TIIIRTY-FIVE YEARS IN THE FAST. 31 



my companion had promised to send him still better remedies 

 from Bagdad, by the man he should send with us. We 

 then crossed the river, and having met my friend, we all 

 embarked, together with the restored luggage, accompanied 

 by a messenger from the sheikh, and left that place about 

 three or four in the afternoon. On the same night we were 

 again disturbed, a great noise on the shore rousing us frora 

 our first slumber ; the owner stopped the boat, and on our 

 asking the cause, he told us that a caravan was on its 

 way to Bagdad. No news could be more agreeable to us ; 

 elevated with joy, we jumped on shore, and found that they 

 were carrying corn to Bagdad ; the caravan consisted of 

 about forty asses, two of which we hired for our accommoda- 

 tion ; and then joined them. The messenger of the sheikh 

 accompanied us on foot, the other three persons from Hit 

 we sent back, rewarding them for their services. Although 

 we felt extremely happy at having escaped from the 

 Agelis, nevertheless, we were not completely at our ease, 

 for we observed our drivers bending their bodies almost to 

 the ground all the night long, listening, and looking first 

 to the right, then to the left, in order to ascertain whether 

 the steps of the pursuing robbers were on their heels ; and 

 this they continued doing till dawn. About that time 

 they stopped, and proceeded to unload their beasts, and 

 we then lay down on the hard ground to enjoy a couple 

 of hours' rest. 



At sunrise we were aroused to resume our journey, and 

 when we opened our eyes and looked about, we observed 

 some ancient ruins on an elevated site, which they called 

 Boorj-Nimroud. At a greater distance we saw the golden 

 cupolas and minarets of Kerbela, the holy tombs which the 

 Shias ( Persians ) had consecrated to their martyrs, the 

 Imams Hassan and Hussain, which are situated on the right 

 bank of the Tigris, above Bagdad. At noon, our proces- 

 sion entered that famous city, where we met with a kind 

 reception, in the house of Mr. Swoboda. The French con- 

 sul, who was a bishop, presented us to the Pasha, and as our 

 reputation had already reached the ears of th^ inhabitants^. 



