he hands of my sons.
{270}

CHAPTER XX. PERSIA.

JOURNEY OF THE CARAVAN TO RAVANDUS--ARRIVAL AT AND STAY IN RAVANDUS--
A KURDISH FAMILY--CONTINUATION OF THE JOURNEY--SAUH-BULAK--OROMIA--
AMERICAN MISSIONARIES--KUTSCHIE--THREE GENEROUS ROBBERS--PERSIAN
CHANS AND ENGLISH BUNGALOWS--ARRIVAL AT TEBRIS.

On the 8th of July the caravan guide called for me in the evening.
His appearance was so unfavourable that I should scarcely have
ventured to travel a mile with him had I not been assured that he
was a man well known in the place. His dress consisted of rags and
tatters, and his countenance resembled that of a robber. Ali, that
was his name, told me that the travellers and goods had already gone
on and were encamped in the chan near Nebbi-Yunus, where they were
to pass the night. The journey was to be commenced before sunrise.
I found three men and some pack-horses; the men (Kurds) were no
better in appearance than Ali, so that I could not promise myself
much gratification from their society. I took up my quarters for
the night in the dirty court-yard of the chan, but was too much
frightened to sleep well.

In the morning, to my astonishment, there were no indications of
starting. I asked Ali what was the cause of this, and received as
answer that the travellers were not all assembled yet, and that, as
soon as they were, we should proceed immediately. In the
expectation that this might soon happen, I dared not leave the
miserable shelter to return to Mosul, from which we were only a mile
distant. The whole day was spent in waiting; these people did not
come until evening. There were five of them: one, who appeared to
be a wealthy man, with his two servants, was returning from a
pilgrimage. We started at last about 10 o'clock at night. After
travelling for four hours we crossed several ranges of hills, which
form the boundaries of Mesopotamia and Kurdistan. We passed several
villages, and reached Secani on the morning of the 10th of July.
Ali did not halt at the village which lies on the pretty river
Kasir, but on the other side of the river near a couple of deserted,
half-ruined huts. I hastened directly into one of the best to make
sure of a good place, where the sun did not come through the sieve-
like roof, which I fortunately found but the pilgrim, who hobbled in
directly after me, was inclined to dispute its possession. I threw
my mantle down, and seating myself upon it, did not move from th