'Turkish Arabia: Being an Account of an Official Tour in Babylonia, Assyria, and Mesopotamia, 1886-87' [‎21v] (42/72)

journal of the Royal Geographical Society, Vol. IX. Enough that on the second day,
after a seven hours' march, over a rather arid country, dotted here and there with mounds
supposed to contain the remains of ancient Assyrian cites, the town of Tal-afar*—a name
more than much else—showed itself. Within the present century a robber horde, said to
be of Turkoman race, here kept watch from an inaccessible summit over the vast plain
below, ready to pounce on caravans. Wealth was gathered, an imposing castle was built,
protection, albeit that of robbers,—here perhaps the best kind,—attracted a population
round the copious stream issuing from the base of the hill ; and the town prospered. But
even in Mesopotamia times change. First the Baghdad, then the Mosul Government sent
expeditions against Tal-4far. On each occasion the inhabitants fought hard, but there
was no resisting the "little Standard-bearer/'' Muhammad Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. , who pounded the old
castle with cannon, till now it looks as if it had been sent flying by an earthquake. One
of its fragments has been in some sort made habitable (the Osmanli seldom build " Govern
ment houses'") and what would be called in India a "sub-divisional officer" posted in it.
But the real magnates evidently still are the native greybeards of the fields and gardens
at the foot of the hill.
It was long past dark before the camel part of the kdfila came up. And so a halt had
_ to be called, the camels dismissed, and mules engaged.
Transport aifficulties. , • , , . r . . ^
these were obtained only on condition of their being
taken no further than Sinj4r. Every mule, it seemed, was just then at plough. Neither
do plough mules (distinguishable by yoke marks across root of neck) as a rule make good
transport ones. Even in mule-breeding localities, sound young animals, it is said, are sold
very young to dealers ; rejections from muleteers' teams being b ought for field use.
Hence when the kdfila came to be started again the following morning (a bitterly cold
one) it took four hours to get the loads arranged, and off the ground. A regular transport
officer would soon have whacked both man and beast into position with his stick ; indeed,
a Turkish soldier offered to do so for a penny; but, considering all the circumstances,
patience seemed best.
All Tal-afar was out that day to welcome people returning from the Hajj or Mecca
^ ^ ^ pilgrimage. These soon appeared in scattered groups, a
few on camels, but most on foot, evidently much exhausted.
The actual Sinjar hills, rugged rather than imposing, and indicating the centre of a very
long range, rise about thirty miles west of Tal-afar, with which, however, minor spurs
connect them. Avoiding these, the kdjila held across the plain which stretches away to
the south. The landmarks noticed are shown on the map. Next to the numerous artificial
mounds and ruins here awaiting exploration, the principal feature is the number of bitu
minous rivulets. Into one of these a mule fell, unhappily the one with the writing-case.
When that was next opened, its contents were found stuck together as if with pitch ; the
ink of letters having apparently been chemically acted on. Tal-afar is the only permanent
settlement in all the eighty miles or so between Mosul and Sinjar. The way over the
plain at least was perfectly practicable for wheeled artillery, and numerous travellers were
met. Water flowed everywhere, and a moderate quantity of supplies was obtained in
nomad encampments. Once a number of horsemen came in sight, not Arabs, but rather
of the kind which in Italy carry off tourists bodily. These belonged to one of the great
pastoral lords of this part of the country : a nomadic Kurd, or " Kochar," called Shekh Mus-
tav, keeping in summer to the Shammarkara mountains, and coming down in winter with
innumerable flocks of sheep and Angora goats to the Sinj^r plain. In appearance these
men were not unlike Afghans or Baluchis. Kurdi was their language ; and the only Arab
things about them were their mares and their religion. Like the Hamawands, they all had
firearms ; and their one idea on meeting a European was to get a rifle from him ! They had
been sent out, it seemed, to look for fresh pastures to move the flocks to. Their leader,
one of the Shekh's own progeny, said that his father bred as many mules as sheep ; and
suggested a visit to him as his tents were only a day off. It was then near sunset. A few
miles further on, a halt was made beside a ruined hamlet, the scattered stones of which
made the place a picture of desolation.
The following morning, while the kdfila held on its course, a start was made with one
• Mesopotamian Kochars.t attendant, and a Bedouin guide (riding a mule) to beat u? ;
Shekh Mustav. Striking north, across a stony plain
* Tal or tel (query tellus), pi. tildl, et tulul, is the Arabic equivalent of the Kurdi tappa\ vide footnote, page 16
ante, while afar, as here used, probably rreans white, mingled with red.
f From kuch to move, or march, in which sense it has been imported, probably from the language of the
Turks or Tatars, into the Indian vernacular. The term kochar indicates merely the mode of life, not the nation-
ality. Thus among the Kochars (there called Kuchis) of Afghanistan, were found camel-owning, dnd more or
less migratory, hordes of many different races ; Momands, Ghilzais, and even Arabs ; some of them living in tents
others in permanent houses ; but all of them pastoral. 1