Evening star., 1925-10-18
and dates back to earlier than 100
BIC.


BIC.
In Bagdad can still be traced a few
relics OF the days Of Haround.alRas
child, who was Caliph at the zenith o
| its prosperity. but the Arab make
little effort to preserve them. Thu
| Palace of the Great Haroun is nov
part of the Bazaar. and to the cas-
and south some Of the fortified gate:
and battlements can still be seen.
! The greatest interest. however. ].
the Bazaar, where Arab and kurd
Briton and Parsee. Afghan and Mon
| gol, American and Pathan, all ruf
| shoulders and do business under con
| ditions that have not changed since
| the time of Christ. The water-sellei
carries his goatskin and rattles his
brass cups to attract the attention OF
! the thirsty.
The barber walks around with a
small piece of carpet and a satchel of
instruments, and when he finds a Gus
toner they both squat against the
nearest wall. while he shaves or cute
the hair of his client. The wood
turner sits and works on a crude
lathe, using his toes TO propel ii. The
money y-changer sits in a hole in the
wall with bowls of coin which he
rattles. while calling his prices.
1t is the true East, and at the
Of civilization has had a check In
Bagdad. my old Arab servant Hus.
sein Joined me. and many British
sport lovers will remember him as the
Arab boxer who. in 1919. gave many
of our good lightweights rough time.
w leave Ia agdad. we had no feeling
nf fhnnchf nf cool
and bracing climate that exists in the
mountains and plateaus of Persia
tempted us.
On the morning of our departure ii
was 10 degrees in the shade. and we
left the city in the face of the shimai
or date-ripening wind which was like
the blast from furnace door, and
which covered us with a fine cake OF
dust until our faces were like masks
sore.
But what "A run we had, Try for a
minute to imagine road absolutely
fiat and as wide and long as the eve
can carry. Such was the going on
the desert between Bagdad and the
town Bakuba on the Diala River.
There was not bump or snag Of any
kind, and your speed need only be
limited by the amount of respect you
have for your engine.
1t is very thrilling sensati going
all out over hard alluvial desert, and
you get the peculiar feeling that you
will presently come to the edge and
60 over 1t. There was particularly
fine mirage that morning. and as we
approached the palm groves that
fringe the river the distortion was
extraordinary. They appeared as
beautiful islands, in a smooth blue
sea, which kept receding as we ap-
preached ii.
We were nearly 500 feet above the
sea level here, and although the days
were trying. the nights were cool
enough to wake us shivering after
midnight. We were now in view Of
the mountains of Persia, and to see
the sun rise over them in the distance
was beautiful sight. and almost be-
fore it was up we were on our way to
the frontier, seven miles away. In
spector Mira Ali of the police had
been advised of our coming and ac-
companied us to the Persian border, ii
mile farther on.
The next 20 miles to Kash-i-shirin
was about the most dangerous road We
struck on the whole of our journey,
and happenings of late have likened it
to the northwest frontier of India. 1t
is no mans land, and Is alternately
raided by Arab. Persian and kurd,
who, after raiding. fight each other for
the spoils. Only the week previous to
our passing there had been four raids.
A fortnight before a car driven by
an Arab and with five passengers was
held up by the most notorious of these
bandits-a kurd of the name OF Khan
FAITH Beg. The driver. who was the
only armed man, tried to make fight
Of IL, and, using his revolver. hit Khan
FAITH Beg above the eyes, whereupon
the rest of the band killed and mutt
lated the whole party.
If unopposed, they do not kill, but
strip the unfortunate traveller of
everything he possesses. including
every stitch Of clothing, and leave him
in the burning sun, which to Euro
pean, however, means certain death.
Both the Iraa inspector and the COM
mander of the Persian post insisted on
escorting us through the troubled land
70 safety. With revolvers on our
knees, 1 made up my mind that if
speed would help us not to use them.
We, as peace lovers. would make every
effort TO ginger up Felix.
WE arrived at the city Of Kerma n
w shah before sunset, in time to
meet the sad procession of cars bring
ing the body Of Maj. lmbrie the mur-
dered American Consul GeneraD to the
rail head at kha nikin, en- route to
America. The cortege was accom-
panied by a number of senior Persian
officers and the whole garrison of the
city turned out to pay tribute to the
dead.
Kermanshah. known as the city of
seven gates, is fiourishing town of
10000 inhabitants, on the river kerk-
hah, and IL the center OF the converg-
ing trade routes from Bagdad, Tehe-
ran and Ispahan. Nearby is Taxi
bustan, noted for some wonderful rock
carvings made by the Emperor Darius
to commemorate some Of his victories.
and is also the reputed tomb of
Croesus.
In England most people imagine
Persia to be a barren desert. Such
thought is a fallacy, and it was a glori-
Gus country that we were now trav-
ersing, with green mountains. clear
streams and fertile plains stetching as
far as the eye could see. When Persia
throws off the cloak of prejudice to
Western ideas and puts her house In
order the possibilities Of the land are
limitless.