The Thrones and Palaces of Babylon and Nineveh, etc

Front matter

THE GARDEN OF EDEN. THE THRONES AND PALACES OF BABYLON' AND NINEVEH FROM SEA TO SEA A THOUSAND MILES ON HORSEBACK " Look ye ! master traveller, unless ye note something worth the seeing, and come home wiser than ye went, I would not give a stag's horn for all your travels." Oki Play. By JOHN P. NEWMAN D.D MEMBER OF THE LONDON SOCIETY OF BIBLICAL ARCHÆOLOGY NEW Y O R K HARPER & BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS franklin square 1S76 Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1875, by Harper & Brothers, In the Office of the Librariaji_0Xrongress, nt Washington. Unsctiption. TO HER WHO WAS THE CHOICE OF MY YOUTH, WHO IS THE JOY OF MY MANHOOD, WHO ACCOMPANIED ME IN MY TOUR AROUND THE WORLD, WHOSE LOVE OF THE BEAUTIFUL, APPRECIATION OF THE ANTIQUE, AND ENTHUSIASM IN EXPLO- RATION WERE TO ME A PERPETUAL INSPIRATION, THIS VOLUME IS AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED. JOHN P. NEWMAN. Washington, D. C, October 5, 1875. CONTENTS.

Chapter I

Up the Persian Gulf. — Brilliant Anticipations. — Memorable Historic Lands. — Preparations for the Journey. — Our Party. — Steamer Burmah. — English Travelers. — Pilgrims to the Shrine of Dwaka. — Kurrachee. — Its History and Commerce. — Civilizations Compared. — Worshiping Alligators. — Oriental Gamblers. — Looking for a Harbor. — Guadur. — Appearance and History of Muscat. — Its King and his Kingdom. — Delicious Dates. — Ornamented Women. — Reign and Forts of the Portuguese. — Terrible Massacre. — Sunset at Sea. — Arabian and Persian Mountains. — Persian Gulf Described. — Bunder Abbas. — Portuguese and Ormuz. — Fire -worshipers. — Islands in the Persian Gulf. — Kishm and Larrack. — Lingah. — Pearl-divers of Bahrein. — Pearl-fisheries. — Costly Pearls. — A Sea of Blood. — Bushire. — Tragic Scenes. — England's Lion Share. — Ancient and Modern Persia. — Brilliant Phosphorescent Display. — Slowness of the Orientals. — Dreadful Storm. — Farewell to the Persian Gulf. — Great Shaat-el-Arab. — Beautiful River Scenery. — Sheikh of Mahomerah. — First Stage of our Journey Ended. — Commerce of Busrah. — Enchanting Rivulet. — Busrah. — Home of Sindbad the Sailor. — Ancient Ruins. — Garden of Eden Page 17

Chapter II

Historic Lands. — Anticipations and Emotions. — Steamer City of London. — The Three Great Rivers. — Confluence of the Tigris and of the Euphrates. —Steaming up the Shaat-el-Arab. — The Floods Prevail.— Shepherds and their Flocks. — The Garden of Eden. — Its Appearance. — Inhabitants and History. — Sail up the Tigris. — Wild Boars of the Forest. — Daring and Successful Lion-hunt. — Tomb ofthe Prophet Ezra. — Scenes on the Banks of the Tigris. — Grand Mountains. — Arab Villages. — Ruins of Ancient Seleucia and Ctesiphon. — First View of Bagdad. — Guests of Captain Holland. — Wonders of Bagdad. — The People, Bazaars, Mosques, Churches. Tombs, Baths, Jews, and Christians of the City of " The Thousand and One Nights." — Turkish Railroads. — Commerce with the United States. — American Petroleum the Light of the World CONTENTS.

Chapter III

Five Days among the Ruins of Ancient Babylon.— Preparations for the Journey.— Early Start— Bridge of Boats.— Crowd of People.— Celebrated Tombs.— Raising Water.— Luncheon by the Way-side.— First View of tho Ancient Ruins.— The Pilgrim's Khan.— First Night among the Ruins — Again in the Saddle.— Ancient Walls.— Arab Villages.— Telegraph Poles. —The Old Canals.— Remains of Belshazzar's Palace.— The Famous Hanging Gardens.— Daniel's Lion's Den.— Harps on the Willows.— Rivers of Babylon.— The Euphrates.— Immense Palm-groves.— Bridge of Boats.— Modern Hillah.— Our Khan.— American Petroleum.— Telegraph Station. —Call upon the Pasha.— Playing with a Lion.— Sail on the Euphrates. — A Night in Hillah.— Start for the Tower of Babel.— Dangers in the Way. —Wonderful Ruins.— Ascend the Tower of Babel.— The Fiery Furnace.— The Glory of Babylon.— Progress of its Decline.— Prophecy Fulfilled.— The Warriors ofthe Desert.— Return to Bagdad Page 122

