A Dweller in Mesopotamia / Being the Adventures of an Official Artist in the Garden of Eden

on the

NIGHTS

rable and rainy afternoon, there might have been seen a dark object moving very slowly across the uninteresting field of vision. At a distance it would not have been very easy to make out the nature of the thing, and a newcomer to the scene, with no l

dants, probably human beings, staggering and skidding about in its immediate vicinity. From time to time, one of these three would mount on the head or fore-part of this objec

disguise of thick slime, might have been able to recognize by the cut of their clothes that the first of the three figures was an R.A.F. driver and the other two were naval officers. As a matter of fact one of

oubt about it;

ll reach Baghdad in about ten days," sa

T IN KH

g each and staggered in the sliding mud in the direction of the Khan. We started off with no illusions as to our fate if we encountered rain, and were therefore quite prepared for this. There was nothing f

rable practice on similar occasions. I was uncompromisingly bad. I sat down three or four times to the driver's once. Brown did not sit dow

ut juice, and as adhesive as fish glue. Large quantities of Mesopotamian mud could be shipped to London and made up into tubes. Then all that would be necessary would be three distinctive labels. One could describe it

rval between two very energetic spells of slidi

the Khan and putting down my bag. We found tracks where some scrubby plants were growing, where the surface was passable, but as we neared the entrance to the Khan, where carts and horsemen had made a veritable quagmi

had a few clothes to change into, but neither Brown nor I had a complete set of everything. The result was that Brown looked like a naval officer that had ta

GHT, B

e talked over plans for the immediate future. Enquiries revealed the fact that we were in great luck about trains, which appeared at intervals of several days, as one was due in a few hours that would reach Bagh

Baghdad. This bit of line runs from Baghdad to the Euphrates and is important because it links up the two gr

ds and a table. Divesting ourselves of our wet trench-coats, for it was still raining, we made some sort of a seat of our bags and were tolerably comfortable. Brown, who, now that he was dry and wa

tapers fl

silvers loo

aulted dark,

mooned do

agdat, till

crescents

t new-r

h to get the best effect as we gazed entranced at the night glory of Bagdat's shrines o

ng hard, and I had grave doubts about the splendour we were enjoying so much in anticipation, but I did not throw all cold water on his sc

tation the train was just moving off. Brown shouted to me to jump out and take our bags. I did so as best I could, but found myself up to my ankles in liquid mud, not a good position at any time for catching heav

RNE OF

ing noise mingled with muffled exclamations growing more distinct indicated that Brown was endeavouring to walk in my direction. These were the only sounds that in

was the station we plodded on as steadily as possible through the mud. Dimly, through the rain, we could make out some palms and what appeared to be a domed bui

of this stepped an Arab with a lamp in his hand, and gave us an answering shout We stepped into the light. I don't know which was most surprised, the native at seeing such curious figure

was de

rits from the vasty mud. I don't believe this engi

g, and it was impossible to see across to the other side. The only light was supplied by a few electric lamps at intervals along the road. It still rained dismally and we made for a canteen close at hand. Here we felt quite at home, for there were several other arrivals as muddy as we were and even worse. Considering this was only a restaurant attached to a rest camp, we fared very well. Our

te of palms, Ea

uth Western Ra

, that is, the middle section had been floated out, for fear that the hawsers wou

river in a goufa flashed across his mind, but a glance at the foaming, tearing water was sufficient d

In theory this sounded very feasible, but in practice, owing to the tortuous nature of the ways and to the fact that it was very dark, we soon got lost. Twice, when we thought we

s had the advantage of being dry and our speed increased considerab

a scene of strange beau

r the most part the houses were dark and without sign of life. We found no "splendours of the golden prime of good Haroun Alraschid," but for all t

was filled with goufas, the weird round boat of the upper river, and the animated scene of people either embarking or disembarking made a strange people. We saw this scene for a few moments only, as we made our way through the crowd at this point. I have since wondered where all these goufas were going. They could not have in

HA

ARAB'S

to get over, for it looked as though a little more force would have carried the whole thing away. Once clear of the bridge we found ourselves in New Street, the thoroughfare made since the British occupation, and incidentally we ran into a cheery naval officer who

of old London, it lay nowhere near the water, down a very narrow and crooked lane,

of adventure, but ostensibly arranged to give me an opportunity of sketching. He produced an Arab, arrayed in strange garments, to carry a light and generally act as a guide. We called him the slave of the lamp. I am q

porches o

doors flung

bout the fra

d vase and

astern flow

king notes of some quaint latticed windows overhanging the narrow road, so that they nearly met, he be

these nightly expeditions were for the purpose of carrying off some ravishingly beautiful lady from one of the harem

amplight, and the still greater difficulty of drawing in colour under blazing sunlight, cannot easily be exaggerated. How many times has a sketch done in a failing light looked strong in tone, only to go to pieces

s shrines of

gardens, gre

suit the kind of work attacked; either chalk pencils or hard pastilles will give you certain colour values in whatever light you find yourself, and even if you can hardly see what you are drawing these must, to some extent, standardize your values, so that your rough work can be washed over and brought up

in with arched masonry, and the effect is that of a long side aisle in a very untidy and greatly secularized cathedral. From time to ti

lest we should be swept down too far and lose control of our curious and difficult craft. The level of the water was far above the usual height and came up to the very thresholds of these riverside houses.

porches o

doors flung

ng through la

explored further afield, finding "

bout the fra

d vase and

astern flow

ve. Too much squalor is apparent.

often very little colour in things themselves. The East is supposed to be full of blazing colour and the North gray and drab. Yet compare a barge in Rotterdam or Rochester with one in Baghdad. The former is picked out in green and gold and glows with rich, red sails, while the latter, for all its sunshine, is the colour of ashes-not a vestige often of paint or gilding. Some mahail

and picturesqueness of these far-off streets remains as a very plea

of Mesopotamian Domesti