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 TKAVELS
IN

LITTLE-KNOWN PARTS

ASIA MINOR;
I^ITH ILLUSTRATIONS OF BIBLICAL LITERATURE
AND RESEARCHES IN ARCHAEOLOGY.

/ \
^

J. VAN LENNEP, D.D.,

' THIRTY YEARS MISSIONARY IN TURKEY.

IN TWO VOLUMES.— VoL. II.

WITH MAPS AND ILLUSTRATIONS.

LONDON:
JOHN MUERAY, ALBEMARLE STREET.
1870.

The right of 7Yan$lalion it reurved.

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L05D0K : l*BCvTia> BY W. CLOWBS AKD 60K», DLKK &TBaKT, STAYU'OBD BTKtET,
AKD CHAEINO CHOCfi.

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 CONTENTS OF VOL. II.

CHAPTER XIII.
Resumption of narrative —Case of kidnapping — Religions perse -
cution — Vice and immorality of Europeans — Expedition into
the Chamlit Del Mountains — —
Village of Keiras Interesting
ruin — Ali’s “ dam ” — Rifle competition— The plain of Art
Ova — Waylaying — Feat of horsemanship — Nature of
stags
soil— Monster —
ant-hill of Emir Oghloo — The Salep
Ya'ila

Plant — Fight with dogs — Return Tocat to Page 1

.

CHAPTER XIV.
Career, cruelties, and tragical end of Icherly Oghloo Corrupt —
practices of Government officials —
Unsuccessful bear-hunt —
The Mufti’s country house —
Erection of chapel and school 21

CHAPTER XV.
Trip to Sivas — Robbers’ Hill — Adventure of a missionary —
Highest point of the Chamlit Bel— The Star River — Village
ofKarghiin — “New room” Halil the Kiahaya — Vultures’
of
nests — Skin wild mountain goat — Plateau of Melekon —
of
Plain Sivas — Arrival
of Sivas — at —
Petrified shells Fossils
— Tertiary formations Asia Minor
of 38

CHAPTER XVI.
Description of Sivas— Unwholesome — Coal-hnntins — Start
air
hack to Tocat — Tufaceous rock — View of the Star Mountain
— Yillage of Sarh Yeri — Ascending the Star Mountain —
Heaps of boulders — The Summit — Remains a — of fort
Ancient road — View from the summit — Strabo’s description
of the mountain — Descent — Return Tocat to 67 . .
.•

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VI Contents of Volume II.

CHAPTEK XVII.
Circassian music — Bishop Keshiah
Oghloo —
Dedication of new
cliapel —Start —
Fraying places
for overland journey Villages —
of Senngut Keiiy and Tazar Keiiy —
Fountain of Chermook —
Faim of Haji Boghos Agha —
Kilziilbash labourers Swani{is —
Knz Ova
of the A — pair of somersaults — Village of Yeghin
Mnsulman —
Spirits of Turkish saints — Viliage of Chiflik —
Village of Euren Page 78

CHAPTER XVIII.
Turkish village of Beyordoo —
Flattering reception First sight —
of camels —
Hot spring and bath —
Village of Keuhneh —
Travellitis KoorJs — —
Town of Yozghat Chan»;e of muleteers
— Valley of Kamishiy Bo^liaz —
Pass of Devrend Boghaz —
Ruins of the temple and city of Fterium 94

CHAPTER XIX.
Detailed description of the ruins of Pterium — Forts —Subterranean
passage — Carved rocks— Hy[x>thesis respecting their meaning
—Arrival at Eiiyuk 112

CHAPTER XX.
Plan and description of the remains of an ancient building at Euyuk
— Sphinxes—Rock carvings —Conjectures respecting the origin
and design of the building 129

CHAPTER XXL
Town of Sungurlti— “ Arpalanmish — Orchard encampment —
”

Protestant Armenians — Village and mosque of Aghajh

Koyoonoo — FemaUs pounding wheat — Corn-pits — Salt-pans
— Villages of Kara Bekir, Yauhlti, and Izeddin — Without a
guide — Advantages and disadvantages of an guard — ofScial
Single and double-humped camels — Cotton culture — Mode of
providing fuel —Construction of chimneys — Presentation of
relifi .A .. .. .. .. .. .. .. lia

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 Contents of Volume II. Yii

CHAPTER XXII.
Village of Yozghat — Antique marbles — Angora goats — Village of
Orta Ketiy — Manure — Feast on apples — Description of
fuel
Angorai— Catholic Armenians — Beligious persccntion — History
of Angora —Deserted honses — Armenian monastery and ceme -

tery — List of Europeans buried there — Persecution of Protes -

tants — Peculiar atmospheric phenomena — The Protestants of

Angora — Seligious —Aservice converted Turk — Ruins of
Castle — Temple of Augustus Page 169

CHAPTER XXITT.
Continnation of journey — Villages of Balh Kooyoomjoo and Chifiik
— — Turkmen summer-houses — Sakaria
Petrified shells river
— Villages of Orta Keuy and Hortoo — Lazy mnlctecrs —
Black — Village
sienite Hissar — Dyeing of Skins —
of Sivri
Trialsof the Christian population — Physical — features ^Village
of Balahissar — Ruins of ancient buildings — The Angora
goat — Knins of and
castle — Sculptures — Night-
theatre
travelling— Tents nomad Turkmen — Turkmen
of of village
Baghliija 193

CHAPTER XXIV.
The inhabitants of BaghKija — Ancient sculptures — Bad conduct
of the muleteers — Wandering without a guide — Wildness
of the country— Volcanic region — Village — Ka- of Sei'diler
turaltower — Town of Eski Karahissar — Wells — Arrival at
Afion Karahisaar — Position of the town — More trouble with
servantg — Horse -hiring — A reforming Caimacam — Culti -

vation the poppy — The Whirling Dervishes — Ancient

of
monumepts and — Turkish
sculptitres Balmamood —
village of
t'he broad-tailed sheep — Four-homed sheep 218

CHAPTER XXV,
Departure from Balmamood —
Kew servants and companions —
Forest on fire —
Ride in the dark —
Village of Chiflik The —
Sabbath rest — Manufacture of opium — Bactrian Camel —

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Vlll Contents of Volume II.

Village of Mam Keuy — Valonea oaks — Bozghoor Village of

— Town Ooshak — Manufacture
of — of carpeta Geological
formation — Geunch — A
Village of — Village of robbers’ trap
Muzuk — River Hermus — Former Perch Bey — residence of a
Bridge over the Hermus — Arrival Suriy eh Pape 245 at ..

CHAPTER XXYL
Plateau of lava — Ship Gorge — Composition of the —
Tlie soil

Town Koola — Old volcano — Kind

of — Public reception wells
— Mounted guard — Volcano Kara Devlit — Cavak Dereh
of
Pass — Plain Philadelphia — Mountain range
of Tmolus of
— Village Derasily — The Kooza
of — — Cliay Salihly
Village — Turkish
politicians — Enins —
pictures of Sardis
Town Cassaba
of — Water supply — Roman aqueduct — Build-
ingg — Tameness the and
of —
storks ring-doyes Articles of
commerce — Kif — Mount Sipylus — View the
Cliay of
Plain and Gulf Smyrna — Home again
of 270

CHAPTER XXVIL
Visit to the Statue ofNiobe- — Region of Mount Sipylua — Valley
of Nymphio ;
abode of the “ Divine Nymphs ” — Distant view
of the stone image — Erroneous impressions of travellers con-
cerning it — Appearance of the statue on a close view —
Dimensiona and description — The “ tears of Niobe ” —
Tradi -
tion respecting — Evidence
the Statue of ancient writers —
Suggested explanation — Agreement with the Greek legend —
Visit to the Monument — ascent — Hcro-
of Sesostris Difficult
dotus’ description—Petum Nymphio— Unsuccessful attempt
to
at exaction —Palace of the liyzantine Emperors .. ,, 300

Appesdix A; Orthography of Oriental Words .. 327

Appendix B : Hypsometrical Observations 328
 ILLUSTKATIONS TO VOL. II.

PAOK
Ancient Temple at Euyuk Frontispiece.

The Mufti’s country-house near Tocat 35

Star Moimtain 63
Plan of Fort on Star Mountain 70
Summit of Star Mountain ib.

Buins of Fort on the summit of Star Mountain 72

Hot Spring, near Keuhneh 99
Plan of Position of Carved Rocks at Pterium 116
Carvings on Rock G 118
Carvings on Rocks E and F 119
Carving on Rock I 120
Carving on Rock L 121
Carvings oh right side of Passage 122
Carvings on left side of Passage 123
Plan of Ancient Building at Euyuk 131
Carvings at Euyuk ( blocks F and Gl) 134
Carvings on blocks D and E 136
Carvings on blocks A, B, C 138
Carvings on block G2 140
Carvings on block H 141
Carvings on blocks I, J 143
Side View of Carving on block K 144
Front View of block K 145
Sculptured Lion at Yozghat 171
Ancient Carved Lion at Angora 190
Ancient Column at Angora 191

VOL. II. b

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X Illustrations to Volume II.

FACE

Stone Houses with roofing of Hay 200

Teftik or Angora Goat with Hair shorn 209
liuins of ancient Theatre at Pessinus 212
Ancient Carving at Pessinus 213
Tent of nomad Turkmen 216
Mutilated Sculpture at Baghluja 220
Village of Seidiler, and Natural Tower with Battlements .. 226
Cones of Pumice Stone, near Seidiler 227
Head of Medusa : Marble Sculpture at Afion Karahissar .. 236
Garamania Sheep, as shorn at Afion Karahissar 238
Caraniania Sheep, unshorn 241
Caramania Sheep, completely shorn, showing the form of the
Tail 242
Four-horned Sheep 244
Male Bactrian Camel 251
Bridge over the Hermus 267
Town and Volcano of Koola, with public Well 276
Volcano of Kara Devlit 278
Specimen of Turkish Painting 284
Distant View of Smyrna and its Gulf 297
Statue of Niobe 308

MAPS FOR VOLUME I.

1. Country between Samsoon and Tocat 61

2. The Kaz Ova 113
3. Country between Tocat and Niksar 322

AWtreviattons on the Maps.

K. is userl for Keuy (village). K.B. is used for Kuztdbash.

T. „ „ Turkish. A. „ „ Armenian.
G. is used for Greek.
 —

TRAVELS IS ASIA MINOR

CHAPTEE XIII.

Resumption of narrative —
Case of kidnapping — Religious perse-
cution —
Vice and immorality of Europeans — Expedition into
the Cbamlii Bel Mountains — of Keiras — Interesting
A^illage
ruin — Ali’s“dam” — competition — The plain of Art
Rifle
Ova — Waylaying stags — Feat of horsemanship — Nature of
soil— Monster —
ant-hill of Emir Oghloo — The Salep
V^aila
Plant — Fight with dogs — Return to Tocat.

E now resume the narrative of our visit at Tocat,

’ ’
which has met with a long interruption for the

purpose of initiating the reader not only into the history

of missionary labours in this place, but also into the
general character and condition of the people of Asia
iMiuor. We left off the story of our travels upon our
arrival at Tocat, from Constantinople and Samsoon,
after a six days’ overland journey by way of Amasia.

Here are a few extracts from my Journal :

May 20th . —Several of the chief Armenians of the

town have applied to me to use my influence in a case

of not unfrequent occurrence in this land. There

is an Armenian girl of fifteen, whose widowed mother
has a very doubtful reputation, and whose own conduct
has not heretofore been above blame. This girl has
VOL. II. B

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2 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XIII.

fallen in love with a young Turk, and she has expressed

her intention to turn Mohammedan for the purpose of

marrying him. Thereupon she was kidnapped from her

mother’s house, and with the consent of the latter, by
our old friend Haji 3Iardiros Agha, now the first chor-

lajy * of the Armenians, who keeps her in confinement

but as she persists in her determination to renounce her
religion, he will be compelled to let her go. The
Armenians, clergy and jwople, have employed every
means in their power in order to induce this girl not to

abjure the religion of her fathers. They have worked

upon her conscience and her fears of hell and purgatory ;

tliey have promised to marry her to a handsome young

Christian, with plenty of money for her dowry ;
but all

in vain. She doubtless knows that they do not intend

to keep their word. On the other hand, she does not
“
know, poor thing, that her beau ideal ” is quite likely
to divorce her in six months, or less. But ‘•'love is

blind.” And now these people come to me, hoping

that I may be able to induce the Turkish authorities
not to allow this marriage to take place. I told them
it was wholly out of my power. I added that this

occurrence was the natural result of their mode of

bringing up their cliildren, and of the example they

sot thcnij and for my own part I should not much
• Chorhajy lueaiiH, literally, a soui>m.al:er ;
it is tlie only title

which Turks will consent to give to Christians in the room of Mr.,

keeping for their own exclusive use those of Agha, ElTcndi, &c. Though
the word chorhajy cannot pro]x;rly be said to retain its original

meaning, it would yet be a mortal offence to apply it to a Turk.

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Chap. XIII.] Religions Persecution, 3

regret to see all such people embrace a religion

whose licentious tenets accord with their own im-

moral lives.

22rad. —The following case has lately come under my

notice. It illustrates the kind of persecution now pre-
valent all over the empire toward those whose minds
have become too much enlightened any longer to practise
the superstitious obsen-ances of Eastern Christianity, as
well as the manner in which the clergy succeed in enforc-
ing obedience to the antiquated precepts of their Church.
When we left this place in 1801 to visit America, there
was hero a young Greek, twenty years of age, who was
a member of the Evangelical Church. Finding he
could not make a living by labouring at his trade as a

saddle-maker, he had just begun to learn the carpenter’s

business, which was mucli more promising; but finding
no one in Tocat Avilling to teach him, he went to Sivas
aud bound himself as an apprentice to a skilful Pro-

testant carpenter. Having served his apprenticeshijr /-

he returned to Tocat, aud remained live months abso-

lutely without w'ork, owing to his being a Protestant

and to the prohibitions of the clergy. Compelled by

starvation, he outwardly conformed to the Greek
Church, and has found plenty of work ever since. He
now openly declares that he has not changed his views
in the least, and proclaims himself a Protestant ; but
he is obliged to go to the Greek church, and to keep
away from the Evangelical preaching: moreover his

relatives hope to secure his complete reformation by

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4 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. Xlll.

marrying him to a pretty young girl who has no leaven

of truth in her heart.
2^rd .
— It seems strange to find that Europeans,
brought up under more or less of Christian influence and
amid an atmosphere of virtue and morality, so frequently

become vicious and immoral as soon as they lose the

restraints of home. We have had here, for several

years past, a few persons who were considered very
respectable in Europe and at Constantinople, but who
have while here made the name of Frank a by-word for

lewdness and immorality. The only way in which we

can mitigate the reproach in such cases, is to point out

the fact that these people are Eoman Catholics, and

their manners only correspond to those of the Armeno-
Catholic priests liere, who are their Father-confessors,
and whose reputations are such that no respectable man
of their own religion will allow his wife to confess to

them unless he is present. It is, however, difficult to

know what course to pursue toward these stranger's : we

ov e them the rites of hospitality ;
but in thus doing our
duty the people deem us their friends, and think we
approve of their lives.

30<A. — The young men of our party have been

begging for an expedition into the Chamlu Bel Moun-
tains close by, in the hope of coming across some stag,

or other beast of the forest. The season is altogether

too far gone. The nomadic tribes are already far up
on the mountain, with their herds, flocks, and tents, and
they must have frightened away the poor game into the

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Chap. XIII.] H renting Expedition. 5

most inaccessible recesses. Yet, as this region has never

been explored by a European, and the work upon the
chapel and school can proceed for the present without
my superintendence, I have decided upon an absence of
nearly a week. Every preparation being joyfully made,
and taking lus guide our old friend Ali, the Turkish
mountain sportsman of bear and stag celebrity, we
started this morning at 5’45. Our direction was south,

through the beautiful valley where lies the usual winter

road to Sivas by the Art Ova and Yeni Khan. This
charming valley, scarcely a mile in width, is extremely
fertile, being tilled with gardens, orchards, and culti-

vated fields of barley, Indian corn, and tobacco, with

melon and cucumber patches ;
it is watered by a
stream flowing through the centre, under a con-
tinuous hower of trees and climbing vines. The
mountains on both sides rise to a height of full a
thousand feet, and appear quite as fertile and produc-
tive, for the most part, as the valley itself. We reached
the Turkish village of Keiras at G'I5. It is a collec-
tion of miserable stone huts with flat roofs, indicating

wretchedness in man amid the rich productions of nature.

It possesses a flour-mill; walnut-trees are abundant,

and vegetation profuse. A portion of the water of this

stream is turned off at the head of the valley into a

canal which runs along the western slope, and supplies
most of the city by means of pipes running down from
the canal to the houses. The eastern portion of Tocat
is similarly supplied with a canal, fed by a fine

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 a

6 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XIII.

spring issuing from im:ler a great rock higli up on

the hills whicli bound the valley eastward. The rest

of the water in the valley stream feeds several mills, and

is used in the copper foundry ;
but there is not enough
to keep the establishment at work during the summer
months. At 7 the valley became very narrow —
mere gorge, with the sti eam at the bottom, and scarcely
room on its margin for the road. On the opposite
bank lies a natural cave, in the perpendicular lime-
stone, where the wild pigeons make their nests. Here
the strata of the rock offer the most extraordinary
contorsions, showing that the region has been subjected
to powerful volcanic influences ;
this is further proved
by the occurrence of trap rock. There are several flour-

mills here, at short distances from each other, owing to

the rapid inclination of the ground. The very last in

the gorge is occupied by a Protestant miller, whom I

had not yet seen, and who, spying us from far, joyfully
ran out to meet us. His demonstrations of gladness and
affection appeared somewhat unusual to my companions.
At this place a narrow path climbs the hills to the
right, leading to Greek villages in that direction. At
7’bO we reached the bridge at the head of the valley,
and crossing it, continued straight on. A road here
runs off to the left, taking a south-easterly course, and
leading into the mountains; some people go by it to
Sivas, and we returned this way from our present trip.
There is near this road, and barely fifteen minutes’ ride
from the bridge, a very interesting ruin which I visited

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Chap. XIII.] Interesting Ruin. 7

several years ago, and which I will now stop a moment

to describe. It crowns an isolated limestone rock, some
500 yards long and 100 wide, and has an elevation of
about 200 feet in its highest part. The hillock has an
irregular rectangular form, with perpendicular and inap-
proachable faces on the south-west, north-west, and north-
east. On the latter is cut out a plain tomb, which it would
require a very long ladder to reach : it is open, and must
be empty. The summit of the hillock appears to have
been occupied as the area of a castle or small fortified

town, for one can yet easily trace the remains of a

strong wall along the only side which is rendered acces-
sible by the sloping surface ; but the ruins within are
so completely destroyed that no conjecture can now be
formed of the nature of the buildings once standing
there. There is, however, just such a tunnel as I

have described in speaking of the ancient fortifications

of Amasia and Tocat ;
it points down deep into the

rock, at an angle of 45°, and the steps are in a better

state of preservation than those of the others. This
fortification defended an important pass out of Pontus
into Cappadocia, at the time when that kingdom still

maintained its independence; just as the fortress of

Tocat seems originally to have merely been a fort to hold
the important pass it commands, for it is not probable
there was any town there as long as Comnena Pontica
flourished, distant two leagues only up the Iris.
”
At 9‘15 we reached the “ dam of Ali, our guide.
There was once a village here, but it is in ruins. Ali
 ;

8 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XIII.

”
owns these fields, and keeps a “ dam or stable in
repair, in which he stays with his cattle at the time of
ploughing and harvest. These fields being at a con-
siderable elevation on the mountain, and moreover
isolated, with the primeval forest close by, his crops
are very often devoured by the wild boars and stags,
and even beam not unfrequently come down in the night

to get a meal. Being a Muslem, he cannot eat the

former, and kills them in pure self-defence, though he
sometimes succeeds in selling one to some Christian, who
carries it off, if he can reach it before the sharp-scented
vultures have feasted upon it. I once came here in
search of game at the season when meat is scarce in town
I well remember that we hauled a wild boar, w’e had
killed, up into a tree, out of the reach of the wolves and
foxes ;
but when my messenger an’ived with a horse to
carry it away, he found that the vultures had already
eaten so much of it that the remainder was not worth
removing. Since then I have followed the practice of
dragging our game home upon the snow, which is easily

done, Tocat being situated upon a much lower level.

We stopped here by a fine stream of water to eat break-

fast. While thus engaged, the men who had charge of
our horses began to brag of their shooting powers and
the quality of their guns ; so they set up a mark on tlie

other side of the ravine, at a distance of 150 yards.

The boasters missed it, but Ali hit it at .the first shot,

and w'e were all greatly amused to see a large hare start

up from a bush only a couple of yards from the mark

Chap. XIII.] Circassian Settlers. 9

they bad been trying to hit Our would-be great

shots had no end of jokes cracked upon them in conse-

quence; it was said their bullets instinctively sought

the hare, &c. I had one of Sharjfs breech-loading rifles

with me, and challenges were made to try it against

the rifle of one of the men. I consented to do so,

provided the mark were placed at least 300 yards

off; and the result of my firing was such that the
other party refused to take his turn. The top of
the hill we soon afterwards reached was formerly occu-
pied by a single guard-house, but the place has now
been given up to a number of Circassian families. The
air is good, but we saw very few signs of industry ;
only
a few fields were cultivated by them. As they show no
inclination to break up tbe fallow ground, their only
resource, when the allowance now paid them by the
Government comes to an end, will be to take forcible
possession of the fields of their Christian neighbours, as
they have begun to do elsewhere ;
or to levy black-mail,

for which their position upon this main road is admirably

adapted. Their fields are uot fenced off with stone walls,
like those of other people; they are protected by a
slight fence, made mostly of wild cypress or fir sticks.

