p> + +<p>There were three other factors that added to the difficulties, apart +from distance. One was the bar at the mouth of the river, which made it +impossible for deeply laden vessels coming up the Persian Gulf and +drawing many feet of water to pass without unloading in part into +another vessel. The other was that strip of river between Kurna and +Amara known as the Narrows, where river boats with supplies stuck +constantly, especially when the floods fell and the water was low. One +boat sticking here would hold up all traffic.</p> + +<p>The third factor was the effect of the excessive heat. This effect, +rather subtle in itself, might be called the psychological factor of the +situation, for there is not the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</a></span> slightest doubt that it produced a kind +of cussedness in everyone, from the highest to the lowest, and sapped +energy and made changes unwelcome. For excessive and prolonged heat—and +the hot season lasted seven or eight months—rouses a defensive +mechanism of inertia whose aim is to preserve life. You saw that in the +earliest cases of incipient heat-stroke. A man felt suddenly all the +power go out of his legs. He wanted to lie down, and this was the best +thing he could do.</p> + +<p>Mental exertion became almost impossible. Reading was not easy, writing +was a burden, and thinking a matter of extreme difficulty. Your interest +lay in watching the simplest thing. A Japanese fly-trap with its +slowly-turning, sticky surfaces was fascinating. There was a spice of +oriental cruelty in the way it slowly entrapped the fly, and it was +exactly that which made the appeal. You soon understood<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[Pg 75]</a></span> how it comes +about that the Eastern takes all the natural facts of life for granted, +without bothering about fine shades, and acts on them unquestioningly. +What is called altruism in the West seems artificial. It is not cynicism +exactly that the place breeds, and I never met anyone who was +sentimental in Mesopotamia, but it is a kind of descent that occurs to a +level of values that are coloured black and white, quite plain. A man +who expected to throw a spell over the country and act as a stimulant on +everyone would truly need to possess a prodigious character. "In the +tropics there is going on continually and unconsciously a tax on the +nervous system which is absent in temperate climates. The nervous +system, especially those parts which regulate the temperature of the +body, is always on the strain, and the result is that in time it suffers +from more or less exhaustion." The<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[Pg 76]</a></span> common effect of this is a +"deficient mental energy generally commencing with unnatural drowsiness +or loss of appetite and a yearning for stimulants which culminates in +that lowering of nerve potential which we know so well as neurasthenia." +Thus write the professors of medicine in India on the effects of +prolonged heat. I would add to it a large mental element, partly induced +by the lack of any kind of amusement, by the want of interest, and by +the peculiar effect of a landscape that is entirely flat and uniform. An +artificial mountain scenery, painted on canvas, such as one used to see +at Earl's Court, would have been a blessed relief. I think a London fog +would have been delightful. Towards the end of September, a few small, +fleecy clouds appeared one day in the sky and everyone ran out and +stared solemnly at them as if they were angels. But there is one phrase +that sums up<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[Pg 77]</a></span> the prolonged effects of heat better than any scientific +rigmarole. It takes the silk out of a man.</p> + +<p>In Basra there was published daily a small, excellent newspaper which +gave the latest Reuters and printed selections from papers that came by +the mail. It was sorely missed when we went up river. I believe it was +edited by a lady. There was a club in Ashar where it was possible to sit +under electric fans. In old Basra there was an Arab theatre, containing +a few dancing girls and a cinematograph. But the arrival of the mails +was the great feature of life out there. They came roughly once a week, +and it is difficult to describe with what emotions they were received. +The whole district became revivified for a space under their influence.</p> + +<p>Through the month of June the sickness increased and work went on +steadily increasing.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[Pg 78]</a></span> We had 400 beds in the wards at that time, and it +was necessary to find accommodation for an average of 700 patients. +Anyone who was likely to be sick for any length of time was sent to +India whenever the opportunity arose. Down at the British Hospital on +the river front they were sending cases off that were likely to be more +than three days ill. It was an oriental polyglot scene down there on the +hospital quay in the comparative cool of evening, when the big white +hospital ship lay off the bank and crowds of ticketed patients sat under +the shelters waiting their turn to embark. Now and then a pale nurse, +dressed in white, with white helmet and red-lined parasol would walk +through the throng. Arab <i>belumchis</i>, Jews, Persians, Armenians, Sikhs, +Gurkhas, Pathans, and Ghats crowded the bank, voluble and picturesque. +Dhobies thrashed clothes at the river edge. Bhisties<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[Pg 79]</a></span> drew water in +kerosene tins. Convalescent Tommies in blue dungaree, fished +stolidly—wishing they were bound for India. The roofs of the square +white buildings were filled with nurses taking tea. Launches whirled up +and discharged Staff officers. All down the centre of the stream lay big +vessels. Already the place had a cosmopolitan spirit—a new-born +genius—and one could see it dimly in the future, when the Baghdad +railway runs through it to Kuweit, a white city, garish with painted +promenades and electric lights, with as many languages sounding in the +street as in Port Said.</p> + +<p>The dates were now hanging in big masses of oval, greeny-yellow fruit, +some in clusters of two hundredweight and more, and the palm leaves were +turning brown at their points. The scarlet of the pomegranate trees had +vanished from the date groves and the floods<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[Pg 80]</a></span> were beginning to fall. It +had been necessary to surround the hospital clearing with a mud wall, or +bund, about four feet in height, in order to keep out the water, for at +times there is as much as a six foot rise when the tide comes up the +Shatt-el-Arab.</p> + +<p>At any simple job of this kind the Arabs are quite good. They can +plaster mud on a roof, or make a bund, or run up a mud and reed hut, or +raise the level of the flooring of a ward, and they take their time over +it. But anything that savours of machinery is usually beyond them. It +was a common saying amongst the Arabs that sickness stopped as soon as +the dates were gathered in. That proved to be untrue. It was a long +while until the dates were ripe, and after they were gathered sickness +still continued. The amount of heat those dates required before they +turned yellow and soft, and their skins began to crinkle faintly, was +extraordinary. For weeks and weeks they remained hard and green, though +exposed to the fiercest heat of the sun. Pomegranates, in the same way, +hung for months before their skins turned to that beautiful deep +mahogany hue of the ripe fruit.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[Pg 81]</a></span></p> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/image89.jpg" width="600" height="370" alt="On the Shatt-el-Arab near Basra." title="" /> +<span class="caption">On the Shatt-el-Arab near Basra.</span> +</div><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[Pg 82]</a></span></p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[Pg 83]</a></span></p><p>On a particular day at the end of June one might have fancied a crisis +had been reached. Curiously enough, by the irony of coincidence, the +Reuters of that day contained the news that it had been stated in +Parliament that, in the interests of the public, no statement would be +made about the state of affairs in Mesopotamia.</p> + +<p>That night it was rumoured that Verdun had fallen....</p> + +<p>The gift of a large fleet of motor ambulances presented by the cinema +people at home was a great boon, for urgent cases could be transported<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[Pg 84]</a></span> +to hospital rapidly, instead of jolting over the plain in bullock +tongas. Unfortunately, the axles of these cars were not quite equal to +the rough work, and in a short time they were sent away to other spheres +where roads were better. The ground in our neighbourhood was so +undermined by floods that on one occasion one of these cars, standing +empty, suddenly broke through the upper crust up to its axles. A great +deal of perspiration flowed before it was extricated.</p> + +<p>In the meanwhile the creek was full of <i>mahallas</i> loading up equipment, +for we had received orders to go higher up-river.</p> + + + +<hr /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[Pg 85]</a></span></p> +<h3>VII<br /> +<br /> +THE NARROWS</h3> + + +<p><span class="smcap">We</span> left Basra when the Arabs, and the Indian troops, were celebrating +the Mohammedan feast of Ramadhan. During the feast, which lasts a month, +night is turned into day. No food is allowed, in theory, from sunrise to +sunset. Drums beat, dogs howl, cocks crow and the revellers shout and +wail and clap their hands in long, rhythmic, staccato periods, and +explosions of powder occur under the crescent moon.</p> + +<p>A small, double-decked, squat river boat which had been captured from +the Turks took us on board. It burned oil fuel. A single<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[Pg 86]</a></span> canvas awning +with many gaps in it covered the upper deck. The lower deck was nearly +taken up by engine and boiler, save for a small saloon aft, and water +tanks and a galley forward. Our strength was about 100 men with twenty +Indians belonging to the hospital, and there were a few odd details +travelling as well and the crowding was considerable. On each side of +the steamer were big barges. On the port side was a barge of mules. On +the starboard side a barge of fodder, and various bales and cases, +surmounted by a crowd of coolies. The smell from either side was like a +Zoo. We set off in high spirits, for we had heard that Amara, whither we +were bound, was a Paradise compared to Basra. The heat was excessive. +Behind the funnel on deck, where our quarters lay, it was 125 degrees, +and the awning did not do much towards keeping out the burden of the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[Pg 87]</a></span> +sun. The country through which we passed was green-tinged with sparse +palms, and absolutely flat. In the river were long strings of +<i>mahallas</i>, being towed by teams of Arabs. These craft may take sixteen +days to reach Amara. In the heat of the day the towing team gets into +the river and moves slowly along up to their waists in water. Owing to a +long stop at Margil, which lies two miles above Basra, and is the site +of the Supply people, we did not make much progress the first day. At +sunset it is necessary to tie up, or anchor, in the stream. The night +was not so bad save for mosquitoes, and after a sousing of river water, +drawn forward of the mule barge, and a cup of tea at dawn, we felt +cheerful. We started at four-thirty and passed Kurna.