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diff --git a/39463.txt b/39463.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..cdf17a5 --- /dev/null +++ b/39463.txt @@ -0,0 +1,9148 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Behind the Veil in Persia and Turkish Arabia, by +M. E. Hume-Griffith and A. Hume-Griffith + +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: Behind the Veil in Persia and Turkish Arabia + An account of an Englishwoman's Eight Years' Residence + amongst the Women of the East + +Author: M. E. Hume-Griffith + A. Hume-Griffith + +Release Date: April 16, 2012 [EBook #39463] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BEHIND THE VEIL IN PERSIA *** + + + + +Produced by Jeroen Hellingman and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net/ for Project +Gutenberg (This file was produced from images generously +made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) + + + + + + + + + BEHIND THE VEIL IN PERSIA AND TURKISH ARABIA + + An Account of an Englishwoman's Eight Years' Residence Amongst the + Women of the East + + By + M. E. HUME-GRIFFITH + + With Narratives of Experiences in Both Countries + By + A. Hume-Griffith, M.D., D.P.H. + + With 37 Illustrations and a Map + + + Philadelphia + J. B. Lippincott Company + London: Seeley & Co. Ltd. + + 1909 + + + + + + + + I DEDICATE + THIS BOOK + TO + MY HUSBAND + IN LOVING REMEMBRANCE OF + EIGHT HAPPY YEARS + 1900-1908 + + + + + + + +PREFACE + + +I have endeavoured in this book to give some account of that inner life +of the East of which a traveller, however keen-sighted and intelligent, +seldom gains more than a passing glimpse. In a residence of eight years +in Persia and Turkish Arabia I have become intimate with a large circle +of friends whose life is passed behind the veil, and as the wife of +a medical missionary I have had unusual opportunities of winning +their confidence and becoming acquainted with their thoughts. Of +direct missionary effort I have said very little, but I hope that +the picture I have given may arouse interest in lives spent amongst +surroundings so different from our own. + +It is impossible for any one, however unversed in politics, who has +lived so long in Mesopotamia, not to be deeply interested in the future +of the country. While all Europe has been filled with astonishment at +the bloodless revolution in Turkey, we who have become familiar with +its inner life are touched with a feeling of admiration and something +akin to awe. Whatever misgivings there may be as to the permanence +of this reformation we hope and trust that it will endure. + +Of one imminent change the effect is likely to be far-reaching. The +new government has secured the services of Sir William Wilcox as +their adviser in great irrigation schemes. Irrigation in Mesopotamia +will change the whole face of the country; vast stretches of desert +will be transformed into a garden, ruined villages will be restored, +a new kingdom may be born, and Babylon possibly rebuilt. Mosul, +practically on the site of ancient Nineveh, will become easy of +access from Europe by means of the Baghdad railway and the restored +navigation of the Tigris. Its waste places may be filled with corn, +and the city be crowned once more with some of its ancient glory. + +I should like to take this opportunity of thanking all those who +have kindly allowed me to use their photographs, amongst them the +Rev. C. H. Stileman, Dr. Saati of Mosul, and the Publishing Department +of the Church Missionary Society. + +I am indebted to Professor Brown's valuable book entitled "A Year +amongst the Persians" for information on the Babi religion, and to +Sir A. H. Layard's classical work on the excavations of Nineveh, +which I have frequently had occasion to consult. + + +M. E. H.-G. + + + + + + + +CONTENTS + + + +Part I + + +Chapter I + +Early Impressions + Page + + Start for Persia--Arrival at Isphahan--Departure for + Kerman--The Land of the Lion and the Sun--A rainy day and its + effects--Eclipse--Locusts--Sand-storms--Land of cats--Modes of + conveyance--Inhabitants 17 + + +Chapter II + +Kerman + + Short history of Kerman--Its overthrow--City of beggars--Story + of the fort--The jackal's "tale of woe" 30 + + +Chapter III + +Persian Industries + + Carpet-making--How to tell a good carpet--How + to make a carpet--The cry of the children--Shawl + manufactures--Calico-printing--Brass-work--Agricultural + industries--Water disputes--Kanats--Poppy crops--Wheat and + corn--Tobacco-growing 40 + + +Chapter IV + +The Climate of Persia + + Resht, Teheran, Isphahan--Dryness of atmosphere--Cellars--Roof + life--Children attacked by jackals--Chequered history of work in + Kerman 50 + + +Chapter V + +Holidays in Persia + + How to ensure a prosperous journey--Natanz--Astonishment of natives + at sight of hairpins--Pulivagoon--Mahoon--Aliabad--Prince under + canvas--Visit from a Persian princess--A Persian deer hunt 59 + + +Chapter VI + +Social Life in Persia + + Kerman--House-hunting and building--White ants--Housekeeping + in Kerman--Servant question--Truth v. falsehood--Abdul + Fateh--Bagi--Recreations--Some exciting rides--Persian + etiquette--Dinner at the governor's 71 + + +Chapter VII + +The Women of Persia + + Home Life--Anderoon, women's quarters--Jealousy in + the anderoon--Anderoon of Khan Baba Khan--Two days in an + anderoon--H.R.H. Princess Hamadane Sultane--Visit to the anderoon + of H.R.H. the Zil-es-Sultan 84 + + +Chapter VIII + +More About Persian Women + + Costumes--Wedding festivities--Wedding dinner--Kindness of Persian + husbands--Story of brutality--Divorce--Aids to beauty--Degradation + and cruelty of women 95 + + +Chapter IX + +Some Points in the Moslem Faith + + Fasts and feasts--Seyyids, Dervishes, Mullahs--Legends of the + drowning mullah, and the yard-square hole 106 + + +Chapter X + +Other Religious Sects + + The Bab and Babism--Short sketch of life of the Bab--His + imprisonment and execution--Parsees, or Zoroastrians--Persecutions + of Parsees in seventh century--Sacred writings of Parsees, + Zendavesta--Fire-worshipping--Fire temples--Holy fire--Parsee + wedding--Costume of women--Death customs--Burial customs 116 + + +Chapter XI + +Desert Delights + + Songs of the desert--Sunsets, sunrises, mirages--Illness in the + desert--Mehman khanehs, caravanserais--Chappa khanehs--Lost in + the desert--Its cruelties and sadness 130 + + +Chapter XII + +Persian Medical Missions + + The need of them--Work in Isphahan--The "little devil" transformed + into a boy--Amputation--Brothers in adversity--H.R.H. Zil-es-Sultan + as a patient--Fanaticism overcome 140 + + +Chapter XIII + +Pioneer Medical Mission Work in Kerman + + Waiting for drugs and instruments--Native assistant proves + a broken reed--First operation in Kerman--An anxious + moment--Success--Doctrine of "savab" convenient to the + Moslem--Fanaticism tempered with prudence--Opium slaves--Persian + therapeutics--Persian quacks and their methods--Sure way of curing + cancer--Hysteria 151 + + +Chapter XIV + +Medical Mission Work in Yezd + + A hospital--A friendly governor--A suspicious + case--Superstition--The opium habit--A case of cataract--We return + to England 164 + + + + +Part II + + +Chapter I + +The City of Nineveh + + The fast of Jonah--The bridge of boats--Traditions as + to ancient history of Mosul--Elkos, birthplace of Nahum + the prophet--Shurgat--Climate of Mosul--Cultivation and + industries--Importance of Mosul 173 + + +Chapter II + +The People of Mosul + + Population--Moslems--Christians--Chaldeans--Nestorians--Jacobites + --Arabs--Kurds--Jews--Yezidees--Recreations--Warfare + of the slingers--Hammam Ali--The recreation ground of Mosul men + and women 186 + + +Chapter III + +The River Tigris + + Ancient historical interest--Garden of Eden--Origin of name + unknown--Swiftness--Sources--Navigation--Keleqs--Bathing, fishing, + washing--Crossing rivers 198 + + +Chapter IV + +The Children of Mosul + + Spoiling process--Despair of the parents--The "god" of the + hareem--Death by burning--Festivities at birth of boy--Cradles + and cradle songs--School life--Feast in honour of a boy having + read the Koran through--"Only a girl"--Girl life--Girl victims + of Naseeb--Marriage 208 + + +Chapter V + +The Moslem Women of Mosul + + Beauty behind the veil--Types of beauty--My dear old friend of 110 + years of age--Aids to beauty described--Pretty children--Beauty + tainted with sin--Imprisonment of women--Peeps into some + hareems--Warm receptions--A visit from the ladies of a select + hareem--Love the magic key to open hearts 219 + + +Chapter VI + +Moslem Family Life + + No home life--Women equal with the beasts--Evils + of divorce--Naseeb--The will of God--Truth and + falsehood--Honesty prevalent--A thief caught--Swearing and + anti-swearing--Fighting--Hair-tearing and biting--Hammam, the + ladies' club 231 + + +Chapter VII + +Customs of Mosul + + Wedding ceremonies--Great expense to parents--Method of + procedure--Funeral customs--Customs at birth--Some other customs + 244 + + +Chapter VIII + +Dreams and Visions + + Ezekiel's vision by the river Chebar--Our vision by the river + Khabour--Rivers identical--"A wheel within a wheel"--Babylonish + emblem of divinity--Origin of the cherubim--Dream of a woman + suffering from cataract--Effect of dream on her character--Watch + and chain recovered by means of a "faked" dream--Illustration + of the doctrine of Kismet or Naseeb--"Ghosts" in our + compound--Atmosphere of ghosts bad for fowls 257 + + +Chapter IX + +Manners and Superstitions in Mosul + + Characteristics of inhabitants of Mosul--Social habits--Love of + drink--An effectual cure--Gambling--Tel Kaif: a story of Uncle + Goro--The Angel of Death, and other titles--Difficulties over + name and age--Some superstitions--Effect of scent on women--Birds + of good omen--Thieves--Sheep-killing--Sheikh Matti--An angel's + visit--Medical superstitions--Cure for hydrophobia 269 + + +Chapter X + +The Yezidees + + Gratitude to the English--Persecutions--"Devil-worshippers"--Sun + and fire worship--Priesthood--A visit to Sheikh Adi--Peacock + wands--A sacred shrine 284 + + +Chapter XI + +Travelling in the Desert + + Monotony of desert travelling--A puppy and a kitten + tragedy--Accident by the river Euphrates--Riots in Mosul--Robberies + and murder excited by love of gold 294 + + +Chapter XII + +The Pleasures of Desert Travelling + + Desert blossoms as a rose--Flowers of the desert--Arabs, their + occupation and women--Arab dancing--Robbers of the desert--An + army of 10,000--Five hundred armed men--False alarms--Lost in + the desert--Delights and disturbances of travelling 307 + + +Chapter XIII + +Pioneer Medical Mission Work in Mosul (Nineveh) + + Winning the confidence of the people--Native surgery--Difficulties + to be overcome--Backward patients--Encouraging work--Prevalent + diseases--Lunatics--Possible future of Mesopotamia 317 + + + + + + + +LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS + + + Page + The Author and her Husband in Bakhtian Costume Frontispiece + Persian Conveyances 26 + A Halt for Lunch 26 + A Novel Drying Ground 46 + Persian Mode of Irrigation 46 + A "Chimney" of Yezd 54 + A Korsi Or Heating Contrivance 54 + House-building in Persia 72 + Persian Shops 72 + Scene from the Roof of our House at Kerman 76 + A Street in Kerman 76 + The Mosque Gate, City of Kerman 86 + A Mountain Pass 132 + A Caravanserai 132 + A Very Ancient Bridge 142 + A Typical Street in Baghdad 142 + Using the X Rays in Julfa Hospital 148 + A Ward in the Julfa Hospital 148 + Opium Making 158 + The Rich Beggar 158 + Types of Persian Jews 166 + The Water Square 166 + Our Home in Nineveh 174 + A Bridge of Boats 176 + The Bridge of Boats Over the Frozen Tigris 180 + A Picnic Party 188 + Mutrar Paulus, Syrian Roman Catholic Bishop 192 + Dr. Hume-Griffith's Study in Mosul 210 + Our Drawing-room in Julfa 210 + A Group of Persian Girls 216 + The Camera in Mosul 222 + Tired of Play at a Picnic 222 + An Itinerant Cook preparing Kabobs 224 + Bread-making 240 + A Mosul Bride 246 + A Wonderful Vision 259 + Travelling in Winter 296 + + + + + + + +PART I + + + "So, after the sore torments of the route, + Toothache and headache, and the ache of mind, + And huddled sleep and smarting wakefulness, + And night and day, and hunger sick at food, + And twenty-fold relays, and packages + To be unlocked, and passports to be found, + And heavy well-kept landscape--we are glad + Because we entered (Persia) in the Sun." + + D. G. Rossetti. + + + + + + + +BEHIND THE VEIL IN PERSIA AND TURKISH ARABIA + +CHAPTER I + +EARLY IMPRESSIONS + + Start for Persia--Arrival at Isphahan--Departure for + Kerman--The Land of the Lion and the Sun--A rainy day and its + effects--Eclipse--Locusts--Sand-storms--Land of cats--Modes of + conveyance--Inhabitants. + + + "'Tis the sight of a lifetime to behold + The great shorn sun as you see it now + Across eight miles of undulant gold + That widens landward, weltered and rolled + With patches of shadow and crimson stains." + + Lowell. + + + "Shadow maker, shadow slayer, arrowing light from clime to clime." + + Lord Tennyson. + + +Our life in Persia extended over a period of three years, dating from +the spring of 1900 to that of 1903. + +It was with great joy I heard the news, early in February of 1900, +that my husband had been appointed by the Church Missionary Society +to open medical work in Kerman, and that we were to start almost at +once. Within a month we were married, had bought our outfit, bid +sorrowful farewells to our relations and friends, and started for +the romantic land of Persia. From London to Isphahan took us just +nine weeks, as we were delayed by illness for some weeks both in +Russia and in the Persian Desert. However, on 9th May we entered the +beautiful city of Isphahan, to find a warm welcome awaiting us from +friends there. This place will always have a very warm corner in my +heart, for it was there we made our first home. The doctor in charge +of the work at Julfa (the Christian quarter of Isphahan) having left +on furlough, my husband was asked to remain there till his return, +which he accordingly did. It was not till the following spring that +we left for Kerman. Thus our first impressions of this land of light +and darkness were gathered from Isphahan and its neighbourhood. There +is no after time so full of interest to those who live abroad as the +first year spent in a new life and country, gleaning fresh ideas, +seeing new sights, gaining experiences often dearly bought, but which +must be purchased ere the newcomer can settle down to life in the +East with any comfort or peace of mind. + +The native servants love to obtain posts with fresh comers, knowing +that for the first few months, at any rate, they will have an +exceedingly good time, being able to make a huge medaqal (profit) +from the unsuspecting Feringhi. I sigh to think of the many ways in +which we were cheated those first few months of our life in Persia, +but no one breathed a word to us, realising that our eyes would be +opened only too soon, and that experience was the most effectual +teacher. It is a strange fact that all housekeepers new to the land +think their servants are perfect till they find out, perhaps when +too late, their foolish delusion. + +From the very first my heart went out in affection to the dear Moslem +women, and now, after eight years spent amongst them, I can truly +say that my love has deepened, and my sympathies become enlarged, +for these charming but, alas, too often unhappy followers of Mohammed. + +Our knowledge of Persia extends especially to three cities, in each of +which we spent a year. Isphahan, as we have seen, was our first home, +then came a year at Kerman, a distance of some 500 miles separating +the two cities. Finally we spent a very happy year at Yezd, that +City of Sand, situated midway between Isphahan and Kerman. Of each +of these cities we shall hear more in other chapters. + +Persia has well been called the Land of the Lion and the Sun. Certainly +the latter name is well deserved, for the sun is almost always shining, +and without the brilliant sunshine we should hardly recognise it as +the land of Persia. + +The symbol of the Lion and the Sun originated in the days when the +Zoroastrians were the inhabitants of the land. The Sun, being the +emblem of the Fire Worshippers, was taken as their national badge. The +Lion was added later because Ali, the grandson of Mohammed, was called +"The Lion of God." The woman's face in the Sun was inserted some years +later by one of the Persian kings as a tribute to his favourite wife. + +The sunshine of Persia forms one of its greatest attractions. Even in +winter the dull, cloudy days are few and far between. When by chance +a rainy day does come, the people are so surprised and taken aback +that they seem paralysed for the time being, and are unable to go +about their usual business. + +The remembrance of our first experience of a rainy day still lingers +in my memory. We had awakened one morning much later than usual to +find the sky clouded over and the rain coming down in torrents. I was +surprised to find that we had not been called as usual, but imagined +the servants had forgotten to do so. Upon entering the dining-room, +what was my surprise to find no preparations for a meal. Calling the +servant, I asked him why breakfast was not ready. At this he seemed +quite hurt, as he answered, "But, Khanum (lady), it is raining!" This +fact was to his mind quite sufficient reason for everything. As long +as the rain lasted the servants could be prevailed upon to do nothing +except crouch over the fire and shiver! The moment the rain ceased +and the sun once more shone out they resumed their normal state. + +This constant sunshine is a great boon to the beggars and poor, helping +to make life endurable for them; they need very little clothing, +as a rule, to enable them to keep warm. So long as they can lie and +bask in the sunshine, picking up bread enough to sustain life, they +trouble very little about working or earning money. + +There is only one place where there is very little sunshine, and that +is in the hearts and lives of the people. Especially, perhaps, is this +true in the case of the women of the land, as we shall see presently. + +A Persian gentleman once visited England, and on his return to his +native country was questioned by his friends as to which was the +better land to live in. His reply was to the effect that in England +the houses were grander, the scenery more beautiful, but that there +was no sunshine! This lack, to his mind, far outweighed all the other +advantages which might belong to England, and his friends decided that, +after all, Persia was the better country to live in. + +When there happens to be a cloudy day or night in summer, the result +is anything but cooling, for the air becomes terribly oppressive, +it is almost impossible to breathe, and during the night it is quite +useless to think of or hope for sleep till the clouds have rolled away. + +The natives are very much alarmed when an eclipse of the sun +takes place, as they are afraid they are going to lose their +benefactor. Once, while we were in Yezd, the sun was eclipsed. Suddenly +hundreds of guns and cannons were fired off from all parts of +the town. We ran out to see what had happened, and were met by our +frightened servants carrying their guns, who told us that an enormous +fish was trying to swallow the sun, and that they hoped, by making a +terrific noise, to frighten it away! Great was their joy and relief +when the shadow began to pass from the sun. + +Sand-storms are terrible trials in Persia. Quite suddenly, without +any warning, the light disappears, clouds upon clouds of dust come +rushing in. Before you have time to shut all the doors and windows, +everything in the house is covered with a fine white dust. Sand-storms +are disagreeable and trying to the patience when they find you in +the house, but when you are caught in a heavy sand-storm out in the +desert, it is often a source of great danger. If riding, the only +possible thing to do is to dismount, cover your head and face as well +as possible, turn your back to the storm, and hope for the best. + +At other times the light is obliterated in the daytime by a swarm of +locusts passing overhead. Till I saw this myself I could hardly believe +it was possible for these little insects to obscure the light of the +sun as they did. One day in Kerman we were just ready to set off for +a ride, when suddenly the light vanished, and I thought a fearful +thunderstorm was about to burst upon us. On looking up we saw what +appeared to be a huge black cloud hovering overhead: presently this +descended and resolved itself into myriads of flying insects. As some +fell to the earth we found them to be locusts from two to three inches +long. The natives were dreadfully alarmed lest they should settle on +their fields, as it was springtime, and the ground was already green +with promise of harvest. Had the locusts settled, it would have meant +ruin and starvation to many. Fortunately, they passed over that time. + +We have seen that Persia is a land of sunshine, we must not forget +that it is also a land of cats. + +I was amused the other day to see how differently two people can see +the same thing. In the course of a conversation with a friend who was +for some years in Persia, I asked him if he did not admire the Persian +cats very much. "Never saw one," was his answer, and he maintained +that the whole time he was in Persia he never saw a long-haired +cat. My experience was quite the reverse, for I hardly remember ever +seeing an ordinary short-haired one during the three years we were in +Persia. We had some beautiful white ones, but they were very delicate, +and generally came to an untimely end. We tried to take one to Kerman, +but it met with a sad death when only half way there. + +Cats are exported on quite a large scale to India and other +places. They are taken to the coast by horse-dealers, who tether them +in much the same way as they do their horses. + +One of the late Shahs is said to have been very devoted to cats, +and always took one with him when he travelled, a special baggage +animal being reserved for the cage of this favourite pet. + +There are many ways of journeying in Persia, and the would-be +traveller can take his choice according to his own ideas of comfort +and convenience. To my mind the most pleasant way of all is to have +your own horses for riding, and thus be able to set your own pace and +not have to be bound down to the slow, wearying, never-changing rate +of the caravan. + +For those who do not care for, or are not strong enough for riding, +there are many conveyances. Here, again, the traveller has quite a +large choice of good things. First of all there is the "kajavah." This +consists of two cage-like boxes, suspended one on each side of the +animal: the interior of these boxes sometimes boasts of a little +low seat, but as a rule is innocent of any such luxury. Two people +of about the same weight must sit on each side, or the result is +disastrous. I remember once being with a large caravan. In one of +these kajavahs was travelling a Government official and his wife. He +was very tiny, she was quite the reverse, the result being that the +little man was generally up in the air while the opposite side of the +kajavah was weighed down nearly to the ground. They tried all manner +of experiments in their endeavour to strike the balance, gathering +stones and depositing them in the lighter side, tying bags of fuel, +&c., to the outside of the kajavah, but all of no avail. At last, +in disgust and anger, the woman jumped out without giving her husband +any warning: the result to onlookers was ludicrous! The wife refused +all that day again to enter the kajavah, preferring to walk, till +one of the muleteers offered her a seat on the top of one of the +baggage mules. The little man was soon balanced with stones picked +up by the wayside, and travelled for the rest of that day in peace +and comfort. At the end of the stage, however, his wife would not +speak to him or cook his dinner for him! and the man (who was quite +the reverse of an ordinary Moslem man) came to one of my husband's +assistants, begging him to act as mediator. In this case the man and +woman seem to have exchanged places as regards character, the wife +being decidedly the master, and he, poor man, looked as if he hardly +dared call his soul his own. Even amongst Moslems there doubtless +are some strong-minded women. + +I have travelled many miles in one of these kajavahs, finding them +very comfortable and restful, after riding for hours. My husband had a +pair specially made for me, with seats inside, and nicely cushioned: +these always went with us on our journeys in Persia, so that, when +I tired of riding, I could rest awhile. While I was not using them +our servants had to take my place, a favour they did not always +appreciate. When travelling by night, I have slept for hours at a +stretch in one of these kajavahs, the steady measured walk of the +mule favouring slumber. Sometimes, however, the monotony is broken +by the mule suddenly dropping on to its front knees, and you find +yourself deposited on the ground, shot out like an arrow from its bow. + +If this form of conveyance does not appeal to the traveller then there +is the "takhtiravan." This is a most luxurious mode of conveyance, and +is, as a rule, only used by invalids or high-class Moslem ladies. It +consists of a box, with doors and windows, measuring about six or seven +feet by four in length and five in height. The top is covered with +heavy felt or some material which will keep out the sun or the rain, +according to which season of the year you are travelling in. Inside +is placed a mattress with plenty of cushions: the whole is built +on shafts which are slung between two mules, one in front and one +behind. The motion is rather like that of a rolling ship, and, unless +the occupant is a good sailor, the experience is not always a pleasant +one. I once travelled for a week in one of these conveyances, and on +arriving at our destination found my back was a mass of bruises. The +takhtiravan is very good for night travelling, as you can lie flat +down and sleep, provided the animals keep in step and the road is +good. On an uneven road the sensation is not too comfortable. + +We once had a never-to-be-forgotten week of torture in a springless +wagon; it really was too terrible. Oh, the jolting, the jarring, +and the bone shaking! Each day the misery increased, till every bone +in our bodies was bruised and aching, and every nerve racked to its +utmost. I should not recommend this mode of conveyance to any one +contemplating a journey in Persia. When we first went to the Land of +the Lion and the Sun, carriages were very scarce and very expensive +south of Teheran. Now they are becoming much more generally used, +at any rate as far as Isphahan. When we left Kerman in 1902 we drove +to Yezd in a carriage kindly lent to us by one of the Kerman native +gentlemen. Albeit the wheels came off occasionally and various other +accidents took place, still it was a very luxurious way of travelling, +comparatively speaking. Then, when we finally left Persia in 1903, +we drove from Isphahan to Teheran in a private carriage belonging to +a friend who lent it to us for the journey; so that I fully expect +by now that travelling by carriage has become quite the ordinary mode +of journeying in Persia. + +The last part of that drive into Teheran has left a vivid remembrance +on my mind. It was a Saturday, and we were very desirous of reaching +Teheran that night, otherwise it meant spending Sunday at a village +near the city, as we did not like travelling on that day. So we +determined to push on at all costs. To add to our difficulties it began +to pour with rain soon after starting in the morning, and continued +a steady drench the whole day. Long before we reached the end of our +stage we were both wet through to the skin. Sunset found us still some +twenty miles out of Teheran, and, the horses beginning to show signs of +fatigue, we perforce had to rest them for a while. When we were within +five miles or so of the city, we found the road all flooded, and it +was difficult to know where the road ended and the ditch began which +ran parallel to the road on both sides. It was by then pitch dark, so +there was nothing to be done but let the horses take their own way, +hoping their instincts would lead them and us safely. All went well +till we were within sight of the lights of Teheran, when suddenly smash +went the carriage, and down fell the horses into a deep ditch. One poor +horse (our own, which we were taking to Teheran to sell) never moved, +and we thought he was dead. I jumped down from the dogcart and landed +in the ditch nearly up to my waist in water! The lamps had gone out, +and we were in total darkness. We called and called for help but no +one came, so my husband and I walked on a little to see if we could +find any one to help, leaving the horses and carriage in charge of +the driver, who was half beside himself with fear. + +Presently we came across a little wayside coffee-house, and found +some men who were willing to go and help extricate the poor horses +from their dangerous position, while we walked on to the gate of +the city and waited in the porter's lodge. After about an hour the +carriage came along, the horses looking none the worse for their +escapade. Our kind friends of the American Mission were waiting up, +and had prepared hot baths and hot drinks for us, knowing that if we +did arrive that night at all we should be in a terrible plight. Thanks +to their kindness and thoughtfulness, we suffered no harm from our +damp and adventurous drive. + +The inhabitants of Persia are: Moslems, the Persians of to-day; +Zoroastrians (Parsees), the Persians of yesterday; Armenians, and +Jews. Of the two former I will not speak now, as we shall make their +acquaintance a little later. A few words will suffice for Armenians +and Jews. The former were brought from Julfa in Armenia many years ago +by some former Shah on account of their industry and workmanship. He +gave them a suburb of Isphahan to live in, and very soon a large +Armenian settlement sprang up. Julfa of Persia is about three miles +from Isphahan. Here all the Armenians live, and until quite lately +the Europeans also, as it was not considered safe for them to reside +in Isphahan. However, of late years this is all changed, most of the +Europeans now having houses in Isphahan. + +The Armenians are very clever workmen in all crafts and trades. Also to +their shame be it said that they are the wine and spirit makers for the +Isphahanis. A true Moslem is not allowed to make or drink wine. Thanks +to the Armenians, however, the temptation is ever at hand ready for +him, with plenty of opportunities afforded him of indulging in secret. + +The Armenians make very good assistants for hospital work, some +of them turning out quite good doctors. One young fellow was with +my husband for two years. After we left he went to India, where he +took a medical course, and is now a fully qualified doctor practising +in India. They have plenty of "push" in them, and once they make up +their minds to get on, no obstacle is too great for them to overcome. + +The Jews of Persia are a miserably poor, degraded class of +people. Their lot is a very hard one; despised and oppressed by the +Moslems, hated and cursed by all, their life is not enviable. They +are to be found everywhere, in Isphahan, Yezd, Kerman, and many other +cities. My heart often ached for these poor, wretched people as they +flocked to the dispensaries. Fortunately for them, there is a Mission +amongst the Jews in Persia which helps in no small way to brighten +the lives of the poor, downtrodden people. + +We have taken a fleeting glance at the Land of the Lion and the Sun; +we must now try and become more intimately acquainted with some of +its towns and their inhabitants. + + + + + + + +CHAPTER II + +KERMAN + + Short history of Kerman--Its overthrow--City of beggars--Story + of the fort--The jackal's "tale of woe." + + + "A little red worm--the gard'ner's special dread." + + V. Fane. + + +The first view we had of Kerman was a very picturesque one. We had +been travelling for about twenty days, and on Easter Eve reached a +lovely garden some four or five hours' ride from Kerman, and here we +decided to stay for Easter Day. Early on Monday morning we started +for the last stage of our journey. Just as the sun was rising we +came to the top of a hill, and there away in the distance lay the +city of Kerman, the city towards which our hopes and thoughts had +been tending for so long, as it was the goal to which we had been +pressing for the past twelve months, and which we fondly hoped was +to have been our home for many years; but God ordered otherwise. + +Kerman is a very interesting old city, having passed through many +vicissitudes and seen many changes during its varied and chequered +history. It is also a very pretty place, especially as seen from a +short distance, surrounded on three sides by the eternal mountains, +with their ever-changing shades and shadows, and forming a magnificent +background to the city nestling at their feet. On the fourth side +the desert stretches away to Yezd and Isphahan. + +Kerman is said to have derived its name from a Persian word Kerm, +meaning a worm, and the legend connected with it is as follows. The +princess who founded the city was one day walking with her followers +over the site of the future town, and plucked an apple from a tree: +upon eating it she found to her disgust and annoyance a worm at +its core. As she threw it away in anger, she declared that the new +city should be called Kerm-an, a worm. Kerman is certainly a very +ancient city: the inhabitants claim that it was a large town in the +time of Solomon. Whether this is so I do not know. The first time it +is mentioned in history is by Herodotus. Alexander is said to have +marched his army through Kerman on his way to India, and Cyrus passed +that way on his return from India. Perhaps few places have suffered +more at the hands of invaders than Kerman. It has been sacked at least +six times, and in 1794 the city was almost entirely destroyed by Agha +Mohammed Khan. The city was bravely defended by the prince-governor, +who was one of the last of the Zend dynasty; he sustained a long +and severe siege, till two-thirds of his troops had perished from +starvation, and then the city was betrayed treacherously into the +hands of the enemy and its brave defenders obliged to flee, only to +meet with a cruel death some two years later from the hands of the +same oppressor. This incarnation of cruelty, Agha Mohammed Khan, gave +the city over to the will of his soldiers, who resembled their leader +in cruelty and barbarity. There was no compassion in his heart, and he +would listen to none of the entreaties of the unfortunate inhabitants +for mercy, nor would he withdraw his troops from the city till he had +received a gift of twenty thousand pairs of human eyes. When these +were brought to him, he insisted on counting them over himself to +see if the number was correct, and is reported to have said to the +trembling man who carried the baskets piled high with these awful +trophies: "It is a good thing the number is correct; if it had not +been, your eyes would have gone to make up the exact number." The +city never recovered from this terrible blow, and to-day Kerman is +a byword among Persians for its poverty and extraordinary number of +beggars. If you were to ride through the bazaars you would be struck +by the tremendous number of beggars, all holding out their hands, +beseeching you for the love of God to give them a copper. + +There is a quaint saying among the beggars which one hears very often; +it is as follows:-- + + + "Khuda guft, 'Beddeh,' + Shaitan guft, 'Neddeh'" + + +(God says, "Give"; Satan says, "Don't give"). + + + +Just outside Kerman are the remains of two old fortresses, the larger +of which is called the Galah i Doukhta, or the Fort of the Maiden, +doubtless on account of the story connected with it. + +These fortresses were built on small hills, and so alike are they in +formation and colour to the soil that it is difficult to see where +the castle begins and the hill ends. Between these two old fortresses +lie the ruins of ancient Kerman. This city was the last to fall under +the Moslem sway in its invasion of Persia, and the legend connected +with it is interesting. + +The city was surrounded on all hands by the Moslem invaders, and it +seemed as if the enemy would be obliged to retreat, as its defenders +had withdrawn themselves into the castles or fortresses already +mentioned. These had been well provisioned for a long siege in +case of need, and also were connected with the outer world by means +of underground passages, known only to those in the castles. All, +perhaps, might have gone well but for the fact that there lived in +the fortress a beautiful woman--alas! as treacherous as beautiful. She +was the idolised daughter of the king of the castle; nothing was too +good for this loved and spoilt beauty. Her father showered gifts upon +her--gold, jewellery, silks, all were hers; and it is said that just +before the siege began her father had planned and designed a beautiful +garden for her, such as never had been seen before. + +Being so loved and such a favourite of all, she was allowed to roam at +will within the castle walls, and often beguiled the time by watching +the besiegers who lay far below in the plain. One day her attention +was attracted by a handsome Arab general, who always seemed to be +foremost in all that was going on, leading his men into the most +dangerous and exposed parts. Where the arrows fell fastest and most +often, there this Arab prince was sure to be seen, always brave and +courageous. His bravery, added to his good looks, so appealed to this +spoilt and petted woman that she immediately fell in love with him. Day +by day this love increased, till her whole soul was afire with all the +abandon of an Eastern love, and she felt that nothing could or should +keep her from her hero. "Love" soon found means of communicating +with the object of its affection, for love is stronger than barred +or barricaded fortresses. By some means, known only to herself and +one other, she gave this Arab to understand that if only he would +promise to marry her, she would deliver the castle into his hands. + +The Eastern as well as the Western agree that "All is fair in love +and war," so this general of the East consented to this plan, and +agreed to accept victory at the hands of treachery. + +Accordingly, all was arranged satisfactorily to both parties, +and one dark, moonless night the deed was done. The lady of the +castle, the idolised and beloved of all, became the betrayer of her +people. After all had retired to rest that night, and the sentinels +were lost in the dense darkness, she stealthily crept out of the +castle, safely passed the sleeping men supposed to be on guard, and +opened the secret gate to her lover and his soldiers--the enemies +of her father and her country. A terrible massacre ensued, in which +the father was slain, fortunately dying without the knowledge of his +daughter's base action. The prince-general had given strict orders +to his men that on no account was the girl to be touched during the +attack on the castle, but that she was to be conducted to a place of +safety till all was over. At last, in the early hours of the morning, +the general had time to think of his ward. + +Tired out with his work of bloodshed and slaughter, but rejoicing in +his unexpected victory, he sent for the girl to find out the reason +of her willingness to thus betray her own people and land into the +hands of the enemy. When brought into his presence he was amazed at the +beauty and loveliness of the girl before him, and his heart went out in +great love and admiration towards her. She, still thinking only of her +own wicked infatuation, was congratulating herself that now her heart's +desire was to be granted her, and she would soon become the wife of +the man so long idealised and idolised. But alas! for her fair hopes. + +The general, notwithstanding her beauty, desired to find out what +her motive was for doing as she had done, and so he plied her with +questions. "Was she very unhappy?" "Was her father very cruel to +her?" or "Had she done this to avenge herself for some wrong?" To all +these she replied in the negative. "Then, in the name of wonder, what +was your reason for sacrificing father, home, country and all?" cried +the general. "For love of you," answered the now frightened girl, +and she then told him how kind her father had been to her, how he +had done all in his power to make her happy, and how nothing was ever +denied her that he could possibly procure, but assured him that all +this was as nothing to her compared to the great love which she felt +towards him, her lover, and ended by beseeching him, now that she +had sacrificed all for him, not to cast her away. + +At this the general was so disgusted and enraged with her, that he +determined that she must die, and cast about in his mind for some means +of death worthy of her selfishness and wickedness, "for," said he, +"you are not a woman, you are a fiend, and therefore must die." + +He therefore ordered his men to bind her with cords, face downwards, +on to the back of a wild horse, and to turn horse and its rider into +the desert. This order was carried out amidst heartrending cries +and entreaties for mercy from the girl, but to all the general paid +no heed, declaring that she was only suffering a just death for the +abominable behaviour to her own people. The soldiers followed the +horse for some distance into the desert to prevent its returning, +and thus perished the beautiful traitress of Kerman. + +I may say here that this form of death is not unknown even now in +Persia, and I heard a story of a man who treated his wife in much +the same way, only the idea was perhaps a little more diabolical. He +was angry with her for some reason, and desired to rid himself of +her, so he caught a cow, and kept it shut up without water for some +days. Then he bound his wife under the body of the animal and sent +it off. Of course the cow made for the nearest stream, and we can +imagine better than describe the fate of the poor woman. + +The Kerman of to-day is a large walled-in city of about forty thousand +souls. This wall is pierced by some dozen gates, some of which are +in good repair, but others are fast falling into ruin. In fact, +most of the buildings in Kerman, as well as other parts of Persia, +are "kharab shodeh"--that is, either in ruins, or fast falling into +that state. The "kharab" buildings outside the town are the abode of +jackals, hyaenas, owls, and other creatures of the desert. + +The story of how the jackals came to be inhabiters of the desert is +told by the Kermanis with great gusto, and they quite sympathise with +them in their banishment from the civilisation of town life. When +in Kerman our house was outside the city, so we had the full benefit +of the cries and wailings of these jackals, and at first it used to +make me feel quite creepy, but after a time we became more accustomed +to the weird music of the night, and missed the evening concerts when +absent from Kerman. Sometimes the jackals would come right up into our +garden, at other times their howling would come from the desert, like +the far-away cry of a soul in torment, or the wailing of the banshee; +but all night and every night the wailing, wailing went on, always +crying for what they had not and never could have--never satisfied, +and always letting people know the fact! + +The story of the dispute between the jackals and the dogs of Kerman was +told me soon after our arrival there. It is said that, in olden days, +the jackals were the domesticated pets of the inhabitants of the town, +and lived quite happily and contentedly in their respective homes, +always enjoying security and peace within the closed gates, while +the dogs had to be content to be dwellers of the desert and ruins, +outside the walls of the city. One day the dogs awoke to the fact +that the jackals had much the better time of it, and they did not +see why this unequal state of things should remain. They were tired +of being always outsiders, always short of food, and exposed to all +the chances of wind and weather--so they resolved to make a great +effort to obtain a position inside the gates, where there was plenty +of everything. Being Socialists, they believed in the maxim of "share +and share alike," so they called a committee to consider by what means +they could oust the jackals from their comfortable quarters and install +themselves in their places. After due thought and much discussion, +they determined to send some leading representatives to the city to +interview the jackals. This they accordingly did, telling them that +many of the dogs had been ill, and the doctor had ordered change of +air for three days. Would not the noble jackals allow their humble +neighbours the dogs to exchange places with them just for three days, +in order that the invalids might have a chance of recovering their +strength and health. At the same time they enlarged upon the beauties +of the desert air, which they said would be so good for those who +had been cooped up in the stifling city for so long. The jackals, +after long and careful consideration, agreed to this proposition, +arranging to leave their comfortable homes for three days only, at the +expiration of which time all were to return to their original places. + +The next night the change was accomplished, and in the morning the +people were all surprised to see dogs where the night before there +had been jackals. However, they did not object very much. At the end +of the three nights, the jackals came to the gates of the city and +demanded admission, longing to return to their own haunts and homes, +having found three days in the desert quite enough, there being no +comparison between the comforts of the town and the dreariness and +cold of the outside life. The dogs appreciated the change so much +that they answered, "No, thank you, we prefer to stay where we are, +and do not wish ever to return to the desert." So the poor jackals +saw that they had been fooled, and went away sad and sorrowful, and +every night since then have come howling for admission to the gates, +and on the dogs answering "No," they go away wailing. And that is +the reason why every night we can hear the howling and wailing of +these disappointed creatures. And they will probably go on howling +and wailing till the end of time, for the dogs are never likely to +wish to return to the desert life. + +Such is the legend of the jackals and the dogs of Kerman. + + + + + + + +CHAPTER III + +PERSIAN INDUSTRIES + + Carpet-making--How to tell a good carpet--How + to make a carpet--The cry of the children--Shawl + manufactures--Calico-printing--Brass-work--Agricultural + industries--Water disputes--Kanats--Poppy crops--Wheat and + corn--Tobacco-growing. + + + Saying in Persia--"One plum gets colour by looking at another." + + + "Do ye hear the children weeping, O my brothers, + Ere the sorrow comes with years; + They are leaning their young heads against their mothers, + And that cannot stop their tears; + ... the child's sob in the silence curses deeper + Than the strong man in his wrath." + + E. B. Browning. + + +The subject of the industries of Persia is such an extensive one that +I cannot even attempt to discuss it here at any great length. I only +wish to describe a few of the manufactures and industries which came +under our notice while in Persia. + +By far the most interesting of them all, to my mind, are the carpet +manufactories to be found in many parts. Very few Europeans live for +any length of time in Persia or other carpet-manufacturing countries +without being affected by the carpet craze. They may try to fight +against it, but they are almost sure to succumb, sooner or later! + +When choosing a carpet the first thing to do is to make sure that +the colours are fast. This is done by moistening a handkerchief or +small piece of white cloth and rubbing the carpet. If the slightest +tinge of colour comes off, the carpet is not a good one. So much +depends upon the nature and durability of dyes used. In olden days, +the only dyes used were indigo, madder, and vine leaves. From these +three ingredients they were able to mix and make most delicate and +artistic shades, all of which were "fast" colours. Now, however, the +aniline dyes are so commonly used that it is difficult to find a carpet +in which all the colours are permanent. Europeans are often deceived +when buying carpets, but natives seldom! When the latter invests in +a carpet he expects it to last the whole of his lifetime, and not +only of his life, but also of that of his children, grandchildren, +and great-grandchildren, and perchance be more valuable at the end +of that period than the day he purchased it. As a rule he realises +his expectations. When a native buys a new carpet the first thing he +does with it is to put it down in the bazaars for all the traffic to +pass over it. The more muddy and filthy the shoes of the passers-by, +the greater will be the beauty of the carpet afterwards, provided the +colours are fast. This statement may perhaps refer more especially to +Syria and Turkish Arabia, but I believe it is also true of Persia. I +have, myself, often seen carpets laid down in this way in the bazaars +of Damascus, Beyrout, Baghdad, and Mosul. I could never quite make +up my mind to allow our carpets to be subjected to this treatment, +though my husband always assured me it was the only way for the +carpets to acquire that beautiful silky gloss, so dear to the heart +of the carpet-lover. As a matter of fact that gloss is maintained +by the native custom of leaving the shoes at the door. The constant +walking upon the carpet with bare or stockinged feet tends to bring +about this desirable finish: whilst, on the other hand, our barbarous +custom of wearing dirty shoes in a room is not so good for the carpet, +nor are tables and chairs great carpet-improvers. Before the time of +exporting carpets from Persia in any great number only good carpets +were made, but now the demand is so great that to keep up the supply +a good deal of shoddy work is manufactured and sent out of the country. + +To be a good judge of a carpet you need to be quite an expert. Many +things have to be taken into consideration. First the dyes, as we +have already seen; then the number of stitches to the inch must be +counted, and it is said that a good carpet contains about 10,000 +stitches to the square foot, while some of the better ones have +as many as 40,000. Another point to notice is to see whether both +ends are the same width. This is done by doubling the carpet: if +the ends do not coincide it is not a well-made carpet. Then, again, +it should lie perfectly flat on the floor, otherwise it will crease +in a very short time, and be worthless. My husband had a beautiful +Kerman carpet given to him once: it was valued at L20, and, but for +the fact that it does not lie flat on the floor, would be worth a +good deal more. As it is, we have to keep it hanging on the wall, +where it cannot get "rucked" or creased. + +Prices vary, of course, according to the size and make of the +carpets. Very fair ones, the size of an ordinary hearthrug, can be +had from L2, 10s. to L8 or L10. Silk ones cost a great deal more, +but are worth the money. A small silk rug can be bought for L50, +but they can be obtained any price up to L500 or L1000. A mixture +of wool and silk is now made to suit the European market, but is not +so durable as the pure silk ones. It is generally acknowledged that +the Kurdistan carpets are the best: they are the most expensive, +being about L3 the square yard. The chief attraction of these lies +in the fact that they are alike on both sides, and are very smooth +and fine. Next to these come those made at Kerman, the design being +quite different to those of Kurdistan. In the Kerman carpets it is +not at all uncommon to find figures of men and animals, sometimes +almost life size. Whilst in Kerman we visited one or two of the carpet +manufactories, and were very much interested in watching the process. + +All carpets are, of course, made without machinery of any kind. The +warp is stretched on a loom, which is merely a frame. The woof +consists of short threads woven and knotted by hand without the +aid of a shuttle. When a row is finished it is pressed tightly to +the rest of the web by means of a comb inserted into the warp. The +"pile" is regulated by the amount clipped off. For a velvet pile the +woof is clipped very close, till a perfectly smooth, even surface is +obtained. The weaver does not see the pattern as he works, as he sits +with the reverse side of the web towards him. The looms are generally +kept in an underground vaulted room, often with water running through +the centre. At each loom three or four workers sit, according to the +size of the carpet. Sometimes the workers consist of one man and two +children, and occasionally the owner uses boys and girls only for +the weaving, one man acting as overseer to the children. + +I sat on the high stool by the side of a tiny girl whose fingers +were working away so fast I could hardly follow her movements. The +overseer was walking up and down the room, calling out instructions +to the workers. To me it sounded a horrible, incoherent jumble, +but the children seemed to understand it perfectly. The overseer +held in his hand a paper, from which he was apparently reading out +instructions. Not having a very thorough knowledge of the Persian +language, it was impossible to follow, but as far as I could make +out it was something as follows: To No. 1. Three blue threads, one +white, two green; No. 2. Four yellow, one white; and so on, each child +repeating after the "master" the instructions given. As it was all said +in a high-pitched monotone, the result was confusing and deafening, +but there the little weavers sit, day in, day out, week after week, in +this damp, gloomy cellar, kept hard at it by the unrelenting overseer. + +The children are taken on as "weavers" when very young, some even +starting when five or six years old. Their hours of work are from +sunrise to sunset in the summer, and until two or three hours after +sunset in the winter, and they are paid at the enormous rate of about +2d. a day, sometimes starting with even less, whilst learning the work. + +The consequence of this abominable sweating system is that to-day there +are hundreds of little children in Kerman, from eight to nine years +of age, confirmed cripples from rheumatism and other diseases. From +sitting so long in one position, while still of tender years, amid +such damp surroundings, their little feet and hands become knotted and +deformed. They can no longer earn their daily bread, so perforce must +help to swell the great multitude of beggars who throng the streets +and bazaars of Kerman. + +I once saw a little girl about seven years old sitting by the roadside +just outside our house. On asking her why she was sitting there all +alone, her reply was, "Mother sent me to my work (carpet-weaving), +but my feet hurt me so, I can't walk." She was waiting there whilst +a companion in work and sorrow ran to try and find some one who would +carry her friend to the workroom. + +When we think of the sufferings of these hundreds of poor innocent +children, do not our hearts ache with sadness for them? Surely the "Cry +of the Children" of Kerman will go up to God, and He will have mercy. + +In the meantime, because people want cheap Persian carpets, these +little martyrs must be willing to sacrifice childhood's happy days, +health, aye, and often life itself, on the altar of cheapness. + +Major (now Colonel) Phillott, then acting British Consul in Kerman, +was so horrified at what he saw of the state of these little sufferers, +that he determined to start a loom of his own, employing men only to +do the weaving. This he accordingly did, finding, of course, that +the expense was enormous, as men's wages were so much higher than +the children's, and also that they would not consent to such long +hours. So long as children are to be had for a mere nominal wage, +so long will the weavers use them, caring nothing for their sorrows, +only bent on making money--the god of the Persian. + +A soft kind of felt carpet is also made in Persia, specially in +Isphahan and Yezd. These are called Namads. The materials used are +wools of all kinds, chiefly camel's hair. The colour is a light ochre +shade of brown, and there is generally a pattern woven in the centre of +different colours, red predominating. Some of these Namads are an inch +or more in thickness, and are delightfully soft for walking on. They +make a splendid foundation in a room for laying carpets on. There +is yet another kind of rug much used, called the Galeem. These are +much cheaper than carpets, and are suitable for rough use, such as +travelling. They wash well, but do not improve with use as carpets do, +having no pile. + +There are still shawl-manufactories to be seen in Kerman, though +they are rapidly on the decrease. The best kind of shawl sells for +fifty tumans (about L10) each, but there are others less expensive, +which resemble the famous Cashmere shawls of India. These "shawls" +are given as coats of honour by the governor or other high official, +and are sought after and valued by all. They are woven in much the +same manner as the carpets, and are made from the under hair of a +special kind of white goat called "koork," which is only found in +the neighbourhood of Kerman. + +The silks of Persia are very pretty and durable. They are woven +principally at Yezd, Kashan, and Resht. The latter place is noted, too, +for its patchwork and embroidery. This work consists of tiny pieces +of cloth pieced together into some floral or other design. I had two +or three pieces of this work given me by a Persian gentleman of high +rank. One is a study in red, and the other consists chiefly of black +and green, enlivened here and there by bright patches of other colours. + +Another rather interesting industry to be seen in Isphahan is the +calico-printing; this is done by means of blocks, and, as a rule, +one design covers the whole piece. These prints are used very much +as curtains, table-cloths, &c., and have the advantage of being +inexpensive. The natives often use them as shrouds for the dead, +for which purpose special ones are manufactured, bearing suitable +quotations from the Koran. + +During the summer in Isphahan the bed of the river may be seen +covered with these prints, laid out to dry in the sun after having +gone through the process of dyeing and "blocking." + +Space forbids my mentioning all the many other articles manufactured +in Persia--the brass-work of Isphahan, copper-work of Kashan, silver +of both Isphahan and Shiraz, mosaic also from Shiraz. But enough has +been said to show that the Persians are a very clever and artistic +race of people, and considering the primitiveness of their methods and +implements, the results are astonishingly beautiful and charming. The +agricultural industries of Persia, too, are considerable--the water +supply necessary for these being a fruitful source of quarrelling and +fighting, which sometimes leads even to murder. The labourers whose +duty it is to look after the watering of the crops are armed with long +spades, for the purpose of digging trenches and clearing a way for the +water, &c. In a dispute these spades become very formidable weapons, +and many a broken head have they caused. + +Often when riding in the desert we have met a company of these men +returning from their labours, each carrying his murderous-looking +implement on his shoulder, and in the gloaming they resembled an army +of soldiers marching. The water supply is very often conducted into +a town or village from the mountains by means of kanats, or long +underground passages. Pits are dug at a distance of about 25 feet +apart, each one being connected with the other by a subterranean +passage, and so on till the place is reached where the water is +needed. Sometimes these tunnels extend for many miles, and as the +mouth of each pit is surrounded by mounds of earth thrown up, it gives +the appearance of a succession of huge mole-hills running across the +country. Great loss of life is associated with the sinking of these +shafts from the constant falling in of