There were several graves separated by the road from

the village, and surrounded by similar fences, only more
solidly constructed. The only monuments raised within

these enclosures are stout sticks planted upright, one at

the head and another at the foot of the graves. It is

said that these Circassians do little as yet for their

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 ;

10 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. xill.

support. They are mostly slaveholders, and their slaves

are expected to work for them ; they have hitherto

been supported to some extent by the Government,
but more by the sale of their slaves’ children, both boys
and girls, which are purchased by Muslems.
The rock about here is sandstone. After leaving
the village wo went down to a fine stream and fountain,
shaded by a large tree. We reached Finezeh at 1-30 r.M.
This is a Kuzulbash village of fifteen houses, in a very
dilapidated and ruinous condition. We pitched our
tent on the grassy lawn, and were soon stretched upon
our bearskins, sipping the never-failing and ever-
welcome cup of tea. The plain of Art Ova spreads out
southward, growing constantly wider, and covered with
unbroken fields of grain or pastures for cattle. The
villages, mostly Armenian, seem from this jwint to be
thickly scattered over it, and in several of them the
church is a prominent building, rendered visible from a
great distance by being whitewashed. I have repeatedly
crossed this plain in several directions, as well as
skirted it on its western edge. It is fertile everywhere,
but apt to be a little swampy in the centre
though very productive now, its soil might easily be
turned to much better account. The usual road to
Sivas crosses it from north to south near the western
edge, and going right over the Chamlu Bel, passes
by Yeni Khan, a large village composed of two dis-

tinct portions, the one Turkish, and the other Chris-

tian, separated by a small stream and bridge. The
 Chap. XIII.] The Plain of Art Ova. ii

Christian village i.s, as usual, the more prosperous of

the two.
•
Looking round from our tent-door in front of Finezeh,

in a direction 0[){)osite to that of the Art Ova, we could

see Dinar, a Kuzulbash village, lyiug near the edge of
the plain to the north-east of us, and about two miles
distant. On the east of us, and at about the same
distance, are hills, u'hich we visited, of hard red con-
glomerate, containing many pebbles of red and blue
jasper. The plain contains gypsum near its edge under
the soil, and it is dug out and carried to Tocat. In the
evening Ali came to tell us that he intended to spend
the night on the edge of a small salt-marsh or spring
near by, for the purpose of w'atching for stags. Game
has now retreated to the depths of the forests, both on
account of the flocks which are leaving the plains and
going up the mountains, and because the flies are
beginning to trouble them. But there are isolated
springs of brackish or salt water, called ChooraJc, which
these animals seek with great avidity, and frequent,
even in the immediate neighbourhood of villages, as
in the present case; the native sportsmen kill more
stags by waylaying them there than in any other way.
The Choorak in this instance was hardly two miles
from the village. The young men were extremely
anxious to go, but I would not consent on account of
the cold nights at this elevation. Ali went about mid-
night. He hid in some bushes on the edge of the
spring, and towards dawn, having fallen asleep, he was

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12 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XIII.

suddenly awakened by a sort of grunt a few steps from

him, followed by the sound of retreating footsteps. We
examined the ground in the morning, and found that a
good-sized buck had come within a few yards of him,
and then beat a ha.sty retreat across the field, where
his tracks were deeply impressed in the soft soil. Ali
would not have been caught napping but for the fatigues

of the preceding day.

Tuesday, 31s<. — Struck tent and started at 6'15.

Wasted some time in trying to get possession of a fine

specimen of the black stork, which was enjoving a

gourmand's breakfast of frogs in the stream. Crossed
over a hillock into a charming little valley filled with
orchards of fruit-trees and fields of maize, and watered
by a gushing stream which descends from tlie mountain
to the E.N.E. Flowers were blooming in profusion on
every side, and we could readily have yielded to the
temptation to stop here awhile.Went up the valley
along a well-shaded path until we reached, at 7-15,
a flour-mill built up the stream ;
we found tliat we
were proceeding in a wrong direction, and, crossing the
river, we turned up the opposite hill and took a steep
and rocky road, leading right up the mountain, tlirough
forests of pine, wild cypress,and fir, with a precipitous
ravineupon our right, at the bottom of which we heard,
and occasionally caught a glimpse of a mountain-
torrenttumbling over the rocks. The scenery was
thoroughly Alpine and truly enchanting. The tongues
of all were loosened ; one after another of the party sang

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 ;

Chap. XII 1 .] Feat of Horsemanship. 13

hi.s favourite ditty, or his “song of home,” and finally

came a grand chorus. One of the party had fully made

up his mind that he could never learn to ride on horse-
back, and to prove his assertion he was wont to relate
various narrow escapes and actual tumbles, some of
which were sufficiently ludicrous. Not content with
this, he had exhibited his prowess the day before on
the Kuzul Enish ;
for he rode a steed whose full,

luxuriant tail trailed upon the ground, while the mane,

reaching almost as low, nearly hid the head and face
of the animal. Our knight, anxious to secure the
greatest amount of comfort, had arranged himself upon
the top of soft cushions, scientifically strajjped, with a
complete arrangement of saddle-bags, cloaks, changes of
garments, gun in its case, and pistols, and was, more-

over, fully rigged after the most approved stylo of high-

topped boots, silver spurs, and broad wooden stirrups,

“ a I’Americaine.” We were all progressing with due
order and solemnity, gazing with admiration at the
ingenuity and ready resources of our knight, when, as
luck would have it, a fly of the “ worser ” sort broke
upon the quiet of the scene by stinging the otherwise
gentle steed to the quick. In an instant the whole
scene was changed ; our knight disappeared in a cloud
of dust and horse-hair, with here and there a protrud-
ing limb at various angles of elevation, while from
the chaotic mass issued half-smothered cries of “ Whoa,
whoa — stop him — whoa!” Several jumped off their

horses and rushed to the rescue ;

quiet soon returned

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14 Travels in Asia Minor, [Chap. Xlll,

our knight emerged safe and sound, but half over on

one side, desperately holding on to the frout and back
of the saddle. The adventure now became the theme
of comment and song; a parody of a popular ballad
was soon manufactured, and peal after peal of laughter
echoed through the mountain-gorge. I must however
add, for the comfort of future aspirants to the noble
art of riding, that this same knight soon came to be eo
much at home in the saddle, that he took to sewing
while riding, and actually made a fine cap-cover of
the “Havelock” pattern, which I hope he will long
preserve as a reminiscence of our rides upon the
Chamlu Bel.
Our direction was eastward. We rose higher and
still higher on the rocky path, and our pack-horse
dropped his load, thus delaying us nearly half an hour.
The rock, which had all along been a red conglomerate,
turned, soon after we began our steep ascent, to a hard
crystalline stone, resembling trap, but of a lighter
colour. I first con.sidered it of volcanic origin ;
but
upon more careful and extensive examination found it

to be greenish shales hardened, probably by volcanic

agency, so as frequently to resemble trap ou the one
hand, and serpentine on the other. The whole moun-
tain appears to be composed of this rock, with the

occasional occurrence of a little limestone, and it extends

as far as the red sandstone and tertiary formations of

the Sivas basin. Its resemblance to serpentine in

places would lead me to suspect a closer affinity

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Chap. XIII.] Sjimmer Feeding Grounds. 15

between the two rocks tlian is generally acknowledged.

My former experience of the fertility of soil formed
from argilaceous shales was confirmed upon this moun-
tain. For it is an unbroken forest, with artificial

clearings, with the exce])tion of a few circumscribed

patches where the limestone occurs, and which are

mostly barren. The natural beauties of the vegetable
world were truly exhilarating. The pines were in full

bloom, but the blossoms seemed shorter and rounder

than usual. There was not much rmderbrush, and the
occasional small clearings were covered with tall grass.
After reaching a certain height we rode mostly upon
an even level until we came to the Yaila, of Emir
Oghloo; yaila means a feeding-ground for cattle. It

is a plateau at a great elevation on the mountain,

cleared of forest, of an undulating surface, and covered
with abundant grass, where the people of some of the
villages below come up to spend several w'eeks of the
w’armest summer weather, bringing their flocks with
them to give them better feeding and save them from
the flies, while at the same time they clear their own
persons of village vermin. The plateau is of a circular
form, with a northern exposure ;
it has the summit of
Kurju Dagh, one of the Chumlu Bel peaks, at its back on
the south. There are two fine springs of water here, by
the side of one of which still stand the booths occupied by
the villagers during their residence. We preferred the
vicinity of the other, “ for obvious reasons,” and pitched
our tent under a spreading pine. We found a variety

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i6 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XIII.

of mountain flowers, and, while wandering about, came

upon a monster ant-hill, the largest any of us had seen
in Asia -Minor ;
it was built aro\ind the decayed stump
of a pine-tree, and was made of dry pine-leaves. The
occupants were the common black ants, and the mound
measured 3 feet in height, and the same in diameter.

Its size probably adapts it to the snows which lie long

on this mountain. We had, however, as yet found no

snow anywhere, nor was it visible on any of the heights

in view. The we met with upon this trip lay in a
little

deep ravine under thick pine-trees we came upon it the

;

following day. These yailas each belong to the people

of particular villages, whether by common consent or
otherwise, I could not ascertain. They generally bear
tlie name of the village to which they belong. Thus
the yaila of Emir Oghloo is summer grazing place
the
of the people of the village of Emir Oghloo. They
live there in booths, which they repair when they go
up. Hence villages are often found completely deserted

by their inhabitants, w'ho have gone to their yai'Ias, or

summer residences. This, however, occurs only when

the occupation of the people is chiefly pastoral. In
some cases a portion of the inhabitants go to the moun-
tain, while others remain to watch the neighbouring
crops. The* nomadic Kurds have no yailas, properly
speaking. They begin to move early, and get to the

mountain plateaus by the time the warm weather begins.

But they always live in moveable tents, and they are
not permitted to intrude upon the village yailas.

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Chap. XIII.] Tracking Game. I'j

Our sportsmen had left us early on our ascent up the

mountain, and had gone round in various directions,
'•
beating ” the different ravines : they met us at theyaifa
in the afternoon, and reported that there was not a
track of deer to be seen anywhere. The game had
doubtless moved farther on, this portion of the moun-
tain having already been invaded by woodcutters and
herdsmen, whose foot-marks were but too evident. We
therefore decided to move on without loss of time.
We struck tent accordingly and started off at 5-45, going
south over the crest of the mountain, and descending
on the other side through primeval pines into a deep
ravine. We had not gone far before we came upon
fresh tracks of stags ;
those of wild boars occurred at
almost every step. Having reached the bottom of the

ravine, we went up on the other side to the yaila of

Geuveshmeh, lying in a position very similar and

parallel to that of Emir Oghloo. Ali had left us before
going into the stream, and had taken to the right,
following the fresh tracks of the deer. We reached
the yaila just in time to hear the report of his gun,
and to see two fine antlered stags running up the hill

at the top of their speed. They had unfortunately got

the wind of the sportsman, and they were already too
far when Ali saw them, and sent them a random and
ineffectual shot. Our yaila is a fine undulating
plateau, covered with tall grass, and furnished with
good springs of water. No booths remain in sight.
The evening being very cold, and gnats abundant, we
VOL. II. c

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1 8 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. xill.

dragged together several pine-trees whidi, having long

been cut, were very dry and full of pitch, and lighted
lour great fires, which were soon roaring, and burned
vigorously throughout the night.
June ls<. —We were very warm in the tent, but there
being no room for our faithful Carabed, he dared not
lie down on account of the cold, and kept on his feet
all niglit. The other men slept by the fires. In the
morning we divided our forces into several parties, and
all started off at five, taking different directions, to look
after the long-sought game. I went with Ali upon the
tracks of the deer he had missed the evening before.
We were at fii-st em eloped in a thick fog, but managed
to make our way through the dripping trees and wet
grass, meeting many tracks, some of last night. We
also found a fresli bear’s track going up a bank ;
the
wild boars’ tracks were veiy abundant. Went over
much ground, mostly througli the forest, and up and
down steep ravines, and breakfasted by the cold brook
on bread and cold chicken. Ileturned to the tent at 10,

empty handed, and found that tlie rest, like ourselves,

reported only tracks. We concluded that last night’s

shot, and our blazing fires, had pushed the game farther

back into the mountains; indeed, the fresh marks of

flocks and herds were already seen amoiig those of
game, so that we had doubtless only come upon the
very last of these. The sun had now come out quite
hot, and wo made our preparations to leave for home.
This place is said to lie ten hours from Tocat by the

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Chap. XIII.] The Salep Plant. 19

route we have pursued ;

there is a more direct and
shorter road over the mountains, by which we propose
to return ;
we shall saye one hour, in spite of all the

irre;^ularities of the ground.

June 2nd . — Saw for the first time the Salep plant,
which is now in bloom. The root is about an inch in
diameter, and irregularly globular ;
it is much used
throughout Turkey made into a drink, being hawked
about hot in every city early in the morning during the
winter. There are regular salep hunters, who collect it in

the mountains at certain seasons of the vear ; it is dried

and reduced to powder, and makes a mucilaginous and
sweetish drink, w hich is deemed beneficial to sore throats.

I had stopped to pull up salep roots, when the young

men of the party, impatient to get on, pushed forward
and proceeded across a barren ya'da where several
Koordish tents were pitched close to the road. Wo
heard barking and voices, and, hastening forward, found
our companions had been set upon by a number of
splendid watch dogs, which paid no attention to the whips
but appeared determined to fight. One of the largest
bit my boy Willie in the foot, his teeth going through
the stout leather. Seeing their owners indifferent, and
having even heard some of them exciting and setting
the dogs on, I hastened forward, and in the thickest
of the “melee” shot one of the finest animals in
the leg. The people then poured out of their

tents, and showered imprecations upon us; but they

were all women and old men ;
had the young men

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20 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. xill.

been at home, we could not have got away without

trouble. Ali and the other natives soon came up
and resorted to the usual device of making up a
story that I was a great Consul from somewhere.;
so the matter was “ quashed.” All the people who
own dogs in this country think they have a right to ,

allow or even encourage the creatures to worry

passers by, much as they like for if a dog is
as ;

killed they may claim a fabulous price for it from

the nearest authorities. As we had two dogs with us,

we were liable to continual annoyance, especially on
entering a town. In some cases, when out upon the
road, we frightened away the dogs by running our
horses at them, or even firing a random pistol shot.
But we finally adopted the expedient of tying a long
and powerful leather thong to the end of our whips,
and as soon as any dog came in sight, we took the
aggressive. Our horses became so used to it, that
they ran at a dog as soon as they saw him ;
and our
dogs learned to take shelter among the horses; we
found that no dog, however savage, would stand more
than one well-laid blow from such a whip.
After three hours’ riding we passed under the ancient
fortress already described, which lay on our right, and
reached the bridge at 5'30, when we came to the road
by which we had started on this trip. On reaching
Tocat we had the gratification to find a bulky mail-bag
waiting for us ;
my own shai-e consisted of sixteen
letters, besides newspapers.

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Chap. XIV.] Icherly Oghloo. 21

CHAPTER XIV.

and tragical end of Icherly Oghloo

Career, cruelties, —
Corrupt
practices of Government officials —
Unsuccessful bear-hunt —
The Mufti’s country house —
Erection of chapel and school.

^OCAT, June Wth . — I learned to-day the tragical

close of the infamous career of Icherly Oghloo,

the noted chief of banditti, who has for many years

past been the terror of this whole region. It is

truly worth recording as characteristic of the state of

the country. He was quite a young man, not over
twenty-five at the time of his death, a fine-looking
fellow, extremely powerful and athletic, but brutal and
often the worse for liquor. He belonged to a wealthy
and highly respectable Turkish family of Herek, the
chief town in the Tash Ova. The Turks of the Tash
Ova are noted for their fanatical hatred of Christians
and Jews, as well as for their spirit of independence,

and the Government have never succeeded in destroying

their old habit of constantly carrying arms upon their
persons; even boys of ten and twelve have a loaded
pistol in their belts; nor are they lotli to use them
upon the slightest provocation, whether real or imagi-

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22 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XIV.

nary, particularly towards the unarmed Eayahs. Icherly

Oghloo has had it all his own way in that entire district
for many years past ;
he has not allowed the Govern-
ment officers to collect the taxes, and has made it up to

the people by levying contributions at his option. He

had a band of eighty to one hundred men, perfectly
devoted to him and skilful in the use of arms, with

whom he roamed about, stopping travellers, and punish-

ing with death the slightest resistance. At the same
time he usually resided in his own fine house in Herek,
and outward appearances were kept up by his fre-

quenting the Mejlis or Provincial Council, of which he

liad been appointed a member on the usual principle of
the Turkish Government of courting the goodwill of
offenders too strong to be punished. The Muslems
generally had a high opinion of him ;
for he pro-
fessed to be a bigot himself, and exercised his heartless

cruelty mostly upon Christians. Several Pashas had

been sent with troops against him, but he had alw'ays
succeeded in either avoiding or bribing them. He had
for some time past felt unusual security from the fact
that the post of Pasha of Sivas, upon whom depends
the district of the Tash Ova, was held by his own
uncle, who favoured him in secret ;
this had given him
gi’cater boldness, and the country was groaning under
his yoke. Among the many well-authenticated deeds
of cruelty related of him, the following will serve as a

specimen of the monster. He was married, during

our residence in Tocat, to a young girl of very
Chap. XIV.] Icherly Ogklods Cruelties, 23

respectable family, and well do we remember the

rejoicings and feastings on the occasion. Yet he soon
got tired of her, and kept a paramour, who, wearied
out by his brutality, succeeded in escaping to parts
unknown. He heard that she was secreted in a Greek
village ;
this was not true, but he suddenly made his

ajjpearance in the place with several of his band,

during the absence of the men, who had gone to
reap some fields situated higlr on the mountain. He
immediately ordei’ed a search in every house, and as
the person he sought could not be found, he wreaked
his vengeance upon the defenceless Greek women by
ordering his bandits to seize every one of them, and in
his presence horribly mutilate them ! Their husbands
and brothers vowed revenge, and obtaining from Con-
stantinople a fii’inan authorizing them to kill the
miscreant wherever found, they had for a whole year
watched and waylaid him for the purpose; but he
kept so thoroughly upon his guard, that they finally
gave ujr the attempt.
In 1801 he came one day to Tocat, though perfectly
aware that he was an outlaw. He very coolly called
upon the Governor, Mejlis, and principal people of the
town, who dared not receive him otherwise than with
marked attention. The whole military force of the
place amounted to about a dozen zdbtiehs or jwlice
officers, and it was known that his band held all the
roads leading out of the town, and were determined
to pillage it or even set it on fire upon the slighte.st

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* 24 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XIV.

offence to their chief. An Armenian friend brought

liim to me and introduced him. hinting that in such a

land, it is well to be on good terms with such people

I coni 1 not appreciate the force of the argument, but,

yielding to curiosity, received him with attention and

had a long conversation with him. He seemed stupe-

fied by drink, his eyes looking dull and heavy, and it

was difficult to make him talk. He finally, however,

awoke from his lethargy, and closely questioned me
re.specting the possibility of escaping out of the country.

He had with him a young man whose eye was sharp

and restless, and who is reported to be a first-rate
marksman. They both wore suits of scarlet broad
cloth richly embroidered with gold thread, and were

thoroughly armed. He tried hard to get possession of

my Colt’s revolver, but I declined parting with it. I pro-

posed to sketch his portrait ;

he sharply asked, “ Do
you intend to send it to Constantinople?” I said,
“ No, I shall send it to our friends in America, in order
to let them see what fine-looking men there are out
here.” He was evidently pleased with the compli-
ment, and was immediately upon his feet, ready to be
sketched. When he was taking his leave, I asked
him for his cane as a memento of his visit, and he
readily gave it ;
it is a club of hard wood, ornamented
with an inscription bearing his name and commending
him to the Divine favour ;
there is no doubt it has seen
service.

Icherly Oghloo finding himself constantly watched

Chap- XIV.] Icherly Oghlods Capttcre. 25

and waylaid by men who sought to avenge their wrongs,

resolved u|)on a pilgrimage to Mecca. He therefore, as

is customary in such cases, sent out criers to inform all

who had money claims upon him, to come and get

their pay. He was riding one afternoon in the plain
of Niksar, when his companion, the young man we had
seen with him at Tocat, laughingly observed that, now
he was going to be a llaji, he must reform somewhat.
He did not relish the remark. They stopped that night
at a village hut, and while his companions were lying
asleep around the fire, he drew his pistol, and placing
the end of the barrel upon the young man’s temple,
blew out his brains. He never went to Mecca.
Upon the accession of the new Sultan, Abdool-Aziz,
he talked of surrendering to the authorities in the hope
of being treated with greater leniency ;
but before he
accomplished his purpose, if he ever really contemplated
it, he was apprehended in the following manner. A
new Pasha having been appointed to Sivas, he charged
with the business an old experienced zahtieh who pro-

posed to employ craft, assuring the Pasha that force

alone would be unavailing. He went to Herek with
some documents which needed the signature of the

Mejlis of that place, of which Icherly Oghloo was still

a member ;
at the same time, he engaged the services
of a number of resolute Circassians, settled near by,
who were acciderdaHy to be present in the Council

Chamber at the same moment, armed as usual, under

pretence of a claim which the Council had already

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26 Tj'avds hi Asia Minor. [Chap. xiv.

refused to recognise. The Council met, but Icherly

Oghloo was in Ids house. Tlie zdbtieh explained his

business, and the members of the Mejlis there present

put their seals to the documents as desired. Icherly
Oghloo was sent for ;
he came in hurriedly, alone and
unarmed, and sat down near the fire-place. By this

time the Circassians had broached their matter, and

receiving an unfavourable answer, they began to argue
and became noisy. The zdbtieh made them a sign, and
they fell at once, upon Icherly Oghloo; he imme-
diately saw through the business, and snatching the
heavy tongs, dealt a hard blow with it upon the
zabtieh’s head ;
but the Circassians quickly secured him,
and the rest of the Mejlis and attendants, supposing
they were all equally the objects of the Circassians’
anger, fled at the top of their speed. The bandit was
brought here, and Yahia Bey, the Koordish chief,

conveyed him to Sivas, where he was confined in prison

for more than a year. He frequently attempted to
escape, but was unsuccessful ;
a servant long watched
for him near the prison with a horse ready saddled
but the man was apprehended, fined 8000 piastres, and
allow'ed to go only upon giving a security that he
would not be seen there again. The Mejlis got a great
deal of money from the culprit, by promising to exert

themselves in his favour. In the meanwhile he was

tried on many severe charges ;
but ho managed through
outside friends to obtain an acquittal each time by
means of bribes. Finally, the widow' of a relation of
Chap. XIV.] Execution of Ichcrly Oghloo. 27

his own, whom he had killed, arrived from Constanti-

nople with stringent orders that justice should be done
her, and she demanded his blood. As she persisted in

refusing the commutation money (30,000 piastres, or

280/. sterling) he was sentenced to die. The fact of his
condemnation was concealed from him, for the authorities

thought so powerful a man could not be brought to exe-

cution by force, even after bis long and painl'ul confine-
ment ;
they therefore informed him that he must be
taken to the jMeidan or largest square of the city of
Sivas, where his pardon and acquittal would be read
to the public. The account of his execution was given

us by a truthful friend of many years’ standing, who

was himself an eye-witness. Ho stated that so great a

fear of him was entertained, that whenever he had to

be taken to the court, during the trial, he was boimd
by a strong rope, each end of which was held by four
stout zabtiehs, just like a wild bull. On the day of his
execution, he was conducted in the same manner from
the public prison to the Pasha’s Palace, where, instead
of his pardou or acquittal, he heard his sentence of
death read, and then they led him to the Jleidan,
followed by a great crowd. When he had reached
a small bridge on the way, he sat a few moments
upon the parapet, saying he had no strength left. As
he sat there, a man came up to him and reproached
him with having burned alive all his sheep one
by one in the fire-place. They reached the public
square, which was pac-ked with an immense crowd. He

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28 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XIV.

stood in the midst of a vacant space kept clear by

the police. He wore a handsome fur ;
his hands vere
riveted together with heavy iron bolts. His arms
were bound with strong ropes, tlie ends of which were
held by zahtiehs on either side at the distance of several
feet. Tile Judge then came forward on horseback.
A feiirful silence ensued, during which the sentence of

death was pronounced, and could be distinctly heard

by the crowd of spectators. Icherly Oghloo’s wife then
advancing, kissed the J udge’s foot and begged for mercy
but he spumed her from him, and is said to have

kicked her in the face. The order was then given to

put an end to the scene. No one had been found
willing to perform the office of executioner, though
large sums had been offered. One of his fellow
prisoners, however, consented to do it on condition of
his own crime being forgiven. Icherly Oghloo was
then pushed from behind and thrown down upon his

knees; they tried to take off his pelisse from him, but
he would not consent, and they only turned it back,
baring his neck. The executioner, completely dis-
guised, and wearing the costume of a Circassian, in

order to screen him from private revenge, lifting his

sword, struck the culprit on the back of the neck ;
he
fell forward upon his face, and the executioner, laying
the sharp edge of the blade upon the neck of the
prostrate man, jiressed it down with his foot,’ and com-
pletely severed the head from the trunk. Thus ended
the career of a man noted for lus heartless cruelty, and
 !

