grass and reeds, quickly drying into a hard substance, and sufficiently
permanent for anything that such a temporary village requires.

In the bright sunlight of the Mesopotamian plains, and probably also on
account of their prominence at a distance over the flat land, some of
these mud buildings look quite imposing. I remember once approaching a
city with ramparts, towers, and formidable walls which, on close
inspection, turned out to be a small mud enclosure of the most decrepit
kind.

Great changes have been made in the rule of the waterways of
Mesopotamia. Sinbad the Sailor has given place to Sinbad the Soldier,
the Inland Water Transport.

We have learnt, as we were advised to do in regard to the things of
Mesopotamia, to think amphibiously.

[Illustration: Noah's Ark, 1919.]




IV

THE WISE MEN FROM THE WEST

[Illustration: Upward bound on the Tigris.]

[Illustration]