to-day with the additional knowledge of modern science and experience the ground would yield an even larger return. It has been estimated that L8,000,000 would be sufficient to reopen all the old canals of Mesopotamia, with the certainty that the land thus irrigated would yield an abundant profit. "Ensha'allah," this much-talked-of scheme will soon be carried out, and Mesopotamia become once more "a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive oil and of honey." CHAPTER II THE PEOPLE OF MOSUL Population--Moslems--Christians--Chaldeans--Nestorians--Jacobites --Arabs--Kurds--Jews--Yezidees--Recreations--Warfare of the slingers--Hammam Ali--The recreation ground of Mosul men and women. "... The world is great, But each has but his own land in the world." A. C. Swinburne. The population of Mosul has been estimated to be anything between sixty and eighty thousand people. If the whole "vilayet" is included the number will be something like a million and a half. These people are made up of many different nationalities and tribes, each retaining its own leading characteristics, whilst many have a language peculiar to themselves. The inhabitants of Mosul are chiefly Arabs, of whom by far the larger part are Mohammedans. These of course form the strong religious element in the city, as they are the conquerors of the land. This is a fact, too, which they take care never to lose sight of. In the market, the mosque, and the street, the Mohammedan is always proclaiming by look, word, and deed that he is the master. A Christian finds himself at a great disadvantage in the market, for when buying from a Moslem he is not allowed to handle the food, and must purchase his goods to a great extent on trust. In all mosques, which once were Christian churches, it is customary for the mullah to preach with a naked sword in his hand. This is done in order to remind the people that the Mohammedan religion was propagated by the sword, and must, if necessary, be retained by the same means. In the streets the difference is very marked between the two, the Mohammedan behaving as if the whole place belonged to him, while the Christians, and more especially the Jews, always appear as if they were apologising for their very existence.