Chapter IV

Sail on the Tigris. — Perilous Situation. — Shrines of Kathimain. — Modes of Traveling. — Making a Bargain. — Departure from Bagdad. — First Night's Experience. — Half-way House. — Delli Abbass. — Adam's Fleas. — Den of Robbers. — Hills of Hamreen. — Beautiful Flowers. — Karateppeh. — Storks, and their Habits. — Jebarah Portrayed. — War of Words. — Walking Qualities of the Arab. — Town of Kifri. — Turkish Soldiers. — Day °f Rest. — Storm on the Desert. — Crossing the Dreaded Dooz. — Dooz Khurmuttee. — Changeless East. — Conscripts. — Dandy Officer. — Village of Tavok. — Singing Dervish. — Robbers. — American Songs. — City of Kerkook. — Traveling with the Pasha's Wives. — Excitement in the Hills. — Altoon Kupri. — Remarkable Bridge. — Ancient Arbela.-^Battle between Darius and Alexander the Great. — Greater Zab. — A Night with the Shepherds. — Habits and Customs of the Bedouins. — Eleventh Day Out. — Domes of Mosul, and Gates of Nineveh. — Crossing the River. — Mine Host. — Mr. Rassam. — Splendid Residence. — City of Mosul. — Mosques, Churches, and Bazaars. — Easter-Sunday. — Elegant Ladies 185

Chapter V

Among the Ruins of Ancient Nineveh. — Historical and Scriptural Allusions. — Nimrod, the Mighty Hunter. — Asshur and his Colony. — Extent and Duration of the Assyrian Empire. — Extent and Glory of Nineveh. — Its Walls, Gates, and Palaces.— Identity of its Ruins. — Jonah's Visit to Nineveh. — His Mission and his Tomb. — Sail down the Euphrates. — Beautiful Scenery. — Selamiyah. — Donkey-ride. — Birthplace of Saladin. — Great Image of Nebuchadnezzar.— Exploring the Ruins. — Tower of Nimroud. — Ancient CONTENTS. 13 Temples.— Wonderful Sculptures.— Palace of Asshurizir-pal— Splendid Remains. — Palaces of Shalmaneser II., and of Tiglath-pileser II. — The Marble Obelisk.— Palace of Esar-haddon. — God Nebo. — Horrid Night with the Arabs.— Return to Mosul.— Grand Palace of Sennacherib, and its Magnificent Sculpture.— Annals aud Will of Sennacherib.— Palace of Sardanapalus, and its Splendid Bass - reliefs.— Assyrian Wars.— Fall of Nineveh.— The Last Battle.— Prophecy Fulfilled Page 253

Chapter VI

Discovery of the Royal Library of Asshur-bam-pal. — Rawlinson on the Nature and Style of Assyrian Writing.— Eminent Cuneiform Scholars. — Layard's History of the Process of Deciphering the Cuneiform Characters. — Triumphant Success. — Specimens of the Translated Tablets. — Promissory Note.— Bill for the Sale of Slaves.— Deed of Conveyance.— Religious Views of the Assyrians. — Forms of Prayer.— Death of a Righteous Man.— Harmony between the Bible and the Assyrian Records.— Daniel in the Lion's Den, and his Companions in the Fiery Furnace. — Modes of Punishment. — Chaldean Account of the Creation and of the Deluge by Berosus.— Original Account of the Flood by the Assyrians, Discovered by Mr. Smith, and his more recent Translation ofthe Same.— Copy of the Record. — Its Agreement and Disagreement with the Bible. — Probable Future Discoveries, and their Bearing on Biblical Interpretation. — What the United States should do in the Work of Exploration 321

Chapter VII

Christianity in the East. — Origin of the Nestorians. — Their Great Learning. — Their Vast Missions. — Letter from Mr. Hormuzd Rassam on the Eastern Churches. — Syrian Jacobites. — Syrian Catholics. — Chaldean Nestorians. — Their Chaldean Origin. — Opinions of Ancient and Modern Authors. — Language of the Chaldeans. — History arid Creed of the Nestorians. — Their Present and Their Future 362

