A Dweller in Mesopotamia | Page 8

of the Inland Water
Transport, with an Indian pilot and miscellaneous crew, and my
adventurous cruise called to mind both the travels of Ulysses and the
Hunting of the Snark.
The sergeant could not speak Hindustani and the pilot could not speak a
word of English. Mistakes of the most frantic nature were common,
especially when we were being whirled round and round by the stream
at a difficult corner. In the midst of controversy unrelieved by any
glimmer of understanding on the part of anybody present we would
slide gracefully into a state of rest on a mudbank or bump violently
against the shore. Luckily, it seemed as easy to get off the mudbank as
to get on it, and we finally got into positions we wanted to for making
sketches of various points. The pantomimic violence of the sergeant,
together with diagrams in my sketch-book, were ultimately successful.
[Illustration: A BEND IN "THE NARROWS" OF THE TIGRIS]
Nearly all the Tigris steamers proceeding up river have loaded lighters

on each side of them. These act as fenders at the corners and take the
bump whenever the bank is encountered. The progress is slow and
there is often a good deal of waiting, for in the region between Ezra's
tomb (above Kurna) and Amara there is not room for two steamers thus
encumbered to pass with safety. These waters are known as the
Narrows. Signal stations are placed at various intervals, and a signal is
made to clear the way, generally for the down-river boat, the up-river
craft, which, with the stream against them, will not have to turn round
in stopping, tying up to the bank. This manoeuvre is done in a few
minutes. The steamer that is to stop runs alongside the bank and natives
with stakes jump out and drive them into the marsh ground. She moors
to these until the other vessel has passed downwards.
The sketch facing page 30 was done from a steamer bound up-river,
which had tied up under these conditions. The paddler coming down
has a lighter on each side of her as the one sketched on page 38. She
will come down toward the leading marks shown on the right-hand side
of the picture, and then slide along the bank, using the lighter on the
port side as a fender. Then she will leave the bank and shoot across to
the other side of the river, taking the next turn with her starboard
lighter.
This drawing will serve to show the general nature of most
Mesopotamian river scenery, dead flat, with nothing or little to relieve
the monotony, a great expanse of muddy waters and featureless dust,
with just a suggestion in one direction of a low line of blue--very faint.
It tells of the far-away Persian mountains and of snow.
The great feature of the Narrows, however, and one which all our
dwellers in Mesopotamia will remember vividly as long as they live, is
the egg-sellers from the Marsh Arab villages on the banks. Although a
steamer proceeding up-river may be kicking up a great fuss in the water
and apparently thumping along at a great rate, it is, in reality, making
only about four knots on the land. Consequently, when it sidles into the
bank, with one of its lighters touching the marsh, the natives who are
selling things can keep up, and a running--literally running--fire of
bargaining is maintained between the ship's company and the Arabs.

They are all women who do the selling--weird figures in black carrying
baskets of eggs and occasionally chicken. Gesticulating, shouting,
shrieking, they rush along beside the up-going steamer and keep even
with it. In the middle of a bargain the steamer may edge away until a
great gulf is fixed between the bargainers. Sometimes it will slide along
the other bank and a fresh company of yelling Amazons will try and
open up negotiations for eggs while the frenzied and now almost
demented sellers left behind rend their clothes and shout imprecations
at their rivals. Another turn of the current, however, and the vessel
again nears the shore of the original runners and the deal is finished.
[Illustration: The Sirens of the Narrows.]
One girl kept up for miles and at last sold her basket of eggs. She got a
very good price for them, but apparently she wanted her basket back
again. The buyer insisted that the basket was included, and the seller
shrieked frantically that it was not. She kept up with us for some miles,
making imploring gestures, kneeling down with her arms outstretched
as though she was begging for her life, and yelling at the top of her
voice, tears streaming down her cheeks. The basket would be worth
twopence or less and she had made many shillings on