Chap. XIV.] Dishonesty of Officials. 29

his thirst for huruan blood, yet at an early age, pro-

bably not more than twenty-five.
\^th .
—We received a call from a young Frenchman,
a graduate from one of the best Imperial colleges in
France, who has been sent here by the Porte to
examine the accounts of the Copper Foundry, respecting
which doubts have long been entertained at the capital.

It is ever thus; Turks always rob one another, and

the Government most of all, and whenever any confi-

dential or conscientious duty is to be performed they

have to find some European who is willing to under-

take it, but he must be one who has not been long
enough in the country to become as corrupt or worse
than themselves. It is notorious however that such
a man, though he secure the respect of all, cannot
retain his place unless he give up his honesty ; for

those who are interested in plundering unite to

intrigue and get rid of him, because he gives them no
chance. I fear this young man won’t stay here long,

for he seems bent upon a conscientious discharge of his

duty. He says he has already discovered thefts to the

•amount of several thousand pound.s, though he has only
been a fortnight in the place, and is quite ignorant
of the language. Speaking of items, he mentioned
as a specimen that there are eleven horses in all,

employed in the establishment, and yet the Govern-

ment is charged 68 combs for them every year
There are five carts, whose cost new is 5Z. a-piece,

making an aggregate of 25Z. Yet the Government

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30 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XIV.

is charged 85Z. a year for the repairs of these five

carts

Vltli . —We had several times been told that beara

were unusually numerous this year in the neighbour-
hood ;
they are reported to have laid waste the vine-
yards that are planted on the western slopes of the
valley near by, not more than half-an-liour’s walk from
our house. Tlie owners of these vineyards have re-

peatedly sent to us to beg that we would come out and

kill or frighten away these disagreeable customers, as
they have been compelled to abandon their vineyards.
A few days ago one of these bears met with an accident
wliich put an end to his career and to further mischief

t is supposed that he was trying to get at some honey

in hives lying upon a high rock at the Kemer, and that
he fell from a great height and was killed. As the
young men of our party were itching for bear expe-

rience, we finally promised to go and watch for Bruin

as soon as the moon was high enough ; and now Ali
eame and told us that three bears had made their

appearance in a vineyard and eaten oflf all the cherries

from several trees. So E and I went to Ali’s

house at 6 p.m. ;
we had with us a French gunsmith,
31. Gregoire, from the neighbourhood of 3Iarseilles,
very fond of sport, but who, like E ,
had not yet
encountered anything bigger than hares and partridges.
31. Gregoire wore a white linen blouse, and over it a
regular game-bag, while a long sword-like hunting
knife hung from bis belt. We started up the steep

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 1;

Chap. XIV.] Starting for a Bear-Hunt. 3

mountain side under the guidance of All’s six-foot

beardless son ;
the father having gone over to a neigh-
bour to help to carry home, in an aiaba, a poor cow
that had accidentally broken her leg. On reaching a
considerable height we stopped and sat down to breathe

and enjoy the fine panorama spread out before us.

The hills on our side of the valley were in the shade

but those opposite were brilliantly illuminated by the
setting sun. ’rhe valley was fast filling with shadows
which grew longer every moment, and the town and
opposite hills looked truly fine from this spot. We
marched on through several vineyards until we reached
two miserable huts built of mud bricks, one of which
was occupied by a Turkish family. We went into the
empty hat, and the owner on first spying us through
the dusk evidently disliked our looks; but he soon
recognised our honest-faced M. Gregoire, and received
us cordially. Our tall Bekir now lighted a fire in the
crumbling chimney, and we made ourselves comfortable
and discussed our provisions. Unfortunately no one had
thought of taking a tea-pot, for which 31. Grdgoire’s
hunting bag would have made a capital nest ; so, after

many “ pourparlers,” the harem in the other hut

furnished us their whole “ battcrie de cuisine,” every
variety of cooking and feeding dish they owned, which
mustered as follows ;
— (1 ) a long-handled coffee-pot, 2
inches high and an inch and a half broad ; (2) a brass
cup, without handle, (5 inches by 4 ;
(Id) a copper pan
2 inches high and 1 foot across ; and (4) a brass non-

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3^ Travels in Asia Mmor. [Chap. XiV.

deseript, 8 inches by 10. Oh ! the tyrannical demands

of modern civilization! All this fuss for a single cup of
tea ! But then we were unanimously of opinion that,

in this chilly mountain air, that cup of tea was worth

the fuss. After consultation, the feat was accomplished
as follows: we boiled our water iu No. 3, and used
No. 1 as a dipper ;
we made our tea in No. 2, and
drank it by turns in No. 4; demolishing at the same
time twice as many cherries ns the bear would have

eaten had he come in our stead. Several French songs

were repeated or improvised, chiefly at the expense of
31. Gregoire's delightfully cool summer blouse, his

convenient havresack, destined to carry all the bears

he would kill, and his spit-like sword, upon which he
might turn the steaks before the fire. At this stage in

the proceedings a man came in and reported that he

had been in the cherry-orchard which the bear had
visited last night, had lighted a great fire, and had then
run away ;
and he was congi-atulating himself upon
thus saving at once his remaining cherries and his
skin. Wo sent him back to put out the fire, and might
then have slept all the time till nearly one o’clock,
had not the place been already too thickly tenanted
by extremely lively and ravenous occupants.
At one o’clock after midnight we were groping our
way through vineyards and orchards, until we reached
a point higher up the mountain and entered a field

ahich occupies a narrow gorge through which the bears

have to come down from the rocky heights where

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 ;

Chap. XIV.] Unsuccessful Bear-Hunt. 33

they spend the day. They could avoid us only by

clambering over the rocks on either side of the gorge.
We found half-a-dozen trees from which the bears
had taken cherries the last night or two ;
this position

was sucli as completely to command tlie pass. Three

of us hid ourselves in a hole under one of these trees,
so that our heads alone appeared above the ground

and even these were bidden by the trunk of the tree ;

IM. Gregoire with his sword and fowling-piece went to

the right ;
our party seemed to be a little apprehensive
about which side he would take in case of a general
melde with Bruin. In moon sank
half-an-hour the
behind the hills. Then the darkness seemed very
great, and it took us some time to be able to distinguish
anything in it. Ali was soon fast asleep, and snored st>

loud, I was obliged to punch him every few minutes,

lest he should scare away the game. It was bitterly
cold, and we could not stir to shake out our limbs. At
2 a hare hopped about in front of us ;
another nearly
stumbled on the other party ;
M. Gregoire might have
spitted him through with his sword had he not slept
most of the time. Finally at ‘6
we concluded that
Bruin was taking his supper somewhere else ; we went
over the hills into orchards and vineyards where he
would be likely to call, and looked round for him.
listening to every sound that broke the silence of the

night. As we stealthily crept along by the side of a

narrow gorge the watchmen on the top of the hill took

us for a company of bears, fired off a pistol, and shouted
VOL. II. D

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34 Travels hi Asia Mhwr. [Chap. Xiv.

lustily after us. We passed by the tent of the chief

watchman and reproached him for not keeping his
word to meet us, and deserting us when we might, with
the aid of his experience, have met with some mea.sure
of success. Ho apologised by saying that the mufti
was with his family in his country house near by, and
he was so frightened by the report of the bear’s

approach that be would not allow him to go away for a

single night, and, nmreover, kept several men firing

pistols all night around the house and bonfires burning.

Wo reached home about 0 A.sr., and this is onr adven-
ture about Brain, and “ how' we didn’t do it.”

This was not, however, our only attempt to make

the personal acquaintance of Master Bruin. The
frightened mufti had Hetl to town the very next
day after our mountain vigils. He entreated us to do
our utmost in order to rid tlie neighbourhood of so
disagreeable a visitor, and offered us the use of bis
country house and of the cherries and other fruit we
might be so fortunate as to save from the clutches of
the bears. So we removed from town for the purpose

of a little change, and spent several days rusti-

cating, doing full justice to the j»or mufti's white,

black, and red cherries, which we found “ worthy of our

distinguished consideration.” We indeed quite sympa-
thized with the predilections of the much abused animal,
who only deserved to be considered a gentleman of taste.
The hills on the east of the valley are called Kemer,
and those on this side Kemal. The mufti’s hou.se is

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Chap. XIV.] Slay at the Mtifti's House. 03

probably the best building of the kind anywhere around

here. It is an old style Turkisli house, and shows
many of the peculiarities they often exhibit. We give
a sketch of the front of this dwelling, with its cool tank

'J'be Mufu’s country-bouM; uvur i ocau

and fountain, shaded by cherry trees. Soon after our

arrival at the place we received a call from the chief

watchman, or hekji, of the Kemal District; he is an
old man, tall, bony, strong, but terribly out of shape,
aud with only one sound ej'e, which is never more than
half open ;
it must be pretty sharp though, if but half
of what is reported alx)ut him be true. He was accom-
panied by his two daughters-in-law, and three grand-
children, the eldest of whom seemed so much at home

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36 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. xiv.

in the place, that, without prelude of any sort, he at

once stripped and jumped into the tank of water for
a swim.
We spent the night of the 24th watching on a hill-
side, but to no purpose. And again, two of us spent
the night of the 26th under a shed commanding a view
of several trees which the bear had visited the night
l>efore, leaving the marks of his claws upon the trunks,
and several broken branches, to betray his thefts. But
it was again in vain. About 1 o’clock a hare passed

within reach of my hand, hotly pursued by a weazel.

Tlie latter, having missed his prey, stood some time
in full sight, evidently disappointed. Though we
failed of accomplishing our ostensible object, we found
in this delightful spot the change and healthy atmo-
sphere we sought. I often went to town on business
we rambled over the hills, picked and pressed flowers
and the young men shot small game to their hearts’
content. The last night we watched for bears was
spent by Ali and the chief heliji in scouring the whole
region ;
and yet we found in the morning that Bruin
had visited a vineyard only a hundred yards from the
house we occupied, and had frightened the owner
almost out of his senses. Our experience of him,
therefore, fully sustains the reputation which he enjoys
for cunning and highly developed organs of smell and
liearing.

During all this time the erection of the chapel and

school was rapidly advancing. It had indeed progressed

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Chap. XIV.] Erection of Chapel and School. 37

80 satisfactorily, and the native preacher and the

deacon of the church were so active and economical in
their snperintendence of the work, that I resolved to

devote a few days to visiting Sivas, and the summit of

Star Mountain, —the latter being an object I had long
purposed to accA>mplish, but had heretofore been pre-
vented by pressing engagements. This trip will be
described in the following chapters.

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38 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. xv.

C II APT Ell XV.

'J'rip to Sivas — Ilobbcrs’ Hill — Adventure of a missionary —

Highest point of Chamlu Bel
the —
The Star Hiver Village of —
Karghiin — “ Xcw room ” of Halil the Kiahaya Vultures’ —
nests— —
Skin of wild mountain goat Plateau of Melckon —
Plain of Sivas — Arrival at Sivas — Petrified shells — Fossils
— Tertiary formations of Asia Minor.
TUNE 30f/t. Thursday. — We left Tooat at Ga.m.,
^ taking the summer road to Sivas, and going
through the narrow gorge on the east side of the
town, whidi becomes the bed of a powerful torrent
during a heavy rain ;
this we reached in five minutes
after leaving the last houses of the town. Went up
the steep ascent, with the song of the partridge upon
the craggy rocks around us. In the winter these birds
come down to the road to feed, and even enter the
gardens on that side of tlie town. We ascended a
narrow valley for about an hour, following and often
cro.ssing a small stream of cold water, until we turned to
the left to climb what we have long called the Robbers’
Hill, on account of a trying adventure which occurred
liere to our missionary physician, Dr. Jewett, and his

companions, and which I will briefly relate. A small

party of travellers had come from Samsoon to Tocat

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 ;

Chap, XV.] Adventure of a Alissionary. 39

it was at the time of tlio Crimean War. The party

consisted of an Englisliman going to Diarbckir to pur-
chase liorses for the British Government, and supposed,
though incorrectly, to be carrying plenty of money
with him was travelling the notorious braggadocio, Cara-
bed Agha, distinguished by the euphonious name of
Zobaboornoo, or shovel-nosed, who ver)’^ foolishly boasted

all the way, in the most unguarded manner, that his

belt was full of gold pieces. He actually carried some
200Z. sterling belonging to different parties. They spent
a night with us at Tocat) intending to leave the next
morning for Sivas ; but the Englishman felt too much
fatigued to proceed, and as Dr. Jewett had to go that
very day to Sivas, on professional business, he took the
Engli.shman’s place, and was, as a natural consequence,
mistaken for him. 'J’he report that travellers, well
stocked with money, were journeying almost unpro-
tected, had brought together a number who
of Koords
are always ready to make the most of such a chance, and
they chose as the best spot for attack the top of the
ascent we had now reached, hiding themselves behind
the rocks and among the trees. The ascent is long and
steep. The robbers doubtless had their scouts out, and
were notified of the travellers’ approach. They rode up
carelessly at a brisk pace, and in a body, and as their
blown horses, now advancing at a slower rate, had
nearly reached the top, several men sprang out in
front of them from behind the rocks, while others all

around presented the muzzles of their guns with a

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40 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XV.

shout. Kesistance would have been impossible ;

for

they were but three besides the mrujy or guide,

and only one of them, a zahiieh, was armed ;
wliile the
robbers were a dozen. Before tliey could look round
and comprehend their situation, they were hurled to the

ground, bound, and dragged to a secluded hollow near

by, w'here they were robbed of all their valuables. The
banditti were sorely disappointed to find that, instead

of an Englishman with saddle-bags full of guineas they

had only got hold of a doctor wdth a few surgical instru-

ments ;
they were so angry that they pretended to hold
a consultation about killing their prisoners, which
frightened the zahiieh almost out of his wits. They,
however, only kept them until nightfall and then let
them go on to Sivas. The authorities of that place

made this affair an excuse for sending troops into

several Koordish villages to rob and plunder to their
hearts’ content ;
but the victims of the robbery above
described got precious little redress.

Soon after leaving the Bobbers’ Pass, the vegetation,

which had been very abundant, presenting on every

side primeval forests, the resort of the stag and the
roebuck, began to be less profuse, as passing over a hill
we entered a narrow rocky valley running S.S.E., and
followed the course of a stream which flows in the same
direction. This is the first water we had yet met which
runs tow'ards the Kuzul Urmak (Halys) on the south,
all we had yet seen flowing north to the Iris. We
reached the Bekjilik or guard-house at 10'30. The
 ;

Chap. XV.] Highest Point of the Chamlu Bel. 41

house itself lies off to the right of the road across a

swamp.
Travellers stop by the roadside under a booth near
a spring of water, and are accommodated with coffee
prepared by the guards. It is at this place that the
Muslem convert K was overtaken by his pursuers
but he threw them off their guard, secreted himself
until night, and went back to Tocat, reaching my house
after midnight. We gave him refresliments, effectually
disguised him, and sent him through by-roads to Sam-
soon and Constantinople —hiding during the day, and
travelling at night. Had his enemies caught him they
would have prevented the preparation and publication
of some of the most effective attacks ever made upon
Mohammedism.
We got into our saddles at 12T5. We went mostly
up hill, through scattered pines, and ascending a steep
declivity, reached at 1 the highest point of the Chamlu
Bel upon this road, which I found by barometer to be
5512 feet above the sea. This part of the mountain
is considered very dangerous to travellers, in case of
a snow storm, on account of the drifts which obliterate
the road, and the cold blasts which blow over the slopes
on both sides of the pass, as well as at the pass itself.

Nearly every year we hear of people buried in the

snow, and a number of rude graves at the southern foot
of the mountain affords ocular demonstration of the

fact. Solitary travellers are also occasionally set upon

and devoured by packs of hungry wolves. The view

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42 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XV.

is e.vtensive and grand. The Star Mountain rises

like a cone: it is 3000 feet higher than this level,

but rises from mucli lower ground. Our descent

wixs rapid, and occupied 40 minutes. This side of the
mountain is nearly destitute of trees. We passed
’

the cemetery at the foot, and forded the stream called

Yavash Akan Soo, “ the slowly-flowing water.” It is

a tributary of the Yildiz Soo, the Star lliver. Being

interested in the question of the rise and flow of the
Star River, I made inquiries of the people of the
different villages which lie about here, and which I
visited at various periods. The result of my investiga-

tions is that the name of Star River is claimed, and

apparently with equal justice, by two streams, both of
which rise far up the sides of the Star Mountain, and
not distant from each other. One of them has its origin
in abundant springs which flow from the north side ; the
other rises in the eastern declivity. The former takes
a circuit round, passing near the viUages of Yoosoof
Oghloo and Boodookhtoon, and flows through the plain
on the west side of Karghun. The latter encircles one
half of the Star Mountain, flowing near its southern foot
by the Star Village, and then taking its course w'estward
it unites with the northern stream, after which junction

they flow southward to the Ilalys. I have concluded to

retain the names of Star River as the denomination
of both these streams, and to distinguish them as the
Northern and Southern Branches. At 3T5 crossed the
northern branch of the Star River over a wooden bridge

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Chap. XV.] Village of Karghiin. 43

there was hut little water, hut there were evident signs

that the streirm is sometimes very much swollen. The

shortest road to Sivas goes on south without crossing
the bridge, and travellers take it when they wish to

reach Sivas the day they leave Tocat. At 4 reached the

Turki.sh village of Kurghun, containing forty houses,
with one mosque, huilt upon the western slope of one
of the harren hills which surround the base of the Star

Mountain. The people here call it one hour to the foot

of the mountain ;
they probably have very indefinite
ideas as to where the mountain begins, for I am cer-

tain it is much farther. All seem to agree that the

best place to start from in order to ascend is Sarri

Yen’, the Yellow Place, a Turkish village about an hour

hence. The ascent to the summit is said to require
three hours. We have, however, ascertained that there
is a good ancient road from the Star Village quite to
the top of the mountain ;
it is said to go up its eastern
face ;
but as we cannot make the ascent now, and we
propose to do it on our way back to Tocat, we shall not
be able to try that road, none of our party being
acquainted with the way from the Star Village to
Tocat.
About two hours back upon the road, we had passed
some Turks who were working in the field, one of
whom, recognizing me as an old acquaintance, ran up
to us, welcomed us back to this region, and cordially
invited us to stop at his “room.” As village houses

consist of but one room with an adjoining stable for

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44 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XV.

cattle, the roof of the whole being levelled even with

the hill at the back of the house —the name of “ room ”
has come to be the usual appellation for a house. Our
friend directed us, on reaching Karghun, to inquire for

the “ new room ” of Halil the Kiahaya, or head man of

the village. It was readily found, and was probably
the best in the place. Its roof was made of the trunks
of poplar trees, a foot thick, upon which had been laid
planks of oak covered with clay. The whole was
supfiorted by a row of five stout wooden pillars, with a
balustrade between, dividing off a portion of the room
for stores or servants. The fire-place, cupboards, and
the rafter or shelf running around the room, were un-
usually clean and nice ;
but the earthen floor made no
deceptive promises of a good night’s rest. Our atten-
ti ve host furnished us w ith two low tables, covered with
everything the village could afibrd. We lounged about
till sunset in front of the “ new room,” carefully avoiding
the holes in the roof of the next house below us, which
formed the piazza of ours, lest we should fall through
and be landed upon the horns of the cattle in the stable

beneath. The young men gave a variety to our fare

by shooting large numbers of the starlings which
fluttered all about, unconscious of danger. An obser-
vation with the barometer indicated 4830 feet as the
height of Karghun.
Friday, July \st .
—We rose at 3, but could not get

under way before 5. The villagers here are not very

early risers, for a wonder, and we found it diflicult to

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Chap. XV.] Vultures' Nests. 45

rouse anybody to get us barley for our horses. At 7‘30

stopped at a booth erected by the guards upon the
road side, where coflee is oflered to travellers. The
rocks here stand upright, leaving but a narrow space
between them and the river. They are perforated with
holes of considerable size at an inaccessible height,
which are used as nests by vultures. One of these

holes was formerly tenanted by a species of hawk

which was highly esteemed in the days of falconry,
and the birds used often to be robbed of tbeir young.
They seem to have become discouraged, and have
abandoned the place. A short stick is still standing
across the entrance, placed for the purpose of making
the spot more attractive to the bird by giving it

a perching pole. It may, however, have been put

there only to render a visit to the nest practicable,

as it must be extremely diflicult under the most

favourable circumstances, owing to the great height.
While seated in the booth I noticed a skin spread

upon the ground belonging to some animal we had

never seen. Upon inquiry, I found it to be the skin
of a wild mountain goat, killed in the neighbourhood
two years before. This was the first I had ever seen,
having never been able to obtain anything but the
horns; and I esteemed myself fortunate to be able
to make the acquisition. I had heard in Tocat of a
large male skin being presented to the Sheikh of the
Whirling Dervishes, for the purpose of saying Ids
prayers upon it ;
for the Turks believe that the carpet

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46 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. xv.

ha-s much to do with the efficacy of one’s prayers, and

the skins of the stag, the roebuck, and tlie wild goat,
enjoy the highest reputation in that respect. The one
now in my possession would seem to be a female, and
to have its summer coat. The hair is short and stiff,

fawn all over, except underneath and within the thighs,

w'here it is of a dirty white. There is a dark red line
along the back, extending through the tail ;
the hair
of the neck is curly. The legs are also dark red. The
whole length from the back of the head to the root of
the tail is 3 feet 5 inches ;
length of the tail 6 inches.*
Willie here shot some very pretty little birds, which
we agreed to call red-headed sparrows, from their
general resemblance to the common sj)arrow; their

habits also appeared very similar.

Soon after this the Star River turns to the right,

following the course of the valley ;
we part company
for the last time, for it now' deviates considerably to
the right, falling into the Halys below' Siviis. I was
thus glad to have had another opportunity fully to
ascertain the precise course of this river, interest-
ing on account of its connection with the mountain of
that name, and Strabo’s historical sketch of both. It

now only remained to ascend the mountain and as-

certain the correctness of the statements of the natives,

wlio declare that the ruins of a castle exist on the top,

* Since writing tiie above, I have seen a male siiecimcn of tliis

animal in the Zoological Garden at Amsterdam, together with one

of the moujton, or wild sheep.

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Chap. XV.] Platcati of Melckon. 47

and that a fine spring of water issues not far from

the summit. Were this correct, we sliould have a very
striking corroboration of Strabo’s account of the strong-

hold where Mithridatcs kept his treasures, which he

states was destroyed and the hoarded wealth seized
by the indomitable perseverance and energy of the
Komans. It was with great pleasure therefore, that,

having now obtained’ in the vicinity of the mountain all

the information we needed, we anticipated going up to

the summit on our return from Sivas.

