Chapter XXV. A Voyage up the Persian Gulf to Bagdad.

IT is not given to every one to have the opportunity of visiting this little-known part of the world: in fact, with the exception of a few naval officers, Indian marine officers, and political agents, very few Englishmen are at all acquainted with it. There is, nevertheless, much to interest the traveller and sportsman in the locality. The Persian Gulf has always been a bugbear to naval officers who are detailed for service in its waters for the protection of British interests and the suppression of the slave-trade. The heat is terrible during the summer, and the work monotonous; but in the winter months the climate, especially at the head of the Gulf, is delightful, and excellent sport is to be had in the neighbourhood of Bussorah, and for many miles above and below that city.

Early in March 1894, being desirous of visiting that part of the station, the Indian Government placed at my disposal a fine paddle-wheel steamer, the Lawrence, for that purpose. This vessel had been used as a yacht, and was most comfortably equipped. The captain and officers belonged to the Royal Indian Marine, a splendid service, and the

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A VOYAGE UP THE PERSIAN GULF TO BAGDAD.

crew were lascars. Embarking at Bombay, we sailed for Muscat, at the entrance to the gulf, and anchored off the town three days afterwards. This place has been brought into notice by reason of a rebellion which occurred there lately. A neighbouring sheik deposed the Sultan and took possession of the town The Sultan fled to one of the forts, from whence he fired promiscuously into the town, more especially into his own palace, where the opposite party had established themselves.

Muscat, from the Anchorage.

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MUSCAT

artillery. In former days two rival sultans established themselves in these forts, and bombarded each other across the water till one fled to Bombay. The forts still bear the marks of shot on their rugged faces. The city is shut in by barren and precipitous mountains, having one gap through which a hostile force could approach. Not a vestige of herbage is to be seen, and the heat is terrific; but whilst we were there a shammal, or norther, was blowing, and it was pleasantly cool, so we formed a rather agreeable, but erroneous, impression of Muscat. On the eve of leaving Muscat the Sultan sent off a boatload of live stock and vegetables for the crew of the Lawrence and a gold-hilted sword for myself. I told Captain Brownlow to do as he liked with the former, and I proposed to return the latter; but as the Political Agent assured me it would be considered an insult, I kept it till my return to Bombay, when I offered it as a prize to the best lady player at halma, and it was won by my daughter after a close contest. In return for this precious article I sent the Sultan a large musical-box for the amusement of the ladies of the harem.

After twenty-four hours' stay we stood across to Bushire, a Persian city situated in the north-east corner of the gulf. Bushire is a miserable place - the houses are built of mud, which, baked in the sun, gives it the appearance of a deserted graveyard. No colour greets the eye; the country is flat and desolate, relieved by a distant chain of mountains in the background. Ships have to anchor three miles from the town, and the sea-breeze blows strong, raising a considerable sea and making the landing sometimes difficult. We met with a most

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A VOYAGE UP THE PERSIAN GULF TO BAGDAD.

hospitable reception from Colonel Wilson, the Political Agent, who by his kindness made our stay most pleasant, and the time passed agreeably till we took our departure for Bussorah on March 13. Bussorah, or Busrah, is a Turkish town situated on the west bank of the river Shat-el-Arab, about seventy miles from its mouth. A bar extends across the entrance, preventing large ships drawing more than 15 feet from crossing. Having negotiated this bar, we entered the river, and passing a miserable fort called Fao, we anchored off Bussorah on March 15.

The river Karun falls into the Shat-el-Arab at a place called Mohammera, where lives a powerful sheik much dreaded by the Turkish authorities. A flotilla of small craft belonging to the sheik are always anchored off his house, and it is customary to salute him with a gun when passing, to acknowledge his position - a courtesy which is always returned. Some miles up the Karun lions and deer are to be found. These Mesopotamian deer are said to be the parent stock of our fallow-deer. Snipe and francolin are plentiful in this locality. Both banks of the Shat-el-Arab are planted with groves of date-palms. The export of dates forms the principal revenue of the country. All the land hereabouts is extensively irrigated, and heavy crops of rice and wheat are raised hereon. Bussorah is the principal town on the river. A squadron of broken-down Turkish gunboats are anchored off the city, under the orders of a commodore, who flies his flag on shore; and the local governor, or Wadi, also resides here. A considerable trade is carried on between Bussorah and Bombay, two lines of steamers being employed

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THE GARDEN OF EDEN.

in the service - the British India and a Persian company.

