84 



destination, and the cargo is disposed of, all the 

 materials are sold, except the skins, which, being 

 previously exhausted of air, are laid on the backs 

 of camels, and return to Mosoul with their 

 masters. 



" But the kelek is not the only vessel on these 

 rivers, which may be traced to antiquity. The 

 kufa, so named from an Arabic word that means 

 basket, is still used there as a ferry-boat. Its 

 fabric is of close willow work, and a good coat 

 of bitumen completely secures it from sinking. 

 Perfectly circular, it resembles a large bowl on 

 the surface of the stream ; it holds about three 

 or four persons, though not very agreeably ; and 

 is paddled across with ease. 



" Herodotus," my uncle added, " exactly 

 describes these boats ; he notices their circular 

 form, the three oars, and their construction of 

 willows and skins, and he mentions, that on their 

 arrival in Babylon, the owners sold all the ma- 

 terials, except the skins, which were returned to 

 Armenia by land. And it is a very curious 

 testimony to the truth of that historian, that 

 after the lapse of twenty -two centuries, we find 

 the same customs and the same implements that 

 he described, still in use." 



" But is it not more extraordinary, uncle," 

 said I, " that the people of those countries have 

 not adopted boats like ours, which would convey 



