WHERE THE ARK RESTED.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2742, 22 February 1910, Page 7

WHERE THE ARK RESTED.

AN INTERESTING ACCOUNT.

Captain Bertram Dickson (says the “JiJpilv Telegraph”) gave an interesting account'at a meeting of the Royal Geographical Society of some of the journev.s lie made in Kurdistan, whilst occupying tlie post of military consul at Yen.' TLe spoke chiefly < f the mountain chains in tka country east of the Tigris, known, ho said, to the ancient -Assyrians as tlie Mountains of Kain, and at other times- the. Niphates and tlie name Ararat.

"The Bible historian took the account {•? the Ark resting on Ararat from the Chaldean legend, which made it rest on the. mountains of Urartu, whilst local traditions, Christian, Moselem, and y.zidi (or devil-worshippers) alike, made it Jebel Judi, a striking, sheer rociev wail ..if ZUUUit., which frowned over Mesopotamia. Common sense, also suggested nhat, with a subsiding flood oil'the plains, a boat would more probably run aground 1 on the- high ridge at the edge of the plain rather than on a solitary peak, miles from the plains, with many higir.ranges intervening. Ho thought himself that the local tradition had the greatest element of truth. There was a large sanctuary at the top of Jebel Judi, where every year, in August, was held a great fete, attended by thousands of energetic Mos_ lerr.s, Christians, and Yezidis, who climbed the steepest, trails for 7000 ft. in the terrific summer’s lieat ? to do homage to Noah. This mountain seems to have been h-clcl sacred at all times, and certainly it had an awesome fascination about it, with its huge precipices and jagged, tangled crags, watching over tbe vast Mesopotamian plain. The lecal villagers could show one the exact spot where Noah descended; whilst in one village, Hassana, they showed his grave and the vineyard where he was reputed to have indulged overfroely in the juice of the. grape, the owner declaring .that the vines had been passed from father to son ever since.

Captain Dickson recounted some curious stories of the inhabitants of these regions, particularly the Kurds. These people, he said, claimed to be the descendants of Solomon, and, though) nominally one race, they were split up into numerous hostile clans, with little in common hut their religion, their language), and their love, of a gun and cartridges. Their internecine jealousies were stronger than tho GhristianMoslem hate. fLast year a miracle was alleged to have been performed in tlie mountains. A Kurd came to. tbe Sheilch .of Shenedinan (a certain powerful chief), and said he had a cock which had spoken on three separate occasions, saying: “Christ’s religion is the only faith.” He asked the sheikh whether he should turn Ghristain or kill the cock as an infidel. Tbe sheikh, alter much thought, decided that they must keep the cock, to see which, of Christ’s religions it said was the time religion, and in the meanwhile they would continue to be Moslems.