Above Bussorah the river is too shallow for ocean-going craft, and the produce is carried in flat-bottomed paddle-wheel steamers of light draught, two belonging to Messrs Lynch Brothers and the rest to a Turkish company. There is ample room for more, but the Turkish authorities, with their jealous and short-sighted policy, forbid it, and trade suffers in consequence. The city proper is situated two miles from the river: to reach it one has to ascend a creek. The British consulate and the houses of the foreign residents are abreast the anchorage, overlooking the river. A few snipe and francolin may be picked up on the opposite shore, but to find them in any quantity it is better to go farther from the town, either up or down the river. The Lawrence being unable to go higher up, we shifted into the Comet, a smaller vessel, which Colonel Mockler, H.M. Consul-General at Bagdad, kindly placed at our disposal, and proceeded up the river.

The next morning we arrived at the junction of the rivers Tigris and Euphrates, the supposed site of the Garden of Eden ; but as we intended to stop here on our way down, we passed on, and, taking the right branch, entered the Tigris. For some miles above the junction the scenery is uninteresting, the banks are low, and vast marshes extend on either side, the home of millions of mosquitoes and venomous flies, which swarm on board, so that it is advisable to push on through this part during daylight and anchor for the night above this pestilential locality. The inhabitants appear to be a miserable lot, but are doubtless contented with their

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A VOYAGE UP THE PERSIAN GULF TO BAGDAD.

existence. Children ran along the banks in a state of nudity, keeping pace with the vessel, and clamouring for any garbage that might be thrown to them. The adult male population stood staring at the vessel as she forced her way against the stream. Beyond the marshy district the land is flat on both sides, fringed with a thorny brushwood, in which pig and francolin are to be found. In the distance, on the eastern side, a magnificent chain of mountains extends as far as the eye can reach, their summits capped with snow. The first object of interest is Ezra's tomb, situated on a bend of the river. The dome is beautifully enamelled with tiles of a turquoise blue, and stands well out against the sky-line when the sun is shining on it. A few palm-trees mark the site. So tortuous is the river that by landing and walking across a bend it is easy to meet the steamer some miles farther on, she having to traverse a considerable distance to reach the rendezvous. In this way we got a little exercise, and managed to pick up some game for our table. We stopped to coal at a village called Koot, but did not land, as the repulsive and insolent attitude of the natives was not inviting. We bought some very fine sheep at this place, with heavy brown fleeces, for four rupees each. This part of the country is well adapted to the breeding of stock. Large herds of cattle, horses, sheep, and goats roam the pastures, attended by their swarthy owners, who live in mud huts near by, and change their quarters as convenient.

In the evening we landed for our usual stroll with the gun, arranging a rendezvous some miles farther on; but upon approaching the place about

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THE OLD PALACE OF DARIUS.

dusk we were astonished by a terrific fusilade, and supposing that the Bedouins had attacked the vessel, we hurried on. Finding rifle-balls whistling about our ears, we shouted out to cease firing, when two wild boars came charging up the bank and disappeared in the jungle, taking no notice of us, which was just as well, as we had not a single cartridge left. It appeared that the pig were seen swimming across the river, and a hot fire was opened upon them from the ship; and those on board, unaware of our proximity, continued firing as they scrambled up the bank, on a level with our heads.

On the 21st we landed in the morning for shooting, and again in the evening, bagging several brace of francolin and an enormous sow; but as none of our men, being Mohammedans, would touch the pig, it had to be left to the jackals. These francolins are very fine birds, somewhat resembling, but superior in size to, the black partridge of India. We misjudged the distance across the bend of the river on this occasion, and had a long weary tramp in the dark to reach the Comet. We found that the ladies had gone off in charge of the captain to visit the ruins of Ctesiphon, a very remarkable and interesting relic, having, it is said, the largest arch in the world. The ruin is plainly visible from a ship's deck passing up or down the river, and is well worth a visit. It is said to be the old palace of Darius.

The next morning we arrived at Bagdad, and anchored off the Residency. Bagdad is 600 miles distant from Bussorah by water, but as the crow flies very much less. Colonel Mockler was away, but he most kindly placed his house at our disposal,

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A VOYAGE UP THE PERSIAN GULF TO BAGDAD.

and deputed Dr Baker, the resident medical officer, to entertain us, which he did most handsomely.

