on: The Sheik Of Zobeir And His Son.]

[Illustration: Arab Bazaar.]

The men crowded on to the barges attached to the side of the paddle
boats and of course everything was of interest, everything was new in
this, the oldest country in the world. Because Kurnah at the junction
of the Tigris and the Euphrates has the reputation of being the site
of the Garden of Eden, many and various are the jokes which have been
made against this most unfortunate of places by members of the
Expeditionary Force, but all amount to the one thing--that Adam and
Eve had very little to lose in being driven out, if it is unchanged
since those days.

The belt of Palm trees which so attracted our attention along the
banks from the mouth of the Gulf to Basrah still continues, but they
are thinning down very considerably and by the time Kurnah is reached
the belt has no depth at all. There is no question of a halt, no
question of a rest, "Push On" is the order of the day. It may seem
somewhat absurd now, but it brings home to one the eagerness of all to
share in the relief of Kut, that the first thing the Colonel did on
landing at Basra was to wire to the Corps Commander at the front
asking him to arrange for the Battalion to follow up the Relieving
Column if it had passed Ali Garbi before the Regiment arrived.
Regardless of risk, regardless of orders, urged on by the Colonel, the
two steamers bearing the battalion pushed forward by night as by day
for fear of not overtaking the Relieving Column. The winding of the
river seemed interminable to those eager to be at the front, and there
is little to relieve the monotony of the flat plain, save the
colouring at dawn and dusk, and the appearance of a few mahelas
floating down stream with their broad sails outspread to catch the
north-west wind.

At Kurnah the Palm belt ceases and only at odd places and around
villages are trees again to be seen. One cannot fail to be struck with
the enormous possibilities the country offers for cultivation if only
properly irrigated. Thousands and thousands of acres of the best of
soil, and everywhere as flat as Salisbury Plain.

We now begin to see small Arab villages along the banks of the river;
they look dirty and dilapidated. The Arabs look filthy, but some have
very pleasant faces, and both men and women impress one with their
strength. This campaign is of course not only an eye-opener to them
but also a God-send. They beg and steal on every possible occas