the sides; on this account +very high wages are given to compensate for probable loss of life. + +One of the principal crops around Isphahan is that of the poppy. It +is a beautiful sight to see field after field of these lovely white +flowers, stretching away for miles, maybe. How sad to think that such +beauty should lead to misery, wretchedness, and degradation! When the +poppy is ripe, the "head" is scratched at sunset with a kind of comb +in three places; from these gashes the opium oozes out. It is then +collected in the morning before sunrise, dried, and rolled into cakes +ready either for use in the country or for export. It is calculated +that about 8000 cases of opium, each case containing some 200 cakes, +are exported from Persia every year. + +Although the growth of opium enriches those directly concerned, +yet it tends to impoverish the country; for the ground which before +was cultivated with wheat and corn is now required for the poppy, +thus making grain much dearer. + +There is also a large quantity of tobacco grown in Persia, which is +used for the "kalian" (or water-pipe) and cigarette smoking. The best +kind is grown in the neighbourhood of Shiraz. + +Wheat and barley are largely grown, and are always reaped with the +sickle. The land is very fertile, and with very little trouble a good +crop is obtained, provided the water supply is good. + +It has been said of Persia that "it is only necessary to tickle the +land and it will laugh into blossom." + + + + + + + +CHAPTER IV + +THE CLIMATE OF PERSIA + + Resht, Teheran, Isphahan--Dryness of atmosphere--Cellars--Roof + life--Children attacked by jackals--Chequered history of work + in Kerman. + + + "The climate's delicate, the air most sweet." + + Shakespeare. + + +When speaking of the climate of Persia, Cyrus is supposed to have said, +"People perish with cold at one point, while they are suffocated +with heat at another," and this may be applied equally well to the +climate of Persia to-day, for every town has a different climate +according to its height above sea-level. When we land on Persian +soil from the Caspian we find ourselves some feet below sea-level, +consequently the climate is very damp, and vegetation is profuse. The +rainfall in Resht is so great that the wells are often overflowing, +rain falling during quite two-thirds of the year. Always having +thought of Persia as a very dry, parched land, our surprise was +very great on reaching Resht, the port on the Caspian, to see such +lovely forests of trees, and flowers in abundance, both wild and +cultivated. Primroses, anemones, periwinkles, cyclamen, and many +other kinds of flowers, all were in bloom as we drove through Resht +on our way to Isphahan. The ferns, too, were splendid, maiden-hair and +ox-tongue being especially beautiful. With all these homelike flowers +and ferns around us, we could hardly realise that we were not driving +through some dear Devonshire lane in Old England. But as we mounted, +higher and ever higher over the Elburz Mountains, we soon lost this +English type of scenery. The climate became dry and warm, till by the +time we reached Teheran we were thankful indeed for the shelter of the +comfortable quarters of our American friends, who extended to us the +most hospitable kindness during our stay in that city. The climate of +Teheran is very good; its winters are pleasantly cold, and the summer +heat is not so overpoweringly great as in other places. Then, too, +there are lovely summer gardens near at hand, whither the residents can +retire during the warm months of the year. And for those who love the +mountain heights there is the beautiful and picturesque Mount Demavend, +rising some 19,400 feet above sea-level. This mountain adds greatly +to the beauty of Teheran, both as regards its scenery and climate. It +stands as a sentinel guarding the valley in which Teheran lies, and +has an ever-changing beauty of its own, with its eternal snows catching +and reflecting all the radiant hues of the rising and setting sun. It +also forms a most valuable health resort and summer retreat for all the +heat-wearied ones of the neighbourhood. This is the highest mountain +in Persia, but there are many others from 10,000 to 13,000 feet high, +so, if necessary, a cool climate is to be found at all times of the +year. Once over the Elburz, the whole of Persia is a high plateau land, +till we descend once more to the shores of the Persian Gulf. + +Isphahan has a very pleasant climate; the winters are cold and bright, +and it is possible to enjoy sitting out in the sunshine most of the +winter months. The mornings and evenings are cold, but the days are +delightful during the sunshine. The atmosphere here, as elsewhere in +Persia, is very dry, and one's skin gets very cracked and "chapped," +not from the cold, but from the dryness of the air. This is the +cause, too, of much "nerve" trouble amongst the Europeans, especially, +perhaps, with the ladies. In the winter the natives warm themselves and +their rooms by means of a "korsi" (literally, a chair). This "korsi" +is a contrivance for giving warmth at a minimum cost. A hole is dug in +the floor of the room in which the whole family live. Into this hole +is put a clay or iron firepan full of lighted charcoal: above this, +the "korsi," a wooden frame varying in size according to the number +of the family, is placed, and over all is spread a large "lahaf" or +padded quilt. All round the "korsi" are placed soft mattresses and +cushions, and here the family pass the time eating, sleeping, talking; +the "korsi" acting as a dining-table and the "lahaf" as a covering +by day and night. This arrangement is very unhealthy, but the natives +love it, and the more friends and relations they can gather round the +"korsi" the happier they are. + +The summers at Isphahan are rather warm, but there are many places near +by, which are cool, pleasant, and within easy distance for those whose +business keeps them in the vicinity of the town during the hot season. + +There is always plenty of ice to be had during the summer here--perhaps +not always of the cleanest, but still good enough for the purpose +of cooling fruits and drinks. The native method of making ice is +rather clever. A "yakh khaneh" or ice-house is generally situated +outside the town or near some running water: a trench is dug some two +or three feet deep, and a wall from twenty to forty feet is built +facing north and south, thus shielding the trench from all rays of +the sun. As soon as frost sets in, an inch or two of water is let +into the trench: this freezes during the night, and the next day +more water is diverted into the hole, on top of the ice. This is +repeated several days in succession, till about a foot or more of +ice is formed. This is then broken up and stored in deep caverns or +wells for use during the summer. The process is continued as long +as the frost lasts, and thus there is generally enough to keep the +town supplied with ice during the great heat. Well-to-do Persians +have their own "yakh khanehs," and others use them for a means of +livelihood. If the supply runs short before the hot season is over, +frozen snow is brought from the mountains; but this is very expensive, +as it has to be brought such a long distance. + +Yezd has a much warmer "hot season" than Isphahan, and the heat is +much more trying and of longer duration. The houses are essentially +summer houses. The winters being shorter and much less severe, little +attention is paid to the comforts necessary for cold weather, but +everything is considered which will add to the coolness and airiness +of the houses. + +As a traveller approaches Yezd he cannot fail to be struck by the +number of tall "chimneys" rising from the city, and he almost fancies +he is approaching some large manufacturing town, and speculates perhaps +as to the nature of the manufactures possible in such a sandy city of +the desert. But as he draws nearer he sees there is no smoke rising +from these "chimneys," and so concludes that, after all, they are +not for manufacturing purposes. What, then, is the purpose of all +those tall, square, chimney-like buildings, appearing from the roofs +of nearly all the dwelling-places of Yezd? They are air shafts, built +with the hope of bringing a little cool air into the houses during the +hot season, when the atmosphere below is so stifling that it seems +impossible to breathe. These structures are called "bad geers," or +"wind-catchers." There was a very large one connected with the house +in which we lived in Yezd, and even on the hottest days, some air +was always to be felt coming from the "bad geer." It was so arranged +in our house that after the air had been caught and brought down by +means of the chimney, it passed over a "hoze" (tank of water), and +in this way was cooled before circulating through the house. Another +aid to bearing the heat in Yezd is the custom of spending the middle +part of the day underground in cellars. + +Some of these cellars are quite palatial, the walls and floors +being made from the famous Yezd marble, which closely resembles +alabaster. One such I remember very well: it was a room about 40 feet +by 30 feet, very lofty, and lit from the top by windows on a level with +the ground above. In the centre of this room was a "hoze" (water tank), +of which the Persians are so fond, and rising from the water was a +fountain capable of playing to the height of 30 feet; a large bowl +turned upside down had been fixed on the ceiling to catch the spray +and prevent it from becoming damp. Here the inmates of the house took +their mid-day siesta, and very charmingly cool it was compared to the +upstairs world. Some cellars are not at all healthy, and, if slept in +during the day, the sleepers are very liable to contract malaria or +some other fever. When dry and well ventilated no harm seems to come +from this custom of retiring underground during the great heat of +the day, and certainly a good cellar is a great boon to a European, +and a great blessing when the thermometer registers 110 in the shade +upstairs, while in the cellar it rarely goes above 86 or 90 degrees. + +Scorpions, centipedes, tarantulas, and suchlike creatures have a good +time in Yezd. The climate agrees with them, and they thrive and enjoy +life to an alarming extent. One day my husband killed three scorpions +within the hour, two of which were the poisonous black kind. Tarantulas +abounded inside the house and out. They always seemed to make a point +of running across my path during prayer times; to say the least it is +very disconcerting to see one of these creatures glide softly past you +with the evident intention of seeking shelter under your skirt! Our +cat always used to make a dart directly he saw any of these tarantulas, +just to draw our attention to them, but he would never kill one. + +From life in the cellar we pass to life on the roof. This was often +the most enjoyable part of the day. It is lovely, when the heat of +the day is over, to lie and watch the stars, knowing that the same +stars were watching over our loved ones in the Homeland. + +Sleeping on the roof had its disadvantages as well as its attractions +and advantages. One great disadvantage is the fact that the sun +wakes you up so early; another, the talking and singing which goes on +all round you from the adjoining roofs, often make it difficult to +sleep. In addition there is this very serious drawback, that often +the jackals visit the roofs of the houses at night, seeking for +something wherewith to appease their hunger, and if they cannot find +anything else to satisfy them will attack sleeping children. On several +occasions poor little mites have been brought to the hospital terribly +mutilated and torn by the jackals, some just slightly bitten on the +face, others so mauled and eaten as to be quite unrecognisable. One +especially sad case I remember; the poor mother was wild with grief, +for her child, a baby of only a few weeks old, had been almost eaten +up by these abominable creatures. + +Life on the roof begins soon after sunset. It is very interesting to +watch, from a height, roof-life springing into existence. First one +and then another will bring out the family bedding, spread it on the +floor of the roof or on low wooden benches, and then sit and chat +till dinner-time. Very often the evening meal is eaten on the roof, +and shortly after the family retires to rest. A Moslem takes great +pains to have his roof well shielded from the gaze of onlookers, and +if he is at all suspicious that he is overlooked he will immediately +raise his wall. This being the case, the roofs in a Moslem quarter +are generally very much shut in by high walls, which keep out the +air and make the nights much less bearable. + +The climate of Kerman is almost perfect for those who can stand +it. Situated about 6500 feet above the sea, surrounded on all sides +by mountains and deserts, the result is a delightful bracing air +and invigorating climate. In Kerman there is no need of resting in +cellars by day or sleeping on roofs by night. Indeed the climate would +be hard to beat anywhere. The winters are charming, bright and cold, +with snow-covered mountains always in view. For a month or two in the +summer it becomes fairly hot, when flies and mosquitoes nearly drive +one wild, but it is generally possible to get away for a little time, +and during the remainder of the year the climate is all that could be +desired. And yet it seems strange that in spite of all this Europeans +have found it difficult to live there. + +Our mission in its infancy had a very chequered career, owing to the +breaking down in health of its missionaries. The first to open the +work there was a Mr. Carless, a clergyman of the Church of England. He +went there a young man in the vigour of youth, and at the end of three +years, having gained the love and admiration of Moslem and Parsee +alike, he was laid in a solitary grave away in the desert, in a valley +surrounded by hills. After a short time his work was taken up by a +Mr. and Mrs. Blackett, but the latter was able to remain only a few +short months, at the end of which time she returned to England, broken +down and shattered in health. Then my husband was appointed to open +Medical Mission work there. Unfortunately, before the year was out, +we too had to leave, this time on account of my health. During our +stay there an English engineer came to seek for artesian wells. After +two or three months he contracted fever and died at our house, and he +too is resting in that quiet spot amongst the mountains by the side of +Mr. Carless. On our leaving, another doctor was appointed to take my +husband's post, but his stay in Kerman was not even as long as ours had +been. And so it seemed as if the work there could not be carried on, +but fortunately this chapter of accidents has now come to an end, +for our missionaries have been living and working there for some +three or four years. All agree, too, in saying that the climate is +a very healthy one, provided the people living there have sound hearts! + + + + + + + +CHAPTER V + +HOLIDAYS IN PERSIA + + How to ensure a prosperous journey--Natanz--Astonishment of natives + at sight of hairpins--Pulivagoon--Mahoon--Aliabad--Prince under + canvas--Visit from a Persian princess--A Persian deer-hunt. + + + "If all the year were playing holidays, + To sport would be as tedious as to work." + + Shakespeare. + + +In a climate such as has been described in the foregoing chapter, +it is necessary for the sake of health to get away during a part of +the hot season. Fortunately there are suitable places near at hand to +each of the large cities, so it is no very difficult matter to get +away for a few weeks. The difficulties lie rather in reaching these +places, and in transporting all one's belongings--at least all those +that are absolutely necessary--to the place chosen. + +After having decided upon the desirability of having a holiday, the +next thing is to fix a day of departure. This sounds easy to say. Yes, +it is quite a simple matter for you to say, "We will start on such +and such a day," but you are perhaps reckoning without considering +your muleteer. On the morning appointed you rise early, see that +everything is in readiness, and then sit down to wait for the baggage +animals to arrive. Time goes on, the sun begins to get hot, and no +sign of the muleteer or mules, so by-and-by you send your servant to +investigate matters, and he brings back with him the muleteer, who +smiles sweetly and says, "Ensha'allah farda (to-morrow, God willing) +we will start on our journey." His mules have gone to a village, and +will be back "ensha'allah farda." We can console ourselves that very +likely the same thing will occur again on the next day. It is always +"farda" with these people, so we must try to possess our souls in +patience, and hope for the best. Persians are never in a hurry, and +cannot understand why it should make any difference whether we start +"to-day" or "to-morrow." Oh, those endless "fardas"! how tired we got +of them before we had been very long in the land. But it is good to +learn patience, and the sooner you have mastered this lesson well, +the happier will you be living in the East. + +Preparing for a holiday in Persia is rather a different matter to +starting off at home for the seaside or elsewhere. Everything has to +be taken--pots and pans, tables, chairs, beds and bedding--in fact, +everything that is necessary for four or five weeks' stay in a house +where nothing is provided but the bare walls. It is wonderful what a +number of things are necessary even for a short stay, in the so-called +simple life. + +The natives are very superstitious about many things when starting on +a journey. For instance, it is very unlucky, in their eyes, to proceed +if any of the party happens to sneeze on the point of starting. They +would much rather postpone the start for a more propitious occasion, +than disregard this bad omen. I heard of one man who insisted on +continuing his journey in spite of the warning given in the form of +a sneeze, and the consequence was he fell off his mule and broke his +leg! The natives also are careful to have a good supply of copper coins +ready when starting on a journey, to give to the beggars. Whenever +we left home our servants always distributed freely to the poor who +were living around, to ensure a blessing on our journey, but they +never forgot to put the amount down in the daily account! + +While in Persia we had some very enjoyable holidays, but as I could +not endure the altitude we were never able to go to the mountains, +which of course make the ideal summer resorts. However, we managed +to find some very pretty and fairly cool places in the plains or on +slightly elevated ground. Our first holiday in Persia was spent in a +very pretty little village called Natanz. I had been taken ill on our +way to Isphahan, and the lady doctor who came out to meet us suggested +our going for a week or so to this little village before entering +Isphahan. Spring was already well advanced, and it is difficult to +recruit in the hot season. + +Natanz is a picturesque little village, slightly off the general route, +so that the natives had not then become very much used to Feringhis +staying with them, and our coming caused no little excitement. We +arrived there about twelve o'clock one night, and were conducted to +our room by an admiring throng, and this throng continued to "admire" +for the whole time we were there. The windows of our room were +composed of lattice work only, so all interested could always have a +good view of our movements. On waking in the morning there were our +faithful followers to be seen with their faces flattened against the +trellis work, waiting for us to wake, and see what we were going to +do next! At times this interest shown on the part of the inhabitants +was a trifle embarrassing, but as often as they were driven away by +our servant just as often did they return again whenever his back +was turned. For the first day or two I did not leave the room, but +when I felt stronger I used to sit in a chair outside the window +reading or writing. The moment my husband left me the women all +swarmed round like bees, full of curious questions. Unfortunately at +that time I was not able to talk to them, not knowing the language, +but I could make out what they were saying to a great extent from +their gestures. My fountain pen was a cause of great amusement and +astonishment, as were also my hairpins. The delight of some of the +women on being presented with a hairpin was very funny. They seemed to +think I stuck them into my head, as into a pincushion. At first the +women were rather shy, as they could not be quite sure whether I was +a man or a woman, but one of them came and peeped under my hat and +seeing I had long hair concluded I was a woman. My husband received +a visit from the governor of the village, who was very delighted to +see an English hakeem. We were quite sorry when our little holiday +in Natanz was over, but being anxious to push on to Isphahan, did +not care to prolong our stay longer than was necessary. + +Our next holiday was in the summer of the same year 1900. This time +we went only a few hours' drive out of Isphahan to a place called +Pulivagoon. It was a very pretty little village, and a nice house, +belonging to the Zil es Sultan, had been lent to us for a month. The +house was built practically on the river, as our windows hung right +over the water, and the sound of its rushing torrent reminded us of the +lapping of the waves on the seashore in dear Old England. There were +some lovely woods near by, to which we often used to take our tea, +and pass the time pleasantly paddling, bathing, and fishing in the +river. The following year we were at Kerman, and went for our holidays +to a lovely garden about nine hours' ride from the city. Mahoon lies +very high; it must be at least 6700 feet above sea-level. The climate +is beautiful, but the altitude proved too high for me to enjoy it +much. We had a very tiring ride from Kerman; starting one day soon +after noon we rode for three or four hours, then had a refreshing cup +of tea under the shadow of a large spreading tree. But we could not +afford to linger, for we still had a good half of our journey before +us, so once more we mounted our respective steeds, hoping to reach +our destination about nine o'clock, but alas for our hopes! Nine +o'clock came and went, and still we seemed no nearer; ten o'clock, +and still no sign of our village. It was now pitch dark, and we +were all very tired and hungry, and I was so dead beat that I could +hardly sit upright on my animal. My husband rode close by my side, +to be in readiness in case I should fall off in my sleep. To the +oft-repeated question, "How much farther?" the answer always came, +"Ensha'allah--only half-an-hour." Oh, those half-hours, how wearisome +they became! I did so wish that they would say two hours or three hours +for a change, for the everlasting half-hour was so tantalising. Our +servants told me afterwards that they said this to keep up my spirits, +as they thought, if they told the truth about the distance, "the +Khanum's heart would melt within her." At last, just after midnight, +we heard a very energetic coo-ing ahead of us, and knew that at +last we were within sound of rest and food. It was so dark that we +could not find the path leading to the garden, and our animals went +floundering about over great boulders of stones or stumbling into +ditches, and of course all in the wrong direction, till some one met +us and conducted our tired party into the house. Here we found that +our baggage animals, with Bagi and the other servants, had not yet +turned up, though they had started an hour or two before us. They did +not arrive till morning, so there was nothing for it but to lie down +on bare boards and go to sleep supperless. The only drinking vessel +to be found was a saucepan, from which we had a most refreshing drink +of water and retired to our luxurious couch, sleeping as well and as +soundly as if we were lying on beds of softest down. We were awakened +about eight o'clock next morning by the sound of bells, and knew that +our belated caravan had come in. While they were settling disputes +and unpacking we strolled off into the garden to dip our faces into +the cool water that was flowing through the grounds. It was, or rather +had been, a magnificent garden, but, like everything else in Persia, +was even then fast falling into decay. There was water in abundance, +flowing on both sides, and fountains playing on the top terrace and +also at the foot of the garden. The whole garden was built in a series +of terraces, and steps led from one level to the next. The houses and +gardens had been built by H.H. Farman Farma, at one time governor of +Kerman, and must have cost a great deal of money. + +We took up our quarters in the house at the top of the garden, and +after a few days our consul came out from Kerman and occupied the +lower one. We spent a very enjoyable month here, riding, shooting, +bathing, &c. My husband opened a dispensary for the villagers, +to which he went two mornings each week, and the people appreciated +this very much, as I do not think they had ever had an English doctor +amongst them before. We much enjoyed the use of the Persian "hammam" +(bath) while there. It comprised a series of rooms built a little way +off from the house; each room was built of marble and blue tiles. The +first or outer room was simply for resting in, having a fountain in +the centre; passing through this, you entered a large vaulted room, +which was used for a dressing-room and "cooling-down" place; from this +you passed to the actual hammam, which was a large tank of water about +15 feet by 10 feet, and from 1 to 6 feet deep, shelving gradually in +depth from the edge. This had not been used for some years apparently, +but my husband had it cleaned out and filled with fresh water, and +we were very thankful for it during the hot weather. At first we +tried taking our afternoon siesta in the outer or resting-room, but +found it too feverish; however, we were able to sit in it during the +early part of the day, and generally had our Persian lesson there, +as it was easier to work in the cool. We always made our holidays +a time for language study, as my husband rarely could find time for +it while at work in the city, and we both longed to be able to speak +Persian properly. I must say the natives were always wonderfully good +and patient over our mistakes, and never laughed, however terrible +and feeble our attempts at conversation might be. Unfortunately, +just as we were beginning to feel our way in Persian a little, we +had to start learning a new language, so to a great extent we have +forgotten our Persian. + +Our last holiday in Persia was spent in Aliabad, a dear little village +about ten hours' drive from Yezd. H.R.H. the Jalal el Dowleh (nephew +of the late Shah) kindly lent us a house there, and as it was rather +a small one, he erected a large tent in the garden for us, which did +duty as dining and sitting-room combined. The Jalal also kindly lent +us one of his carriages to drive from Yezd to Aliabad. The first part +of the way the road was very good. We left Yezd just before sunset, +reaching our half-way place shortly before midnight. Here we had to +rest the horses till morning, so we spent the night in a garden by +permission of the owner. Spreading a rug on the ground, and using +two of the carriage cushions as pillows, we spent a very comfortable +night, and awoke in the early morning fresh and ready for the second +part of our journey. We were off before sunrise, as we wished to reach +our destination before the great heat of the day began. I shall never +forget that drive. For the greater part of the way there was not even a +semblance of a road, and the whole path was strewn with huge stones and +boulders; it was a marvel to me how the carriage ever got safely over +them. But oh, the jolting and the shaking! Driving up the Pyramids +would be smooth and easy compared to the horrors of that road! We +repented often of having accepted the kind offer of the carriage, as +the saddle is much more preferable on such roads. However, all things +come to an end to those who have patience; so at last this memorable +drive ended, and we were very thankful, about ten o'clock, to see the +trees of our village rising on the horizon. We found the little house +very comfortably arranged and breakfast waiting for us in the tent, +as our servants had pushed on instead of resting during the night. + +Aliabad contained, I suppose, some fifty houses, all of which were +occupied by Moslems of rather a fanatical type. It was surrounded on +all sides by mountains and hills, and this gave it a rather shut-in +feeling at times. After sunset, too, it was very chilly and damp, as +there were so many gardens lying under water at that time, this being +the usual method of irrigation. I wanted to make the acquaintance of +the village women, so I let it be known that I should generally be +in the garden during the morning, and should welcome all who came +to see me. In this way I saw most of the women, but they were not +very responsive on the whole. It was here, sitting in the garden one +morning, that I tried to learn from them how to "tell the beads" +according to the Moslem method, but I found it too intricate and +difficult. I managed, however, to master one very simple method of +trying the beads for good or ill fortune. This was as follows: holding +the rosary before you in both hands, you separate a certain number of +the beads; then, closing your eyes, you "tell" them, repeating the +mystic words "Adam, Eve, Satan," until the last bead is reached. If +this happens to be "Adam," the luck is sure to be of the best; if +"Eve," the result is neutral, and the beads must be counted again; +while "Satan" indicates the worst of fortune, and would absolutely +prevent any one from undertaking any contemplated action. + +It was no uncommon sight to see the women counting their beads and +mumbling to themselves, "Adam, Hava, Shaitan (Adam, Eve, Satan), Adam, +Hava, Shaitan," before making up their minds as to whether they should +drink their medicine or not. Or perhaps some patient has been advised +an operation, and he is trying his beads to see whether the doctor's +advice is to be taken or not. It is a strange thing that, when they +very badly want to do a thing, they can generally make it come to +"Adam," or else they keep on repeating the words till it does come +to the lucky name, and then they are happy. + +When we had been in Aliabad some days the prince-governor of Yezd +brought his "anderoon" to the same village. Of course there was no +accommodation for them in the village, so they erected a town for +themselves. It sprang up in one night, and looked in the morning as +if a large company of soldiers had suddenly come along and fixed their +camp. The ladies' quarters consisted of about twenty large tents, and +were enclosed by a huge canvas wall, quite shutting them off from the +outside world. The prince had his reception tents and others outside +the wall, but quite near to it. + +A day or two after their arrival the princess sent down her carriage +for me, with a request that I would go and see her, which I gladly did, +and found her surrounded by all her home comforts, and dressed, as +usual, in some lovely silk costume. After this she always sent for me +about three times a week, and we had walks and talks together. Whenever +we came to a garden, she and her ladies always gathered the cucumbers +and onions and ate them, thoroughly enjoying the impromptu picnic, +and never giving a thought to the poor unfortunate owner, who dared +not voice a remonstrance, however much his garden was stripped of +its produce. + +A eunuch or two always went before when the princess walked out, to +warn off any of the dreaded menkind who happened to be about. One +day the prince gave permission for his wife to come and call upon +me. This was the first time she had ever been allowed to pay a +visit. I was sorry we were not in our own house, as I should have +liked to show her an English home. However, we made the place as +tidy and home-like as possible for her reception. My husband had to +be banished, and also all the men-servants. Bagi (our woman servant) +prepared all the refreshments, but the princess's own servants handed +them to her, as Bagi was a Parsee, and it would have meant defilement +for a Moslem to take food from a despised follower of Zoroaster. + +The prince spent most of his time hunting, and my husband went with +him on several occasions. The sport did not seem to be very exciting, +from all accounts. The Jalal would take with him about thirty to forty +of his followers, and form a kind of cordon round the spot where the +gazelles were known to be; they then gradually closed in, each rider +knowing and keeping his own position. At last the gazelles would be +sighted, and all would gallop madly towards the spot, and shoot as +they got within range. + +We were kept so well supplied with venison during those holidays that +I felt I never wanted to taste it again! + +Quite near to Aliabad there were some large caves in which the natives +had stored frozen snow, so that even in the height of summer we were +able to have a large block of ice every day. + +Altogether our time at this little village was very enjoyable, and +we were quite sorry when our holiday was over and we had to return +to the broiling heat of Yezd. + + + + + + + +CHAPTER VI + +SOCIAL LIFE IN PERSIA + + Kerman--House-hunting and building--White ants--Housekeeping + in Kerman--Servant question--Truth v. falsehood--Abdul + Fateh--Bagi--Recreations--Some exciting rides--Persian + etiquette--Dinner at the governor's. + + + "Society is no comfort to one not sociable." + + Shakespeare. + + +The social life of Europeans in Persia differs very much according to +the town lived in. In some parts much life and gaiety are to be found, +and in others this element is conspicuous by its absence. In Teheran, +where we have our Legation, of course social life is at its height. At +Isphahan, too, there is quite a large European community. When we were +there in 1900 and 1903 there must have been at least fifty Europeans, +and very happily and sociably all lived together. From Isphahan we +went to Kerman, where for some five or six months we were the only +foreigners, but in spite of having none of our own countrymen to call +upon or visit, we were very happy. After a time a British consul was +appointed, and we felt quite gay, and I at once started a European +"at home" day, and every Wednesday our consul was a most regular +visitor. He was always very homesick, and liked anything that helped +to remind him of dear Old England. + +On one occasion we actually mustered four Englishmen to dinner, +as two travellers happened to be passing through at the same time, +one of whom was Mr. Savage Landor, who entertained us with most +harrowing accounts of his time amongst the Thibetans. Just before +we left two English ladies arrived, so the social life at Kerman +began to grow, and to-day it boasts of quite a number of Europeans, +consisting of consuls of various nations, as well as missionaries, +bank and telegraph employees. + +When we arrived at Kerman we found great difficulty in choosing and +leasing a house. Many were only too anxious to show us their houses, +and to assure us that all their property belonged to us, to do what we +liked with; but when it came to making definite arrangements it was +quite a different matter. So long as it was only "talk" the various +would-be landlords were willing to promise everything and anything, +but it was quite another question when suggestions were made as to +the desirability of committing those promises to paper. At last we +settled on a house outside the town, which possessed a nice large +garden, but the house itself only consisted of about two rooms, +and these were in a very tumble-down and filthy condition. + +The landlord (a Parsee) promised to build according to our plans, +and to spend the whole of the first three years' rent in making +improvements and additions to the house. The consequence of this +delightful arrangement was that during the greater part of our time +in Kerman building operations were going on, and only just as we were +leaving was the work completed and the house made inhabitable. But +in the end a very fairly comfortable house was built, and has been +occupied ever since, I believe, by our C.M.S. missionaries. + +Our garden was very large, but only half of it had been cultivated; +the further end we had hoped to have made into a tennis court, +but unfortunately we had to leave before it was possible to do +so. All the bricks used for building were made from the earth of +the garden. The process is simplicity itself. Water is mixed with +the earth till it becomes a thick mud, then it is stamped into the +required shape by means of a wooden block, and then left in the sun +to dry. Sometimes straw is mixed with the mud, when it is necessary +to have very strong bricks. + +Directly we moved into our house I found to my horror that it was +infested with white ants. This was my first experience of these +wretched little creatures, and I hope it may be my last. They are +disturbers of one's peace of mind, for once they are settled in a +house it is impossible to get rid of them, and the only thing to +hope for is that by continually waging war against them you may keep +them slightly in subjection. I remember so well the day I first made +the acquaintance of these noxious things. I had with much difficulty +succeeded in finishing our drawing-room, and considering all things +I may be forgiven if I confess to having felt a certain amount of +pride as I looked at the result of my labours. Certainly it was +not too luxurious; but it was comfortable and "homey." Alas! my +pride soon had a fall. After a day or two my husband had need of +some book, and upon taking it from the shelf found it eaten half +through! I then began to hunt about, and found the room was swarming +with these abominations, under the carpets, behind the pictures, +cosily ensconced in books--everywhere they were having a right royal +time. From that moment almost to the day we left, I never ceased to +hunt and destroy these ubiquitous ants. We were having two new rooms +built, and I said to my husband, "One comfort is that the ants cannot +be in the new rooms;" but, alas, my hopes were vain! The builders had +used an old piece of wood for a beam on which the ceiling rested, +and this was infested with white ants, and so in a very short time +they had that room, too, to revel in. I tried all manner of things +to get rid of them, but found the most successful remedy was pouring +petroleum down the holes from which they came. This drove them away +from that hole, but they only burrowed a little further, seeking +for a new outlet. Nothing could or can destroy them. As long as the +queen ant remains they can never be exterminated. An English engineer +who came to Kerman told me that, when he was living in India, he was +building a house, and before he laid the foundations he offered large +rewards for all queen ants found in the grounds near, for, said he, +"This is the only way to ensure freedom from these pests." He also told +me that one night he left his evening shoes out in his room, and in +the morning the leather was eaten half away. I can quite believe this +now, after having seen for myself their tremendous digestive powers. + +One of our missionaries had to leave Kerman quite suddenly while we +were there. Before leaving he packed all his most valued books into +tin-lined cases and had them soldered down, thinking they would be safe +against the intrusions of white ants. Shortly after his departure we +suspected these wretches of being at work amongst the books, and so +came to the conclusion we had better open and see. There, sure enough, +they were, and busily they had been engaged too, for like "Mother +Hubbard who went to the cupboard," when we went to the box we found +it bare! if not quite, almost so; for, with the exception of a few +stout leather covers, all trace of Mr. Blackett's valuable library +was gone! Such are the literary instincts of white ants. But indeed +nothing comes amiss to their tastes--books, boots, pictures, carpets, +clothes, papers--all vanish under the business-like efforts of these +horrible creatures. What with white ants and bad servants to contend +and combat with, housekeeping in Kerman was enough to turn one's hair +grey! The struggle was unequal, and I generally got the worst of it. + +To begin with, the servants we had brought with us from Isphahan +refused to stay in such an out-of-the-world spot as Kerman, so +no sooner had we begun to unpack than first one and then another +declared his intention of going, until we were left stranded. Then +began the joys of servant-hunting. In some parts of Persia this is +not a difficult task, but in Kerman it was practically impossible to +find a decent servant, or one that knew anything about his work. + +The chief drawback to Kerman domestics is the fact that they are all +opium-smokers. The native saying in Kerman is, "That every fourth +man out of three" is an opium-smoker. Although this may be a slight +exaggeration, yet it was decidedly hard to find any one who was not +addicted to this terrible habit. Awful specimens presented themselves +as "cooks," but one look at them was enough! At last a veritable +"Uriah Heep" offered his valuable services to us; he came armed with +wonderful credentials and menu cards. These latter he claimed to +have successfully negotiated when in the employ of some Frenchman, +but I have grave doubts as to the veracity of this statement. On the +strength of these menus we thought we could not do better than engage +him; so he came, and proved himself to be a most aggravating specimen +of humanity, specially formed, I believe, to try the patience and +tempers of poor unsuspecting foreigners. Nothing ever put him out +or ruffled his sweet amiability. How I wished it would, and that he +would depart in wrath and anger at my repeated complaints against +him! But no, nothing of the kind; he came to stay, and stay he did, +till he bade us an affectionate and touching farewell on our departure +from Kerman. His money accounts were always atrociously high, but so +cleverly did he manage them that I could rarely detect him cheating, +and at last I gave it up as a hopeless task, concluding the game was +not worth the candle. + +When we were alone his cooking was passable--at least it was generally +eatable; but if ever we had friends to dinner he always managed to +surpass himself with some act of stupidity or wickedness, I never +could make out which it was. + +On one occasion the English consul and one or two others were dining +with us. We had safely reached the "sweet" stage, and I was just +beginning to congratulate myself that this time, at any rate, our +lovely cook was not going to disgrace himself or play any trick. Just +then a "chocolate cream" was handed round. It looked all right. The +consul took some, tasted it, and promptly laid down his fork; his +example was followed by others. I hastily called the "boy" to bring +me some, and on tasting it found to my horror that the chocolate +cream was highly flavoured with naphthalene! We had lately received +a box from home; in it was some of this useful stuff for destroying +moths; doubtless the cook thought it was a nice and specially delicate +flavouring for puddings! On another occasion I had been experimenting +on some dessert dish, which necessitated part of the ingredients +soaking for an hour or two over a slow fire. I put everything ready, +and left strict injunctions with "Uriah" that he was to touch nothing, +and so I left. Shortly after, feeling rather uneasy as to the welfare +of my concoction, I returned to the kitchen, just in time to see the +wretched man pouring my "Dream of Delight" down the sink! I confess +to having been guilty then for the first and last time of boxing a +servant's ears; but really was the provocation not great? + +Another of our "treasures" was a man called Neamat 'allah. He was +a splendid "show man," but no good for work of any kind. He shone +when visitors came, as he felt the dignity of his Sahib depended in +a great measure on him. + +Then there was an awful boy, Rustem. I did my best to make him into a +decent parlour-maid, but utterly failed. Although only about eighteen +years of age, he was a confirmed slave to the opium habit. His chief +forte was smashing crockery and telling lies. Of course we never +expected our servants to speak the truth, but this boy seemed the most +incorrigible of all. One day he said to me, after I had been trying to +instil into his mind some idea as to why we should speak the truth, +"Well, Khanum, what is the use of my speaking the truth, for if I +did you would not believe me, and would only say it was a lie?" This +is true, I am afraid, to a great extent, for after being deceived so +often one gets sceptical about the possibility of a native speaking the +truth, especially if he is an opium-smoker too. And yet sometimes they +look at you so innocently, with such an air of injured righteousness, +that you begin to wonder if after all they are not for once speaking +the truth; but, alas, the wonder soon passes! + +Shortly before leaving Kerman we were fortunate enough to secure +the services of a real treasure in the person of an Indian. He came +to Kerman with his master, Mr. Patrick Duncan, whose object was to +sink artesian wells, but unfortunately he died before his work was +completed. His man, Abdul Fateh, was heartbroken at the death of his +master, as he had been with him for many years. He begged my husband +to engage him, and very gladly we did so, and he proved a great comfort +to us all our time in Persia, acting as "pishkhedmat" (chief servant), +not only being good and honest himself, but keeping the others up to +their work, and not allowing them to cheat us too much. Before leaving +the subject of servants I must say just a word about our woman servant; +she was such a dear little body--a Parsee. We called her Bagi, which +means a female servant. She had been with Miss Sykes for a time, +so knew a little about Feringhi ways. She was a picturesque figure, +waddling about the house in her big baggy trousers and her gaily +coloured overall reaching to her knees, while on her head she wore +the usual number of coverings, in compliance with the Zoroastrian +idea that a woman's head must be well covered! It is a great "shame" +for a Parsee woman to be seen with her head uncovered. One day Bagi +had been washing her hair, and the doctor happened to see her in +passing before she had replaced her many coverings. She came to me +in great distress to know what was she to do. The Sahib had seen her +with her head uncovered! + +The recreations of Kerman are confined almost entirely to horse +riding. There are many very good picnic places near by, and an +excellent stretch of desert for a canter or gallop, but not so good +as the desert outside Yezd. When we first went to Kerman I was told +that I must on no account ride through the bazaars, as no Englishwoman +had ever been seen in them. I might ride outside the town and view the +bazaars from a safe distance, but this did not fall in with my ideas at +all, and as soon as we were fairly settled down in our house I asked +my husband to take me to see the bazaars. So one afternoon we started +off to try the experiment, taking with us two servants, one to walk +in front and one behind, my husband and I riding our horses. I will +not say that as we entered the dark, dreary-looking archways leading +to the bazaars my heart did not beat a little faster than usual, +as I thought of all the horrible things which had been told me as +to what might happen when first an Englishwoman was seen in the open +bazaar. After a few minutes, however, I saw there was nothing to fear, +for beyond a good stare and a few curses from some of the people, +nothing happened. I had, of course, taken the precaution of wearing +a thick veil. My second ride through these same bazaars was much more +exciting. It was during the time of the Passion Play in the month of +Mohurram, referred to in another chapter. As we were riding quietly +along we suddenly came across the whole company of excited, maddened +creatures returning to their homes after the play was over. The crowd +was headed by about a hundred men, whose garments were streaming with +blood, their heads and faces covered with gashes of all sorts and +sizes. In their hands they held and waved frantically their swords +or daggers. + +Our servants were fearfully alarmed, and hurriedly turned our +horses' heads into a narrow passage, and hoped the crowd would +not notice us. But unfortunately they did, and with a wild cry of +"Feringhi! Feringhi!" they immediately formed up just in front of the +opening to our passage and began their wild dance for our benefit. It +was rather a gruesome sight in the dimly-lighted bazaars to see +a hundred or more naked swords flashing, blood on everything and +everybody, men yelling, shouting, cursing, and dancing. We were not +sorry when in a few minutes they took it into their heads to move on, +thinking, no doubt, that they had paid great honour to the Feringhis +by this exhibition for their special benefit. After this experience +I felt there certainly was no longer any need for fear, and since +then we have all ridden and walked quite freely in and through the +bazaars. Only once was I spat upon in Persia, and that was in Yezd. + +Persians have often been called the Frenchmen of the East. +They certainly are a most courteous and polite people, outwardly at +all events, and are masters in the art of paying compliments to one +another. But to a novice it is no light matter to know just the right +amount of flattery to deal out, as it is almost as bad a mistake +to give any one a great deal too much flattery as not to give him +enough. The art lies in knowing just what is due to each person, +according to the rank of life he occupies. When you wish to visit +any one it is not polite to send word to say, "I am coming." You must +couch your message in much more flowery language, such as, "I want to +honour myself by coming to see your nobleness." The answer will be +"Bis'millah--Please bring your tashrif (dignity)." There is great +etiquette, too, over the kalian-smoking and tea-drinking, each one +deprecatingly suggesting that his neighbour should partake first and +the other declining the honour with a sweeping bow; but every one knows +who is entitled to the first whiff of the kalian or the first cup of +tea, and no one would dare to think of defrauding him of his right. + +It seems such a pity that Persians of high class are gradually falling +into European ways, for they do not suit these Frenchmen of the East +half so well as their own manners and customs. + +While we were in Kerman the governor was one who had lived in Europe +a good deal, and liked everything done a la Feringhi; he much enjoyed +English afternoon teas, home-made cakes, &c. Soon after our arrival +there an invitation came from the governor for dinner the following +week. On the evening appointed a carriage came for us and drove us +to the "Arg," as the house of the governor is called. We found a +splendid dinner waiting for us, served in French style, about twenty +courses of excellently cooked dishes. After dinner we were amused +by Persian musicians and singers. We were entertained by the nephew +of the governor, who apologised for the absence of his uncle, who, +he said, was suffering from a bad attack of fever which prevented his +presiding at the table. We heard afterwards that the real reason of +his non-appearance was not fever, but a fear of being laughed at. He +knew how things ought to be done according to European fashion, and +was afraid that he had not all the necessaries to carry out a dinner +successfully, and so preferred not to show himself. However, when he +saw how splendidly the first dinner-party went off he decided to give +another, so in about a week's time we received a second invitation to +dinner. This time the governor himself took the head of the table, +and did the honours of it well, too. He certainly had nothing to be +ashamed of, for everything was served in perfect French style. From +the soup to the dessert, with all the intermediary courses, everything +was dished up in perfect taste and on good china. The glass and table +decorations would not have disgraced a European table. + +The Governor of Yezd, on the other hand, preferred to hold more to his +own traditions, and I have much enjoyed a meal there with his family, +served and eaten in true Persian style. + + + + + + + +CHAPTER VII + +THE WOMEN OF PERSIA + + Home life--Anderoon, women's quarters--Jealousy in + the anderoon--Anderoon of Khan Baba Khan--Two days in an + anderoon--H.R.H. Princess Hamadane Sultane--Visit to the anderoon + of H.R.H. the Zil-es-Sultan. + + + "The more your prayers to me, the more will your wives be in Paradise." + + From Life of Al-Jazuli. + + + "Women are weak, as you say, and love of all things to be passive, + Passive, patient, receptive, yea, even of wrong and misdoing, + Even to force and misdoing, with joy and victorious feeling, + Patient, passive, receptive; for that is the strength of their being, + Like to the earth taking all things and all to good converting." + + A. H. Clough. + + +Whilst in Persia I had a good many opportunities of becoming well +acquainted with some of the Moslem women, especially in Kerman, +as there I was for some time the only Englishwoman, and naturally +the women liked to see as much of me as possible, in order to see +and hear about life amongst the Feringhis. The Persian women are +much more volatile and genial than their Arab sisters, but on the +whole I prefer the latter, perhaps because I have had so much more +to do with them. The Persian lady is ready, the moment she sees you, +to shower compliments upon you and to tell you how much she loves you, +while her more austere sister of Arabia takes time to consider whether +you are a person to be trusted or not; and if after a time she does +give you her love, it is something worth the having. + +When I first went to Persia I found the questions of the women most +disconcerting, but after a time, if their conversation became too +objectionable, I always told them it was not our custom to talk on +such subjects, and they generally took the hint, at any rate for the +time being. When in Kerman I started an "At Home" for Moslem ladies, +and in this way I got to know some of them very well, and also by +visiting them in their homes. They quite liked the idea of an "At Home" +day, and I well remember our first one. About twenty ladies came, each +one attended by a slave or two and a small boy to guard their shoes, +which of course they left at the door. It was quite a business unrobing +all these ladies from their black silk "chuddars," and arranging each +lady in her respective place, according to the honour due to her. We +had in our drawing-room a long divan, about 12 feet by 6, occupying +the whole of one end of the room, and cushioned according to Eastern +ideas. On this about twelve of the ladies seated themselves and looked +very comfortable and at ease, while the rest sat on chairs arranged +round the room, and looked most uncomfortable and uneasy. By-and-by +I noticed first one foot being tucked up and then another, till most +of the ladies were sitting native fashion on their chairs, and it +looked so curious I could hardly keep from smiling. After all were +settled, and their chuddars and veils carefully folded up and put +aside by the slaves, then the kalian or water-pipe was brought in, +each slave preparing the pipe for her own mistress. + +I had arranged that my woman-servant, Bagi, should hand round tea, +but the ladies were horrified at the idea of taking tea which had been +poured out by a Parsee, as they believed it would make them unclean +for I don't know how long; so my poor Bagi had to take a back seat +and see others take her place. My next "At Home" day I was wiser, and +secured the services of the mother of our syce, who was a Moslem, as I +did not like to see a strange woman doing the honours of the tea-table. + +Amongst the ladies that day was the wife of one of the ex-governors of +Kerman, and the good lady did not let any one forget that fact! They +were always most interested in seeing and hearing all about Feringhi +life, and were specially interested in photographs and pictures. One +lady said to me directly she was seated, "I want to see a picture of +Jesus Christ;" and on my showing her one, she most reverently kissed +it and put it to her forehead. They much enjoyed listening to our +little organ, and one lady was so delighted that she gave her husband +no peace till he bought her one, and then nothing would satisfy her +but I must go and teach her how to play. As her instrument arrived +from Teheran with half its notes missing, it is easy to imagine +that her musical talent (?) was somewhat put to the test. However, +she was very proud of her instrument, and quite happy playing with +one finger an accompaniment to some weird Persian song. + +Of "home life" in Persia there is none; there is no word in their +language for "home," and so it plays no part in their lives. Life in +the home varies very much according to the rank of the husband. The +poorer wives and village women are blessed by being obliged to work, +but the better class have absolutely nothing to do, from morning +till night, but smoke, drink tea, and talk scandal. The poorer wife +is certainly the better off of the two, for she has to rise early in +the morning to get her husband his early cup of tea before he goes +off to work; then she has the house to look after and the children +to think of and sew for; and last, but not least, the evening meal +of pillau or kabob to cook ere her lord and master returns from his +labours; while her less fortunate neighbour has nothing to do but to +talk of the latest scandal of the anderoon, and then to pay a visit +to another anderoon to tell and receive the latest news there. + +The anderoon is that part of the house which is given up to the women, +and is as a rule the best part of the house, for there the men of the +house retire when their work is done, to be waited on and fussed over +by the womenfolk. + +When a man is well off and has more than one wife, he generally keeps +them in separate compounds; but often two will be living together in +the same anderoon, and as a rule they do not love each other very much. + +The great and chief causes of jealousy in the anderoon are the +children, or rather lack of children. For instance, a young bride is +brought to her husband's house, and for a time she is the pet and +favourite of her husband, and all is well; but if as time passes +no child comes to cheer her heart, then the husband soon tires of +his new plaything and looks about for a new and prettier one, till +one sad day the poor young wife hears that her husband is about to +bring home another to share her life and home. We can imagine what +rage and jealousy will burn in her heart, and how she will hate the +new inmate of the anderoon, and especially if after a time her enemy +becomes the mother of a boy. Then her hatred reaches a climax, and +it is by no means uncommon for her to have recourse to the "cup of +coffee" either for herself or her enemy. That "cup of coffee" is a +most useful (?) institution in Persia, as it is often very difficult +to detect the poison hidden therein. + +It is impossible for us even to think of the miseries through which +some of these poor women pass; and if we see how unhappiness and +wretchedness is fostered in an anderoon containing two wives, how +much more miserable and awful must be the life when the number of +wives is multiplied by two or even more. + +But while there are many unhappy anderoons, yet as "the exception +proves the rule" in most cases so it does here. For I remember one +home in which two wives were living in apparent peace and happiness; +but here, again, there was reason for their unity, as neither of +them had any children, and so there was no cause for jealousy. Their +husband was an aristocratic old man of about seventy years of age, +and he had taken these two young wives to cheer his old age. He had a +little son by one of his many former wives, of whom he was passionately +fond, and this boy was very ill for some months, suffering from heart +disease. His two young wives nursed this boy day and night in a most +devoted manner, and apparently really loved the boy, and were very +sorry when he died. It was owing to this boy's illness that we had the +opportunity of spending two days in the anderoon of Khan Baba Khan, +and very pleasant and interesting days they were too. It was the +year that we were in Kerman, and we had just gone away for our summer +holiday to that lovely garden of Mahoon, when one day a very urgent +messenger came to my husband from Khan Baba Khan begging him to go +and see his boy, who was very ill. The old man had sent his carriage +for us, with instructions to his man to drive the doctor straight to +his garden, situated some sixteen miles on the other side of Kerman, +where the boy had been taken ill. As soon as we were ready we started +off, but could only reach Kerman that night, where we rested, and +the next day arrived at the garden of the Khan. + +It was a very pretty garden, with plenty of trees and running water. On +our arrival we were ushered into the room prepared for us, and in +a few minutes the poor little invalid was brought in, and even then +he seemed to have the mark of death on his face; but he was a very +self-willed boy, and every one had to humour him in everything, as the +fits of temper which he indulged in were very dangerous for him in his +weak state of health. While the doctor was examining and prescribing +for the invalid in another room the two ladies came to see me, and +brought a very appetising dinner; chickens cooked to perfection and +pillaus formed the staple part of the meal. The ladies then retired, +and my husband and I thoroughly enjoyed our first meal taken together +in a Persian anderoon. + +After dinner my husband again visited the patient, and the ladies +came to prepare our room for the night. This was quite an elaborate +undertaking. First of all, a huge mosquito net was fixed up by +attaching the four corners to tapes and nailing them to the wall. The +underneath part of the net rested on the floor; on this the mattresses +were placed, so that once you were inside the net you were in what +seemed like a good-sized room. In fact, during the next two days we +used to sit inside the net reading or writing, as outside there was +no respite from the plague of mosquitoes and sandflies. Sleeping on +the floor is very comfortable; in fact, I don't quite see the need of +bedsteads, unless the room is infested with rats or other creeping +creatures! The next two days passed very pleasantly; whenever my +husband went out of the room, almost simultaneously I would hear a +voice at the window asking permission to enter, and the ladies would +come in for a chat. We became great friends, and this friendship lasted +till we left Kerman some months later, and then the Khan lent us his +carriage to drive to Yezd, as he wished to express his gratitude for +all my husband had done for his boy. Unfortunately the boy even then +was past human aid, and after two or three months of suffering he died. + +I have always been glad of these two days actually spent in a Persian +home, as it enabled me to see what their everyday life really was; +but as I have said, this was quite an exceptionally happy anderoon, +with none of the wrangling and quarrelling generally connected with +the homes of Persian women. + +While in Yezd I met and soon became very friendly with a most charming +Persian lady. She was a daughter of one of the late Shahs, and thus +was a princess in her own right; her husband was a nephew of the late +Shah, so she was doubly connected with Persian royalty. + +H.R.H. Princess Hamadane Sultane was in many ways quite unlike the +majority of Persian ladies. She was a strong-minded, clever woman, and +was very anxious that her children should be brought up in European +fashion. These children certainly had a very good time compared +with other Persian children, as their mother refused to let them +become little women before they had passed out of childhood's days, +and although they were then nine and ten years old were generally +playing with their dolls or other toys brought from Paris for their +amusement. The princess very much wished her children to learn English, +but I suggested that she should learn it herself first and then teach +it to her children. To this she gladly consented, and so twice a +week I used to go up and give her lessons. She quickly got over the +A B C stage, as she had some slight knowledge of French, and took +a great delight in picking out the words of an easy English reader, +and in a very short time she greeted me in very quaint broken English: +"Good morning; I hope you are well." Unfortunately, I had to leave my +interesting pupil at this stage, as we were leaving Persia for England, +and I never saw her again; but I have heard that she continued her +English lessons for some time. I do not think I ever knew any one +with so many dresses as this princess had; every time I saw her she +appeared in a different costume, and always in rich silks, satins, or +brocades. I asked her once if she knew how many gowns she possessed, +and she confessed that she had no idea, and added that it would not be +at all right for me to see her more than once in the same dress! And +I certainly never did, although I was visiting her twice weekly for +some months. + +This good lady exercised a very great influence over her husband +(a most unusual thing in Persia), partly, perhaps, on account of +her social position and also because she possessed a large amount of +property in her own right. Before she came to live with her husband in +Yezd she said she would only come with the understanding that she was +to be the only wife, and I believe the prince kept to the agreement as +long as she was with him. But he must have found it very hard, for I +have heard that before his wife came no girl dared be out after dusk, +so afraid were they of the prince and his courtiers. + +One day I was visiting in the anderoon in company with the lady doctor +who was attending one of the children, and lunch was announced; so +the prince made us sit down with them and partake of the mid-day +meal. After lunch the prince amused himself by vaccinating all +the children he could lay hands on (not his own, but those of the +servants). The children did not seem to see the joke quite so much +as the prince did! They were much too frightened to run away, and +stood trembling in their shoes waiting for their turn to come. At +that time, too, no one in the anderoon dared say they had toothache, +for if they did immediately the prince would call for his forceps, and +out would come a tooth. Perhaps it might happen to be the offender, +but just as likely it would be an innocent tooth which had never +given its owner a moment's pain! + +I shall never forget the delicious coffee which was always served +when visiting at this house. It was a mixture, I believe, of coffee +and chocolate; and I have never tasted anywhere such coffee. I asked +the princess to give me the recipe, but my make never came up to the +original, and I think perhaps they did not mean it to! + +The princess was very fond of sending to Paris for boxes of goods +on approval, and it was rather amusing to be there when the things +arrived. Sometimes most beautiful Parisian blouses would come, quite +unsuitable for her; but she loved to try them on and then put them +away, never, perhaps, to be looked at again. I have very pleasant +memories of my friendship with Princess Hamadane, and have as a yad +gari (remembrance) a lovely silver tray of Persian work, which she +presented to me on our leaving Yezd; also the photographs of her +three children--two girls and a boy. + +It is quite impossible to tell of all the interesting visits paid to +different anderoons; but I should like to mention some visits paid +to the anderoon of the Zil-es-Sultan, a brother of the late Shah. He +was then Governor of Isphahan, and my husband at that time was taking +charge of the medical work there for a year. + +The governor one day sent his carriage, with the request that the +English doctor would go to see one of his wives, and also bring +his wife with him; so we went, and had a very pleasant three-mile +drive from Julfa to Isphahan. Arriving at the palace, we were met by +the chief eunuch and conducted to the anderoon, into a large room +surrounded by glass mirrors. Here in a far corner, seated on the +ground, was "something" covered with what looked like a large white +sheet. This "something" turned out to be one of the ladies of the +anderoon, who was suffering from dimness of sight. She was one of the +prince's favourite wives, and so he had taken the trouble to allow +her to see the doctor. After a great deal of palaver she consented +to lift a corner of her chuddar, and, while shielding the other part +of her face, to uncover her eyes. Her husband was very anxious for +her eyes to be thoroughly examined, and he ordered a dark room to be +speedily prepared, so that the examination should be as complete as +possible. While we were waiting for the room and lamp to be ready +the prince took out a little pocket-mirror from his waistcoat and +carefully looked to see if his hair was in perfect order, and then, +having satisfied himself that all was as it should be, he entered +into conversation with my husband over the state of his wife's eyes. + +Another day I paid quite an informal friendly visit to two or three +of his wives. Each wife had a separate compound to herself, and her +own set of servants and slaves, and no wife was allowed to visit +another without special permission from the chief eunuch or from the +prince himself. + +That afternoon two or three had asked for and received permission +to drink tea in the house to which we had been invited, so we had +quite a nice little tea-party, and a very gay one too so far as the +costumes were concerned; but the subject of dress being so stupendous, +we will leave it for another chapter. + + + + + + + +CHAPTER VIII + +MORE ABOUT PERSIAN WOMEN + + Costumes--Wedding festivities--Wedding dinner--Kindness of Persian + husbands--Story of brutality--Divorce--Aids to beauty--Degradation + and cruelty of women. + + + "Women are made by men: + The nations fade that hold their women slaves: + The souls of men that pave their hell-ward path + With women's souls lose immortality." + + John Davidson. + + +The indoor costume of the Persian women is not at all pretty or +graceful. It consists of a short, loose jacket, generally made of +some gaily coloured material, and in the case of rich women of bright +brocaded silk or velvet, and a very short skirt, just the length of a +ballet dancer's. In fact their dress is an exact copy of the Parisian +ballet dancer. Many years ago all the women wore those picturesque +baggy trousers, with long flowing garments over them, but while one +of the late Shahs was visiting Europe he saw the ballet dancer, +and his fancy was so taken by the costume, that on his return he +ordered all the inmates of the royal harem to adopt the same dress; +and as royalty always sets the fashion for the country, in a short +time all the Moslem women of Persia had adopted this hideous fashion. + +I remember so well the first time I saw this costume; it was the +evening of the day on which we first arrived in Isphahan. After dinner +Miss Stuart (the bishop's daughter) and I were walking on the roof +of their house, when suddenly a woman appeared on the other side +of a wall and began chattering with Miss Stuart. I felt inclined to +look the other way, thinking the good lady had forgotten to complete +her toilet, but seeing that Miss Stuart did not seem surprised, +I supposed it was all right, and so began to feel more at ease; +but certainly the first sight of these costumes is rather alarming, +especially if the woman is not wearing the long stockings, as they +generally do, but often leave off in very hot weather. On their heads +they wear a square of white muslin, and flowing down their backs, +and attached by a pin to their hair, is a long, graceful chuddar, +generally made of a pretty muslin or silk; and as the women walk +about the house, these chuddars flow behind, and look very graceful +indeed. The ladies do not like the fashion of the short skirts, +and many were the requests made to me to cut out dresses such as I +was wearing, and if I had wished, I could have had my time in Kerman +fully occupied in cutting out dresses according to European fashion; +but with the exception of pleasing two or three of my special friends, +I always told them I had no time for dressmaking, but would always be +pleased to lend them patterns. So ashamed were some of the women of +their short skirts, that they would often take their long, flowing +chuddars from their heads and wrap them round their waists, giving +the appearance of a draped skirt. + +The outdoor costume of the Persian women is much more becoming than +the indoor, though it is decidedly hot in the warm weather. It is made +up of three pieces; the big voluminous trousers which slip over the +feet and cling closely to the shape of the foot, but above the ankle +fall full and baggy; over these are worn the large black chuddar, +the poor wearing black calico and the rich silk; and then, covering +the face, is the veil. This veil is a long strip of white calico with +open work for the part covering the eyes, and fastened together at +the back of the head by brass, silver, or gold and jewelled clasps, +according to the rank of the wearer. Through the open work part of +the veil the woman is able to find her way about, and see all that +there is to be seen, while no one can see the face behind the veil. + +To see a group of Persian ladies decked out in their silks and satins +is a sight not easily forgotten. There is nothing these women love +more than some festivity at their own or a friend's house, which +gives them an opportunity of showing off their finery, and also +of meeting all their acquaintances, and having a good "gufti goo" +(chat). I was often invited when in Kerman upon these occasions, +but found, if I accepted all invitations, my time would be taken up +with going to betrothal feasts, weddings, &c., and so I used to look +in for a few minutes and then excuse myself. On one occasion I went +to a wedding at the house of one of the chief mullahs of the town. I +was asked to go at sunrise, but did not put in an appearance till +about nine o'clock. When I arrived, all the guests had been there +already some hours; it was certainly a very pretty sight. Two large +compounds were given up to the entertainment of the bride's party, +while the bridegroom was holding his reception in another house. + +As I entered the door leading into the anderoon, I could but stand and +admire the scene before me. Quite two hundred ladies were present, each +one dressed in gorgeous silks and satins, and all wearing the graceful +chuddar falling from the head. The majority of these chuddars were of +silk--Indian, Japanese, or Persian silks, all vying with each other +in their brilliancy and beauty. Some were rainbow silks, all colours +merging into each other; then again, others were gaily flowered, +and others "shot" or lustre silks--the whole forming a wonderfully +harmonious and striking picture, and I longed for a camera that might +give a true representation, both in colour and vivacity, of this +butterfly scene before me. To add to the gayness of their attire, +each married lady was wearing a spray or wreath of flowers in her +hair, and many carried or wore bouquets of roses. The whole effect +was charming, and formed a marvellous study of colour, gracefulness, +and Eastern beauty. + +We have kept our hostess waiting quite a long time while we have been +admiring her guests, but now we must hasten to pay our respects to her, +and take our seat amongst this gay throng. I was alone that day, being +the only European woman in the town; but it will be much more pleasant +if my readers will come with me in imagination to that wedding feast. + +We are ushered into a large room full of gay ladies, who immediately +all rise from the ground as we enter, and salaam us. It is rather +difficult to know which is our hostess amongst so many, so we must be +impartial in our salutations, and pray God that "their kindnesses may +never grow less," or "their hands never pain them," &c. Then we all +take our seats, and conversation is resumed. The ladies will begin +with a series of questions, such as-- + +"How old are you?" "Have you a mother?" "Why do you not black your +eyebrows?" "Are you happy?" "Is your husband kind to you?" "Do +you like him?" "How much did your dress cost?" and so on, like a +group of children--and when you think they have finished, they will +begin again. After a short interval tea is handed round. Tea, did I +say? well, it is dignified by that name, but in reality Persian tea +is not much more than sweetened water coloured with a drop of tea. To +begin with, the cups are very tiny, generally made of glass. They are +first filled up with three or four lumps of sugar, then a teaspoonful +of tea is poured over these, and water added until the cup is full, +and the result is--Persian tea! However, it is rather pleasant to +drink, and helps to pass the time. After a short interval more tea +is handed round, and then glasses of sherbet, made from juices of +different fruits, and then, for a change, coffee is served. + +About noon, just as I am afraid we are all feeling very tired and +sleepy, a welcome change comes; a stirring and commotion begins in +the courtyard, women rush about with enormous trays on their heads +and carrying all kinds of dishes: this is but a prelude to dinner +being announced. Two large rooms are laid out for dinner; in each room +about one hundred guests sit down. I was taken in by the mother of the +bridegroom, so we will all pass in under her protection. (The mother +of the bride is not in evidence on these occasions, being supposed to +be overwhelmed with grief at losing her daughter.) The "table" is the +ground, so we must gracefully (?) sit on our heels. On the "table" are +over two hundred different dishes--pillaus, chillaus, chicken, kabobs, +vegetables, fruits--all laid out in tempting array. The hostess having +pronounced the Moslem benediction, "Bismi'llah" (In the name of God), +all the guests fall to work in real earnest: very little talking is +done, eating being the business of the moment. Spoons and forks were +provided for me, but I preferred to do as they did, and so ate with +my fingers, though it requires a good deal of practice to do it neatly +and gracefully. As a mark of respect and honour, the hostess from time +to time breaks off pieces of meat from her portion and places them +on my plate, and once as a special mark of favour placed a dainty +morsel of chicken in my mouth. I hope my readers have enjoyed their +dinner as much as I have, for to my mind a Persian feast is a most +delectable entertainment. + +After dinner we all washed our hands in a basin brought round for +the purpose, the water being poured from an ewer on to our hands by a +servant. Then we all retired to our reception-room of the morning, and +again tea and sherbet were handed round, and the kalian or water-pipe +was much in request, each lady taking a whiff and passing the long +tube to her neighbour. + +But where is the poor little bride all this time? We have neither +seen nor heard her all day long, and yet the feast is supposed to +be in her honour. All through the long, hot June day she has been +cooped up in a tiny room, and as sunset approaches her friends and +relations go to dress her and to decorate her from head to foot with +jewellery and finery. Into her hair is woven a quantity of golden +thread, so that in the distance it looks like a mass of gold, and +must be very heavy on the poor tired little head. She is brought +out into a large room, and seated on a chair in the middle of it; +then every one goes up to her, and after kissing her, says, "May +you be blessed." The poor little mite (she might be thirteen years +old, but hardly looks it) seems absolutely wretched and miserable, +and when food is brought to her refuses to eat. Just at sunset she +is taken to her husband's house in a closed carriage, and our hearts +must ache as we think of what is in store for her. Even if her husband +is kind to her at first, yet she has nothing much to look forward to +but misery and degradation, and if by chance she goes to an anderoon +already containing two or three wives, then may God take pity on her, +for her fate will be a sad one. As soon as a man marries a girl she +is absolutely his property, and he may do exactly as he pleases with +her; there is no redress for the poor unfortunate girl. If the man +is a brute and half kills his wife no one dare say a word to him, +or if perchance there is one brave enough, he will only be told that +"the girl is his wife, and he can do as he likes with his own," and +so it is no wonder if the shadow of the future lies darkly on the +faces of those poor little children, as they leave their mother's +home as brides to go out into the unknown which lies before them. + +I remember a poor little girl who was brought to the hospital in Julfa, +while we were there. She had been married to a brutal man, when about +eleven years old. Being very unhappy with him, she often used to run +away and take refuge with her mother, who lived in a village a mile +or two away from her husband's house. On many occasions he had beaten +her severely for some childish fault, and each time she had fled to +her mother, and stayed with her till her husband came and carried +her off again by force. This went on for some time, till the poor +child's life was nothing but wretchedness and misery. + +One day she displeased her husband by not cooking the dinner to +his liking, and he was so enraged with her that he behaved in the +following abominable manner. + +First of all he saw that the windows of his house were barricaded and +the door locked: then he stripped the trembling, frightened child, +and deliberately poured paraffin oil all over her body, and finally set +a light to her and left her to her fate, taking care to lock the door +after him, as he went out. The neighbours, hearing the girl's screams, +rushed to the house, but the doors being locked and the windows +fastened much precious time was wasted. When they finally smashed +open the window it was only to find the child a mass of flames. They +picked her up and rushed wildly with her into the street, and dropped +her into the nearest stream to quench the flames! It was a marvellous +thing to think that after all this there was any life left in the +poor child. The neighbours took her to her mother, who plastered all +her wounds with red earth and left her lying in the corner of the +room for some ten days. Then, taking the advice of some friends, +they procured a cradle and lifted the poor wee child into it, and +hoisted the cradle and its occupant on the back of a donkey, and took +her some five days' journey to Julfa. They had heard of the Mission +Hospital through some of their villagers, who had been treated there, +and so they brought this little victim of Persian cruelty to the lady +doctor, who took her in, dressed her wounds, and laid her in a clean, +comfortable bed. All that human love and kindness could do was done to +alleviate her sufferings, but nothing could save her life, and after +three days she passed away--a martyr indeed to the creed of Islam, +which enables and allows men to treat their women as something lower +than the beasts of the field. + +Ought not the cries of distress and agony from the poor women of Persia +so to rouse us, their sisters in England, that we shall determine to +do all that lies in our power to lighten their burdens and to bring +some rays of light into the dark lives of our Eastern sisters? + +One thing which adds greatly to the misery of these women is the +ease with which their husbands can divorce them. A wife never knows +from day to day whether or no her lord may not divorce her. Often +for most trivial matters a man will cast away his wife. This being +the case, the woman will lie and deceive her husband in order to +escape divorcement. If the wives of Persia could only be raised to +the level of true womanhood I believe they would become good wives +and mothers, but while they are what they are, how can there be any +hope for them? There is nothing but utter darkness till the true +Light shines into their lives, and then and then only will the day +break for these downtrodden, degraded beings. + +The Persian ladies are great beauty specialists, and bestow a good +deal of attention upon their complexion and general make-up. They do +not believe in beauty unadorned, for even when quite young they use the +rouge-pot very freely, and often use it to great advantage too! I have +often known a girl who was quite ordinary-looking, sallow and dark in +complexion, but when dressed for her wedding I hardly recognised her, +so changed was she by all the numerous "aids" to beauty. Her cheeks +were now a lovely rose tint, and her eyebrows darkened and lengthened +till they almost met in the middle, and the edges of her eyelids were +also blackened with "kola," and really the effect was very good. + +They also spend much time and trouble in dyeing their hair with henna, +not only from a fear of grey hair, but also because the dull red tint +produced by henna is the fashionable colour. + +The Persian lady has very little in her life to elevate or refine +her mind, and so we cannot wonder if at times we see in her many +revolting characteristics. When we think of all she has to endure, +and how little happiness comes to her lot, our wonder is that she +retains even a semblance of womanhood. Should we be any better under +like circumstances? + +If a woman is treated continually as if she was nothing but a beast +of burden, is it to be wondered at that in some cases her nature +becomes almost as the beasts of the field? Weird stories are told of +the extremities to which women have been driven, and the cruelties +which they have perpetrated. + +The following is one which I heard when in Persia. It was in the days +when famine was rampant throughout the land. There was a certain man of +high position who collected and stored all the corn he could gather, +and then refused to sell at anything but famine prices; finally he +was arrested and sent to Teheran, where he was tried and condemned +to death. The Shah could not determine on the manner of death to be +ordered for this rascal, but at last decided to hand the unfortunate +man over to the mercies of the royal anderoon to be put to death by +them. The ladies and women servants consulted together, and decided +to keep the wretch in their quarters and kill him by inches, day by +day. The method they chose was to cut him to pieces with scissors +till he died! + +I cannot vouch for the truth of this story, and I trust it is not +true, but I give it to you as I heard it. But one thing I know to +be true, and that is, when a Persian woman is once roused to anger, +jealousy, and passion, there is hardly anything too dreadful for her +to contemplate doing, in her longing for revenge. + + + + + + + +CHAPTER IX + +SOME POINTS IN THE MOSLEM FAITH + + Fasts and Feasts--Seyyids, dervishes, mullahs--Legends of the + drowning mullah, and the yard square hole. + + + "Religion's all or nothing." + + R. Browning. + + +There are five things which every true Mohammedan must either +believe or do. The first is the declaration of their faith or +"Kalimat." "I declare that there is no God but God, and Mohammed is +His Apostle;" "La Allaha il Allah wa Mohammed rasool Allah," this is +the all-important witness, and must be continually recited by all true +believers. Secondly, Moslems are bound to repeat prayers five times +a day--at daybreak, noon, shortly before sunset, during twilight, +and an hour after dark. I do not say all Moslems do repeat prayers at +each of these times, but that is their rule, and those who consider +themselves good Moslems adhere most righteously to these set times +for prayers. Needless to say, it is but a form of words and position, +any slight error in posture taking away all the benefit to be derived +from the prayer. Often in Persia women have said their prayers in +our drawing-room, if the call to prayer sounded while they were +visiting me. + +Living in the East, one gets very fond of the call to prayer, heard +from some neighbouring minaret. The first sound that catches the ear +at daybreak is "Allah, Allaho Akhbar" (God is most great), repeated +four times. "La Allaha il Allah wa Mohammed rasool Allah"--this is +said twice, and then other calls and invocations, always finishing +up with the final declaration of "Allah, Allaho Akhbar." + +There is a great difference in the way this call to prayer is chanted, +some men having most melodious voices, others harsh and grating; but +wherever a true Moslem may be when he hears this call, he lays aside +his work at once and begins to repeat his prayers, bowing, prostrating, +touching the ground with his forehead, &c., till the duty is finished, +when he returns to his work, perhaps to his cheating and his lying, +for this repetition of prayers has no effect on his life or manner +of living. + +Thirdly, all good Moslems are supposed to give voluntarily to the +mullahs a tithe of all they possess, also alms to the poor. In the +Koran we read, "Prayer carries us half way to God, fasting brings us +to the door of His palace, but giving of alms procures admission." In +many cases the mullahs are provided for entirely by the freewill +offerings of the people, all gifts being sent anonymously. + +Fourthly, every true believer is expected to undertake, if at all +possible, a pilgrimage, preferably to Mecca, but if that is out +of the question then to Kerbela or Meshed. The former, of course, +brings the greatest merit, and men and women will do all they can +to perform this pilgrimage. On their return they are treated with +great respect, and looked up to as little gods. They generally think +so much of themselves after having performed this wonderful act of +self-denial that they become quite unbearable to their friends. There +is an Arabic proverb which shows the effect this pilgrimage to Mecca +is supposed to have on the pilgrim. It is as follows: "If your friend +has been to Mecca, trust him not. If he has been there twice, avoid +him. But if he has made the pilgrimage three times, then flee from +him as you would from Satan himself." + +Women often undertake these pilgrimages, spending weeks or months +it may be over the journey, but resting for ever afterwards in the +great glory and honour resulting from it. + +The fifth point to be observed by Moslems is that of fasting during +the month of Ramadan. This lasts for thirty days, and is a real +hardship for the poorer people when the fast falls during the summer, +as from sunrise to sunset not a morsel of food or drop of water may +pass their lips--or, as the Koran expresses it, from "the time you +can distinguish between a white thread and a black, then keep the +fast until night." For the rich and idle it is no great effort, +for they simply feast and revel all night and sleep by day, but +for the servants and labouring class it comes harder, as they must +work by day and cannot sleep properly at night. Children are always +very anxious to begin fasting, and often little mites of five or six +will tell you with great pride that they are keeping the fast. They +generally start by fasting for half days, and how proud they are, +and how they gloat over other children who have not yet begun this +work of devotion! Perhaps what the people who fast miss more than +anything else during Ramadan is their smoking: they are such slaves +to this habit, both men and women, that it is almost life to some +of them, and they find it very hard to go without. When the cannon +booms forth the hour of sunset, giving the Prophet's permission to +his faithful ones to break their fast, generally the first thought, +after moistening their lips with water, is that now they may enjoy +their smoke, either of a cigarette or kalian. + +Mohurram is the month of mourning, when all the country mourns for +Hassain and Hussein, the martyred sons of Ali, who are looked upon +by the Shiahs as the rightful successors of the Prophet. During this +season the majority of the people go into deep mourning, and the +bazaars are sometimes draped in black. It is in this month that the +great Passion Play of Persia is enacted, and while in Kerman we were +fortunate enough to have an opportunity of witnessing this "tazieh," +as the Passion Play is called. It certainly was a sight worth seeing +at least once in a lifetime. + +The tenth day of this month of Mohurram is the one set aside for this +festival, and is kept as a general holiday, so that all might go to +see the great spectacle enacted on that day in memory of the death +of Hassain and Hussein, the two grandsons of Mohammed. + +The Governor of Kerman had kindly invited us to view the performance +from his house, and accordingly that morning at about eight o'clock he +sent his carriage for us, and we were driven through the packed bazaars +till we arrived at his house, or "Arg," as the governor's residence +is called in Kerman. We were at once admitted by a private entrance, +and ushered into a large verandah, which had been set apart for the use +of Feringhis. As my husband and I were the only Europeans in the city +at that time, we had it to ourselves. Here, before the commencement +of the Play, we were regaled with tea, coffee, jam, bread, cheese, and +cakes. Looking out, the sight was a wonderful one. In front of us was +a large garden in which I suppose some 10,000 people were gathered. At +one end of the garden was a large "hoze" or tank of water, over which +was spread a huge awning, and near by a large pulpit from which the +mullahs preached to the people, and tried to rouse their feelings +to a high pitch of excitement. One man was specially successful in +doing this, causing the women to wail wildly and beat their breasts +frantically, and the men to smite their heads. After a delay of about +an hour, the performance began with a long procession, which entered +the garden at the far end and wound in and out till it had traversed +the whole garden. This procession represented the family travelling +as captives after the death of Hassain and his brother. + +First of all came six gaily decorated camels, with men riding +upon them, beating drums and making a tremendous noise. Then +came more camels carrying the tent furniture and other goods, +followed by horses and mules laden with heavy loads. After these +came four stretchers borne by men, on which lay four dead bodies +(figures stuffed) representing Hassain and his three brothers, who +perished from want of water, which had been cut off from them by their +enemies. On each dead body sat a dove, supposed to be mourning. Then +came a horrible sight, one which I never wish to see again. About a +hundred madly excited men dressed in long white robes, armed with +swords, were slashing their heads until the blood was streaming +down their faces on to the robes, white, alas, no longer! As they +reached the tank of water they formed into a line all round it, and +kept up for some length of time a horrible kind of war dance. It was +a ghastly sight. The dancers looked more like demons than men. One +poor man fainted from loss of blood, and had to be carried away, +and a little boy of about eight years of age also collapsed. It was +bad enough to see grown men cutting themselves, but to see the little +children being wounded in this way was terrible. This is, of course, +looked upon as a work of great merit. The more numerous and deeper +the gashes, the greater the merit they accrue to themselves. The +wild dance was continued till a sign was given to the dancers by +the governor, that he had seen enough to satisfy him. Then they all +lined up in front of the verandah where the governor was sitting, and +demanded that five notorious prisoners should be released from the +prison close by. He at once acceded to their request, as it was the +custom at this festival for the governor to release from the prison +any prisoners who are interceded for by these wild, fanatical dancers. + +After this ghastly sight came a motley crowd of men and children on +horses, all beating their breasts or heads. Some of the riders were +so tiny that they had to be held on to their steeds by men-servants. + +Then came another body on a bier, with a man dressed in a lion's skin, +embracing and fondling the dead body. It looked so weird to see the +pseudo-lion kissing and hugging the remains of its late friend and +master, and expressing in various ways great sorrow and anguish over +its loss. + +After this came several batches of boys stripped to the waist, all +beating their breasts. It was really a very pretty sight, for the +boys kept such perfect time, one boy acting as leader, like a group of +children performing gymnastic exercises. As their hands simultaneously +clapped their breasts, there was a sharp report, at which they all +shouted "Hassain! Hussein! Hassain! Hussein!" The whole proceeding +was an interesting but sad spectacle, which I shall never forget. The +clash of swords, the beating of drums, the weird wailing of the women, +accompanied by their spasmodic shrieks, the shouting and yelling of +the fanatical mob, all contributed to the making up of one of the +most notable scenes of Eastern life. And yet it made one's heart +ache to watch this crowd of human beings for whom Christ died, and +who as yet know nothing of Him, but are only anxious to obtain merit +for themselves by taking part in these gruesome religious performances. + +All over Persia "religious men" are much looked up to and +respected. Of these the dervish is one very much to the fore. He is +a religious mendicant, having taken a vow either for a certain time +or permanently. The vow is not a very strict one, only consisting +of poverty and obedience to a chief, to whom a portion of the alms +received must be paid. + +These dervishes wander from place to place, chanting, singing, and +begging. The natives do not like to refuse them anything, from fear +more than love, perhaps, as it is considered meritorious to give alms +to these religious people. + +They generally dress in dirty white, wear their hair long, and carry +an axe or club, more often than not beautifully chased and inlaid, also +the well-known dervish bowl, which is made from a huge nut, carved and +decorated. Often these dervishes will come and seat themselves in the +courtyard and begin their monotonous chant, and it is very difficult +to get them to move, as the servants will never use force, and their +reiterated requests to "move on" meet with no success whatever till +the dervish is satisfied that he has extracted all the "backsheesh" +likely to be forthcoming. + +The Seyyids are another class of people much respected in the +country. They claim to be the direct descendants of the prophet +Mohammed, and are allowed many privileges on account of this. They +wear a green turban or waistband, to be known of all men. Looked upon +as a religious body, the natives are afraid to offend them in any way. + +Then there are the "mullahs," or priests of the Islamic faith. They +exercise a great deal of power over the people, but are not, as a rule, +loved by them over much. + +The Persians are Shiah Mohammedans, whilst the Arabs and Turks are +Sunnis. As the former know very little Arabic, the reading of the +Koran is to them an unknown tongue, and they regard their "mullahs" as +"sacred men," able to interpret the "Holy Book." Thus the Shiah priest +gains great influence, not to say considerable wealth, in Persia, and +the Shah himself fears the influence of the priesthood. The Sunnis, on +the other hand, know Arabic, as a general rule, and many of them are +able to consult the Koran for themselves, the result being that the +"mullah" gains but little influence compared to the "Shiah" priest, +and is often quite poor. Briefly, the Shiah priesthood is comparable +with that of the Roman Catholic Church of Christendom, while "Sunni" +mullahs do not claim, or would claim in vain, any such authority, thus +more nearly resembling the "status" of Church of England clergy. The +result is obvious: Persia is a priest-ridden country; in "Sunni" +lands the people are freer, and dare think for themselves. It is +a well-known fact that a Persian mullah will exact the uttermost +farthing from his followers, but will never lend a helping hand to +them in their need. For instance, if a man dies without an heir, his +property according to law goes to the poor, but unfortunately it has to +be done through a medium, and that medium is the mullah. He promptly +pockets the property and gives its supposed value (valued, mark you, +by himself) to the poor. We can imagine what a large percentage the +poor receive of that property. + +Here is a story which was told us in Kerman, illustrating how loath +the mullahs are to give anything away. The scene is a large pool of +water, in it a mullah struggling to reach the bank, and in danger +of drowning. A passer-by, seeing his distress, runs to his aid and +cries, "Give me your hand, oh my lord, and I will pull you out." "No, +indeed," answers the mullah, "I have never yet given anything to +any one, and I certainly will not begin now." The kindly passer-by, +not liking to leave the mullah in his sad condition, tries to think +of another way out of the difficulty. Suddenly a bright idea strikes +him, and running to the priest, he calls out, "Will you take my hand, +then, oh my lord?" "Gladly," says the mullah, and allows himself to +be drawn out of his perilous position. + +Another rather good story is told, showing the meanness of the +priests. A man had agreed to pay a workman eight krans (2s. 8d.) for +digging a hole one yard square. At the end of the day the workman had +only dug a hole half a yard square, so the master went to a mullah to +ask him how much he ought to pay the workman. "Why, of course," says +the mullah, "half the sum agreed upon, that is, four krans." After +deliberating awhile he said, "No, two krans is enough," and this +decision he gave as final, although he impressed upon the man that +one kran was all he could legally claim, as he had scientifically +only done one-eighth of his work! + +In the next chapter we shall see a little of another religious sect, +which is fast becoming a power in Persia. + + + + + + + +CHAPTER X + +OTHER RELIGIOUS SECTS + + Other religious sects--The Bab and Babism--Short sketch of + life of the Bab--His imprisonment and execution--Parsees, or + Zoroastrians--Persecutions of Parsees in seventh century--Sacred + writings of Parsees, Zendavesta--Fire-worshipping--Fire + temples--Holy fire--Parsee wedding--Costume of women--Death + customs--Burial customs. + + + "How many crimes have in religion's name been wrought." + + Lucretius. + + + "Too oft religion has the mother been + Of impious act and criminal." + + Lucretius. + + +The founder of Babism was a native of Shiraz, by name Mirza Ali +Muhammed, born in 1820; it was not till 1844 that he publicly +proclaimed himself to be The Bab or Gate, through which all who wished +for peace and happiness might pass into the inner chambers of mysticism +and sacred mysteries. He soon gathered a large following around him, +and in an astonishingly short time the fame of the Bab was noised +abroad throughout the length and breadth of Persia. At first the +Government and mullahs paid little attention to this new religion, +thinking and believing it to be only a passing fancy of the people, +but in its second year it took such rapid strides that they began to +be alarmed, and to look about for means of checking its progress. The +Bab was placed in prison, and his followers were forbidden, on pain +of death, to teach or discuss their new religion. Soon afterwards, +however, the Bab escaped, and fled to Isphahan, where the governor +of that city protected him for some months, but on the death of the +governor the Bab was again cast into prison. During his imprisonment +he was not idle, for he wrote many books, setting forth his doctrines, +and exhorting his followers to remain firm to their new faith in the +face of all opposition and persecution. + +While the Bab was busy in prison, his followers were also busy, +preaching and teaching, and by all means trying to extend the doctrines +of their leader, and so great was the opposition and strife raised +that the Government decided that the Bab must forfeit his life as a +means of putting a stop once and for all to this new and dangerous +sect. Accordingly the Bab was brought from Tabriz, where he had been +imprisoned, and after a mock trial was sentenced to death. On the day +appointed for his execution an enormous crowd gathered to witness his +end--many from curiosity, and also many from love and pity for the +youthful martyr, who to the last maintained the calmness and courage +which had characterised his whole term of imprisonment. + +To make the lesson more emphatic, it was decided that two of the +Bab's chief disciples were to be executed with him. One of these +at the last moment recanted, and so was allowed to go free. It was +said that his recantation arose not from cowardice or fear of death, +but from a special revelation given to him, whereby he was commanded +to recant in order to be able to carry away all books and papers +belonging to the Bab, and deposit them in a safe place: however that +may be, it is known that after an interval of two years he too became a +martyr. Efforts were made to entice the other disciple to recant, but +all proved unavailing, and he and his master the Bab were suspended, +by ropes placed under their arms, to a beam placed a few feet from +the ground. As they hung thus the disciple was heard to say, "Master, +art thou satisfied with me?" and then the order was given to fire. When +the smoke cleared away the body of the disciple was found to be riddled +with bullets, but no Bab was visible. What had happened? Had a miracle +been performed, and an angel been sent to rescue him from the hand of +his persecutors? This was the thought of some, and, indeed, a miracle +had been performed, for in spite of the many bullets which had been +aimed at him not one had touched the Bab, but had only brought him +deliverance by severing the ropes which bound him, so that he fell +to the ground unhurt. At first it seemed as if the multitude would +have pity on the unfortunate man, and spare him a second attempt, +but these feelings were only of short duration, and the Bab was again +dragged forth from his hiding-place, where he had taken refuge, and +was a second time suspended. A fresh batch of soldiers had to be told +off for the execution, as the first company absolutely refused to fire +again. This time there was no intervention, and in a second or two +the body of the young martyr of Shiraz was pierced with bullets. The +bodies were cast out to the jackals, but were afterwards recovered +and buried in Teheran by the order of the new Bab, Mirza Yahya. + +This event took place in 1850, and in spite of persecutions, +oppositions, and cruelties, the Babis continued to grow in number and +strength, and to-day they form a very large and important community +throughout Persia. In fact, by the very barbarity of the persecutors +their own end was defeated, for all the people were astonished at the +heroism and fortitude displayed by the martyrs. Professor Brown [1] +says, "Often have I heard Persians who did not themselves belong to +the proscribed sect tell with admiration how Suleyman Khan, his body +pierced with well-nigh a score of wounds, in each of which was inserted +a lighted candle, went to his execution singing with exultation." The +effect of such courage and heroism was only to stir up more people +to be disciples of the Bab, as the following story shows. + +During the persecutions in Yezd, a young man went to scoff and jeer, +but when he saw with what courage the martyrs endured torture, +and met death, he called out, "I am a Babi, kill me too." While we +were in Yezd the Babis were keeping very quiet, but, nevertheless, +a great work was going on amongst them, but none dared say, "I am +a Babi." A year or two after our departure from Persia we heard of +terrible cruelties and persecutions enacted against these suffering +people, but in spite of all, their number continues to grow and +increase throughout the whole land of Persia, and to-day the Babis +are stronger and more numerous than ever before. + +The Parsees of Persia are another most interesting and important +sect: they live chiefly in Yezd and Kerman. They are a people within +a people, living in Persia, and with the Persians, yet keeping quite +distinct from the present inhabitants of the land. Only a few thousand +of this large and influential body of people, who up till the seventh +century were the inhabitants of the land, now remain in Persia. When +the armies of Mohammed conquered Persia, most of these people fled to +India; others preferred to adhere to the new religion, while a few +remained faithful to their old belief, and refused either to flee +to a new and strange country, or to change their creed, and so they +remain till this day a distinct people, following their own customs, +and holding to their own religion amidst a new and domineering nation. + +The founder of the Parsee religion was one called Zoroaster. Very +little is known of his life; his birthplace is uncertain, though it +is known he lived for many years in Bactria of Eastern Persia, and it +is probable that it was in this place that he thought out the idea, +from which in later years he constructed his religious system. The +priests of this religion were the "magi" of the Old and New Testament, +and it is very likely that at least one of the "wise men of the East" +who went to offer their adoration to the new-born King was from these +Parsees of Persia. + +The date of Zoroaster is very uncertain too. It is known, however, +that in the sixth century B.C., when Cyrus was king, the Zoroastrian +religion was firmly established in Western Persia. Some historians +give him a date between 1000 and 1400 B.C. + +The sacred writings of the Parsees are called the Zendavesta, and are +said to be inspired by God through one of their priests. This priest, +having cleansed and bathed himself in the most careful manner, lay +down to sleep clothed in pure white linen. He is said to have fallen +into a deep sleep, from which he did not awake for seven days; at the +end of which time he awoke and recited the faith of the Zoroastrians, +while priests in waiting committed the whole to writing. In this way +was the Zendavesta reduced to the form of a book. + +While fire-worshipping forms a large part of their religion, it is +quite a mistake to suppose it comprises the whole, for Zoroaster laid +down many laws concerning morality and the duties and destiny of man. + +The Parsees of to-day, as seen in Kerman and Yezd, are a fine race; +their commercial ability is very much above that of the ordinary +Persian, and they are a much cleaner and more moral set of people +than their conquerors. They regard fire as something sacred, as being +the symbol of their god, and nothing will induce them to treat fire +lightly. For instance, we could never persuade our Parsee servants +to blow out a candle; and smoking is prohibited on account of their +religious principles, though nowadays many do smoke in secret. Their +habits of cleanliness and continual personal ablutions have perhaps +contributed to make them the healthy race they are to-day. A good +Parsee will wash many times a day, always before and after praying, +as well as on many other occasions. + +All Parsees wear a girdle round their waists, twisted into three +knots in a most complicated and intricate way. Whenever they wash +they must take this off, and after their ablutions are over they +replace the girdle, repeating certain prayers for each knot. These +three knots represent the threefold cord, which is not easily broken, +of good thoughts, good words, good deeds. + +There are said to be some thirty or forty fire temples still existing +in Yezd, and in these the holy fire is always burning; the light is +never allowed to go out, it being the work of the priests to keep it +continually bright and trimmed. + +The office of priesthood descends from father to son, and besides +attending to the religious needs of the people, the priest is also +supposed to look after their temporal necessities, especially in the +case of poverty-stricken families. + +Parsee women have a much freer life than their Persian sisters; +they go about the streets quite openly, never veiling their faces, +and altogether enjoy a much better position than the Mohammedan +women. In some cases the women are even allowed to eat with the men +of the house--a great concession indeed! The children are bright, and +in many cases clever. When seven days old an astrologer is consulted +as to the future of the infant; and when seven years old a boy is +blessed by the priest, who invests him with the sacred girdle, at the +same time throwing upon the child's head portions of fruit, spices, +and drops of perfume. + +Girls are married when quite young, and the astrologer is again +consulted on this important matter. When in Yezd we were invited +to a Parsee wedding, and a very interesting sight it was. The +invitation--which was written in letters of gold, and arrived some days +before the date fixed for the ceremony--was acknowledged and accepted +by us with much pleasure, as we were anxious to see something of the +customs of these interesting people. + +When the day arrived we arrayed ourselves in gala attire, and set +out to the house of the bride. It was just midnight when we arrived, +and already the guests, some hundreds of them, had been feasting +for hours--in fact, I might say "days," for this was the seventh +and last day of the wedding festivities, and many of the guests +had been present each day. They all looked thoroughly worn-out and +tired. A room had been set apart for the Europeans to dine in, and +just after midnight a most sumptuous dinner was served, consisting +of about a dozen courses. When this had been satisfactorily disposed +of we dispersed to visit the different rooms occupied by the guests, +my husband remaining with the men, while I and another English lady +sought out the bride to give her our salaams and good wishes. The +confusion was terrible--drums beating, cymbals clashing, women dancing +and singing, children yelling and crying, and amid it all, seated +upon the ground, sat the poor little bride-elect. No one seemed to +be taking much notice of her, every one apparently aiming to amuse +herself in the most noisy way possible. + +By-and-by a large, silk-covered cushion was brought out from a +back room, and on this the bride was placed, and covered entirely +with a large silk shawl. I wondered what was going to happen next, +when suddenly a group of men appeared at the door. These were the +representatives of the bridegroom, who came to ask formally for the +hand of the bride. They came and stood in front of the covered-up +bride, and called in a loud voice, "Oh, my daughter, will you +consent to be the bride of this man?" (naming the bridegroom). This +was repeated six times amidst a silence which could be felt, all +listening for the answer of the bride. On their repeating the question +the seventh time, a very timid "Balli" (Yes) was heard coming from +the region of the shawl, upon which the commotion started again with +redoubled vigour, in the excitement caused by the acceptance on the +part of the bride of her bridegroom. Of course this was a mere form, +as everything had been arranged long beforehand. I shocked one good +old lady by asking what would happen if the bride had said "No" +instead of "Yes" to the oft-repeated question! + +After receiving this very satisfactory answer to their inquiries the +men went off, and the women began to prepare the bride for the last and +most important part of the programme--viz. that of taking her to the +home of the bridegroom. They covered her with a large silk chuddar, +and over her head threw a thick shawl, so that the poor girl could +see nothing, and had to be led and supported on each side by her +proud relatives. The distance between the two houses might perhaps +have taken five minutes to walk in an ordinary way, but that night +we took quite an hour. The procession was headed by two "vakeels" +(agents), who were bargaining the whole way as to the dowry of the +bride. Every now and then they would come to a standstill, and the +bride's vakeel would refuse to go a step further till more money had +been paid, and after a great deal of shouting, gesticulating, and +wrangling, the bridegroom's vakeel would end by throwing some coins +into the other's hand, and then the procession would proceed for a few +steps till blocked once more, while the whole process of bargaining +was gone through again. Fireworks were going off the whole time, +and were apparently laid along the route, for every now and then we +were startled by having a rocket fly up from beneath our feet. About +every twenty yards or so we came across huge bonfires of dried faggots +right in our path, and the whole procession had to wait till these +had died down before they could pass on. Arriving at the door of the +bridegroom's house, a final and most exciting scene took place between +the two vakeels, the one threatening even then to take the bride away, +and the other, getting more wildly angry every minute, declaring he did +not want the bride, and would not pay a "para" (1/2d.) more for her, +and ending up by giving the sum bargained for. If we had not known +it was all part of the ceremony, we might have expected the two men +to come to blows; but it all ended happily, and we trooped into the +new home of the bride. Then came a long time of weary waiting, during +which my sympathies went out to the tired, frightened bride; but just +as we thought there was nothing more to wait for, three interesting +scenes took place. The first was the actual marriage ceremony, in +which a priest read many long prayers from a book, and then tied the +couple together with a silk thread and pronounced a blessing upon them. + +The second scene took place in the open courtyard, in the centre of +which was burning the sacred fire placed on a pedestal. The priest +and parents of the bride and bridegroom now joined hands with the +happy couple and walked in solemn single file round and round the +fire, the priest chanting the whole time; this was done seven times, +and then all retired quietly, leaving the fire burning in the court. + +To the third and final scene only a favoured few were admitted; +fortunately I was amongst that number. Into the room prepared for the +newly-married couple the little wife was now led, and for the first +time the coverings were taken from her head and face. She was placed +on a huge silk-covered mattress, then the husband came and took his +seat by her side: both of them were looking thoroughly miserable! One +of the women then brought a copper basin and ewer filled with milk, +and the bridegroom proceeded to wash his wife's feet in milk, and she +in her turn washed his hands. This done, we all bade farewell to the +newly-married couple and the wedding ceremony was at an end. Hastily +saying good-bye to our host and hostess, and expressing our good +wishes for the welfare and happiness of the young people, we made +our way homewards, to find it was not very far off dawn, but having +thoroughly enjoyed our first experience of a Parsee wedding ceremony. + +The costume of the Parsee women is rather quaint and pretty; it +consists of very baggy trousers gathered in at the ankle. These +trousers are often made of very pretty pieces of embroidery joined +together. As soon almost as a girl can sew she begins to embroider +strips of brightly-coloured materials in order to have them ready +for her wedding trousseau. Over these garments they wear a loose +shirt reaching to just below the knees; this is also made of strips +of different coloured materials, or in the case of a bride is also +embroidered. Then comes the head-dress: it is far beyond my powers +to say of how many pieces this is composed, or as to how they are +arranged. The number of coverings on their heads is legion! First comes +a little tight cap fitting closely