After parting with the Star River, we crossed over a

hill through a narrow cut in basalt rock. Looking around

us from this point, we found a crest of basalt, forming a

pretty regular circle about two miles in diameter, the

central area and surface being smooth. Were it an
ancient crater it would not present a different appear-
ance, and the Star River seemed to ent(?r it at one
side, and to come out again at the nearly opposite

IK)int. At 10-50 we came upon the Plateau of ilelekon,

a barren waste, covered with calcined rock. Tliere is at
first, i.e. at the north end, a little conglomerate, and
then a very little red sandstone ;
but it soon changes to
limestone, wliich, from its position, I take to be second-

ary, lying between the old red sandstone and the earlier
tertiary of tlie Sivas plain ;
but it has become hard
as flint by exposure to the air and sun. Tliis effect

upon stone comparatively soft I have not unfrequently

observed in Asia Minor. In the present case the ui)per
surface alone is thus hard, for when you come to the

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48 Travels in Asia Mmor. [Chap. XV.

broken cliffs you find all beneath comparatively soft

and easily broken. Melekon has no water, and every
attempt to cultivate portions of it has failed. Euins
attest the efforts of Government and individuals to

erect places of shelter for travellers ;

for in winter many
perish here, overtaken by snow storms, and losing their
way over this broad and even surface ;
and many are
frozen to death by chilling winds coming down from
the mountains on the north. I believe Melekon is

generally dreaded by travellers more than crossing the

Chamlu Bel. The attempt to obtain water from wells

is also said to have failed, probably owing to the

vicinity of the valley of the Kuzul Urmak, which lies

several hundred feet lower, draining it of rain water

and there are fine springs at the bottom of the cliffs

which form the boundary of the plateau. We reached

the nearest edge at 12'25, and looked down the preci-

pice into the narrow valley which leads to the plain of

Sivas. This valley, about a mile in width, runs nearly

north and south ;
both its upper extremity and its two
sides are formed by nearly perpendicular cliffs, which
constitute the bi’oken sides of the Melekon formation ;

they present a limestone and somewhat chalky surface,

and constitute a cut into the plateau. The length of the
valley is about six miles, and the cliffs on either side abut
abruptly on the plain, into which it emerges. A powerful
stream of fine water pours out at the head of the valley,
apparently constituting the drainage of the plateau and
accounting for its barrenness. This stream rushes down

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Chap. XV.] Geological For77iation. 49

the valley, spreading fertility wherever its goes, and

working several mills ; it passes through the town of
Sivas, furnishing it with good water in abundance, turn-
ing its mills and watering its gardens ;
and a consider-
able stream is left to flow into the Halys. The road
down from the plateau is cut along the face of the cliff

and at 12’40 we reached a gushing fountain near the

bottom, when there was an immediate rush of men,
horses and dogs, to get the first draught of water ; my
own steed drank so long and so resolutely, that I began
to think I had met with the same accident as Baron
Munchausen, and succeeded in getting away only by
leaping into the saddle and making use of spurs and
and bridle. The rock of the cliffs presents very much
the appearance of chalk, but it is harder. It easily

crumbles and decomposes when exposed to the influ-

ence of the atmosphere at an elevated angle. The

layers are nearly horizontal, the inclination being
toward the south-east, indicating a moving force on the
north-west. It is possible that this force may have
come from the source which formed the old crater,

already pointed out. In the valley, I found in one

place considerable masses of tufaceous rock, sometimes
highly crystalline ;
but these do not seem to be ex-
tensive. The bottom of the valley is generally homo-
geneous, fossils have been found in it, and in the cliffs

some distance down, some of which are in my pos-

session. They were given me by one of my old Tocat

students, who followed with unusual interest my course

VOL. IT. E

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5° Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. xv.

of lectures on geology, and has since attended somewhat

to the subject.

At 1'30 we entered the Plain of Sivas. The first

jxjrtion of it stands considerably higher than the level

of the alluvium, and it is formed of undulating hills.

It was probably at one time the bottom of the lake

or inland sea, whose waves beat against the limestone

cliffs I have described. When the water sank, the

limits of the lake became circumscribed to the present
broad alluvial surface, until running out completely,
they only left the Halys, which is fed from the skies and
runs unimpeded to the sea. Near the place where the
valley opens into the plain is a flour mill, where traces
of lignite may be seen in horizontal layers in the banks
which have been worn by the stream. Passed a short
distance from the Armenian convent, the residence of
the Bishop of Sivas ; it contains several fine buildings,
and the whole area is well protected by a stone wall.

Just before entering the town we came upon a camp of

Turkish troops, occupying the ground which overlooks
it. Everything appeared clean and in good order. We
passed by the country seat of the Pasha, built high upon
the rising ground on the outskirts of the to^vn, and went
directly on to our friends wdio had been anticipating
our arrival.
Saturday, July 2nd . —A former pupil of mine, now
residing at Tocat, had informed me of the existence
of petrified shells of a tertiary character in a lateral
valley on the south side of the Plain of Sivas, and we

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 1

Chap. XV.] Sivas — Search for Fossils. 5

started this morning at 6 to look for the locality,

several friends accompanying ns. There are gardens
for vegetables on the outskirts of the town ; the cold
is too intense at this elevation (about 4500 feet above

the sea), to allow fruit to come to maturity ;

the trees
tliemselves, indeed, are mostly killed by the long and
severe frosts ;
the only varieties we saw about the town
were willows and poplars; there are a few others of
stunted growth in protected situations in the gardens.
We crossed the Halys, the Kuzul Urmak, or Red River,
upon a substantial but narrow stone bridge of twelve
arches, an Abassidian structure, furnished with a good
parapet. Instead of l>eing built straight across the
river, it makes a bend of nearly 40’ in the centre, so

as to present an angle to the current, which, however,

strikes it obliquely. There is a similar bridge eight

miles down the stream, which is considerably injured.

We found a good deal of timber, mostly beams, lying in
the river and upon its banks. It is cut in the moun-
tains up the stream, and sent down the current to be
used for building purposes ;
some of it is employed as
fuel. Most of the fuel, however, is cut on the moun-
tains, often several days’ journey from Sivas, and is

brought down upon sledges as soon as tlie snow allows ;

this wood is pine and fir. But the natives do not use
much fuel for warming purposes. They build their
houses tight, with very thick walls, often four feet,

mostly of mud bricks dried in the sun ;

and the roofs
are terraced with a heavy layer of clay. In the villages

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52 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XV.

the walls are of stone, and the houses partly under

ground; the occupants are moreover warmed by the
cattle, from whom they are separated only by a slight
partition or a railing; and as wood is more easily

obtained, the constant fire in the chimney ventilates

the place, for the foul air has no other means of escape
when the door is closed. The hills we passed over are

mostly formed of gypsum, often finely crystalline, but

easily crumbling to dust. Wherever watercourses have
cut through the gypsum, red sandstone appeared to
underlie it. We descended into a small plain, which
has salt swamps in the centre, and is called “Bin Geul,”
the thousand lakes ;
salt is here obtained by evapora-
tion ;
it is carried to Sivas to market. Salt is obtained
in the same way in the Oozoon Yaila, a long plain,

lying to the south, and separated from the Sivas plain

by gypsum hills. These two sources supply the whole
of this region as far as Kharpoot. The salt marshes
in Bin Geul also point to the existence at one time of
an inland sea or salt lake, which we have already
suggested as being proved by the fossil remains found
in the adjacent rocks. W’^e left the swamps upon our
right. Feeding in the marshy ground were large flocks

of golden ducks, which often rose in the air and sent

forth their peculiar harsh nota There were also many
eagles, but we could not perceive what attracted them
to the place. We reached, at 7‘45, the small Armenian
village of Bin Geul, situated on the other side of the
plain, and upon rising ground. It contains about sixty

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Chap. XV.] Petrified Shells. 53

houses and a church. The stones in the walls are

naostly formed of deposits of sand and pebbles, with
broken pieces of shells, doubtless formed on the shores
of a lake of •considerable size, or subject to the occa-
sional flow of torrents. These stones are very compact,
and so adhesive as to be broken with difficulty with a
heavy hammer. We came, at 8’45, upon a consider-
able river running from left to right among high hills.

As we could only see gypsum around us, we were

beginning to despair of finding the object of our search,
and had already proceeded some distance back when I

discovered we had passed by the spot without noticing

it. Eight by the roadside, and running parallel to it,

lay an elliptical hillock, 200 yards in length, 50 in

breadth, and about 50 feet high, which contained so
many shells as to seem formed of nothing else. This
was doubtless a bank, w'here succeeding generations
had lived and died, and left their tenements to form
the basis of the houses of their posterity; so that
now these shells are alone found here, mingled with
coral, and the soil itself has disappeared. The shells are
not petrified or altered, but preserved in their natural
condition, except that they have lost their colour. We
succeeded after much search in finding a little rock,

which was marly and probably formed of minuter

shells. I opened the only oyster we found entire, the

valves of all the rest having parted. I found it filled with

hardened sand. Most of the shells were oysters, though
we picked in all some twenty different species of uui-

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54 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XV.

valves. We found several diflerent species of coral,

some of them very fine, but all colourless; the coral
was very abundant, and may liave formed the founda-
tion of the bank.

I believe that what has already been described re-

specting the Sivas basin will make it sufficiently

apjjarent that it is a tertiary deposit, though probably

one of the older ones. Many have heretofore supposed
that this region belonged to the coal formation, and great
expectations have been entertained of the discovery
and working of coal mines. I confess I never could
enter into that view, from the few facts I had been
able to collect upon the subject. All attempts hitherto
made to find coal have proved abortive, and the little

that has been picked up from mere traces is bad lignite.

I have, however, in ray possession almost pure bitu-

men in small particles, which is probably too rare to

prove of any use. I must add to the facts now related
respecting the Sivas basin, that there is a prominent
hill rising from the middle of the Sivas plain, and half
an hour to the east of the town, composed of a stone
sufficiently hard for building j)urposes. Slabs are
obtained thence for paving courts and sidewalks. The
stone appears to be sand united by lime, and corre-
sponds to the fossiliferous rock described on page 49.
I have been told that a number of interesting fossils
have been found in the rock taken from this hill, and
among the rest the head of a horned animal. My
efforts to obtain a sight of this valuable relic have been

-fTr~nr-X) byAk>OgIc
Chap. XV.] Tertiary Formations. 35

unavailing. It may possibly be an ammonite. The

only specimen I have been able to procure is the spine
and ribs of some small fish.

A few words may not come amiss here upon the

tertiary formations of the Peninsula of Asia Minor.

It is said that such a formation exists in the vicinity of

Cajsarea and Mount Argceus, but I never have visited

the place. Tiie tertiary beds of the northern point of

Ehodes are highly interesting. They consist of sand

raised to a Iieight of about 200 feet above the sea, and

slightly inclined inland. The sand is soft, and the
weather and rains cut it down in steep banks, which
reveal tlie secrets of the ancient seas. The shells are

extremely varied, for I picked up 150 .species iti a

short time, and many of them preserve their colours.
This fact, and the species to which they belong, at once
indicate the formation to be one of the most recent ter-
tiary. But they are purely marine deposits. Those of
the Plain of Troy probably belong to the same period
in time, but they more nearly resemble the tertiary of the
Paris basin, with which they may be contemporaneous.
I have never had an opportunity to visit and examine
this locality, but some fishermen have brought me the
tooth of a mastodon, which they had picked up near the
ruins of Troas ;
and the formation appears to extend to

the vicinity of Ren Keuy. Leaving the bank of fossil

shell and coral, we turned back the way we had come,

paying closer attention to the rocks adjacent to this
interesting deposit. The rock in the neighbourhood of

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56 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XV.

Bin Guel seems very much like the substratum of our

bank, only harder and witliout shells. It also lies

higlier. It is slightly inclined to the south-west, and

as the result of all my observations, I conclude that it

underlies the immense dejjosits of gypsum which form

the hill country on the south and south-ea.st of the
(Sivas jdain. The fossiliferous rocks on the north and
south sides of the plain probably belong to one and
the same set of layers, and once extended all the way
across, but have been broken up and washed away in
the centre, where we now find a lower level and allu-
vium. The cliff in the centre of the plain would then
be a remnant of this formation, being a connecting link
between the rocks on the north and those on the south
of the plain. However this may be, it appears sufli-

ciently clear that the red sandstone underlies the whole.

It has a slight inclination to the south-east on the south

side of the plain, a-s we had seen on the other side,

still indicating a moving force on the north-west,

which is the nearest point of the Chamlu Bel. There
are several questions respecting which I confess I am
much embarrassed; but whatever theory is adopted, I
believe that the main facts contained in the above state-
ment will bo found true on further investigation.
Chap. XVI.] Appearance of Sivas. 57

CHAPTEE XVI.

Description of Sivas — Unwholesome air — Co.al-huntin;jr — Start

tjack — Tufaceous rock — View of the Star Mountain
to Tocat
— Village Yeri — Ascending the Star Mountain —
of Sarii
Heaps of boulders — The Summit — Remains of a — fort
Ancient road — View from the summit — Strabo’s description
of the mountain — Descent — Return to Tocat.

fT'O persona who come from the shores of the Black

Sea, Sivas presents an appearance quite different

from the towns on the north. The latter offer to the

eye a mass of red-tiled roofs, and the houses are built

in great measure of wood obtained from forests not far

away. On crossing over to the southern slopes of the

Chamlu Bel, vegetation greatly diminishes : trees be-

come rare, and then disappear altogether, and even

the bushes are few and assume a stunted appearance.
The country has been many times burnt over by pas-
toral tribes, for the purpose of increasing the imme-
diate supply of grass for their flocks ;
and the con-
sequence is that the soil, no longer supported by the roots
of trees and shrubs, lias been carried off by the rain, and
lias left the rocks bare and destitute of the soil requisite

to support vegetation. The scarcity of wood obliges

the people to build their houses of stone or mud

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58 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XVI.

bricks. Poplars are planted near every watercourse,

but cbiefly in enclosed gardens, in order to obtain
rafters to support the heavy roofs of clay. From
iSivas down to the Ked Sea and the I’ersian Gulf,
houses are constructed in this wa)' ;
and where stone
can be found sufficientlv soft to bo sawn, the buildings
are all made of regularly-shaped blocks of stone, with
vaulted ceilings, as at Caesarea, Aleppo, Beyroot, &c.
Sivas presents the appearance of a flat-roofed town,
with here and there a modern-looking tiled house. It

occupies level ground, but some fine old stone buildings

rise above the general line of fiat roofs, and on a hillock
there is an old castle, in a tolerable state of preserva-
tion, one of whose towers has a clock that strikes the
hours. Poplar and willow trees mingle a little verdure
with the dull colour of the town ;
a few vegetable gar-
dens extend along tlie outskirts, but no fruit is produced
here : it is all brought from Tocat. It is said that more
wine and raki are made in Sivas than in Tocat, though
all the grapes have to be brought from abroad. In
the latter place the fruit is made into various articles

of food, to be kept and used through the winter ;

this

cannot be done when the fruit has been injured by

transportation. A few of the streets of Sivas have
lately been paved : but the greater part are extremely
muddy in winter, and indeed at all times. The common
sewers lie open in the centre of many streets, rendering
the atmosphere both disagreeable and unwholesome.
Uninitiated travellers generally enter the town in-
 ;

Chap. XVI.] Umv/iolesomc Air. 59

voluntarily hoMing their hands to their noses. The

climate of Sivas is severe, as might be expected from
its elevation, which we found by barometer to be
4181 feet. Snow falls abundantly in winter, and lies

long upon the ground; much of this is doubtle.ss to

be traced to the neighbourhood of the Chamlu Bel.

This place has been a missionary station for about ten
years, originally occupied by two families, and for several

years past by three. One of the members of the mission

is a physician, who has acquired a high reputation as
a skilful surgeon through the whole region. Tlio

climate of the place appears to be unwholesome for

foreigners : for, during these ten years, three families
who have resided for a time have been obliged to leave

the country on account of ill-health, and the three

now here are so feeble that they will also soon be
compelled to remove. Thus it will be seen that the post
has used up six educated missionaries and their families
in ten yeare, making an average missionary life of less

than five years: a period hardly sufficient to enable

most foreigners to acquire the language and fully to
enter upon their work. There is evidently a great call

for a native ministry in this land, suitably educated

and fitted to take the place of the foreign teacher

but the fear entertained by many lest the natives
should learn too much renders the prospect of a speedy
supply of well-qualified men dark in the extreme.
The mission to Turkey has now existed thirty-seven

years; and if we are not to-day raising thoroughly-

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6o Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XVI.

trained labourers for this most promising field, it is to

be feared that we never shall. On the other hand, the

idea of carrying on such a work cliiefly by means of,

or under the exclusive direction of, foreigners, is one

which is sustained neither by analogy nor by the

experience of the Church. It is certainly clear that
such was not the system of the Apostles. They ordained
natives everywhere into the highest grades of labourers,

whatever that was: they even left the work wholly

in their hands. It may be that the moderns have im-
proved upon the Apostles, and that we shall yet see
what does not now appear. At least, this is the hope
with which our souls have been fed. Nevertheless, I
believe that Evangelical doctrines will not triumph in
this land until they become indigenous, and cease to
be fed and controlled from abroad.
Monday, July Hh —Some
. of our friends here have
insisted that they could give us ocular proof of the
existence of good coal in this neighbourhood, and we
started in the morning for the “ coal deposits,” said to

lie in the hills to the south of Sivas. We reached

the foot of these hills at 7. The first rock we met was
a coarse conglomerate, formed of pebbles of a great
variety of colours, united by a very strong red ce-

ment, immediately after which, and higher up the hill,

we came upon the gypsum-beds. The gypsum here

crumbles away wherever exposed to the air. Its dip

in this place is about 45° to the north-east. We de-

scended into a narrow gorge, where we were assured

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Chap. XVI.] Coal-Hunting. 6i

coal existed at the bottom. The sides of this gorge

were steep and rocky, making our descent, without any
trace of a path, somewhat hazardous. Found the red
sandstone underlying the gypsum, and with the same
dip. A small stream runs tlirough the narrow gorge
or watercourse, and here we saw traces of lignite, or

bituminou-s coal, we could not tell which, so fine as

only slightly to colour the soil. We could not find a
particle large enough to pick up. The larger speci-
mens brought to mo from this spot, as it was stated,

are now claimed to have come from farther down, and

I have not heard that it has been discovered in any other
locality than this ;
it occurs in the red sandstone which
underlies the gypsum-beds. The spot in which we saw
the traces of lignite lies a little west of the Diarbekir
road, aboufr two hours, or six miles, S.S.E. of Sivas.
Though ill repaid in our coal-hunting, we found and
brought away magnificent specimens of crystalline
gypsum, the finest I ever saw. The amount of this
valuable mineral existing here is stupendous ; it would
alone supply the wants of the whole world to the end
of time. The natives understand its use, and plaster
with it the walls and ceilings of their houses, often
skilfully working it into tasteful ornaments, and even
covering their floors with a thick coating of the same
substance.
Tueadaif, bth. —Started upon our return to Tocat,
with the intention of ascending the Star Mountain on
the way. Left town at 6'15, and reached the booth

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62 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. xvi.

opposite the guard-house at 11‘30. ])r. West, of Sivas,

and Mr. Burbank, a missionary residing at Bitlis, were
to join us liere, intending to leave Sivas a little after

us, and they came up when we were lunching. Wliile

waiting for our friends wo had an ojiportunity more
particularly to examine the ledge of rock w'hich rises

perpendicularly near the river bank, of which I sjx)ke

on our way out. It is a fine specimen of tufa. It offers

a smooth surface to a height of about 100 feet, thus

exhibiting the internal structure to great advantage.
There are layers of deposition which resemble strata, not
made in exactly parallel lines, but rather by piecemeal.
I suppose this to indicate that there were large masses of

vegetable matter, which hindered regular deposition, the

spaces of which were gradually pervaded by an infiltra-
tion of calcareous sand in solution. The structure of this
rock seems to indicate that the tufa was deposited at
distinct periods, the point of contact being marked by
a margin of greater density and fineness, never smooth,
but everywhere presenting the distortions common to
tufa. It was easy to distinguish where a tree had
fallen down ;
the calcareous deposit had collected
around the trunk, the branches, and the leaves; this

de[K)sit hardened, and when the vegetable substance

decomposed, it left its room quite em 2Jty, exhibiting
its exact shape. The substance of the rock is highly
crystalline, and perforated in every direction.

We left the main road just after crossing the little

bridge by the mill, and turned up to the right into

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 ;

Chap. XVI.] Star Mountain. 63

a narrow lateral valley, directly toward the Star Moun-

tain, of which we had, from this point, a very good
general view. It here appeared a regular cone, sharp

at the top, and covered from the middle up to near

the summit with a stunted growth of bushes, furrowed
by several broad lines of bare rock Irom the top
downwards, formed by fhe descent of rain-water and

Star Muunuiu.

the rolling down of stones and detritus. The hills

around were quite barren, with here and there a pro-

minent rock, but generally covered with soil. The
little plain in front was carj)cted with grass of a rich
green, and cut in two by the little stream which
runs down to the bridge by the mill, with bushes and
a solitary tree upon its banks. Our path seemed to be
taking us straight to the very foot of the mountain

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 ;

64 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XVI.

but we found, as it always happens, that when we had

passed the first hill there were others still separating
us from its base. All these hills were equally barren
of signs of vegetation, though mostly covered with soil
not even grass grew upon them. Kut we passed alluvial

flats, which were under cultivation, and where moisture

seemed to sustain a rank grass. We reached Saru Yeri
at 5'30, a Turkish village of forty houses,' occupying
the end of a narrow valley, and protected on the north
by a hill of considerable height The people, as usual,
showed their inaccuracy in measuring time and distance
by insisting that it is just as far from the mill to
Karghun as to Saru Yeri ;
whereas we found it about
twice as far to the latter place. It is also called four

hours from the Bekjilik to Saru Yeri; we made it in

three, but we moved at a rapid pace. There must be

about one hour’s ride between Karghun and Saru Yeri.
The people of this village received us very kindly, gave
us the best lodgings the village afforded, and everything
they had in the way of eatables. They are rarely

visited by Franks, and are, therefore, more hospitable

and unselfish than those who live upon the great routes
of travel.
Wednesday, Qth . —The top of the mountain lies due
east from us. We propose to make the ascent straight
up from this point, no one in the village knowing any-
thing about a road leading up to the top, of which we
had heard elsewhere. One of these people, an old
soldier, just returned home from Mossul, has offered to be

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Chap. XVI.] Ascent of the Star Mountain. 65

our guide ;
he says he has been to the top before, but
his subsequent course proved either that this was false,

or that he had failed to look about him. Not knowing

whether he would prove to be a true guide or not, we
made sure of his being useful by loading him with our
instruments. We started at 5*30, the weather being
beautifully clear and cool, with a slight breeze from
the north. The observations already made with the
barometer, and subsequently confirmed, enabled us to
ascertain the elevation of Saru Yeri to be 4957 feet,

which is 120 feet above Karghun, and not quite 500

feet above Sivas. Most of us were on horseback, in-

tending to ride up as high as the ground permitted.