Chapter VIII

Departure from Mosul. — Horseback Ride of Six Hundred Miles. — Last View of Nineveh. — First Day's Ride. — A Night with the Devil-worshipers. — Hills of Kurdistan. — The Kurds. — Stuck in the Mud. — Senophon's Retreat. — Sabbath of Feshapoor. — Crossing the Tigris. — Traveling in Mesopotamia. — Girls of Uznaoor. — Beautiful Scenery. — Nisibeen and the Nestorians. — Roman Ruins at Dara. — The True Ararat. — Heights of Mardeen. — American Mission. — Jacobite Christians. — Missionary Meeting. — Dance of the Devil-worshipers. — Attacked by Robbers. — Great Caravan. —No Water. — Beautiful Orfah. — Abraham's Fishes and Birthplace. — Ur CONTENTS. of the Chaldees. — Armenian Christians and their Creed. — A Letter to Christ. — American Church. — Roman Roads and Reservoirs. — Milking Sheep. — Picturesque Town of Birijik. — Crossing the Euphrates. — Travel ing in Syria. — American Petroleum. — Three Hundred Camels, and their Habits. — Aleppo and its People. — A Funeral. — Commerce. — American Mission. — A Beautiful Lady. — Charming Scenery. — The Flood. — Roman Roads.— Wild Pass of Beylan. — First View ofthe Sea. — End of the Journey Page ILLUSTP.ATIONS.

Page the garden op eden Frontispiece. MAP OP ROUTE PROM BOMBAY TO THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA To face 17 IDOL TEMPLE AT DWAKA 22 FEEDING THE SACRED CROCODILES 28 CITY OP MUSCAT 33 THE PEARL-FISHER 46 WILD BOAR OP THE TIGRIS 73 A LION HUNT 76 TOMB OP EZRA 79 ANCIENT CTESIPHON 90 CAPTAIN HOLLAND'S HOUSE 97 MARKET-PLACE OF BAGDAD 105 NATIVE CHRISTIAN WOMEN 115 THE KHAN 126 ANCIENT BABYLONIAN CANALS 132 belshazzar's palace 135 HANGING GARDENS 139 Daniel's lions' den 142 THE CHARM-BOWL 143 TOMB OF EZEKIEL 150 TOWER OP BABEL 153 BRICK FROM THE TOWER OF BABEL 154 PLAN OF ANCIENT BABYLON 163 FIGHTING PILGRIMS 181 BRIDGE OF BOATS AT BAGDAD 187 TOMBS OF KATHIMAIN 190 TOMB OP ZOBEIDA 191 A KHAJAWAH 196 INTERIOR OF A KHAN 201 TOWN OP KIFRI 210 RAFT ON THE TIGRIS 233 SHEPHERD'S TENT 235 ARAB MAN AND WOMAN ILLUSTRATIONS.

Page CITY OF MOSUL 241 LANDING AT MOSUL, 244 INTERIOR OF A HOUSE AT MOSUL 245 JOSEPH ADO 250 ENTRANCE TO A TEMPLE 266 TUNNEL IN THE TOWER OF NIMROUD 267 ENTRANCE TO A TEMPLE 269 STATUE OP A KING 271 ENTRANCE TO THE GREAT HALL OF THE NORTH-WEST PALACE 273 EXCAVATIONS 275 TIGLATH-PILESER IN HIS CHARIOT 279 THE GOD NEBO 283 THE MOUNDS OF KUYUNJIK 287 A WINGED BULL 290 TOMB OF THE PROPHET JONAH, AND THE RIVER KHAUSSER 292 PALACE OF SENNACHERIB RESTORED 294 BASS-RELIEFS 296 SCULPTURES IN RELIEF 298 REMOVAL OF A COLOSSAL LION 301 SENNACHERIB ON HIS THRONE 304 PLACING A HCMAN-nEADED BULL IN POSITION 305 INSCRIBED TABLETS 308 INSCRIPTIONS ON THE WINGED BULLS 309 JEWISH CAPTIVES 313 TORTURING THE CAPTIVES 316 SPECIMEN OF A CUNEIFORM INSCRIPTION 329 THE DELUGE TABLETS 349 CHAMBER WHERE THE TABLETS TO^JffgCKfND 351 HORMUZD RASSAM /?&.. »...,. !*?\ 366 A TUKHTERAVAN !..