over the head and ears. Over this is +arranged in a most marvellous way some six or seven different pieces +of calico or linen, the top one of all generally being a very bright +calico, a mixture of red and yellow being the favourite pattern. The +men are obliged to wear dowdy colours as a mark of submission to the +powers that be. For the same reason also they are not allowed to ride +through the bazaars, and if a Parsee is riding outside the city and +meets a Moslem he promptly has to dismount and walk till he has passed +his more fortunate neighbour; then he may resume his riding. This is, +I believe, the case even if the Moslem be a poor man and the Parsee +a flourishing merchant. + +To pass from life to death. A Parsee when he is dying sends for +the priest, who anoints him with sacred juice, repeats some verses +from the "Avesta," and prays for a safe crossing of the "bridge" and +admission into Paradise. As soon as the breath has left the body, +a dog is brought in from the street to ascertain if life is really +extinct. This idea originated evidently from the old Zoroastrian +idea that the evil spirit is expelled from a dead body by means of +a "four-eyed dog" being brought in and made to look at the dead, +the extra "two" eyes being represented by two black spots over the +brow of the dog. The body is then placed on a bier and carried to the +Towers of Silence, or "dakhmehs," by men specially set apart for that +purpose. These men are looked upon as unclean from their contact with +the dead, therefore only those whose work it is to do so will touch +the body, the cleansing necessary after defilement from contact with +the dead being so exacting and laborious. + +On arriving at the dakhmeh, prayers are recited by the priests and +the body laid on an iron grating, so that when the vultures and other +birds of prey have done their horrible work, the bones fall down and +are safe from molestation by dogs and jackals. + +The dakhmehs, always some distance from the town, are built in +a circular shape, some of the largest being 200 or so feet in +diameter. They are generally built on rising ground, and form a +landmark for many miles around. + +Prayers for the dead are said for three or four days after the death, +and holy fire is kept burning in the house of the deceased during +the whole of that time, as the soul is not supposed to leave the body +till the fourth day after death. + +The better-class Parsees "mourn" for a year after the death of a near +relative; that is, they keep up certain ceremonials for that length +of time, and offer flowers and fruits on behalf of their dead. + +The Parsees have a governing body called the Anjiman. This consists of +a number of leading men, representatives of each class of society. The +Persian Government acknowledges the Anjiman, and accepts one of its +number to act as its representative. + + + + + + + +CHAPTER XI + +DESERT DELIGHTS + + Songs of the desert--Sunsets, sunrises, mirages--Illness in the + desert--Mehman khanehs, caravanserais--Chappa khanehs--Lost in + the desert--Its cruelties, and sadness. + + + "The desert wide + Lies round thee like a trackless tide + In waves of sand forlornly multiplied." + + F. W. Faber. + + +To a lover of the desert a journey across its boundless tracts is +always full of interest and delight. It is strange what an attraction +the desert has for some people, and stranger still is the fact that +this magnetic power increases as time passes, and instead of wearying +of the wilderness, they love it more and more. And any one who has once +heard the call of the desert is always longing to answer that call, and +to fly once more, as a needle to its magnet, to that great, wondrous +world. For it is a world of its own, this great, boundless ocean of +sand--a world altogether different from any other part of God's earth. + +I once heard an address on "The Desert," and the speaker said that +he did not think it possible for any one with an uneasy conscience +to bear the solitariness of the desert. Be this as it may, one thing +is sure: no one can live and travel in the desert without feeling +the majestic Presence of God. Everything speaks of Him, the great +sea of sand, the flowers springing into blossom at His word, the +tiny lizard darting across your path, and other countless creatures, +all finding life and sustenance in the desert, each telling of the +wonderful Creator who watches over and cares for all. + +The songs of the desert, too, are fascinating; songs which, heard +elsewhere, would seem incongruous and lacking in harmony. The camel +or mule bells, booming out in the silence of the night, remind one +of home and loved ones. Often have I been awakened in the night +by the sound of the caravan bells, and for a moment thought they +were the bells of the dear old church in Devonshire. Then, again, +the crooning songs of the muleteer, as he trudges along hour after +hour, have a peculiar charm, which grows on one wondrously after a +while. And what can be said of the marvellous mirages--visions which +come as messengers of hope and leave us victims of despair? For who +has not experienced relief and joy at the sight of some beautiful +mirage, resembling the welcome sight of a village with trees and +water, all apparently within easy reach of the weary traveller, +but which in a moment of time vanish, leaving blank disappointment +behind. And where can be seen such glorious sunset effects as in +the desert? especially when, as is so often the case in Persia, the +desert is surrounded by mountains and hills, which catch the after +glow, and reflect all those indescribable shades of crimson, gold, +and blue, all merging into a beatific and not easily forgotten vision. + +But to come to the more practical side of desert life. Travelling in +the desert is not all a path of roses, but, given good health, fine +weather, and pleasant company, it is a very enjoyable way of passing +two or three weeks. On the other hand, I know of nothing more wretched +than being overtaken by illness when far away in the desert. Then you +feel how utterly alone and helpless you are, for it is impossible to +travel on, and at the same time well-nigh impossible to stay where +you are! We have had this experience more than once during our many +travels, and found it not at all pleasant. Once I was taken ill in this +way, and the only place to be found as shelter was a filthy stable, +full of rats, cockroaches, and other horrible creatures. + +If you wish thoroughly to enjoy a journey across the desert, you must +choose your time well and wisely. The best time is the early spring, +before the great heat begins. If it is essential to travel during +the summer, all the stages have to be done by night, and this is much +more tiring, as it is seldom possible to sleep during the day owing +to the pest of flies, mosquitoes, and other lively companions. + +The rest-houses of Persia are of three grades or kinds, viz. "mehman +khanehs," "chappa khanehs," and caravanserais. The first of these +three are found between Resht and Teheran. They are supposed to +be run after the plan of a European hotel! Beds are supplied, and +sometimes a tooth-brush and comb! The traveller is shown into a room +in which the beds are kept ready for all passers-by: it is not thought +necessary to change the bedding too often! The furniture consists of a +washstand, table, and couple of chairs, and everything is as dirty as +can be. I much prefer the ordinary caravanserai, which is found all +over Persia. These are generally built by a wealthy man who wishes +to do some "good deed," to make a name for himself, and gain merit +in Paradise. A caravanserai is not the cleanest spot on earth! But +after travelling a little you get used to a certain amount of dirt, +and are very much surprised if by chance you come across a fairly +clean rest-house. These caravanserais are built, as a rule, in the +form of a square, the sides of which are occupied by rooms leading off +the courtyard, the centre being the resting-place of mules, donkeys, +horses, and all other kinds of animals. At the end of the stage you +fix on the cleanest of these rooms, and your servant sweeps all the +accumulated dirt and dust of ages into one corner, thus raising a +cloud of dust and disturbing the peace of myriads of "pilgrims of the +desert." After waiting a few minutes to allow the dust to settle a +little, you then furnish your room for the night by spreading a rug on +the filthy floor, and setting up your travelling beds, chair, tables, +&c. As likely as not, there will be no door to the room, so you knock +in a couple of nails and fasten a curtain over the doorway to keep +out the prying eyes of your too near and inquisitive neighbours. Then +you begin to think about your evening meal, and your servant goes off +to bargain and wrangle over some unfortunate fowl, the result being +that in about an hour's time your dinner is ready, and shortly after +you very thankfully retire to rest, hoping for the best. + +The chappa khanehs, or post-houses, are often a trifle cleaner than +the caravanserai. Here the animals are kept for the post, and any +one travelling "chappa" is supposed to find fresh relays of horses +at each of these places, but very often the number is short, and the +poor, wretched, underfed animal has to do duty for a second stage: a +"stage" is anything from fifteen to thirty miles. My husband once rode +"chappa" from Yezd to Kerman, a distance of 250 miles, in 2 1/2 days, +to attend an English doctor who was very ill with typhoid fever. It +was very hard and rough riding; the roads were bad, the horses worse, +some of the animals being blind, others lame, while the majority of +them were so over-worked and badly fed that it seemed impossible +that they could ever do the stage. A doctor once riding in this +way to visit a European, is said to have arrived at one of these +post-houses, and finding no horse, demanded a mule. On this beast +he made the next stage, to be told on arrival that there was only +a donkey available. Nothing better presenting itself, he accepted +this mount, and in time reached the next stage, where he was met +with the comforting announcement that the only animal at liberty was +a cow! History seems uncertain after this point, so we will draw a +veil over it! + +Sometimes these caravanserais and chappa khanehs are the only signs +of life to be seen at the end of a stage. There they stand, alone, +surrounded on all hands by vast stretches of desert, and form a +landmark for miles around. One such I remember very well, as each +time we passed that way it seemed to have become more lonely and +desolate. Visible from a distance of 5 farsakhs (18 miles), it made +the stage seem very long! The atmosphere is so rarefied that distant +objects appear near, and the buildings, which were in reality 15 miles +away, looked quite close at hand. In this chappa khaneh we were once +guilty of inscribing our names on its already well-filled walls. Some +years after a lady was visiting us in Mosul, and told us she had read +our names in that far-distant chappa khaneh. + +It is not a very pleasant sensation to be lost in a desert. Only once +did this experience befall us, and then we were glad when it was over. + +We were on our way from Yezd to Kerman, and had reached the second +stage out. We had arranged with our muleteer to start at a certain +hour that morning, but when we came down from the "bala khaneh" +(upstairs room) where we had been sleeping, we found no signs of our +caravan being ready to start. After loitering about for some time, we +decided not to wait any longer, but to ride on ahead. This was quite +contrary to our usual custom, as we always found it wiser to see the +caravan off first, otherwise the muleteers dawdled half the morning +away. However, we thought this once we would alter our plans, as the +dawn was even then breaking, and we knew that in a very short time +the sun would be scorchingly hot. So off we went, telling our servant +to follow as soon as possible. We received minute instructions as to +which direction we were to take, and thought we could not possibly +mistake our road. + +Outside the town, on the edge of the desert, we came to two roads, one +leading straight ahead, the other branching to the left. We decided +to take the former, thinking it looked more trodden, thereby showing +more signs of traffic. So we went gaily on. My husband occasionally +remarked, "I hope we are on the right road," and I always lightly +answered, "Oh yes, I am sure we are," as I pointed out to him the +fact that we were following the same path along which another caravan +had evidently passed a few hours before. Howbeit we were not on the +right road, as we very soon found to our cost. By this time the sun +was blazing down upon us, and we began to wonder why our servants and +caravan had not caught us up. Time went on, and not a sign of life +was to be seen. Standing in our stirrups, we scanned the horizon, but +nothing could we see but the scorching sand. We then began seriously to +think that we had taken the wrong turning and were lost. Lost in the +desert, without a drop of water or a scrap of food! Pleasant thoughts +these were as companions! We could not go back: to go forward was +worse than useless. After considering a little as to the best thing +to be done, we decided to gallop on till we came to a small hill to +be seen in the distance. This we accordingly did, and as we neared +the summit saw to our great thankfulness a tiny speck on the horizon +in the direction from which we had come. This "speck" soon developed +into a moving object, and by-and-by we could see the figure of a +man and horse galloping hard. As the horse and rider came nearer, +our thankfulness was indeed great to see that the rider was our own +servant, George. If ever we had cause for thankfulness it was then, +and we certainly said, and felt from our very hearts, "Alhamd' llillah" +(Praise be to God!), and vowed we would never stray away again from +our caravan unless we were quite sure of our road. + +Our man was so delighted to see us safe and sound that he wept for +joy. After a long delay the caravan had at last started from the chappa +khaneh just as the sun was rising, and set out upon its way. They were +all surprised to think we had gone so far, but concluded at first +that we had galloped on in order to reach the lunching-place before +the great heat. On arriving at the spot, however, great was their +dismay to find we had not yet arrived. Our servant immediately rode +back to the village to make inquiries. On his way he met a man who +told him he had seen us riding off in the opposite direction. George +immediately took the path indicated, with the result already told. By +the time we regained our caravan we were well-nigh worn out with heat +and thirst, having been under the blazing sun without food or water +for most of the hottest hours of the day, but very thankful to be on +the right track once more. + +One thing that saddens a European traveller during a journey in +Persia is to see the cruel way in which the muleteer often treats +his animals. The sufferings of these poor beasts are terrible. I +often longed to be able to thrash the muleteer for his cruelty to +a poor, long-suffering little donkey. Bowed down, maybe, under a +load twice his own size, the poor ass does his best to keep up with +the other animals, but only receives kicks and hard knocks for his +pains. The wretched creature is urged on and on by having a steel +or iron instrument run into some horribly sore place by his kind +and compassionate owner. Often have I seen a mule or donkey stumble +and fall beneath its enormous load, unable to raise itself, till its +master with blows and curses comes to lend a hand. Again and again +will this happen, till at last the poor beast can go no further, +and is left to its fate. Death is the kindest master some of these +suffering creatures possess. + +I remember once seeing a mule unloaded, and the sight under the +pack-saddle was enough to make one's heart ache. A deep wound about +twelve inches long was exposed to view, just under the arch of the +saddle, where all the heaviest pressure and friction came. The owner +then heated till red hot a long wire rod, passing it through and +through this wound till the poor creature was nearly mad with pain and +agony. The next day a boy was ordered to ride this wretched beast, +but the stench from the wound was so great, and the flies attracted +by it so numerous, that he could not endure it, and asked to be +given another animal. This request was granted, but the poor brute +of a mule had to pay the penalty by receiving an extra load upon his +poor wounded back. At the first town we came to, the muleteer sold +this mule, doubtless to some one who would work the last particle of +strength out of him. Poor burdened beasts of the desert! one can only +hope for them a speedy end to their troubles, and rest hereafter. + +Another sad sight to be seen in the desert sometimes, are brick pillars +in which some unfortunate victim has been walled up alive. This is a +horrible method of inflicting capital punishment. The victim is put +into the pillar, which is half built up in readiness; then if the +executioner is merciful he will cement quickly up to the face, and +death comes speedily. But sometimes a small amount of air is allowed +to permeate through the bricks, and in this case the torture is cruel +and the agony prolonged. Men bricked up in this way have been heard +groaning and calling for water at the end of three days. At other +times the victim is placed in the pillar head first, and in this way +he is walled up. + +The first time I saw these pillars was in the desert outside Yezd, +and I could hardly believe the awful tales which were told me of the +cruelties perpetrated; but alas, they were all too true! It is sad +that the beauty of the desert should be desecrated by such things. + + + + + + + +CHAPTER XII + +PERSIAN MEDICAL MISSIONS [2] + + The need of them--Work in Isphahan--The "little devil" transformed + into a boy--Amputation--Brothers in adversity--H.R.H. Zil-es-Sultan + as a patient--Fanaticism overcome. + + + "What restless forms to-day are lying, bound + On sick beds, waiting till the hour come round + That brings thy foot upon the chamber stair, + Impatient, fevered, faint, till thou art there, + The one short smile of sunshine to make light + The long remembrance of another night." + + H. E. Hamilton King. + + +"Medical Missions" need no apology or excuse. Even in the comparatively +few years that have elapsed since their commencement, they have +abundantly justified their existence, both from the missionary +standpoint, and also as philanthropic agencies. If this be true +for purely pagan lands, it applies even more accurately to work in +Mohammedan countries. Medical missionary work is, without doubt, the +golden key that unlocks the door of the heart of the most fanatical +Moslem, be he Persian, Arab, Kurd, or Yezidee (devil worshipper). I +write this deliberately, after eight years' experience in Persia, +Palestine, and Mesopotamia. But in this book it is not meant specially +to emphasise the missionary aspect of our life in these distant lands, +but more to give a slight glimpse of native life as we found it, and +the following, therefore, must be taken as notes from a doctor's diary, +covering a period of eight years' work in Persia and Mesopotamia. + +The year 1900 found us at Isphahan. We were living in Julfa, the +Armenian suburb of that great city, and I had temporary charge +of the C.M.S. Medical Mission. The hospital at that period was +simply a native house that had been adapted, more or less, for the +requirements of a dispensary and hospital. There was no lack of work, +patients coming from Isphahan itself, and from all the country round +about. Soon after settling down to the routine work, a little Persian +boy was brought to me from an outlying village by his father. He was +about twelve years of age, and his face was badly disfigured from a +"hare-lip." The Persians believe that this congenital malformation is +the mark left by the foot of the Evil One, so this poor boy was known +in his village by the unenviable title "little devil," and had been a +good deal tormented by his playfellows. He was admitted to hospital, +operated upon successfully, and after some ten days' careful treatment +the dressing was finally removed, and I handed the boy a mirror that +he might look for the first time upon his "new" face. As I watched +his countenance while he regarded himself steadfastly in the glass, +I was amply repaid for the time and trouble spent, by his look of joy, +incredulity, and amazement. Tears of joy rolled down his face as he +kissed my hand, and murmured brokenly, "I am no longer a little devil, +I am no longer a little devil!" He could go back to his village now +gladly, no longer fearing to join in the games of his comrades, and I +feel sure he afterwards often posed as a hero in his little village, +as, the centre of an admiring throng, he recounted the details of +his visit, treatment, and cure at the Mission Hospital. + +In all Mohammedan lands, doctors always find it extremely difficult +to persuade their patients to submit to amputation. However hopeless +a condition the injured limb may be in, many would rather die than +enter Paradise maimed. Some perhaps fancy that after death, when the +prophet Mohammed comes to conduct them over that fragile bridge that +leads to the "realm of the blest," he would indignantly repudiate +the claims of an armless or legless disciple! However that may be, +the fact remains that many a poor patient dies who might, by timely +amputation, have recovered and lived for many years. But curiously +enough, soon after our arrival in Julfa, I admitted, within a few +days of each other, two Persians suffering from diseases of the legs +necessitating amputation, and both, after much persuasion, agreed to +the operation being performed. Both were men, and had been admitted +to different wards, but as after-events proved, neither knew of the +other's presence in the hospital: both thus believed that he was +the only Mohammedan doomed to pass the rest of his life bereft of +one leg, with the possible risk of non-admittance hereafter to the +Moslem Paradise. + +The two amputations were duly performed, on different days; the +amputated limbs being at once handed to the relatives for decent +interment. Both patients made good recoveries, their progress being +somewhat retarded by their continual lamentation over their irreparable +loss. In due course of time, crutches were provided, and the two men +were encouraged to practise walking with their aid. A day or two later +I was standing at the door of the operation theatre, which opened into +a corridor, with which both the men's wards communicated. Suddenly the +doors of each ward opened simultaneously, and on the threshold stood +these two men, leaning on their crutches, their faces a perfect picture +as they beheld each other. Remember that, in some curious manner, +neither had heard of the presence of the other in the hospital, and +both firmly believed that he was the only Mohammedan that had ever +submitted to the indignity of losing a limb, and lo and behold, here +was a brother in affliction! Crutches were hurled on one side, and +the two men, hopping across the corridor, excitement lending them the +needed strength, fell into each other's arms, rolling over and over +on the floor, weeping, condoling, exclaiming, while we watched the +scene, highly amused, but also feeling inclined to weep in sympathy. + +The Governor of Isphahan was H.R.H. Zil-es-Sultan (Shadow of the King), +elder brother of the late Shah. In former years he had been much +more powerful, and practically ruled over Southern Persia, but his +enemies in Teheran roused the suspicions of the Shah against him. He +was summoned to the capital, and there kept a prisoner in his house, +but ultimately allowed to return to Isphahan shorn of his former power. + +The Zil-es-Sultan had his own private physician, but would often call +in the English doctor either for himself or his household; in this +way I made his acquaintance, and, like most Europeans who have come in +contact with him, admired both his shrewdness and ability. He always +proved himself a good friend to the English mission, and later I got +to know much more intimately his eldest son, H.H. Jalal-el-Dowleh, +who was the able governor of Yezd, a city some three hundred miles +eastward of Isphahan. + +Soon after reaching Julfa, I was sent for by the governor to +examine his eyes. I found him in a garden outside the city, which +he had just had constructed for a summer residence. He received me +cordially, and, after the business part of the interview was over, +chatted freely, telling me of all he had undergone at the hands of +other physicians. A few years before, he had become alarmed about +the state of his eyesight, and became possessed with the idea that +he was gradually going blind. He believed himself to be suffering +from a very hopeless eye disease, very prevalent in Persia, known as +"black cataract" (glaucoma), and despite the assurance to the contrary +given by Dr. Carr (the English doctor) and others, he persisted +in sending for two eye specialists, one from Paris, the other from +London. Both had thoroughly examined his sight, and had confirmed +Dr. Carr's assurances that there was no disease, but his fears had +put him to considerable expense, as both the specialists were treated +right royally. Laughingly he told me how much he had dreaded the +interview with the London specialist, and how the fateful day had +at last come. The doctor had merely lightly placed his fingers on +the eye, felt the tension, and then had smilingly assured His Royal +Highness that there was no fear of glaucoma, a subsequent careful +examination confirming this verdict. "And to think," pathetically +added the governor, "that I had spent all those thousands of pounds +for nothing!" Of course I at once suggested that to have had all his +fears of blindness so happily set at rest more than compensated for +any expense that he might have incurred, but he remained unconvinced. + +During the year we remained in Isphahan I had many opportunities of +being received by the governor. He always treated me with the same +kindness, and upon our departure for Kerman, presented me with a +large signed photograph of himself. + +Isphahan is a great city that has passed through many vicissitudes: +at one time it was the capital of Persia. Its population to-day is +probably about 150,000. As in all Shiah (Mohammedan) lands, the priests +(mullahs) possess great power. The Moslem archbishops are termed +"mujtiheds." In each Persian city there are generally two mujtiheds, +one official (Sheikh-es-Islam), the other elected by the people, +and the latter, as a rule, possessed the greater influence. + +In 1900 the popular mujtihed was the eldest of three brothers, all +mullahs. His power was very great--too great for the taste of the +Shah, if one may credit rumour. Only a few days after our arrival, +a carriage was sent for me, from the second brother of this mujtihed, +who for many weeks had been anxiously looking forward to the arrival +of an English "hakim," as he was suffering from a troublesome disease +which might at any time develop serious symptoms. All these Isphahan +mullahs had proved themselves hostile to the presence of foreigners, +and on more than one occasion they had endeavoured, by preaching +against them in the mosques, to inflame the populace and cause a riot. + +At the patient's house I was joined by another doctor (Dr. Aganoor), +who was also the English Vice-Consul, and to whom we were indebted +for many acts of kindness during our stay in Isphahan. The mullah was +really his patient, and I was called in for consultation as to the +advisability of operating. We were ushered into a large room with +a fountain playing in the centre, and there we found the patient, +supported by both his brothers, besides innumerable friends. + +We sat in solemn conclave for over an hour, discussing the pros +and cons of the case, and then, having decided upon the course of +treatment, we took our departure. Some days later we were again sent +for, and found our patient in great pain, and the whole house crowded +with his innumerable friends, who had hurriedly come together at the +rumour of his approaching death. + +Our patient was in a very excited state, angrily refusing the +consolation offered by his disciples and friends, and violently +shouting, "A thousand tomans (L200) to any one who can take away this +pain." Then, as he felt an extra bad twinge, "Ten thousand tomans to +any one who will cure this pain" (about L2000). + +However, we soothed him, injected a little morphia, assured him +there was no immediate danger, and as the sedative commenced to work, +and the pain disappeared, with it went all thought of rewarding his +benefactors: on the contrary, he took extra trouble to explain how poor +a man he really was, and that it was due to the malice of his enemies +that rumour reputed him wealthy. However, to cut a long story short, +by means of a simple operation, and much patient care and attention +on the part of Dr. Aganoor, he ultimately made a good recovery, +and was really grateful, using his influence afterwards rather to +restrain than augment the anti-European fanaticism of his other two +brethren. Later a nephew of the chief mujtihed, himself a mullah, +actually consented to come into hospital to undergo an urgently needed +operation, and this proving successful, gained for us another staunch +friend from priestly quarters, whose friendship stood us in good +stead on another occasion which might have ended rather differently, +but for his intervention. A few months had elapsed: rumours still +reached us from the city of occasional attempts made to stir up the +fanaticism of the people against us, the chief offender being the +third and youngest brother of the mujtihed before mentioned. + +One day Dr. Aganoor and I were both sent for in a great hurry. We +heard that the whole city was in an uproar, that this fanatical mullah +had been poisoned, some said "by order of the Shah," others that the +governor had asked him to a feast, and as he returned, ere reaching +home, the symptoms had started; others that the women of his "anderoon" +(quarter of the house in which no man but the husband may enter) +had given him "oil of bitter almonds" by mistake. On approaching the +house we found a crowd round the door, and the house itself packed +with disciples and friends of the great man. We were hurriedly shown +into a large hall, with marble pillars and floor, densely crowded +with a mass of human beings, all engaged in watching the last gasps of +the poor mullah, who was lying on a pile of carpets stretched on the +marble floor. We learnt to our dismay that he had been unconscious +for four hours, and apparently precautions had been taken that the +English doctors should not be called in until that amount of time +had elapsed. Before that intent, silent, fanatical crowd, we did +all that could be done to save the life of the man who had been our +bitter enemy, taking turns to perform artificial respiration, &c., +but all in vain, for, as in my turn I worked the dying man's arms, +he took his last breath, and I whispered Dr. Aganoor that all was +over. It was getting towards midnight. Julfa was three miles distant, +and we were alone in the midst of that fanatical crowd. Well did my +colleague know that once the intimation was given that the end had +come, the scene would baffle description; the whole city would be +roused, and our lives might even be in danger; knowing these things, +he whispered me to go on performing artificial respiration while he +got ready to go. So I went on with my task, working the dead man's +arms until all was ready for our instant departure. Then reverently +folding his hands on his breast, I drew over his face the coverlet, +as an intimation that all was over. I never again wish to hear such +a yell as then arose from the throats of that great throng. Doors +were flung open, the mob from without rushed into the room, +women poured in belonging to the dead man's household, shrieking, +wailing, tearing their clothes and hair. Some of them made a wild +rush at us as they passed, and it really looked a bit serious, +for already amidst the uproar we could detect occasional cries of +"The Feringhis have poisoned him." To my relief, amidst the excited +throng I noticed the face of my old friend the mujtihed's nephew, +who had been an in-patient in the hospital, and when he noticed that +I had observed him, he beckoned us to follow him. We obeyed gladly, +and he led us away by a private passage, which finally emerged into +a public square a long distance from the dead man's house. There our +good Samaritan left us, promising to send us our horses and servants, +whom we had left waiting outside the patient's house. As we waited +for them to come, we could hear the sound of cries from all parts +of the city, followed by wailing of women, and the scurrying of many +feet, as all flocked to the quarter where the holy man's body lay. At +last our servants and animals arrived, and we made haste to escape, +reaching home after midnight, thankful to God for preserving us from +what might have proved a very dangerous position. Next day we heard +that the whole city had gone into mourning; all the bazaars were shut, +and the shops draped with black, and this mourning was kept up five +whole days. Rumours were persistently circulated that the English +doctors had poisoned the mullah, but no one really believed it, and +I was able to attend the city dispensary as usual, even during the +funeral ceremonies, and patients rather increased than diminished, +some of the dead man's relatives even coming for treatment. + +So ended priestly opposition; the chief mujtihed himself was frightened +at the mode of his brother's death, and kept very quiet, for fear, +perhaps, that a similar accident might happen to him. His surviving +brother and relatives were now quite friendly, and a few years later +Dr. Carr was able to obtain ground and build an excellent hospital +in Isphahan itself, welcomed alike by officials and priests. There is +also an excellent Women's Hospital (C.M.S.), in charge of Dr. Emmeline +Stuart, who has for many years given her life to work amongst Moslem +women, and whose name is held dear by many a poor Persian village +woman, who has found relief and loving care at her hands, and those +of her staff. + + + + + + + +CHAPTER XIII + +PIONEER MEDICAL MISSION WORK IN KERMAN [3] + + Pioneer Medical Mission work in Kerman--Waiting for drugs + and instruments--Native assistant proves a broken reed--First + operation in Kerman--An anxious moment--Success--Doctrine of + "savab" convenient to the Moslem--Fanaticism tempered with + prudence--Opium slaves--Persian therapeutics--Persian quacks and + their methods--Sure way of curing cancer--Hysteria. + + + "Charms for lovers, charms to break, + Charms to bind them to you wholly, + Medicines fit for every ache, + Fever and fanciful melancholy." + + R. Bridges. + + +We had been appointed to open a Medical Mission in this city, and as +soon as our temporary residence in Isphahan was finished, proceeded +to our original destination. We arrived at Kerman early in 1901, and +received a hearty welcome from the only other European there--the +Rev. A. R. Blackett, also of the Church Missionary Society. Two +houses were secured, both outside the city wall; in one we took up +our residence, while the other was made into a dispensary, and small +temporary hospital. Unfortunately we arrived before our supply of +drugs and surgical instruments, so we had to do our best with the +very small stock of medicines borrowed from our stations in Isphahan +and Yezd. However, patients began to come in large numbers, and the +out-patient department was soon in full swing. We had brought with us +from Isphahan two Armenians to act as assistants, one for dispensing, +the other (a man who had been employed in the Mission for many years) +to interpret and help generally in the work. I had hoped much from +this last-named assistant, and had relied upon him greatly for advice +and help, as he had been in Kerman before, and knew the people; but I +soon found him a "broken reed." He was married and had a large family, +which he had been obliged to leave behind in Isphahan, and very soon +he began to show signs of home-sickness. Then he commenced to imagine +himself ill, and developed symptoms of different ailments. In the +first place he one day came to me with a woeful face, and besought me +to carefully examine his chest, for he was convinced he was developing +phthisis. After being reassured on this point, he became absolutely +sure that he had heart disease; next his kidneys troubled him, and +so on, until he became a confirmed hypochondriac, and completely +useless for work. One day I remember his coming to me imploring +that I would inject morphia to relieve him of the intense pain from +which he was suffering. I gravely took the hypodermic syringe, and +carefully injected distilled water, and the pain disappeared with +lightning rapidity! + +However, I had to send him home, and I believe that, once safely +reunited to his family, he at once lost all his symptoms, and was +able to resume his old work at the hospital. + +In the meanwhile my surgical patients were clamouring for operations, +more especially those afflicted with cataract. I had opened another +dispensary in the city itself, and many poor blind people had come +for treatment. It went to one's heart to have to send them away day +after day with the same disheartening story. "The instruments have not +yet come; until they arrive, nothing can be done." I fear that many +commenced to think that the English doctor was a fraud, and that his +excuses concerning the instruments resembled those framed by their +own "hakims" to hide their own ignorance. At last the boxes actually +arrived. They had to be brought by caravan from Bushire (the port in +the Persian Gulf) to Kerman, via Shiraz and Yezd, a distance of some +eight hundred miles, taking a couple of months. + +We admitted our first in-patient, a well-known merchant in the city, +who had been blind for three years with cataract. The Persian surgeons +also operate for this disease, using the old Eastern operation known as +"couching." An incision is made into the white of the eyeball (without +any anaesthetic), then a thick, blunt probe is worked into the interior +of the eye, directed so as to dislocate the lens. If successful, the +lens drops back into the posterior chamber of the eye, and the patient +"sees," but alas, the vision obtained is, in ninety-eight cases out +of a hundred, only temporary! Twenty-four hours later, inflammation of +the eye supervenes, and the sight is gone, and the eye lost. Needless +to say, the operator obtains his fee either before the operation is +done, or during the few hours that his patient is rejoicing in his +newly found vision; then if he is wise he disappears from the town, +and resumes his practice elsewhere. However, during eight years' +practice in the East, and having had the opportunity of examining +thousands of eyes, I can remember two cases only where this operation +had been done and there had been no subsequent inflammation, but the +great majority of eyes are lost. + +Well, we had our first Kerman cataract patient, and it seemed to +us as though the whole future of the little pioneer Medical Mission +depended upon the success or failure of that operation. + +The day fixed for the operation arrived: a Persian doctor practising +in the city had requested leave to be present, no doubt on behalf of +the many friends of the patient, to report particulars and see fair +play. The patient was brought in, looking exceedingly nervous. After +a short prayer (a practice almost invariably adopted in medical +missionary hospitals, and much appreciated by the patient, even though +he be a fanatical Moslem), the operation was started. I am afraid we +were all unduly nervous, the possible consequences for good or ill to +the Mission assuming undue proportions. At any rate everything went +wrong; the cocaine (used as the anaesthetic) would not work, the old +man could not keep his eye still, and would look up when he was told +to look down. I was only able to complete the incision, and that with +the greatest difficulty; and fearing to proceed further, the patient +getting more and more excited, I had reluctantly to postpone the +operation for a couple of days. We all felt very depressed, except, +perhaps, the Persian "hakim," who doubtless greatly relished the +failure of the English doctor. However, two days later we tried again, +the Persian hakim once more being amongst the spectators. Much prayer +had been offered up that this time there might be no hitch. Everything +at first went well; the patient lay quite quietly, moved his eye +exactly as he was told, the cocaine proved satisfactory, the incision +was remade, and other preliminary steps in the operation disposed of: +then came the hitch. In the European method of operating for cataract, +the opaque lens is extruded from the eye by gentle pressure, through +the incision first made. Well, when the time came for the lens to be +extruded, it would not budge! I tried all possible means of extraction +without success (afterwards I discovered that adhesions had formed +between the lens and the curtain of the eye, as a result of the first +operation). The perspiration ran down my face, as I realised what +this second failure meant, not so much for my own reputation, but +the hindrance it would prove to the success of the work I loved. I +glanced at my wife: she was looking very anxious. I looked at my +assistants: their faces were pictures of dismay. They had seen me +before in Isphahan do many a cataract, and could not imagine what +had gone wrong. The Persian doctor looked particularly happy: he +smiled as he politely expressed his sorrow that I was experiencing +any difficulty in bringing the operation to a successful issue. It +certainly was an awkward fix--perhaps the most awkward that I have +ever been in; but as I lifted up my heart in silent prayer to God, +asking for guidance, the thought flashed into my mind, "The man has +both eyes blind: you have failed with the one; do the other at once, +and it will prove successful." + +Gently covering the eye that had proved a failure, I explained matters +to the patient, obtained his permission, thoroughly cleansed his other +eye, and proceeded to operate, meeting with no difficulty and easily +extracting the lens, to the palpable disappointment of my Persian +medical friend, and was overjoyed to find that the patient old man +had obtained exceedingly good vision. After a week the patient went +back to his friends, seeing well, and full of gratitude for all the +kindness and care he had received. I saw him some months later, and +inquired whether he cared to let me have another try at the eye that +had proved unsuccessful; but he refused, saying he was an old man, +and had obtained good sight with the one, and did not need to see +with the other. Of course the result of this first operation had been +anxiously awaited by many, and since it proved successful, we soon +had our little temporary hospital full, and had no further trouble +in getting in-patients. I have described this case rather fully, +avoiding technical terms as far as possible, as it illustrates fairly +well the difficulties and responsibilities met with and tackled by +pioneer workers, be they missionary or official. + +The Persians (especially the Kermanis) have a great idea of doing +"savabs" (good works), hoping to reap their reward hereafter. This is +common to the West as well as the East; but the Kermanis in addition +hold a convenient doctrine, namely, the appropriation of the savabs +of infidels for themselves! At least one of the chief mullahs in +Kerman surprised me somewhat by the cordial reception he accorded me; +but later said, "How glad he was that I had come to Kerman and was +doing such 'good works' amongst the sick and poor, as hereafter God +would credit the true Moslems with all the savabs done by infidels, +who of course could derive no benefit at all from their performance." + +As Kerman is a city proverbial amongst the Persians for its great +wickedness, I could understand the old mullah's satisfaction, as +doubtless he felt that many of their savab accounts were rather +low and needed a trifle of "credit," which might with advantage be +obtained from the savabs of an infidel doctor! + +Once yearly the Persians celebrate the death of the martyrs Hassain +and Hussein, as has already been described in a previous chapter. We +had a good opportunity of witnessing this Persian Passion Play +while in Kerman. The sword-dancers, clad in white garments, work +themselves up into a frenzy, gashing their heads with the swords +and sometimes inflicting severe wounds. A true believer is supposed +to have his self-inflicted wounds healed spontaneously through the +agency of Hazrati Ali (grandson of the prophet Mohammed); but I was +a little amused by the appearance of several of these devotees at +my out-patient clinique some days previous to the "celebration," +all of them begging for a little English ointment to keep by them +for use in case miraculous healing should be delayed. + +As has been already mentioned, the curse of Kerman is opium; everybody +smokes or eats it--generally the former. The native doctors are partly +responsible, as they recommend the drug as a "cure-all"; but even the +cultured Kermani smokes opium, possibly to relieve the monotony of his +life! Cases of poisoning repeatedly occur, and some of these we were +called upon to treat. Our dispensary had a small garden attached to it, +and when the Mission had gained the confidence of the people it was +no uncommon sight to see several opium patients being treated at the +same time in this garden. The treatment used, though somewhat vigorous, +proved very effective. A man would arrive at the dispensary, escorted +by an excited throng of relatives. On inquiry we would find that he +had taken a big dose of opium to end his life: afterwards repenting, +he had confessed to his relatives, and they had at once brought him +to the English doctor. The treatment began with the administration of +a strong emetic followed by repeated doses of strong coffee; then he +would be handed over to the care of an attendant, with instructions to +walk him round and round the garden and prevent his going to sleep. The +native assistants and the patient's friends, armed with sticks, carried +out these instructions, and at the first signs of languor exhibited +by the unfortunate man he would be beaten and kept effectually awake! + +One day I was summoned in haste to the house of an influential Kermani; +his only son, a child of two years, had been poisoned with opium. It +is a common practice in Kerman for mothers to keep their babies from +crying by giving them a little opium to suck. This boy's mother had +given him a big lump by mistake, and grew alarmed when she found +that all her attempts to wake him were ineffectual! On arriving +at the house with my assistant, we had considerable difficulty in +making our way into the courtyard, as it was thronged with all the +relatives and friends; the neighbouring houses were crowded, a great +multitude thronging the flat roofs, which commanded a good view of +the courtyard belonging to the patient's father. On examining my +little patient I found him nearly dead, exhibiting all the symptoms +of an overdose of opium. However, for over an hour we worked away, +washing out the child's stomach, injecting strong coffee, &c., all in +the open air before the excited multitude, and gradually the little +patient showed signs of recovery. When he had come completely round +and was crying vigorously, there was great rejoicing. Thinking the +opportunity too good a one to be lost, I asked my assistant to tell +the father that God had heard prayer and restored him his child, +and that we would now like him to join with us and thank God for +answering our prayers, if he would tell the crowd what we intended +doing. Although the father was a mullah, and had the reputation of +being very fanatical in his hatred of Christians, he at once consented +to our proposition, announcing to the crowd our intention. During +the short thanksgiving prayer every head was bowed and not a sound +of protest heard, while Christian and Moslem alike returned thanks +to the great God who had heard and answered prayer. Medical Missions +had once again won a triumph over Moslem fanaticism, and the scowls +and threatening looks which had greeted our arrival were replaced by +cordial thanks and vehement expressions of gratitude! + +Persian therapeutics are very simple, dating back to the time of +Hippocrates. All diseases are divided into two classes--hot and +cold--to be treated accordingly with hot or cold remedies. All foods +are similarly classified. With this knowledge, plus a few Persian +medical books and an appropriate turban, the native quack sets +up as a doctor. His impudence and native wit are inexhaustible; +he will cheer his patients with extracts from Hafiz or Ferdosi +(the great Persian poets), talk learnedly of vapours, and have a +specific for every mortal ailment. The quack physician is amusing, +and probably confines himself to fairly harmless compounds; but the +Persian surgeon is a man to be avoided at all costs. Of course, I +am only here speaking of quacks; in Teheran there is a good medical +school, and many of the graduates from that school proceed to Paris +or Berlin, and return fully qualified to exercise their profession; +but they also have to compete with these native quacks. + +I remember one case of a poor man brought to the dispensary with +a big swelling on the left knee, which prevented his straightening +the leg. Careful examination convinced me that the case was one of +malignant cancer of the thigh bone, and that nothing could be done +but amputation. This was explained to the patient and his father, who +indignantly rejected the proposed operation. I lost sight of the man, +but some weeks later one of my assistants asked me if I remembered +the case; on my replying in the affirmative, he informed me that the +patient had since died. It seems after leaving the dispensary the +father had taken his son (a young man twenty years old) to a native +surgeon (who combined the exercise of his profession most appropriately +with the trade of a butcher) and asked his advice, saying the English +doctor had advised amputation of the leg; but he had refused, as +the swelling caused little pain, and all his son wanted was to be +able to straighten his leg so that he might once again walk. "Oh," +replied the butcher, "that's easily done; that English doctor knows +nothing; I will cure him." So he got the father and other men to hold +the unfortunate youth firmly and some other helper to seize the leg; +then seizing a huge slab of stone in both his hands, he brought it +down with all his force on the bent knee. The leg was straightened +... and needless to add, the poor patient only survived a few days. + +My wife has written quite sufficient about the Persian women to +enable her readers to appreciate the monotony of their lives behind +the veil. This is more especially true of the upper classes, who +have no need to work for their living. In Kerman the usual result +is that many of these poor women suffer from hysteria. I have often +been called in to treat some of these patients, and have found them +develop almost all the varying types of that curious disease; but +one of the most interesting cases I ever remember occurred in Kerman. + +I had been treating the unmarried daughter of one of the wealthiest men +in the city, and had prescribed for her some simple bismuth mixture, +as she had complained of indigestion. Two days later her brother +came galloping his horse to the dispensary, and demanded to see me +immediately. He was greatly excited, and said that his sister had +been taking the medicine I had prescribed for her and had suddenly +gone blind. This was in the early days of the Medical Mission, and +I was especially anxious to win the confidence of the people, so did +not at all appreciate this complication. I assured the brother that +I would return with him at once, and informed him that the medicine +could not possibly have caused the blindness; but he was not at all +appeased. Upon reaching the house I found all the family distracted +with grief, and not at all inclined to be cordial. Moreover, they +had called in a native eye-doctor, who had gravely announced that +the blindness was most certainly due to the patient having taken +the infidel's medicine! In order to reassure the parents I bade them +bring the bottle of medicine, and, finding there were still two or +three doses left, called for a glass, poured out the remainder, and +drank it. This seemed to reassure them partially, so they allowed me +to examine the girl. She was a nervous, highly-strung patient, and I +had expected to find that she had been malingering; but to my surprise, +upon thorough examination I convinced myself that she had really gone +blind. Examination of the interior of the eyes showed no disease, +and upon inquiry, finding that she was the subject of periodical +hysterical attacks, I ventured to predict to the parents that with +suitable care and supervision the girl would regain her sight. They +were still inclined to be sceptical, but ten days later I heard that +my prediction had come true and that she was quite cured. Similar cases +of hysterical loss of vision are on record, but are exceedingly rare. + +Barely had we managed to get the little Medical Mission well started +when circumstances connected with my wife's health arose that +forced us to leave at a moment's notice the people we had learnt to +love. Fortunately the work was not given up; another doctor succeeded +me, and now there is a flourishing Medical Mission with two hospitals, +one for men and the other for women patients, with a lady doctor and +nurse; while the influence exerted by that Mission is felt throughout +the whole of the great Kerman province, which stretches eastwards +to the border of Beloochistan, and is bounded on the south by the +Persian Gulf. + + + + + + + +CHAPTER XIV + +MEDICAL MISSION WORK IN YEZD [4] + + A hospital--A friendly governor--A suspicious + case--Superstition--The opium habit--A case of cataract--We return + to England. + + + "By medicine life may be prolonged.... + With the help of a surgeon he may yet recover." + + Shakespeare. + + +The last of our three years' sojourn in Persia was spent in Yezd. Here +there was already a small Mission Hospital, all the pioneer work having +been done by Dr. White of the C.M.S. A wealthy Parsee merchant had +presented the site for a hospital in the form of an old caravanserai +(an Eastern inn). This had been gutted and made into a nice little +hospital, with an out-patient department. Dr. White being on furlough, +the doctor taking his place in Yezd exchanged with me, as it was +hoped that my wife would be able better to stand the lower altitude +of Yezd than the heights of Kerman. Yezd is an island city in a sea +of sand. The waves, driven by the winds, surge against the city walls +and threaten to engulf the whole place. At some parts of the wall, +the drifted sand reaches almost to the level of the wall itself. + +The Governor of Yezd during the time we lived there was +H.R.H. Jalal-el-Dowleh, the eldest son of the Prince-Governor of +Isphahan (the Zil-es-Sultan). The Jalal-el-Dowleh had the reputation, +like his father, of being a strong man, and ruled with a firm hand. He +had already proved a good friend to the Mission, and was accustomed +to pay a state visit once yearly to the hospital, where, after being +entertained at the doctor's house, he would proceed to make a very +thorough tour of inspection, and before leaving would hand the English +doctor a sealed envelope containing the munificent sum of L40 as a +donation. During our stay in Yezd we saw a good deal of the governor, +and I had to add to my duties those of court physician. + +In Yezd, as in other Persian cities, there are many quacks, who not +unnaturally resent the presence of a European doctor. I had not been +long in the city before I made the acquaintance of some of these +gentry, in a somewhat dramatic manner. + +Early one morning I was hurriedly called to the house of the chief +native doctor, as his brother had been taken seriously ill. + +On entering the patient's room, I found it crowded with his friends, +the patient himself lying upon a mattress placed on the ground. One +glance at the patient sufficed: he was dead, and had apparently been +so for some hours. When I announced the fact to the brother, he became +very angry, and assured me that I was mistaken. He begged me to pour +some medicine down the man's throat, or to do something to rouse him, +as he had only fainted! + +Upon further inquiry, I found that he had been poorly for some days, +and his brother had been treating him. My suspicions were aroused, as +the brother and his friends crowded round me, imploring that English +medicines should be tried, and after further careful examination only +served to confirm my first opinion, I refused absolutely to comply with +their entreaties, and left the house with my assistant. The brother and +some of his friends pursued us, offering large fees if only we would +give some medicine, absolutely refusing to accept my verdict. It is a +necessary custom in Persia and the East generally, to bury a dead body +within a few hours of death, but we heard that the brother refused to +allow this corpse to be buried for three whole days, alleging that the +English doctor was mistaken: however, in the end they were obliged to +bury him. The native doctor was strongly suspected of having poisoned +his brother, and this doubtless accounted for the urgent manner in +which he begged me to pour something down the dead man's throat, +so that he could accuse me of being responsible for his death. + +All Persians are superstitious, and are great believers in goblins +and 'jinns.' One day a young man was brought to me suffering from +an acute attack of chorea (St. Vitus' dance). He was well educated, +and had been employed as a clerk in a merchant's office: now he was +unable to hold a pen in his hand, and exhibited all the symptoms +of the disease in a very marked degree. He was promptly admitted to +hospital, and discharged cured in a few weeks. According to his own +statement the cause of the attack was as follows. He had gone for a +walk in the desert outside the city after his day's work was over, +and had wandered on further than usual. Suddenly he came across an old +well, and round the well were numbers of hideous dwarf-like goblins +pelting each other with stones. When they saw him they crowded round +laughing, jeering, pulling his clothes, and then began to pelt him +with stones. He turned and fled, running the whole way back to the +city, and to this shock he attributed the commencement of his symptoms. + +In my last chapter I referred to the prevalence of the opium habit in +Kerman, but we found many addicted to it also in Yezd. So much was +this the case, that I started admitting some of those who expressed +a desire to give up the habit into the hospital, submitting them to +a special treatment, with very good results. It was a curious sight +to see these patients grouped together in the ward, smoking their +carefully weighed out amount of opium, which was gradually reduced +day by day, until they could go without altogether. + +The opium habit is in truth a curse, but upon one occasion I really +believe it greatly helped to save a man's life. It happened in this +way. A well-known merchant in Yezd was found in his house apparently +sleeping. His women-folk, unable to rouse him, became alarmed, and sent +for me. I found the patient unconscious, exhibiting every symptom +of belladonna poisoning. An excited crowd, as usual, collected, +watching us as we tried every possible means of saving the poor +fellow's life. Strychnine and morphia had been injected, cold water +poured on his face, all without avail: there was no sign of returning +consciousness. A happy thought struck me. Turning to some of the men +in the crowd, I asked whether they were opium-smokers. Three or four +somewhat shamefacedly acknowledged that they did a little, so I ordered +them to bring a pipe and a little of the drug. Then I made them sit +round the patient's body, take the pipe in turn, and as they smoked, +puff out the smoke into the patient's face, occasionally blowing +it into his nostrils, and down his throat. I confess that I had but +little hope of any good result, but what was my delight and surprise, +after about a quarter of an hour's perseverance in the treatment, to +see unmistakable signs of recovery in the patient's face. His widely +dilated pupils began to contract, and soon he returned to consciousness +and was able to sit up. On the following day I found him quite well, +and thoroughly enjoying the sensation that his marvellous recovery +had made in the city. Hundreds of people had been to see him, and +I am a little afraid that the value of the opium as a "cure-all" +was not diminished by the incident! + +We had quite a number of cataract patients in the hospital, many +coming several days' journey for operation. A small hospital for women +had been started, and a lady doctor had been sent to take charge. The +first case admitted was an old lady with cataract. When the day arrived +for the operation, everything went well at first, but in the middle +of the operation the patient started up screaming. She said she had +seen a snake, and she thought it was going to bite her. Her vision +cost her dearly, the operation necessarily being spoilt, and the eye +lost, but unfortunately it also kept away other patients suffering +from the same disease, but only for a short time, the lady doctor +soon winning their confidence, and finding more work on her hands +than she could comfortably get through. + +After a very happy year in Yezd, my wife's health still remaining +unsatisfactory, we were obliged to leave Persia, and return to England +for a short rest. Both of us were grieved at having to leave a country +and people that we had learnt to love, and amongst whom we had hoped +to spend our lives. + +Medical Missions in Persia have already worked wonders, breaking down +opposition, winning friends even amongst the most fanatical. Here is +not the place to speak of results, neither would it be wise to do so, +but I would like once for all definitely and decisively to repudiate +the oft-quoted statement, often made, unfortunately, by Christians +who should be better informed, "that it is impossible for a Mohammedan +to become a Christian." With God all things are possible! + + + + + + + +PART II + + +CHAPTER I + +THE CITY OF NINEVEH + + The city of Nineveh--The fast of Jonah--The bridge of + boats--Traditions as to ancient history of Mosul--Alkosh, + birthplace of Nahum the prophet--Shurgat--Climate of + Mosul--Cultivation and industries--Importance of Mosul. + + + "A ruin, yet what ruin! from its mass + Walls, palaces, half cities have been reared. + Heroes have trod this spot--'tis on their dust ye tread." + + Byron. + + "Nineveh, an exceeding great city of three days' journey." + + +The ancient city of Nineveh, the former capital of the Assyrian Empire, +is situated on the eastern bank of the river Tigris. Little is to be +seen to-day of the once famous city but huge mounds of earth which +cover the site of this historical and interesting place. There are two +principal mounds, separated from each other by a small rivulet. The +larger of these is called Kouyunjik, the smaller Nabbi Eunice. The +former contains the ruins of the palace of Sennacherib, before whom +Jonah stood and delivered his message; but nothing now remains to +tell of its former glory and wealth. When we first visited the spot +over three years ago, there was one huge man-headed lion remaining, +and a few pieces of sculpture representing fish swimming in water, +&c. But now even these have disappeared, for about eighteen months ago +the Turkish Government sold all the visible remains of Nineveh for the +enormous sum of two Turkish liras (36s.)