Of late years, a family quarrel has rather diminished the power of Sheikh Taha. His uncle Abd-l-Kadr, son of Obeid-Ullah, returned from Constantinople with the claim to be (what he is by all laws of primogeniture) the Head of the House. Fighting followed between the two; a proceeding which would not have done much harm to anyone had the Kurds only fought among themselves. Naturally, however, the poor serfs of Christians (whose allegiance both parties claimed) suffered as those do suffer who have the misfortune to find themselves between the upper and nether millstones. Both Sheikhs were arrested, but a compromise was arranged. Abd-l-Kadr agreed to accept a liberal allowance from the family funds; and to live in Stamboul, the city he knew, rather than set up as a savage chief in Kurdistan. A day's journey from the Sheikh's house at Neri brings the traveller to the land of the Christian "_ashirets_" of Jilu and Baz. _Ashiret_ is a word that strictly means "tribe" or clan; but as descriptive of status it is contrasted with "_rayat_" or subject; and means that the bearers of the name pay tribute (when it can be got out of them) and not taxes. The Ottoman Government is only now extending its power, as a practical thing, into Kurdistan at all. All the Mussulman dwellers in the land were until lately "_ashiret_," and much in the same position as the Highlanders "beyond the line" in days previous to the "forty-five." A fair proportion of the Christian dwellers there, happening to have arms, are "_ashiret_" as well. Those who are unarmed are in the unpleasant position of having to serve two masters (both of them abominably bad ones), and are "_rayat_" both to the Government, as far as its power goes; and to the Kurdish chiefs, as far as they can enforce theirs. The whole position is comprehensible to those who live among the people; but to the foreigner, it appears to be (and is) the negation of law, order, and all that we mean by good government. It is the old life of the highlands of Scotland, complicated and worsened immensely by the division between Christianity and Islam. Still, among the _ashirets_ who carried arms, whether Christian or Moslem, the position was by no means intolerable a generation ago. Besides it was extremely picturesque. The various tribes fought one another freely; and of course the feuds usually, though not always, followed the religious and racial line of division.