The first view of the city as one comes round a bend of the river is decidedly pleasing. The Residency and European houses are on the east bank, and a bridge of boats connects this portion of the city with the western suburb. A constant stream of people, camels, horses, sheep, and goats are passing all day along the bridge. At this point the river is 350 yards broad and 30 feet deep; but this depth is exceptional, for, owing to the numerous sandbars along the route, it is only navigable for craft drawing 4 feet. The stream runs at an average rate of three miles an hour, in places very much more, especially during the hot season, when the snow is melting on the mountains. The country bears evidence of having at one time been thickly populated by an industrious and intelligent people: signs of ancient grandeur are everywhere visible. At every bend of the river are ruins of temples, tombs, and cities; but now there is desolation, and the wretched inhabitants are poverty-stricken and oppressed: ground down and robbed by a corrupt government, they have no energy or enterprise left to develop the resources of the country.

The bazaars are superior to any I have seen elsewhere, and fine tapestries and silks, embroidered in gold and silver, may be purchased at reasonable rates. Smallpox is very prevalent, and at least a third of the population suffer from this scourge. The town is filthy, the streets narrow and unpaved; mangy dogs are everywhere apparent, and are probably the only scavengers. It is as well to take a guide through the bazaars, to prevent being jostled; and if there are ladies of the party;

The Golden Mosque of Kadhimain, Bagdad

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BAGDAD.

they should be veiled and escorted by an orderly from the Consulate. In the early morning and evening a most enjoyable ride may be had in the neighbourhood of the city. At this season (March) the desert is carpeted with wild-flowers, the air is delightful, and the horses, generally Arab or Persian, enjoy a gallop as much as their riders.

About six miles from the city is the beautiful mosque of Kadhimain, having two domes and four minarets, all covered with pure beaten gold. No European is allowed inside the mosque, but we were allowed to make a sketch of it, and were provided with an escort of soldiers to prevent our being molested. The ruins of Babylon are sixty miles from Bagdad, but we had no time to visit them. By all accounts we did not lose much, as there is nothing left but some mounds of earth. In certain seasons good snipe and duck-shooting may be had about an hour's ride out of the city, but the season was past when we were there.

In summer the heat is very great in Bagdad, and the European residents live underground in cellars, with wet " tattles " across the doors, and they sleep on the flat roofs of their houses. The place is said to be healthy, but there is a very objectionable form of complaint which attacks new-comers, regardless of age or sex. This disease, locally called a "date mark," is a kind of boil, and leaves an ugly scar. It is supposed to be due to drinking impure water, and is common in Aleppo and other Eastern cities. Most of the local trade is carried on in native craft called " buggaloes," manned by Arabs, who handled them well. These vessels are built at Bahrein and Bushire. They are handsome models, with fine lines and great shear, and are very fast. For crossing

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A VOYAGE UP THE PERSIAN GULF TO BAGDAD.

rivers a very curious conveyance is used. This vehicle, called a "guppah," is somewhat on the principle of a Welsh coracle, but is perfectly round, like a tub, made of wicker-work, covered with hide, and coated inside and out with tar. A large one can carry a dozen men with a horse or two, and a couple of men propel the craft with paddles, working on opposite sides.

After four days' very pleasant stay in Bagdad we re-embarked on board the Comet, and started on our return journey. Going down-stream we made eleven or twelve knots over the ground, and for this reason we had no time for shooting, as we could not get across the bends in time to catch the steamer, but we managed to pick up a few francolin after she had anchored for the night.

On the 28th we arrived at Gurna, and went ashore to inspect the Garden of Eden. There is but little to see in the place, and it is not easy to get up any romance concerning it. A miserable village marks the site, and the tree of knowledge, which was shown us, is an acacia apparently about thirty or forty years old. There is capital snipe-shooting to be had at the back of the garden, but unfortunately the river had overflowed its banks, so the snipe had gone, and we only saw some pig.

The next morning we arrived at Bussorah, and having bid adieu to our friends, we re-embarked on the Lawrence and proceeded down the river, anchoring off Mohammera for the night. Being delayed by a gale of wind with thunder and lightning and hail, we spent the day in the marshes, bagging twenty-six snipe, three quail, and five francolin : the following day we sailed for Karachi.

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