</p> + +<p>Kurna is the Garden of Eden. It lies at the junction of the Euphrates +and Tigris,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[Pg 88]</a></span> and is a small hamlet of white houses. Here there is a wide +area of date palms and a great brown, tranquil stretch of river. A white +doorway in a yellow wall, shaped like a pear, marks the supposed +position of Paradise. The doorway bears a tablet with an Arabic +inscription. Behind the doorway, just visible over the wall, a tree +grows. This may or may not be the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and +Evil, because a dwarfed sinister tree lower down, to which barges tie +up, is given the name. But I prefer the one in its walled garden, a +faded, simple, harmless-looking tree. And the result of eating its fruit +can be moralised on here, for on one side of it is the bazaar square, +where whisky and beer and tobacco are sold, and on the other side is the +telegraph office with the news of the war blazoned on the iron-studded +door and an armed sentry before it.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[Pg 89]</a></span></p><p>Beyond Kurna the Tigris takes some immense curves so that at times you +seem to see the sails of <i>mahallas</i> all round the horizon. We lay on +deck, staring idly at the unvarying landscape which quivered under the +sun. Occasionally Arab villages were passed, constructed out of the +matting made from reeds, which is a local industry. The reeds grow in +big patches all the way up the river banks. On the second night we tied +up below Ezra's tomb. There was local Arab trouble in this part at the +time and we passed an outpost of native troops; also a mud hut, standing +solitary in a swamp in the plain and bearing the words "Leicester +Lounge" in black lettering. It seemed deserted.</p> + +<p>At night there was a lot of lamp-signalling all round the horizon in +naval code. One caught M.M.O. repeatedly and then a lot of figures. Some +fires lit up the sky line to the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[Pg 90]</a></span> north. On that night the heat was +beyond description. A plague of sand-flies and mosquitoes descended on +the ship. No one slept a wink. The mules screamed and kicked. There was +not a breath of air. A heavy smell pervaded the ship, and at times it +seemed that one's mind wandered a little. Before dawn a great cry came +out of the steamy darkness from some worshipping Arab and was repeated +twice. After a long silence a cock crew far across the plain and was +answered a hundred times. Then came a misty blue light and a sudden +glare of yellow. The day had begun and the engines started.</p> + +<p>A monitor passed, bristling with guns and painted a vivid green. Ezra's +tomb is a mosque standing stark on the brown plain beside the river in a +clump of palms. It is kept in beautiful preservation, for it is visited +by pilgrim Jews. Against the lovely blue of the dome,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[Pg 91]</a></span> with its circle +of gold, a tall palm leans, bending sharply inward as if to kiss the +Prophet's last resting-place in some sudden mood of devotion. Some way +above it lies a big village, and as we passed crowds of Arabs lined the +bank. Naked boys dived into the river after money. The women, dashing +types with nose rings, clad in robes of wonderful vermilion and purple +colours, ran along the banks with fowls and eggs for sale. Herds of +black buffalo, submerged up to the nose, basked in the water.</p> + +<p>At one lonely place we passed a small shelter, a roof of yellow matting +supported by a few posts, containing six rather pale-hued women with +richly coloured robes and bangles seated in a semi-circle on the ground. +Outside stood the lord of the manor, very swarthy, in dazzling white, +with a rifle slung over his shoulder, scowling ferociously as he<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[Pg 92]</a></span> +surveyed the plains. He was a kind of policeman, I believe, in our pay. +At any rate he seemed to be, like policemen in general, a strong lover +of domestic life. Six wives may have contributed a little towards +overcoming the extreme monotony of life in the place.</p> + +<p>Above Ezra's tomb begin the Narrows. The Tigris becomes very narrow, +pouring its filthy yellow water at a great speed between the sharply cut +banks. The turns are so sharp, being at times much more acute than a +right angle, that the only way to get round is to charge the bank, bump +off with a great churning of paddles and creaking of lashings and +clanging of the telegraph from the bridge, and work the steamer's nose +into the centre of the stream again. The banks, at these spots, are +perfectly smooth and polished owing to the constant impacts. By +themselves the river steamers could get round more skilfully,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[Pg 93]</a></span> but with +their clumsy barges on each side it was impossible. The S-boats—the +stern wheelers—of which there are only a few, do not carry barges, and +therefore their handiness and speed are much greater. They can run from +Basra to Sheik Saad, close to the front, within three days, and can +travel by night if necessary.</p> + +<p>At three in the afternoon as we bumped and scraped and panted up the +tortuous river, we came on the familiar sight of a convoy stuck, +broadside on, across the river in front of us. A little smoke came from +her funnel. The sun beat savagely down on her apparently deserted decks. +Behind her there was nothing but shimmering plain and the occasional +flash of water. Our engine-room telegraph rang. The engines stopped and +we slewed into the bank and dropped anchor. Then the skipper and his +navigating lieutenants<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[Pg 94]</a></span> withdrew to their cabins and the engine-room +staff, composed of an Englishman who had run boats up to Baghdad for ten +years, and a few Christian Baghdadies—powerful dark men, who seemed to +speak a kind of French—disposed themselves for rest on the lower deck, +and a great peace descended on the scene. Away over the horizon, north +and south, some columns of smoke were visible coming from other convoys +that were converging on the Narrows. It was necessary to wait for the +tide, as well as for a tug. There was nothing to do but to watch the +plain. At first sight it appeared lifeless, an expanse of golden browns, +reds and yellows, with a sharp purple rim on the skyline. But closer +observation showed long lines of cattle, mere dots in the distance, +moving slowly in search of pasture. In the shadow of a hummock an Arab +boy and girl<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[Pg 95]</a></span> sat together motionless. A mile along the level two Arabs +were rhythmically swinging water up from a cutting by means of a shallow +vessel with ropes attached to the side. The flash of it caught the eye, +and there was a patch of vivid emerald where the water fell. To the +north it was possible to make out the arms of a semaphore lying idle. +There was no sound in the place. The river itself flowed silently. Only +the occasional deep drone of a hornet or the note of a mosquito came to +the ear. The sun seemed to be drawing the land together, sucking up all +the sap it contained.</p> + +<p>As we sat and gazed at these bending and twisting Narrows the idea arose +that it might be possible, by a little cutting, to do away with the +worst bits and open up a straight channel. For there were two main +places of obstruction, called the Devil's Elbow and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[Pg 96]</a></span> Pear Drop Reach. +But it is necessary to say this with caution, for tampering with great +rivers like the Tigris may cause unthought-of trouble. It upsets the +natural balance of the waters.</p> + +<p>Gradually the other convoys drew near and dropped anchor above and below +the obstructing vessel. Some native troops in one of them got out on the +bank and began to bathe, or wandered about looking for fuel to cook +their evening meal, and towards evening a string of Arab women and +children, from some remote village, came along with eggs and melons and +pumpkins. In the meanwhile a kind of activity prevailed in the region of +the obstruction. A tug boat appeared and ropes were stretched out to +posts on the land and the water was being churned to foam by the +paddles. It was said that General Y was on a convoy ahead,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[Pg 97]</a></span> and General +X, who was going up to replace him, was in a convoy behind us. It was +possible to count seven convoys in all, and smoke columns were still +rising in the south. It was not until darkness fell that the ship was +pulled off, and it was too late to move on that night. So we ate our +bully beef and settled down for the night. Once more our sensations were +indescribable. The sand-flies were like a million little red-hot wires. +There was not a breath of air and the mules screamed and fought and +gasped alongside. One hundred and fifty people packed on a small deck, +round a funnel that is still burning hot, make a poor job of sleeping in +such a climate.</p> + +<p>It was the devout prayer of everyone that we might reach our destination +next day and get off the ship and away from those mules. That was not to +be. We reached<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[Pg 98]</a></span> Amara in the darkness of the evening, and anchored near +the Rawal Pindi Hospital. Owing to a case of cholera that had developed +that day on the starboard barge, we were put in quarantine, so it was +necessary to unpack one's kit again and shake down for the night on +deck. One of the most refractory mules kicked itself loose of its +moorings and fell into the stream in the darkness. Several men risked +their lives in rescuing it. One would have thought, seeing that it had +been the noisiest and most vicious brute on the barge, that drowning was +scarcely good enough for it. And what is a wife to think of her husband +when she is told that he was drowned while gallantly attempting to +rescue from the swift current of the Tigris a mule that could swim far +better than he could? As no one was drowned, perhaps it is unnecessary +to ask the question.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[Pg 99]</a></span></p> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 415px;"> +<img src="images/image107.jpg" width="415" height="600" alt="Arab Belum on Tigris." title="" /> +<span class="caption">Arab Belum on Tigris.</span> +</div><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[Pg 100]</a></span></p> + + +<hr /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[Pg 101]</a></span></p> +<h3>VIII<br /> +<br /> +AMARA</h3> + + +<p><span class="smcap">We</span> reached Amara about the middle of July. At that time there was +practically nothing happening at the front, but the sickness was great. +Amara, by reason of its openness, was a little fresher than Basra, but +the temperature was high. It was 125 degrees in the shade on the day +following our arrival.