ailway
Company, 10%. In 1904 the line was completed from Konia through Eregli to
Bulgurli. In 1908 an irade sanctioned the extension across the Taurus to
Adana, and so to Helif near Mardin (522 m.).

The population of Bagdad is estimated variously from 70,000 to 200,000;
perhaps halfway between may represent approximately the reality. More than
two-thirds of the population are Moslems, mostly Shi'as, with the exception
of the official classes. There are about 34,000 Jews occupying a quarter of
their own in the north-western part of the city; while in a neighbouring
quarter dwell upwards of 6000 Christians, chiefly so-called Chaldaeans or
Nestorians. The Carmelites maintain a mission in Bagdad, as does also the
(English) Church Missionary Society. The Jews are the only part of the
population who are provided with schools. A school for boys was established
by the _Alliance Israelite_ in 1865, and one for girls in 1899. Besides
these, there is also an apprentice school for industrial training.

The Jews constitute the wealthiest and most intelligent portion of the
population. A large part of the foreign trade is in their hands, and at the
season of the sheep-shearing their agents and representatives are found
everywhere among the Bedouins and _Madan_ Arabs of the interior, purchasing
the wool and selling various commodities in return. They are the bankers of
the country, and it is through their communications that the traveller is
able to obtain credit. They are also the dealers in antiquities, both
genuine and fraudulent. Next to them in enterprise and prosperity are the
Persians. The porters of the town are all Kurds, the river-men Chaldaean
Christians. Every nation retains its peculiar dress. The characteristic,
but by no means attractive, street dress of the Moslem women of the better
class comprises a black horse-hair visor completely covering the face and
projecting like an enormous beak, the nether extremities being encased in
yellow boots reaching to the knee and fully displayed by the method of
draping the garments in front.

Bagdad is governed by a pasha, assisted by a council. The pasha and the
higher officials in general come from Constantinople, but a very large
portion of the other Turkish officials seem to come from the town of
Kerkuk. They constitute a class quite distinct from the native Arab
population, and they and the Turkish government in general are intensely
unpopular among the Arabs, an unpopularit