Our course had to be zigzag, over somewhat unequal
and undulating ground, with a rapid ascent. The soil

was barren, oa covered only with stunted grass, while

we occasionally passed fine springs of water rushing by

us. At 6'20 we reached a very fine, cold, and abundant

spring, which issues out of the ground and rushes down
the hill with great force. There is a place close by it

where cattle are folded for the night during summer,

while they feed by day upon the mountain-side. The
enclosure is a rude stone wall. So far as I could
a-scertiiin by inquiries, corroborated by my owm observa-
tions, this spring is the highest water to be found up
the mountain. The spring on the other side may be
higher up, but the statements of the village people
are always inaccurate. They had told us, for instance,

that this very spring was near the top of the mountain,
VOL. II. F

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66 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. xvi.

whereas we soon found we had still far to go before

reaching the summit. Indeed, there were but one or
two of the people of Saru Yeri who claimed to have
been to the top at all. The water of this spring flows
towards the north-west into the northern branch of the
Shir River. The loose statement, therefore, which we
had so often heard from the natives, even in the villages

not very far off, that “ a river flows from the top of
the Star Mountain which is called the Star River,” is

founded not on fact, unless employed as a figurative

mode of speech, w'hich is certainly not incompatible
with the habits of the people.
Leaving our horses at the spring, we began the ruder
ixscent on foot. We had hitherto found little or no
rock in place, but now had for the most part to
climb on the lace of the rock, amid • bouldera and
fragments fallen from above, with stunted bushes and
flowers of great variety and unusual brilliancy growing
among them. Higher up, grew dwarfish fir-trees, and
our progress was impeded not only by the steepness of
the ascent and by the slipperiness of the rock, but also
by the thickly-matted bushes. After ascending the
first steep acclivity we came to more level ground, and
sitting down to breathe, we noticed that all the upper
jiortion of the mountain was covered with masses of
rounded boulders, varying in size from one to twenty feet
in diameter, but more frequently of five to ten feet, of

various shapes, but all having rounded sides and

corners. These boulders' were piled together to an

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Chap. XVI.] Heaps of Boulders. 67

unknown depth in an irregular manner, and presented

the appearance of streams of loose rocks. The whole
mountain is formed of black granite, so that these
rocks must be extremely hard, and the force employed
in rounding off their edges must have been very great.

Then the question arises, whence came these loose

rocks. They cannot have been rolled down from tlie

top, for we are near the top already, and, moreover,

the very summit is piled with them. Xor can it be
admitted that they have been brought from .some other
point, and heaped on this mountain ;
for I believe this

rock does not occur again for several days’ journey,

indeed I am not aware of its being found either in
fragments, or in place, nearer than the region above
Yozghat. ^Moreover, had it been brought from elsf>

where, it would not all have been piled upon this

mountain : some of it would be found scattered below,

or upon the neighbouring mountains, which is not the
case. The action of freezing water is the only explana-
tion we can give to the facts and phenomena before u.s.

It cannot be supposed that these blocks were brought

here by an iceberg and dropped in so compact a mass,
for they would not all be of preci.sely the same rock
as the mountain itself, but most probably of some
different rock which the iceberg had taken up else-
where. The whole surface of this granite cone was
doubtless smooth when first thrown up from the bowels
of the earth by the hand of the God of nature, and the

extreme hardness of the rock long kept it so. Eut

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68 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. xvi.

cracks and fissures were in time made by the working

of the elements; the winter rains and snows entered
these fissures, froze, and hy expansion, broke the
surface into fragments, chiefly toward the summit of
tlie mountain where tlie surface was not too steep.
Those of the fragments which lay on the declivities

rolled below; the others remained where they had

been broken. These boulders are every winter frozen
in together, and by the expanding force of ice rubbed

and cruslied upon one another, thereby breaking off their

sharp angles and rounding them off in every direction.

This would account for their present appearance, and
account for it, too, wnthotit the supposition of any
change of place. The largest of these boulders were
nearest the top of the mountain, and the five hillocks
which crown the summit are completely surrounded
with them. I have thus far seen no evidence what-
soever of the action of glaciers or icebergs in Asia
Minor. The top of Mount Olympus is of common
granite, and offers precisely the same appearance as the
summit of Star Mountain, the blocks or boulders all
consisting of the same rock as that which constitutes
the mountain itself. This process is going on at the
present time on the tops of all our high mountains,
but may be particularly seen at any season of the year
on Mount Argoeus, where the action of the ice has

such force as to break off fragments of rock from the

mountain and hurl them do^vn its sides with detona-
tions resembling artillery.

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 ;

Chap. XVI.] The Summit. 69

Our course being as nearly straight towards the top

as the nature of the ground seemed to allow, we were
obliged to pass over several of these heaps of boulders
indeed, they often appeared to cover the whole surface
in sight. We were obliged to jump from one stone to
another, and even to scramble over them on all-fours,
careful to avoid the openings between, where we might
slip, and become wedged in. I kept by Willie, in
order to choose the easiest path and avoid danger, as
well as to restrain that youthful ambition to push too
fast toward the goal, which he would reach in a
state of perspiration that would ill fit him to stand
in the cool breeze at the top. The rest of the party

moved on more rapidly, and, by diverging to the right,

found the ground less encumbered with loose rocks,

and, indeed, before reaching the top came upon the

ancient road, still in a good state of preservation.

We reached the summit at 9 . We saw only the

finely crystallized black granite all the way up the
mountain, and, as far as we could judge from appear-
ances, there exists no other rock here. This is remark-
able, because I believe it is the only spot where granite
occurs in all this region. But the same thing is met
with at Sivri Hissar, whose rock is so precisely similar

to that of tlie Star Mountain that it is impossible

to tell them apart. We found at the latter place
specimens in which the black crystals were large
and beautiful. Grass is growing up to the very
summit ;
here we also picked flowers, and Willie

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70 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XVI.

caught a butteifly. The crest of the mountain con-

sists of five hillocks or natural mounds in a some-

what curved line, running nearly east and west, the

Fon*r ON Stah H'ountain

convex side being towards the north. The highest

of these hillocks is the farthest west, and it is

crowned with the remains of the fort, while its sides

are covered both with natural boulders and with the

hewn stone with which the fort was built. Judging

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Chap. XVI.] Remains of a Fort. 71

from the large quantity of stones, mostly granite, which

showed signs of having been hewn by the hand of
man, the fort must have been a lofty and solid struc-
ture; the latter quality must indeed have been an
indispensable condition to its standing against the
terrible blasts and storms of this high region. Tlie
foimdations of the bnilding have evidently been very
thoroughly dug over, probably in search of treasure, so
that but a small portion remains to point out the form
of the fort. The part best preserved is a cyclopean
wall forming the north-east face of the building,
and running north-west and south-east; it measures
56 feet, and is flanked at each end by a solid
square tower having a front of 12 feet, thus giving
a face on this side of 80 feet. This is evidently
the foundation of a wall, for it is level with the
soil on the inside. It descends in front to a con-
siderable depth, which cannot be ascertained on
account of the mass of stone resting against it. Fourteen
feet back from the outer face of this wall is another,

built exactly parallel, extending only to the edge of

the towers. Both these walls have but one straight

face, the stones on the other being of unequal lengths

and forms ; and they are both level w'ith the ground
inside the fort. Back from the eastern extremity of

the second wall stand the remains of a semicircular

structure which must have been either a vault or a
cistern. Outside the fort, and on the south-eastern
edge of the hillock on which it was erected, is a cistern

Digitized
72 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XVI.

in tolerabl)' good preservation; it is built in the

shape of a broad well, and is now about 20 feet deep.

There are no other traces of foundation walls on the

hillock which offers a rounded appearance, the wall
now standing cutting off an arc. It is impossible to

say whether there was a ditch around the fort, or

Ruins of Fort on the summit of Star Mountain.

whether it was strengthened by an outer wall, for the

ground is heaped all around for a considerable distance

with large blocks of stone, mostly hewn, but injured by

the weather, though the hardness of the granite has
I

doubtless enabled them to resist longer than other

stones. The ancient road is distinctly visible, passing
Chap. XVI.] Viezo from the Summit. 73

in front of the fort, and going south ;

it then divides
into two branches going east and west, evidently fol-

lowing the easiest slopes of the mountain. The western

road was followed during a good portion of our descent.
There is a considerable quantity of mortar lying about
the ruin, as well as bricks. We also found a number
of hewn blocks of tufa; it must have been brought from
below, and was probably preferred for some particular
purpose on account of its lightness, and can have been
used only for the less solid portions of the strnctnre.
We were fortnnately joined at the summit by an old
shepherd from the Star Village, who pointed out the
various objects that are visible from this giddy height,
and gave us otherwise valuable information. A care-

fully made observation with the barometer gave me the

height of the top of the Star Mountain as 855G feet
above the sea. The day was fortunately beautiful,

and the horizon clear. There was a slight breeze

from the north-west, and the thermometer stood at
67° Fahrenheit in the shade. I was able to take
valuable bearings of jkI the important objects visible
from this point, which materially aided me in construct-

ing the map of this region. We could distinctly see

with the spyglass the Armenian Monastery, one hour
from and opposite Tocat ;
the town itself is hidden in its

deep valley, and we thus ascertained its precise position.

In the direction of Sivas we could distinguish the road
over Melekon, the town itself being hid by the plateau.
Mount Argoeus, near Cmsarea, appeared towering above

Diyiiii -j by GoogU'
 C

74 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XV"I,

the horizon ;
we could just make out the Black Sea
near Samsoon; the shepherd told us he could some-
times very clearly distinguish it. The distance is 50
hours, or 200 miles. The shepherd also pointed out
the two branches of the Star Kiver, which flow
around opposite sides of the mountain and unite near
the mill.
The view from this summit is truly striking as well
as extensive. The mountain is wholly detached from
the Chamlu Bel range, although it does not lie far to
the south of it. It has already been seen that, geo-

logically, it is quite distinct from that range, whose

only volcanic rock, as far as yet ascertained, is trap
rock or trachyte. Tliere are several summits in that

range wliich attain a considerable height ;

but none
will compare with the Star Mountain, which, in its turn,

is but one-half the height of Mount Argoeus. From

this elevation the whole region around us, though
mountainous, seems almost level, yet no plains of any
size are in sight. Even the great Kaz Ova lies hid
among the mountains, and its place seems a deep gully
running east and west.
I have, thus far, given myself wholly to the
description of this interesting locality and have kept
old Strabo in the background. I shall now simply
report his language, and leave the reader to judge
whether we are on the spot he describes. He says
(Lib. xii. cap. iii. p. 39), speaking of the province of
Cabira, which Hamilton has shown (see ‘
Researches,’

Digitize.! ( lOgle
 ;

Chap. XVI.] Stradds Descriptio7i. 75

vol. i. p. 347) to be the modern Niksar, that “ here also

is the so-called New Post.”* He describes it as “ a
barren and i.solated rock, distant from Capira less than
200 stadia (24 miles). There is a spring at the summit
whence pours forth much water, and a river flows in a
deep ravine around the base. The rock above is of
stupendous height, making the fort impregnable. It

is a wonderful fortress, yet the Romans destroyed it

the surrounding region is so wooded, mountainous, and

destitute of water, for a space of 120 stadia (14 miles),
that military ojierations are out of the question. Here
Mithridates kept his most valuable treasures, which are
now laid up in the Capitol, where they were consecrated
by Pompey.”
There is no need of any comment, but simply to men-
tion that the Star Mountain is hardly 28 miles from
Niksar by the present Turkish roads, which are no
roads at all, but mere tracks made by passing over the
ground; it is not hard to suppose that under Mithri-
dates, or rather his Roman successors, the distance
would be four miles shorter. The Star Mountain has,
indeed, no forests immediately around it ;
but they are
not far off, and as the hills have j)lenty of soil and have
been under cultivation, the probability is that the whole
surrounding region was once an unbroken forest, like

•
the Chamlu Bel ; while the great steepness of the Star
Mountain itself, causing the soil as soon as formed to

* In the language of modem Asia Minor tliis would be Yeni-keuy,

the new village ; a hundred places arc so called now.

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76 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. xvi.

be washed away, makes it difficult to suppose that

many trees ever grew upon it. On the whole, Strabo’s
picture is not only correct, but vivid and characteristic.
Indeed, one can easily understand that the wily Mithri-
dates would keep his most valuable treasures in such a
place as this. The access to the very base of the
mountain is defended by narrow gorges, some of which
were strongly fortified in ancient times. The passes

through the Chamlu Bel at the Bekjilik, and from the

Art Ova, as well as the Sivas Bekjilik, and through
the Kara Dere, could each be defended against large
forces by a handful of men. The whole region around
is arid, and furnishes no supplies for an army. The
mountain itself is difficult of ascent. A besieging force
must lie exposed to the inclemencies of the weather;
and the position of the fort is such that it could only be
taken by starving out the garrison.
We were but an hour descending from the top to
the spring where we had left our horses. We found
quite a group of villagers there, attracted to the
spot by the sight of our smoke and the flavour of a
sheep which was being roasted whole, turning before
a blazing fire upon a wooden spit. It was a grand
meal, seasoned by wholesome exercise, mountain air,

splendid water, and merry companionship, and full

justice was done to it by all the guests. The thoroughly •

picked skeleton was set upon a pole, and several fine

eagles were pecking at it before we were out of sight.
We reached the village at four, and the friends who

Digitized by Google
Chap. XVI.] Rehirn to Tocat. 77

had joined us from Sivas started immediately upon

tlieir return home.
Thursday, 7th . —Left Saru Yeri at 5‘30 a.m., forded
the northern branch of the Star Eiver. Both the
branches I have observed to be low and easily forded
during the summer months. But during a great por-
tion of the vear fordin" is dangerous, and travellers
have been drowned in attempting it They have to be

crossed at the bridges which stand upon all the prin-

cipal roads. The Star River was here 10 feet wide,

and ran from right to left through a small plain, at the

other side of which lies the village of Boodookhtoon,
which wo reached at 6’25. The top of the Star Moun-
tain bore from this place a little south of east. We
travelled among forests of pine, and reached the highest
point at —
9 ’30. Rock green shales, often a.ssuming dark

shades, almost like jaspar. We descended from the

summer yailas of the Koordish tribes and the pine
forests, through which we had been travelling, to a
more varied and luxuriant vegetation ;
passed the
summer dwellings of the people of Semeiji Keuy on
our right, which overlooked a deep and beautiful valley,
and came upon the Sivas summer or post road a little

above the Robbers’ Hill. We reached our house at

Tocat at 5d5.

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78 Travels hi Asia Minor. [Chap. XVIl.

CHAPTER XVIL
Circassian music — Bishop Kcshish Oghloo —
Dedication of new
chapel — Start for overland journey —
Praying places —
Villages
of Seungut Keuy and Pazar Keny —
Fountain of Chermook —
Farm of Haji Boghos Agha —
Kiizulbash lalwurers Swamps —
of the Kaz Ova — —
A pair of somersaults Village of Yeghin
Muaulman —Spirits of Turkish saints —
Village of Chiflik —
Village of Eurcn.

rpOCAT, Saturday, July IfJf/i. — Some poor Cir-

cassians in rags have been performing music and
dancing in the street before our door to-day, in hope
of obtaining a present. One of them played upon an
iron flute of the kind called na'i, while another kept
time with an instrument I have never seen before.
It is made of square pieces of board of equal size,
fastened together like the leaves of a book, and is held
by a handle, and jerked up and down, the boards
clapping at every motion. A little boy danced to the
music very much as do the Bulgarian jieasants, taking
off his cap and throwing it up. Tlie na'i was small
and the tune monotonous.
Last Sunday the newly appointed Armenian Bishop
of Tocat made his triumphal entry into town, accom-

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Chap. XVII.] Bishop Keshish Oghloo. 79

panied by some 200 horsemen, comprising all the

principal Armenian gentlemen of the place. They
were all in great gala, and his holiness rode a fine
liorse, handsomely caparisoned. On ]\Ionday he went
to the Conak, where his firman was read before the
council and chief citizens. This Bishop is none other
than the well known and notorious Keshish Oghloo,
Vartabed of the Armenian convent at Bizeri, whom
the people despise for his infidelity, priestcraft, and
ignorance; but he is cunning, and has shown much
skill in managing Turkish officials ;
the most influential
Armenians here, therefore, have declared him to be
the man of their choice — for the place has been some-
time vacant. They accordingly sent a petition to the
Patriarch, who obtained the necessary firman from
the Porto, and the wily priest is now fully installed

Bishop.
The work upon our chapel and school has so far
advanced as to be very nearly completed. What little

remains to be done can safely be entrusted to the

pastor and deacon, who have already so cheerfully and
usefully accomplished the most important task. It was
moreover time that we should be setting our faces
westward on our long overland journey. The pastor
elect was therefore duly and publicly examined as to his
faith and qualification for the pastoral office into which
he had not yet been fully installed. With the approval
of all present, as well as of the representatives of the
Sivas Mission, and of the Evangelical Church there.

Digitized by Google
8o Travels hi Asia Minor. [Chap. xvil.

the ordination services took place on Sunday, July 24,

as well as the dedication services of the newly erected
chapel. The audience was large and interested, and
the sacramental services of the afternoon wore perhaps
still more impressive. It was, indeed, hard to part
with this little flock, left comparatively alone in the
wilderness. But their situation was far better than

in 1861, when we had left them before. They were

now perfectly harmonious : had their own pastor
regularly ordained over them, and a valuable and
popular teacher in charge of the school. The chapel
and school were all that could be desired, and gave
to the Protestants there a feeling of security against
the apprehension of some day being left at the mercy
of their enemies, with no option but to get recon-
ciled as best they could with the Armenian Church
ecclesiastics. They had the elements of growth within
themselves; would ere long be able to support their
Christiau institutions, their pastor, and school-master,
and would cease to require further aid from abroad,
I should probably have felt differently could I have
foreseen that the teacher, broken down by inadequate
support, his salary being cut dowm to a mere pittance,

and reduced below that of a common day-labourer,

would sicken of typhus and cerebral fever, and when
feeble in mind and body would be persuaded by his

friends to make liis peace with the old Church, and

accept a competent support from them for teaching

their children as he had taught those of the Protes-

Digitized by Google
Chap. XVII.] Start for Overland Journey. 8i

tants. There were other sources of anxiety, too, from

which we then were free. But enough.
Wednesday, July 21th . —The liouse was early filled

with friends who had come to see us off ; men, women,

and children had a last word to say, and “ salains ” and
“ parevs ” to send whom we hoped
to the absent ones
soon to meet. A number of friends accompanied
us out of town, riding on horses and donkeys. We
started at 9dl0, having been delayed even in the
streets by many who stood upon their doorsteps to bid
us good-bye. We took the usual road through the
Tne'idan, between the great stone khan and the marble
mosque, by the ruins of the ancient palace of the Abas-
sidian khans, and under the tottering battlements of
the old castle, and proceeded through the gardens and
vineyards along the left bank of the Iris. We stopped
to lunch at the ancient Muslem praying place, a hand-

some marble structure two hours from towu. It is

hard to stiy what the purpose of these praying places,

so called, could have been. The one which lies just

outside Tocat, on our present road, has a sort of indica-

tion of a Kubleh. It seems much more probable, from
their position at important places by the road side, that

they were intended as stations for a police force, or for

custom-house officers. The one ujjon the hill opposite

the town, however, must have been a mosque. Our

friends had parted from us just before we reached this

spot. AVe were again on our way at 1-15, and passed

the Turkish village of Seungut Keuy, “ the village of
VOL. II. G

Digitized by Google
82 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. xvii.

tlie golden duck,” situated on the slope of a hill almost

entirely surrounded by swamps. A great variety of
ducks frequent this place in the winter season, and
cranes are said to live here altogether, and to breed
their young in the tall grass. But I have never seen

more than three or four of these birds here at once.

They are said to be extremely hard to approach, and
when pursued will run wth great speed. They are

doubtless of the same species as those which perform

their distant migrations twice every year; but the
natives distinguish the.se as “yerli,” indigenous. The
river is spanned by an old and steep bridge of four arches,
a Muslem structure, whose perforated sides are peopled
with wild pigeons. At 3‘20 we came to Pazar Keuy, a
large Turkish village built on the edge of the plain, and
.surrounded by extensive gardens and vineyards, water
being very abundant. A w^eekly market is held here
for the accommodation of the villages of this part
of the plain. It is the residence of a Mudir and Cadi,
whose authority extends over the whole sanjah or
district of the Kaz Ova. The village contains several

shops and stores ;

it has lately received the accession
of a number of Circassian families, who are said to
be very troublesome, helping themselves to their
neighbours’ property wherever they find it, instead of
working for their own support. Instead of passing
through the village, we took a more direct road
through the gardens on the right, and then, leaving
the common highway which passed along the plain.

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 Chap. XVII.] Fountain of Chermook. 83

and is now very hot and dusty, rode upon tlie bluffs

which skirt it on the left. These bluffs are well

cultivated and shaded with trees. We turned into a

side valley, or gorge, beiiutiful with gardens and
orchards, with a fine stream coming down from the
mountain, and passing through the Turkish village
of Farno, continued along the slope, until at 5'30 we
passed the Fountain of Chermook. This is a spring
whose waters rush out with force from beneath a
ledge of limestone rock some 30 to 50 feet high.
It is well shaded by ]xiplars and willows. Over the
spring stands an old bath, whose well-worn stones
indicate that it has been in use for centuries past.
The water is supposed to possess medicinal properties,
and is resorted to even from distant places. The
name indicates this, for Chermook means a mineral
spring. We could not, however, perceive that it

differed from ordinary water, either in taste or in

temperature. There was once a village here, for

there are ruins of houses and a decayed mosque. A

garden is still cultivated : the place, however, seems
to be feverish owing to the w'ant of draining, which
might be remedied at a trifling expense.

At 6 '30 we reached the chiflik, or farm, of our

Armenian friend, Haji Foghos Agha, from whom we

had received a cordial invitation to spend a night with

him. It is a valuable property, of which the arable

lands extend across the whole plain to the mountains on
the north, and even occupy both banks of the Iris, as it

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 ;

84 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XVll.

turns northward towards Toorkhal. This gentleman is

possessed of great natural intelligence, and has enjoyed

the best educational advantages procurable in the
country. He has travelled in all parts of Turkey,
though hardly 25 years of age. Agriculture he loves
with passion, and practised it with success ;
but, as gene-

rally happens to the Christian subjects of the Porte, the

Turks of the whole region, envious of his prosperity,

have combined to ruin him. They obtained an order

from the Sublime Porte, requiring that all lands which
had not been sown for three years should be given up
to the Circassians. In this country where the system
of rotation in crops is unknown, where land is abundant
and labour scarce, a great portion of the arable land

necessarily lies fallow for long periods. The authori-

ties of Tocat and Pazar Keuy selected the most

valuable fields on our friend’s estate, proved by Mus-
lem false witneases that they had not been cultivated
for three years, and sent a band of stout and well-
armed Circassians to take possession of them. They
settled down only a mile from the very house occupied
by Haji Boghos Agha himself. And now there is no
end to the robberies and vexations inflicted by these
men. The rightful owner has already spent much
of his property in the vain attempt to obtain redress
and he assured us he was only waiting for an oppor-
tunity to sell his estate without too great a sacrifice,
leave the place altogether, and purchase a farm in
the neighbourhood of Constantinople or Smyrna, where

Digitized by Google
Chap. XVII.] Kuzulbash Labourers. 85

he believed the Turks would uot dare to treat him

thus under the very eyes of the representatives of
the European powers. There can be no doubt that
such conduct on the part of the ruling race, even where
it benefits them immediately, must ultimately end in

their ruin ;
and it argues great blindness on the part of
the Government authorities not to perceive it. Every-
body can see that this large farm, under the skilful

management of its present proprietor, brings a con-

siderable revenue to the Government in the shape of

taxes, while the wretched Circassians, who are put for-

ward to gratify Turkish bigotry and envy, will, in spite

of the fine lands now handed over to them, long con-

tinue to prove a burden to the Government Treasury.
Thus does bigotry ever defeat and punish itself; and
wasted and starved Turkey is already starving those
who claim alone the right to be fed by her.
The people who work on our friend’s i'arm are mostly
Khziilbashes, whom he finds very laborious, less deceitful

tlian the Christians, and more obedient than the Turks.

