Page:The Nestorians and their rituals, volume 1.djvu/91

Rh ruins), and a monastery, situated about three miles to the north of the town. The villagers here seemed in good temporal circumstances, and talked mightily of their successes against the Coords; one, pointing to his dagger, said that he had killed twenty Mussulmans with that weapon. Like those at Killeth, the Syrians at Midyât prided themselves in being Jacobites, whilst very few of them can read, and not a single school exists among them. A bishop, who is said to be ninety years of age, and who had once taken to himself the patriarchate, had left an adjoining village some weeks before for Diarbekir, whither he had gone in his old age to join the Papal Syrian community under Mutran Antoon. This secession did not seem to affect them in the least. "We can get another," said they with the greatest indifference, "or, what will be better, you yourself can come and reside amongst us." This was added more out of compliment than from any apparent desire for a better state of things. "With regard to religion they seemed to believe that they were "full and in need of nothing," whilst their gross ignorance of the general doctrines of Christianity, rather declared them to be "poor" indeed.

The dress of the Christians in these districts is like that of the Coords, consisting of wide woollen shalwar, or trowsers, a coloured vest of the same material, bound round the waist with a girdle in which the dagger is worn, a long black and white jacket, a pointed felt cap, and a large dark muslin turban covered with spots of red. The female attire comprises a pair of shalwar, and a red robe somewhat resembling a surplice, the long sleeves of which are generally tied together and thrown behind the shoulders. This is secured to the waist by a narrow girdle with two large ornamental silver clasps. The head-dress is peculiar to these parts, and in form is not unlike an archer's helmet, made of a pointed cap, and covered with large pieces of silver money, laid on like scales, over which, when the wearer leaves the house, a light veil is thrown.

There is a small castle at Midyât, in the ruins of which the Mutsellim and a few irregular troops find shelter; the houses of the town, though built of stone, are little better than hovels, and extremely dirty. There is no spring near, but water is collected in cisterns during the winter, which sometimes falls