The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1877-12-13
Three Remarkable Christmas DAYS.
CHRISTMAS DAY IN THE T1GRIs.

I had been for some time residing at
Bagdad, in 183-. Curiosity to visit city
rendered SO famous by the Arabian
Nights Entertainments led me from
India first to visit Bassoria, the Bal
sorah of the Thousand and One Nights,
and then the city of the Caliph, whose
fame has supplied the title to a pretty
opera now rarely performed. And when
1 had supped sufficiently full of all the
attractions of the quaint old city, which
had not then involved its Turkish aspect
in dark-blue woolen vestment and the
scarlet fez, 1 made preparations for a
journey across the desert to Damascus,
for the Holy Land was the ultimate OBJ
iect of my travels. To effect this in
safety, it was necessary to don the gar
ment of an Arab to allow the beard few
weeks growth, and to study the phrases
which would be requisite to help me on
my perilous journey. My previous resi-
dence in India facilitated the acquisition
of the accent, and I could soon pro-
nounce the Salaam Alee KOum with
orthodox accuracy. The science OF eat
ing pilaw with my fingers, and tearing
away pieces of roast lamb as if 1 had
never known the use of knife and fork,
was acquired after q little greasy prac-
tice. At length, having negotiated the
hire of horse and camel with the chief
of a caflah (caravan), and paid in ad
vance for protection, bade adieu to my
old friend, Colonel Taylor, the British
agent and resident, and set forth with
some fifty companions, viz, three mer-
chants, two moollahs, special tatar,
my servant, a sheikh, and forty-two
thieves under the denomination of pill
grims, returning from Mecca and acting
as guards of the merchandise. We had
made four days journey, and had halt
ed for the night in the desert at spot
where the camel-thorn was tolerably
abundant. 1t was Christmas Eve. J
had eaten good supper of lamb, stewed
in dried apricots, preparatory to a
snooze, when my attention was attracted
to wailing cry in another part of the
bivouac. listened gradually this was
followed by a murmur, and then another
cry, and soon the whole party was in a
state of excitement very unusual among
sober Mussulmans. I told my servant,
Hummud, to go quietly and ascertain
the cause. He was not long gone when
he hurried back with tottering steps to
tell me that the plague had broken out
in the caravan, and not a soul was safe.
Two men were dying, one had died /;
others were sick, and all were appre-
hensive. 1 knew that the fatal disease
of Asiatic cholera had appeared in the
city just as we were leaving. Taking
counsel with Hummud, [ removed my
rug and saddle-bag to some distance to
windward of the whole party, and pom
dered the wisest course. 1t would never
do to go on in fellowship with fell dis
ease. and perhaps be left a corpse in the
middle of the desert. 1t might he
equally fatal to return. Before midnight,
however, I resolved ON the latter course,
and saddling my horse I was soon on the
way back alone, bidding Hummud fol-
low on the camel. A few hours sufficed
to accomplish, at trot and a gallon,
the distance which, walking with cara
van, required nearly four days (abso.
lutely forty-eight hours of locomotion)
to master.
Arrived at the principal gate of the
city of Bagdad, horse and man equally
jaded, l was about to enter, when 1
found my ingress barred. The gate was
closed, and from wicket was informed
that the plague was in town, and no one
was permitted to enter until he had
served twenty days quarantine Here
was situation-and ON Christmas Day,
too It was in vain that protested 1
was friend of the residents. Colonel
Taylor had fed with his family to Bus.
sorah, and the Armenian substitute did
not know me. I offered money! made
promises-all in vain. I was doomed to
hold high festival in the desert with the
hungry vultures lowering above me,
rather offering them a scanty meal than
getting one myself. AS evening ap-
preached (for I had arrived at the west
ern gate in the middle of the day. I be-
gan to feel very nervous and somewhat
faint. No one went into the city, and
those who came out bore with them the
dead, all recent victims of the terrible
visitation. 1t was clear I could have no
hope of ingress, even if it were safe to
be in the infected place. l at once re-
solved to abandon the poor camel, and
putting my servant behind me, we rode
down to the banks of the river CTigris)
and sought boat. Not one was to be
seen The people had fed to Bussorah
in every available vessel. There were.
however, we were told, some boats a few
miles lower down the steam. We set off
for the locality, but had not gone far
before we came upon an encampment of
Beaouins-thieyes and murdorers of the