</p> + +<p>The white low houses line along the river front on the left bank in a +more orderly fashion than at Ashar. A bridge of boats connects the two +banks. This bridge, which existed before the war, swings open from the +centre and lets traffic through. On the right<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[Pg 102]</a></span> bank a few houses were +scattered amongst thick groves of palms. There is somehow a more +oriental spirit at Amara than at Basra. The <i>belums</i> are more +fantastically curved, the mystery of the town more apparent, and the +narrow-domed bazaar, full of dim light and vivid colour, is permeated +with the spirit of the Arabian Nights. There are some cunning craftsmen +in the bazaar, particularly the silver-and gold-smiths, who make +exquisite inlaid work. They do this after the manner of true artists, in +that they work seemingly more by a process of thought and feeling rather +than with the aid of tools. For they sit on the ground with a bowl of +water, a small charcoal fire, a strip of metal, and a deeply preoccupied +look, and after a time the article is finished. The overlaying of silver +by antimony is their particular craft. Owing to the orders they<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[Pg 103]</a></span> +received, they soon began to charge prohibitive prices. At certain times +it was possible to get egret feathers, and also astrachan—the skin of +unborn lambs—in the bazaar. The old copper vessels that were sold in +many of the shops were sometimes very beautiful.</p> + +<p>The suspected cholera case proving doubtful, we were put out of +quarantine next morning, and moved across the river to the site of the +hospital which we were to take over. It lay round a bend in the river on +the right bank above and well out of the town. To the north lay the +river, to the south the desert. A large number of mud and reed huts, in +long rows, stood on the plain, covering an area of about a quarter of a +square mile. These were the wards. There was a sense of space that was +refreshing after the cramped and littered area of the clearing at +Basra,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[Pg 104]</a></span> with its surrounding marshes and palm groves. We officers were +put in tents in a small palm and pomegranate thicket at the periphery of +the hospital area. The nursing quarters were at the other end, nearer +the town. These quarters were built of wood and low roofed, with a layer +of mud on the top. The nurses were in many cases volunteers who had seen +service in Mudros, and these had just got the Royal Red Cross Medal, +equivalent to a D.S.O. Very pleased they were with it, and greatly they +deserved it. Their quarters were divided by thin mud walls into narrow +compartments, and they found the lack of sound-deadening properties +trying. But that is a universal experience of this war—the continual +overhearing of conversation, the necessity for being in a crowd, and the +lack of moments of privacy. They slept out of doors, on the river front, +in a wired<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[Pg 105]</a></span> enclosure, patrolled by a sentry. The sentries were a +peculiarity of the place which distinguished it from Basra. For in that +region looters came in from the desert, some from the villages and some +from camps of nomad Arabs. Their great ambition was firearms. The second +ambition seemed to be clothing. There must exist somewhere a complete +colony of khaki-clad Arabs, of all ranks up to Staff officers, probably +in some district Persia-way, in the Pashtikhu hills. They were extremely +daring. They would come in at night on horseback, leave their horses out +on the plain and stroll in under the sentries' noses. For many months a +spirit of compromise was shown in the matter, but eventually a stronger +line was taken and the Sheiks of the surrounding country were put under +the penalty of a heavy fine if looting continued. Occasionally men were<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[Pg 106]</a></span> +stabbed by these marauders, who carried long, curved knives, but the +main object was looting and not killing.</p> + +<p>It was a singular spot to find a large number of women, away up in the +heart of that elemental country of fire and water and earth. But they +remained untouched by any kind of pessimism, nor were they greatly +interested in the campaign as a military affair. All their interest was +in their work. They were a wonderful stimulus. Where a man unwittingly +tended to let things slide they exhorted and energised. In details, they +did not seem to show that gradual decadence that creeps imperceptibly +over men when isolated and overworked. It is perhaps so subtle that it +takes a woman to detect it. Women may be theoretically unscientific, but +they are essential to the maintenance of the scientific spirit and +practice. Naturally they suffered sickness,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[Pg 107]</a></span> but not nearly so much as +one might have expected; for discipline plays a tremendous part in the +avoidance of sickness. It is not so much a physical factor as a moral +one. It seemed possible to induce a practice of going sick very easily, +and in that climate it was only necessary to permit some inner act of +surrender that escapes simple definition, but resembles the lowering of +a dog's tail, and one became a sick man. It was not exactly malingering.</p> + +<p>Beyond the western boundary of the hospital, behind the officers' tents, +lay an oriental garden. An oil engine and pumps at the river's edge +supplied the water to it through channels. The machine was worked by an +Arab who, as far as one could tell, prayed to it. In the garden, full of +moist heat and splashes of colour, lived a colony of jackals, those +extraordinary spirits of hell,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[Pg 108]</a></span> whose wailing and hysteria are so +amazing. I do not know how Darwin would have accounted for the +particular note they strike. It is probably on a level with the roaring +of the lion, in that it is designed to terrify. But the jackal does not +terrify by such obvious methods as the lion. He plays on your eerie, +ghostly, superstitious side. He brings up into the imagination the +malignity and hopelessness of the damned. He seems to people the night +with wailing horrors. To a man dying of thirst in the desert, the jackal +must just give the final touch of despair that makes death and +nothingness seem best. It must be strange to die, surrounded by jackals +at their chthonian litanies.</p> + +<p>Shortly after we reached Amara, the news came that Sir Victor Horsley +had died. It was in a season of extreme heat, when death comes suddenly +in many forms. Eighty<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[Pg 109]</a></span> officers attended his funeral in columns of +fours, the most junior in front. He had a coffin. Wood was precious in +Amara. There were some other bodies sewn up in army blankets. A long, +dusty march of a mile to the cemetery, a shallow earth grave, a brief +ceremony, the same for all, and a weary tramp home in the sun—that was +the final picture. There is one detail to add, and that is the lovely +playing of the "Last Post" over the graves. In him we lost the finest +surgeon in Mesopotamia.</p> + +<p>For many days after this we moved about as it were in a vast furnace. +The nights were broken by sand-flies. Personally, I found the only way +of keeping them out was to wear socks on the feet and hands, and smear +the face and neck with some kind of ointment, on which their feet slip, +so that they cannot find a purchase when in the act of driving<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[Pg 110]</a></span> their +sucking apparatus into the skin. In the morning, what with the sweat and +the grease, and the tropical exhaustion, one looked like few things on +earth. Oil of citronella is only of temporary use; paraffin and creosote +are of little good. Butter muslin nets are out of the question, as the +heat is stifling under them. The burning of aromatic or pungent +compounds is useless, and as for killing them, one might lie awake all +night, scuffling and dabbing and slapping at the almost invisible forms +without gaining the slightest benefit. In the day time they hide in +cracks in the ground, under bits of matting or anywhere out of the sun. +Sand-fly fever is a malady that begins like influenza. One aches all +over. All the side of life that is enjoyment fades away. It is +impossible to smoke, or eat, or drink, or read, or talk. In Malta, where +it is indigenous, a convalescence<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[Pg 111]</a></span> of three weeks is allowed. It was not +possible to allow that in Amara. The fever lasts two or three days, +coming down in two main stages. The use of opium is recommended. As +regards the use of opium in Mesopotamia, it was possible to gain the +idea from actual experience that it was a most valuable drug during the +hot season. If limited to three drugs and no more, for work in that +country, I should prefer opium, Epsom salts and quinine. The quinine +that we obtained through official channels was in the form of pink +tablets and came from the cinchona plantations at Darjeeling that are +run by the Indian Government. These tablets are coloured pink to prevent +fraudulent selling, for they are handed out to natives in malarial +districts in large quantities, free of charge, and natives are not great +believers in medicine. The tablets are extremely hard and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[Pg 112]</a></span> insoluble. +Prolonged exposure to the action of dilute mineral acids produces no +effect on them. We had, for the men, quinine parades, when five grains +were swallowed as a prophylactic against malaria every day. They were +amusing affairs to watch—serried ranks with water-bottles, standing to +attention while the sergeant dispenser walked with proper dignity down +the line handing a pink tablet to each man, who gulped it spasmodically, +took a draught of water and returned to attention. It reminded one of a +religious ceremony, of some strange communion service. In giving the +quinine in large doses it was essential to dissolve it, if any effect +was aimed at. Even then it rarely produced symptoms of quinine +poisoning. The home preparations were more satisfactory to use. As +regards opium, it was useful, apart from sand-fly fever, in those +frayed, sleepless states<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[Pg 113]</a></span> of mind that prolonged heat induces. The +English idea that a dose of morphia or laudanum at once induces the +opium habit, though very safe, is not altogether sound. Other hypnotics +were usually not strong enough to give long sleep; but here, to produce +an effect with hypnotics, it seemed necessary to double the dose. This +may have had something to do with some deterioration in drugs caused by +the big demands of the war. But I do not think it was the only +explanation. Of course, for those who dreaded the use of opium, and +preferred chloral or bromide, it was only necessary to glance into the +tents where the Chinese carpenters slept at night. There one saw rows of +comatose figures and if you cared to lift the lips from the gums of +those sleepers, you would usually see a little sticky mass of opium +wedged in between the teeth. That was one way of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[Pg 114]</a></span> solving the problem of +sand-flies and heat at night and no doubt an admirable illustration of +the dangers of the drug. But it is possible to find illustrations for +everything.