! the buyer grinding everything +to powder, including the huge statue, for purposes of building! + +Nineveh is best seen to-day at the British Museum or the Louvre, Paris, +as both of these places contain many interesting and valuable remains +of that city. Nineveh was closed to excavators about four years ago, +but it is hoped that investigations will be renewed again in the +near future, as there still remain thirteen rooms of the palace to +be examined. + +The other and smaller mound, known as Nabbi Eunice (Prophet Jonah), +was once the site of a church named after the prophet, on account of +the tradition that he preached upon that spot. The church stands to +this day, but is used as a mosque, as it now belongs to the Moslems, +who venerate the place as being the tomb of the prophet. + +They accept the whole story of Jonah's mission to Nineveh and +the adventures he encountered en route, as we have it recorded in +Holy Scripture. It is an interesting fact, too, that year by year +the inhabitants of Mosul, Christians and Moslems alike, keep in +remembrance the three days of fasting and repentance mentioned in +the Book of Jonah. The fast is still kept for three days, by some +very strictly, while others keep it from sunset to sunset, only +eating once a day. Every one may please herself as to the severity +of her fasting, but almost all join in the remembrance of those three +memorable days in the history of Nineveh. "Herself" is used advisedly, +as it is especially kept by women who are seeking some particular gift +from God, and they will often fast absolutely for the three days, +not even allowing a drop of water to touch their lips. They hope by +so doing that God will hear their prayers, even as He answered the +petitions of the Ninevites of old. The memory of Jonah is perpetuated, +too, in Mosul by parents naming their boys after the prophet, Eunice +being quite a favourite name amongst Christians, Moslems, and Jews. + +The tomb of Jonah is guarded very zealously by the Mohammedans +against the Christians, and it is very difficult for the latter to +gain admission to the interior of the building. A friend staying +with us in Mosul was very anxious to see the tomb, so we rode over +to Nabbi Eunice one day, but the mullah in charge politely but firmly +refused us permission to enter beyond the portal! + +Kouyunjik is now a favourite place for picnics from Mosul, and in +the early spring a day spent amongst the old ruins of Nineveh is +very delightful. It is too hot in summer, as there is no shade. From +the top of the mounds we have a beautiful view of Mosul, with the +Tigris in the foreground and the mountains stretching away on either +side. It is not considered safe for any one to wander about alone on +the mounds; the natives will never go there alone after dusk. Some +years ago two Europeans who were passing through Mosul visited Nineveh +by themselves. As they were rambling over the old remains, one said +to his companion, "I am going round there," indicating a projecting +piece of marble. His companion waited and waited, and as his friend +did not return went in search of him, but not a sign of him could +be seen. After seeking in every possible place without success, he +returned to Mosul to institute a search party, but all efforts proved +fruitless, and to this day nothing has been discovered as to the fate +of this man. Whether he fell down some disused shaft or was carried +off by Arabs is not known, and probably will always remain a mystery. + +Mosul is connected with Nineveh by an old bridge of boats, which +probably existed in the days of Jonah. There are twenty-one or +twenty-two of these old-fashioned flat-bottomed boats, fastened +together by heavy chains, a platform of wood being laid from boat +to boat and the whole covered with earth. This part of the bridge is +movable, and is connected at one end with the mainland by a permanent +stone bridge consisting of thirty-three arches. In the spring, when +the rush of water is very strong consequent upon the snow melting in +the mountains, it is loosened at one end and allowed to swing with +the current. Sometimes, however, the river rises suddenly, carrying +the bridge away and playing havoc with the banks. When this takes +place it is very difficult to replace the bridge. Often for weeks +together the bridge is not open, and all traffic across the river has +to be conveyed by boats, the owner of the ferries reaping a golden +harvest. The toll of the bridge is taken by a man who rents it from +the Government. He is said to be one of the richest men in Mosul. Foot +passengers are allowed to pass freely, but all four-footed beasts have +a small charge levied on them ranging from a halfpenny to twopence, +and carriages are charged half a mejideh (1s. 8d.). As some thousands +of camels, mules, and donkeys are continually passing to and fro, +it is no wonder that the toll-collector is a rich man. + +I am not at all fond of riding across this bridge; it is not very +wide, and camels jostle you on one side with their huge burdens, +donkeys and mules vie with each other in trying to pass on the other, +quite oblivious of the fact that there is no room; while underneath +the river rushes madly on. Altogether, I always heave a sigh of relief +when the opposite bank is safely reached. + +There are many traditions as to the probable origin of Mosul, but +its true early history is involved in obscurity. The following has +been gleaned from some of the many traditions circulated amongst +its inhabitants. + +Mosul is said to have been built some four thousand years ago, +and was then a small village consisting of a few houses built of +mud. This village was believed to be the fourth village built after the +Flood. About four days' journey from Mosul there is a mountain called +Judy, on which the ark is supposed to have rested after the Flood. The +natives living near this mountain say it must be Mount Ararat, because +close by grows the only olive tree for miles around! and also they have +in their possession enormous wooden nails said to have been used in the +construction of the ark! These nails were found on the mountain many +years ago. At the foot of this mountain lies a village which claims to +have the honour of being the first built after the Flood. Quite near +by is another small town called Jezirah, which is said to have been +the second village to spring into existence, while some village in +Egypt takes the third place, and Mosul the fourth! If these traditions +are to be trusted, then Mosul has indeed a right to be termed ancient. + +Some 1260 years ago Omar el Khattab the Calipha conquered Jerusalem +and Damascus, and then turned his attention to Mosul. He sent down +one of his chiefs named Eyath, son of Ghoonum, to besiege Mosul, +with orders to convert the city to Mohammedanism at all costs, if +necessary at the point of the sword. Many of the inhabitants at that +time were Parsees, belonging to the old fire-worshipping religion; +others were called "Charamika," but no trace of their belief has been +found. These and many others were converted to Mohammedanism by the +strong argument of the sword. + +In the twelfth century Mosul had a sovereignty of its own, a brother +of the Sultan of Damascus then reigning over this province. In 1180 +it withstood the armies of the famous Saladin, who was a native +of a town some five days' ride from Mosul. In the thirteenth and +fourteenth centuries it suffered defeat from the hands of its +enemies, and in 1743 Nadir Shah of Persia bombarded the town for +forty days. Since then Mosul has suffered much from time to time +through various causes--from the cruelties of some of its governors, +from a famine caused by the crops being utterly destroyed by locusts, +and also from the plague which visited it in 1831 and left the town +almost a desert. It is stated that 100,000 people perished at that +time from this terrible scourge. + +The walls surrounding Mosul are very old. They were built, in the +first instance, about 2000 years ago by a man named Marvan, one of +the kings of a tribe called "Umayya." They were repaired 170 years +ago by Hadji Hussein Pasha, one of the Abdul Jaleel family. They are +now in many places fast falling into ruin, and are in great need of +restoration. These walls are pierced by about twelve gates, which +are shut at sunset or soon after. + +About five hours' journey from Mosul is the little village of Elkosh, +believed by many to have been the birthplace of the prophet Nahum, +and also the scene of his life-work and burial. This village, now +inhabited by Chaldeans, is reverenced by Moslems and Christians +alike, but more especially is it looked upon as a holy place by +the Jews. There is a synagogue in which is supposed to lie the tomb +of the prophet; to this the Jews flock for the yearly pilgrimage, +having done so from time immemorial. + +Kalah Shurgat is another interesting place, situated two days' journey +from Mosul. It consists of an old Assyrian ruin, said to be the remains +of the ancient city of Asshur. The Germans have been excavating there +for some years, and are doing it very thoroughly. The whole ground +floor of the palace and temple are laid bare, and are in a wonderful +state of preservation. One of the excavators pointed out to us the +"bathroom" of the palace, running through which was a mono-rail, +evidently having been constructed for the purpose of conveying water +from the reservoir to the bath. This tram-line must have been one +of the first ever invented! It was simply a groove cut in the marble +floor, on which probably a one-wheeled trolley ran. + +The climate of Mosul is a very variable one, the summers being +excessively hot and the winters cold. + +During the hot months all the inhabitants sleep at night on their +roofs, starting about the 1st of June, and continuing to do so for +five months, or till the first rains come. Many of the houses are +provided with "sirdabs" or underground rooms, for use during the +middle part of the day. The marble from which most of the houses +are built retains the heat of the sun so long that they do not cool +down in the evenings; on account of this, as the summer wears on, +the houses become almost unbearable with accumulated heat. For this +reason we generally try to go away somewhere for a month's holiday in +August or September. There are no cool places near Mosul, and to find +a suitable summer retreat it is necessary to go three or four days' +journey. For two years we only went to a large house about three miles +from Mosul, kindly lent us by a patient of my husband's. Here the +heat was intense during the day, but the evenings were delightfully +cool as a rule, for the river ran at the foot of the garden. + +The winters in Mosul are often very cold. Two years ago the Tigris was +nearly frozen over, and for three days the only water we could obtain +was from melted snow. The cold was so severe that men died as they +sat at their work. While such cold weather lasted it was impossible to +keep the patients in the hospital, as having no stoves in the wards we +were not able to warm them sufficiently. But this was a record winter, +there having been no such frost for one hundred and fifty years. + +Spring and autumn are beautiful seasons in Mosul, especially, +perhaps, the former. During March, April, and part of May the land +for many miles around Mosul is green with waving corn--a refreshing +sight for weary eyes. When the grass is about a foot in height, all +the inhabitants pitch tents outside the town and spend their days +there. Those who have horses tether them in front of their tents, and +allow them to eat grass to their hearts' content. A friend lent us a +tent last year, and for a month or six weeks we enjoyed the luxury of +green scenery! Every day some of our congregation were able to get out, +each of us taking our turn at providing afternoon tea. It was such +a relief to get away from the heat of the city walls, and to enjoy, +if only for a short time, the lovely fresh air of the corn-fields! + +The autumn days are very pleasant too, but as a rule this season is +only too short. The summers last till the rains begin, and then almost +at once cold weather sets in. The most trying part of the whole year +comes towards the end of summer, when the clouds "come up." It is +very marvellous the way the natives can tell, almost to a day, when to +expect the first clouds. They generally last from ten to twelve days, +and the relief is great when they depart. On the whole the climate +of Mosul seems to be a healthy one. At certain times of the year +malarial fever is very prevalent, but, "alhamd'llillah!" neither of +us have ever contracted it. + +The highest degree of heat registered in the coolest part of our house +is 110 deg, but the average heat of the three hottest months is about 98 deg. +to 105 deg. + +Three to four months of this kind of heat is generally quite enough! + +The land round Mosul is cultivated to a great extent, corn being +the chief product. The success of the crops, however, is entirely +dependent upon the winter and spring rains. Should the rainfall +be great, the harvest is abundant; but if the season is a dry one, +then the result is disastrous. Mr. Layard speaks of one such occasion +when, during the whole of the winter and spring, no rain fell. As a +consequence of this, the crop failed and famine ravaged the land. This +famine is still spoken of in Mosul as something never to be forgotten, +and many events are marked as dating from "the famine." Some are not +ashamed to own that they made their fortunes during that awful time, +by storing corn and then selling it at famine prices; while others, +who had been prosperous merchants till that year, were then rendered +penniless, and have never been able to retrieve their fortunes. There +are a few rude wheels constructed along the banks of the Tigris for +the purpose of irrigation; but as these are highly taxed by the local +government, they are by no means general. This mode of raising water +is very simple but expensive, as it requires the labour of several +men and at least two animals, either oxen or mules. + +Gardens near the town are irrigated in this way, either by drawing +water from the river or from deep wells, but the great stretch of +land sown with corn is dependent for its nourishment on the rainfall. + +Cotton is also grown and exported. Melons, cucumbers, and tomatoes +are cultivated very largely, and as the river recedes in the summer, +the moist bed is sown with water-melon seeds, which flourish splendidly +in the damp soil. + +Fruit is largely grown in the mountains, and brought down on +donkeys. Apricots are very abundant; cherries, plums, peaches are +less plentiful. The best apples are brought from Damascus; they look +good, but are flavourless. Grapes are very largely cultivated, and are +brought to great perfection. The large black kind are very delicious; +there is also a white grape which has a very sweet flavour. Vegetables +of all kinds are grown in the gardens near Mosul: beans, peas, spinach, +carrots (red), beetroot, onions, artichokes, as well as many other +varieties. Potatoes are brought from Persia, and sometimes suffer +so much from the long journey that they are only fit to be thrown +away when they reach Mosul. Last winter several hundreds of sacks +of potatoes were thrown into the river at Mosul, as they had been +frostbitten on the journey from Persia, and so were useless. + +"Manna" is found in the mountains, and is collected and sent to Mosul, +where it is made into a sweetmeat called "halawwi." + +The industries of Mosul are chiefly spinning and weaving. A very strong +kind of cotton cloth is woven, also calico and woollen goods. Many +years ago this industry was much larger than it is at present, and +in those days Mosul gave its name to muslin, a fabric exported by +the French from that town in the last century. Weaving is done by +men, while the women do the spinning and dyeing of the cotton or +wool. Weaving is a very favourite occupation, as the weaver can do +just as much or as little as he likes, being paid accordingly. For +this reason a man who is inclined to be lazy would much rather be a +weaver than a servant. + +Furs are largely exported from Mosul. The skin of the fox is most +common, but there is another fur much resembling the sable which +is highly prized amongst the natives, a coat lined with this fur +costing something like L50. Some years ago furs could be bought +quite cheaply in Mosul, but the merchants finding a good market for +their goods in Europe, the prices soon went up, and now even fox is +becoming expensive. + +The industries of Mosul are not what they were, but we trust better +days are coming, when the old prosperity of the town will be renewed +and increased. + +The three great questions now under consideration with regard to +the land of Mesopotamia will have great influence on the future +of Mosul. The first is the navigation of the Tigris from Baghdad to +Mosul. This, when an accomplished fact, will make a great difference in +the export and import trade of the city. The Baghdad railway will also +greatly increase the importance of Mosul, for the line running through +it will bring the East in close touch with the near West. Perhaps the +most important subject of all in connection with the future of Mosul +is that of the irrigation of Mesopotamia, which, once accomplished, +will turn the whole of that vast desert into a garden. The means to +be employed for this end are simply the reviving of the old Assyrian +method of irrigation. This method consisted in the digging of canals +to intersect the land between the rivers Tigris and Euphrates. Maps +of these same canals are still to be seen in the British Museum +and other places, and are of great interest. These great canals, +made in the prosperous days of the Assyrian Empire, are now choked +up, after having been in use for many centuries by the inhabitants +of the country. Layard, in his "Discoveries at Nineveh," says, +"Herodotus describes the extreme fertility of Assyria and its abundant +harvests of corn, the seed producing two and three hundred-fold"; +and adds later, "But in his day the Assyrians depended as much upon +artificial irrigation as upon the winter rains. They were skilful +in constructing machines for raising water, and their system of +canals was as remarkable for its ingenuity as for the knowledge of +hydraulics it displayed." Since the result of irrigation in those +ancient days was two to three hundred-fold, surely if carried out +to-day with the additional knowledge of modern science and experience +the ground would yield an even larger return. It has been estimated +that L8,000,000 would be sufficient to reopen all the old canals of +Mesopotamia, with the certainty that the land thus irrigated would +yield an abundant profit. + +"Ensha'allah," this much-talked-of scheme will soon be carried out, +and Mesopotamia become once more "a land of corn and wine, a land of +bread and vineyards, a land of olive oil and of honey." + + + + + + + +CHAPTER II + +THE PEOPLE OF MOSUL + + Population--Moslems--Christians--Chaldeans--Nestorians--Jacobites + --Arabs--Kurds--Jews--Yezidees--Recreations--Warfare of the + slingers--Hammam Ali--The recreation ground of Mosul men and women. + + + "... The world is great, + But each has but his own land in the world." + + A. C. Swinburne. + + +The population of Mosul has been estimated to be anything between +sixty and eighty thousand people. If the whole "vilayet" is included +the number will be something like a million and a half. These people +are made up of many different nationalities and tribes, each retaining +its own leading characteristics, whilst many have a language peculiar +to themselves. + +The inhabitants of Mosul are chiefly Arabs, of whom by far the larger +part are Mohammedans. These of course form the strong religious element +in the city, as they are the conquerors of the land. This is a fact, +too, which they take care never to lose sight of. In the market, the +mosque, and the street, the Mohammedan is always proclaiming by look, +word, and deed that he is the master. A Christian finds himself at +a great disadvantage in the market, for when buying from a Moslem he +is not allowed to handle the food, and must purchase his goods to a +great extent on trust. + +In all mosques, which once were Christian churches, it is customary +for the mullah to preach with a naked sword in his hand. This is +done in order to remind the people that the Mohammedan religion was +propagated by the sword, and must, if necessary, be retained by the +same means. In the streets the difference is very marked between the +two, the Mohammedan behaving as if the whole place belonged to him, +while the Christians, and more especially the Jews, always appear as +if they were apologising for their very existence. + +The Moslems are the rulers, and they make their power felt. An amusing +instance illustrating this feeling occurred a short time ago. A little +Moslem boy was walking through the street on his way to our house when, +apparently without any provocation, a Christian girl began to revile +him as he passed. The boy instantly turned on the girl and gave her a +thrashing. I did not hear anything of this for some days, and then only +in an indirect way. Some one told me that the boy had received a severe +beating from the master of the school which he was attending, and on +asking the reason of the punishment was told the foregoing story. I +am very fond of the boy, he is such a dear, bright little chap, with +great wondering eyes. Upon hearing the history of his encounter with +the girl, I sent for the boy, and tried to tell him how wrong it was +for a man to strike a woman. "But," said the boy, quite innocently, +"she was a Christian!" Thus early in life is instilled into the young +mind of the Moslem his inherent right to act the tyrant. + +On the other hand, it is a strange truth that Moslems very often prefer +to have Christian servants in their houses, as they find they are more +faithful. In many hareems the "slaves," or girls who have been bought +for life, are very often children of Christian parents, who have been +willing for a few pounds to sell their girls. The reverse of this is +also true, that Christian families often find that a Moslem servant +is more trustworthy than one of their own religion. A few months +ago I heard of a little black boy in Mosul, whose mother, a Moslem +negress, was anxious to find him a home. We offered to take the boy and +bring him up, but the mother absolutely refused our offer, as we were +Christians, and she was afraid her boy might become the same, as he was +then only one year old, and had not yet learnt to hate the Christians! + +There are some 15,000 to 20,000 Christians in Mosul, who are said +to date their conversion back to the time of St. Adday, who was a +disciple of St. Thomas; others migrated from Baghdad to Mosul at +the time of the Caliphas. These Christians have remained firm to the +religion of their forefathers in spite of much persecution and many +trials. To-day in Mosul there are many different sects of Christians +to be found, viz. the Chaldean, Syrian, Nestorian, Jacobite, Armenian, +and Greek. The Chaldeans in Mosul now entirely belong to the Romish +Church, having been admitted to that body about a hundred years ago by +means of the Dominican Mission who started work amongst these ancient +Christians. They have their own bishop and archbishop, the Patriarch +making Mosul his headquarters since 1256. + +The Nestorians are the true Chaldeans, and repudiate the name +Nestorian. They live amongst the mountains, have resisted all +efforts of the Romish Church, and remain true to the faith of +their fathers. They, in common with the other Christians, date +their Christianity from the time of the Apostles as the converts +of St. Thomas. They refuse to accept Nestorius, the Patriarch +of Constantinople, as their founder, saying that he was a Greek, +while they were Syrians. They assert that "he did not even know our +language, and so how could he have propagated his doctrines among +us?" and they also declare that their religion was an established +fact long before Nestorius was born. They have their own Patriarch, +who resides near Van, a distance of ten days from Mosul. They regard +the Pope and his followers with feelings of great hatred, and are said +to curse him and his forefathers regularly every day. In answer to a +message from the Pope urging reconciliation with Rome, the Patriarch +sent the following answer: "I shall never become a Roman Catholic, +and should you ever induce my people to do so, I would sooner become a +dervish or a mullah than degrade myself by an alliance with the Pope." + +The Patriarch of the Nestorians is not allowed to marry; he is also +compelled to be a strict vegetarian. When it is thought advisable +to nominate a successor to the archbishopric, the wife of a near +relative (if possible, a brother) of the then Patriarch is chosen +as the possible mother of the future dignitary. She is set apart as +holy till the birth of her child, her diet meanwhile being strictly +vegetarian. If the child proves to be a boy, he is solemnly dedicated +to God from his birth, and is never allowed to touch meat or flesh +of any kind. Should the child unfortunately be a girl, the choice +has to be made again, and great is the disappointment of the mother, +the honour of being the mother of a Patriarch being much coveted +and prized. + +In 1843 these people suffered a terrible massacre at the hands of +the Kurds; 10,000 of them are said to have perished, and after being +hunted from place to place the Patriarch finally fled for refuge to +the English Consulate at Mosul. + +The Jacobite section of the Christian Church in Mosul is a small one, +and so far remains firm to its old faith, resisting all attempts by the +Church of Rome to effect a union. It, too, has its own bishop in Mosul, +but the Patriarch resides in Mardin, where he has many thousands of +adherents. He pays periodical visits to his scattered flock in Mosul +and the surrounding country. They trace the origin of their name to one +Jacob Baradaeus, a Reformer who arose in the sixth century, and refusing +to follow the lead of the other Syrians in joining the Romish Church, +continued in the old faith, which has since been called by his name +(an alternative name being the Old Syrian Church). + +The population of Mosul also consists of Arabs, Kurds, Yezidees, +and Jews. + +The Arabs are the original inhabitants of the desert, who date their +descent back to the time of Shem, the son of Noah. They are divided +into many tribes, of which the most important in Mesopotamia is that +of the great Shammar clan, who are to be found in all parts. There +are three classes of Arabs, namely, those who have settled down in +one place and become town Arabs, such as the inhabitants of Mosul: +the wandering tribes of the desert or Bedouins, who live in tents +and whose occupation is sheep farming: a third class of Arabs are +the robbers of the desert, who subsist solely by plunder, and roam +the desert seeking for a livelihood by any means that may come to +their hand. The wandering tribes find it very hard to settle down +to a fixed abode after the free life of the desert, and they prefer +often to suffer pain and inconvenience rather than spend a few days +or weeks beneath a roof and within the walls of a hospital. + +A story is told of a Bedouin lady of the seventh century, whose husband +rose afterwards to be one of the Caliphs. When taken to Damascus to +live in luxury and state, she pined for the freedom of the desert, +and gave utterance to her loneliness in the following verses:-- + + + "A tent with rustling breezes cool + Delights me more than palace high, + And more the cloak of simple wool + Than robes in which I learned to sigh. + + The crust I ate beside my tent + Was more than this fine bread to me; + The wind's voice where the hill-path went + Was more than tambourine can be." [5] + + +Arab women have come to the hospital from time to time, but they +always long to return to their desert life, and are impatient at the +restraints of town life. + +The Kurds are a warlike people inhabiting the mountains round +Mosul. They are the descendants of the wild people of the mountains +mentioned by Xenophon as the Karduchi, who so severely harassed the +Greeks during their retreat. In later years they were known as the +Parthians, who opposed the Romans. From this people came the celebrated +Saladin, the opponent of Richard Coeur de Lion in the crusading +days. The Kurds have been compared to the old Scottish Highlanders, who +were noted for their devotion to their chiefs. A well-known writer, +in speaking of this trait in the character of these people, says +that once he heard the following story: "A chieftain having died, +one of his followers, who was standing on the roof of his house +when the news of his master's death was brought to him, exclaimed, +'What! is the Beg dead? Then I will not live another moment,' and +immediately threw himself from the roof and was dashed to pieces." + +A few of these Kurds are Nestorians, but the majority of them are +Moslems, and are a very fierce-looking set of people. They carry +as a rule large daggers in the waistband, and are quite capable of +using them when necessary. We once had a servant who was a Kurd, +and although as a rule a peaceable man, he often longed to be off +when he heard of any fighting going on in his country. He used to +boast to the other servants of the many people he had robbed and +murdered! but said of course he would never harm us, as we were in +the place of father and mother to him. We are quite hoping to secure +his services again on our return to Mosul. + +There are about two thousand Jews in Mosul, who date their descent +from the time of the Captivity. When Cyrus issued his decree allowing +all Jews to return to their native land, about fifty thousand of +those living in Mesopotamia joyfully availed themselves of this +permission, but a few preferred to remain in their adopted land, and +their descendants are there to this day. In spite of much persecution, +they have remained firm in their belief. Mohammed quite hoped at first +that the Jews would easily be converted to Mohammedanism. He therefore +instructed all his followers to turn their faces towards the temple +at Jerusalem when praying, but before many months he saw that his +hopes in this direction were doomed to disappointment. He therefore +withdrew his former instructions, and ordained that in future all +Mohammedans should turn to the Ka'aba at Mecca when engaged in prayer. + +The Jews in Mosul are looked down upon and despised by Christian and +Moslem alike. In the dispensary it is sad to see with what loathing +the Jews are treated. The scornful way in which the word "Yahudi" +(Jew) is hurled at these people is enough to make one's heart ache for +them. If there is anything degrading to be done, a Jew is the only +one to be found willing to do it. The Jews are the shoe-blacks of +Mosul. It being considered very degrading to clean boots and shoes, +the Jew undertakes this task, receiving payment at the rate of about +1/4d. a pair. + +It is a wonderful sight to see all these different +nationalities--Moslems, Christians, Jews, Kurds, Arabs, Devil +Worshippers--all sitting down together in the waiting-room of the +dispensary while waiting their turn to see the doctor. + +It reminds one of the picture of Peace, in which the artist depicts +the lion, the leopard, and the wolf living in harmony with the lamb. I +am afraid the resemblance is only superficial, for in the hearts of +that rude miscellaneous throng there is little of peace, and much of +anger, wrath, jealousy, hatred, and murder. + +The dwellers in the desert and mountain would scorn the idea of +passing the time in recreations of any kind, but the town gentlemen +much enjoy a little relaxation from their arduous (?) labours. Riding +and racing are much in vogue in Mosul. Just outside one of the gates +is a long, level stretch of land, uncultivated, which is used by the +sporting part of the population for racing. Betting is not a part of +the programme. Any one who possesses a horse is at liberty to enter +it for the races; and every Thursday afternoon a large conclave of +people may be seen watching the performance with great interest. Horse +dealers who have horses for sale race their animals with the hope +that they will carry off the palm, in which case the value of the +horse is considerably raised. + +A few of the Mosul men go in for hunting, but it is not a favourite +pastime. My husband sometimes goes with some of the Begs, who are fond +of hawking. The boys much enjoy slinging, and some of them are quite +experts at it, at times their aim being rather too accurate. The +spring is the season for slinging, and hundreds of boys may be +seen outside the town on a fine day armed with these instruments of +torture. They line up along the walls of the city, and take aim at +every passer-by. This is somewhat disconcerting, especially when some +little boy takes a shot at your horse's head or tail, a game of which +the animal does not at all approve. Or sometimes the boys form armies, +each opposing side being composed of an equal number of slingers. They +stand at a distance of about fifty yards apart and commence warfare +in real earnest. It is rather a terrible ordeal to have to run the +gauntlet of these two opposing armies. The stones seem to whizz round +one's head in a most alarming manner; but although my mare has received +a few stray shots of which she much disapproved, yet I have fortunately +never actually been hit. Occasionally boys become so vicious in their +excitement that the Government here has to put a stop to their "wars" +for a time, as they do so much injury to one another. + +A form of recreation which is indulged in by all the Mosul people is +that of paying a yearly visit to a hot sulphur spring. This spring +is situated about twelve miles from Mosul on the Baghdad road, and +is called Hammam Ali. + +A small village has grown up around the spring, but cannot furnish +anything like the accommodation needed for the thousands of visitors +who flock there in the early summer. To meet this need, small booths +are built of dried grass, each family renting one for the time of their +visit. Two years ago it was estimated that ten thousand people from +Mosul were there at one time, all congregated together without any +proper accommodation, or any sanitary arrangements; the consequence +was that disease and sickness were very prevalent amongst them, +and many went seeking health, and found death. + +Last year a similar number were as usual gathered at Hammam Ali, +when one evening a lighted match was carelessly thrown down, with +the result that in a few minutes many of these booths were a mass of +flames. Several children were burnt to death and two women. + +The next day the exodus from the place was universal. We were staying +then at a house midway between Mosul and Hammam Ali, and watched the +procession of people returning, a steady stream from morning till +night. After a day or two, however, the sad episode was forgotten, +and visitors began to flock back again. + +We once saw this celebrated place. It was on our way to Mosul, and we +arrived late one night at Hammam Ali, minus our tent. The villagers +kindly offered us the use of the Hammam (bath) for the night, so +we made a tour of inspection, but decided to decline their offer +with thanks. + +The place was damp, dirty, and malodorous. We preferred to pass the +night in a stable, which looked a trifle more inviting, although +full of rat-holes. In the morning I paid a visit to the Hammam, as +it was a ladies' bathing day, and found the bath crowded with women +and children, packed in like sardines in a box! The water was very +hot, and I wondered the women could stand so long in it. Some of them +looked rather as if they had been boiled. Here were women and children, +apparently healthy, bathing in the same water as others suffering +from all manner of skin diseases and other horrible things. However, +they all looked perfectly happy and contented; and I would not grudge +these poor creatures any little pleasure which might help to brighten +their lives. + +We shall see in the following chapters how little brightness they +possess, and, on the other hand, how much of sadness and sorrow. + + + + + + + +CHAPTER III + +THE RIVER TIGRIS + + The river Tigris--Ancient historical interest--Garden of Eden-- + Origin of name unknown--Swiftness--Sources--Navigation--Keleqs + --Bathing, fishing, washing--Crossing rivers. + + + "The softly lapsing river, + It whispers in its flow, + Of dear days gone for ever, + Those days of long ago." + + P. B. Marston. + + +The river Tigris, on the banks of which Mosul is situated, is a +noble stream. Though inferior in length to its sister the Euphrates, +yet it is no mean rival, either in antiquity or historical fame. They +share together the distinction of having on their banks the romantic +spot reputed to be the Paradise of Adam and Eve. The Garden of Eden is +situated, according to the tradition of the country, near the junction +of the Euphrates and Tigris. When we passed that way on our journey +from Busrah to Baghdad, the land was flooded by the spring rains, +so we saw nothing of the beauties of Paradise. + +The Tigris can also claim, in common with the Euphrates, an interesting +connection with some of the ancient kingdoms of the world, extending +back to early post-diluvian times. Near by, the Assyrian Empire +built its towns of splendour and strength. Daniel records visions +seen upon its banks, Cyrus is said to have marched his troops +along its shores, Alexander overthrew the armies of the Medes and +Persians near its basin, while in the plain of Nineveh the dynasty +of the Ommiade caliphs was destroyed and supplanted by that of the +Abassides. The origin of its name is unknown, but it is thought that +the swiftly-flowing character of the river gave rise to its name. Hence +the old Scriptural name Hiddekel, signifying "swift or quick." Owing +to its wealth of fertilising power, it is sometimes called by the +Arabs "Nahar-as-Salam," the River of Peace. At all times the Tigris +is a swift river, but the velocity with which it travels differs +according to the season of the year, the swiftest time of all being +in the spring, when the snows from all the surrounding mountains melt +and rush down to the river, causing it often to overflow its banks, +and increasing its impetuosity to a great extent. At this time it is +possible to travel on the river from Mosul to Baghdad in forty-eight +hours, while in the late summer or autumn it takes at least ten or +twelve days. When flowing at its fastest rate, the Tigris is said to +be swifter than the Danube. The course of the river is a very winding +one, extending for about 1040 miles. Its breadth varies very much. At +Mosul it is a little less than 400 feet, at Baghdad about 600, while +in one place where another river flows into it, the width amounts to +over 1000 feet. + +The sources of the Tigris are at an altitude about 5000 feet above +sea-level, but the greater part of its fall is accomplished at +its commencement, by the time it reaches Mosul the elevation above +sea-level is only 353 feet, the remainder of its course, a distance +of about 650 miles, being made by easy descent. + +With a very little trouble the river could easily be made navigable +as far up as Mosul, the chief hindrance to this being obstructions in +the river which could be removed by dynamite or other explosives. A +day's journey from Mosul by water there is a large dam stretching +right across the river, believed to have been built by Darius with the +intent to prevent Alexander from penetrating his dominions by means +of the river. When the Tigris is full this is not an insurmountable +barrier even as it exists now. During the summer and autumn the water +is very shallow, and steamers would find it difficult to reach Mosul, +but a little engineering could render the river navigable at all +seasons. Once or twice steamers have reached Mosul, thereby causing +great excitement amongst the natives. For the last thirty years it has +been the talk of Mosul that "steamers are coming," but they have not +yet started. We heard a year ago that two steamers had been chartered +for plying between Mosul and Baghdad, and were only awaiting a firman +from the Sultan, but so far nothing has been seen of them. + +Pending the inauguration of steamers, the natives still continue +to use the same method of river transport as existed in the days of +Abraham and Jonah. This consists of a raft-like construction, and is +employed for both passenger and goods traffic. It is composed of a +number of sheep or goat skins inflated and fastened close together, +upon which cross-bars of wood are laid and bound firmly in place. The +skins are examined daily and when necessary reinflated; great care +must be taken to keep them moist, for if they become dry they are +liable to burst. The raft is manned by one or two natives, whose +only work is to guide the "keleq," as the raft is called, to keep +it in the middle of the stream, away from all dangerous rocks and +shoals. For this purpose a rough kind of oar is used, made from the +branch of a tree, with palm branches at the end forming the blade. The +keleq floats down the river with the current, the passengers amusing +themselves with singing and reciting stories. + +When a European travels, a little hut is built for his convenience. A +light framework of lath is run up, just large enough to hold a +travelling bedstead and chair; this is covered with felt or water-proof +sheeting and placed upon the raft. On arrival at Baghdad the whole is +sold for about half its original price. The owner of the keleq sells +the planks of wood forming the floor of the raft, packs up carefully +his skins, and returns by land to Mosul, as the current is too strong +to allow of his return the same way as he came. He is then ready to +be hired for another journey. In good weather a journey on a raft +is a very pleasant mode of travelling. It has many advantages over +caravaning by land. There is no need of the early morning or midnight +scramble preparatory to the start. The owner simply ties up after +sunset, and as soon as dawn appears he quietly slips the rope, and +off the raft glides, while the passenger is still sweetly slumbering, +unconscious of any movement. + +In summer, however, the river is the happy hunting-ground of flies +and mosquitoes, the result being that rest and sleep are impossible +either by day or night. In a storm, too, the keleq is not a very secure +place of refuge. An English lady travelling from Mosul to Baghdad +was once caught in a hurricane and her keleq blown about in such a +way that she expected every minute to find herself precipitated into +the river, while her little hut and all its contents were saturated +through and through with water. + +A raft is a good target for the Arabs whose villages lie along the +banks of the river. An Englishman once placed his bicycle, which he +was taking home, on the top of his hut, thinking to keep it out of +harm's way. The Arabs, seeing this extraordinary-looking machine, +at once came to the conclusion that it was a Maxim gun or some such +deadly weapon. They immediately opened fire, and continued shooting +till the raft was out of sight--fortunately with no serious result. + +The French Consul at Mosul was also attacked by Arabs when travelling +on a keleq. For seven hours they kept up an active fusilade, both +parties making good use of their guns. + +The merchants of Mosul use these rafts for exporting their goods to +Baghdad and other places. After the harvest enormous keleqs may daily +be seen leaving Mosul, loaded heavily with wheat and corn. All goods +for the south are exported in this way. For these large commercial +rafts, about three to four hundred skins are used, while others contain +from fifty to two hundred, according to the size of raft and number of +passengers. A European travelling alone would need about one hundred +and fifty to two hundred skins to make a fairly comfortable raft. + +Natives often use a single inflated skin for travelling down the +river, sometimes even going as far as Baghdad on one. This latter +feat a man has been known to accomplish in twenty-four hours. It is +by no means as easy as it looks, to balance yourself on a skin; when +bathing we have often tried, but found it very difficult. The Arabs +use these skins as ferry-boats when the river is unfordable. They +take off their garments and tie them round their head as a turban, +so that when they reach the opposite side their clothes are quite dry. + +In a village near Mosul I have seen women crossing the river in this +way, many of them carrying a child on her back in addition to a large +bundle of clothes which she has been washing in the river. The Arabs, +both men, women, and children, are quite at home in the river--swimming +as easily as ducks, and playing all manner of games in the water; it is +quite interesting to watch them from a distance. The women do not take +off their long loose garment, but just hold the skirt of it in their +teeth if it impedes their swimming. Last summer we were staying for a +time at a castle quite near the river, about an hour's ride from Mosul; +while there we bathed almost every day, a small wood running to the +edge of the water acting as a convenient dressing-place. The owner of +the castle gave notice to all the villagers that the wood was "hareem" +each afternoon, so we were always quite private. I engaged the services +of an Arab woman to teach me to swim whenever my husband could not be +there. She could swim like a fish herself, but had no idea of teaching +any one else; however, before our holidays were over I had mastered +the art. She would make me put one hand on her shoulder and then +call out: "Now, kick"--that was the sum total of her instructions, +"kick"! The river is considered very dangerous for bathing unless +you know it well. Shortly before we were there last year, an Arab +woman had been drowned. She was a good swimmer, and was swimming +in deep water, when suddenly she called out that she was drowning, +and before any one could go to her rescue she sank, and was quickly +carried down the stream by the current; when the body was recovered +life was quite extinct. For a few days the women were too frightened +to bathe in that place, thinking that death was due to something in +the water; but when we arrived a fortnight later they had apparently +quite recovered from their fright, and were bathing as usual. + +Another day we were watching the men playing in the water, when +suddenly a black object appeared in the distance floating down the +stream; it looked like the head of a baby. As it approached the place +where the men were bathing, one of our servants swam out to see what +it was, and found to his horror it was the body of a man. He brought +it to the bank, and every one rushed to view the corpse. Then came +the question as to who would bury it; no one was willing to do this, +although the body was that of an Arab, and all the onlookers were +also Arab villagers. We offered backsheesh to any one who would dig +the grave, but no one volunteered, and suggested pushing the body out +into the current again to be carried to Baghdad, as the easiest way +of settling the matter. Finally a mullah passed by, and seeing the +body, ordered some men to bury it at once. We were very thankful, as +we could not bear to think of the poor body floating down the stream, +or being left exposed on the banks of the river. + +We watched some men dig a very shallow grave, and the body was laid +to rest, the mullah reciting some Moslem prayers ere it was covered +with earth and stones. + +As one sees such scenes as this taking place, it is not pleasant to +think that this same river forms our sole water supply for drinking and +all domestic purposes! If we take a walk down the river to the place +where the water-carriers fetch the water, we shall have all the more +reason thoroughly to enjoy our water! There hundreds of women are to +be seen washing their clothes, men and boys enjoying a swim, horses, +mules, and donkeys revelling in the mud; while not at all unlikely a +few dead dogs or cats may be seen floating around! All congregate in +this favourite spot. This being the case, it is not surprising that +often our water resembles mud much more than water when brought to the +house. Needless to say, all our drinking-water is filtered and boiled +before using. The water is brought from the river in skins on the back +of donkeys or mules, at the rate of 3s. 4d. a hundred skins. It seems +so absurd to be paying in this way for water when, with a comparatively +speaking small outlay, it could easily be conveyed to each house by +means of pipes from the river running close by. This has been done +by an energetic Vali in Damascus, and the result is enviable. + +The Tigris cannot be said to contain a great or varied supply of fish, +but there are two or three kinds to be found, which help to vary the +housekeeping monotony of everlasting mutton and chicken. A very large +fish called "bis" is the best kind, as the meat is tender and mild, +while the bones are few; the others seem to be all bones, and are +hardly worth eating, besides being absolutely flavourless. + +Fishing is carried on from the bridge by the fish-sellers. A line is +generally used, baited with melon or pieces of flesh. Sometimes poison +is thrown into the river in order to kill the fish, which then float on +the top of the water and are easily caught. In the summer it is very +risky buying fish in the bazaar, as it so soon becomes stale; so if I +want to be quite sure of having fresh fish, I send a servant down to +the bridge to see a fish caught and then bring it home. As a matter of +fact, I fancy he does not at all like sitting in the sun waiting, so +often beguiles the time by sitting in the coffee-house situated on the +banks of the river; and then, having allowed an hour or two to elapse, +returns empty-handed, saying: "There are no fish in the river to-day." + +Rivers without bridges are a great trial of patience when journeying; +it takes such a long time to transport everything, and the crossing +generally takes place at the end of a stage when every one is tired, +and--shall I confess it?