New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-12-25
IN MES0P0TAMIA.
Discomfort the Main Feature of
TrdUeE There.

and the dirty, windoWless sheds round the court
yard which afforded the only sleeping accommoda-
.ou. were not inviting. had fixed our tent in
covered passage by tying the ropes TO the rillars
guporting the roof The Zaptiehs deputed 10
ard Us for The night hung about the door plvinr
sr Turkish friend Hassan and the Armenian cook
s-rsts with questions as to our sanity. WHY
.boui5 TWO foreign women choose the deDth Of
v+rtcr 10 travel between Ourfa and Diarbekr along
the caravan route. which had been long deserted
rutng 10 the raids Of the Hamidiyeh Kurds? I
had often asked myself the same question during
re last few days. but had not Yet thought OF
g. answer
Mex morning We left the Khan at sunrise We
-oie for hours through a dreary country Of broken
gay stones with no sign of vegetation or life of
sny kind. The driving wind hurled the hailstones
ike 8 battery Of small shot right into our faces
The rain collected IN small pools IN the folds of
nv macintosh. y. rode in front with her chin
hurled n her coat collar. Pitter patter. came the
rair on The saddles click. clack went the horses
bocfs The stones; clank went the captains
sword: whack came the mems whips behind. each
no.se was hardly heard before It was rushed avyav
n the driving wind. jog, jog one was being
logged or somewhere. one did not care where and
one did not care for how long. The men were
saving something; the sound fell vaguely On my
.z-s but Tie meaning did not travel on TO nv
brain. Then We Stopped suddenly. and the Jerk
threw ne forward on the horses neck I felt TWO
s,-orE arms around me, and was lifted bodily off
the horse. 'Br-gands al last I thought vaguely;
vel they are welcome TO all my goods as long as
rbsv leave ne 10 die comfortably In a heap
flseldlL I've have arrivedD. IL was IIassan's
val1e- We at the door OF the caravanserai
Re deposited or the floor Of q bare black hole
o. one side OF the courtyard, and carefully ar
ranged his wet cloak around me. I was conscious
O. d mo-er-ess heap in the dark corner opposite
".Ne muttered inteTrogatvely.
I'm came from the corner.
The muIeteers came and flung the dripping
bsEE-gs bales Ironiscuously about the floor. We
were soon Eemmed IN by soppiug saddles brides
sadIlebags Wet cIoaks and muddy riding boots
I4ssa1 81 on pile Of miscellaneous goods. sraok-
ing re-ee..s-y and giving vent 70 great groans as
he looked from one corner 70 the other where each
Of las charges lay II heap The cook cleared q
suaL space iu the middle Of the room and tried
lC make t-e with dried camel dung, the only
f.e- rH Pc had The whole place was soon filled
vi s--ae-tng smoke: there was no window no
Ho-e t.s roof 70 let out The fumes. We opened
lie door untl the fire had burned up and a sudden
Ea-- .. FIa1 tearing round the room and out again
ar9sa r-1 emartiug fumes into our eyes, causing
ta sears - ron down mercilessIy-
-re cook came IL with L pleasing expression
81 -ar WIZ YOU have for supper he said
What can We have2 We answered. with the
caution arising from long experience Of limited
.s ..s- sou wish he said with as much aezl1r-
az and aIahIlity as + he were presenting huge
b- n fare. ! knew what enc could expect IL these
places.
" Get @ fowl ! said.
There is not one left here he answered.
EgEs then,' suggested with the humor Of
no fowl now eggs?' he answered. with plying
aer.or-y.
.Hel. we VIII have what there is I said family.
Per. Is H3th-Es, ne answered cheerfuliy-
2 holding our hopes Of lobster salad and maras-
ge5 IL he Ilz g5.t.f aej5 t5es -, rum
= A few FT frl lE..r.. W.
sticky ra he'd me reflan5 Of Pc lsz. a T3tIvs
aoatained respectively ntte tea and rice: a DIS
cardboard box aroused my curiosity. Gould II
ne-Ees II had once been prOteine -four. .omineUtIy
delicious and sustaining meal when no other tood
-z proeu1aaie' II had been the parting gitl OF
cur respective mothers along with iuJUuctIOus TO
III our clothes calmly though the matter out
ne o9Tr-- thrown IN or 10 drink boyrI with the
Don't TAX about it, said X; cook everything
~ together and let Us hope individual hayOrs Will
I'VE llt TN OF water on the fire and threw in
the rice and proteine. The chocolate and bovTil
gere added. after carefully picking out ire bits Of
tr9k5n bottle Hasssn fumbed In the wide leath-
~ lel- winch he wore around MS middle, The
pocket where be carried all his goods. With an
El- u LusDeakable pride he produced & small.
r1u11, gr-my object which he held alOft in tTi-
.'517anr cOnionD we all shouted simultaneous
u b excited ungovernaoIe greed lie nodded
ecs1al-lll, and pulling the Iong, dasgerllke knife
belt he proceeded with great deIiberatton
10 cur Tie treasure into slices and let them fall
one IN one into the bubbling pot The cook sat
stirring il all together with wooden spoon: he
hepJ raising spOonf-ls our OF The pot, ana as tie
thick L1uld dribbled slowly back again he muir
Prime vzr. chocolad var. Inghuiz suppe var
SlEll Tr, so war (TLeT5 = rice, there IS choco-
lz= there IS English SOUP there is onion. there Is
~ETHsr the moment % complete mergence seemed
p nave arrived ne lifted the POI or the ire and
reryI be said encouraglugly. ana handed Us each
spoon. \. swallowed q few mOuthfuls.
with -.ll. Of apology as size put the spoon down.
s1s picked Up q piece o. Ieathery native bread
~ = clgaretJe.' I said sympatheticany. I
could z.- md II IN my heart 10 tell her the history
following with some interest 1or several days X was
burned mark resembling letter 8. Il had first
appeared on the scene early IN the week we had
De- enjoying -aylsh spread OF ct-lgAen 4fss ana
cred 1gs. and with wastef1l s9uaacer Aad r.
80 II IS pens less l2-al.-o-e NAN oII4gt LIS,
the-- Er21y fingers but. being unsetisfed with the
scraps. INTO bag containing miscellaneous cooking
utensils The next Gay it had appeared 70 swell
left GA the ground. BuJ we rode away Hassall $
economical spirit oyeTc2.zle aim; ne o4snto1hleo
lay il close proximity 10 various articles not cal
c-zte6 10 increase the ssvoriness OF its favor; J
down half-ro doubt meaning it FOR my share-I
...-ts hardly tie time TO waste good food,
The cook picked it out blew the ashes off, and
rubbed il win his greasy sleeve He offered II
Eat il yourself said rnagnaninousIy. 7 have
had enough But he wrapped Z careILlly N one
o. ;s cry linen bags 2nq IL Pe 1s,5 4 Oh o'-s
and so we sit-a mass Of wet clothes, saddles,
rae1. 1lrtle 70 move without treading on one or
81 y mem ears rolling G2Tn , our cc5gE Eor a 20
wat dirt We are sitting IN. or what dirt we nave
I'VE ron our rugs round US and lie on the soddenn
sarth moor Hassan turns the men our ana
stretches himself across the doorway Do8s Ilo4-'