2S TIIIRTY-FIVE YEARS IN THE EAST. 



In the course of a week the Agha was perfectly cured 

 upon which we requested him to despatch us without 

 any further delay to Bagdad, according to his promise. He 

 replied, that his gratitude towards us for the important 

 services we had rendered him, would not allow him to ex- 

 pose our lives to his enemies the Agelis, who had by this 

 time pitched their camp on the banks of the river, and he 

 advised us to wait'for a caravan, and join it when passing. 

 But we so urged upon him the necessity of our departure, 

 that he despatched us in a boat, in which we descended the 

 river. We were escorted only by one soldier, so that with 

 the owner of the boat, and his man, our party consisted of 

 five persons. 



On the evening of our departure, we got wet through by a 

 violent shower of rain ; and owing to that, and the fear of be- 

 ing attacked by the Arabs, who were supposed to be on the 

 banks of the river, we could not sleep. That night and the 

 ensuing day, which by the bye was a delightful one, we 

 passed down the river through lonely and desert regions, 

 where not a man was to be seen ; nor, indeed, had we any 

 great wish to see anyone. But on the following evening, 

 when it had become quite dark, we were aroused from our 

 slumbers by hearing from the right bank, where the Agelis 

 ( as we were told ) had their camp, an imperious voice, 

 crying " jedem ! jedem !" ( come on, come on.) Here they 

 are, thought we, and to prevent their firing on us, we obeyed 

 the call, and approached the shore. We could perceive 

 none of them till we came to land, where we met eight naked 

 fellows armed with sticks, whose first business was to moor 

 our boat, jump in, and plunder our luggage. Whilst this gang 

 of robbers were busy plundering the bow of our boat, and 

 searching the pockets of my companion, the servant of the 

 owner of the boat, who was sitting on the poop, whispered 

 me in a low voice, " I am a native of Ouoise ( a village be- 

 fore mentioned, near Hit ), and have nothing to fear from 

 the Agelis, I may save your purse, if you trust it to me." 

 I did so ; but a small bunch of keys, belonging to the 

 luggage, which we had sent by the caravan, being attached 



