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60. I had in the first instance to go into the town of Hillah, 
where a respectable Hebrew merchant of Baghdad lent me his 
house to reside in during my sojourn there, in order that I 
might transact my business with the governor of the district 
w r ith greater facility, especially as it is very central for a person 
who wishes to explore in different parts of Babylon. The 
governor was of Koordish extraction, and belonged to the old 
school of pashas. He had just had imported into his harem, 
from Constantinople, a Circassian slave-girl, to whom he was 
paying more attention than caring for state affairs ; at least, 
this was the Arab rumour in the place, but I myself did not 
care whether he thought more of his honeymoon enjoyment or 
his official duties as long as my affairs were attended to, as 
I was very anxious to begin work. I had to send no less than 
three times to his residence to inform him of the object of my 
mission, and my desire to commence operations at once, as I 
was pressed for time. Once his attendants refused to take a 
message in, on the excuse that he was asleep, though it was 
about mid-day ; then one day he pleaded indisposition, a very 
convenient excuse for a pasha to make when he does not wish 
to see a stranger ; and at last, most fortunately for him, it 
began to rain, which of course obliged him to remain at home 
for fear of catching cold ! But most luckily for me he was 
that day in good-humour, and told my agent, whom 1 had sent 
to communicate with him, that I might begin work as soon as 
I liked, and hoped that when I came in to Hillah again we 
should be able to meet and talk the matter over. 
61. As soon as I received his Excellency's messages I 
started forthwith for Querich, an Arab village situated within 
a few yards of the ruins of “ Imjaileeba," which is the site of 
the royal residence of the kings of Babylon, and I took my 
quarters in the chief's house. As soon as I had settled myself 
1 made it known all over the village that I wanted labourers 
to work for me in different parts of Babylon ; and as all had 
heard of my intention before I left Baghdad, and knew that I 
had been exploring in different parts of Assyria and Meso- 
potamia, and had dug in their ruins before, while I was with 
Sir Henry Layard, my application was immediately responded 
to. The only difficulty was the amount of wages they de- 
manded, which 1 refused to agree to, but we soon came to 
terms by splitting the difference; nevertheless, after two or 
three days, when we got acquainted with each other, my scale 
of wages was accepted, and I was able after that to employ as 
many men as I liked for one-third less than what is generally 
paid in the country. 