They build their own houses, which are circular, with
floors considerably lower than the level of the ground,
and flat roofs. These people look strong and hardy, and
belong to a peculiar race, probably one of the earliest
that occupied the Peninsula of Asia Minor. They
profess to be Mohammedans, but this profession is

known not to be sincere, and the Turks themselves are

fully aware of it, and thoroughly hate them for it.

They do not believe in God, and hold to the trans-

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 86 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. xvil.

migration of souls. In imitation of the JIuslems,

they give their religious teachers the names of Hoja
(sheikh), and Dervish (religious devotee). AVe saw
here an old man said to be 90 years of age, but strong
and erect, who is called Dervish Hussein Baba. He
seemed quite gratified by the proposal to draw his

picture. I noticed that he had remarkably small

hands and feet. Though many of these people are

found in all the large towns of Turkey engaged in

every trade, and filling every office in the gift of
Government, yet they are mostly addicted to agri-

cultural pursuits : their women do not veil themselves

in the presence of Christians, but only of Turks.

Thursday, 2Sth . —The swamps of the Kaz Ova are in

full sight below us. They do not affect the healthfulness

of this place, because the wind does not blow' from that
direction during the fever season. In winter they are
the great resort of ducks and wild geese, which give
their name to the plain; they are sometimes shot by
means of fiat boats launched upon the swamp, in which
the sportsman hides himself under green boughs, and
advances stealthily among the reeds. There are three
jilaces w'here the water is very deep. Our host thinks
they cannot be drained by a cut to the river, which he
believes too high ojjposite the swamp. It is generally

.“^upiwsed that the intermittent fevers which prevail

among the country houses situated farthest west in
the neighbourhood of Tocat, owe their origin to the
miasma borne from this swamp by the westerly winds.

-QttfrttiedbsL£j0.ogIe
Chap. XVII.] Szuavips of the Kaz Ova. 87

I cannot believe it to be so. The distance, seven

hours at least, is too great. The swamps around Seun-
gut Keuy are doubtless the origin of that malaria,
and the two chitliks, which are near to the latter
swamp, suffer most severely, while the Tash Chiflik
is perfectly free from fever. The swamps of the Kaz
Ova are the resort of numerous wild boars, which
come out at night and waste the neighbouring fields of

grain. They have to be watched for a shot ;

but as
the people are ^luslems, they are often left to rot in
the field and breed disease, so that Government
officers have to come and force the farmers of the
neighbourhood to bury them.
Started at 7'15. Went over the hills to the west.
At 9'30 saw the town and castle of Zileh ;
it is built

upon a broad hill with level surface, the town lying at

the foot of it on the south-east and north-east sides. We
now had a good view of the plain of Zileh, which we
were skirting; it looked yellow from the stubble re-
maining in the fields after the harvest, and the appear-
ance, therefore, was one of aridity, though we know that
it is very productive. But the villages, which are
numerous, were surrounded with verdure. Wliile travel-
ling over a good smooth road, our pack-horse, which was
going at a good round pace, hit his fore-foot against a
stone, and had such a full as I never yet saw a horse
accomplish. He went down head foremost, turned a
complete somersault, and came to the ground with his
four feet up in the air, his neck twisted round, and the

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'88 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XVli.

whole load resting on his head. The thing was done so

quickly that tlie first we knew of it was the sight of the
poor animal lying on the ground in that dangerous
lX)sition, running the risk of breaking his neck if aid
was delayed ;
indeed, we did for a moment think his
neck was broken. The muleteer was just behind him,
riding a diminutive donkey, and in his haste to dismount
became entangled by the ropes, and went right over
as if in imitation of the brute’s performance, feet up
and head down. In spite of our alarm, we all burst
into peals of laughter; a knife soon cut the cords
of the load and set the poor animal free, and he was
carrying his burden again in a few minutes as though
nothing had happened. We now entered a narrow valley,
which we followed along its eastern side. It is fertile,

and its little river flows north toward Zileh, supplying

several flour-mills along its course. Went over undu-
lating ground into a plain, and crossing a small stream
entered the Turkish village of Yeghin Musulman
(Bigoted Moslems) at 12’30. We saw orchards and
gardens around the village, and found, upon inquiry,
that we might, for hire, occupy one of them. It

was surrounded by a mud wall, and thickly planted

with fruit-trees, which afforded a pleasant shade; the
only means of access was by a small door at the end of
a bridge, formed of a single plank over the stream, thus
affording us a good shelter from the intrusion of the

curious. There was, moreover, an immense stable for

our horses near by. In this deliglitful spot we pitched our

 ; ;

Chap. XVII.] Spirits of Turkish Saints. 89

tent, and were soon quite at home. The tent stood near
the graves of three Turkish saints, over which grew a
vine ;
the Imam of tlie village, who had special charge
of the sacred spot, scon paitl us a visit, and after many
preliminaries and much general talk, advised us, for our
own comfort, not to remain here. It was Thursday, he
said, and the saint was in the habit of coming out of his

grave, on the night of Thursday to Friday, to wash

his hands and feet and say his namaz he was apt to
be troublesome to strangers upon such occasions (he
meant Giaours), and we had better keep out of his way.
I assured him that we were well acquainted with that

kind of people, and never allowed them to disturb us

that the buzzing of a fly would awake us, that our dogs
never slept, and that our fire-arms comprised twenty-
five to thirty barrels loaded and primed ;
in case one or
two shots should miss the mark, which was not their
habit, one of the rest would teach any disturber of
our peace that we were not people to be trifled with.

“ Oh ! said the Imam, your gun will not go off if aimed

” “ ” I re])lied, “
at him ! Good ! we shall run no risk of

treating him with disrespect, or of hurting his Saintship.

In case our guns do not go off we shall know it is he,

and w e shall let him move on ;

but if the gun fires it will

certainly be a robber, and we shall fire again and again

until we kill him or he cries AmanI Our guns are
English ;
they never miss fire
;
you see they are very
different from anything you have ever seen.” At this

speech he made a very wry face. It probably saved us

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90 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap, xvii

a nightly visit. Had we not felt too tired, and in need

of sleep, we might have expressed some fears so as to
secure a call from the tricky priest, and have given him
a fright he would have remembered the rest of his
life. He asked me the next morning, with a smile,
whether we had seen anything during the night? I
very gravely replied that we thought we had heard a
slight noise on the other side of the wall, and our dogs
had barked ;
but, seeing nothing, we had not fired. He
winked his eye and whispered it was he.

The elevation of this place by the barometer is

2760 feet. This result cannot be far out of the way

but the weather was fitful and blustering, and such as to
cause the mercury to fall below its mean level. About
5 P.M. the wind blew for a while so strong from the
north that it seemed as though it would tear down the
trees of our orchard ;
the tallest of our poplars in
particular bent fearfully. The young men obtained a
considerable quantity of small game on the trees about
us, which seemed to be their favourite resort, especially

about roosting-time, and the Imam had an opportunity

of convincing himself that what I had said of our guns
was not a vain boast.

It may here be remarked that the weather has par-

ticularly favoured me in my observations with the
barometer. During all our journeyings the sky was
clear, except upon the occasions specified in my journal.
This is important, for the most unvarying and uniform
weather is indispensable to give perfect accuracy to
Chap. XVII.] Village of Chijlik. 91

the barometrical observations by which heiglits have

to be calculated. The fact sufficiently explains the

discrepancies to bo found in the calculation of heights

given by different travellers. But, with this reserva-
tion, it cannot be denied that measurements with the
barometer are quite as reliable as trigonometrical sur-
veys.

Friday, 29th . —We left this morning at 6’15. At

10T5 wo entered the miserable little village of Chiflik,
and, crossing a little stream, entered and took possession
of a small orchard, thickly planted with fruit-trees and
poplars. We rested here for several hours, greatly en-

joying the cool shade and the refreshing breeze ;

the
only disturbance we met with was from an old woman
who stood outside of the hedge, and for a long time
vented her fanaticism by cursing us in all the terms of
her rich vocabulary, for polluting her orchard with our
giaourship. As there was no fruit wo could do no
possible harm, so we just let her enjoy the sound of her

own voice until she stopped from exhaustion. The land

all around is fertile, and seems to yield good crops;
but, at tliis season, it looks parched and dry, Tlie grain

had been gathered in, and even the harmans had dis-

appeared. The only verdure to be seen is in the imme-

diate vicinity of the villages, wliich are uniformly built

near some spring or water-course, and are shaded with

trees, mostly poplars, walnuts, and willows. We had
heard last night, at Yeghin Musulman, that some
Franks had been there, and had obtained several of

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92 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. xvii.

those peculiar excrescences found upon tlie trunks of

walnut-trees, which are used in veneering, and are called
“loupes” by the French. From all accounts, these
seem to be common, and of a valuable quality, in Asia

Minor, for we have lieard of their being sought for

and taken away from all parts of the Peninsula by men
who have come from Europe expressly for that pur-
pose ;
it is said that some of these people have made
their fortunes in this way. We left our resting-place
at 1'45, and travelled in aW.S.W. direction. The plain

gradually rose, and became contracted between the

bushy heights on the right and left. We reached the
highest ground on this part of our road at 2’45, and
ascended to an elevation whence we overlooked the
valley of the Chekerek Soo, a tributary of the Iris,

which falls into it on the nortli of Zileh. The descent

into this valley was very steep. At 3 we passed
through a village built upon the slope, in which the
chimney-tops were made of osier baskets. Eiding over
undulating and cultivated ground, which rose as it

receded from the river bank, w'e passed several large

villages, where we had intended to stop, but found that
all the people were gone to their summer quarters or
yailas. We went on, therefore, to the village of Euren,
and selected a beautiful camping-ground on a high
terrace overlooking a series of vineyards occupying
the sloping hill in front of the village, shaded and
partly protected on the north by a row of cherry-trees.

There is a fine old fountain at the corner, with two tall

Chap. XVII.] Roasted Turtle-Doves. 93

walnut-trees by its side. This spot was frequented by

turtle-dovas, which were numerous, flying all about us.

While the tent was being pitched our sportsmen bagged

a sufficient number of the poor birds for a plentiful
supper; a spit was improvised, and the cookery was
worthy of the occasion. This spot is high and airy,
and a tented traveller could nowhere spend a more
agreeable or refreshing night. I recommend to our
successors the terraced garden of Euren, under the
cherry-trees, with a supper of turtle-<loves roasted on a

ramrod.

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94 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XVIII.

CHAPTER XVIII.

Turkish village of Beyordoo — Flattering reception — sight First

of camels — Hot spring and bath — of Kouhneh —
Village,
Travelling Koords — Town of Yozghat — Change of muleteers
— of Kamishjy Boghaz — Pass of Devrend Boghaz —
A^allcy
Kuins of the temple and city of Pterium.

O ATURDAY, July ^Oth — Started at 6‘15.. Ascend-

^ ing a gorge which grew narrow and picturesque
as we proceeded, we came to cliffs of green sliale and

limestone, indicating a great perturbation. Started a

fine covey of red-legged partridges on the bank of the
stream. At 9 ‘45 passed over the hill at the end of the
gorge among the bold trachytic rocks, which have
evidently caused all this disturbance and breaking up
of the crust. At 10 came to a small village on the
north side of a little valley, which runs off to our
right. We were constantly mounting as we rode on.
Having reached the highest point of our ascent, we
at once began to go down into another valley, and
travelled along the side of a narrow gorge, whose little

stream runs down in a direction opposite to our own

course. The hills on both sides are low; they bear
only scrub oak bushes, and small wild cypress, com-
pletely shutting us in, so that the heat is intense.

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Chap. XVI 1 1.] Flattering Reception. 95

and very trying. We were glad to see ahead of us

the Turkish village of Beyordoo, which we reached at
11'30, cros.sing the small stream upon a wooden bridge
at its entrance. It possesses a stone mosque, and the
whole population were in holiday attire engaged in the
festivities of a marriage which is to take place to-

morrow, As soon as we appeared in sight of the

village a procession was formed to meet us. We were
preceded by the davool (drum), and zoorna (hautbois) ;

made a grand entrance into the village ;

and were led
up to the mosque, around which the people were col-

lected. They proposed that we should 5,light there,

promising us all sorts of comforts; but, having spied

a beautiful grove of tall willows planted in a circle
behind the village, we passed through the harmans
(threshing-floors), whoso heaped grain at once indicated
that we had reached a more elevated region, and
alighted in the fine grove, which effectually preserved
us from the sun’s rays, while it allowed the breeze
to reach us unimpeded. There is a fountain of good
water close by, and the young men found a fair supply
of turtle-doves to‘ shoot —the hope of our larder in this
region. As we went to our quarters, however, the
music and the crowd followed close at our heels ;
and
the only way we could get rid of the nuisance was to

pay the customary bakshish.

We were again in the saddle at 2‘15. Beached
the highest point on the hills at 3-10, and here
met the first camels we have yet seen on our jour-

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96 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XVIII.

ney. They are not unfrequently found in the Kaz

Ova, and the Art Ova, though in small numbers.
They are chiefly employed in carrying ore from the
mines about Kharpoot to the foundry at Tocat, and
thence the copper bars to Samsoon. But they are not
numerous in that region ;
they appear to avoid the
nortlieru portions of the Peninsula, where the dense
forests, and the generally clayey soil, cause the mud
to remain longer on the groimd, making travel dan-

gerous to these animals. They are owned exclusively

by the Koordish tribes in Eastern Asia Minor, the
northernmost of whom roam over the country which
lies between Amasia, Chorum, Zileh, and Tocat. The
Avshar Koords occupy the coimtry aroimd Caesarea,
chiefly to the east and north of that place. They, how-
ever, make excursions as far as the neighbourhood of
Karghun aud Gurun. They all have camels, some of
which are very flne. Farther west the Koords give
way to the Turkmen.
We now began to descend toward a very extensive

undulating plain, in which lie Keuhneh, Sorkun, and

other important towns. No high mountain appeared in
any quarter of the horizon. We passed over a series of
low bills, with neither tree nor shrub, most of which
have at some period been under cultivation. There was
fallow land enough for the Sultan to supply any number
of his Circassian guests, without robbing his Christian
subjects. Shallow valleys occupy the lower grounds,
^d convey the waters of the region southward to the

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Chap. XVI II.] Village of Kartdar. 97

Hulya. At 3’45 we descended into a fertile valley a

quarter of a mile wide, which runs toward the south-
west. All the rock around here continues to bo green
sliales. The height from which we had descended ap-
peal’s to form the watershed between the Halys and
the Iri.s. Before w'e reached it all the streams flowed
toward the Ohekerek, which is a tributary of the Iris.

A\'e now’ found them all flowing toward a stream that

pass’es by Keuhneh, and goes southward toward the
Halys. Kiefxn t’s map makes all these streams tributary
to the Chekerek, which is a mistake ;
but the region
appears not to have lieen examined before, as Kiepert
marks the course of the .streams only with dots. At
4'30 passed a village on our left, and by it an extensive
and apparently ancient cemetery, with large blocks of
rough stone to mark the graves. The plain now widens,
the hills which enclose it continuing very low and
rolling ;
it is well planted with wheat, flax, lieans, and
Indian com, or maize. The w'ater of the little stream
is used for the purpose of irrigation. At G’30 we passed
through the village of Karular (women). From this we
descended at 7 to a still lower level, a purely alluvial
plain, which appears very rich. It will thus be seen

that there are here several distinct levels, the highest

being shown by the low hills of green shales, and the
lowest being alluvium. We now came upon the stream,
which we found about 10 feet wide ; it is used to water
gardens on both banks. We found upon the left side

an encampment of Koords, whose flocks of goats and

VOL. II. H

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98 Travels in Asia, Minor. [Chap. XVIII.

sheep wore feeding in the grassy meadow, guarded by

savage-looking dogs. There were several Angora goats
among them, distinguished from the rest by their pure
white colour, and the glossiness of their coat. Their
form, however, seemed more like sheep than goats.

These were the first specimens of this breed we had

met on this journey. I was disappointed to find them
so small ;
I inferred they were young, but subsequent
observation upon a large scale has convinced me 'that
this kind of goat stands a good deal lower on his legs,

and is smaller every way than the common species.

As we crossed the stream, a solitary camel of large

size was led along the road, majestically bearing a

very large maffa filled with women. It was hand-
somely rigged out, and appeared to belong to people of
wealth. They were probably coming to the hot baths.
These are situated near the right bank of the river,

the hot water issuing from a spot about 20 feet

above the level of the stream, and flowing into it.

Over this spring is erected a building, which consists

simply of a square enclosure of stone walls, 30 feet
by 20, and 12 feet high, of modem construction, with

a door near the south-west corner, and recesses in the

walls for stowing away the clothes. Timbers are laid

across the top, so that it can be covered with a tent-

cloth in the winter. The bath itself consists of a
depression, or oblong basin, at the north-east corner,

paved with slabs and 10 feet lower than the general

floor. The spring issues at the corner itself, and a

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Chap, xvill.] Hot Spring and Bath. 99

hole in tlie eastern wall constantly carries away the sur-

plus water, maintaining a depth of about 4 feet. The
basin measures 12 feet by 10, and there are stone steps
leading down into the water. I wished to obtain

Hut Spring, near Keubneb.

the temperature of the water, but my thermometer

marked only 140° of Fahrenheit, which the mercury so
quickly reached that I was unable to make an ob-
servation. The water is whitish, as tliough containing

some alkali, but it forms no deposit. In the basin

it felt quite warm ;
and it was almost impossible to
hold the hand in it where it issued from the ground.
The place is resorted to by many people from the whole

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lOO Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XVIII.

surrounding region, it being supposed to contain valu-

able medicinal properties ;
but it is said to be liurtful

to remain long in it. The water which runs out of the

hole at the eastern wall falls into deep trenches, which
are lined with hewn stones. The lowest of these are large,
and appear very old, arguing that the ancients made
use of this spring. On the inner face-of the northern
wall is a Turkish inscription cut in the stone, probably
placed there when the building was repaired. No fees

are required, and no one appears to have charge of the

place, although a small house, close by, is occupied by
people who seem to sell refreshments or keep lodgers.
The effect of the water upon the skin was found to be

somewhat peculiar by those of us who went into it. As

long as a limb or the w'hole body was immersed no par-
ticular sensation was experienced, but, when brought
out into the air, the skin at once became extremely
hot, and remained so for some time; it was covered
«

also with irregular red patches. The general effect

upon the system, after remaining even but a few minutes

in the water, was drowsiness, hunger, and great weak-
ness. A slight whitish deposit is left upon the skin,

which, on rubbing, feels like soap. The water of this

spring rapidly dissolves soap.
The hills from which we had descended were of
green shales; but, when we reached the plain itself,

wc found that even its highest level was formed of

sandstone, which, in some places, is quite red. But,
at the spring, the rock is coarse granite. Wo found

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 !

Chap. XVIII.] Village of Kerilmch. lOI

granite also all the way from the spring to the large

village of Keuhneh lying directly north of it, about one

hour distant. The hillocks which bound the plain on
the west are all of the same rock, and boulders are lying
about, and are ased as landmarks for the fields. The
soil around Keuhneh is level, fertile, and well cultivated.
We passed through the village, and found a convenient
garden on its southern edge, where we pitched our tent
under a cluster of trees.

Sunday, 31st —We had a pleasant and quiet day of

rest ;
we spent most of it in reading and singing, and
had a refreshing little service by ourselves. In the
afternoon we had some interesting calls, among which
was that of a young Circassian officer in the Turkish
service, who has come here to take the baths. The
country around us is one extensive level plain, under
good cultivation, with here and there clusters of
trees, and bounded near the horizon by low hills, such
as wo had passed on our way here. There are many
mares kept in these fields, and some of them appear
to be fine animals. We also saw a good many camels,
one of them white. The horned cattle, however, arc
small, and look feeble. Keuhneli is at an elevation
of 3752 feet, which shows a considerable rise since we
left Tocat. AVe are, indeed, but 700 feet lower than
Sivas, while the climate appears to be much milder.
But there is no Chamlu Bel about here
Monday, August Is^. — We had a ride of six hours

before us to Yozghat, and a rise of about 700 feet.

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102 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XVIII.

not to speak of the greater heights we might have

to encounter on the way. We started at 5'30 a.m.,

and following a direction due west, soon overtook a

Koordish tribe, who were travelling, with all their
goods and chattels, in the same direction as our-
selves. There were long lines of camels loaded with

property ;
the men and women mostly rode horses and
donkeys. Several carried hawks upon their fists,

and wore a thick glove for this purpose ;

all the birds

were blind-folded. They had several dogs, but only

one seemed to be fit for sporting purposes. The chief
rode upon a skeleton of a horse at the head of the
file ;
he was an old man, and proposed to give us the

hawk he was carrying upon his fist, in exchange for

one of our dogs, ^^’e replied that our hawks, pointing
to our guns, were quicker, more obedient, and less

troublesome than his, so that we did not care to acquire

any of his birds. The country all around here is weari-
some to the sight. Neither tree nor bush relieves the
eye ;
the laud has all the appearance of having
been formerly under cultivation, but there is a scarcity
of water in it. Came upon the highroad from Amasia and
Chorum ; it has lately been rejraired in this part, and
is good for carriages. It looked like civilization to see

the lines of the telegraph upon it. Went over the hill,

and from the top obtained the first sight of the town
of Yozghat, which lies at the bottom of a valley run-
ning east and west, rising slightly upon the slopes on
either side. Yegetable patches occupy the bottom of

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Chap. XVIII.] Town of Yozghat. 103

the valley; there are some trees and private gardens

about the town, and an isolated grove upon the slope
of the southern hill. With these exceptions all is
barren and parched. The houses are made of rough
stones united with mud, or of mud bricks, and are all

covered with red tiles. As we approached the town,

we could distinguish some very good-looking houses,
and one handsome mosque with a minaret. The size of

Yozghat is alxjut half that of Tocat. The rock at the

bottom of the valley is sandstone, which, in some places,

is of a deep red, like brick, and in others of as deep

yellow an ochre. We reached the town at 11‘30, and went
to the house of the Rev. Mr. Farnsworth, an American
missionary who is stationed in Caesarea, and often
spends the summer in this place. His house is situated
upon a slight declivity, which overlooks the gardens at
the bottom of the valley, and affords a good view of a
considerable portion of the city. We could distin-
guish from this spot a wall about 10 feet high running
around the town, though it is broken down in several
places. Yozghat is a place of recent origin ;
its con-
venient position with regal’d to this portion of the

country, has led to its being made the seat of govern-

ment for the Province.

Tuesday, 2nd . —The native Evangelical Church and

community have been very frank and cordial in their

interconrse with us, and I am pleased with their

spirit, and their earnest desire for instruction and
improvement. I visited their prosperous school, and

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104 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap, xviii.

at their own request, addressed them in the chapel,

respecting the condition of their brethren in different
parts of the country. I found the elevation of Yoz-
gliat, at Mr. F.’s house, to bo 4418 feet. This is

equal to the height of Sivas. The climate of these

two towns is said to be identical, but the position of

Yozghat, in a narrow valley, must expose it to be

visited by strong winds, while there may perhaps be
less snow than at Sivas.

Wednesday, 3rd. —We left Yozghat at 9'30 a.m.

