In the
expectation that this might soon happen, I dared not leave the
miserable shelter to return to Mosul, from which we were only a mile
distant. The whole day was spent in waiting; these people did not
come until evening. There were five of them: one, who appeared to
be a wealthy man, with his two servants, was returning from a
pilgrimage. We started at last about 10 o'clock at night. After
travelling for four hours we crossed several ranges of hills, which
form the boundaries of Mesopotamia and Kurdistan. We passed several
villages, and reached Secani on the morning of the 10th of July.
Ali did not halt at the village which lies on the pretty river
Kasir, but on the other side of the river near a couple of deserted,
half-ruined huts. I hastened directly into one of the best to make
sure of a good place, where the sun did not come through the sieve-
like roof, which I fortunately found but the pilgrim, who hobbled in
directly after me, was inclined to dispute its possession. I threw
my mantle down, and seating myself upon it, did not move from the
place, well knowing that a Mussulman never uses force towards a
woman, not even towards a Christian one.
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