TURKISH ORDER AND JUSTICE. 55 



tery of artillery, and two regiments of infantry are 

 quartered. 



Tales of Turkish order and justice are, of course, as 

 plentiful here as they are in any other part of Turkey. 

 A company of soldiers had in one town not so very far 

 off stormed and captured the telegraph - office, and 

 having put themselves into communication with the 

 capital, declared their intention of monopolising the 

 wires until some portion at least of their arrears of pay 

 had been made good. In another direction I heard 

 at first hand of a case of a man who had been dead 

 for upwards of ten years having to pay the military 

 exemption tax ! But perhaps the most comic example 

 of Turkish administration which came under my notice 

 was a little contretemps in connection with the mail- 

 bags. Some apprehension was being felt lest the plague, 

 which was prevalent at Damascus, should spread to 

 Aleppo. Strict quarantine regulations were conse- 

 quently enforced against that city, among others a 

 decree going forth that all mail-bags were to be fumi- 

 gated. Fumigation was carried on with great zest, 

 and it was probably with far greater disgust than 

 surprise that the European community, while patiently 

 awaiting the delivery of their letters, learnt that the 

 fumigation had gone further than was intended, and 

 that the whole of their mail had been consumed ! 



From Aleppo to Mossul the traveller has a choice of 

 routes. Perhaps the best known and least exposed to 

 Arab raids is the road by Diarbekr and Mardin, which 

 is said to be much patronised by caravans for the latter 

 reason. This is the northern route. Another route, 

 making a detour to the south, but shorter than that by 

 Diarbekr, runs straight to the Euphrates at Meskineh, 

 whence it follows the right bank of the river to Deir-el- 

 Zor. Crossing the river here by ferry, the track 



