II.--FROM CONSTANTINOPLE TO HIERAPOLIS 16 III.--FROM THE EUPHRATES TO THE TIGRIS, EDESSA (URFA), AND AMID (DIARBEKR) 34 IV.--DOWN THE TIGRIS TO MOSUL 60 V.--MOSUL, THE CITIES OF THE ASSYRIANS, THE YAZIDIS 89 VI.--THE ZAB RIVERS, ANCIENT ASSYRIA AND ADIABENE, ARBELA, KIRKUK 106 VII.--CHALDEANS 140 VIII.--BY THE HAMAVANDS TO SULAIMANIA 163 IX.--SULAIMANIA 184 X.--SHAHR-I-ZUR 210 XI.--SHAHR-I-ZUR AND HALABJA 248 XII.--LIFE IN SULAIMANIA 273 XIII.--LIFE IN SULAIMANIA (_continued_) 294 XIV.--TO KIRKUK 325 XV.--TO BAGDAD 351 XVI.--OF KURDS AND THEIR COUNTRY 367 APPENDIX--KURDISH TRIBES 405 BIBLIOGRAPHY 409 INDEX 411 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS A JAF CHIEF, S. KURDISTAN _Frontispiece_ _To face p._ BAB-UL-TOP AND AUCHON MARKET, MOSUL 92 ON THE PERSIAN FRONTIER, S. KURDISTAN 160 AORAHAN 184 THE KURDISH FRONTIER MOUNTAINS 336 ENCAMPMENT OF JAF KURDS IN SHAHR-I-ZUR 380 TO MESOPOTAMIA AND KURDISTAN IN DISGUISE CHAPTER I IN STAMBOUL When I descended from the train one dismal morning in Constantinople, in a bleak terminus just like a hundred others of its kind all over the Continent, it was with the intention of staying in the Ottoman capital for some time. A long residence in the Middle East had rendered me susceptible to the magnetism it certainly exerts, and at the same time had given me a very thorough appreciation of the comforts and conveniences of the Occident. As I was quite ignorant of the western parts of the Turkish Empire, and entertained the same ideas regarding them as I suppose do most people at home, it seemed that Constantinople must furnish a delectable resting-place, a point from which to look out upon East and West with equal facility, choosing from each the features necessary to a pleasant life that should be within reach of books and libraries, and afford equally a way of escape among Oriental people and surroundings, without necessitating a long journey and longer bill.