The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1910-03-07
BY FRED sIMPICH

lived, ages ago, in this same great
plain, between the Tigris and Eu-
pirates. 'Mesopotamia, 1t is called,
which means Between the Rivers. +"
From here the tribes went out. to
the North and West, and some across
5000 miles OF steppes to China, to
people the earth. And those who
moved away got ahead. These left
to hold the fort are keeping house
now just as they did SO long ago.
They are killing sheep outside, even
new, to make a sacrifice in support
of vow-just like the man in the
Bible did, when told a sheep would
do as well as his son.
Come with me, on camel, from
Bagdad to the Holy City of Kerbela,
and learn of these desert folk-know
caravan life as I have seen it, feel
its charms, its mystery, its primitive
joy. Perceive that here, and here
only, men live, love, fight and die
now as it was in the beginning. Ride
with the Persian pilgrims, and see
how free and untrammeled life Is on
the endless deserts of the East. Here
men regret naught that happened yes
terday, and worry not about tomor-
row. 'Inshallah," they say; "God
Willing" It's translated, but it mere
ly means whats the Use?" Last
night I showed them Halley's Comet.
Eyes" said the Sheik, II saw it a
moment ago; but it's Gods business
why should I bother?" Another
said it might mean bad omen for
the Sultan, or for the Benz Lam's-
a tribe to the south who make war
on all Persians, and on the Jebel
Shammars of the Euphrates country.
December %, 1909, broke hazily
over the gilded domes and porcelain
tiled minarets of ancient Bagdad. De-
vout Musselmen were praying on the
roofs of their f1at-topped houses as
our caravan made ready for the desert
trail. We were early astir, for it is
a long march to the Holy City of Ker-
bella, and the first wells are far from
Bagdad. We secured two camels of
the better type, one for myself and
! Co1p uncCnin tho Cd
Moslem guide On eight donkeys we
packed our tents, camp kit and goat
skins of muddy Tigris river water.
This Oriental idea of carrying water
in sack strikes the modern Yankee
mind a stiff blow. But wooden and
tin vessels are unknown; stone jugs
would break when an animal tumbles
and falls-and then, there is no evap-
Grafton from the tight goat skin. Yus-
uf, the cook, Hamid the camel driver,
and a sour-faced Arab muleteer made
up my party. The authorities had
promised an escort of six "Zaptiehs, -
or mounted gendarmes; but as they
had not shown up when starting time
came, we filed away without them
For, like Chicago policemen, Zaptiehs
are often mere matters Of adornment.
Besides, the guide carried a rifle and
my own Winchester was slung over
the high, rocking wooden saddle of
my trotting camel. On the desert,
as among nations armament makes
for peace
Filing slowly through the crowded,
picturesque bazaars of Bagdad, which
are aswarm with eager traders at
early daybreak, we passed through
the old ruined gate, builded ages ago
by the gallant Haroun Raschid, and
thus onto the broad limitless desert;
| for Bagjad, be it known, lies in the
heart of the wilderness and is saved
from dusty death only by the swift
running Tgris, which courses 900
miles across the great Arabian vast.
Over us a fierce, destroying sun
burned hard and strong, even in De-
cember; in front, and to right and
left, a heat-scorched horizon SHIN
mered and danced.
Into the Land of Dead Things.
Before me lay the land of camel's
| bones, of sun and sand, the home of
dead things. A tireless waste it is,
a fiat, empty and desolate land-a
country that was, but is not. The
words of the Prophet who said that
Babylon should pass away are come
true. For this very waste, ages ago,
was the fertile and populous kingdom
of the powerful monarch, Nebuchad-
nezzar Now here and there a sand
blown mound marks where temple
or palace stood. Even Belasco, the
wizard of scenery-making, must pause
here; not even a palm or crumbling
pyramid raises it's head to make the
picture look like a conventional des-
ert.
The silence of a thousand years
hung in the air.
| Not a bird, an insect, a tree or a
shrub-just sea of sand and silence.
The camel's padded feet were noise
| lace. Gu ocrfo moo tho SffllDocc that