--often cross too. The waiting in the +burning sun while the boats are fetched, the weary bargaining, and +all the usual trials of patience become exaggerated out of their +due proportions when you know that just across the water is the +resting-place for the night--so near and yet so far! And as you sit on +the wrong side of the river waiting, waiting, it is difficult to feel +restful and at peace with all men. I long often to be able to do as the +animals do, i.e. swim over. A small charge is made for the transport +of each animal, so the muleteer often prefers to swim over himself, +taking his animals with him. There is as a rule only one ferry-boat, +so that you have to take your turn; and as each passage takes about +an hour, a great deal of patience is often needed. + +The ferry-boat is a large flat-bottomed, antediluvian-looking +construction, and you wonder how ever it can bear the weight of +all that is put upon it. When a carriage is to be transported the +horses are first unharnessed, then the vehicle is lifted bodily on +to the boat, with all its contents, the passengers and horses finding +standing-room as best they can. + +When you get to the other side your troubles are not over, for on +starting to put up the tent you find one of the poles has been left +behind on the other side; so there is nothing to do but to sit still +and continue the waiting process. Or perhaps you think a cup of tea +would help while away the time, only to find that the charcoal has +not yet arrived! So there is only one thing to do, and that is to +wait till everything is safely landed; then you can begin to prepare +for the long-delayed rest. + + + + + + + +CHAPTER IV + +THE CHILDREN OF MOSUL + + Spoiling process--Despair of the parents--The "god" of the + hareem--Death by burning--Festivities at birth of boy--Cradles + and cradle songs--School life--Feast in honour of a boy having + read the Koran through--"Only a girl"--Girl life--Girl victims + of Naseeb--Marriage. + + + "The household must weep for forty days on the birth of a girl." + + Arabic Proverb. + + + "Is it all forgot? All schooldays' friendship, + Childhood's innocence?" + + Shakespeare. + + + "Where children are not, heaven is not." + + A. Swinburne. + + +The children of Mosul have on the whole a very good time. From their +earliest days they are allowed to do pretty much as they like, and +only when the process of spoiling is completed, and the child has +become a terror to all, do the parents realise that it is far easier +to spoil a child than to "unspoil" him, once the deed is done. This +method, or rather lack of method, of bringing up the children, is a +great cause of trouble and sorrow in after years both to the parents +and to the children themselves, but yet they never seem to profit by +their experiences, for they still continue to say that it is a great +"aib" or shame to deny a child anything he may want. Although this +spoiling process is carried on with both boys and girls in the earlier +years of their lives, it is brought to perfection in their treatment +of the boys. + +I remember a pretty little child called Jamila (beautiful); she +was so fair and pretty that she was known by many as "the English +child." When she was about three years old she became very ill, and +the mother brought her to my husband, who prescribed for her, but said +that the chief part of the treatment lay in the diet. On no account +was solid food to be given for at least three or four days. The mother +looked in despair when she heard this, as she said, "Jamila will cry +if she cannot have her meat and bread and pillau!" A day or two later +I was calling at the house, and saw that Jamila was looking very ill, +and asked the mother what the child had been eating. "Oh," she said, +"poor little child, I had to give her meat and bread, for she tore her +hair and clothes in her anger, on my refusing to give them to her, +and so, how could I deny them to her?" And sure enough, while I was +there, Jamila began to cry for bread, and on her mother refusing, threw +herself on the ground in a paroxysm of anger, beating her head and +face with her clenched fist, till she was quite blue and black in the +face. The mother ran at once and brought bread and meat, and gave to +the child, who immediately recovered her equanimity of mind and temper. + +Then again, I have seen a room full of people all in despair over +a child of perhaps two or three years old, who refuses to drink his +medicine ordered by the doctor. The father begins the performance by +solemnly taking the glass containing the medicine up to the child, and +saying to him, "Oh, my beloved, will you take this medicine?" "No," +says the child, and pushes it away. The father looks round on the +audience for signs of wonder and astonishment at the marvellous +doings of the child. Then perhaps the uncle has a try, and meets +with like success; then the mother, the aunts, and a few friends +all beseech the child to take the medicine, saying, "For my sake, +for the sake of your father, your mother, &c., take this," but, +of course, all are unsuccessful, and they all shake their heads and +say, "I told you so, he will not take it," and it being a "khatiya" +(sin) to force a child to do anything against his will, the child, +of course, gains the victory in this as in everything else. If you +suggest pouring the medicine down the child's throat by force, the +parents and friends will put you down as being a monster of cruelty. + +If there happens to be only one boy in the hareem, he becomes +almost like a little god to all the women folk. A small friend of +mine was in this position, and although a very jolly little boy, +was fast becoming unbearable in his actions towards his grandmother, +mother, and aunts. He was only about eight years old, but one day +he was calling on me with his aunt, whom I loved very much, when, +without the smallest provocation, he suddenly took up a stick and +gave his aunt two or three hard cuts across her shoulders with it, +and then ran laughing out of the room. I did not say anything to the +boy, but presently my husband came in to lunch, and I asked him to +give the boy a beating, and told him what he had done. So we went to +hunt for the boy, and found him hiding behind his grandmother, who +besought us not to touch the darling boy. My husband gave the boy a +very slight whipping, and told him if ever he did such a thing again, +he would give him something to remember! The boy was so astonished +at being chastised, that to this day he has been a changed boy, +and much more bearable in his home life. + +Another instance of the way the boys are spoilt. A woman and her +daughter, a little girl of about eight years, were sitting in their +verandah one day behind a pile of cotton which had just been "fluffed" +by the man whose work it is to fluff cotton. The son of the woman, +a boy of seven, thought it would be great fun to set a light to this +cotton, which he promptly did by throwing a lighted match into the +midst of it, with the result that his mother and sister were burnt +to death. I called at the house some days after, and found the boy +who had done this deed quite a hero in the eyes of the women folk, +and far from being blamed and punished, on the contrary they were +fondling and caressing him more than ever. I told them I thought the +boy was so pleased with all the attention he was receiving, that very +likely he would do the same thing again if he had the opportunity. + +Let me give you a short sketch of a child's life, in order that you +may see for yourself something of their everyday life. + +As we are talking of Eastern children, we must begin with the boy, +as he is so much more important a personage than a mere girl. + +A boy's birth is celebrated by great rejoicings and feastings, and if +the family is a well-to-do one, at least two sheep will be slain and +cooked and given to the poor. Our next-door neighbours were rejoicing +over the birth of a boy a short time ago, and they thought it necessary +to sacrifice three sheep, and for two days the poor were coming with +their little dishes and pots to carry away portions of the meat. I +went to see this ceremony, and it was very interesting. Apparently +no questions were asked, the only recommendations necessary being +poverty and need. Also hundreds of loaves of bread were given away at +this time. If we go to the hareem to admire and pay our homage to the +little king, we must be careful not to praise him too much, or, if +we do, we must qualify our praise by saying "Mash'allah," which will +counteract any evil influence. We shall find the baby boy swathed up +tightly in his swaddling clothes, his eyebrows and eyelids pencilled +with native cosmetics, and very likely a beauty spot on his forehead; +his little head will be covered with a little silk cap, over which a +handkerchief will be wrapped, and on the cap will be seen some coins +and blue beads, to avert the dreaded evil eye. We shall find him very +probably strapped tightly into a cradle made of brightly-painted wood; +the baby is laid on the top of the little mattress, which is level with +the sides of the cradle, and then strapped down. As he grows out of his +first cradle he will be given another and larger one, and much more +comfortable, in which he need not be strapped, as the sides are high +enough to prevent his falling out; a cord is attached to the cradle, +so that his mother can swing him gently while she sits and spins or +does anything she has to do. It is very quaint to listen to their +monotonous chant as they rock the cradle, and very often they sing +to the swing of the cradle, "Allah ho, Allah hi, Allah ho, Allah hi," +"He is God, He is living, He is God, He is living." + +The first time of shaving a boy's head is looked upon as a very +important day, and the barber must be careful to leave a little tuft +of hair on the top of the head, by which he can be pulled up into +heaven, otherwise he might get left behind. + +When the boy is about five, he will probably be sent to school. He +is then dressed as a miniature man, in white knickerbockers, shirt, +coloured vest, and silk or cloth "zeboon," a loose garment reaching +to the ankles; on his head, of course, will be the inevitable red fez, +adorned with charms to bring him good luck and keep off evil. Arrived +at the school, our little friend will seat himself on the ground, and +his education will begin by learning the A b t (alef, bey, tey), the +A, B, C, of the Arabic language. After he has mastered the alphabet, +and can write a few words, then the Koran will be started, and the boy +will be kept hard at this, each day learning a short portion till a +chapter is known perfectly by heart. All the boys in the school may +be reciting different portions of the Koran at the same time, and +in a sing-song tone, so that, as you pass up and down the streets, +it is easy to recognise these seats of learning for the young. I +have often peeped into some of these schools, and watched the boys, +all seated on the ground, swaying themselves backwards and forwards, +repeating the Koran in a loud, monotonous voice. When a boy has been +through the Koran once, a great feast is made in his honour. He is +decked out in grand new garments, generally of silk and embroidery, +and men dancers are engaged for a day or more, according to the means +of the parents. + +The son of a friend of mine in Mosul had just completed this part +of his education, and his mother sent word to know if the dancers +might come and dance before us in our compound. We thought this +might be rather trying, as they would probably have stayed all day, +so I sent a message thanking her for the honour, but saying I would +prefer to come to her house to see the "tamash" (sight), as I only +had a limited time to give to it. So at the time appointed I went, +accompanied by a woman servant and a man, as I thought there would +probably be a great commotion. On arriving at the door of the house, +it seemed hopeless even to think of getting in, as the courtyard +was full of men, dancing, shouting, yelling, whirling and slashing +naked swords and daggers. The court was a very small one, and my first +thought was to turn and fly, but the hostess was a very dear friend of +mine, and I did not like to disappoint her, so I sent the man-servant +in front to open a passage in the crowd and followed hard after him, +and felt very thankful when we reached a room safely. The women were +gathered there looking out of the windows at the fun. But this did +not seem to please the dancers, for they called repeatedly for the +"khatoun" (lady) to come and watch them, and some even followed me +into the room, thereby throwing the women into a state of panic and +fright. The men were so wildly excited that they hardly knew what they +were doing. Stripped to the waist, they flourished their swords and +yelled, then jumped high into the air, then crouched on the ground +and again leapt into the air, all the time pointing the daggers or +swords either at their own hearts or some one else's. To add to the +general excitement, other men were beating drums and playing on a +weird kind of stringed instrument. After receiving their "backsheesh" +they departed, for which I was not sorry. The boy in whose honour +all this is taking place is very happy and delighted, and thinks +now he is a man, and so, as he is leaving his childhood behind him, +we too will leave him and pass on to the much less important subject +(from an Eastern standpoint) of the childhood of a girl. + +"Only a girl"--"Only a girl." These are the words which generally +follow the announcement of the birth of a girl. Poor little mite, +her entrance into the world is not a cause of great joy or rejoicing, +and from her earliest days, I think, this lies as a shadow upon her; +for to my mind there is a sadness and pathos about the little girls +quite different to the masterful looks and ways of the boys, the +lords of creation. As it is a part of the Moslem's creed to bow in +submission to the will of God, so the parents now, as always, say, +"It is God's will" ("Al Allah"), and bow their heads in submission +to this new yoke put upon them. Of course there are exceptions, +and some love their little daughters very much, but taken as a rule, +girls are not welcome--certainly not more than one. If the parents of +the girl baby are well-to-do, perhaps they may sacrifice one sheep, +but the feastings and almsgiving are done in a much quieter way and +with as little ostentation as possible; and if you visit the mother +it is not necessary to say very much about the new arrival as it is +"only a girl," and it is not well to make the poor mother feel too sad. + +So the little girl starts her life, with not too much love and +attention. If she happens to be well and strong she will thrive apace +in spite of all, but if she is at all inclined to be weak or delicate, +the chances are that she will be neglected until it is too late for +human aid, and then perhaps, as a conscience salve, she will be taken +to the doctor by the mother or some other relative. How many of these +little victims have been brought when too late to my husband I should +not like to say. Directly the doctor sees a child suffering from some +terribly neglected disease he at once says, "A girl, of course! If +the child had been a boy you would have brought him long ago." And so, +alas, it is true of many cases. It is a convenient way of getting rid +of some of a too numerous family of girls, and then the mothers and +relations will piously clasp their hands and say, "It is the will of +God." The will of God, indeed! This so-called submission to the will of +God, or "kismet" or "naseeb," as the Turk and Arab call it, is often +responsible for a great deal of neglect by mothers of their little +girls. For instance, there was such a nice-looking young widow who +used to come and see me. She had two children, both girls, the elder +about five years of age, and the younger nearly three. This younger +child was a perfectly beautiful child--just like a lovely wax doll; +indeed, so much did she resemble a doll that she was often called +"l'abbi," which means a doll. Her sweet little face had a complexion +which any English mother might have been proud of, and her large +brown eyes were full of life and fun, while her dear little golden +curls falling over her forehead and forming a halo round her head +gave her an appearance of a little cherub. I found out very soon +that this child had the beginnings of a terrible disease in her, +which, if attended to at once, might be cured, but which neglected +would mean certain and sure death. I spoke to the mother about it, +and implored her to bring the child to the hospital for treatment; +but no, she would not listen; she simply shrugged her shoulders and +said, "Naseeb, al Allah. If the child is to die, she will die; if it +is written she is to live, she will live," and nothing I could say +would induce her either to bring the child or to let us have her to +take care of; and I heard afterwards from a neighbour that the mother +wanted the little girlie to die, so that she might be free to marry +again, as no man would take a wife who already was burdened with two +girls. Instances of this kind might be multiplied by the hundred, +showing how girl life is neglected, under the blasphemous idea that +it is "naseeb." + +As a rule it is not considered at all necessary to send a Moslem +girl to school, but quite lately the Turkish authorities have opened +some schools for girls in Mosul, and have sent women teachers from +Constantinople, so this is a step in the right direction. I visited +one of these schools, and was very much struck by the happier looks +of the girls compared with the faces of the same girls in their own +homes. They are taught to read and write and, of course, to recite +the Koran. Also, we were shown some very pretty pieces of silk +embroidery which the girls had just finished, and really some were +quite artistic and pretty. These schools are free, the teachers being +paid by Government, and, therefore, girls of all classes sit side by +side. The pasha's daughter and the daughter of the pasha's slave may +both attend the same school and mix quite freely and happily together. + +For the first seven or eight years of a girl's life she may go +unveiled and run about pretty freely with only a silk scarf on her +head, but when she reaches the age of nine or thereabout a great +change takes place in her life. She is prohibited from going out, +except occasionally with the mother or other relations, and then she +must be closely veiled. Poor children, I do so often pity them--they +so soon leave their childhood behind them and become women before they +come to girlhood. Of course the great aim and object of parents is +to marry the girls as soon as possible to the man who can offer the +highest price for her; but the subject of weddings is so extensive +that we must leave it for another chapter. Only I will say here that I +think the reason girls are looked upon more or less as a nuisance is +because they cost so much to get married; for if a father has three +or four girls to marry, he needs to be a rich man. From the time the +girl is four or five years old he begins loading her with gold and +jewellery, so that by the day she comes to be of a marriageable age +she shall have a good supply to offer to her would-be husband. + + + + + + + +CHAPTER V + +THE MOSLEM WOMEN OF MOSUL + + Beauty behind the veil--Types of beauty--My dear old friend of 110 + years of age--Aids to beauty described--Pretty children--Beauty + tainted with sin--Imprisonment of women--Peeps into some + hareems--Warm receptions--A visit from the ladies of a select + hareem--Love the magic key to open hearts. + + + "Women are worthless creatures, and soil men's reputations." + + Arabic Proverb. + + + "As I told you always, her beauty and her brain go not together." + + Shakespeare. + + +It has often been said that there is very little beauty to be seen +behind the veil in Turkish Arabia. I certainly do not agree with +this statement, for I have seen some very beautiful faces amongst the +Mohammedan women of Mosul. There is beauty, too, to suit all tastes: +the winsome blonde, with her pale blue eyes and fair hair; the striking +brunette, peeping from behind her veil with laughing brown eyes, +which at times are as full of pathos as those of a faithful collie +which has lost its master. + +I think the chief attraction of Eastern women lies in their eyes. One +face comes to my mind as I write. It is not a pretty face in the +ordinary sense of the word, but the eyes are wonderful, revealing +a soul full of sadness, a longing for something not attainable: eyes +that might make you weep as you feel them fixed upon you in unspeakable +yearning for love. Another type of face is the bright, vivacious one, +seen chiefly amongst young unmarried women--marriage in the East +generally having the effect of taking all brightness out of a face or +a life. There is also many a sweet face to be seen in Mosul. Perhaps +these could not be called beautiful except for the sweetness. One +such I can see now as my memory takes me back a few months. A dear +face is pressed close to mine, and with pleading blue eyes and such +a sweet, expressive mouth which utters words such as these: "Khatoun, +I cannot go--I cannot leave you. Will you let me live always with you?" + +If only you knew the history of this woman, you would wonder that +her face could bear such a sweet look, or, indeed, how she managed +to endure life at all. + +Beauty of the East is all too fleeting as a rule, a woman of thirty +years of age being quite passee. Nevertheless, there are some very +fine-looking old ladies in Mosul. One dear friend of mine is proud of +the fact that she has reached the grand age of 110! Her face still +retains some of its former beauty. Her daughter is a young woman of +nearly ninety, her grand-daughter can boast of seventy years, while +as to her great-grandchildren, they are countless! + +This old lady came one day to the dispensary for medicine, as she +wished to be "made strong" enough to take a journey consisting of six +hours' riding to a hot-water spring outside Mosul, a place to which +she had been in the habit of going regularly for the last 100 years +or so! She was also quite distressed because her skin was rough, +and asked the doctor to give her some medicine to make it smooth +again. Even at 110 she was capable of thinking of and longing for +a renewal of her lost beauty. Aids to beauty are much sought after +by the ladies of Mosul, as they do not at all approve of becoming +"old." It is quite a rare sight to see a white-haired woman. The +moment grey hairs commence to appear they have recourse to henna, a +dye much in request by Easterns of both sexes. Freckles are a cause +of much sorrow of heart to Mosul ladies. One girl, who was really +very pretty, was brought constantly to the dispensary by her mother, +who implored my husband to eradicate the freckles with which her +daughter's face was covered, as, if they were not removed, she might +never get a proposal of marriage. However, a man was forthcoming who +apparently did not object to freckles, for shortly before leaving +Mosul I received an invitation to this girl's wedding-feast. + +There are some very pretty children in Mosul, some dark, others +fair, with blue eyes and curly hair. However, this latter style of +beauty is not as a rule admired. Mothers have a great horror lest +their children should have curly hair. If a child possesses it, the +women try by all means in their power to straighten out the curls, +sometimes even coming to ask for medicine for this purpose. + +Very often, however, the children lose a great deal of their +beauty when five or six years old. Perhaps it is because their +souls at that age become tainted with knowledge of evil, and this +knowledge is reflected on their faces. It is heartrending to see +pretty little children listening open-mouthed to some horrible tale +of sin and wickedness told by a member of the hareem. It is true +there is beauty behind the veil, but, alas! it is beauty tainted +with the blackness of sin. How can lives be beautiful when the souls +within are dead?--as dead as sin and sorrow can make them. Boys and +girls grow up amidst surroundings which soon soil their souls; the +"innocency of childhood," so dear to the hearts of English parents, +is unknown in a Moslem hareem. + +Many and many a time have I interrupted a conversation consisting +of things which should not be spoken of, by pointing out to the +women some boys or girls sitting near by, listening with evident +delight to their unclean talk. Sometimes they would desist, but as a +rule would only laugh, saying: "What does it matter? They know all +about it!" Oh! the pity and horror of it--young lives spoilt and +contaminated almost before their feet have started on the difficult +and perilous walk through life. Is it any wonder that these children +grow up with diseased minds and deadened souls? Then they in their +turn become the parents of another generation, to whom they teach +the same soul-destroying creeds. + +There is no hope for the children of Mohammedan lands until the +mothers have learnt a little of the meaning of pure life and +conversation. There is no hope for the women while the men are +what they are. The whole system is one of degradation and vice. When +Mohammed, acting under what he declared to be a revelation from Allah, +introduced the use of the veil, he swept away for ever all hope of +happiness for Moslem women. By means of the veil he immured them for +ever in a living grave. "Imprisoned for life" is the verdict written +against each Moslem woman as she leaves childhood behind her. Before +the days of Mohammed the Arabs were in the habit of burying alive +yearly a certain number of new-born girls; surely the fate of these +innocents was better than that of the millions of women to-day who +are buried alive behind the veil. "Ensha' Allah" (God willing), in +the near future the same Power which raised British women to hold +the position they now do will also penetrate through the prison bars +of the hareems of Mohammedan lands and set free the prisoners. An +enlightened Mohammedan gentleman once said: "The only hope for our +women is Christianity." God grant that their "only hope" may not be +denied them. + +How often I have said to these women, "Alhamd-'llillah (thank God), +I am not a Moslem woman!" and the heartfelt answer has always been, +"Yes, indeed, you may thank God; but it is naseeb" (fate). The longer +I live amongst Moslem women the more my heart yearns with love and +pity for them, and the more thankful I am that their lot is not mine. + +Let us now peep into some of the many hareems of Mosul. There are some +into which I should blush with shame to take my readers, on account +of the conversations we might hear; but we will choose some where, +in all probability, we shall see and hear nothing objectionable. + +Our first visit shall be to a near neighbour of ours. The house +is a large one, the owner holding a high social position in the +town. As we enter the outside gates we see a large reception-room, +in which the master of the house is sitting holding court. We must +not look that way, as we are in native costume; so, pulling our +veils a little closer, we hurry on till we reach the door of the +hareem. This is always kept locked; upon knocking, it is opened by +a native girl or woman, who immediately kisses our hands or dress, +then ushers us into the presence of the khatoun. In this case the +head lady of the hareem has been a widow for some years, and is still +wearing her black mourning dress. She rises from her place amongst the +cushions on the floor as we enter and salaams low, bidding us welcome +to her house, at the same time indicating our seats by her side. We +arrange ourselves as comfortably as possible, sitting cross-legged in +true Arab fashion. By-and-by the daughter-in-law comes in--a frail, +delicate-looking woman, and with her a little girl, her only child. She +is sad because she has no boy, and is afraid her husband will divorce +her on this account. + +Since leaving Mosul I have heard that her fears on this point were +not groundless, for her husband has since divorced her and taken +another wife in her place. The usual coffee is handed round by one +of the many women servants, and our hostess is very much surprised +that we will not join her in smoking a cigarette. Sometimes there +are a dozen or so women living in the same hareem, wives of brothers, +and it is often difficult to know who is who. The relationships are +sometimes most perplexing. Even to this day there are houses which I +visit frequently, but have not yet mastered the intricate "connections" +of the various members of the hareem. + +Here is another hareem, quite different from the last one we +visited. My special friends in this house are two young girls who +are not yet married. They are such dear, bright girls, and as I +enter throw their arms round my neck and bid me welcome in a most +demonstrative way. If I am expected I always find a meal ready, +and if my visit is unannounced, a woman is always despatched to +the nearest "sook" (market) to buy an impromptu meal. They are +poor people, and I always beg them not to do this, but they never +listen to my entreaties. The meal consists sometimes of "kabobs," +i.e. meat minced and pressed round iron skewers and grilled over +a charcoal fire; this is placed on a plate and garnished with +sliced raw onions and bitter herbs. Another time a sheep had been +killed, and our meal consisted of the "interiors," dished in a +most tempting manner. Sometimes salads form the principal dish; +but whatever the meal consists of, it is always served with love, +and is consequently thoroughly appreciated. This house seems always +to be full of women, all more or less related. If I get mixed up, +as I sometimes do, in the relationship of those present, and show my +ignorance of their names, they are quite hurt, and exclaim: "What, +you have forgotten me?" "Was I not in the hospital for a week?" or, +"Did I not bring So-and-so to see you?" If they have seen me once, +they are quite surprised if I cannot remember all about them, and +often I have to resort to stratagem to find out their names without +exposing my forgetfulness. While we sit and talk the girls are all +busily engaged in crotcheting caps. These are sold in the sook at +about six-pence a dozen, cotton included. In certain "mahullahs" +(quarters) of the town you will see all the women doing this work; +in another part of the town they are all occupied with knitting socks, +in another cigarette-making is the fashion. Each mahullah seems to have +its own style of work for the women, to which it adheres more or less. + +In one house where I visit, a basin of delicious "lebban" is always +set before me. We all sit on the floor round a diminutive table about +five inches high, and each one being provided with a wooden spoon dips +out the lebban from the central dish. This lebban makes a delicious +food in the hot weather. It is made something after the same manner +as "junket," only lebban is more tart and acid. Eaten with grated +cucumbers, it makes a very refreshing salad. Fortunately for me, +I can eat and, as a rule, thoroughly enjoy native food. In fact, +I often prefer it to our own, for almost all attempts at European +cookery by native cooks are decided failures. My husband, on the +other hand, cannot indulge in this respect, the excessive fat used +being too much for his digestive powers. + +But to return to our ladies. Not only do I visit in the hareems of the +towns, but the hareems very often pay me a visit at our house. The +poorer class of women come very freely, and they know that they are +always welcome. We have a room specially set apart for women visitors, +so that they may feel quite safe from any men servants who might +happen to be about. The higher-class ladies do not come so frequently, +the idea being that the more strictly they keep to their own hareem, +the more select and important will they become in the eyes of the +people. There is one family in Mosul who boast that their hareem have +never visited any other house. So strictly have the ladies been kept +in seclusion, that they were not even allowed to go to the "hammam" +(bath) till quite lately. Now, however, they are allowed the luxury of +once a month walking a hundred yards or so to the nearest bath. After +becoming acquainted with the ladies of this hareem I was very anxious +to obtain permission for them to come and visit me. They did not at +all hold out any hope that their lords and masters would allow such +an unheard-of proceeding. One day, however, my husband told the head +of the house that I was very anxious for the ladies of his hareem +to come and see me. To the great surprise of all he acquiesced, only +stipulating that the visit should be kept as secret as possible. The +ladies were very excited, and for days beforehand were talking about +the proposed visit and making preparations for it. On the day fixed +the way had to be cleared of all menkind. The doctor was banished +from the house for the whole afternoon, the men servants were given +a holiday, and all doors through which a stray man might happen to +wander were carefully bolted and barred. + +At the hour appointed a woman servant arrived to know if all was +ready. When she had satisfied herself that no men were visible, nor +could become so unexpectedly, she returned to fetch the ladies. They +arrived in all the glory of black silk chuddars, which Judy (our +woman servant) carefully removed and folded up. The two older ladies +were quite simply dressed in print or muslin, but the young wife +was decked out in one of her many bridal costumes, and looked very +charming. She was then only about sixteen years of age, but was the +mother of two pretty children, a girl and a boy. They were all so +delighted to be allowed out for the first time in their lives. We +began by eating cucumbers and water-melons, followed by tea, coffee, +and English biscuits and cakes. These latter they much appreciated, +asking permission to carry away some for other members of the hareem to +taste. After refreshments had been partaken of they were very anxious +to see all over the house. As we went from room to room it was so +funny to hear their remarks. The bedroom seemed to take their fancy +most of all, as they could not see why we needed a room specially +for sleeping in. + +They were very charmed with our little harmonium, and listened with +great delight while I played and sang to them some of our old English +hymns translated into Arabic. One of the ladies trying to play could +not understand why it would not "speak" for her, and upon my moving +the pedals was overjoyed to find that she could "make music." Their +delight at everything was just like that of little children on finding +a new toy. Their visit lasted about three hours, and they went away +promising to come again soon. This hareem is a most exceptionally +happy one. There is only one wife in it, the two elder ladies being +sisters-in-law to the bride, and unmarried. They all seem to live +together in peace and happiness. Unfortunately, this is only the +exception, which always goes to prove the rule, that hareems are not +the abode of peace. How can there be peace when the heart is full +of jealousy and hatred? One such case comes to my mind. There are +two brothers living in one house, one of them being married. After +some years of married life had passed and they remained childless, +he took another wife, and the first one was thrown into misery and +despair. Shortly after this we were awakened one night by hearing +most fearful shrieks and yells coming from this house. The following +day we heard that the two wives had been quarrelling and fighting, +as usual, till at last the husband took the first wife and turned her +forcibly out of doors. Fortunately, her mother's house was near by, +to which she went, and where she remains to this day. + +It has been said, and unfortunately too often truly said, that love +has no part in the life of a Moslem woman; and yet it is also true +that they are, as a rule, a most loving and lovable set of people. It +is because they have so little love and kindness in their own lives +that, when it does come to them, their hearts are ready to overflow +in response. + +Perhaps the Arab women are slow to give their love and trust, but when +once given it is sure and lasting. Often these women have said to me, +"Why do you love us, Khatoun?" They cannot understand that any one +should care for them. Such an idea is outside the range of their +experience altogether. One of the first sentences I learnt in the +Arabic language was, "Ana ahubkum" (I love you all), and this is +one of the most useful and necessary phrases to be learnt. Love is +the magic key which opens a way to the hearts of the Moslem women, +and which brings forth much fruit in return. It is sad to think that +these women, who are endowed with such great possibilities of loving, +should be condemned to live their lives, aye, and die too, without one +spark of love to brighten and cheer them through the weary years of +their lives. Sad, too, that their favoured sisters of England should +be content that these things should remain so. Who is to tell them of +love if we do not? They know nothing of the God of Love, who looks +in pity and compassion on their stricken lives. They only know of a +God who is inexorably hard and unfeeling, who holds the destiny of +each life in His hand, and against whom it is no use repining, for +"What is written is written." + +Mohammed says in the Koran, "The noblest of you in the sight of God +is he who most doth fear Him." + +Truly has it been said that the God of the Mohammedans is an Oriental +despot. + + + + + + + +CHAPTER VI + +MOSLEM FAMILY LIFE + + No home life--Women down-trodden--Evils of divorce--Naseeb--The + will of God--Truth and falsehood--Honesty prevalent--A thief + caught--Swearing and anti-swearing--Fighting, hair-tearing, + and biting--Hammams, the Ladies' Club. + + + "The heart of a woman is given to folly." + + Arabic Proverb. + + + "May Allah never bless womankind." + + Quotation from Moslem Author. + + + "The Very God! think, Abib, dost thou think? + So, the All-Great, were the All-Loving too-- + So, through the Thunder comes a human voice + Saying, 'Oh, heart I made, a heart beats here! + Face, my hands fashioned, see it in myself! + Thou hast no power nor mayst conceive of mine, + But love I gave Thee, with Myself to love, + And Thou must love me, who have died for thee.'" + + R. Browning. + + +There is no "home life," such as we understand the term, in Mosul. The +word "beit" (house) is the only one in the Arabic language used for +describing a home. It would indeed be mockery to call such by the +sacred name so dear to the hearts of English people. + +In a book lately published in Cairo the author, a well-known and +clever Moslem writer, says: "Man is the absolute master and woman +the slave. She is the object of his sensual pleasures, a toy as it +were with which he plays whenever and however he pleases. Knowledge +is his, ignorance is hers. The firmament and the light are his, +darkness and the dungeon are hers. His is to command, hers is blindly +to obey. His is everything that is, and she is an insignificant part of +that everything." This being the sentiment of every Moslem man, is it +any wonder that there is no happiness or mutual regard in the family +life? The men look upon the women, and treat them, as little better +than brutes; then when they become so, turn and revile them. They +keep their heels firmly planted on women's necks and then dare them +to rise. A man may be as vile as he likes himself, but the moment he +suspects one of his hareem of misconduct there is nothing but death, +or mutilation which is worse than death, for the offender. + +A woman once came to the hospital who always insisted on keeping +her face entirely covered with the exception of the eyes; I soon +found that the reason of this was because her nose and lips were +missing. These members had been cut off in a rage by an infuriated +son-in-law, who declared that this woman had intrigued with his wife +in allowing another man to enter the hareem in his absence. This is +a husband's ordinary method of wreaking revenge on any of his women +folk whom he suspects of being false to him. This, or death. + +The facility with which a man is able to divorce his wife is a great +source of trouble to the women. They never feel secure in the hearts +of their husbands, knowing that at any moment he may tire of them +and send them adrift. + +When a woman is divorced she returns as a rule to her mother's house; +but should she have no relation at hand to whom she can appeal for +protection, her condition is deplorably sad. + +A man may divorce his wife in a fit of anger and receive her back the +next day if he so desire; this may occur twice, but if he pronounces +the fatal words "I divorce thee" three times the divorced wife may +not be taken back till she has been married to another man for a time +and he also has divorced her; then her former husband may marry her +again if he wishes. This is one of the good (?) laws of Mohammed the +Prophet, and needs no comment. + +When a woman is divorced the husband can claim the children if he +desires; if not, the wife is allowed to retain them. Should she marry +again the poor children are often left to look after themselves as best +they can. As a rule the new husband does not wish to bear the expense +of the children belonging to his wife's former husband. If, however, +he should consent, and the two families are brought up together, the +result is generally not conducive to peace of mind. One of our servants +in Mosul had a little boy five years of age; having divorced the boy's +mother, he looked about for another wife, and finally selected one +who had already been divorced and was the mother of a boy four years +old. The two boys now live together, and are a fruitful source of +friction between husband and wife. A short time ago the mother came +to our compound early in the morning looking dishevelled and angry, +saying that her husband had turned her out of the house at midnight, +refusing to admit her again. On inquiring into the matter we found +that the root of the quarrel lay in the fact that the man was jealous +of his wife's treatment of her own boy, declaring that he had only +married her to look after his boy. He divorced her; but acting on +our suggestion forgave, and reinstated her in his hareem. + +A short time ago a woman came to me in great distress with her tale of +sorrow. I had known her for some months, and loved her very much. She +was the mother of two fine boys and a girl. When the girl was about +eighteen months old the mother became very ill. The doctor attended +her for some days, but finally gave up all hope of her recovery. As +a last resource, however, some stringent means were used which, +with God's blessing, proved successful, and the woman began to +recover. So near death had she been, that the neighbours came to the +house inquiring what time the funeral would take place! The husband, a +"mullah" (priest), never came near her the whole time of her illness, +and the first news the poor woman heard on her recovery was that he +intended taking another wife, doubtless thinking that, after such a +severe illness, she would not be of much use to him for some long time. + +As soon as she could walk she came to tell me her trouble, and to ask +me what I should advise her to do. I told her that, if I were in her +place, I should leave the man altogether. This, she said, she could +not do, as it would mean separation from her children. Finally, she +concluded that there was nothing else to do but to go back to her +husband and submit to his will. This she did, and I saw her there +before we left; but such a different face greeted me to the sweet +one of old. Misery, discontent, and anger were depicted there instead +of content and happiness. Up to the time of her illness she had been +in the habit of frequently coming to see me: now her husband forbade +her to do so any more. The week before we left, however, she turned +up again with a bad abscess on her leg, for which she gave continual +praise to God, saying repeatedly, "Alhamd'llillah. God sent me this +bad leg in order that I may come to you"--her husband not objecting +to her coming to the hospital to be treated, but only when she came +to the house without any apparent reason. + +A Moslem woman has very little hope of gaining Paradise. Old +pictures by Mohammedan artists always represent hell as being full +of women. Their hope of gaining Paradise rests a great deal on the +will of their husbands. Some holy men say, "I don't want my wives +in heaven. I prefer those provided by God for all good Moslems from +amongst the angels." Yet, if you question the women about their hope +for the future life, they all fervently express the belief that, +eventually, they will have a place in Paradise afforded them. + +Poor, blind, misguided Moslem women of Mosul and other Mohammedan +lands! How my heart aches for them! Will no one heed the cry of anguish +and despair which goes up from their midst? As we think of their lives +our cry can only be, "How long, O Lord, how long will these things be?" + +Women are great believers in the doctrine of Naseeb or fatalism. To +everything that comes to them they bow their heads in submission and +say, "Naseeb" (fate). + +This doctrine often leads to great neglect of children and invalids, +the women excusing themselves by saying, "Maktoob" (It is written). It +often rouses our indignation to hear this oft-quoted word misapplied +as an excuse for wrongdoing or selfish desires. + +For instance, parents will enter into negotiations for the marriage +of their daughter with a man known to be an evil liver; then, +when the girl is suffering, maybe, for their sins, say piously, +"Naseeb--Min Allah" (from God). "Min Allah" indeed! "Min Shaitan" +(from Satan) would be more correct! + +Then, again, it is somewhat annoying to be told it is "the will of God" +that your horse should develop a cough, because the groom neglected +to cover him when standing in the rain; or, when your best china +tea-set is smashed, you would rather not be told it is "Naseeb"! + +Albeit this is an annoying doctrine to the European at times, yet it +certainly helps the Eastern woman to bear her troubles and trials, +and it is good for her to have this at command, for she has nothing +else to aid her. To sorrow, loss, bereavement, and all the ills that +human nature is subject to, the Moslem answers always "Naseeb," or, +"It is the will of God." Should their children die, or the locusts +destroy the crop, it is "Naseeb." Is the weather hot or cold, dry or +moist, the remark is always the same, "Naseeb." If the river water +is filthy and they choose to drink it, thus contracting typhoid or +one of the hundred other ills consequent on drinking such water, +they have only to assure themselves that it is "Naseeb," and there +remains nothing more to be said or done. It is easier to say "Naseeb" +than to take the trouble to filter or boil the water for drinking. + +In a thousand ways this belief in fatalism is convenient to the lazy +or careless ones, a help to the over-burdened and weary, who know +no other succour or helper in time of need or sorrow, while it is, +in some cases, a blasphemous libel on God, blaming Him for what is +really a sin wilfully indulged in. + +As in Persia, so in Mosul, truth plays little part in the characters +of some of the people. They have not yet learnt to value God's gift +as expressed by the poet Browning-- + + + "God's gift was that man should conceive of Truth + And yearn to gain it." + + +It is strange how even the most enlightened find it difficult to speak +the truth always, and correspondingly easy to tell an untruth. A +boy was once found out in a fault (quite a trivial one), but, when +questioned, he absolutely denied all knowledge of it, until he was +confronted by one who had been an eye-witness of the whole scene. Then +only did he confess, adding, "I said with my lips I did not do it, +but in my heart I confessed." What can be said to people whose mind is +capable of evolving such ideas? We often had to complain of dishonesty +amongst the hospital women servants, especially of the cook for petty +thefts, such as eating the patients' food, thus causing them to go +on short commons, unless I was there to see that each one had his +or her proper quantity. One day I was crossing the compound before +superintending the distribution of the evening meal to the in-patients, +when, as I approached the kitchen, I distinctly saw the cook helping +herself most liberally to the food out of the pot. On remonstrating +with her, she indignantly denied that she had ever tasted a morsel, +until I made her open her mouth and reveal to the amused onlookers +proof positive of her lies. Even then she was not ashamed, but only +laughed at the idea of the "khatoun" finding her out. + +A woman will bring a child to the dispensary and swear that it is her +child, all the time knowing that the real mother is waiting outside, +too ashamed to be seen coming to the poor people's dispensary, +but not wishing to pay the usual doctor's fee. Or some lady from a +high-class hareem will dress in her servant's clothes and come to +the dispensary, posing as a poor woman who cannot afford a piastre +(2d.) for her medicine! + +You get so tired of always hearing lies that you begin to feel it is +no use to question people at all. I do not wish to imply that there is +no truth to be found in Mosul; but it certainly is a rare and, when +found, precious virtue. It is a sad fact, too, that the natives do +not trust or believe each other, knowing that, given the opportunity, +a brother will cheat a brother or a son his father. Every one is +suspicious of his neighbour. On the whole the people are honest, +at least with the exception of the many trifling pilferings always +to be expected amongst the servants. + +Some of them are rather fond of "eating money" entrusted to their +care. We had two or three servants who were good at this. They would +come to me every day with their accounts, receive payment for same, +but instead of handing over the money to the shopkeeper would calmly +appropriate it for themselves, till one day the baker or butcher leaves +a message at the door politely asking to be paid for past favours. Then +the culprit is sent for, and acknowledges having "eaten the money." + +Another servant once tried to steal some dolls from a box lately +received from England for distribution amongst the in-patients of +the hospital. He had helped me unpack the box and carry the contents +to the storeroom, pending the arrival of Christmas Day. A few days +after I was passing this room, and hearing a rustling inside looked +to see what it was, but seeing the door still locked thought I must +have imagined the noise. But just as I was passing on the rustling +became more distinct, and I went nearer to examine more closely the +door, and found that, while the lock was still intact, the door had +been lifted bodily off its hinges and then carefully replaced! + +Calling my husband, we entered the room and found a poor frightened +man trying to hide himself under the pile of paper and sacking which +had been removed from the box. He was absolutely shaking with fear, +thinking that he would be bastinadoed (beaten on the feet with sticks) +or imprisoned. He declared at first that he had come for some string, +which he had noticed on a shelf, to mend my saddle; but finally +confessed that the dolls had been the object of his visit. About +six small ones were found in his pockets; he had wanted them for his +children. We told him that if he had only asked he should have had +one given him. I shall never forget his astonishment when my husband +told him to choose the one he liked best and take it to his little +girl. He wept for joy and gratitude. + +Swearing is very largely indulged in by men and women alike; it seems +to come as naturally to them as swimming to a duck. Originally the +words "wallah," "yallah," "billah," were used as swear expressions; +but are now looked upon more as ejaculations equivalent to our "good +gracious!" "goodness!" &c.; the real swear words being "wallahi," +"billahi," &c. Some of the women cannot keep the expression wallah +out of their conversation, though I try hard to persuade them to do +so. For instance, a visitor comes; you remark to her on the extreme +heat. "Wallah," comes the answer, "it is hot!" Or you inquire after +some member of her family. "Wallah, she is very ill," is the reply. + +I was visiting one day in a Moslem house, and the old mother-in-law +said to me, "What has happened to X.?" mentioning her daughter-in-law; +"she never swears now!" I was indeed thankful for this unexpected +tribute to that woman's efforts. We started an anti-swearing society +amongst a few of the women; it was quite funny to see how they +endeavoured to keep back the old familiar words which had been on +their lips since childhood. + +One little boy joined with the women, and he found it hardest of +all; but when we left he was still persevering. He learnt the Ten +Commandments by heart, so whenever I heard him use a swear word I +made him repeat the third commandment. + +The women are terribly fond of couching their denials in the form +of oaths, as "May my hand be broken," "May I become blind," "May my +interior become dried up if I did such and such a thing!" It makes +me shiver sometimes to hear them swearing to a lie in this way; +and I often tell them that if God only took them at their word, +they would be stricken blind many times over. + +It is not an unknown thing for women to resort occasionally to fighting +as a pastime, but I am thankful to say I have not seen much of it. A +woman came to the Dispensary once with a fearful-looking hand: the +thumb was about six times its normal size and had become gangrenous. My +husband said the only possible cure was amputation; to this the woman +would not consent. She said that a short time before she had been +fighting with another woman, who had bitten her thumb in her fury. I +asked this woman what she had done to her opponent. "Oh," she said, +"I only pulled out her hair!" + +Another woman once brought me quite a handful of hair to show, +which she declared her husband had just pulled out of her head in his +anger; while he at the same time exhibited several ugly wounds on his +hand caused by his wife's teeth! The man vowed he would divorce her, +refusing to listen to any suggestions as to forgiveness, saying, "What +would my neighbours say of me if I kept for my wife a woman who would +do that?" pointing to the bites on his hand. However, in the end he +did consent to take her back, being on the whole an amicably disposed +man. Can we wonder that these things should happen when neither the +men nor the women have ever learnt to control their passions? We +have glanced at the lives of the Moslem women of Mosul. Can we say +that they lead an ennobling, beautiful life? Are the home influences +such as to foster a happy, peaceful spirit? On the contrary, we have +seen that a woman deserves our pity and sympathy for all the sorrow +she has to endure. + +Have we not seen that at birth she is unwelcome, as a child uncared-for +and untaught, as a young woman imprisoned behind the veil, as a wife +unloved, as a mother unhonoured; and when her weary life draws to +a close she knows that she will go to her grave unmourned. Such in +brief outline is the life of a Moslem woman. + +A woman's one place of recreation is the hammam. It is indeed a +kind of ladies' club; here she throws away for the time being all +her home worries and troubles, enjoying thoroughly her few hours of +liberty. As a rule the bath takes at least two hours, and often half +a day, if the woman has no special demands on her time. She generally +goes in the morning, taking with her a complete change of raiment, +a mat to sit upon in the cooling chamber, and plenty of towels, +also some food to be partaken of after the exertions of the bath are +over. I once went to one of these hammams, but the heat was so intense +that I could only stand it for a few minutes. I often wonder how ever +the women can exist in such great heat for so long; I suppose it is +because they are used to it. Many illnesses date from a visit to the +hammam; but still they would not give it up for any consideration, +thinking it quite impossible to take a bath in the house. Certainly +the Turkish bath is much cleaner than the Persian one. In the latter +a large tank is used, and as it costs a good deal to warm up, the +water is not changed very often. In the Turkish hammam each person +has a tap for herself, from which flows presumably clean water. As +a matter of fact sometimes this water has already been used, but +only in the cheaper hammams. The most expensive baths have river +water brought up for the purpose; in the others well water is used, +and as this is brackish and very hard it is impossible to use soap, +for it will not lather; therefore a special kind of earth is used, +which is said to be very good for washing the hair with. + +When Judy, our woman servant, returns from the bath, she always comes +and gives me a kiss, this being their custom, and we exchange the +salutations usual upon any one returning from the hammam. + + + + + + + +CHAPTER VII + +CUSTOMS OF MOSUL + + Wedding ceremonies--Great expense to parents--Method of + procedure--Funeral customs--Customs at birth--Some other customs. + + + "The bridegroom's doors are open wide, + And I am next of kin; + The guests are met, the feast is set; + May'st hear the merry din." + + S. T. Coleridge. + + +We have seen that a wedding is a very expensive matter in Mosul, +especially to parents who possess three or four daughters; for +unless the necessary gold, jewellery, and clothing are forthcoming +as a dowry, the marriage will never take place. For this reason a +man with a number of daughters will begin saving for their marriage +portion and expenses while the girl is yet a baby, and the mothers +will often commence gathering together clothing even before the child +is betrothed, so that they may be better prepared for the expensive +event when it does take place. + +Then, too, not only is there the outlay for the dowry and clothing, +but also for the feasting of some hundreds, it maybe, of guests during +the seven days following the marriage. A man of very fair means in +Mosul once told me that the marriage of his daughters cost him at +least L200 each, and as he had seven daughters the sum total required +was not small. If this man with a good income found it hard work to +produce the necessary cash, how much harder is it for those who have +no settled income, or whose earnings are small. For instance, a native +Christian whom we respected and liked very much had two daughters; +both were betrothed and ready to be married. He was earning about +L3 a month, and had a wife and six children to support--how could he +provide all the necessary gold and other ornaments for his girls? And +yet, if he did not, in all probability his daughters would never be +married. There was only one way out of the difficulty, and that was +to borrow at high interest, crippling himself for many years to come, +perhaps for the rest of his life. Instances might be multiplied, but I +think enough has been said to show that girls are expensive luxuries +in Mosul as regards their weddings! Now as to the "preparations" +for the great and eventful day. + +When a man makes up his mind to be married, or his parents decide in +their minds that it is high time their son should take to himself a +wife, many are the consultations which take place, and great is the +importance of the women folk concerned. They are never so happy as +when arranging for a marriage, loving the mystery and secrecy of it; +for it would never do for a fond mother to offer the hand of her dear +son in marriage to the mother of a possible bride and be refused. The +shame and ignominy would be too great; so the mother and other female +relations of the would-be bridegroom have to go very carefully to work +in selecting the girl and in making any proposal for marriage. Before +the actual "asking" is done, the way has to be prepared by very careful +hints and indirect inquiries as to the girl's health, accomplishments, +and dowry. If all proves satisfactory, then a formal proposal is +made. The matter having gone so far, a refusal is very unusual, and, +if given, is considered a great insult. I heard of one young man who +threatened to murder all the relations of a girl for whom he had made +proposals of marriage upon her parents refusing to accept his offer. + +I have often been asked by Moslem women to suggest some girl as +a suitable bride either for their brother or son. On mentioning +some girls whom I knew, their answers were something as follows: +"Oh, but she has a white patch on her eye," or "She is too poor," or +"She has a bad temper," or "She is not pretty." Their idea of beauty +is that of a white, pasty, fat face, without a vestige of colour, +except that which art applies! Of course, the man never sees the girl +till the day of betrothal, and in the case of Moslems not till the +actual marriage takes place. The old custom amongst the Christians of +marrying a girl against her will is still extant in some villages. +Sometimes it happens that a girl persists in her dislike to marry, +even till the priest has arrived to tie the knot: in this case the +father would bind the girl's arms and legs till the marriage ceremony +was completed, when she was released, it being useless then for further +resistance on her part. This is done even now in some villages near +Mosul when the girl proves obstinate. As a rule, though, they accept +their fate as "Naseeb," knowing it is little or no use to struggle +against custom. How often my heart aches for some poor child who is +bound to a man old enough to be her grandfather or great-grandfather +sometimes. Alas, too often old in sin as well as years! + +When the day of the marriage approaches, invitations are sent out to +all friends and relations for the specified days of feasting. First +comes the day for taking the bride to the bath--this is considered a +great function; then follows a week of excitement, dancing, singing, +feasting, all forming part of the great event. All thoroughly enjoy +themselves, even those who have to work the hardest in preparing the +food. The guests are expected to remain from morning till sunset. Three +meals are provided each day, the morning one consisting of bread, +cream, butter, fruit, &c.; the midday meal is a substantial one of +meat, cooked in various ways, rice, chicken, and vegetables according +to the season. The evening meal is also a very heavy one, causing +the guests to depart perfectly satisfied both with their dinner +and themselves. + +During the whole of the week the poor bride has to sit in the reception +room on a cushion specially prepared for brides, and takes no part in +the surrounding gaieties. Each day she appears in a fresh silk dress, +and is often covered with golden jewellery. She is not supposed +to speak till spoken to, and the guests do not take much notice of +her beyond the usual kiss of salutation. At meal times she is "fed" +by her relations, a bride being supposed to be too overcome to help +herself or eat without assistance. + +After the days of feasting are over, the bride takes her place in +the house as "servant" to her mother-in-law. In a Moslem house the +youngest and latest bride always becomes the servant of all for the +first year of married life, or till another and younger one is brought +to the home. Much depends on the mother-in-law's character as to the +happiness or otherwise of the inmates of the hareem. If they wish, +they can make the lives of the young wives perfectly miserable, +or the reverse. + +The same custom of feasting for a certain number of days takes +place too in connection with funerals. The guests who come to mourn +sit in solemn silence all day long; their mourning does not lessen +their appetite, however, for they thoroughly enjoy their "feast" +of sorrow. After a death, the "wailers" are brought in. I went once +to a Christian house of mourning to see these wailing women. It +was a ghastly sight. The professional wailers sat on the ground in +the centre of the relations and guests, and worked themselves and +others into such a frenzy that I thought some would have fainted from +exhaustion; slapping their knees, tearing their hair and clothes, +till they resembled maniacs more than women. + +A short time ago a very sad and sudden death took place in Mosul in +a house very close to us. We were awakened one night, while sleeping +on the roof, by hearing the terrible wailing sounds coming from our +neighbour's house. At the same time a messenger arrived in great haste, +asking my husband to go at once to see the patient, as his relatives +were not sure if he was dead or only in a fit. He had been out during +the night to some Moslem religious function, and died quite suddenly +on his return. + +The wailing went on in the hareem for seven days, and was terrible +to hear. The sound of the weird wailing of some hundred women is +perfectly indescribable, always ending up with a piercing shriek +which seems to rend the air and freeze one's blood. + +Being friends and neighbours, I paid daily visits to the mourners +during that week, but did not sit amongst the guests, preferring to +spend the time with the sisters of the deceased in a quiet room above +the din and uproar of the courtyard. The wailing has such a hopeless +sound, as of a lost soul in anguish. One longed for them to know of +Jesus the Living One, and of the time when partings shall be no more. + +After death has visited a family, the whole house in which the departed +one lived is not swept for three days: this is because they believe +that the angel of death is still hovering near, and they fear lest, +while they are sweeping, others of the household may be swept from +the house by the angel. So the house becomes very dirty, the carpets +covered with cigarette ash and ends, but nothing can be touched till +the third day is safely passed. + +Amongst the Christians it is also the custom after the death of a +relative, not to go to the hammam (bath) for six months, and for +the men to go unshaven for at least six weeks. The women are very +particular about not going to the hammam while mourning, as I found +to my sorrow. Our woman servant Judy lost her father just before she +entered our service, and she allowed a whole year to elapse before she +could be prevailed upon to go to the bath. They are very