S.. JY..7.fl..l 303 VALLEY OF SIIEIKII ADI \4, -A*A 398 CHIEF OF THE DEVIL-WOnSHIPERS^^^rrrT. 400 DANCE OP THE DEVIL-WORSHIPERS 401 HIGH-PRIEST OP TnE DEVIL-WORSHIPERS 403 YEZIDI WOMEN, i 404 KURDISH WOMEN 405 CHRISTIAN GIRLS OP UZNAOOR 414 GREEK AND ROMAN REMAINS AT NISIBEEN 417 CITY OF MARDEEN 42J CITY OF ORFAH 439 .ABRAHAM'S MOSQUE AND POOL 433 TOWN OF BIRIJIK 439 THE DROMEDARY 440 ARAB CAMELS 447 HALT OF A CARAVAN "\IAP OF ROUTE from BOMBAY to Tire MEDITERRANEAN SEA Col*. ns-mila. THRONES AND PALACES l IF BABYLON AND NINEVEH.

Chapter I

Up the Persian Gulf. — Brilliant Anticipations. — Memorable Historic Lands. — Preparations for the Journey. — Our Party. — Steamer Burmah. — English Travelers. — Pilgrims to the Shrine of Dwaka. — Kurrachee. — Its History and Commerce. — Civilizations Compared. — Worshiping Alligators. — Oriental Gamblers. — Looking for a Harbor. — Guadur. — Appearance and History of Muscat. — Its King and his Kingdom. — Delicious Dates. — Ornamented Women. — Reign and Forts of the Portuguese. — Terrible Massacre. — Sunset at Sea. — Arabian and Persian Mountains. — Persian Gulf described. — Bunder Abbas. — Portuguese and Ormuz. — Fire-worshipers. — Islands in the Persian Gulf. — Kishm and Larrack. — Lingah. — Pearl-divers of Bahrein. — Pearl-fisheries. — Costly Pearls. — A Sea of Blood. — Bushire. — Tragic Scenes. — England's Lion Share. — Ancient and Modern Persia. — Brilliant Phosphorescent Display. — Slowness of the Orientals. — Dreadful Storm. — Farewell to the Persian Gulf. — Great Shaat-el-Arab. — Beautiful River Scenery. — Sheikh of Mahomerah. — First Stage of our Journey Ended. — Commerce of Busrah. — Enchanting Rivulet. — Busrah. — Home of Sindbad the Sailor. — Ancient Ruins. — Garden of Eden.

The lights along the lengthened bund* burned dimly as we steamed out of the spacious harbor of Bombay. The evening star shone over the Caves of Elephanta. The elegant villas and woodland slopes of Malabar Hill were on our right when we made our exit to the sea. We were en route to the most ancient and renowned * Wharf in India. lands known to history, whose monumental ruins be speak a civilization earlier than that of Greece and Rome, and whose exhumed annals contain the record of events coeval with our race. The dreams of other years were soon to be realized, and long-maturing plans were at the point of consummation. Guided by the studies of former days, the imagination dwelt with delight upon the pleasures that awaited us. We were to enjoy the delicious excitement of "Moonlight over Oman's sea;" scent afar the spicy breezes of "Araby the blest;" linger in the date-groves of Muscat ; gather pearls from the shores of Bahrein ; behold " Kishm's fair isle ;" roam through the Garden of Eden ; sail up the Tigris and the Euphrates ; stand on the Tower of Babel, and explore the ruins of ancient Babylon ; stroll through the bazaars of Bagdad, the city of " The Thousand and One Nights ;" examine the remains of Nineveh, and wander through the palace of Sennacherib ; traverse the whole length of Mesopota mia, where Job lived, where Abraham was born, where Jacob wooed his beautiful Rachel ; pass over the battle fields of Cyrus, of Alexander, and Trajan ; follow the " Re treat of Xenophon and the Ten Thousand ;" visit Nisibis of the Nestorians, Mount Masius of the Romans, and An tioch, where " the disciples were first called Christians."

