Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-28
gherd district.
Country Famous in History.

The destroyed town of MelaZgherd was
on the Murad Su, affiuent of the east
ern Euphrates. 1t lay north Of the Nimrud
Dagh mountain range, which separated the
valley of the Murad Su from Lake Van.
The place was in a region famous in both
sacred and profane history, being about
one hundred miles west by south of Mount
Ararat. and in the particular country which
many biblical geographers have identified
as the garden of Eden.
The general features of this entire region
are high mountains, inclosing fertile val
leys and an undulating upland. intersected
by numerous streams, the headwaters of
the Euphrates and the Tigris The scenery
of these highlands is described as roman
tically beautiful while the numerous rivers
and streams flow through charming land
sCapes and thckly wooded valleys, passing
In their courses castles and cities famous
in ecclesiastical history.
The Nimrud Dagh mountain range, Just
south of the Murad Su, is a continuation of
the Taurus range and is continued to the
westward in the Sipan Dagh and Ala Dagh
to the Persian frontier northeast of Lake
Van North of the Murad Su are the Dujik
and MeZoor Dagh ranges. rugged and mac
cessible mountains filing up the entire
space between the two arms of the Eu-
pirates and eliminating to the east in tac
Ararat of ark fame.
In Country of the Kurds.
Inc toWH was IN tne very nedTt Ol
the country of the kurds-fanatical, turb-
ulent and semi-independent tribes that are
at the same time one of the greatest an
noyances and safest reliances of the Otto
man government.
This is the region of most of the Armen-
Ian outrages which have engaged the atten-
ton of the United States in recent years.
The town itself was about three-quarters
Mahometan in population the remainder
being Armenians and Jews.
The whole of kurdistan, both Turkish
and Persian, is very mountainous. some
of the peaks being nearly 1900 feet above
the level. These mountain ranges di-
vide the country into fertile valleys and
extensive tablelands.
The country is traversed, in addition to
the Euphrates and Tigris, by the Zab-ala,
Zab-asfal and Shirvan. and contains sew
eral large lakes. the chief of which are
Van, in Turkey, and Uramiati In Persia.
Four-hfths of the inhabitants are Kurds,
race spoken of as allen to the Turks in
language and TO the Persians In religion. :"
The kurds are nearly nomads occupying
themselves chiefly however, with the breed
Ing of cattle, sheep. goats and horses
great trade is carried on with Turkey
and Persia, especially In horses the Kurd-
fish breed being so famed for it's spirit and
endurance as TO be almost exclusively en-
ployed by the Turkish and Persian cavalry.
Engaged in Agriculture
The settled portion of the population il.
engaged in agricultural employments A
remarkable product of this country is a
substance found on the leaves of the tam
arsk and other shrubs, which is said TO
closely correspond to the description given
of mama in the Old Testament, and is
supposed to result from the puncture of
the leaf by an insect.
The country is deficient in mineral wealth.
The chief towns in Turkish Kurdistan are
Bths, Van, trumia, Mardn, Mush Kor-
kuk. DiarbeNir Malatia and Marash.
The nearest United States consulate to
the ruined town of Melazgherd is at Kar-
poot or Harpoot. The Incumbent of the
ONCE OF consul is Prof. Thomas II. Norton
Of Cincinnati