particular, +too, about wearing "deep" clothing--that is, dresses of some dark +colour, not necessarily black. + +I am sure that the custom of burying a few hours after death is often +the cause of many people being buried alive. I have often been regaled +by an old woman with horrible stories of how some friends of hers +have just escaped being buried alive. For those who providentially +escape being entombed alive one is thankful; but what of the many who +most certainly are condemned to this awful fate. It is too terrible +to contemplate. In a land where no medical certificates are required, +and where the body is carried to the cemetery almost before it is cold, +how can it be otherwise? + +But to proceed to other and more pleasing customs--let us pass +from death to life. When a child is born in Mosul, whether Moslem +or Christian, the first idea of the parents is to protect the child +from the baneful influence of the Evil Eye. The usual custom is to +thread a gall, and suspend it round the neck of the infant. Moslems +enclose a portion of the Koran in a little bag, and fasten that round +the arm of the child or sew it on to the cap. The custom of wearing +charms to avert the Evil Eye is very prevalent, and deeply rooted in +the minds of the Mosul people. + +The kissing of hands is a very pretty custom. Children are all taught +to do this even before they can speak or walk. Servants are always very +anxious to kiss your hands after they have done something especially +annoying or irritating. They make a grab for your hand, and kiss it +before you realise what they are doing. In this way they secure your +forgiveness before the fault is confessed. I am getting more wary now, +and prefer to hear first what they have done before letting them kiss +my hand. It is also a sign of gratitude. Upon receiving any backsheesh +or present, the recipient is always ready to kiss your hand. Sometimes, +when riding through the city, I have had my hand grasped and kissed +by some passer-by who has been an in-patient in the hospital, and +wished to show his gratitude in this way. It requires a great deal +of gratitude or love for a man to kiss a woman's hand, so, when by +chance it does occur, I feel very much honoured indeed. + +There is one custom which is often the cause of a great deal of +heartburning, even as it was in the days of Haman and Mordecai. It is +usual for a host or hostess to rise from their seat upon the arrival +of each guest--that is, if they desire to do honour to that person. As +a rule this custom is most carefully adhered to, but it lends itself +admirably to any one wishing to be rude to his guest or to shame him +before his friends. Fortunately, this is not often the case, but when +it does happen one feels very uncomfortable. There is one dear old lady +in Mosul, who thinks it beneath her dignity to rise to a Feringhi. But, +perhaps, it is excusable for her as she is a Hadji--that is, one who +has made the pilgrimage to Mecca, and, consequently, is treated as +an exalted being by all her friends and relations. + +A rather quaint and pleasing custom in Mosul is that of sending trays +containing a dinner all ready cooked and dished to new-comers, or to +those returning after a long period of absence. We did not know of +this custom when first we went to Mosul, so were very surprised at +sunset on our second day after arrival to see two or three men coming +into the compound carrying huge trays on their heads. They explained +that their master, a Moslem merchant, had sent this meal, with many +salaams and good wishes. It was a dinner large enough for twenty +people, so we gathered together all we could find on the premises, +assistants, catechist, and others, who had been kindly helping us +to settle down. Spreading some Persian carpets in the courtyard, +we sat down and thoroughly enjoyed our first Arab meal in Mosul. + +When any one is leaving the place or starting on a journey, +it is customary for the people to send in large trays containing +sweetmeats, cakes, and other eatables suitable for taking with you on +the road. When we were leaving Mosul, we received quite a large number +of these trays--so many, indeed, that at the end of our fourteen days +of desert we still had a good many of their contents remaining. Some +of these were made of almonds pounded and mixed with sugar; others +were made from puff pastry sandwiched with honey: these latter were +especially nice. + +Distributing food to the poor as a mark of gratitude and thankfulness +is another of Mosul's good customs. After recovering from a dangerous +illness, it is usual to make and distribute a large quantity of bread, +baked in a special way, and flavoured with caraway seeds. + +The birth of a son and heir is also celebrated by a generous and +lavish distribution of meat and bread. When starting on a journey, +too, it is usual to give away to the poor either money or food. On +every occasion of life which calls for gratitude to God, this custom +of presenting offerings to the poor is carried out. One dear woman, +a friend of mine, went even further than this. It was thought at +one time that we should be leaving Mosul for good, the Mission +being withdrawn. Providentially, this was over-ruled, and when the +news arrived from England that the Mission was to be kept on, great +were the rejoicings amongst the people. The woman mentioned above +immediately desired to show her thankfulness to God in a very special +way, so spent one whole day in making a large supply of small loaves +of bread, not to distribute to the poor, but to feed the hungry, +starving dogs of the streets. This by a Moslem woman was, indeed, +a work of love, dogs being looked upon as unclean beasts. Surely she +"that loveth much shall be forgiven much." + +Coffee-making and drinking is associated very much with life in +Mosul. It is the custom there to give every one who comes to the house +a cup of Arab coffee. This meant sometimes for us giving at least +200 cups in a day. Not only those who come as social visitors receive +the coffee, but also all who come to the house on whatever pretext, +whether for meetings, classes, or what not. At feast times one servant +is always told off to do nothing else but prepare the coffee for the +guests. On each of the great feasts, such as Christmas and Easter, it +is the custom for every one to call, Moslems and Christians alike. At +Christmas the feast lasts for three days, and at Easter a week, +the whole of which time coffee must be ready to be handed at once to +every caller; also a tray of sweets, consisting of Turkish delight, +almond sugar, and other Mosul-made confections. + +When a house is "mourning," bitter coffee is given to all callers +for six months, and on the first day of each feast for a whole year. + +I do not think I have ever visited a Moslem house, however poor, +without receiving either a cup of coffee or some sweets. I often +beg them not to make preparations for me, but they always insist, +as their hospitable instincts are very strong. Indeed, more often +than not, they set before me not only coffee or sweets, but meat, +fruit, and lebban (sour milk). + +A true Arab of the desert takes about an hour to make a cup of +coffee. First of all the coffee has to be roasted, then ground to +powder, and, lastly, boiled. The Arabs never sweeten their coffee, +sugar not being a commodity of the desert. + +I once heard the recipe for making Arab or Turkish coffee. Perhaps +some readers may like to try their hand at making it. + +First roast the coffee to a rich brown, neither too light nor too +dark, then grind it to a soft powder. Now comes the art of making +good coffee. Half-fill the pot with cold water; bring it to boiling +point. Throw in a handful of powdered coffee; allow it to boil; shake +down and bring it to the boil again. Repeat this process three times, +and the coffee is ready. Specially note: Never wash the pot! Needless +to say, this last injunction I do not carry out, but the servants quite +believe in that part of the recipe. It is only with great difficulty +I can persuade them to wash out the coffee-pot occasionally. + +In summer, this reluctance on their part often leads to serious +complications. The kitchen, as may be supposed, is not a very cool +place during the hot season, consequently it suffers continually +from a plague of flies. Dead flies are often served up in puddings +and other dishes, to act presumably as an appetiser! Then eating +requires a great effort. The coffee-pot seems to serve as a trap for +many of these flies, attracted no doubt by the sugar, and there they +find a coffee grave. Suddenly a visitor is announced, and the message +is conveyed to the kitchen to "Send coffee at once." The cook seizes +the pot, never looking to see how many victims are struggling in the +dregs at the bottom, adds a little freshly-ground coffee, boils it +up, and sends it in to the visitor served in dainty little cups. The +visitor takes one sip, and...! I will draw a veil over the sequel. A +mouthful of dead flies is not a very palatable drink. My feelings +may be better imagined than described. + +Sometimes a guest does not approve of the way the coffee is made +(even when minus flies); if so, she is not shy, and does not hesitate +to hand it back with a grimace, saying to your servant: "What horrid +coffee! why do you not make better?" and often demands another cup +properly made. + +A visit to the bread-makers may not be out of place here. It is +the custom amongst some of the people to bake bread once a month, +sufficient to last that length of time. Baking-day is a day to +be dreaded. The process begins soon after midnight, when the woman +arrives to prepare the flour and "set" the dough for rising. The whole +of that day every woman on the premises is pressed into service--one +to make the dough into little cakes, another gives it a preliminary +roll, then hands it to her neighbour, who uses a smaller roller, and +finally hands it on to some one else to finish it off. When completed, +the bread is about as thin as note-paper and as large round as a +child's wooden hoop. The bread is now ready to be baked. The fuel +used for heating the oven is chopped straw and goats' dung, which +is burnt till the required heat is obtained; then these large thin +pieces of bread are plastered to the sides of the oven, and removed +as they are browned to an exact nicety. This bread is very nice when +fresh and crisp; when stale, it is generally soaked in water before +being brought to the table. + +We do not make our bread in this way. I tried it once for the hospital +in-patients, but found it took far too much time. The daily baking +is much more suitable when from thirty to forty people have to be +fed daily. + + + + + + + +CHAPTER VIII + +DREAMS AND VISIONS + + Ezekiel's vision by the river Chebar--Our vision by the river + Khabour--Rivers identical--"A wheel within a wheel"--Babylonish + emblem of divinity--Origin of the cherubim--Dream of a woman + suffering from cataract--Effect of dream on her character--Watch + and chain recovered by means of a "faked" dream--Illustration + of the doctrine of Kismet or Naseeb--"Ghosts" in our + compound--Atmosphere of ghosts bad for fowls. + + + "O dreamer, dream thy dream, and dream it true. + + Sir Lewis Morris. + + + "Did not Heaven speak to men in dreams of old?" + + Lord Tennyson. + + + "... The vision of my soul + Has looked upon its Sun and turns no more + To any lower light." + + Sir Lewis Morris. + + +Dreams and visions have a great influence on the Eastern mind. They +believe most firmly that God often speaks by means of these agencies, +using them as a warning of impending danger, or as a voice of +instruction. + +Ezekiel was no exception to this rule, for we read in the words of +his prophecy, "That the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of +God." This vision was given to him as he stood by the river Chebar +in the land of the Chaldeans. The river Chebar is none other than the +Khabour, over which we have passed more than once in our "journeyings +oft." When on our way back to England we crossed this river, and +as we sat near its banks, even as Ezekiel did of old, we too were +vouchsafed a "vision of God." + +We had travelled through a weary stretch of waterless desert that +day, and were rejoicing in the fact that our camping-ground for the +night was by the banks of a river--the Chebar. Only those who have +journeyed for days through a parched-up desert land can tell the joy +with which a river is sighted. We experienced something of that joy +on the evening when we saw water for the first time for two or three +days. We pitched our camp as close to the river as possible, and, +sitting at our tent door, prepared to enjoy to the full the beauties +before us. Looking up I saw in front of me a glorious sight. I quickly +called my husband, and together we stood and watched this wonderful +vision. The sun was sinking as a ball of fire behind the river, when +suddenly from its centre there arose beautiful prismatic lights. These +gradually resolved themselves into the form of a huge wheel, each +spoke of the wheel being of a different colour, merging gradually +and almost imperceptibly into the next, as in the rainbow. Within +this "wheel" was another and smaller one, also composed of the same +prismatic hues. The outer circle of each wheel was formed by a band of +bright opaque light. On the top of these wheels was a visionary form +resembling the beginning of another wheel, but it was too indistinct +for me to say what definite shape it possessed. At either side of +these wheels was a large wing, as it were overshadowing the wheels; +these were also of a bright white. The whole formed a most wonderful +and never to be forgotten sight, and we felt indeed that this was a +vision of God. + +While in Mosul my husband had received a letter from a gentleman in +England, asking him to keep a look-out for any such phenomenon as +this. On reaching home it was interesting to find on good authority +that the sight we had seen on the banks of the Khabour was one of +historical interest. The form of the wheels is almost identical with +the emblem which the Babylonians adopted to represent Divinity. On +the same authority I learnt, too, that in all probability a vision +similar to this was the origin of the cherubims. It is believed by +an expert on the subject that the whole of the "vision" is caused by +atmospheric influences, the sun acting on the particles of frost in +the air, thus forming the prismatic colours. Be this as it may, the +result was truly marvellous, and we were thankful that we had been +privileged to see "the heavens open," revealing this vision of God. + +The whole spectacle could not have lasted more than five minutes, +but the sky retained its blaze of colour for about a quarter of an +hour after; then darkness covered the heavens. + +The natives of Mosul are great believers in dreams, and accept +them as good or bad omens. A short time ago a Moslem woman came +to the Dispensary suffering from double cataract. She had been +quite blind for many years, and was very anxious for an operation, +saying if only she could have enough sight to sweep the compound +she would be satisfied, as then she could earn her livelihood. The +doctor, after examining her eyes, told the woman that he could not +promise her a good result from the operation, as her eyes were not +healthy. However, as she was absolutely blind, it was worth while +to try, and perhaps she might see sufficiently afterwards to find +her way about. Accordingly she was admitted to the Hospital to +await her time for operation. She was a very affectionate woman, +and seemed to be gifted with great powers of intuition. When I went +to the door of the ward, even before I spoke, she always called out, +"There's my khatoun!" Sometimes I crept in quietly just to see if she +would know I was present; she almost invariably did, and sitting up in +bed would listen intently, and then say to one of the other patients, +"Is not the khatoun here?" Then when she felt my hand, she would grasp +it and say, "I knew it, I knew it; I felt here" (pointing to her heart) +"that my khatoun was in the room!" She was such an excitable woman +that my husband feared that she would do something foolish either at +the time of the operation or after. He warned her that if she did not +keep quiet she might lose her eye altogether; but as the fateful day +approached she became more and more nervous. One morning, however, +she appeared quite calm, and hastened to tell us the reason of her +peace of mind. During the night she had seen a vision which had +quieted all her fears and made her trustful and believing. + +In her dream she seemed to be walking in the desert, where she met +a mullah, who immediately began to revile and curse her. While he +was thus engaged the woman saw a form coming towards her which she +knew to be that of our Lord (Jesus the Living One, as He is called +in Arabic). He began to speak gently to the woman, asking her why +she was weeping; she replied by telling our Lord that the mullah +had been cursing her. In her dream she then saw (although blind) +that our Lord turned to the mullah and rebuked him for cursing the +woman. Then turning to the wondering woman, He said, "Do not weep, +my daughter, for the English doctor is going to give you sight in +a few days," and then He left her. She awoke firmly convinced that +this was a special revelation from God through Jesus our Lord to +assure her that her eyesight was to be restored. From that time she +was perfectly calm and quiet, and remained so the whole time she was +in the hospital. The day before the operation she was again warned +that she might not see any better after; but she smiled and said, +"To-morrow I shall see!" Her faith was rewarded, as the operation +was successful, and after two or three weeks she went out with very +good vision in one eye, and she is waiting for our return to have +the other operated upon. + +My husband was once travelling "chappa" (post) in Persia from Yezd to +Kerman, when one evening he found to his great sorrow that he had lost +his gold watch and chain. Both were very valuable to him on account +of their associations, so he was very sad at the thought of losing +them. The same night he met another Englishman who was returning to +Yezd. He told him of his loss, and asked him to make inquiries along +the road, offering a reward to any one who would bring back his watch +and chain. His friend promised to do all he could, and, calling his +servant, explained to him about the loss, and told him to keep a sharp +look-out for any news of the lost goods. This servant was a very smart +man. The next morning they met a camel caravan on the road to Kerman, +and the servant went up to the driver and said to him-- + +"Oh, my noble brother, may your kindness never grow less; my sleep +has been troubled last night by dreams of you." + +"Estakfarullah!" (God forbid), says the camel-driver. "Why was my +lord's sleep disturbed by dreams of me, who am not worthy?" + +"Yes; I saw in my dream that you stooped and picked up something." + +"Then your dream was wrong," hastily interposed the camel-driver, +"for I have picked up nothing." + +"And lo! in my dream," continued the wily servant, "I saw that the +thing which you picked up was worthless, only a cheap thing which will +bring you no gain." The camel-driver here looking sad, the servant +continued: "But the owner of that worthless thing is very anxious to +find it, as although of no value in money, yet he cherishes it as a +thing he loves." + +"But I told you," repeats the camel-driver, "that I never picked +up anything." + +"Then in my dream," continues the servant, carefully ignoring the +reiterated denial of the camel-driver, "I saw you glance at this +useless object in your hand and then place it inside your aba" (cloak). + +"No, no," cries the driver, "I never picked it up." + +"So if you will let me show you where it is, I can relieve you of +this worthless object." + +After a little more parleying of this sort, the camel-driver +produces my husband's watch and chain, and receives in return a +small backsheesh. The servant, highly delighted with himself and his +sagacity, smiled as he pockets in imagination the promised reward of +five tomans (L1). The camel-driver confessed afterwards that he was +so taken aback at the idea of his deeds being revealed in a dream to +this man that he would not have kept the watch at any cost. + +Needless to say the "dream" was only a faked one, manufactured to +work on the superstitious mind of the simple camel-driver. + +In Mosul the chief of the Seyyids once told the doctor a story relating +to a remarkable dream. It was as follows. Two men once called on a +mullah to question him regarding a matter which had been troubling +them. The cause of their dispute was this. On going to their work +each day these men passed a ladder leaning against a wall. One of +the two always avoided going under lest it should fall and kill him; +while the other said, "No, I will not run from danger, for whatever +Allah has decreed must be. If it is written that I am to be killed +by the ladder, I shall be." So the two friends, after having spent +much time in arguing this knotty question, decided to lay the matter +before a mullah and leave the decision to him. The mullah listened +to them both, but told them that such a serious question needed +much thought. He appointed a day for them to return and hear his +verdict. After their departure the mullah fell into a sleep, and in +his sleep he dreamed. In the dream he beheld a beautiful boy, the +son of a king whom his soul loved exceedingly; then later he met a +stranger, who told him that he (the mullah) was to cause the death +of the boy he loved so much. The mullah, filled with indignation, +repudiated the idea, saying that he loved the boy too much to do +him any harm. "Nevertheless," said the stranger, "it must be, for +Allah has decreed that the boy is to meet his death through you, and +what is written is written." The old mullah returned to his house +troubled and sad at heart, but determined that he would do nothing +that could in any way bring disaster to the boy. Still dreaming, +the mullah received a summons to visit the young prince. Remembering +the words of the stranger, he took with him nothing that could in any +way injure the boy, contenting himself by taking with him one gift +only--an apple. The boy received the mullah in his beautiful island +home, and the two enjoyed some blissful hours of converse together. + +Finally, ere saying farewell, the old man with extended hands presented +the apple to the boy, who gladly accepted it, and proposed eating it at +once. The mullah, taking a penknife from his inner pocket, peeled the +apple, and returned it on the point of the knife to the young prince, +who, boylike, grasped it eagerly. In taking the apple the point of +the knife pricked the finger of the lad, with the result that blood +poisoning set in, and in a short time the beautiful boy lay dead. The +mullah in his sorrow wept aloud, and as he wept he awoke. With humble +heart and head bowed in submission, he gave glory to Allah. + +On the day appointed the two men returned to hear the verdict of the +wise mullah. He received them kindly, but sorrowfully, assuring them +that it made not the slightest difference whether they walked under +the ladder or not. + +"For," said the old man, "if it is written that you are to be killed +by a ladder falling upon you, it must be so, you cannot escape. What +Allah has written must be fulfilled. His designs cannot be frustrated." + +This doctrine, taught to the old mullah by means of his dream, is +very prominent in the minds of all Moslems to-day. + +When in Persia we had an Indian servant who was a Mohammedan. He told +us that three times on successive nights our Lord had appeared to +him in a dream, in the form of an old man with a long white beard. So +struck was he with the persistency of the dream, that he went to an +English clergyman, asking to be taught the Christian religion. + +The women in Mosul have often told me of wonderful things which they +declared were going to happen to me, as had been revealed to them in +dreams. Even now I receive letters from some of these women in which +they say, "We see you every night in our dreams." + +The first women in-patients in our so-called hospital in Mosul had to +be content with a kind of outhouse for their ward. The only place we +could find for them which would be hareem was a large room which we +used as a wood-house. This my husband had whitewashed and thoroughly +cleansed and disinfected. The first unfortunate woman to be put in +this ward (?) was a very quiet, gentle Moslem woman, who came for an +operation. Her mother came with her to look after her, and these two +were alone in their none too comfortable quarters. + +Two or three days after the operation, these women declared that in +the night a huge form of dragon-like appearance rose from the ground +at their side! + +Some weeks later this ward was occupied by a little Jewish girl who +had been terribly burnt, her mother and grandmother looking after +her. There were also two or three other women in the ward. One morning +very early, word was brought to us that all the inmates of that room +had been terribly frightened in the night. On going out to see what +had happened, we found them all lying in the passage, having carried +their bedding out of the room. They were looking very unhappy and +frightened, and requested to be allowed to leave the hospital at once, +saying they would not pass another night in that awful place. Then +they all began to recount their experiences of the night at the same +time, so it was with great difficulty we could find out what really +had happened. It seems that soon after midnight they were talking +to one another, when suddenly they saw two soldiers sitting on the +edge of their bedsteads. Terribly alarmed, they asked the men however +they came to be there--did they not know it was "hareem"? At first the +soldiers remained silent, but afterwards told the women that they had +come from a village about twelve miles off. That they had been told +in a dream to come to the beit hakeem Engelisi (house of the English +doctor). In obedience to this command they had come. Then, as suddenly +as they had arrived, they disappeared. The women, of course, were all +fearfully alarmed, some believing that they were real soldiers, others +that they were genii in the form of soldiers. They immediately left +the room, carrying their bedding with them, and spent the rest of the +night in fear and trembling. The next morning we made a very careful +examination of the roof, to see if by any possible means soldiers could +have entered our compound. We found that next door was the house of +the head of the soldiers, and it was possible that some of his guard +might have found their way over the walls and down to our house. + +Nothing, however, was ever proved; but no one could ever be induced +to use that room again, the women declaring that it was haunted by +evil spirits. Finally, we made it into a hen-house; but the fowls +and turkeys all sickened and died, so there evidently was something +very wrong with the atmosphere of that room! Our first attempt at a +women's ward was certainly a failure, but "it is an ill wind that +blows nobody any good," and so good came out of this evil. As the +women would not use the haunted (?) room, other accommodation had to +be found, so we gave up our house for them, while we moved into the +one next door--the room which was neither good for human beings nor +for feathered fowls being now used as a wood-house. + +Once when travelling in the desert, a spot was pointed out to us as +being the abode of Jinns and Genii. This spot is much abhorred by +the muleteers, as they believe that any one camping on that ground +is liable to be overtaken by a terrible death. The enchanted ground +is encircled by some landmarks, and it is said that any one going to +sleep within that magic circle will at once be visited by the Jinns +inhabiting the spot, who will immediately come and suck his blood +till he is dead. + + + + + + + +CHAPTER IX + +MANNERS AND SUPERSTITIONS IN MOSUL + + Characteristics of inhabitants of Mosul--Social habits--Love of + drink--An effectual cure--Gambling--Tel Kaif: a story of Uncle + Goro--The Angel of Death and other titles--Difficulties over name + and age--Some superstitions--Effect of scent on women--Birds + of good omen--Thieves--Sheep-killing--Sheikh Matti--An angel's + visit--Medical superstitions--Cure for hydrophobia. + + + "Nothing has more effect upon the mob than superstition." + + Quintus Curtius. + + + "To be superstitious is a crime." + + Anon. + + + "Sickness and sorrow come and go, but a superstitious soul hath + no rest." + + R. Burton. + + +The natives of Mosul are, as a rule, a very simple-hearted +folk. They are easily amused, easily taken in, and as easily roused +to passion. They are, on the whole, good-tempered and patient, and, +considering the absolute lack of self-control in their method of +bringing up, they give way far less to their passions than might +be expected. + +They dearly love social habits, and spend much time in company, telling +and listening to stories, smoking, and drinking coffee. Unfortunately, +they do not confine their drink to coffee, and these social habits +often lead to a great deal of drinking. Arak is the favourite +refreshment at these times, and is indulged in by both Christian and +Moslem alike. It is a pure spirit, and is made by the Christians +and Jews of Mosul, and sold by them to the Moslems. No ceremony +is complete without the arak bottle. At weddings, funerals, dinner +parties, at each and every season of life, it is thought necessary to +provide this fire-water. I am sorry to say that the women also drink, +but not to such an extent as the men. + +It is, of course, considered a great sin for a Moslem to drink either +wine or spirit, as both have been forbidden in the Koran: but their +love for the arak is stronger in many cases than their love of the +Koran. A Mosul Moslem woman told me a short time ago that she did +not think there was one Moslem man in Mosul who did not drink either +wine or arak. I hope this is an exaggeration, but the tendency to be +less ashamed of the drinking habit and to indulge in it more freely +is growing more and more. It is sad to think that the Christians +of the city are the manufacturers and vendors of spirit and wines, +and that they are responsible for introducing them into Mosul. + +A story is told of a Sultan of Turkey who, desirous of putting a +stop to the ever-increasing drink traffic, made a law by which every +Moslem found the worse for drink should be cast into prison. The first +morning after the new law had come into action, a Moslem was found +drunk lying in the street, incapable of walking to his home. He was +immediately taken to prison, and allowed to sleep off the effects of +the drink. When he awoke, great was his surprise to find himself in +the interior of a prison. On being taken before the judge, he pleaded +"Not guilty," and said that he had been suffering for some days from +a terrible pain in his tooth, and yesterday had gone to the hakeem +(doctor) to obtain medicine to relieve the pain. The doctor had told +him that the best cure for his pain was to drink a little brandy, so +he had followed his advice, with the result that he fell asleep and +only awoke to find himself in prison. The judge then commiserated +the man on having such bad pain, but assured him it was easily +remedied. Calling to one of his servants, he ordered him to go at once +and fetch the barber, who acted as dentist to all such sufferers. The +prisoner assured his excellency the judge that it really did not +matter, the pain was better. "But," said the judge sympathetically, +"it may come back." The barber was brought and told to examine the +man's mouth. Finding no sign of decay, he assured the judge that the +teeth were sound. The judge began to revile the dentist, saying, +"You call yourself a dentist and do not know which is the tooth +causing this man pain. Find it, and pull it out at once." Trembling, +the dentist took his forceps and extracted a back tooth. "Let me see," +cried the judge. "Why, that is not rotten; what do you mean by pulling +out a good tooth? Pull the rotten one out at once." Then the dentist +again operated on his unwilling victim, and a second time the judge +upbraided him for not drawing the right tooth, and ordered him to go +on till he had found the one that was decayed. The wretched prisoner, +feeling he could not bear to lose any more teeth, called out that it +was all a lie: he never had had any toothache, and only drank brandy +because he loved it, and promised never to touch it again. The judge +smilingly bade his prisoner begone, warning him, however, that next +time he offended all his teeth might have to come out. + +Closely associated with drinking is the gambling habit. This too, +alas! is very prevalent in Mosul. In almost every house card-playing +forms the chief pastime both in the hareem and amongst the men, and, +as a rule, they play for money. Enormous sums of money are lost and +won in this way, and, unfortunately, those in good positions are +the ones who profit most by this gambling habit. One lady was the +possessor of many beautiful jewels, diamonds, pearls, &c., and I was +told that she had won them all by gambling. + +We are always very glad to take part in the social customs of the +people when neither drinking nor gambling is part of the programme, +and I, at least, certainly very much enjoy a dinner served a l'Arabe, +with its attendant native entertainment. The after-dinner story-telling +is very amusing when you have mastered the language sufficiently +to be able to follow the drift of the tale. Shortly before leaving, +we gave a farewell dinner to some of our friends, and, after dinner, +entertained them with fireworks, while one of the guests amused us +all by recounting stories, some of which were very interesting. One +was as follows:-- + +"There is a village near Mosul called Tel Kaif, in which all the +inhabitants are Christians. They are a very original set of people, +differing altogether from the Christians of Mosul in language, +dress, and customs. They consider they are quite the most clever and +important people under the sun, and this idea is apparent in all their +actions. Many years ago there lived in Tel Kaif a very clever and +wise man called Uncle Goro. If any one was in trouble he immediately +went to this man for advice; if any were sorrowful, it was to Uncle +Goro they looked for consolation; were any sick, again it was Uncle +Goro alone who could heal them. In fact, Uncle Goro was looked upon +by the admiring villagers as their one hope and stay in times of +need. One day a cow belonging to the village felt very thirsty. Now, +the water supply of Tel Kaif is not very good, the villagers being +dependent upon a large pool of rain-water, which sometimes dries +up during the long-continued season of drought. Doubtless this cow +did not approve of drinking dirty rain-water, so, while seeking for +other means of slaking her thirst, she espied near the doorway of a +house a large earthen water-pot. Into this she looked longingly, but +her horns at first prevented her from reaching the water. However, +after a little careful manipulation and perseverance, she managed +to insert her head into the jar. When she had satisfied her thirst, +she tried to withdraw her head, but found she could not, so there it +had to remain, while the bewildered villagers looked on in helpless +astonishment. At last they decided to appeal to their wise man, so +one went off in search of him. When he arrived on the spot and beheld +the cow with her head in the water-jar, he considered thoughtfully +for a while, and then gave his advice in the following learned manner. + +"Oh, my children," he cried, "here is such a simple matter, and yet +you could not find a way out of the difficulty. I am surprised that +my fellow-men should be so ignorant." + +Then they all crowded round Uncle Goro, beseeching him out of his +great wisdom to tell them what to do. + +"First," said Uncle Goro, "you must cut off the cow's head, then +break the water-pot and take out the head!" + +This brilliant suggestion was at once put into practice, the owner of +the cow being the only one who was not quite so sure of the exceeding +greatness of the wisdom of Uncle Goro. When the deed was accomplished +and the head extricated from its awkward position, the old man stood +and proudly addressed the assembled crowd who had flocked to hear +his words of wisdom. "My beloved children," said he, "a day will come +when your old Uncle Goro will die, and then what will you do when you +have no one to settle such difficult matters as these for you? Pray to +God that your Uncle Goro may long be spared to advise and counsel you." + +A rather pretty custom exists in Mosul which gives people titles +according to their work, or any special characteristics belonging +to them. For example, the butcher is called "the father of meat"; +the baker, "the father of bread." In the hospital, when I am giving +orders for the diet list, we hardly ever speak of the patients by name, +but according to their disease, as "Aboo" (father) liver abscess, +"Aboo-mai-abiyud" (father of cataract). One of the assistants in +the hospital was named "The Angel of Death" by a poor little girl +who was brought to the doctor a mass of burns. It was the duty of +this assistant to dress the terrible wounds of the child every day, +and though as gentle as a woman, he necessarily pained her a great +deal--hence the term "Angel of Death." The women are designated in +the same way as the men, only substituting "mother" for "father," as +"Em haleeb," milk-woman; "Em saba' saba'een," mother of seventy-seven +(or centipede), this last simply referring to a girl suffering from +hysteria. + +This was an interesting case which was in the women's hospital for some +weeks. The patient was a young woman about sixteen years of age. She +was under the delusion that she had swallowed a "saba' saba'een" +(a horny centipede, measuring some seven or eight inches, common +in Mosul). She declared she could not eat anything, for every time +she swallowed, the saba' saba'een opened its mouth and ate the food +just partaken of! She absolutely refused to touch anything of her own +accord, so we had to force food down her throat. Two or three women +would hold her hands and feet while I fed her with a spoon. As time +went on she became worse instead of better, and was always beseeching +my husband to operate on her and take out the saba' saba'een. After +a time he consented to give her an anaesthetic and operate. On the day +appointed she was taken to the theatre and given a whiff of chloroform, +while the doctor made a slight incision in her skin. This was stitched +up, and she was shown her wound and assured that the doctor had cut +her and found nothing. After this she was much happier, and was soon +well enough to leave the hospital. + +Women never know their age in Mosul. On dispensary days each woman is +required to give her name and age. The first difficulty is over the +name. Many do not know their surnames at all. When asked, "What is your +father's name?" they say, "How do I know?" and then add with a laugh, +"Say Bint Abdulla" (daughter of a servant of God). Abdulla is often +a very convenient name when the parentage is uncertain. + +With regard to their age, women are quite hopeless. I have often +seen an old lady, bent double with the weight of many years, come +into the dispensary. + +"Well, mother, how old are you?" I ask her. + +"How old am I? How do I know, my daughter?" + +"Do you think you are fifteen?" + +"Well, I may be." + +"Are you twenty yet?" + +"Perhaps I am," replies the fair damsel of eighty. "I know I was born +two years before the year that the locusts ate all the corn." + +As to how many years ago the locusts destroyed the crop she has not +the remotest idea. + +Or another woman will come, certainly not more than twenty or +twenty-five, the mother of a baby in arms. On being asked her age +she replies, "About sixty"! The natives never have any idea when +their birthdays are, but keep their name-days instead. Thus amongst +the Christians all Johns will keep the feast of St. John as their +feast-day, and so on. + +Parents have a convenient way of forgetting the date of the birth +of their daughters. A girl who is not betrothed will remain twelve +or thirteen for much more than one year; for when she has passed +fourteen or fifteen years she is no longer considered young, and not +very likely to be betrothed at all if her real age is known. + +The natives of Mosul are very superstitious; more especially, perhaps, +is this true of the women. One curious superstition they have with +regard to scent. Now an odour which is filthy and dangerous, such +as may be felt in most of the houses, is not at all injurious from +their standpoint, but a sweet-smelling scent is an abomination to +the women. If by any chance I have been using anything in the way of +scent (though as a rule I am very careful not to), the first thing +I see on entering a room is that the women all immediately apply +their handkerchiefs to their olfactory organs. At first this custom +appears, to say the least, not too polite; but when you realise \ +what it means to them, you understand and excuse them. They firmly +believe that a sweet smell brings sickness and sorrow--that it is +equally fatal to mothers and young children--hence the great fear of +anything in the way of scent. One day our reception-room was full of +women who had come to visit me. Suddenly a visitor was announced (a +native of the country, but not of Mosul); immediately all the women +crowded into one corner, burying their heads in their chuddars. I +could not make out what had disturbed them till I discovered that +the new-comer was strongly scented. She was left severely alone by +all the others, who kept as far away as possible from her, some even +leaving the room, fearing lest evil should overtake them. + +Another day I went to visit a little patient of my husband's in whom +he took a great interest. This little boy was the spoilt darling of +his parents, the father especially idolising him, watching over him +carefully lest any harm should befall him. Great was his consternation +and distress when it was found that an operation was necessary to save +the life of the boy. When the little chap was convalescent I went +to see him. After talking to the mother some time in another room, +she suggested our going to see the boy. No sooner had I appeared at +the threshold of the door, when the boy buried his face in his hands, +calling out, "Oh, you smell, you smell!" I assured both the mother +and the boy that I had no scent of any kind on me, but the boy would +not be pacified, and continued crying out, "Go away--you smell!" As +he was still weak, I thought I had better depart, as excitement was +bad for him. When visiting amongst the women it is better not to use +scented soap, as they detect even that sometimes! + +Birds have a good many superstitions connected with them. Last year, +while we were waiting for the decision of our committee regarding +the future of the mission in Mosul, some women informed me that "good +news was coming." Good news meant to them that the Mission was to be +kept on. On asking how they knew, they told me they had just heard +a bird singing which is supposed never to raise his voice except as +the harbinger of good tidings. Storks are looked upon as omens of good +luck. These birds return every spring to Mosul, hatch their eggs, and +migrate in early autumn. The natives of Mosul always hail their return +with great joy, especially if they nest on their roofs. Some will even +go so far as to put baskets on the roofs, hoping that the storks will +be attracted by them and make them their home for the summer. They +agree with Longfellow in his love of storks, as expressed in his poem-- + + + "By God in heaven + As a blessing, the dear white stork was given." + + +If there had been any truth in this superstition, we ought to have been +very prosperous; for at one time we had no less than three families +of storks on our roof. Personally I think they are not altogether +too desirable, for when sleeping on the roof they are apt to become +very noisy companions. I do not think I like to be laughed at by +these birds. In the early morning they stand close by one's bed, +throw back their heads till they rest on their backs, and then laugh +aloud at the idea of any one sleeping when once dawn has appeared. + +The common name for storks in Mosul is "the thieves," as they +sometimes steal small articles of clothing hanging out to dry, such as +handkerchiefs; and no one would ever dare to go to the nest to hunt, +lest they should disturb the birds and cause them to fly away. These +birds are rather a convenience sometimes for the washerwoman: when +blouses disappear it is easy to lay the blame on the "thieves." They +are almost as useful as the proverbial "cat." + +Our servant Judy is a little woman full of queer superstitious +ideas. While in Mosul I received the sad news of the death of my +father: poor Judy was so distressed lest by over-much mourning I +should tempt God to take my husband too. As dressmaking is rather +primitive in Mosul I decided to have some things dyed black. Judy +would not hear of such a thing, saying that only widows must wear +dyed clothes, and that if I wore dyed dresses for my father, she was +sure something would happen to my husband. + +Another thing she never would do, and that is to step over our feet! In +the summer evenings we used to sit in our verandah, which was rather +narrow, and if by chance we should place our feet on a hassock in +front of us there remained no room for any one to pass. I could not +make out why Judy would never pass that way when it was necessary to +enter the room at our back. At last she told me that if she stepped +over our feet, she would be in danger of "cutting our life," and that +if we died it would be her fault. After this I often tried to make +her step over my feet, by blocking her pathway, but she never would, +so strong was her belief that by so doing she would cut short my life! + +It is surprising how ignorantly superstitious some of the better-class +people are. A wife of a very wealthy Christian merchant in Mosul had +a child who suffered terribly from sore eyes. She brought him to the +dispensary for some time, but finding that the treatment pained the +child and made him cry, ceased to bring him. We heard afterwards that +she had resorted to the following superstitious method of healing. + +A sheep was bought, killed, and opened: while the blood was still hot +the head of the child was inserted into the middle of the sheep's body +and allowed to remain there about fifteen minutes. Could any treatment +be more revolting and disgusting than this? and yet these people, +rich and influential members of Mosul society, really believed that by +doing this their child's eyes would be cured. Needless to say it had +not the desired effect, and months afterwards they again brought the +child to the dispensary, and having learnt their lesson by experience, +were content to leave the child in the English hakim's hands, with +the result that after a couple of months' daily treatment the eyes +were quite healed. + +I do not know what virtue is supposed to exist in the killing of the +sheep or goat, but it is a custom very much in vogue in Mosul. On +our return from Beyrout, after having been absent three months, a +live goat was brought out into the desert to meet us, and the moment +we alighted from our carriage this poor creature was slaughtered +right under our eyes. In Persia the custom amongst the Armenians at +a wedding feast was for a sheep to be killed just as the bride and +bridegroom were stepping over the threshold of their new home. It +was not considered lucky if the bride did not put her foot into the +blood as she passed. In Mosul, too, I believe a sheep is sometimes +slaughtered at weddings in this way, but I have never seen it done. + +When a wife is desirous of becoming a mother, there are various +superstitious methods to which she may resort, but perhaps the +favourite one of all is that connected with Sheikh Matti. This is a +monastery situated some twelve hours' ride from Mosul, on the side +of a lonely mountain. The woman makes a pilgrimage to this place, +and is then told that she must spend a night in the solitary chapel +there. While she sleeps an angel will visit the building, and if her +request is to be vouchsafed her, will place an apple by her head. If +the angel desires to be especially kind to the woman, he will place +two, or even three apples near her, the number of apples indicating +how many children God is going to honour her with. Strange to say, +these angel visits do not take place unless provoked by a fair amount +of backsheesh! + +There are a good many superstitions regarding medical treatment of +diseases and accidents, but these, I believe, are fast dying out in +the face of European learning and skill. The people are learning by +experience how much better are the English methods than their own. For +instance, it used to be the common custom for those suffering from +fever to go to the mullah, who would lay his hands on the patient's +head while reading a few verses from the Koran. If the fever did not +go at once, well, it was the fault of the fever, not of the mullah. I +fancy fever patients are beginning to prefer English medicines rather +than to trust to the laying on of hands by the mullah. When any one has +been bitten by a mad dog, which, considering the number of street dogs, +is of very rare occurrence, he goes at once to a sheikh, who will give +him an antidote. This consists of a date from which the stone has been +taken, and into which the sheikh has spat two or three times to fill up +the gap caused by the removal of the stone. Upon eating this, the man +is supposed to be free from all fear of the development of hydrophobia. + +These are merely a few of the superstitious customs found in Mosul +to-day. Had we time or space they might be multiplied many times over, +but enough, I trust, has been said to awaken love and sympathy in our +hearts for these simple folk, whose minds are so easily influenced +and guided by these useless and often degrading + + + "Heart-chilling superstitions, which can glaze + Even Pity's eye with her own frozen tears." + + Coleridge. + + + + + + + +CHAPTER X + +THE YEZIDEES + + Gratitude to the English--Persecutions--"Devil-worshippers"--Sun + and fire worship--Priesthood--A visit to Sheikh Adi--Peacock + wands--A sacred shrine. + + + "Whoever thou art, if thy need be great, + In the Name of God, the Compassionate + And All-Merciful One-- + For Thee I wait." + + Whittier. + + +The Yezidees, or, as they are commonly called, "devil-worshippers," +are a very remarkable tribe living in the near vicinity of Mosul. Very +little is really known as to their religious beliefs, and whether +they worship the devil or only fear him, has never yet been discovered +by Europeans. + +These curious people are very favourably disposed towards the English, +as many years ago the British representative in Mosul was able +to assist them very materially. The Mohammedans have always been +very bitter against this people, and have done all in their power +to exterminate them. A former Pasha at one time captured the high +priest of the Yezidees, whose name was Sheikh Naser; he somehow +managed to escape, substituting in his place a priest under him +in authority. The priest never revealed this fact, and bore with +resignation the tortures and imprisonment inflicted upon him. The +Yezidees applied to Mr. Rassam, who was the British Vice-Consul at +Mosul, and he obtained the release of the priest by paying a large +sum as ransom money. This debt was faithfully repaid, and since that +time the Yezidees have cherished very grateful memories of the English. + +Many years ago these Yezidees were a very powerful tribe. They had +two principal strongholds, one in the mountains lying to the west of +Mosul, and the other only twenty-four hours' journey to the north. By +means of continual attacks and massacres at the hands of the Kurds, +their population has been reduced considerably, only about one-third +remaining of their original number. + +Mohammedans are always very bitter against any sect which is supposed +to have no "Book." The Yezidees, coming under this category, receive +little mercy from them, and for centuries have been exposed to +persecutions from these their oppressors. Of late years the Yezidees +have seen the uselessness of rebelling against their fate, and, +acknowledging their defeat, are patiently bearing their misfortunes. + +These so-called devil-worshippers recognise one Supreme Being, but +apparently do not offer any prayers directly to Him. The name of God +is often on their lips in the form of oaths, but that of the evil +spirit is never to be heard. So far do they carry this superstition, +that not only will they not use the word Shaitan (Satan), but any +word beginning with "sh" is also shunned by them. Then, again, such +a veneration have they for Satan, that it is prohibited amongst the +Yezidees to utter any word containing the letter sh (shin), being +the first letter of the Arabic word for Satan. Thus they have to +find other words to express such commonly spoken of objects as the +sun, river, water-melon, &c., as they each begin with the prohibited +letter. Layard, in his Travels amongst them, tells of one instance +illustrating this superstition. He was standing in the midst of a +large crowd of Yezidees gathered to take part in their yearly feast, +when he espied a boy climbing a tree at the apparent risk of his +neck. He says, "As I looked up I saw the impending danger, and made an +effort by an appeal to the chief to avert it. 