</p> + +<p>At Amara, paratyphoid A was commonest in the troops coming down from the +Front. It was not a very grave disorder, but sometimes, particularly +when complicated by other factors, it was fatal. It must be remembered +that many patients reached us as emaciated skeletons, in the last stage +of exhaustion. Special wards were set aside for typhoid cases. Dysentery +was also increasing, and wards were reserved for these cases. It was +mainly what is called bacillary dysentery, for which Epsom salts is one +of the best remedies. All typhoid cases, as soon as convalescent, were +sent to India. That was because they often carry the germs in the +intestinal tract a long time after recovery<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[Pg 115]</a></span> and therefore may become a +source of infection. They spent on an average three months in India +before returning for service. There was no place in Mesopotamia where +convalescent patients could be sent with a reasonable prospect of +gaining full health. About twenty miles beyond Aligarbi lie the +Pashtikhu hills and there in those high altitudes a big military +sanatorium might have been established. This would have saved endless +transport difficulties, if a light railway had been constructed. But no +doubt the military situation rendered the carrying out of such an idea +impracticable. Heat-stroke in Amara was common enough, but it did not +seem so fatal as at Basra. This, perhaps, was due to the air, which was +drier and fresher. The supply of ice was also more adequate.</p> + +<p>We had some unlucky spells. It is a curious thing that luck seems to +enter into the matter<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[Pg 116]</a></span> of death rates. I mean that sometimes for two or +three days at a time cases seemed to go wrong and die, on the slightest +provocation. At other times, when the luck changed, the most hopeless +cases would clear up. It was the same way in the operating theatre. It +is the same way with everything, whether it be card playing, or +business, or war, or love, or thinking, or sport. There are phases in +which something seems to overshadow the scene. The direction of the +current changes. For a time everything seems to go wrong. The machinery +behind life, that is always helping you on, stops and reverses. And +there is another aspect of the same thing which doctors sometimes see in +a remarkable way. It is the occurrence of similar kinds of cases at the +same time. For part of it there is the scientific explanation of +infection by germs.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[Pg 117]</a></span></p> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/image125.jpg" width="600" height="405" alt="Ezra's Tomb." title="" /> +<span class="caption">Ezra's Tomb.</span> +</div><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[Pg 118]</a></span></p> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[Pg 119]</a></span></p><p>The Shimal was now blowing from the north-west, bringing the dust in +from the desert. At times it produced a strange effect. The atmosphere +became dun-coloured, thickened at places into opaque and rushing veils. +Under the pressure of the strong, hot wind the big <i>mahallas</i>, with +their white sails in tense curves, careered down the river with only a +streak of white foam under the prow to show they were not suspended in +the air. The further bank, pale and unsubstantial, was outlined fitfully +in the hurrying gloom. A kind of lividity spread over the picture, +bleaching it of all colour. Everything in the wards became silted over +with fine powder, and the big yellow and black hornets and the +long-legged wasps that seem to have two or three pendant abdomens and +are the hue of Burgundy marigolds, came hurtling through the unglazed +windows to crawl, half-stunned,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[Pg 120]</a></span> about the mud floors. How the ward +Sisters anathematised these days! The storms provoked a feeling not +unlike east winds at home. They brought out small aches and pains and +one got irritable. A thunderstorm would have cleared away the effect, +but the sky remained cloudless and brazen.</p> + + + +<hr /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[Pg 121]</a></span></p> +<h3>IX<br /> +<br /> +ARABIAN COMEDY</h3> + + +<p><span class="smcap">Nothing</span> was happening at the front. Occasionally there was spasmodic +shelling and bomb dropping, but the heat prevented any general activity. +Headquarters was under howitzer fire at times. One shell landed in the +mess waiter's tent and damaged nine men.</p> + +<p>There was a tale told at the time concerning a powerful Sheik near the +front who was neutral. His son becoming ill, he sent to the Turks, and +also to us, for a doctor. The Turks, or rather the Germans, sent a +German doctor, and a German lady as well, the latter as a bribe. We sent +a medical officer, unattended.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[Pg 122]</a></span> The Sheik kept them all. So far as I +know he may still be keeping them, and remaining strictly neutral. It +must be remembered that the Arabs—as well as many Indians—have been +led to believe that not only the Kaiser is a Mohammedan, but the German +people in general.</p> + +<p>Towards the end of July there were day temperatures of 124 degrees in +the shade, and the wind, when it blew, seemed as if it had passed over a +burning city. It was impossible to do anything save what was absolutely +necessary. The sickness amongst the medical staff became rather serious, +and at times we had to look after far more cases than we could treat +adequately. But in these moments of temporary dislocation, the presence +of nurses made all the difference and that state of confusion that had +existed in Basra never occurred.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[Pg 123]</a></span></p><p>The day's programme was unvarying. After a somewhat exhausting night we +rose at seven. The best hours of sleep were usually after sunrise, for +then the sand-flies vanished. After breakfast of tea, eggs and bread, +the ward work started. This lasted until about midday. Then came lunch, +accompanied by many flies, and afterwards a long siesta, during which +one wore the minimum of clothing. At four or five one dressed again, +after a bath, and took a look at the wards to see any bad cases. Then +the evening began, in which life became more possible. Dinner was +usually a cheerful meal. After dinner what to do was a great problem. +One just did nothing. During all this time everyone became thin. Any +sickness, even a slight attack of diarrhœa, brought down weight +rapidly. There was the case of a certain sergeant, whose immense girth +was<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[Pg 124]</a></span> much revered by the Arabs. One can understand, perhaps, how it +comes about that fatness is admired in the East. It is so rare. It is +much easier to be thin. The sergeant went into hospital for a few days. +When he came out he had lost his glory even as Samson was shorn of his +strength in a night. His clothes hung about him in huge folds. What had +taken him years to produce was lost in six days, and with it went the +respect of the Arabs. There is practically no fat in the country. There +was no dripping for puddings. The cattle were all lean.</p> + +<p>It is necessary to say a word about the Indian <i>personnel</i> attached to +the hospital. These were the water carriers, washers and sweepers. They +had been immensely pleased at the idea of leaving Basra. But at Amara, +where they found things little better, there was some lamentation. In +temperament they<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[Pg 125]</a></span> were mere children requiring a father. But of one +venerable and aged man I would like to record a few things. He was a +gaunt, tall, grey-bearded fellow as thin as a stick-insect, and he +performed the most menial of all services, being a sweeper by caste. But +what he did was done with passionate devotion. He had seen service in +France and spoke a few curious French words. Troops on active service in +France certainly are taught some strange phrases. All day he toiled with +his kerosene tins and brushes and when he had nothing to do he invented +something. He would, for instance, dust the palm trees outside the mess, +pausing always to salute even the shadow of an officer on the horizon in +a stiff cramped fashion, and then applying himself with silent zeal to +his remarkable task. He came one day in some grief and said that he had +heard<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[Pg 126]</a></span> that his daughter in his village in India was to have married a +certain man. He, the father, had contributed 100 rupees towards the cost +of the ceremony. The suitor had taken the money and then announced his +intention of marrying someone else. News of the fraud had reached the +venerable old man in Mesopotamia and caused him to tremble with wrath. +Could the great Sahib, who was his father and mother, write to the +Viceroy of India and demand justice? To which the great Sahib in +question, after considering the matter gravely, replied, "Write to the +pig who is the son of a pig and say to him that unless he marries thy +daughter before two moons have passed then will the Viceroy himself be +informed by a telegram which I myself will send, and justice shall be +served out in this evil matter." The joy of the old man was great and he +hastened<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[Pg 127]</a></span> away to get the letter written. Next day he was clattering his +tins and brushes with a devotion to duty that was as worthy of a medal +as many things in the war. I was told the marriage was now certain to +come off. Still, it seems a bad beginning to matrimony, and if a man is +a pig, and the son of a pig, his children will presumably also be pigs.</p> + +<p>There was an Arab theatre at Amara, and in September they produced a +play, in Arabic. It was based on a topical incident. No Arab was allowed +to go into camps, hospitals and so on, without a pass, and this was +amazing to the Oriental mind. The scene was a bare stage, lit by flares, +and an audience of bearded Arabs, Arab police and a few British officers +in the front row. On the stage sat a fat woman mournfully shaking a +tambourine, and between whiles going to sleep. Up the middle<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[Pg 128]</a></span> centre lay +a fat man, groaning. It was evident that he was playing a sick part. +Beside him lamented his wife, a dancing girl, squat-nosed and heavy +hipped. The low comedian entered. It is not in the interests of the +public to describe him too closely. Eventually he assumed the part of +physician. His treatment of the patient followed the plan of exorcising +a devil. He hit and kicked him, spat on him and jumped on him. There was +no improvement and the man died. The problem was now how to bury him. +The low comedian said he would attend to that and heaved the fat man on +his shoulders and went off to the cemetery. After an interminable pause +he reappeared still carrying the corpse. He dumped it on the ground and +made a gesture of despair. "It is no good," he said. "I cannot bury him. +I haven't got a pass!" This brought the house down and the fat<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[Pg 129]</a></span> woman +woke up and applied herself vigorously to the tambourine. At the theatre +at Basra, when European films were shown, the Arabs always laughed very +much at the amount of kissing that white folk indulged in. It seemed to +strike them as an extraordinary way of passing the time.