Such was the fascinating vision that floated before our imagination, and allured us by its entrancing hopes. It was not easy, however, to obtain accurate and reliable information necessary to make the tour. The route is not frequented by ordinary travelers, and only a few have made the journey for research and exploration. Nine-tenths of the persons of whom we made inquiries discouraged the attempt. We were told that terrific BABYLON AND NINEVEH. 19 storms frequent the Persian Gulf; that robbers infest those countries ; that competent guides could not be obtained ; that there were no places of entertainment for the accommodation ofthe traveler; that numberless streams, swollen by the melted snows from the Hamreen and Taurus Mountains, would prove impassable ; and that a journey of a thousand miles on horseback must be per formed.

Stories were related of personal hardship, of robberies and murders, and confirmed by Buckingham, by Ainsworth, by Layard. But occasionally we had met some brave, hopeful, intelligent person, whose encour aging words were an inspiration. And, fortunately, we were favored with letters of commendation from the high officials of British India to the English consul at Bushire, at Busrah, and at Bagdad. Happily our party was small. If great hardships were to be endured, there were but few to suffer. If lives were to be sacrificed, there were only three to die. One of our companions was a lady whom we had known for eighteen beautiful years, and could rely upon her cour age in danger, her endurance in fatigue, her enthusiasm in exploration. The other compagnon de voyage was a gentleman who had seen the beauty of sixty summers, who was quiet, intelligent, and brave.* Our steamer was the Burmah, of the British India Steamship Navigation Company, and was bound for Busrah, on the Shaat-el-Arab, the end of the first stage of our journey.

Of a thousand tons, the Burmah proved an admirablesteamer. Her saloon was large, tastefully ornamented, and furnished with mirrors, sofas, and a library. The state-rooms were not inferior in size and convenience to those on the Atlantic and Pacific steamers. * Mr. C. B. Collins, of New York. The bill of fare was good, the attendance excellent, and the officers were competent and gentlemanly. Our captain was a thorough seaman, and a thorough English man. He was a sailor among his crew, a gentleman among his passengers. His vigilance knew no cessa tion ; and although the first officer was one of the most efficient seamen I have ever met, yet the captain re mained on deck from sunset to sunrise. In conversation he was genial and entertaining. He was familiar with the ancient and modern history of the Persian Gulf, and seemed happiest when reciting some legend of the sea.

Although small of stature, he was every whit a man. Gifted with a merry laugh, he drove dull care away. Born to command, his stentorian voice rose above the storm. He had the habit of omitting the h where he should have put it, and of* putting it where it did not belong. One day when sailing along the Persian coast, I inquired : " Captain, what peaks are those ?" " Those hare the Hass's Hears, sir," was his aspirated response. On board the Burmah, was an English party bound for Bagdad, and consisted of the Hon. E. H. Ellis, his mother, Lady Howard de Walden, and his sister, the Hon. Miss Ellis. He was a young gentleman of fortune, and traveled for pleasure. His previous voyage over the same route had made him familiar with every island, peak, and river, and his genial manners rendered him a delightful companion.

He was an amateur photogra pher, and his proficiency in the art is best evinced by some of the pictures that illustrate this volume. His mother and sister kept a pictorial journal of their tour, and sketched in colors each town and temple and ruined tower, each quiet bay and beetling crag, each emerald isle and palm-date grove, with a rapidity and accuracy that excited our admiration. Stately in her bearing as IDOL TEMPLE AT DWAKA. a queen, the mother was a lady of much culture, and of extensive reading. The daughter displayed less reserve of manner, and gave expressions to her wit, which was as brilliant as it was caustic. The first night at sea had passed, and the morning found us on the Indian Ocean, whose waters lave the distant shores of Arabia, and form the western boundary of British India, a prize coveted oft by earth's greatest conquerors.

The wind blew hard, and the waves ran high ; but as the day declined and we neared the land, the sea became calm : "All hush'd, there's not a breeze in motion, The shore is silent as the ocean. If zephyrs come, so light they come, Nor leaf is stirr'd, nor wave is driven." At nine o'clock on Sunday morning we dropped anch or in the harbor of Dwaka, three hundred miles from Bombay. The small village of Dwaka is on a white sandy beacb, and is the site of one of the richest idol temples in India. We had stopped to land two hundred and fifty Hindoo pilgrims, who had come to offer their devotions at this most sacred shrine. The occasion was a mela, which occurs once in twenty-five years, and thith er these devotees had journeyed to worship and to pay. On leaving port, they had expressed their superstition by throwing cocoa-nuts into the sea to insure a pleasant voyage ; but the gods of the deep had been indifferent to their offerings, and the sea continued rough.

