volume 2 - Robert Bedrosian's Armenian History Workshop

50
Life in Mosul.
The news of the arrival of the son of the British
Ambassador at Constantinople and my humble self spread
rapidly through the town, and long before we went to
bed on the day of our coming it was freely discussed
and commented upon among all classes of the community.
As soon as we had taken up our quarters in Nimrud
Rassam's house I sent our two soldiers to the Sarayah^
to report themselves to the Military Governor of Mosul,
and bought a sheep and rice and other things in sufficient
quantities to enable our mukeri and his companions to
make a " feast " that evening. They, poor fellows, were
as tired as we were, and they were thankful to eat a
full meal in safety ; and we agreed to feed their beasts
for one week, and to pay them half wages until they
left Mosul. They had made up their minds to return
to Aleppo via Jazirat ibn 'Omar and Diar Bakr, and
not to risk a second meeting with the Shammar Arabs.
The soldiers having reported themselves to the Military
Governor returned to the bazar, where they established
themselves in a cafie, and spent their evening in describing
to a large and ever-changing audience the attack of
the Shammar upon our caravan, and the story that
became current through them was that we had fought
a sort of pitched battle with the Shammar, whom we
had put to flight with heavy loss. In proof of their own
personal bravery they exhibited their empty bandoliers
(I fear they had sold the cartridges en route) and dirty
carbines, and large rents in their ragged uniform, which
they swore by Allah had been caused by the lance
thrusts of the Shammar. The wise old Mosul merchants
knew how to discount their stories, but they were sharp
enough to see that when two Englishmen were robbed
^ Commonly pronounced " Saray."