</p> + +<p>Arab women are not beautiful. Their faces are aquiline, their cheek +bones high, and their lips coarse. Their figures are lithe and they walk +well, with a sinuous swagger. But there is a sharp, harsh tone about +them and one could imagine them very accomplished in bitter speeches. +Their eyes are their best feature, but they contain an expression that +is hard, restless and challenging. They mess themselves about with +henna. Some wear nose rings and all wear bangles that clash as they +walk. They were interested in the nurses and seemed for some obscure +reason<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[Pg 130]</a></span> mildly amused. As labourers they were employed in large numbers +carrying baskets of earth on their heads, or mixing mud and straw for +plastering purposes. At a comparatively early age they lose whatever +looks they possess and become most extraordinarily malevolent hags. The +Arab men, as they age, usually look rather fine and dignified. The young +Arab is not attractive. He looks heavy, sullen and sensual, and his +expression is full of greed and cunning.</p> + + + +<hr /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[Pg 131]</a></span></p> +<h3>X<br /> +<br /> +THE BATTLE OF THE BUND</h3> + + +<p><span class="smcap">It</span> was when the moon began to wane that the Arab marauders became +troublesome. Shots whizzed about the place at night, and one continually +heard the high pitched, nervous challenge of native sentries: "'Alt, who +goes da?" It was unwise to move about after dark without a lantern. In +peace time Amara is not free from this kind of trouble and an +interpreter remarked that just as much shooting used to go on then. It +was as well not to be absent-minded. One of the Sisters on her way back +from a ward at night was challenged, and thought it was some delirious +patient. She approached<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[Pg 132]</a></span> him resolutely and the click of a rifle brought +her to her senses. Towards the end of August the amount of looting +became serious. On the other side of the river was a big camp, where +troops were sent to refit and rest. Here the thieves played many cunning +tricks and there was some killing. They were adroit in stampeding horses +and in the confusion that followed making off with several. The sentries +were not allowed to load their rifles, as promiscuous firing was a +source of danger to the occupants of the tents, which were crowded +together on the plain. At times the looters slipped down the river in +boats, and it became necessary to stop all night traffic. Any craft seen +during the night was fired at from the bank.</p> + +<p>We had our own particular problem. The hospital lay exposed to the +plain. A bund, or mud wall, marked the outer boundary.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[Pg 133]</a></span> The native +sentries who were allotted to guard the place were insufficient in +number, as the area was considerable and thefts were constant. The +doctors and orderlies volunteered to do sentry duty, and one Arab was +shot and one wounded. This did not stop the stealing. Kit of every kind +disappeared. At times a man woke up to find an Arab calmly removing his +mosquito net, while another stood over him with a knife. It was a good +policy to remain motionless for a short time. It was better than +remaining motionless for ever. During the day time a large number of +Arab men and women were employed in the hospital area. There were about +fifty or so who sat all day under a matting shelter making mortar by +some mysterious process of hammering, singing their eternal nursery +rhymes that sound like "Ina Dina Dinah Do" over and over again. All<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[Pg 134]</a></span> +these Arabs were turned out of the compound before nightfall by the +local Arab police—picturesque fellows, who wore khaki uniforms and Arab +head cloths—but it is probable that they had something to do with the +thefts. They were certainly guilty of other thefts and on one occasion +the Indians, who had suffered severely as their tents lay nearest to the +plain, very nearly murdered an Arab whom they found with some crusts of +bread and some cooking utensils tied up in his clothing.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[Pg 135]</a></span></p> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/image143.jpg" width="600" height="372" alt="Walled Village on Banks of Tigris." title="" /> +<span class="caption">Walled Village on Banks of Tigris.</span> +</div> + +<p>It seems to be a common belief among some people that the R.A.M.C. +orderly is a man with nothing to do. It was an erroneous idea to hold in +Mesopotamia, and when we were informed that we could arrange our own +guards, there was some resentment. However, there was some chance of an +interesting<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[Pg 136]</a></span> time, so parties were organised to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[Pg 137]</a></span> watch along the bund. +On one occasion a show was arranged which might be termed the Grand +Battle of the Bund. It was a battle without casualties. A crowded mess +began the evening. Some naval men from a monitor lying alongside were +present, very keen on doing some strafing, as everyone was, where Arabs +were concerned. They related their own manner of dealing with such +things higher up the river—"Turned a machine-gun on their cattle and +annihilated the lot. That got the wind up them all right!" At +nine-thirty our party, composed of twenty officers, all the mess +waiters, and various other people—mostly victims of robbery—who +silently attached themselves, and also some crack shots from the A.B.'s +of the monitor, turned out somewhat noisily, all armed to the teeth with +rifles, shot guns, blue flares, revolvers and clubs and dispersed into +the surrounding gloom. The bund was about four hundred yards long, and +we lay at intervals of five yards or so, leaving a big gap at one end. +But strategy went by the board. The great idea was to strafe Arabs. +There was a murdered officer to avenge and some Tommies. The officer, by +the way, was killed on the other side of the water. To revenge him, his +brother officers turned out next night and lined the periphery of the +camp towards the plain. It is said that Arabs, knowing of this, landed +by boat behind them, crept into their deserted lines, looted everything +and departed. The tale may or may not be true.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[Pg 138]</a></span></p><p>That bund was remarkably uncomfortable. One lay against its sloping +side, scrambling to get a foothold and peering over the edge into the +dim regions beyond. It was a moonless night, but clear and brilliant +with stars.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[Pg 139]</a></span></p><p>The hours went slowly by. At last the Higher Command became weary and +ordered a flare to be fired, and everyone to shoot at anything he saw on +the plain. The flare was a prearranged signal for the monitor to turn on +the searchlight. The flare went off and burst high above us. In a moment +all was dark again. We waited for the searchlight to shine on the scene +from over the fringe of river-side palms. At last it came, ghostly, +fitful and strange, a sudden radiance in the dark plain, reaching far +out of the shadows on the horizon.</p> + +<p>There was a pause. Nothing resembling an Arab was to be seen. Firing +began in a desultory way, as a flat celebration of people determined to +do something. Then everyone went home leaving, no doubt, a dozen Arabs +chuckling in some nullah lower down.</p> + +<p>The looting continued. It culminated in<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[Pg 140]</a></span> our area in some big thefts +from the officers' tents. We had arranged patrols among ourselves. It is +eerie work. In the groves the shadows are thick and black. You crook +your finger round the trigger and wonder.... On the occasion of the Arab +raid on our quarters we had for the moment abandoned the patrols, partly +because it was at a time when, owing to sickness, there were few +officers fit for it, and partly because the moon was bright. One woke up +in the dawn light to find one's tent ransacked, and every bit of +clothing gone. Footprints in the dust at the head of the bed gave an +unpleasant sensation. It would have been little good waking in the +middle of the affair, although one slept with a revolver under the +sheet, when a watching Arab stood over one, knife in hand. After this +some strong action was taken and the Sheiks, as I have mentioned, were +fined. There was also a little affair of stern punishing round Nasireyah +that had a wholesome effect which spread as far as Amara. It is the only +way to deal with the Arabs of this generation.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[Pg 141]</a></span></p><p>Apart from looting, the great danger that continually threatened us was +fire. All the buildings were constructed of extremely inflammable +material. There was no fire apparatus, save buckets. The canvas of the +tents became so dry in the sun that a spark caused a conflagration. On +one occasion an officer's tent caught fire at night. A burst of flames +enveloped the canvas in a moment and the occupants, who were asleep, +barely escaped. It was impossible to remove the articles inside the +tent. Fortunately, the tent was in an isolated part, and only the +surrounding palm trees suffered. But if a fire had really started in the +main portion of the hospital, the whole<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[Pg 142]</a></span> place would have been gutted in +a twinkling. On one night a great glare arose from the river and it +seemed as if Amara was in flames. A series of tremendous explosions +followed. It was an ammunition barge somewhere in the stream that had +suddenly blazed up. It was towed away to a safer place, but if the +sparks that showered through the air had set fire to any house along the +Tigris front, the entire town might have been in ruins by the morning.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[Pg 143]</a></span></p> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/image151.jpg" width="600" height="414" alt="The Tigris near Kurna." title="" /> +<span class="caption">The Tigris near Kurna.</span> +</div> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[Pg 144]</a></span></p><p>During August scurvy was threatening the men at the front. Many Indians +went down with it. It is an unpleasant disorder. The gums looked as if +they were blown out like little pneumatic tyres. They were +reddish-purple, ulcerated, and the stench was oppressive. Hard, woodeny +swellings appeared on the legs, and the victim became very decrepit. One +of the main preoccupations in the wards was the differential diagnosis +between atypical malaria and typhoid fever, for the malaria that one +reads of in textbooks did not exist save exceptionally. A man had an +irregular temperature for days and it was often extremely difficult to +give a name to the cause. Fortunately one had the assistance of a +pathological laboratory, where blood could be examined and treated. In +general, the typhoid cases were consistently heavy and depressed, while +the malaria cases had spells of cheerfulness.