34 THIRTY-FIVE YEARS IN THE EAST. 



Pasha Dohud was at this time waging war with the Afabs^ 

 between the Euphrates and the Tigris, and I was sent, at the 

 request of the minister, to Hilla, where I had the opportunity 

 of seeing the ruins of ancient Babylon. On the road, 

 betv/een Bagdad and the camp, I beheld a horrid spectacle^ 

 namely, a pyramid of some hundreds of the heads of Arab 

 rebels. I had only followed the expedition from Hilla to 

 SugeshucW ( Schuka-Shu ), when the Pasha ordered me, by 

 a Tartar express, to return to Bagdad. The same mes- 

 senger brought me a letter from my companion, from which 

 I learned that a princess of the Pasha's had been delivered of 

 a deformed child, where indeed no surgical assistance was 

 required, but he had seized the opportunity to send for me, 

 under the pretext of consulting me about the state of the 

 patient ; while his real motive was, to draw me out of my 

 disagreeable situation. I wrote to him, stating that in this 

 campaign we were feeding on sand rather than on bread, 

 which made such an impression on his feelings that he 

 caused me to be recalled. On my return, I had only the 

 Tartar and one servant with me. By the Pasha's orders, we 

 made forced marches, changed horses, crossed the Tigris, and 

 arrived one evening very late at a small town named 

 Mumilla, situated on the left bank of that river. There I met 

 with the inspector of the provisions for the army, who was 

 afflicted with an inflammation of the eyes, and requested my 

 medical assistance. I bled him, and prepared a collyrium 

 of acetate of lead, laud. liqu. Sydenh., camphor, and mucilage 

 of quinceseeds, which caused a burning pain at the com- 

 mencement, but effected in the meanwhile a visible ameliora- 

 tion. In his joy for the happy result, he ordered a sheep 

 to be killed as an offering ( kurban ), and accompanied the 

 feast with musicians and dancers, and he made me a present 

 of fifty piastres in small Para pieces. Fatigued as we were, 

 we wished rather to rest ourselves, than to be amused, and 

 accordingly dismissed the assembled people, a proceeding 

 which we thought excusable, and then continued our journey. 

 At our request, an Agoo ( guide) on horseback was ordered 

 to lead us through the desert. Accordingly, we started at 