The wom en were extravagantly ornamented with ivory anklets, with gold ear-rings, and with silver rings in their noses; but they were thinly clad, and suffered much in the keen winds of February. According to report, these Hindoos save the earnings of a quarter of a century, to present them at this famous shrine ; and such is the accumulated wealth of the temple, that the eyes of the gods are dia monds, and the priests live in princely magnificence. Dwaka is a walled city, and within the walls is a spacious arcaded court, adorned with miniature temples. In the centre of the court stands the great temple, a clus ter of buildings, crowned with a dome of white marble, above which is a pinnacle of the same material, magnif icently gilded. In the sea-front of the tower are a series of ornamental balconies, and from its peak floated a banner bearing a curious device.

To witness their devotions, we joined the vast procession of pilgrims, who pressed, with boisterous excitement, toward the idol shrine. All the streets, all parts of the court, the temple itself, and the tower thereof, were filled with worship ers, whose offerings to the idol amounted to millions of rupees. From the temple the idolaters, old and young, male and female, priest and layman, hastened to the sa cred tank, and to the streams that issued therefrom, and plunged tumultuously therein, believing that the waters were efficacious to wash away their sins. The enthusiasm of the devotees rose to madness; and, to prevent injurious results to life and limb, the soldiers on guard interfered, but with more violence than discretion. In the gray of the next morning we sighted the red bluffs of Kurrachee, and soon thereafter saw the long, low, sandy beach, with irregularly formed hills beyond, and vast, gloomy mountains extending far away to the north east.

At noon we approached Manora Point, whereon is a light-house one hundred and nineteen feet above the level of the sea, and seen on a clear night a distance of seventeen miles. From the highest bluff floated the En glish flag, and within the bay were steamers, men-of-war, and native boats, quietly at anchor. As the bar across the mouth of the harbor is ever shifting, dredging-machines were employed to keep the channel open. From Manora Point there has been constructed a stone break water a thousand feet long, and on its extreme point is an iron lantern, wherein a fire is placed at night. The view from the deck of our steamer was exceedingly pict uresque. On our left were the Government buildings, and near them was a pretty Gothic church ; on our right was beautiful Clifton ; to the north-east was Kiamari ; and near us were rocks carved by the waves into fantastic forms.

The most conspicuous object was Trinity Church, whose square tower is one hundred and fifty feet high, erected by a seaman to guide the inward-bound mariuer. Situated near the mouth of the ancient Indus, Kur rachee has a historical and commercial interest of more than ordinary significance. It was here that Alexauder the Great, returning from his expedition into India, em barked to join his fleet on the Persian Gulf, under the command of Nearchus ; and for a thousand years there after Kurrachee was the seat of an extensive trade. Prior to the eighth and ninth centuries of our era, the Red Sea was the chief channel of trade between India and Europe ; but after the Mohammedans had seized Egypt, the merchants of the East sought a new channel of commerce through the Persian Gulf and the valley of the Euphrates.

Since the decay of the Mohammedan power, trade has returned to the Red Sea, but not to the disadvantage of Kurrachee. Under British rule, it is the sea-port of the rich province of Sinde, and of the whole valley of the Indus, from Cashmere to the Indian Ocean. It is the most north-westerly port of British India, and the coming rival of Bombay for the trade of the great North-west. A railroad is now in process of construction along the banks of the Indus, extending from Kurrachee to Moultan, to Lahore and Peshawar, and, when completed, will not only connect Kurrachee with all parts of Northern and Central India, but will bring to its har bor the products of the Sinde, of the Punjab, of Afghan istan, and of Cashmere. At present, large quantities of cotton, wool, wheat, indigo, hides, and horns are brought here for shipment.

In 1873, the imports were valued at nearly $5,000,000, and the exports exceeded that amount. During our late war, Kurrachee was the principal port for the shipment of Indian cotton, which was raised in the valley of the Indus, and which gave considerable im portance to the place ; but since the return of peace and the re-appearance of American cotton in European markets, the city has declined, and real estate is now sold for a song. The present embarrassment, however, is only temporary, and results from wild financial speculations rather than from permanent causes. Under the new im pulse from railroads, trade will rapidly revive. Sooner or later, the Euphrates valley railroad will be an accom plished fact ; and when that great work is done, Kurra chee will be the second commercial emporium in British India, and trade will be restored to one of the most an cient channels of commerce known to history.