'If that young Sheit--' +I exclaimed, about to use an epithet generally applied in the East +to such adventurous youths. I checked myself immediately, but it +was too late; half the dreaded word had escaped." He goes on to say +that the effect was instantaneous, a look of horror spreading over +the faces of all present. Fortunately for him, he was a favourite +amongst the Yezidees, and so they allowed it to pass. So great is +the horror of this letter, that they have often killed those who +use it wilfully. When speaking of the devil they do so reverently, +calling him the "mighty angel." + +The symbol of their religion is the "Malek el Taous," a peacock, and is +held in great reverence by them. Satan is said to be the head of the +angelic host, and he is supplied with seven archangels, who minister +to him and exercise great influence over the world; they are Gabriel, +Michael, Raphael, Azrail, Dedrail, Azrapheel, and Shemkeel. Our Lord +is also counted amongst the angels, though not one of these seven, +and is acknowledged to have taken upon Himself the form of man. They, +in common with the Mohammedans, do not believe in His crucifixion; but +declare that He ascended to heaven just before that event took place, +some saying that the angel Gabriel took our Lord's place on the Cross, +while others say Judas was the real victim. They are looking forward +to the second coming of Christ and also to the reappearance of the +Imam; this latter being also the Mohammedan's hope. Their patron +saint is one called Sheikh Adi, who is supposed to have lived many +years before Mohammed; but very little is known of his history. + +They reverence the sun, and are in the habit of kissing the object on +which its first rays fall. Fire as a symbol is also connected with +their worship, the disciples frequently passing their hands through +the flame, kissing them, and then rubbing them over their faces. They +have four orders of priesthood, which is hereditary, and consists of +the Pirs, Sheikhs, Cawals, and the Fakirs. + +The Pirs (from a Persian word meaning old man) are the most reverenced +next to their great sheikh or head of the sect. These are believed to +possess the power not only of interceding for their adherents, but also +of curing disease and insanity. They are supposed to lead a life of +great sanctity, and are in consequence much looked up to by the people. + +The Sheikhs come next in order of rank. These are supposed to know a +little Arabic, as their work is to write the hymns which are chanted +at their religious services. They guard the tomb of Sheikh Adi, +bring fuel to keep up the holy fire, and provisions to those who +dwell within the shrine. + +The third rank of priesthood is perhaps the most active of all. These +are called Cawals or preachers, and it is their duty to go from +village to village teaching the doctrines of the Yezidees. They are all +musicians, being taught to sing when very young; they also perform on +the flute and tambourine, both of these instruments being looked upon +as holy. Before and after playing they often kiss their instruments, +and pass them to the audience for them to do likewise. They dress as +a rule in white and wear black turbans, while the sheikhs always wear +nothing but white. They are generally venerable-looking men with long +beards. They act as emissaries for the sheikh, and yearly go forth +and collect the revenues. Their emblem of office is a wand, on the top +of which is perched a brazen peacock, and they boast with pride that +never have their enemies been able to capture one of these staves. They +relate how on one memorable occasion a priest, being chased through +the desert by Arabs, in the heat of the pursuit stopped his mare, +descended, and buried the precious badge of office; then, marking the +exact site for future reference, resumed his flight. Having escaped +with his life, six months later he managed to recover the buried staff, +creeping down by night into the desert from his mountain shelter. Now +why should they place such a high value on these emblems? A possible +solution was given me by the Rev. Dr. St. Clair Tisdall, who recalled +to my mind an old Mohammedan tradition that it was the peacock who +admitted Satan into the garden of Eden. This would strengthen the +suspicion that the Yezidees really do worship the evil one. + +The lowest order in the priesthood are called Fakirs. These wear coarse +dresses of black or dark-brown canvas, which reach only as far as the +knees. Their office is to perform all the menial work connected with +the tomb of Sheikh Adi, sweeping and cleaning the sacred buildings, +trimming and lighting the holy lamps. These lamps are offerings made +by pilgrims who have visited the tomb in times of danger or sickness. + +A yearly sum is subscribed for the oil necessary for the lamps and +for the support of the priests. At sunset each evening these lamps +are lit, and give the appearance of a multitude of stars glittering +on the side of the mountain; for not only are the lamps placed in the +shrine and walls of the courtyard, but they are also scattered about on +rocks and ledges and in the dark corners of the woods. As the priest +goes from lamp to lamp lighting each one, men and women pass their +hands through the flame and smear their foreheads, and those who have +children do the same to them. This reverence for fire reminds one of +the Parsees of Persia, whom these people in many ways resemble. + +Unfortunately I was unable to visit these interesting villages, +but I hope to do so on a future occasion. We had intended to spend +a month amongst them during the summer of 1906, the sheikh having +extended a cordial invitation to us. My husband accordingly went up to +reconnoitre, and see if there was any place possible either to stay in +or to pitch our tent. He found, however, that it was hardly a suitable +place for a summer holiday, as the climate was not very satisfactory, +besides which it was difficult to find a place for the tents; so we +decided we would not go that year at any rate. Both my husband and the +men with him were quite ill for a few hours after visiting Sheikh Adi, +so they were not anxious to return. The natives say that this illness +is caused by drinking the water, but that the effect passes off after +a few days, when one has become accustomed to the water. + +My husband, however, much enjoyed his visit amongst these strange +people, and in writing of that time he says:-- + +"These interesting people dwell in the mountains round about Mosul, +the ancient Nineveh. They are ruled over by a sheikh, who claims +to be able to put some ten thousand armed horsemen in the field. On +account of their suspected devil-worship they are detested by Moslems +and Christians alike. The Turks have more than once endeavoured +to exterminate them; but, entrenched in their mountain fastnesses, +they are very hard to overcome. + +"When in Mosul their sheikh called on me and asked me to pay him a +visit up in his mountain home. Thus I was able to see their homes +for myself, also the sacred shrine, hidden away in the mountains, +where their reputed founder (Sheikh Adi) lies buried, from whom it +derives its name. + +"The Yezidees, like the Druses of Mount Lebanon, are very reluctant to +discuss their religion, and it is said that death is the penalty for +any one among them who reveals the truth concerning what they worship. + +"On paying a visit to their sacred shrine (Sheikh Adi), I found it +hidden in the hollow of thickly-wooded mountains, and composed of +two large compounds, the inner compound containing the shrine in +a church-like building with a newly-built steeple. On the right +side of the entrance porch is the figure of a huge serpent graven +in the stone of the building, with its head uppermost. This serpent +is kept blackened daily with charcoal by the two or three old monks +who live in the shrine. Upon inquiring the meaning of this symbol, +the monk told me it was graven there to remind the worshippers to +remove their sandals from off their feet, as the ground around the +shrine is holy. If any should be careless or wicked enough to disobey, +it was said that they would be bitten on the heels by some of the +snakes that were said to infest the place. + +"The steeple rises immediately from the room in the church that once +contained the body of their founder, Sheikh Adi. This sheikh was a +great Mohammedan teacher who many centuries ago used to preach and +teach in Damascus. He gathered around him many disciples, and it +is said he was accustomed to vary the monotony of his teaching by +drawing a circle on the ground, and, placing therein himself and some +favourite disciple, would enable the latter to hear and understand +the teaching of another famous mullah speaking in far-away Baghdad. + +"This Sheikh Adi some years before his death retired to this place +in the mountains, two days' journey from Mosul, and there he was +visited by many, as his fame spread abroad, and in this place he died +and was buried. The Yezidees claim that, ere he died, he forsook +Mohammedanism and instituted a new religion. The Moslems, however, +reverence his memory, and say that the Yezidees, after his death, +started a new religion of their own. + +"In the church there was to be seen a pool of water, said by them to be +used as a baptistery, and little else but bare walls. My guide assured +me it used to look very different, but fifteen years previously the +Turks had captured the place and destroyed all they could lay hands +on. On the roof near the steeple are two stones, facing east and west, +said to be used as prayer-stones, the Yezidees praying as the first +ray of the rising sun appears, and as the last ray of the setting +sun departs, and use these stones as indicators. This, again, is +interesting, as (according to Dr. Tisdall) it is a curious fact that +Mohammedan tradition avers that it is alone at these two times daily +that the devil has power to intercept the prayers of the faithful, and +they are, therefore, to be scrupulously avoided by all true Moslems. + +"The Yezidees are loath to venture into the city, but a few have +already commenced to attend the Mission Dispensary. They are easily +recognised by their costume, and by the fact that no Yezidee is allowed +to wear any garment exposing the breast. One of these patients informed +me that when he wanted to worship he went to the priest (cawal), +paid him a small fee, and was placed in a small room, the filthier +the better, and made to sit on the floor. The priest would then sit +in front of him and make him imagine himself to be in Paradise (the +Eastern idea of Paradise--lovely garden, flowing stream, trees laden +with fruit, houris, &c.). If (and it is a big 'if') his statement +was true, it would point to their priests having some knowledge of +hypnotism, but the Yezidees will say anything to mislead an inquirer. + +"We had a little Yezidee boy in hospital with his mother. He had +been successfully operated upon for stone, but developed jaundice +and gradually sank. One evening, ere his mother took him back to +her village, a message was brought to us imploring my wife and me to +wash our hands in the water our servant brought us; the same water +was then to be given by the Yezidee mother to her dying boy that he +might drink and live! + +"One longs to be able to tell them of Him who is the Water of Life: but +they have a language of their own, and understand but little Arabic. + +"Will not my readers pray that the Mosul Mission may be strengthened +and properly equipped; that the Gospel may be preached to these poor +Yezidees, as well as to their Mohammedan neighbours; and that they +may learn to love Him who alone has power to cast out devils?" + + + + + + + +CHAPTER XI + +TRAVELLING IN THE DESERT + + Monotony of desert travelling--A puppy and a + kitten--Tragedy--Accident by the river Euphrates--Riots in + Mosul--Robberies and murder excited by love of gold. + + + "Of moving accidents by flood and field, + Of hairbreadth 'scapes.... + The shot of accident, nor dart of chance + Could neither graze nor pierce...." + + Shakespeare. + + +Travelling in the desert is apt to become rather monotonous when +each day goes by with nothing to mark it from the preceding one, +so that when some event out of the common does take place it is +quite exhilarating. For instance, once during our mid-day halt, +which happened to be on the site of a newly-deserted Arab encampment, +we heard a cry, and looking about found a wee puppy about two days +old. This puppy afforded us amusement for at least two days, much +to the amazement of our muleteers. We wrapped it in flannel, placed +it in the sunshine to try and instil some warmth into its chilly +body, and presently we had the satisfaction of hearing its wailing +gradually cease as the sunshine penetrated the flannel. We managed +to keep life in the poor little beast for two or three days, but, +as milk is scarce in the desert, it was impossible to feed it properly. + +One evening we arrived at an Arab encampment, and thought it would +be kinder to leave the poor puppy with one of the Arabs, who are +supposed to be fond of dogs. So we persuaded our servant to take the +puppy and deposit it in one of the tents. He did so very reluctantly, +thinking he might be shot at for venturing near after dusk. However, +he crept up quietly and placed the puppy just inside one of the +tents. Immediately the owner demanded who was there, but Aboo (our +servant) fled without waiting to answer. We heard the Arab using +some strong language, and then, catching sight of the poor puppy, +he took it up and threw it out into the desert. We could hear the +little thing squealing and crying, so my husband went to rescue it +once more from an untimely end. He found it on top of a rubbish heap, +brought it back to our tent, and we tried again to warm and soothe +it. The next day, however, the little spark of remaining life was +quenched. So the short story of this little forsaken waif ended in a +sad tragedy, and my husband undertook the dismal duty of committing +its body to the deep waters of the river. + +Another day one of our escort galloped up with great excitement to +show us a kitten he had just found in the desert--the poor little +mite was so thankful to see a human being again, and had evidently +been left behind in much the same manner as the puppy when the Arab +tribe was migrating. + +These are small episodes of the desert which help to break the +monotony. I may perhaps be allowed to misquote the well-known lines +of S. Gregory:-- + + + "A little thing is a little thing, + But 'excitement' in little things + Is a great thing"--in the desert. + + +On one occasion we passed an Arab lying on his back and covered with +his aba, the native cloak worn by all classes. We heard afterwards that +it was a case of murder; that the man had been dead three days, and +only then had been found by his sons, who were out searching for their +father. Hastily covering him with one of their cloaks, they had rushed +off to try and find the murderer and avenge their father's blood. We +met them soon afterwards, and they told the whole story to our escort. + +In the preceding chapters we have seen how often the cry of "Wolf, +wolf!" was raised when there was no wolf, till we began to think that +the much-talked-of robbers of the desert did not exist at all, or, if +they did exist, would not dare to touch a European caravan. However, +we soon learnt to our cost that this was not the case. + +Two years ago we were travelling from Mosul to Aleppo, and had almost +reached our destination when we met with the following adventure. + +Having reached the end of our stage one day, we had encamped within +a stone's throw of the river Euphrates, just outside the town of +Beridjik. Our tent was pitched beneath a lovely spreading tree, +under which ran a sparkling stream on its way from the mountains +to the river. We thought what an ideal camping-ground it made, and +apparently the same thought entered the minds of some others, only from +a different standpoint. All round us were signs of the industry of +the villagers in the form of huge stacks of corn freshly reaped, now +waiting for the threshing time to begin. Ere we retired for the night +we were strolling by the stream and amongst the corn, where we noticed +two men sitting in the field, who gave us the evening salutations as +we passed by. We did not attribute any importance to this fact, as it +is not unusual for the villagers to set watchmen to guard their corn +during harvest time and afterwards, till the grain is safely housed. + +So, committing ourselves to the care of Him who never slumbers or +sleeps, we retired to our tent, hoping for a good night's rest to +prepare us for the journey of the morrow. Our "ideal camping-ground" +I found to have at least one great disadvantage--a disadvantage +common to all grounds which are used by flocks of goats and sheep for +their resting-places. That night these "pilgrims of the desert" were +particularly active, and gave me no peace or chance of sleep till the +early hours of the morning; then at last, worn-out with the unequal +warfare, I fell asleep. I could not have been sleeping long when I +was awakened by a movement on the part of my camp bedstead. Sleepily +I decided in my mind that our donkey had loosened his tether and was +trying to pay us a friendly visit. Often in the night some animal would +get loose, and rub himself against our tent ropes till he had succeeded +in rooting up one peg, when he would go and practise on another. +Thinking this was the case now I promptly fell asleep again, only +to be reawakened in a short time by the same sensation. This time I +was quite awake, and in an instant flashed my electric torch round +the tent, just in time to see a man decamping by the door. I roused +my husband (whose sleep is never disturbed by pilgrims of the night), +and told him what had happened. He immediately rushed out and gave the +alarm to the camp. Unfortunately it was a very dark night, and nothing +could be seen a yard ahead, so the robbers had ample opportunity for +beating a retreat. Our tent was some little way from the village, so +my husband returned to the tent to put on some more garments before +going to interview the head-man of the village, who is always supposed +to be responsible for the safety of caravans. When he came to look +for his clothes, the only article he could find was one shoe, the +thieves having cleared the tent of everything available, even to our +tooth-brushes! Not only did they clear off everything from the tent, +but also emptied a large box which was standing outside the tent, +and also took a large valise containing my husband's portmanteau +and my "hold-all." Had they been content with these, we should never +have known of their nocturnal visit till the morning; but in their +desire to secure the small carpet which lay in the middle of the tent, +they awoke me, hence the movement of my bed which twice disturbed my +sleep. We felt there was nothing to be done till daybreak, so retired +once more to rest. + +As soon as dawn appeared some of the caravan party rode off in +different directions to see if they could find any trace of the +thieves, but of course they had disappeared long ago under cover of the +darkness. The search party, however, brought back a few garments picked +up along the road, which the thieves had evidently dropped in their +hurry when the alarm was given. Our escort, a soldier from Beridjik, +was sent back to the town to notify the Government officials of the +robbery. In a short time the governor of the place rode out with six +or seven other officials, all evidently much disturbed in their minds +lest they should get into disgrace for allowing any harm to come to +a European caravan. The first thing the governor did was to send for +the head-man of the village and have him bound and beaten. I was so +sorry for the poor man, who had a flowing white beard. I could not +bear to witness his beating, so retired to the tent, and tried to shut +out the sound as well as the sight of the old man's sufferings. As +a matter of fact I do not think the beating was a very severe one, +but the victim made the most of it. + +This proving of no avail, they all set out for the neighbouring +villages, and spent the whole of that day and the next scouring the +country for the thieves, returning each day at sunset and renewing +the search early next morning. My husband accompanied them the +first day, and was very much amused by the behaviour of some of the +villagers at sight of the officials. At some villages they would find +nothing but women, the men all having fled at the news that soldiers +were coming. They found plenty of other stolen goods buried in the +ground of the huts, but none of our belongings. In one village a man +confidentially whispered to one of the soldiers that he knew where +the stolen goods were. On being told to lead the way to the place, +he led them all to a large field in which were some hundred or more +large corn-stacks, and said that the goods were in one of those. I +expect he much enjoyed his little joke, for after turning over a dozen +or so of these ricks under the scorching sun, the soldiers gave up +the task as hopeless. All efforts proving unavailing, we had perforce +to proceed on our journey, managing as best we could till we reached +Aleppo, where we were able to replenish that which was most lacking +in our wardrobe. The fame of our adventure preceded us to Jerusalem, +where a month or two later we heard a most exaggerated account of +our state when we entered Aleppo. + +My husband went at once to our consul on reaching Aleppo, laying +before him the whole story. Fortunately for us, Mr. Longworth was +a most energetic and painstaking man, having great influence with +the Government officials. He asked us to write out an estimate of +our losses, which he presented to the Vali, assuring us he would +either make the Government pay full compensation or produce the lost +goods. After six months of endless work and worry, Mr. Longworth sent +my husband a telegram saying that compensation to the full amount had +been given. We were very thankful to our consul for his unceasing +energy in the matter, and sent him our very grateful thanks. Thus +happily ended No. 1 of our chapter of accidents. When we think of what +"might have been" that night with those wild men of the desert in our +tent while we were sleeping, our hearts go up with great thankfulness +to God, who ever watches over His children, and who can keep them as +safely in the deserts of Mesopotamia as in the homeland. + +The two men we had noticed sitting amongst the corn had probably been +hired for the purpose of robbing us, but the real culprit was suspected +afterwards to have been one of the leading men of Beridjik--in fact +we were told that he was a member of the "town council." Doubtless he +wished to procure for himself and his hareem some European clothing, +without the expense of buying it. + +Another peril from which in God's mercy we were delivered had its +origin in Mosul. + +The Vali, in obedience to orders from Constantinople, endeavoured to +register every woman in Mosul. To accomplish this it was necessary +to find out the number and "write" a list of every woman in each +house. Moslems and Christians alike rose in revolt at the idea of +their women being "written," as it appeared to them contrary to +all the laws of God and Mohammed that such a thing should be. The +whole town was in an uproar, the shops were shut, no business was +done in the sook (bazaar), and men congregated everywhere, talking +angrily and making ugly threats. This went on for five days; such a +thing had never been known before. Sometimes, in times of trouble, +work has been suspended for three days, but no one could remember +the sook being shut for such a length of time as five days. + +The Christians began to be very much alarmed for their safety, as it +was rumoured that, unless the Vali gave way, at the expiration of the +fifth day a general massacre of Christians would take place. The French +convent was guarded by soldiers; our agent wired to the Consul-General +at Baghdad for a like guard for the English, which happily, however, +was not needed. When my husband was in the house I did not feel at +all nervous, but if he was called out to see a patient after dark I +certainly felt very anxious till he returned; for all around us was +heard the continual firing of guns and pistols, and I pictured to +myself the possibilities and probabilities of some of those stray +bullets. "Alhamd'llillah!" nothing happened, and we realised again +once more that the traveller's God is able to keep, as expressed in +those incomparable words commonly known as the Traveller's Psalm. + +On the evening of the fifth day the governor recalled his order for +the names of the women to be written, and all was quiet once more, +at least outwardly. For some time, however, a feeling of unrest was +abroad, several murders taking place that week, one of which still +remains wrapt in mystery. A Moslem enticed a Jew into the country on +the pretext of having some work for him to do; he then made the man dig +a grave; after which he stabbed him, and threw the body into the grave +made by the victim's own hands. The reason of the murder is unknown. + +One evening we were having dinner, when in rushed my husband's +chief assistant, in a great state of excitement, to say that his +brother had been stabbed in the sook, and they had brought him to +our outer compound. My husband immediately went out and found the +young man with a wound in his thigh. Had it been a little higher +up the result would probably have been fatal, but happily it was +a comparatively trivial wound, and a few stitches and a week's rest +soon put him right again; but naturally Daoud (the name of the victim) +was very much alarmed, and it was some time before he quite recovered +his nerve and could walk through that sook again. It seemed such an +absolutely meaningless assault, that we could only hope it was a case +of mistaken identity. Daoud had been an assistant for over a year, +and as far as he knew had not a single enemy in the town. + +Matters of private dispute and jealousy are often settled by means +of the revolver. An Armenian doctor, a short time ago, was shot when +riding home from visiting a case. He was passing under a dark archway, +when suddenly he heard bullets whizzing and became aware that he was +the target. His horse was so badly hit that he was afraid it could +not recover, but fortunately he himself escaped with only a slight +graze or two. He attributed the motive of this attack to private +grudges borne against him by some of his professional brethren. + +There is in Mosul an Armenian woman, whose husband was a doctor who +had been celebrated for one special kind of operation. On his death +his widow thought she might as well continue her husband's practice, +as she had often assisted him with the operations. Accordingly she +set herself up amongst the many quack doctors of Mosul. Many of her +operations were successful, while the results of a still greater +number remain in obscurity. Her charges were tremendous; no matter +how poor her patient, she would do nothing till a very large fee +had been paid. In this way she made a rich harvest while no European +doctor was in the city, but after our arrival I am afraid her income +was considerably lessened. Upon our departure from Mosul I imagine +she again started her lucrative profession of grinding money out of +the poor, for we heard not long ago that she had been stabbed five +times while walking in the streets one evening. + +Robberies are very common in Mosul. Almost every evening may be heard +on all hands sounds of shooting, telling of houses being visited by +robbers. Fortunately, so far, they have not favoured us with a visit, +and I sincerely hope they never will. One evening we were sitting +quietly in the verandah when a woman came rushing in from the women's +hospital compound, saying that there were three men on the roof. We +all rushed out, armed with anything we could lay hands on, and made +a dash for the roof on which the men had been seen, but no sign of +them could be found. One of our servants climbed on to the top of +the wall connecting our house with our neighbour's, flashing his +lantern all round in his endeavours to see any trace of the supposed +thieves. Excited voices were at once heard asking "Who is there?" "Why +do you throw a light here?" &c.; and the lantern-bearer found to his +horror that he was illuminating with his lamp the whole of the hareem +of our next-door neighbour, who were all sleeping on the roof, the +time being summer. His descent was much quicker than his ascent, as +he was in deadly fear of being shot by the irate owner of the hareem. + +As a rule thieves only think it worth while to go after gold. Silver is +not accounted of any value in Mosul. The natives, especially perhaps +the Christians and Jews, always have a great deal of gold in their +houses, and in consequence live in terror of the robbers coming to +relieve them of it. + +Shortly before we left I heard of a very sad case of robbery and +murder. A young Christian girl, who had just been married, was awakened +one night by a man roughly forcing the gold bracelets from her wrist, +holding at the same time a revolver at her head, and telling her if +she made a sound he would shoot her dead. For a time she suffered +in silence, but an extra sharp wrench from the rough hands of her +tormentor made her cry out in pain. Her cry roused her husband, +and he immediately made a dash for the robber, who calmly turned the +revolver at the man's head and shot him dead. Thus the bride of only +a few days' duration was left a widow. Another day two women belonging +to one of the leading Christian families were returning from an early +service at their church, when they were attacked by a Moslem man, +who tore the gold coins from their heads and necks. The terrified +women could hardly reach their own homes, so stunned were they by the +harsh treatment of the robbers. The strange sequel to this story is, +that after a few days a parcel arrived at the house to which the women +belonged, which on being opened was found to contain all the gold which +had been wrested from them a few days before. Another lady in Mosul, +also a Christian, was the proud possessor of a most valuable set of +jewels. One day everything disappeared. She neither saw nor heard a +robber, but evidently one must have gained admission to the house, +for all her jewels were taken; and to this day she has never had a +clue as to their fate. + +I often say to the women in Mosul who sometimes commiserate me on +having no gold: "Which is better--to have gold for the robbers to +get, or to have none and be able to go to rest with a quiet mind?" I +think most of them would prefer to have the gold and risk the rest, +so devoted are they to it and all jewellery. Every woman, except the +very poor, has on her marriage, gold coins for her head, gold chains +for her neck, a golden band for her waist, gold bracelets for the +arms, and the same for her ankles. Is it any wonder that these form +attractions which prove too strong for the average robber to resist? I +was once visiting at the house of a poor Jewess. She was telling me +how poor she was, as her "man" was ill and could not work; but I said, +"I expect you have gold?" "Oh yes, of course," was the answer; and +going to a cupboard she pulled out a secret drawer and showed me her +store of gold coins and bangles, valued at about L200. Before putting +away her "gods," she asked me if I thought her hiding-place was secure +enough against the invasion of robbers. These people certainly lay +up for themselves treasures where thieves break through and steal, +the result being that when their "treasures" are taken they are left +disconsolate. Having nothing better to live for, are they not worthy +of our love and pity? + + + + + + + +CHAPTER XII + +THE PLEASURES OF DESERT TRAVELLING + + Desert blossoms as a rose--Flowers of the desert--Arabs, their + occupation and women--Arab dancing--Robbers of the desert--An + army of ten thousand--Five hundred armed men--False alarms--Lost + in the desert--Delights and disturbances of travelling. + + + "Truth is truth: too true it was, + Gold! She hoarded and hugged it first, + Longed for it, leaned o'er it, loved it-- + Alas! + Till the humour grew to a head and burst, + And she cried at the final pass. + + Talk not of God, my heart is stone! + Nor lover nor friend--be gold for both! + Gold I lack, and, my all, my own...." + + R. Browning. + + + "O that the desert were my dwelling-place." + + Byron. + + + +It can with all truth be said that in springtime the Desert of +Mesopotamia blossoms as a rose. Two years ago we travelled from Mosul +to Aleppo by the northern route via Mardin, Diabekir, and Orfa. We left +Mosul about the 20th June, just as the harvest had all been gathered +in and the earth had once more resumed its parched-up appearance for +another summer. No sooner had we left the neighbourhood of Mosul behind +us than we were surrounded again on all sides by fields of waving +corn, in many instances still green, and this continued the whole way +to Aleppo; the harvest becoming later as we travelled north. Where +the land was not cultivated the wild flowers were a perfect delight, +and the desert air was filled with their sweetness. In one place the +effect of these flowers was peculiarly enchanting. As far as the eye +could see, the fields were covered with hollyhocks of all hues, the +different shades being grouped together; thus a vast expanse of red +hollyhocks would be succeeded by a field of white ones, these again +changing to a delightful mauve. I have never anywhere seen such a +wealth of wild flowers as we saw in that so-called desert journey from +Mosul to Mardin. To try to enumerate the countless tiny flowers of the +desert would be futile; they go very near to rival in number and beauty +the wild flowers of Palestine. Once we were sitting in a field waiting +for our caravan, and my husband said he would see how many different +kinds of flowers he could pick without moving. In a minute or two +he had gathered over a dozen, all within arm's reach. In that field +alone there must have been at least a hundred varieties of flowers. + +As we approached Aleppo the flowers became scarcer, and fruit-trees +took their place. One day I was riding on the top of the pack mule, +when suddenly the animal (who had only one eye) stumbled, and I was +deposited on the ground before I realised what had happened. Feeling +rather hot and bruised, I looked about for a place to rest +in. Fortunately we were near an orchard, so finding a delightfully +shady tree, we decided to make this our lunching-ground. As we sat +and rested ripe apricots fell from the tree into our laps. The owner +of the orchard informed us we could eat as many as we liked--for +a consideration! + +But desert travelling is not all as pleasant as this. Were we to +retrace our steps a month or two later we should see no beautiful +flowers or waving corn-fields, nothing but burnt-up desert land. + +The direct route from Mosul to Aleppo lies through land almost entirely +desert. For two whole days nothing is to be seen save an occasional +Arab encampment, and sometimes not even that. + +The Arabs of Mesopotamia belong as a rule to the great Shammar +tribe. They wander up and down the country living in black tents made +from camel or goats' hair. When wishing to seek pastures new they +migrate from one place to another with all their flocks and herds, +the tending of which forms one of their chief occupations. The Arab +women are most industrious: in addition to the ordinary cares of +the family, they fetch the water, carrying it home from the well or +river in large jars balanced on their heads; they drive the flocks +to pasture, milking them night and morning; they spin the wool of +the sheep and goat, and weave it into cloth for the men's garments or +for the tent canvas. In fact, there is hardly anything the Arab woman +does not do, while her lord and master passes the time in scouring the +country on horseback, or settling quarrels with his neighbours. Arabs +of different tribes are very quick to go to war against each other, +and will fight for the merest trifle, though blood is rarely shed, +the consequences of a blood feud being so dreaded. With the Arab it +must be blood for blood, and once blood has been shed, there can be +no rest till vengeance has been satisfied. + +The Arabs are very proud of their horses, as they have every reason +to be, a true Arab horse being a lovely creature. As a rule they do +not shoe their horses at all. + +One day two men from an encampment near Mosul were walking along when +they saw something on the road which attracted their attention. Picking +it up, they examined it very carefully, turned it over and over, but +could not come to any satisfactory conclusion regarding it. The object +under discussion was a horseshoe, but as neither of them had ever seen +such a thing before they could not guess its use. After discussing it +gravely for some time one Arab said to the other, "Of course I know +what it is. This is an old moon which has fallen down from heaven!" + +The Arabs are very hospitable people, and were often profuse in their +invitations for us to eat with them. I have once or twice joined the +women in sitting round a big cauldron full of "borghol" (crushed corn +boiled with plenty of fat) and dipping with them into the one dish, and +thoroughly enjoyed it. When you have a desert appetite it is possible +to enjoy anything. Once my husband and I accepted an invitation to a +meal with an Arab, and were regaled with chicken boiled with a green +vegetable called "barmiya," and pillau. Our host would not eat with us, +but employed himself brushing the flies away from the food as we ate. + +The Arab dance is a very weird performance to watch. The men and women +all join hands, and shuffle with their feet, at the same time working +every muscle of the body in a most grotesque fashion. As they warm +to the dance they get very much excited, yelling and shouting in a +frantic manner. + +These Arabs are the dreaded robbers of the desert, and our guard always +impressed upon us, when travelling, what a dangerous set of people they +were. Every speck on the horizon is magnified into a probable Arab; +and if by chance one is met in the desert, the excitement is great. On +one occasion we were riding in a very lonely spot when suddenly an Arab +horseman rode into view. Immediately our gallant guard swooped down +upon the unfortunate man, asking him what he meant by spying upon our +movements, for they did not think it possible that he would be there +alone if it were not for that object. The Arab assured us he had no +such intentions, but had only come to meet a friend whom he believed +to be in our caravan. However, our escort would not credit his story, +so took him prisoner till we had safely passed the dangerous part, +and then allowed him to return. We could not help wondering whether, +if there had been twenty Arabs instead of one, our guard would have +been so brave. + +Another time we were crossing a huge track of waterless desert, +said to be infested with marauding Arab tribes, when suddenly we +saw the escort becoming highly excited, waving their guns about, +preparatory to galloping off. Before we had time to ask what it +was all about they were off. We were then driving in a carriage, +so making inquiries from our driver were assured it was nothing, +only he pointed ominously to a long black line seen far away in the +distance. Our servant assured us this was the shadow of the mountain, +but this was only said to reassure us in case we felt alarmed. + +The "black line" appeared to be steadily advancing, every moment +becoming more and more like a huge army of mounted men marching +straight for us. Our driver, thinking, no doubt, of the probable +capture of his horses by the robbers, lashed up the poor beasts into +a gallop, urging them on ever faster and faster till they could go no +quicker. Our servant, who was sitting on the box-seat, made valiant +attempts to draw off our thoughts from the impending danger, as he +thought the "khatoun" would be much frightened. But the "khatoun" was +not to be blindfolded, and much preferred to see and know what was +going on. By this time the "army" had assumed enormous proportions, +for as each section appeared in sight, another one loomed behind, +away in the distance. Already in my mind I resignedly (?) bade +farewell to all the contents of our boxes, as I pictured the Arabs +ruthlessly breaking them open and spreading the contents on the +ground for inspection and division. We soon saw that we must give +up the race, for every moment brought us nearer our dreaded enemies; +till just as we reached the top of a small rise in the ground we came +face to face with our "army of soldiers." "Alhamd'llillah!" they were +nothing more alarming than a huge cavalcade of about 10,000 camels +being taken to water in companies of 500, each company being in charge +of a drover, the order and regularity with which they walked giving +the impression that they were regiments of mounted soldiers. I fancy +the alarm of the guards and driver was only assumed for our benefit, +for on our return journey they began the same story at the identical +spot, and there again, sure enough, was the steady advancing line; +but this time we were wiser, and could laugh at our would-be alarmists. + +Another time we had just crossed a river at the end of a long day's +march, and were enjoying a well-earned rest and cup of tea, when our +escort came up in great distress of mind to say that he had just heard +that a band of 500 armed men had that morning crossed the river with +the avowed intention of lying in wait for the Feringhi caravan and +attacking it. We were getting used to alarms of this kind, and at first +only laughed at their anxious faces; but they were so persistent in +their entreaties that we should not remain on that side of the river, +that we began to think that perhaps, after all, this time they might +have foundation for their fears. So we made a compromise to the effect +that, if they wished, we would pack up and move on to some village, +although we were very tired. So with this they had to be content, and +it was arranged that at midnight we were to start. However, just before +turning in for a short rest, the guard again made their appearance, +this time to say they had considered that it would not be at all +safe to travel by night, and that we had better wait till daylight, +adding in the usual way: "But do not be afraid; we will watch all +night long." So we all retired very thankfully to rest. It was a very +hot night, and being unable to sleep I went outside the tent door +for a little air, and found our gallant guard all fast asleep and +snoring. In the morning they assured us that they had never closed +their eyes all night, but had sat up watching for robbers!! + +We had experienced once in Persia the pleasant sensation of being +lost when alone in the desert. In the Turkish-Arabian desert we, +in company with the whole caravan, were once lost, and spent many +weary hours wandering about seeking for our right road in vain. It +was a day or two after leaving Diabekir; our escort, reduced to one +soldier as the road was considered fairly safe, was quite sure he +knew the way. Our muleteer and servants had never travelled that +road before, so we were completely in the hands of one man; but as +he seemed quite sure, we did not trouble about it, knowing that these +men are always on the road acting as escort. But we soon found that we +were trusting to a broken reed, so far as his knowledge as a guide was +concerned. We started one day on what we supposed to be a short stage, +but to our surprise it seemed to lengthen out into a longer one than +usual, till we began to despair of ever reaching the end. At last, +when sunset was a thing of the past, we began to suspect that our +guide was not too sure of his where-abouts; and this suspicion soon +changed to certainty when we suddenly found ourselves on the top of a +steep bank, down which it was impossible for the animals to climb. Our +clever guide then confessed that he did not know where we were. + +It was now quite dark, and we had been riding since early morning, +so felt pretty tired; but our muleteer said it was quite out of the +question to stay where we were, as there was no water for the animals, +and the hills with which we were surrounded were known to be full of +robbers. So we wandered on and on and on, listening in vain for some +sound of habitation and hearing none, longing even to hear the joyful +sound of the barking of dogs or croaking of frogs, telling of life and +water; but our longings were not to be realised that night. At last, +about ten o'clock, we said we could not possibly go any further; so, +amidst much discontent and fear on the part of the men, we dismounted +and declared our intention of staying where we were till dawn. The +animals were all tethered, and we all sat round in a circle, so that +if the robbers came we should be able to show a good front. The men +appeared to be quite frightened, and declared they would not sleep, +but each would take his turn at watching. We were too sleepy to +care much whether the robbers came or not, so wrapping ourselves in +blankets we were soon fast asleep. Awaking about half-an-hour later, +I looked out to see how the "watchers" were getting on, and saw that +they were all fast asleep, covered up in their abas or long cloaks. I +soon followed their example and slept till morning, no robbers having +come in the night to disturb our slumbers. We discovered that we had +wandered a good distance out of our way, but found the right path soon +after nine o'clock, and very thankful we all were to obtain water to +drink--the animals more so than any of us, perhaps. + +Travelling in the desert is very pleasant if the stage is not a very +long one. To start about sunrise or a little after, ride three or +four hours, then have a lunch of bread and melons, and finish up +with another three hours' ride, makes a very pleasant picnic; but +when the stage takes twelve or thirteen hours to do, the pleasure +becomes a burden. At the end of a short stage it is delightful to +sit outside our tent and enjoy the cool breeze of the desert, and +watch the stars peeping out one after the other. Sometimes, however, +the weather is not such as to allow of this form of enjoyment. When we +were coming home in 1907, in crossing the desert we came in for some +tremendously heavy thunderstorms. One night we were simultaneously +awakened by a tremendous gust of wind which threatened to bring +down the tent. We sprang up and clung to the poles; but thinking the +whole structure was bound to fall, and preferring to be outside, I +forsook my pole to which I had been clinging, and rushed out into the +pouring rain. My husband went to call some of the men, and found them +all happily asleep in the carriage: with great difficulty he awoke +them, and together they made secure all the tent-pegs. By this time +the great fury of the storm was over, and we crept inside the tent, +wet, cold, and miserable. Wonderful to say, neither of us caught cold +after our adventure. The next morning we spread all our wet bedding, +&c., in the sun to dry; and just as it was nearly ready, down came +another storm and soaked everything again. Such are some of the joys +of travelling in the desert. + + + + + + + +CHAPTER XIII + +PIONEER MEDICAL MISSION WORK IN MOSUL (NINEVEH) [6] + + Winning the confidence of the people--Native surgery--Difficulties + to be overcome--Backward patients--Encouraging work--Prevalent + diseases--Lunatics--Possible future of Mesopotamia. + + + "... My soul is full + Of pity for the sickness of this world; + Which I will heal, if healing may be found!" + + Sir E. Arnold. + + +It is often thought that in the East, whenever an English doctor +arrives at a city, patients throng to him from all quarters. This +is only partially true, at least in the near East. If medicine and +attendance are granted free indiscriminately, doubtless at first +crowds will attend the out-patient department, many coming merely out +of curiosity. If good work is to be done, it is better to make some +charge, however small, exempting only the very poor. This principle +has, I believe, been adopted by all our medical missionaries, and +fees thus earned go to help in making the work self-supporting. + +The European doctor in Persia or Turkey has first to win the confidence +of the people, and this is sometimes no easy matter. On our arrival +in Mosul we rented a house in the centre of the city, which had two +compounds. We lived in the inner compound, and made the outer into +a dispensary and small hospital. At first everything looked rather +hopeless, the house being an old one and nearly in ruins. However, we +made a big stable into a waiting-room for the patients; other rooms +were patched up and transformed into consulting-room, dispensary, +operating theatre, and wards, all of a most primitive kind. In this +great city of 60,000 to 80,000 people our staff consisted of my wife +and me and two native assistants, who had been trained in our Baghdad +Medical Mission. + +There was no lack of physicians in the city, but excluding two or +three Turkish army doctors, and one or two others with Constantinople +diplomas, the rest were quacks of the most pronounced type. Nearly +every old lady in the city thinks herself competent to treat +diseases of the eye, the barbers are the surgeons, bone-setters +abound, hereditary physicians are by no means scarce. These latter +inherit "herbal prescriptions" from their forefathers, and though +now forbidden to practise by the Turkish Government, yet contrive +to visit many houses as a "friend" after dark, and earn enough for +a livelihood. The Dominicans (who have a large Mission in Mosul) +also give away many medicines, and have now a qualified native +doctor. But though there is much "physicking" in Mosul, but little +surgery is done, and that gives the opportunity for the European +doctor to step in. Arab surgery is of the crudest description. Let +one sample suffice. A poor Arab woman was brought to the dispensary, +soon after we started work, by her father. She complained of not being +able to breathe through her nose. On examining her throat I found that +the upper air passage had become shut off from the back of the throat +as a result of old inflammation. Upon further inquiry I elicited the +following history. Two years before, the patient had developed a bad +sore throat. Her father took her to the native surgeon, who had the +poor woman's mouth held forcibly open, while he proceeded to cure +the sore throat by rubbing it with a red-hot flattened piece of iron! + +Gradually we commenced to win the confidence of the people: they +came in ever-increasing numbers to the dispensary. Gathered together +in the waiting-room would be a crowd composed of many different +nationalities--Christians, Moslems, Jews, Kurds from the mountains, +Bedouins from the desert, Yezidees (the so-called devil-worshippers), +a motley throng, listening quietly and without interruption to the +reading and exposition of the Gospel, ere passing one by one through +the doctor's consulting-room, for the treatment of their multitudinous +diseases. The medical missionary is called upon to do his best to cure +every ailment; he must be ready to accept heavy responsibilities, +there are no "specialists" to consult, often he is without the +help of any trained nurse, and in pioneer work, at least, he has no +properly equipped hospital, and must perforce perform most serious +operations under the worst possible conditions. In addition to all +this, in lands under Mohammedan rule there is always the risk of a +riot if a patient should die in a Christian hospital, especially on +the operating table. Yet despite all these drawbacks, it is a grand +life, revealing to a man his own utter weakness, and making him rely +more and more upon his God. + +Soon we were able to commence admitting in-patients, being forced to +limit admission to surgical cases. At first there was considerable +difficulty in getting the patients to come on the actual day fixed +for the operation; each one was anxious for his neighbour to be the +first. Finally I was compelled to threaten to put a black mark against +the name of any patient who had agreed to come in for operation and +then failed to put in an appearance, adding that that patient would +have to wait a long time before having a chance offered a second +time. This had the desired effect, a woman needing a small eyelid +operation being the first to brave the terrors of the Feringhi +hospital. + +In due course, instruments and dressings all having been prepared, +the patient, in a condition of mortal terror, was led into the +operating room, and induced to lie on the table. But alas, her fears +gained the mastery, and she instantly jumped up, ran out of the room, +and disappeared from the dispensary. This was not encouraging, but a +few days later a little Jew boy suffering from vesical stone (a very +common disease in Mosul, especially amongst children) was brought to +the hospital by his father. We persuaded him to enter the hospital +with his boy, and thus finally gained our first in-patient. The stone +having been removed, and the boy making a good recovery, we had no +further difficulty in getting in-patients. Our six wooden beds soon +all had occupants, then we added six more beds; finally, obtaining +a neighbouring house for our own residence, we made our old house +(the inner compound) into a small hospital for women and children. +Thus we were able to accommodate twenty-four patients, and as each +had at least one friend, we often had over fifty people resident +on the premises. It is this in-patient work that gives the most +encouraging opportunities to the medical missionary. There in his +little hospital he has patients of all creeds, lying side by side; +many have been relieved or cured by operation, and will listen +gratefully to all the teaching they can get. Each patient before +the operation hears the doctor pray a short prayer, asking God to +bless the operation and cause it to be successful. Day after day, +week after week, he receives instruction, and gains an entirely new +idea of what Christianity really is, and when he leaves the mission +hospital and returns to his home, whether in the city or in a distant +mountain village, all his old bitter opposition to Christianity has +disappeared, and often he will send other patients for treatment to +the English mission. The following statistics, for two years only, +may prove interesting, as showing the far-reaching influence of even +a badly equipped, undermanned medical mission:-- + + + Total attendance of out-patients 24,519 + Operations performed {197 Major} 569 + {372 Minor} + Total number of in-patients 288 + Number of villages and towns, excluding Mosul, + from which patients have come to the dispensary 348 + + +This last item is especially interesting; excluding Mosul (from which +naturally most of our patients are drawn), 348 different towns and +villages (some as many as ten days' journey) have sent us patients, +and yet the work is barely started! + +To illustrate the effect of a medical mission in disarming opposition, +I may add that, in 1907, when it was feared that, owing to the need +for retrenchment, the Society would have to close the work in Mosul, +a petition, signed by most of the prominent Mohammedan residents, +including the chief mullahs, was brought to me, asking that I would +remit it at once to the Society. It was a request that the Medical +Mission should not be withdrawn, as it had been such a boon to the +inhabitants of the city. In a very wonderful manner God heard and +answered our prayers, and the Mission is not to be closed, but rather +it is hoped to equip it more thoroughly. + +The operations most frequently called for in Mosul are those for +"cataract" and vesical stone, but patients come with many other +diseases, both surgical and medical. The city is full of phthisis; the +insanitary conditions under which the vast majority of the inhabitants +live favour its rapid dissemination. Smallpox and typhoid fever are +very common, and once these diseases have been definitely diagnosed, +neither the patient nor his friends will permit any further medical +treatment. For the latter disease the patient is kept on fairly strict +diet until he "perspires." This to the native mind denotes the end +of all possible danger, so he is then pressed to eat anything and +everything, with disastrous results. Malaria, dysentery, hepatic +abscesses are also rife; there have also been epidemics of cholera +and plague, but not of late years. Once the projected Baghdad Railway +(which will pass through Mosul) is an accomplished fact, we may expect +the importation of plague from the south, unless the most stringent +precautions are taken. + +The Bedouin Arab can rarely be persuaded to stop in the city; after +the freedom of life in the desert, he feels stifled within the four +walls of a house. Ere leaving Mosul I had a curious demonstration of +this fact. An old blind Arab was brought to me by his son, suffering +from double cataract. I told him that by means of a simple operation +he might once again be able to see, but that he would have to stay +in the hospital for a few days. He indignantly refused, saying he +would rather remain blind the rest of his life than sleep beneath a +roof. In vain did his son plead with him, and finding that I would +not operate at once and allow him to be treated as an out-patient, +the old man went sorrowfully away. + +Every in-patient admitted had to bring a friend to help to nurse him, +as we had no proper hospital equipment and no trained nurse. Only twice +in the three years did I break this rule, both times with disastrous +results. The first was a poor old man from a village some days' journey +from Mosul. He was poor and friendless, also blind with "cataract"; +reluctantly I allowed myself to be influenced by his pathetic +pleadings, and admitted him without any one to look after him. Prior +to his admission he had been bitten on the calf of one leg by a dog, +and complaining of pain from this wound, we dressed it with a simple +boracic fomentation. Unfortunately this dressing was forgotten and +left on the leg. The eye was in due course operated upon successfully, +and the patient received the usual strict injunction to lie still for +twenty-four hours. At the first dressing everything seemed all right; +two days later I found to my sorrow that the eye had suppurated, and +that there was no hope of saving the vision. The strictest inquiry was +at once instituted, but for some time we could discover no clue as to +how the eye had become infected; then the truth came out. It appeared +that the second night after the operation the old man commenced to +feel a slight pricking pain in the eye that had been operated upon +(not an uncommon symptom after "cataract" extraction, with no bad +significance as a rule). The pain seemed similar to that which he +had felt in his leg, which had been relieved by the application of +the boracic fomentation. The patient reasoned thus with himself: +"It is night time, I had better not call for the doctor; but the +medicine on my eye is evidently doing no good, while that put on my +leg cured a similar pain to this at once, so I had better take off +this bandage from my eye and replace it with the one on my leg"! This +he had proceeded to do, and consequently lost his newly acquired sight. + +The other case was somewhat similar, but the patient was a fanatical +Moslem priest, whom I afterwards found out was a well-known "majnoon" +(madman). He also had been admitted alone, and we had but little +trouble with him until after the operation (also for "cataract") had +been performed. A few hours later my assistant came running to me, +and said: "Doctor, that old cataract patient declares that he must +and he will say his prayers. We have done our best to prevent him, +but in vain." Now a Mohammedan, before he prays, performs certain +ablutions, which include washing his hands and face; so I at once ran +up to the ward, but, alas! we arrived too late. The old priest had +taken off his bandage, washed his face and hands, said his prayers, +and was quite unable to understand why the Hakim Sahib should be +angry! We gave the poor old man some lotion and a shade for his eye, +and sent him back to his home (as he lived in Mosul), refusing to +accept any further responsibility. Some weeks later my assistant met +the old priest in the bazaar, quite pleased with himself, for he had +actually obtained sufficient sight to find his way about alone. + +Fortunately the majority of the patients are more reasonable, +and quickly learn to submit more or less to "hospital +regulations." Children sometimes proved troublesome, especially boys, +when accompanied by a crowd of relations. I remember one morning, when +making my daily round, coming across a group of people surrounding a +little boy six years of age. He had been ordered a dose of castor oil, +and had made up his obstinate little mind that he would not take the +nasty stuff. Being a boy, and only son and heir, he had been spoilt +most royally. Father, mother, aunt, grandmother, and friends each +in turn tried persuasion, varied by gentle threats, all in vain. He +beat and (I am sorry to say) cursed the women, his mother included, +and sullenly refused to accept the medicine from his father, despite +sundry promises of sweets, money, &c. + +After watching the scene with some amusement I stepped forward, took +the cup containing the obnoxious castor oil, and forcibly administered +the dose without regarding the boy's shrieks and tears. Then I read +the parents a little lecture upon the evil result of spoiling their +children, which I fear had but scant result. + +Often do I feel ashamed as I note how patiently pain and diseases +are borne by these poor people. It is always "the will of God," and +therefore there is no use complaining, and little use rebelling. Time +after time have I had to gently break the news to some poor patient, +who may have come long distances to see the English doctor, that his +blindness could not be cured by operation, being caused by what is +popularly known as black cataract (glaucoma). A few (usually women) +would go away weeping, but the vast majority both of men and women +would quietly respond, "Alhamd'llillah" (Praise be to God), with but +little sign of emotion. + +So far as I know there is but one asylum for cases of mental diseases +in the whole of the Turkish Empire, and that one is at Asfariyeh, +near Beyrout, and belongs to an English society. The usual method of +dealing with lunatics in Mosul is, if they are apparently harmless, +that they are allowed to wander about freely and treated kindly; +but once they develop symptoms of mania they are treated as wild +beasts, put into a dark room, and chained to a wall. But we possess +a specialist in "mental diseases" in Mosul, belonging to an old +Mohammedan family, who has a great reputation for the treatment of +"lunatics." In the courtyard of his house he has had dug several +deep wells, and beside each well is placed a large tub, having a hole +in the bottom which communicates with the well. The poor madman is +made to work from sunrise to sunset, drawing water from the well and +pouring it into the perforated tub, being told that he may leave off +when he has filled the tub. If he refuses to work, he is unmercifully +beaten. Several cures are said to have resulted from this treatment. + +There is nothing so potent as the in-patient work of a hospital in +overcoming opposition. Amongst our numerous "cataract" patients was +an Arab from Singar (a mountainous district near Mosul). He came +armed with a perfectly unnecessary introduction, in the shape of a +letter from one of the chief Mohammedans in the city. After he had +regained his sight and had left the hospital, ere returning to his +mountain home he went to this "big" Moslem to thank him. He found +himself the centre of a large and curious throng, who questioned him +severely upon his experiences in the "Christian" hospital. Some of +the more fanatical (it was in the early days of the Mission) did +not scruple to speak against the hospital and the English hakim; +but, like the man in St. John's Gospel, this Arab was not afraid to +testify of what had been done for him, "for," said he, "you can say +what you like--one thing I know, before I was blind, now I can see." + +But enough--I fear to tire my readers; but ere closing I would like +just to refer to the possible future of Mesopotamia. One thing is +certain, a few years more will exhibit great changes. I have already +referred to the Baghdad Railway. As I write it is rumoured that the +German Government have at last obtained a further concession from +the Sultan of Turkey, which will allow them to continue the line +another five hundred miles, piercing Mount Taurus and reaching near +to the city of Mardin (some ten days' journey north of Mosul). When +this is accomplished the rest of the work is quite simple. The line +from Mardin to Baghdad (passing through Mosul) should present no +difficulties, and Mosul (with the ruins of Nineveh) will become easy +of access from Europe. + +In the next place there is the question of the navigation of the +Tigris. Ere long there is no doubt that boats will be allowed to come +up the river from Baghdad to Mosul, and possibly on up to Diabekir +(300-400 miles north of Mosul). This will mean an enormous increase +in trade, both in imports and exports. + +Finally, there is that fascinating problem of the irrigation of the +Mesopotamian desert. The remains of old canals are still visible, +and it needs nothing but an energetic government willing to spend +a comparatively small sum, plus the services of a capable engineer, +to transform the whole of that desert between the two great rivers +Euphrates and Tigris into a veritable Garden of Eden, even as it +must have been in the days of old, when huge armies were able to +find sufficient provender for man and beast throughout the whole of +that vast region. The "finale" of that great province, containing the +ruins of so many ancient cities, has not yet been written; and there +are many signs which tend to suggest to the thoughtful observer that, +ere another century has passed, Mesopotamia may once again take its +place, and that no mean position, amongst the kingdoms of the earth! + + + + + + + +NOTES + + +[1] "A Year amongst the Persians." + +[2] By Dr. A. Hume-Griffith. + +[3] By Dr. A. Hume-Griffith. + +[4] By Dr. A. Hume-Griffith. + +[5] Extract from "The Literary History of the Arabs," by +R. A. Nicholson, M.A. + +[6] By Dr. A. Hume-Griffith. + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Behind the Veil in Persia and Turkish +Arabia, by M. E. Hume-Griffith and A. 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