File:Nineveh and Babylon - a narrative of a second expedition to Assyria during the years 1849, 1850, and 1851 (1882) (14580680768).jpg

Identifier: ninevehbabylonna00laya (find matches)
Title: Nineveh and Babylon : a narrative of a second expedition to Assyria during the years 1849, 1850, & 1851
Year: 1882 (1880s)
Authors: Layard, Austen Henry, Sir, 1817-1894
Subjects: Nineveh (Extinct city) Babylon (Extinct city) Middle East -- Description and travel
Publisher: London : J. Murray
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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a deep valley like that of Shat-tak, chiefly cultivated by Armenians. We crossed a smallstream, and ascended on the opposite side to Ashkaun, inthe district of Nourdooz. The inhabitants were outside the 224 NINEVEH AND BABYLON. (Chap. village, near a clear spring, washing and shearing theirsheep. Our ride on the following day was over upland pastures ofgreat richness, and through narrow valleys watered by nu-merous streams. Here and there were villages inhabited byKurds and Armenians. We were now approaching the Nes-torian districts. The first man of the tribe we met was an agedbuftalo-keeper, who, in answer to a question in Kurdish, spoketo me in the Chaldee dialect of the mountains. Hormuzd andmy servants rejoiced at the prospect of leaving the Armeniansettlements, whose inhabitants, they declared, were for stu-pidity worse than Kurds, and for rapacity worse than Jews.Chiighiri was the first Nestorian village on our way. Themen. wth their handsome wives and healthful children, came
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A Nestorian Family. out to meet us. We continued our journey to Merwanen,which we found deserted by its inhabitants for the Zomas, orsummer j)astures. The Kiayah, or chief, however, with one ortwo of his peoi)lc, had ridden down to examine the state of thecrops, and turning his horse he led us up the steep pathway IX.) NESTORIANS OF MERIVANEN. 225 to his tents. They were huddled up in a httle rocky nook,high on the mountain, and in the midst of snow. Unhke theKurds, the Nestorians do not shift their encampments, butremain on one spot during the whole time they are in theZomas. They thus live for some months in the midst of thedung of animals and filth of all kinds, whilst vermin aboundsas plentifully as in their wretched villages. The cattle andflocks are kept during the night in folds, formed by a circularwall four or five feet high, built of loose stones. The dwell-ings, indeed, consist of little more than such rude inclosures,with coarse black goat-hair canvas stretched over them.

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