volume 2 - Robert Bedrosian's Armenian History Workshop

282 A Funeral Procession.
came and went to the camp, thinking that I was then
going to begin to export to England the collections of
tablets I had bought. Whilst I was getting ready to
break camp Hasan brought me news of another
good collection of tablets which were at Abu Habbah.
I went to see them, and found they were good, but
hesitated about taking them, because I did not see how
to get them into Baghdad. Hasan, however, had no
doubt that he could take them into Baghdad, and
undertook to do so if I would pay the expenses incurred.
The owner of the tablets did not ask for ready money.
He was most anxious that they should go with me,
or through me, to England, and he was content to
wait for his money ; therefore I agreed to take them. I
returned to Der and saw no more of Hasan for a few days.
In due course our workmen went to their homes,
and the Delegate, with his servant and his pipe and
his cushions and his books, left me, and two days later
(February 19th) I left Der and set out for Baghdad
with Nimrud and the dog and our large water-jars,
and other things, which were too valuable to throw
away. We passed several groups of men and small
caravans on the road, and several natives said they
were sorry we were leaving, and gave us salamdt (goodbjT^e)
heartUy. About three miles from Baghdad we
overtook a funeral procession, which somehow always
managed to monopolize the one dry track which served
as a road. Three or four women tramped stolidly in
front of the bier, and about ten men behind it. At
one end of the bier there was a short pole with a turban
on top of it, which indicated that the deceased was a
man, and the rest of it was covered with a ragged green
cloth. The mourners, male and female, chanted the
praises of the deceased from time to time, and marched
steadily on, but always keeping me behind. Knowing
that the followers in funeral processions bitterly resented
any attempt to hustle them aside or disturb them, I
felt there was nothing else to be done but to follow
quietly behind, and I did so. When we came to the
bridge of boats the procession passed on to the bridge