the dangerous spot.  My exhaustion was so great that, although alone in this dark night on the terrible desert, I began to doze upon the horse, and did not wake up till the soldier returned with a cry of joy, and told us that we had not fallen in with a horde of robbers, but with a sheikh, who, in company with his followers, were going to Baghdad.  We set spurs to our horses, hastened after the troop, and joined them.  The chief greeted me by passing his hand over his forehead towards his breast; and, as a sign of his good will, offered me his arms, a club with an iron head, covered with a number of spikes.  Only a sheikh is allowed to carry such a weapon.

I remained in the sheikh’s company until sunrise, and then quickened my horse’s pace, and at about 8 o’clock was again seated in my chamber at Baghdad, after having, in the short space of three days and a half, ridden 132 miles and walked about a great deal.  The distance from Baghdad to Hilla is considered to be sixty miles, and from Hilla to Birs Nimroud six.

I had now seen everything in and around Baghdad, and was desirous of starting on my journey towards Ispahan.  Just at this time the Persian prince, Il-Hany-Ala-Culy-Mirza, sent me a letter, informing me that he had received very bad news from his native country; the governor of Ispahan had been murdered, and the whole province was in a state of revolt.  It was therefore impossible to enter Persia by this route.  I decided in this case to go as far as Mosul, and there determine my further course according to circumstances.

Before concluding my account of Baghdad, I must state that at first I was greatly afraid of scorpions, as I had heard that there were great numbers there; but I never saw one, either in the sardabs or on the terraces, and during my stay of four weeks only found one in the court.

CHAPTER XIX.  MOSUL AND NINEVEH.

JOURNEY OF THE CARAVAN THROUGH THE DESERT—­ARRIVAL AT MOSUL—­
CURIOSITIES—­EXCURSION TO THE RUINS OF NINEVEH AND THE VILLAGE OF
NEBBI YUNUS—­SECOND EXCURSION TO THE RUINS OF NINEVEH—­TEL-NIMROUD—­
ARABIAN HORSES—­DEPARTURE FROM MOSUL.

In order to travel from Baghdad to Mosul safely, and without great expense, it is necessary to join a caravan.  I requested Herr Swoboda to direct me to a trustworthy caravan guide.  I was indeed advised not to trust myself alone among the Arabs, at least to take a servant with me; but with my limited resources this would have been too expensive.  Moreover, I was already pretty well acquainted with the people, and knew from experience that they might be trusted.

A caravan was to have left on the 14th of June, but the caravan guides, like the ship captains, always delay some days, and so we did not start until the 17th instead of the 14th.

The distance from Baghdad to Mosul is 300 miles, which occupy in travelling from twelve to fourteen days.  Travellers ride either horses or mules, and in the hot months travel during the night.