</p> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[Pg 145]</a></span></p> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[Pg 146]</a></span></p><p>Life in the wards was not so bad for the patients. There was a certain +amount of literature—it was never abundant—and there was a gramophone. +There was also the occupation of killing flies with a fly-swotter, +playing card games and dominoes, grousing, yarning, sleeping and eating. +In the cool of the evening, the convalescents would line the river bank +and watch the convoys. There was bathing in the river. At times there +were rumours of sharks, for sharks go up river as high as Baghdad. It is +not possible to go far out in the stream unless one is a very powerful +swimmer. The current is very swift. Tortoises used to line the margin of +the river in the evening, with their heads sticking out above water, +while crowds of angry birds accused them from the wet mud of the shore. +Wild duck, partridge, snipe, sand-grouse and doves were fairly numerous, +and in the evenings it was possible to get a good bag. It was worth +shooting jackals, for their skins were in very good condition. The +hospital had a football ground and later on, towards the end of the hot +season, a tennis court was made with the aid of a mixture of mud and +straw. A cheery innovation was started shortly after the middle of the +year. Concert parties, organised in India from the talent of the Army, +came out and gave entertainments in the evening, and very good some of +them were.</p> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[Pg 147]</a></span></p> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[Pg 148]</a></span></p><p>An effort was made to further the interests of medical science, and the +Amara clinical society was started at which doctors met weekly and +discussed cases and diagnoses, and papers were read. There is, I think, +no better proof that, in its central core, medicine is an art, and not a +science, than the kind of discussion that goes on at medical meetings. +It exactly resembles the discussions that go on in political debating +societies. The monotony of life was interrupted at frequent intervals by +official inspections. Every General who passed up or down felt it +incumbent on him to visit the hospital. A crowd of lean men in khaki, +each with what looked like a large collection of stamps on his left +breast, a posse of Bengal Lancers, the warning note of the bugle, a +sudden cessation of scrubbing and dusting in the wards, the temporary +assumption of an intelligent air, of straps and leggings and tunics, a +few explanations or carefully veiled suggestions, some hearty laughs, a +popping of soda-water bottles in the mess, a receding cloud of dust on +the plain—and the inspection was over.</p> + +<p>One often wonders at this constant habit of official inspections, when +an unofficial inspection, made by an able man who strolled in +unannounced, would be so much more intelligent and valuable. It is +almost painful to witness the preparation that goes on before an +official visit. There is a suggestion of something archaic, something +inferior to the spirit of life, in the whole process; as if one were not +an actively employed hospital, up to the neck in honest work, but merely +a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[Pg 149]</a></span> passive model on a large scale, in which everything was always in +symmetrical rows, in which the patients were accustomed to be exactly +parallel to the edges of their beds, in which everyone preferred to +stand to attention if they could do so without dying. It was as if all +the rough strong machinery of the place never went at full speed, but +was carefully painted and polished until it looked like a musical box +without a soul or a purpose.</p> + +<p>These inspections were incessant and entirely suspended the work of the +hospital while they lasted. When they occurred in the morning, it was +necessary to hurry through the usual work, get everything cleaned up, +assume full uniform, take all books, papers and games from the patients, +and wait patiently for the arrival of the inspecting party. As often as +not a message would come<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[Pg 150]</a></span> after a long delay, to say that the inspection +would be postponed until a later hour.</p> + +<p>During September one of the native interpreters came into the venereal +tent as a patient. At the time it was under my care. There was, by the +way, very little venereal disease amongst the troops, though, of course, +the country is full of it. He was a little olive Jewish boy, alert in +manner, and muscular, and a good linguist. When war broke out he was +living in Baghdad, where he had learned French and English at one of the +Mission Schools there, for he was a Christian. When Turkey came in, he +fled from Baghdad with many others who wished to avoid conscription. He +travelled down the river to Basra. He described the journey as very bad, +with little food and a constant fear of being caught. On reaching Basra +he heard rumours of our coming expedition, but the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[Pg 151]</a></span> most extreme apathy +existed in the town. The Turks were indifferent, walking about smoking +cigarettes and "making the shoulders to rise a leetle" as they talked. +But they kept a watchful eye on the Arabs. When the Turks evacuated +Basra a panic ensued. He was living at the time in a merchant's house +and they barricaded the doors and windows and got out any weapons they +could find. The Arabs from the plains poured into the town and began to +loot. They looted the customs house in particular, and other official +places. He saw many street fights in the white dust under the glare of +the sun, but he said it was usually the Arab looters fighting amongst +themselves. Their fights would last a long time, the men circling round +one another with knives, or sniping from street corners. There was a +great deal of musket firing at night. This state of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[Pg 152]</a></span> lawlessness went on +for three days, and then we made our first appearance in the form of a +gun-boat that fired three rounds from one of her guns, "Not to hit +something, but to make a salaam." The barricaded ones felt more +comfortable. When the Sixth Division marched in he became smitten by the +general appearance of these veterans, and hearing that interpreters were +required, made an application and was accepted. He marched up with the +Division to Kut, and eventually on to Ctesiphon. "It was such a peety," +he remarked, "for we did all know perfectly well—for I had told +them—that the inhabitants of Baghdad would destroy us themselves." I +asked him what the city was like and if it was safe in peace times. "Oh, +it is all the same in the whole country," he said. "It is all unsafe +unless you theenk. You must always theenk a lot in this country,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[Pg 153]</a></span> and +not be in a hurry." At Ctesiphon he said that our troops, a division +strong, fought wonderfully and had beaten the Turks, who were far more +numerous, but a fresh division from Constantinople arrived in time to +alter the complexion of affairs. In the rout, he apparently managed to +crawl on to a steamer full of wounded. It stuck on the way down and was +surrounded by Arabs, who shouted from the darkness for them to +surrender. They had a machine-gun and got through. The Arabs, he said, +did not cause any trouble on our Lines of Communication until the +retreat began, and then they began work with enthusiasm. At Kut he went +through the siege. At the surrender he had the foresight to disguise +himself as an Arab. The Turks hanged a lot of interpreters. He escaped +and lay low, wondering how to get down the river. "The Turks did not +treat the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[Pg 154]</a></span> British soldiers very well. The officers, oh, yes. But the +men, no. There was leetle to eat." Two months later, when things were +quieter, he went to a party of Arabs who were going down the river and +made an offer. "I did not trust them, so I went to a Christian house and +left three pounds there, and then I gave them three pounds and told them +if I arrived safely I would write a letter and they could get the other +money when they came back." The Arabs, finding no way of doing him +in—after much thinking, I suppose—agreed and they set off. They went +down the Shatt-el-Hai way, to the Euphrates, and after a lot of trouble, +he got through to the British lines, where he resumed his duties as +interpreter.</p> + +<p>He was a curious mixture of daring and cowardice, like most of the +natives in Mesopotamia. He was very pleased with the hospital,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[Pg 155]</a></span> but +expressed a crafty sentiment. "You have too many hospitals," he said. +"The Turks do not have these hospitals, for then all their men would +become sick. It is nicer to be in a hospital than in a desert." This +thought brings to the memory an incident that occurred in one of the +wards. A new case was admitted, and next morning the doctor overhauled +him. He found nothing wrong. "Well, what is the matter with you?"</p> + +<p>"There ain't nothing the matter," was the reply. "You see it's like +this, sir. My pal Bill, in my platoon, he was out of 'orspital day +before yesterday, and he says: 'Ginger, me boy, if you want a nice bed +for ter sleep in, such as you've forgotten the sight of, you go into +'orspital.' So next day I reports myself sick, carrying on a lot and the +new doctor what joined us last week, 'e sends me straight 'ere. And they +washes<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[Pg 156]</a></span> me all over, and tucks me up between the sheets, and I've 'ad +the finest sleep since I came to this 'ere blooming country, sixteen +months ago. And I'd be obliged, sir, if you'd discharge me."</p> + +<p>A great many men suffered from bad teeth, and the suitable treatment of +their cases became a problem. In the ordinary establishment of a general +hospital, in the Army, there are about thirty medical officers, but no +provision is made for dentists. In Mesopotamia decay of the teeth was +rapid. Dentists in small numbers were sent from India. I hesitate to put +down the amount that one dentist told me he was making each month. We +had, for some time, only one dentist, and his waiting list was several +hundred cases, all requiring urgent attention. Some of the bad cases +became permanent base men—that is, they were attached for<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[Pg 157]</a></span> duty at the +base—and assisted in hospital work. If each hospital had had a dentist +attached to it as a matter of routine, and a couple of mechanics for +repairing dentures, receiving the same pay as a doctor, the problem of +teeth, which is always troublesome, would have been to a considerable +extent solved. I do not know why teeth decayed so rapidly. It may have +been due to incipient scurvy, or to the nature of the rations, or to the +general state of health, or it may have been caused by some septic +condition of the mouth, induced by the heat and dryness. Some young +fellows lost every tooth in their possession in a year. Hair suffered in +the same way, but to a lesser extent. Some exhaustion of the thyroid +gland may have been at the bottom of the trouble.