We had been obliged to part with our faithful Tocat

muleteers, they having engaged to come only as far as

here. Tlieir places were taken by two Turks, vho

came to us very highly recommended, but whom we
immeiliately discovered to be quite igjorant of their
business ;
longer experience unfortunately revealed so
many other failings, that we seized the first opportunity
of getting rid of them. Our road letl us in a northerly
direction, through a narrow gorge, which took us to
the summit of the high hills, on that side of the
valley of Yozghat. The steepness of the road, and
the inexperience of our new hands occasioned much
delay ; for the load turned over several times, and once
barely escaped fallingdown a precipice of great depth ;

as it was, one box rolled some distance down the hill.

We had to set our own shoulders to the work of loading,

and greatly regretted the loss of Osman Agha, our
neighbour at Tocat and a member of the police force
of that place, whom we had taken as guide as far as

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Chap. XVlIl.] Change of Muleteers. 105

Yozghat, and who had turned out the most accommo-

dating and useful fellow I ever had with me upon the
road ;
lie was invaluable in always getting us the best

accommodation and provisions our resting-place pos-

sessed, acted as groom and horse-doctor on emer-
gencies, and was everywhere and everything; best of
all, he left us with evident regret, and was pleased with
very moderate pay. I believe that he and our mule-
teers would have come with us as far as our journey’s

end, had not both they and we been afraid of the cost

of their return home ;

it is certain, however, that we
should have found it economical had we engaged them
at any reasonable price. We henceforth depended
upon the good will of the pashas and mudirs, and a
hand-sonie bakshish, for a guide; the man the Go-
vernor of Yozghat gave us knew so little of the road,

that he had to inquire about it as we proceeded, and

was constantly talking about his being very feeble,
and having just recovered from a long illness, and his
horse having just come from eating grass ;
he always
extended his hand for and expected the best morsels
at each of our meals, and could not refrain from help-
ing us to get rid of our tea ;
he finally abandoned us
long before reaching the point to which he had pro-
mised to accompany us, saying he would utterly break
dowm if he proceeded any further; this was probably
a trick for getting a present, but it failed, for we
took him at his word and summarily dismissed him.
Our progress was very slow, owing to the steejiness

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 io6 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap, xvill.

of the ground, and still more to the frequent turning

over of our loads, from the ignorance and inexperience
of our new muleteers. Indeed they had to take several
regular lessons on loading before we could make any
head-way ; and in order to do this, we ourselves loaded
oim two pack-horses systematically before their eyes, as
we had learnt by long experience and travel ;
adding
sundrj' homely expositions of the philosophy and the
laws of balance, and the strain upon ropes. Fortunately
the men turned out less stupid than might have been
expected, for they finally got their lesson so well, that
we had no more trouble from this source, though we
soon had worse grievances to urge against them.
We now began to descend, and at 12’30 reached a
fountain, where we stopped for luncheon. After passing
over undulating ground we entered a narrow gorge
watered by a small stream ;
its careful cultivation

indicated the neighbourhood of human habitations.

This high region seems to enjoy a good deal of rain,

for water was abundant, and the richness and freshness
of the vegetation reminded us of the showeiy neigh-
bourhood of Samsoom We left the village of Dishek
on our left, when we suddenly turned with the valley
to the right, still travelling near the bank of the stream.
Came to a fountain of very fine water, and proceeded
through a charming valley full of flowers and fresh
green grass, the fields being covered with standing
crops of wheat. Harvest was just commencing. This
spot is called Kamishjy Boghaz, or the valley of the
Chap. X\aii.] Devrend Boghaz. 107

reed gatherers, and reminded us of the rich and beau-

tiful vale which runs south from Tocat. Farther down
the land was not equally well cultivated, and much of it

is covered witli dwarf oaks. Travelling near the bank

of a stream, we entered a gorge, which soon turned
to the south, and became very narrow and precipitous,
stupendous rocks frowning on both sides, while the
stream roared among the fallen stones at the bottom.
We could no longer travel upon the water’s edge, but
climbing over a rocky road on the right, passed above
a mill, and proceeded on the bushy slope of the cal-

careous mountain, the stream flowing at the bottom of

a narrow and deep cut on our left. The difficult pass

we had just gone through is called Devrend Boghaz.

The view at this point is grand and picturesque in the
extreme, and the place could be defended by a handful
of men against the largest army in the world. Our
path now led us into a broad valley, but we could see
on our left the continuation of the deep fissure, at the
bottom of which the stream continues to flow. After
riding a while upon this sort of plateau, we rapidly
descended into the fissure by a zigzag path trodden in
the soil ;
there was hardly room for anything but the
passage of the impetuous stream, upon which have
been erected three flour-mills, at different points. The
rock now stands boldly up on both sides, rising to a
great height, but huge fragments are hanging about
or have tumbled to the bottom, giving the scene a
character most chaotic. The fallen rocks finally quite

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 ;

io8 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap, xvill.

close up the piissage through the gorge, so that the

stream escapes through a straight fissure, 10 feet wide
at the bottom and 200 feet deep in heiglit, cut smooth
through the solid rock, as though by human hands. The
path now leads tlirough an opening to the right of the
fissure, and the gorge slightly widens then comes another
;

chaotic scene, as though Titans and giants of stupen-

dous height had fought and tumbled over the moun-
tains and the hills in their wrath. The stream with
difficulty finds its way through the cracks of tin’s last

barricade, dashing and foaming among the rocks; it

then suddenly emerges into the great plain of Boghaz

Keuy, which stretches out to the very horizon, and its

waters henceforth sluggishly pursue their way among

the remains of ancient cities. Our own path through
this ptvss (Boghaz) lay among the chaos of rocks
limestone of a crystalline character, shales, conglome-
rates, and trap-rock, seemed to stare in amazement at

each other, wondering what could have mixed them

up so. I do not remember any spot that has j)roduced

a similar impression upon my mind. The northern

edge of the mountain cluster I have been describing,
from the Devrend Boghaz to the Lower Bo"haz, near
Boghaz Keuy, forms a pretty regular wall, running east
and west, and constituting the southern boundary of the
level plain, whose broad and fertile fields, covered with
the fruits of man’s labour, and studded with villages,
present a singular contrast to the chaos of rocks from
which we now emerged. I confess that while going

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 !

Chap. XVIll.] Devrend Boghaz. 109

through the lowest part of the pass, I was constantly

thinking of the third picture in Cole’s famous ‘
Voyage
of Life,’ where the poor traveller is represented standing
up with clasped hands upon his shattered bark, the
guardian angel visible far away beyond the clouds,
while the rushing stream of misfortune is dashing him
onward toward fearful precipices, leaping into fissures

of almost immeasurable depth ;

the stupendous cliffs

hanging overhead, the chaos of shattered rocks, the

broken trees upon the bank, and the very bend in
the river, all was there ;
and far away, down beyond
the whole, I could see the smooth plain stretching out
to the horizon, occasionally darkened by the shadow
of a passing cloud, not unaptly imitating the ocean of
eternity, into which the little bark is soon to be ushered.
I involuntarily said to myself : Can it be that Cole had
visited this spot ? So true it is that genius and nature
both tend to the same ends, and produce the same
glorious results
As we came out of the Boghaz we landed upon a
plateau occupying the left bank of the stream, where
lie the remains of the great temple described by Texier,
and of which Hamilton has given a veiy good plan.
A minute examination enabled us to find only unim-
portant errors, referring solely to the internal commu-
nications existing between the different apartments.
It must have been a grand edifice, and its high posi-
tion, with a slightly inclined and extensive square in
front, must have greatly heightened the effect. Bricks,

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I lO Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap, xvill.

broken stone, and pieces of mortar, cover the whole

plateau on the east and north, indicating that here lay
the ancient city of Pterium ;
while a wall, protecting the
temple on the south, extended as a line of circumval-
lation to the small forts on the west. The citadel or
acropolis occupied the top of a mountain opposite, in
a direction nearly south of the temple. It must have
been a place of great strength in those days. The
stream which comes down through the Boghaz, has
hardly entered the plain when it receives a small
tributary from the east, and running westward flows

on towards Sungurlu. The present village of Boghaz

Keuy, or Village of the Gorge, occupies both banks
of the stream, about 300 yards from the temple;
and there are here, also, many old walls and ancient
remains. Indeed, one cannot avoid the conclusion that
Pterium was once a rich, well fortified, large, and popu-
lous city. We crossed the stream over a bridge, and
went to the Agha’s Konak, a large establishment, in
the old Dereh Bey style, facing the west, which we
reached at 5. The Agha himself was not at home,
but his brother received us with marked attention, gave
us the best room in the house, and invited us to dine
with him. We, however, made the most of our time,
by immediately going over to see the ruins, w'hich we
minutely inspected. But they have been faithfully
described by others, and particularly by IVIr. Texier,
who has thrown into the inquiry so much learning and
acuteness, that I feel incapable of adding anything to

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 1

Chap. XVI II.] Remarkable Ruins. 1 1

what has already been published upon the subject. I

shall, therefore, merely state such items as have been

omitted by my learned predecessors ;
for these ruins are,

jierhaps, the most remarkable and important that occur

in the whole Peninsula of Asia Minor.

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I I 2 Travels in Asia Mmor. [Chap. XIX.

CHAPTEE XIX.

Detailed description of the ruins ofl’terium — Forts — Suhterranean

passage — Carvetl rocks — Hyixjthesis respecting their meaning
— Arrival at Eu3'uk.

^HUESDA Y, Ath . —An observation taken on the

piazza of the Mudir’s house enabled us to ascertain
the position of Boghaz Keuy above tbe sea-level as
3515 feet. This is 900 feet below Yozghat, and, as we
first went up on leaving the latter place, tlie descent

from the upper to the lower Boghaz must be more than

1000 feet. It is also worthy of note that Boghaz Keuy
is about 1000 feet higher than Sungurlu, as we shall
see by-and-by, when we come again npon the water
which flows by the ruins of Pterium, while the level of
the Halys at Diashkhan is about the same. We took
an old Turk for our guide, and started off at 7 A.M. to

see the lions of the place, sending on our baggage to a

village on the road to Euyuk. About one mile to the

south of the Boghaz Keuy, we saw' the remains of two

small forts built upon isolated rocks, which rise from
the general level. The foundation-stones were all we
found in place, and these are regularly shaped blocks

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Chap. XIX.] Ruins of P teriuni. 113

of limestone and brescia, similar to tho^e of the temple.

We found an inscription upon the smooth and inclined
surface of a ro'-k iji one place ;
the letters were about a
foot high, but they were so badly injured that we could
not distinguish their form. The ground here is more
elevated than at the temple plateau, and the city wall,
which passes along the south side of the temple, ex-
tends to this point. We now rode to the south, and
passed over the first line of rocky hills which form the
southern boundary of the plain, and which are much
lower than at the Boghaz. There is here a small valley
running east and west, and, following it eastward for
some di.stance, w'e came to an entrance or doorway into
a subterranean passjxge, which is built in a northerly

direction toward the centre of the hill. The doorway

itself is formed of three hewn blocks, tw'o of which are
set up perpendicularly, while the third lies across the

top. Some building must once have existed here, as

is evident from the great quantity of hewn stones now'
lying about in confusion. Having scrambled over these,
we entered the passage formed of two side-walls of hewn
blocks, set upright, but considerably inclined inw ard at

the top, with flat stones for a roof. The height of the
passage is seven feet, while the width is also seven feet

at the bottom, but it narrows upw ards. 'We advanced in

this pas.<age for a distance of 45 yards by measurement,

when our further progress was arrested by a block which
had fallen from above, and completely closed the way.
Having examined the ground overhead, we thought it

VOL. II. I

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14 Travels in Asia Alinor. [Chap. XIX.

resounded under foot for a distance of a mile to the

east, and it seemed to u.s that the stones over all this
space presented an appearance not unlike a vaulted
roof Beyond this the hill comes to a stop, and we there
found the remains of a square fort by the side of an
old road, which skirts the hill from the entrance of the
vault. As no necropolis has been discovered near
Pterium, it may be worth while to inquire whether this
subterranean work, which crowns the hill on the south
of the town, be not something of the kind. At any
rate it would probably be not a fruitless undertaking
to effect an entrance beyond the point of obstruction we
encountered. This is quite a different e.vcavation from
the one visited and described by Texier, and which lies

below, near the river, and in the old town. The square
fort we found by the road-side stands on the edge of
the hill, and a valley of some 300 yards in width
separates it from the acropolis. The hill of the acro-
polis extends to the Boghaz itself, of which it forms the
western flank. The ruins of the castle are visible from

below, but the ascent is steep and difficult, and we had

no time to spare. We therefore descended to the plain,

and, crossing the river, rode eastward to the Yazili

Kaya, or caiwed rocks. The jilace is about two miles

from Boghaz Keuy ; it is a sort of offshoot of calcareous
rocks, which leaves the general line of the mountains
that form the southern boundary of the plain, and ad-
vances north into it. The carved rocks are found in

a recess in the north-west side of this limestone, and

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Chap. XIX.] Carved Rocks. 1

1

are certainly highly interesting. There has been so

much doubt and controversy respecting their charac-
ter and origin, that I shall ab.stain from “ darkening
counsel by words without knowledge.” This much,
however, I may bo permitted to say, with all defer-

ence to those who know better, that the isolation of the

place and the very form and general character of
these extraordinary remains, gave me the impression
that the carvings are commemorative of some one
event that occurred in their vicinity; that this was
not a building, a place of gathering for often-recur-
ring rites, but a monument and memorial of an occur-

rence which the parties concerned desired to impress

upon the minds of their sucee-ssors and descendants.
(3n the next page is a carefully drawn plan of the rela-
tive positions of the carved faces of the rocks ;
the area
enclosed by the lines is an empty and uncovered space
it will be seen that its extreme irregularity precludes
the su[>position of this having ever been either n
tomb or a chamber. This will be made clearer if

w'e remember that this recess is evidently formed

by the accidental throwing together of very large
blocks of limestone, of various heights, sizes, and
shapes, which no human power could ever stir from
their place, and of which the surfaces alone have
been slightly smoothed over previous to carving; or
rather, as these figures are in relief, the face of the

rock has been cut away just sufiiciently to form them,

and the space between and around smoothed with

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1 16 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XIX.

a chisel. There is not the slightest proof that a

roof ever existed ;
all the evidence is the other way.
Nor is there the smallest proof of a wall having ever
existed across the entrance, but rather the contrary.

Scat* or

Moreover the second passage is narrow and irregular ;

and this, besides some interesting carvdngs, contains

rock-tombs. The following measurements will give an

idea of the dimensions of these carvings. The breadth

of the surfaces carved on these rocks by the hand of

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Chap. XIX.] Carved Rocks. 117

man, at an equal elevation around the area, are lettered

on tlie plan, and measure as follows :

A =40 feet. = 9 feet.

1
B = 17 feet. J = 14 feet 5 in.
C=4 feet. K = 20 feet 9 in.
D = 11 feet 1 in. L = 13 feet 8 in.
E= 18 feet 4 in. M = 14 feet.
F = 17 feet 10 in. N = 4 feet only of chiselled
G = 23 feet. surface.
H = 7 feet.
Making in all 124 feet and 1 inch of has-reliefs. The
line 0, the entrance, measures 48 feet. The other
passage is nearly parallel to the side N II, but
branches into two : one portion turning irregularly to
the right, while the otlnsr comes round to the left,

and would communicate with the main portion did

not the rock H block the way. The smoothed sur-

face and nearly obliterated carvings on the block II

are proof that it occupies its original jiosition, and

has not fallen into its present place since these carv-
ings were made. j

I must say that Mr. Texier’s drawings are mucH

more perfect than the original carvings, which are
greatly injured by time, and they produce a materially
different impression. He makes some clever guesses
on doubtful points, but it seems hardly fair for him to

make drawings of what ho supposes carvings once to

have been, and give them to us as faithful copies of

their present appearance. It has seemed to me, there-

fore, that the reader would be glad to have a faithful

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1 1 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. xix.

(Irawing, at least of the principal and most important

fi<>uies in the group.

^5

II«K.-k

on

Ciirviiig^

teriuni

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Chap. XIX.] Carved Rocks. 1
19

This is the central and princi^ml group of the whole

work. It evidently represents the meeting of a man
and a woman, each of whom is followed by a long train
of attendants, mostly of his or her own sex. The chief
figures are represented larger than the rest, which is in

accordance with both Assyrian and Egv'ptiau custom.

The King stands on what seem to be men with pointed
caps, bending their heads forward while he stands upon
their necks ;
the Queen and her son (?) stand upon pan-
thers or leopards. Texier has figured a unic-orn by the
side of each ;
I did not succeed in making out what it

was. I think the women all hold staffs in their hands.

The double-headed eagle is worthy of notice here. This
plate represents all the carvings upon the face markeil

Gr in the phin, and faces the visitor as he enters the

area. It is also the converging point to.vard which all

the other figures turn their faces.

Carvings on Rocks E and F.

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120 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XIX.

The six figures represented on the previous page are

carved upon the face marked F in the plan. The two
in the middle appear to be women, but they are badly
injured. The last would seem an important personage
from his abundant millinery and the ponderous emblem
of the Divinity which he carries like a helmet on his
head. The lower figures occur in the centre of the

surface marked E in the plan. It looks like two men

carrying an ark or boat, but is very much injured.

Carving on Rock I.

The two women here reproduced are the best pre-

served portion of the n'ght-hand or Queen’s procession,
which appears to be composed of women, wearing lofty
tiaras, with long robes girded around their waists, lean-
ing on staffs and carrying flowers in their hands. They
occur on the surface marked I in the plan. The figures

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Chap. XIX.] Carved Rocks. 121

on the surface at J are badly injured, and K is very much

broken down. But the Pontiff occupying tlie surface
marked L, is the best preserved figure of the whole, and
I have taken special pains to reproduce it correctly.

C.trvlng on T^ock Iv.

He wears a cap of felt (?) with a turban around his

head, holds a sort of sceptre or staff of state in his left
hand, and a sacred symbol appears above his right. The
expression of his countenance is humble and devout.
His features, and indeed those of all the figures, are
regular and handsome. They certainly have nothing
African about them.

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122 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XIX.

The figures here reproduced cover the right side of

the narrow passages above described as nearly parallel

to the southern face of the carved recess, and almost
communicating with it at H. The left-hand figure is

doubtless the Divinity of tliese people ;

he wears their
cap, has their large ears, but features more marked and
harsh. His body is formed of four lions, the emblems
of strength, the lower two of which have the tails of
fishes. He is set upon a fluted pillar, and seems to
avert his face from his worshipper. The latter wears

an uncommonly tall cap, highly ornamented, and brings

a child or youth, around whose neck he has passed his
arm while he holds his hands within his. The emblem
is the same as on surface L.
I have reproduced with great care a sculpture

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i
Chap. XIX.] Carved Rocks. 123

which appears to liave been uncovered since Texier’s

visit, occupying the left side of the passage, and nearly
opposite to tlie last figures. It is by far the best pre-

served of these bas-reliefs, and quite uninjured, liaving

aj)parently been but recently uncovered from the earth
which hid it, being very low' down I was informed by
our guide tluit it was uncovered by a Frank, who w'as

taking photographs, and whom I suppose to be Mr.

Curving!* on left Kide of

Perrot, a young Orientalist of great merit. The want

of space, however, could not have allowed him to

photograph the carvings in the narrow passage. The

figures here represented are twelve soldiers, of whom
I give but six, as they are exactly alike. Their
regular features, large ears, peculiar caps and swords,
like sickles, are the points which deserve special
notice.

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124 Travels m Asia Minor. [Chap. XIX.

It is certainly highly interesting and instructive to

be carried back so vividly to the men who lived here

so many ages ago, whatever hypothesis may be adopteil

respecting the monument I have briefly described, and
which is worth a long journey to see ; especially if the
monument at Euyuk, which will presently be described,
is included. It may be added in further explanation
of the Yazili Kaya bas-reliefs, that the figures of
the King and Queen measure 4 feet 10 inches in
height. The other figures generally measure but
2 ft. 7 in. to 2 ft. 10 in. The figure of the Priest,
however, on the surface marked Ij, is 0 ft. 4 in. high.
The slab G contains seven principal figures and seven
accessory, 14 in all. The slab F, 6 ;
E, 7 ; D, 0 ;
C, 3

B, 13. The surface A is smoothed over with the chisel,

but contains no figures. The surface H is indis-

tinct ;
at I but 2 figures can distinctly be made out
J, 7 ;
K (?) ;
L, 1 ;
M and N have no figures, though
they are smoothed with the chisel. So that this prin-

cipal recess contains at lea.st 59 figures; the narrow

passage has 14 more. Mr. Texier’s hypothesis is the

most probable I have met with. It does great honour
to his ingenuity and scholarship. He supposes the
introduction of the worship of Astarte, in Phrygia, to
be here represented. I cannot imagine that there is any
ground for the supposition that these carvings represent

the conclusion of a treaty, or a peace between the King

of Phrygia and the Queen of the Amazons, for all the

emblems of the latter are peaceful and religious, and

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Chap. XIX.] Carved Rocks. 125

the Priest himself seems to preside over the wliole

scene. The Queen presents a flower, and she rides
upon a leopard, the well-known emblem of the Astarte
of the As.syrians. Tn the King’s j)rocession, too, though
soldiers appear, yet there are, also, priests and religious
emblems. But it is singular that Mr. Texier should
have passed over in silence one of the strongest
proofs of the correctness of his theory, i. e. the
Prince, who follows the Queen, also riding upon a
leopard. He has an axe in one hand, but in the
other he holds up a figure (which may be the sig-

nificant emblem of an embrjm). This Prince is no

other than Cupid following his mother Venu.s. We
must not be surprised, however, that Mr. Texier should

have overlooked this point ;

for Mr. Layard has since
done the same. In his remarkable book on the remains
of Nineveh,* he has given us a copy of a procession, in
which priests carry the figures of their gods. He there
points out, on the left hand, the Jupiter of the Assyrians

seated upon his throne, and on the right hand Astarte,

or Venus. But he takes no notice of a little child also

seated upon a chair, which is borne behind the mother.

This tracing of the worship of Cupid among the Greeks,
as well as of Venus, to the Assyrians, through the

carvings of Yazili Kayah and the Nineveh procession,

was suggested to my mind by a carved gem or intaglio,
which came into my possession since our visit to Boghaz

• See Layartl’s ‘
Nineveh,’ pp. 285-287, edition of 18G7.

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126 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. xix.