Here, as in other parts of India, the effete civilization of the East is gradually succumbing to the better civilization of the West. By the liberality of the European residents, a library of six thousand well -selected vol umes has been opened to the public. Adjoining the li brary is a museum, wherein are specimens of native min erals and petrified wood ; a variety of cereals, of fishes, of red and white corals ; a large number of stuffed birds, of deer and wild goats, and a quantity of Sinde pottery, rich and rare. Near the entrance to the museum are two pillars, each one resting on the back of an elephant, and each composed of a series of carved men and women in the grotesque costumes of India. Those pillars are the spoils of war. When the English captured the city of Beyt, they blew up -a famous idol temple therein, and from the debris thereof carried away the pillars as the trophies of victory.

Here, as elsewhere in India, the light of a purer faith is sensibly dissipating the darkness of pagan superstition and ignorance. Houses of mercy, schools of learning, temples of piety, open their portals to the 30,000 idola ters of insular Kiamari, and the results are as beneficent as they are gratifying. But the darkness that remains is palpable. In the small adjacent village of Mugga poor are performed idolatrous rites debasing to all that is noble in man. Thither the people go to worship al ligators, regarded as sacred animals, and daily fed by the idol priests. Near a temple, and within a large tank, are twenty of those hideous creatures, which are treated with more than human kindness. Pilgrims come from afar to offer sheep and goats to these horrid monsters. On the neighboring plains, the priestly shepherds keep large flocks »to supply the pious market at a cost of two rupees per head.

As an act of devotion, the pilgrim throws the purchased sheep to the alligators, which fight over the offerins* in a most unsrodlike manner. But feeding them with sheep is a great improvement com pared with the horrid custom of the past, when mothers threw their infants to the monsters that sported in the Indus and the Ganges. At eight o'clock in the morning, the Burmah, started for Guadur, two hundred and eighty miles from Kur rachee, and nearly eight hundred miles from Bombay. The air was hazy, filled with a fine sand blown from the distant shore of Beloochistan. On our risrht was Ras Malan, where recently a whale had become entangled FEEDING THE SACRED CROCODILES. with the submarine cable, and, failing to extricate him self, had been completely devoured by the sharks. The number of our passengers had been increased by an ad dition of many Turks, Arabs, Persians, Jews, Parsees, and Armenians.

Whatever their wealth and their style of living at home, these Orientals never travel as first-class passengers. Their respect for caste, their religious superstition, their mode of cooking and eating, their pastime amusements, and their national self-conceit, render them exclusive. They prefer to sleep on the deck rather than in a well-furnished state-room, and to eat on their mat rather than sit with Christians in an elegant saloon. As they constitute the majority of travelers on all the steam ers in the Far East, their wishes are respected, and the whole deck is accorded to them. They prefer midships, and the hatchway is their favorite resort. Once in pos session of this, they will fight for it to the death. Rows frequently occurred, and blood was shed in the struggle for this preferable spot.

Our hatchway amidships was held by five Arabs — four men and a boy. They were of the better class of their race, and their costume was of the gayest colors. Each one was a walking armory, and was armed with a Damascus blade, a nicely curved cimeter, a brace of silver - mounted pistols, and a rifle ornamented with mother-of-pearl. A Persian rug cov ered the spot they occupied, on which they ate and slept, prayed and gambled. At sunrise, at noon, at sun set, they made long prayers, offered with many genuflec tions. At sunset — fit emblem of man's dying hour — they seemed most devout. The coming twilight, the si lence of all nature sinking to rest, added to the solemnity ofthe scene. Nothing diverted their attention. They appeared unconscious of the eyes that gazed upon them. How reverential was each act ! how measured each sen tence of prayer ! how exact each prostration before the Lord and his prophet, Mohammed !

Yet their religion allowed them to shed blood in defense of trivial and fan cied rights. They retained possession of the hatchway even to blows, and threatened death to all intruders. Theirs is the religion of the sword. "Blood for blood" is a maxim of every-day life. The hours intervening be tween their acts of solemn worship were spent in gam bling. They gambled for gold, for the swords they carried, for the jewels they wore. Occasionally, the game was suspended long enough for prayer, and then resumed with renewed zest. Their love for a game of chance was not peculiar to them, for it is a ruling passion in the East. Gambling is universal in Japan and China, in Persia and India, in the islands on the equator, in Egypt and Palestine, in the cities of Asia Minor, in the palaces of Constantinople, in the Turkish empire from the Per sian Gulf to the banks of the Danube.