</p> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[Pg 158]</a></span></p> + + +<hr /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[Pg 159]</a></span></p> +<h3>XI<br /> +<br /> +EDEN REVISITED</h3> + + +<p><span class="smcap">Towards</span> the end of October the weather became cooler, and in November +the nights were chilly. Sickness diminished rapidly. At this season +there is a kind of charm about Mesopotamia. Clouds begin to inhabit the +skies and the colour effects, especially those of dawn and sunset, are +lovely. It is a time intermediate between the season of heat and the +season of floods—a brief time, but one in which the country is at its +best. Mosquitoes and sand-flies vanish. A lovely bird, a deep blue and +russet, sings in the groves. The blue jay screams and darts through the +palm trees.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[Pg 160]</a></span> It is possible to understand how in the Eastern poets the +beauty of women is constantly compared with the moon. It is the only +thing to compare it to. In a country like Mesopotamia, with its entire +lack of scenery, the moon in all her phases is by far the most beautiful +thing that one sees. After the heat of the day, when the sun has seemed +a destroyer rather than a fructifier, the slender crescent rising over +the plain is like a girl dressed in silver. This poverty in nature must +perplex the Mesopotamian artist. The only objects that the native +jewellers etch into their silver work are Ezra's tomb, the native boat, +the jackal, the palm tree and the camel. And that is about all the +material the country yields. It is this simplicity that leaves only two +courses open to the inhabitants. They must either fall back upon their +senses and become sensualists<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[Pg 161]</a></span> or seek a higher path and become mystics.</p> + +<p>There is little love lost between the Indians and the Arabs. The Arabs +in Mesopotamia have long feared the incursion of India into their +country, for they knew that the Indian farmer under the British +engineers would make Mesopotamia blossom like a rose. The swiftness with +which seeds grow when properly watered is uncanny. We had a garden +attached to the mess and watered by a variety of people. The first +attempt was a failure owing to the absent-mindedness of the waterers, +each of whom, during an exceedingly hot spell, tacitly assumed that the +other man would do his duty. The second attempt was successful. Peas +straight out of packets and scattered in a long furrow rose from the +earth with a kind of ferocity, as if they hated the soil in which they +found themselves. There was<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[Pg 162]</a></span> one disadvantage in the produce of this +garden—its flavour was rather weak.</p> + +<p>Coming down the river at the end of the year the railway was a great new +feature of the country. Small tank engines were crawling over the plain +and all along the banks were piles of sleepers and gangs of Arabs. We +reached the entrance of the Narrows at dusk and anchored for the night. +It was a night that differed entirely from those we endured when going +up. There was a concert party on board, and a cavalry major who +possessed some tomato soup. That night the sky was superb with stars. +Taurus rose, with Aldebaran as red as fire; then Castor and Pollux calm +in their symmetry, with the Pleiades above like a shattered diamond. +Then glittering Orion slowly swung above the horizon. In the middle of +the night there was a crash of musketry, and a sudden uproar.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[Pg 163]</a></span> The major +appeared, speaking Hindustani very rapidly, his eyes closed. It appeared +that some Arabs had crept on to the barge next the shore and tried to +loot some mail bags. Quiet was soon restored. At dawn a crescent moon, +upholding Venus at her fairest, hung in the east, throwing a soft white +flame over the dark water.</p> + +<p>That night we reached Kurna and tied up alongside the Garden of Eden. It +was pitch black. A string of little Arab boys suddenly emerged from a +brightly illuminated door each with a sack and slipped on board. This +was the mail for Basra, from the dwellers in Eden. About nine a dim, +white-robed procession passed down the river-side with a lamp, a torch +and a beating drum and vanished into a building. A wedding was being +celebrated in the Garden of Eden. Next morning that bride of yesterday +might have<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[Pg 164]</a></span> cast her white veil over the scene. Through the clinging +mist the life of the little hamlet gradually became visible. A café +revealed itself, a collection of wooden settles in a small square, and +beyond a big dark doorway. A fat Arab in yellow appeared and gazed at +us. Then an old wizened fellow, a <i>haji</i> from his green turban showing +he had seen Mecca, came up and they conversed. Green Turban was plainly +lamenting. He pointed to our ship, to the telegraph-office, to a squad +of Gurkhas marching past wearing their ration baskets as hats, and threw +up his hands. The fat café proprietor shrugged his shoulders and pointed +to the bazaar. His argument was plain. Business was good and he was +content with the changes. Green Turban drew his robes closer round him, +shook his head and went off, a sad, gaunt figure on whose face was +stamped that expression<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[Pg 165]</a></span> which is common all the world over when new +wine and old bottles make contact. As he passed up the bank a barge load +of howitzers, their yellow muzzles gazing skywards, churned its way up +stream.</p> + +<p>The railway from Kurna to Amara was nearing completion towards the end +of November. It is possible for vessels of considerable size to traverse +the whole length of the Shatt-el-Arab up to its point of commencement at +Kurna. The railway, so long in coming, will make a great difference to +the troops in the country during the next hot season. For, with proper +lines of communication and with properly equipped buildings for the sick +and wounded, a great deal of the sufferings that were endured in the +early stages of the campaign will be entirely done away with.</p> + +<p>The major, a dreamy soul, while brooding<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[Pg 166]</a></span> over the golden brown plain on +our way down river, now and then sought to fathom the mystery of the +country's future. As we left Kurna and entered the fair, broad-bosomed +Shatt-el-Arab he suddenly swept his arm round the horizon. "All this +show of ours out here is nothing in itself," he said. "It's a beginning +of something that will materialise a hundred or two hundred or a +thousand years hence. We are the great irrigating nation and that's why +we're here now. We'll fix this land up and get it going and then far +ahead all the agricultural produce which we made possible will move the +wheels of a new humanity. Pray God, yes—a new humanity! One that +doesn't stuff itself silly with whisky and beef and beer and die of +apoplexy and high explosives."</p> + + + + +<p class="center"><br /><br /><br /><br /> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[Pg 167]</a></span>PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY<br /> +<span class="smcap">Richard Clay and Sons, Limited</span>,<br /> +BRUNSWICK STREET, STAMFORD STREET, S.E. 1,<br /> +AND BUNGAY, SUFFOLK.<br /> +</p> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of In Mesopotamia, by Martin Swayne + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK IN MESOPOTAMIA *** + +***** This file should be named 24893-h.htm or 24893-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/2/4/8/9/24893/ + +Produced by Greg Bergquist and The Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project +Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you +charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you +do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the +rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose +such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and +research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do +practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is +subject to the trademark license, especially commercial +redistribution. + + + +*** START: FULL LICENSE *** + +THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE +PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK + +To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free +distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work +(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project +Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project +Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at +https://gutenberg.org/license). + + +Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic works + +1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to +and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property +(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all +the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy +all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. +If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the +terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or +entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. + +1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be +used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who +agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few +things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works +even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See +paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement +and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. See paragraph 1.E below. + +1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" +or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the +collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an +individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are +located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from +copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative +works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg +are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project +Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by +freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of +this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with +the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by +keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project +Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. + +1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern +what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in +a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check +the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement +before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or +creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project +Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning +the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United +States. + +1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: + +1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate +access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently +whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the +phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project +Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, +copied or distributed: + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + +1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived +from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is +posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied +and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees +or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work +with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the +work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 +through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the +Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or +1.E.9. + +1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted +with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution +must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional +terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked +to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the +permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. + +1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this +work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. + +1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this +electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without +prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with +active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project +Gutenberg-tm License. + +1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, +compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any +word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or +distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than +"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version +posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), +you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a +copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon +request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other +form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. + +1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, +performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works +unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. + +1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing +access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided +that + +- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from + the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method + you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is + owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he + has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the + Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments + must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you + prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax + returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and + sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the + address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to + the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." + +- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies + you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he + does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm + License. You must require such a user to return or + destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium + and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of + Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any + money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the + electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days + of receipt of the work. + +- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free + distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set +forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from +both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael +Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the +Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. + +1.F. + +1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable +effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread +public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm +collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain +"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual +property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a +computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by +your equipment. + +1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right +of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project +Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all +liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal +fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT +LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE +PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE +TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE +LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR +INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH +DAMAGE. + +1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a +defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can +receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a +written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you +received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with +your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with +the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a +refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity +providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to +receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy +is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further +opportunities to fix the problem. + +1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth +in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO +WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. + +1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied +warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. +If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the +law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be +interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by +the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any +provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. + +1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the +trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone +providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance +with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, +promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, +harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, +that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do +or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm +work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any +Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. + + +Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm + +Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of +electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers +including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists +because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from +people in all walks of life. + +Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the +assistance they need, is critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's +goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will +remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure +and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. +To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation +and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 +and the Foundation web page at https://www.pglaf.org. + + +Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive +Foundation + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit +501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the +state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal +Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification +number is 64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at +https://pglaf.org/fundraising. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent +permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. + +The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. +Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered +throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at +809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email +business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact +information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official +page at https://pglaf.org + +For additional contact information: + Dr. Gregory B. Newby + Chief Executive and Director + gbnewby@pglaf.org + + +Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation + +Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide +spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of +increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be +freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest +array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations +($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt +status with the IRS. + +The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating +charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United +States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a +considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up +with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations +where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To +SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any +particular state visit https://pglaf.org + +While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we +have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition +against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who +approach us with offers to donate. + +International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make +any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from +outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. + +Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation +methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other +ways including including checks, online payments and credit card +donations. To donate, please visit: https://pglaf.org/donate + + +Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. + +Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm +concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared +with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project +Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. + + +Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. +unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + + +Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: + + https://www.gutenberg.org + +This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, +including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to +subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. + + +</pre> + +</body> +</html> |