Page 212 - Neglected Arabia 1902-1905

Missionary Letters and News from Arabia

3ul\)-September, 1903

• AT THE OUTSTATIONS

KliV. JAMIIS 1£. MOEUDVK.

Iii May and June wo spent 32 clays louring up the river Tigris
aiul down thro Mesopotamia and the Euphrates river. We visited
some tea different towns but almost half the time was spent at
one of the outstations. In July wo were :iwav again tor a short
time to visit the outstations on the Tigris river. Let me write
something about these two outstations.
On the bank of the river Euphrates and within sij^ht of old
Ur of the Chaldees is tlio town of iWisciriyj/i. First impressions
at this place arc very encouraging. It is the first town here
which we have seen that has something- u 11101km ’’ about it. The
streets arc wide enough for three wagons abreast, aiul they are
really straight and cross each oilier at right angles. Tlio houses
aliliG Eastern in stylo aro lar^o and of hriclc. Tlio dale-slick
Imts and mat huts arc few and then only ou the very outskirts
of the town. The bazaar is quite large and cleanly so far as that
goes out here. New fruit and vegetables were just beginning
to come in and prices were very reasonable. The city-hall is ;i
large, oblong-shaped building of two stories, and the governor’s
house nearby is a very rcspcclablc dwelling. There arc two
mosques, each with a minaret aiul the. old donK-sliai)cd roof to
ils place of prayer. They told us that 11 rich Arab IkuI first owual
the town and built the large buildings. Laler the Turks had
taken it from him but the general order of building along previous
plans had been maintainod. Its inhabitants arc Arabs, Jews,
3