New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-02-21
A TROPICAL SWIM.

June in Mesopotamia and adjacent regions is
like summer in Hades, and fit for meme TO travel
IN put SaIanahQtFs. toflFeS ana Correspondents
OF the press. But hea- may be corrected by a
minimum Of clothes and maximum Of cold
water. The Tigris came straight from the SHOWS
OF the Taurus, and It's turglu noOC was ike Ice
compared with the fire of the air. Owing TO
broken arm that hardly mended, and
smashed hand that still hung IN a sung, that
first plunge overheard into the boiling river
rather a venture. The kelekjis said need
have fears, and the two Zaptehs tsendarmesl
supplied by the Turkish authorities to guard
my person declared the river quite safe though
none of them cared enough for cold water to
give me a lead. looked for q long time, then
shut my eyes and jumped. For my faith l was
maEniicently rewarded. and though not partial
the of adjectiNeS. / viii say of that first
swim in the trimming Tigris that it was abso-
lutely and completely glorious. All the discom-
ing heat, all the aches and bruises from the
eternal humping, all the Vapors ENGINEERED by
many months Of sickness and inactivity. We're
washed away by the cool quick hoWlns, Iaugn-
ing water. Swept along by the same current IN
when hoateu the Tait CoUIu 81 IN -; 80
II or round II. could dive again ana again from
its GuiverinG deck could beat the water WITH
my limbs until it foamed and efervesced; and
most delightful Of all. could noat on my pdch
and gaze into the blue depths above, ana Hsten
the while with submerged ears to the eternal
ruStling of the little stones beneath as the
stream scurried over its gravelly bed. .
There was mild adventure, too. Every now
and then the narrow bed Of the river expanded.
and the running water spread itself out over
wide flats where it rippled and tumbled and
e7,arl,led over stones and sand. Where there
and swimming became impossible 1 was caught
in such place when nearly hundred YARDS
away from floating house. The stream ran
about five knots, and the depth was no more
than foot. lay fat on my back and SKINNED
lightly along with an occasional scrape on me
sand NV progress was delightful until the
water Swallowed still more. and the potion
changed from sand 70 pebbles
With the advent of the chill waters Of the
Batman Su the temperature fell far below the
pleasant point and all I could do was TO dive
i'm and get hauled out almost in the same breath
Wrapped in a towel, l sat on a bale an gay
watching the scenery or taking dlp Wnt' I.5
broken the kelekjis said I must get out; and out
I got, for my days for tempting Providence are
over To be in the boiling water with firm
hold OF the raft was rare fun, but 1t was quits
ayyesome to feel ones legs swept hlther ana
thither by undercurrents. An sorIS 81 i1er -
things seemed to be happening beneath me sur
face We would be slipping along 1aSt' out
peacefully. when suddenly beside the keIek there
would rise up with suen rush timex govt Oh
,-a+ar that made the river Churn furlouSIy
where before had been perfect stiffness Breah-
ars ahead were continual. and always the signal
for frantic rowing by the kelekjls sometimes
they would call sharply 70 the zapuehs, ana
these sleepy individuals would dart |" thtIf anu
with an alaCrity that proved them awe u
We passed old castles perched high above
curious little villages hidden between CreFiCeS
in The rocks and several places where were IN
accessible cave dwellings, whether inhabited or
not il is impossible to say. Hassan- Ken. WheFe
we arrived in the evening, is surely one OF the
strange places Of the earth. The gorge OF the
river onens somewhat to accommodate great
,,-al hollow The high precipice overlooking the
left hank is literally honeyCombed with cave
dwellings connected with each other by INTERNAL
staircases. on the opposite side OF the h"IloT,
half a mile to the west OF the river. Is a hlgi
ridge of rock overlooking the pleasant wooded
space below. This ridge also presents CON
,i,97,ous frontage OF arches and openings into
the caves beyond. Groups Of whitehead ARABS
sat in the arches smoking and gazing INTO space"
One little crowd surrounded a man VINO Wa vas
irving a rihe-apparently so. though he might
have been shooting at his neighbor for all
know The firing from the mouth of a cave had
r7,-io,,s sound results. A loud crack was fol
lowed nv a dull muffed roar. as If noise were
,-r,-a-harsted from cliff 70 cliff. the cracks over
taking each other in their haste, and roar merE-
ing into 4 solemn boom that lasted long AFTER
The cracks had ceased TO repeat one another
David Fraser in The Fortnightly Review.