Page:Thirty-five years in the East.djvu/71

Rh my companion had promised to send him still better remedies from Bagdad, by the man he should send with us. We then crossed the river, and having met my friend, we all embarked, together with the restored luggage, accompanied by a messenger from the sheikh, and left that place about three or four in the afternoon. On the same night we were again disturbed, a great noise on the shore rousing us frora our first slumber ; the owner stopped the boat, and on our asking the cause, he told us that a caravan was on its way to Bagdad. No news could be more agreeable to us ; elevated with joy, we jumped on shore, and found that they were carrying corn to Bagdad ; the caravan consisted of about forty asses, two of which we hired for our accommodation ; and then joined them. The messenger of the sheikh accompanied us on foot, the other three persons from Hit we sent back, rewarding them for their services. Although we felt extremely happy at having escaped from the Agelis, nevertheless, we were not completely at our ease, for we observed our drivers bending their bodies almost to the ground all the night long, listening, and looking first to the right, then to the left, in order to ascertain whether the steps of the pursuing robbers were on their heels ; and this they continued doing till dawn. About that time they stopped, and proceeded to unload their beasts, and we then lay down on the hard ground to enjoy a couple of hours' rest.

At sunrise we were aroused to resume our journey, and when we opened our eyes and looked about, we observed some ancient ruins on an elevated site, which they called Boorj-Nimroud. At a greater distance we saw the golden cupolas and minarets of Kerbela, the holy tombs which the Shias ( Persians ) had consecrated to their martyrs, the Imams Hassan and Hussain, which are situated on the right bank of the Tigris, above Bagdad. At noon, our procession entered that famous city, where we met with a kind reception, in the house of Mr. Swoboda. The French consul, who was a bishop, presented us to the Pasha, and as our reputation had already reached the ears of the inhabitants.