volume 2 - Robert Bedrosian's Armenian History Workshop

I20 Arrival in Baghddd.
and minarets of Kazimen, and two hours later we passed
them and saw the bridge of boats of Baghdad. Almost
immediately after this our kalakji was hailed by two
men on the east bank, and after a short conversation
with them at the top of his voice he told me that they
had been sent to watch for us by the British Consul-
General, and that we were to tie up our raft at the
landing-stage of the Residency. In due course we
reached the opening in the bridge of boats through which
we were to pass, and when the officials had inspected
us they ordered us to go to the Custom House so that
the raft might be searched for contraband, and the bricks
and slabs and altar be taken over by them. At this
point the Delegate interfered and informed them that
he was the Mufattish (Inspector) of Antiquities for the
provinces of Jazirah, Mosul and Baghdad, and that
Allah only knew what would happen to them in
Jahannum if they touched a single brick. The bridge
authorities did not in the least believe him, and sent a
messenger to ask for instructions from the Mudir of the
bridge. Meanwhile the raft was held in the opening
between the boats, as the tow rope had been twisted
round a spar projecting from one of the boats, and
was under the charge of a river policeman. WhUst I
was paying the bridge dues, profiting by a hint from
the kalakji, I gave a bakhsMsh to the policeman who
promptly loosened the tow rope and threw it on the
raft, which floated through the bridge, and in a very
short time we came to the landing-stage of the Residency
on the east bank and tied up there. Thus we travelled
from Mosul to Baghd§,d, a distance of about 300 miles
in six days, or, deducting the hours spent in sleep and
sight-seeing, two and a half days, or sixty hours.