Explorations in Bible lands during the 19th century - H. V. Hilprecht

348 EXPLORATIONS IN BIBLE LANDS
declining the liberal remuneration offered, asked for the
favor of this opportunity to show his personal
appreciation
of the energetic support which the Ottoman government
had granted to the Philadelphia expeditions.
With especial
gratitude I testify here also to the extraordinary help which
our subsequent scientific missions have received from the
same government. Thanks to the gracious personal protection
which His Majesty the Sultan henceforth extended to
our various labors in
his domain, and to the lively and cordial
interest with which his ministers and the two directors
Museum accompanied the progress of the
of the Imperial
work in Constantinople and at Nuffar, our ways were
smoothed everywhere in the Ottoman empire. As often as
I needed a firman, it was readily granted, while besides, His
Majesty, desiring to give special proof of his personal satisfaction
with the confidence thus established and with the
services rendered, most generously and repeatedly bestowed
magnificent gifts of antiquities upon the present writer,
which subsequently were presented to the University of
Pennsylvania, making the scientific value of its Babylonian
collections not only equal but in many respects superior to
those of the British Museum.
On August 28, 1892, Haynes left America, spending the
rest of the year in Europe. In the first week of January,
1893, he landed at Alexandretta and travelled the ordinary
route down the Euphrates valley to Baghdad. Towards the
middle of March we find him at Hilla. In order to avoid
the territory of the Sa'id and to pay a brief visit to the
qaimmaqam of Diwaniye, he hired three large native boats
{meshhufs) and sailed, accompanied by thirty-five skilled
laborers and six zabtiye, who were to remain with him,
through the Daghara canal to Suq el-'Afej. Cordially received
by Hajji Tarfa, to whom he presented a gold watch
from the committee in recognition of his past services, he
appealed again to him for protection during his subsequent