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

438 EXPLORATIONS IN BIBLE LANDS
great movement and expectation has taken possession of the
tribes of the interior, partly brought about in consequence
of the acquisition and cultivation of large tracts of land along
the canals for the Sultan, and partly inspired by the various
scientific missions from Europe and America. Through
their continued exploration of the ruins
these foreign excavators
have introduced new ideas into the country, made the
people acquainted with important inventions, and, above
all, taught them the value of time and work, thus preparing
the way for the planned German railroad, of which even the
'Afej speak with great anticipation, and which surely will
play the chief missionary role throughout the country.
When, after a long absence, I stood again on the airy top
of Bint el-Amir, as far as my eye could scan the horizon I
saw nothing but immense flocks of sheep and goats, donkeys
and cows and buffaloes pastured by cheerful boys and
men, Arab villages and encampments scattered over the
plain, and small green patches of cultivated ground on the
edges of the inundated districts;
the camel herds and black
tents of the Sa'id in the distance, and far away beyond the
Tigris towards the east, only now and then visible, the snowcapped
mountains * of Luristan. At my first meeting with
the Hamza shaikhs and their retinues, they were somewhat
disappointed because they did not recognize me.
In order
to establish my identity, they submitted me to a cross-examination,
inquiring whether I remembered the burning of
our camp. But scarcely had I begun to recount the details
of the disaster, the destruction of my fine horse, Marduk,
and the fortunate escape of another, Abu khams (" father of
five," namely, Turkish liras), as I had named it, with due
regard to its low price — a joke thoroughly appreciated by
the Arabs, — and to refer to the principal persons connected
with the catastrophe, asking on my part for the ill-fated
1
The Assyrian word for "east" is shadu, "mountain," as the Hebrew
one for " west " is yam, " ocean."