Keuy. It represents Venus, or Astarte, standing with

a robe girded at various lieights upon her person, and

with her hands extended in attitude of adoration, wliile

in the sky on one side is a star, and on the other the

crescent moon. She wears a three-rayed crown upon
her head. A globe stands in trout of her, and behind
her a partly veiled child is seated upon a chair with
his hands also extended in attitude of adoration. The
workmanship, I think, is Greek; but the figures are

evidently foreign, and the work probably dates to a

period but little subsequent to the carvings on Yazili
Kaya. It was found in the vicinity of Smyrna.
As to the other carvings, found in the lateral pas-

sage, they probably belong to a somewhat subsequent

period, although to the same nation, as is proved by the
features of the cormtenances. The image of the god I
believe to correspond to the Baal of the Phconicians
but he has the Phrygian cap, which shews him to have
become a national divinity. His worshipper is both
Priest and King, for he wears the cap of royalty and
bears the priestly emblem. He may be initiating the
child into the mysteries of the worship of Baal, but it

is more probable that the carving commemorates tlie

offering up in sacrifice of some youth of noble or roytJ
blood. There are tombs cut in the rock in this passage

or gallery, which were j^robably appropriated to the

highest of the priesthood.
Tlie isolated and somewhat elevated nature of this

spot would favour the supposition that it was fre-

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Chap. XIX.] Village of Yokbas. 127

quented by the peo|)le of the neighbouring city for the

celebration of the rites of Astarte, and, either at
the same perio<l or subsequently, for those of Baal.
The ground in front of the carved rocks is a smooth
terrace, which commands a fine view of the plain and
of the site of Pterium.
The forenoon wa.s nearly spent when we finished our
sketches and notes, and we now proceeded nearly north
down the sloping plain to the village of Yokbaz, lying
half an hour or two miles to the east of Boghaz Keuy,
with a small stream flowing westward through it. Our
men and baggage were already here, and we rested
awhile in the shaded verandah of the head man’s house
a dozen little children of both sexes seemed in the
height of enjoyment, tumbling into the wnter and roll-

ing in the sand under the burning sun, all in a state of

nature, and quite unconscious of the impropriety. We
left this place at 1'3(), and took a N.N.E. direction
across the plain and over undulating ground, wholly

destitute of trees or bushes, but generally under culti-

vation ;
the jjeople are just beginning to harvest their
crops. At 3’30 reached a spring of bad watyj ;
half a
mile to the right lay a Koordish encampment of several

black tents, with their flocks feeding arouiul. This is

iheir yaila. The ground rising, we were shown to the

north the steep rock on which is built the ctistle of

Karahissar ;
the natives who had seen it praised it as

something very “ antika.” Hamilton does not think so,

and accordingly we did not go out of our way to see it.

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128 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. xix.

Beached Euyuk at 5‘45 ;

it is a small village built
upon a little hill, which is a spur from higher hills on
the north. The houses are like all Turkish village-
houses in this region, i.e. a single room and a stable
adjoining. We chose one with a wall partition; it was
well tenanted nevertheless, hut the nights were too cold
to incline us to pitch the tent. We lighted a great fire in

front of the house for such of our people as preferred to

sleep out of doors. A small stream, shaded with wil-

lows, passes at the foot of the hillock close to the
village, and makes an extensive swamp below.
The rest of the long summer’s day was spent in
(ixamining, measuring, and sketching the remains of a
building of great antiquity, to which I believe Mr.
Hamilton was the first to draw attention.

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 Chap. XX.] Ancient Building at Et(ynk. 129

CHAPTER XX.

Plan and di scription of tlie remains of an ancient building at Euyuk

— Sphinxes —
Pock carvings — Conjectures resja'ctiug the origin
and design of the building.

T?U YUK. Thursday, Auy. Ath . — I shall now proceed

to give our readers a description of the remains
of one of the ino.st remarkable and oldest edifices to
be found in Asia Minor. I regret that persons more
learned in antiquarian lore than myself should not
have had the opportunity of attempting the difficult

task of tracing these to their real origin ;

but I shall

do my best.

This building covers the south-eastern edge of the

site occupied by the village. The whole hillock,

however, contains traces of ancient buildings; but

whether they all brdong to this one edifice I cannot
pretend to say, not having attempted to trace the walls
beyond the immediate vicinity of the sculptures. And
fii’st, it is worthy of note that while the monuments of
Asia Elinor are generally cut out of rocks belonging to
the limestone class —such as limestone, marbles, and
brescias —this monument contains only black granite of
fine grain and great hardness. This accounts fur the
VOL. II. K

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130 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XX.

remarkable and uncommon preservation of these sculp-

tures, whose sharp angles have stood the wear of time
as well as the red granite monuments of Upper Egypt.
Another general remark should also be made ;
all other
bas-reliefs found in Asia Minor are rounded off at their

edges, however rude their workmanship, while these,

like those of Egypt, are angular. Some of these sculj)-
tures remain unfinished, and thev show' that the mode
of operation consisted in tracing out the figures and
cutting them down along the edges, which w'cre allowed
to remain straight and angular. I feel warranted in
giving a full account of these interesting remains, as
I have nowhere seen them described. Mr. Hamilton’s
visit was short and hasty, and I shall point out his
mistakes ;
moreover his drawings are not complete.
The plan on next page will give an idea of the
general form of the best preserved portions of this
building, as well as of their size. The first objects w'hich
strike the visitor are two granite blocks standing erect
and forming the two sides of an entrance or gateway.
They are marked S 1 and S' 2 on the plan, and face
outwardly to the south-east, standing 11 feet 4 inches
apart, with a threshold rising like a step. These blocks
measure 15 feet in height, aud 7 feet in width in
one direction, and 7 feet 2 inches in the other. Each
block has a large sphinx carved on its outer face
(see Frontispiece {o VcH. II.). The sphinxes are 7 feet
3 inches in height, and 4 feet 7 inches in width.
Tliey have been very much injured, doubtless by the

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Chap. XX.] Plan of the Building.

hand of man, the nose and mouth being entirely ob-

literated, but the minute ornaments of the neck and
breast are in a perfect state of preservation. The ears
alsoare well preserved. The head-dress is pure Egj^ptian.

10 >0 >0 40 r*tT.

Plan of ancient building at Kuyak.

I can hardly account forMr. Hamilton’s taking them to

be “ uncouth bird-like figures.” I take it he was so
little prepared to find Egyptian remains, about here,
that it never occurred to him they might be sphinxes
yet he acknowdedges the sculpture to be “in a very
Egyptian style.” It is worthy of remark, as an evidence
of inferiority in the artist who cut these sphinxes, that
one of the feet has five toes, while there are but four
on the other. The blocks upon which these figures

are carved, are single, the appearance of several pieces

upon the one, on the right hand, being produced by

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132 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XX.

a crack in the stone which does not pass througli to

the other side. It is, however, impossible to ascertain

tile precise original height of these blocks, or conse-

quently the height of the door itself ; but it was pro-

bably 15 feet.

As you enter the gate, there is on the riglit side, the

bas-relief of a double-headed eagle, upon whose heads
rest two human feet, while the edge of a robe is also

visible above. This is a fac-simile of thS double-headed

eagle of the Yazili Kaya ;
but I am inclined to conclude
from its appearance that it was put here at a later
period, and does not belong to the original work, which
is not the case at the former. There was a similar
eagle upon the left side of the gate, which has been
almost entirely broken off.

It will be seen by the plan, that such portions of the

building as may yet be identified by their foundations,
had very much the appearance ol an Assyrian palace.
Upon entering at the gate, you walk along a corridor
11 feet 4 inches wide, and 30 feet 8 inches in length,

at the extremity of which must have been an inner

door. Here, however, w^e find the foundations of a wall
built across the corridor, probably a threshold, which we
can trace for a distance of 40 feet upon the right side,

and 26 feet 5 inches upon the left. The remaining

traces of foundations have been removed by the villagers,
and they have erected their mud-houses and cattle-pens
upon the area once occupied by this costly edifice.

We now return to the gateway in order to describe

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Chap. XX.] Rock Carvings at Euyuk. 133

the remarkable bas-reliefs carved along the base of the

wall which runs on both sides of it. The gateway witii

its two sphinxes occupies a breadth of 20 feet 4 inche.s,

whence the two walls form a jrassage to the door, 1.0

feet in depth, both sides of which are formed of carved
blocks of granite. There are then two sharp corners,
and the two walls stretch out for some distance on both
side.s. The lower tier of blocks forming these walls is

yet standing, and is covered with carvings ;

but it is

imjx).ssible now to say whether there were sculptures

upon the higher portions. I could discover none
upon the many hewn bhx'ks with whicli the ground
is strewn. Let us now proceed to describe these
carvings, commencing at the corner formed by the
block G, and going to the left towards A. It is this

row of stones which is the best preserved, and they

are all lying in their original places, occupying a
space 32 feet in lengtii. Tliese blocks measure 4 feet

in height, as do all those which formed the lower tier

of hoth walls. I shall jroint out the spots where blocks
belonging to an upper tier are yet standing in their
places.

I begin with the outer face of the left corner

block marked G 1, for its bas-relief is evidently tlie

key to the whole picture. This face measuring but

2 feet in width, represents the imago of a bull set up
on a stand or pedestal. The work is vigorous and cha-
racterised by that knowledge of the animal forms, which
is BO strongly marked in Egj'ptian and Assyrian sculp

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134 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XX.

tures ;
the muscles and folds of the skin are well
delineated. The bull is proportionately too small to be
a representation of a living animal ;
besides, its position

upon the pedestal clearly points it out as an image.

Carvings at Knyuk (blocks F and G 1).

The hind-quarters of the animal are broken off, and the

face is somewhat injured ;
but the work is, otherwise, in
an excellent state of preservation, owing doubtless to
the extreme hardness of the granite. The next block
upon the left (marked F), is of the same height. An
altar stands in front of the idol, broad at the top,
and firmly set upon its widening base. It is divided

into horizontal strips, alternately smooth and barred.

Next to the altar is the figure of a priest or priest-

king, or high priest, the counterpart of the figure

already given from the Yazili Kaya, near Boghaz
Keuy. The head-dress is the same, and so is the rod

Digiiized by Google
Chap. XX.] Kock Carvings at Enyuk. 135

or sceptre (?) curved at its lower extremity, which

he liohls in his hand. The other hand is extended
in the same manner, the fist closed, and the thumb
stretched forward, hut it holds no religious emblem
or offering. The dress is also the same, but the
lower part of tho figure is hid by the soil. There
are, however, points of difference, too important to
overlook. The features of tho Yazili Kaya figure

approach the Glrecian typo, while these are evidently

Egyptian or African; the nose is flat, the lips pro-
truding, and the chin extremely small. He wears an
ear-ring, which is not .seen on the Yazili Kaya figures.

Behind him is the form of a female; her arms folded

and resting upon the end of a staff, the fingers of tho
right hand raised upward as if in the act of worship, as

the Orientals hold them in making the “ Temena.”

The head-dress is high, narrowing upwards and flat at

the top. The tresses of her long hair lie upon the ear,

partly covering the ear-ring, and fall along tho back

nearly to the feet. A garment is wound around the
body. Again the features are very decidedly Egyptian.
If the reader wdll place these figures by the side of

those of Boghaz Keuy, he will bo able with his own

eye to detect the points of resemblance and difference.
The next figures upon the left are on the block
marked E, which measures 5 feet 8 inches in length.

They rei)reseut a priest leaning upon a staff, w'earing

a wide-sleeved gown, and leading to sacrifice a goat

which he holds by the horn with his left hand. There
136 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XX-

are three oxen following. The carvings on this stone

are remarkably well preserveil, and their execution, espe-

K.

und

1)

blucks

uii

Carvings
Chap. XX.] Rock Cannngs at Euyuk. 137

daily the animals, is superior to the other sculptures.

This work appears to have been done by an arti.st of
superior talent, for there is not only great truthfulness
in the forms, but a spirit and life which does not belong
to the others. The block D represents three priests
in similar costume, long loo.se robes, with wide sleeves
hanging from the shoulders, and the sleeves of their
under garments turned up and lying in folds at the
•Ibow’s. Their faces are broken, but it can be seen that
one of them wears an ear-ring. The fiisit appears to
lead the way with a staff held in the left hand, while the
right is rai.sed in adoration. The second carries some
instrument used in sacrifice, and in like manner holds
up one hand, while the third lifts both. The feet of

these figures are fiat, the ends of their shoes turned

upwards, and their legs are too small. It is impossible
to say whether w hat is seen in front of each figure be
a part of their dress or a distinct object, as a musical
instrument. A block of the upper tier here lies upon
the corner of the block D, and covers the whole of C.
The next block, C, is 4 feet 3 inches long, and repre-
sents a scene connected with the erection of this building.

A man is ascending the ladder, probably a mason en-

gaged in setting the stones in their proper places, aided

by his companion below ;

while a third is standing with
his back toward them, encouraging the workmen by
playing upon an instrument very much like the modern
“ zoorna ” (a species of hautbois, see vol. i. p. 248). They
all wear short tunics tied around their waists with girdles

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138 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XX.

which fasten in a central knot; two of them wear

ear-rings. Their heads are shaved with the exception of
a curl Avhich hangs in front, and in one case another
which falls behind. The musician, however, wears a
turban similar to those of the country farmers of the
present day, with the end hanging behind to jirotect the
neck from the sun. The features of all the three are
again decidedly Egyptian.

The block B contains a continuation of the same

subject; exhibitions and music connected either with the
dedication or with the erection of the building. Even
at the present day, for public works such as a causeway,

a bridge, the erection of barracks, &c., every town and

village has to furnish a fixed number of workmen who
labour gratis ;
and in order to keep them in good spirits

while working without pay, the “ davool,” the “ zoorua,”

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Chap. XX.] Rock Carvings at Euytik. 139

and the bagpipe are called into requisition. AVhen

heaTy articles are to be dragged the movements of the
men are regulated by these instruments of music. The
same thing is represented on some of the Egyptian
monuments. In the present case we have two men
dressed like the preceding; their heads, however, are
too much injured to be distinguished. The right hand
figure holds a long-tailed monkey in his hand, and is

doubtless making it perform antics for the amusement

of the crcjwd. The otlier figure carries a snake wound
around his bofly, and is playing upon a guitar of a pre-
cisely similar form to that existing or found on monu-
ments in Egypt.* Hibbons are attached to the end of the
instrument. The figures upon this block are finished,

but the stone has not been smoothed down between them,
indicating the steps of the process. It was evidently
intended to draw and cut out a third figure on the left

of these ;
but the work was left unfinished. It is also

clear from this instance that the carvings were made

after the blocks had been set in their places.

The last carved block on this side is A. It is a mere

outline of a bull carrying a chest upon his back with a
ring in front. The edge has been roughly cut out, but

the block has not been smoothed around the figiu'es.

There is beyond the block A an additional smooth

block ;
it may have been intended to bear also some
bas-relief, which for some unknown reason was never
executed. We have now passed in review the whole

* See Wilkinson’s ‘ Ancient Egyptians,’ vol. i. p. 123, fig. 137.

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140 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. xx.

row of figures from the corner of the block G ;

an im-
portant series which appears to throw light upon the
whole work, and to indicate sometliing of its origin and
history. For, is it not the most natural conclusion we
can draw, to suppose that the people engaged in this
work were Egyptians, as the type of feature delineated
clearly indicates, and that the building was in some
manner connected with the worship of their god Apis ?
But let us proceed to examine the rest of the sculp-
tures. The portion of wall which extended from the
comer of the block G to the left hand sphinx con-
sisted of tliree stones : one of which, G, is in its place,

another, H, lies in the passage way, and the third is lost.

CnrvlT)g« on block G2.

G 2 is the other sculptured face of the block which

bears the image of Apis. It represents two soldiers,

with short tunics, curled hair, and ear-rings, holding up

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 1

Chap. XX.] Rock Carvings at Euyuk. 14

a standard, Tiie forms are good, but the work is

injured. The other group represents a priest in his

rol)es holding an instrument whose form is too far

injured to enable us to define it, while a naked youth

stands before him, and holds his hand to his face. I
believe that a human sacrifice is here portrayed as
about to be consummated. I can see no other meaning
in the group. The Egyptians are known to have been
addicted to this crime in the earlier portion of their
history.

CftrvinpR on block H.

The stone H, which has fallen from its original posi-

tion, is 6 feet long, and repre.sents six men marching in

procession towards the gate of the building ;

they wear
tunics, fastened by belts, in which are placed their
right hands, while the left is raised in the posture of
worship, the fist closed, and the thumb extended

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 142 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. xx.

forward. Their heads are shaven, and they wear locks

like the men at block C; their features are also de-

cidedly Egj'ptian.
I have described all the figures lying on the left
side of the gate, which are by far the most important
and the best preserved. I now call the reader’s atten-

tion to those on the right. The wall from the right hand
sphinx to the corner of the block I is broken down.
A prostrate block which may be seen in our general
view (see Frontispiece to Vol. II.), contains remains of

carvings, which are so badly injured that nothing can

be distinguished. Whatever figures may have existed

upon the southern face of the block I, have been totally

destroyed. The eastern face of the latter, and a block
adjoining, are now the only carvings remaining on this
side ;
they are much injured, and seem of an inferior

style of execution. It is not unlikely, however, that

the ba.s-reliefs extended as far on this side as on the
other. Indeed, the wall is better preserved here, both

in its extent and the elevation at which it still stands.

But the villagers have built on this spot a general

wash-room for the village, and bath for their women,
which begins at the edge of the block J. They have
taken advantage of the ancient solid wall, from under-
neath which a spring issues, and have erected against
it a square building of mud-bricks with a flat roof. We
were told that there were figures inside of the bath
upon the old wall ;
but as the place vvas full of women
and children, who set up a shout when we came too

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Chap. XX.] Rock Carvings at Euynk. H3
near, we could not muster tlie courage to break the
laws of Harem. We, however, obtained a good glimpse
of the inside in the early dawn, but what with the hard
usage the face of the wall had receive I, the thick coat
of soot it bore, and the darkness of the place, we did
not succeed in distinguishing anything.

Carvings on blocks J, .1.

The width of block I is 2 feet 8 inches. It represents

a Queen witli marked African features, seated upon a

throne, wearing a necklace, and her head-dre.ss and
clothing generally bearing a clo.se resemblance to the
left-hand figure of block F, holding up her right
hand precisely as the natives now do in making the
salutation called “ Temena,” while her left hand sup-
ports au object which may be a sceptre. The execution
is inferior, as may be noticed more particularly in her
feet, which are entirely out of proportion. The points

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144 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XX.

of her shoes seem to turn completely over, backward,

forming a ring; they rest upon a foot-stool. The
next block J is 5 feet 8 inches long, and contains
three figures in tunics, apparently playing upon
harps, or other musical instruments. These forms
are so much injured that the outline alone can be dis-
tinguished.
There is, however, one more work of the chisel of
the ancients which remains to be described. Though
not possessing the interest of the series of carvings
already explained, yet, as a work of art, it is

certainly equal to any of them. This is the block

Side view of Carving on block K.

of granite which is marked K in our plan, and

measures 7 feet in its extreme length, while it is 3 I'eet

2 inches broad, and 2 feet G inches thick. It repre-

sents a lion that has just sprung upon a ram, and
growls furiously, with his fore feet upon his prey. The

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Chap, XX.] Rock Carvings at Euyuk. 145

body of the animal, hind-legs, and tail, are cut in bas-

relief on one side of the stone, while the front parts
are completely carved out. The hairy portions of the
body are represented by a greater thickness of the
stone, while instead of a mane it carries heavy folds of

skin. The work is original and striking. This block

is evidently out of its place. It must originally have

formed a corner piece, perhaps upon the summit of the

wall. It now stands set up on end so as to constitute

Front view of block K.

a support for the bath house. In order to draw the

front view, I was obliged to stand upon the roof over
the heads of bawling women and children, and to look
dovm upon it. It is worthy of notice that the emblem
VOL. IT. . L

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146 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XX.

of a lion couchant, resting his paw upon the head

of a sheep, is frequently reproduced by the ancients
in this region. There is a very bad one at the
village of Yozghat, west of the Hairs, and several
occur at Angora. They are all of marble, however,
the position is different, and the workmanship in the
Greek style.
It is not my object to enter into a discussion respect-
ing the probable origin and design of the remains at
Euyuk. I have endeavoured faithfully to describe

what I have seen, in order to furnisli materials to others

wlio are more competent to adduce conclusions that

may be useful to antiquarian and historical research.

I cannot, however, avoid carrying away some impres-
sions of my own from this examination, and these have
doubtless already leaked out during my description.

These remains have been considered as of the same

origin, and belonging to the same period as those
of Yazili Kaya. I am inclined to think that the
more they are studied the greater will appear the
differences between them. It has been thought that
the general form of the building proves it to have been
erected by the builders of the palaces of Nineveh, and
that they chose to adopt Egyptian figures and emblems.
Is it not more probable that Egyptians ado{)ted an
Assyrian form of building? The turning point of the
discussion, must, it would seem, lie not only in the
sphinxes, but also in the features of the men, their
costumes, their deity, the monkey (an African inipor-

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 ;

Chap. XX.] Probable Origin of the Rums. 147

tation), and the Imman sacrifiee, if we are right in so

interpreting tlie figures on the corner block. There

are certoiii portions of the dresses of these figures

which may, witli truth, be disclaimed as Egyptiap

we refer to the shape of the shoes, and the striped or

striated appearance of the Queen’s dress upon slab F

but it is worthy of notice that the same peculiari-
ties are met with upon the figure of Sesostris, near
Nymphio; of which Herodotus asserts the Egyptian
origin, and the point is generally conceded by the
learned. The reproduction of these peculiarities upon
the Euyuk sculptures may, therefore, be considered
its a proof of the truthfulness of Herodotus. The
double-headed eagles on both sides of the gate were,
in my opinion, Ciirved at a far later period; they are
superficial, and so the upper j)ortion has been entirely
obliterated. They are a perfect fac-simile of the

double-headed eagle of Yazili Kaya with the woman

standing over it.

1 am of opinion that tlie building at Euyuk is of

Egyptian origin, dating far back, to the earliest con-

quests of that people. The march of Sesostris, so far as

we are able to trace it, followed the coast-line at a short
distance from the shore. He passed by Niihr el Kelb,
the Plain of Issus, the shores of Lycia, and the Passes
of Tmolus, near Sardis ;
in one word, he pursued the
same route as Alexander the Great, only in an opposite
direction. This place may be considered as evidence
in favour of some of the conquerors having made an
148 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. xx.

inroad, established themselves in Phrygia, and there

built a temple to the gods of Egypt. Their stay,
however, was short : they left their work unfinished,
and the people of the land dedicated the building
to the subsequently-introduced worship of Astarte.

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Chap. XXI.] Town of Stmgurlu. 149

CHAPTER XXL
Town of — “ Arimlanmish” —
Sunf^rlu encampment —
Orcliarcl

Protestant Armenians — Village and mosque of Aghajii Koyoonoo

— Females [jounding wheat — Corn-pits — Salt-pans — Villages
of Kara Bekir, Yaghlh, and Izeddin — Without a guide — Ad-
vantages and disadvantages of an guard — Single and
ofBcial
double-humi)cd camels — Cotton culture — Mode of j>roviding
fuel— Construction of chimneys — Presentation of a relic.

TARIDAY, August oth. —We rose very early and

spent the morning in continuing our observations
and drawings of the interesting remains at Euyuk.
Left at 9'30, and went across the plain to the W.S.W.
In the afternoon our languishing guide took leave of us
and turned to the left into a lateral valley, which he
said would lead him by a shorter road to Yozghat. At
2-45 entered a narrower valley, thickly planted with
vineyards and orchards. Saw a hill where the staudstone
strata were perpendicular. The rock possessing various
degrees of adliesiveness, the crest of the hill had become
curiously furrowed. Some similar hills, seen at a dis-

tivnce, presented the appearance of fortifications and of

ruins ;
but on approaching we perceived them to be the
effect of natural causes. About 6 p.m. we came upon
the town of Sungurlu, whose narrow and filthy streets
and dilapidated houses are erected upon a rise of ground

_ DigiJjzediiy Coogle
15 ° Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XXI.

on the right side of the plain, and overlooking it. Sent

a man to the Mudir to announce our arrival and ask for

quarters, and promenaded about town visiting several

houses, the filthy condition of which discouraged us

from accepting the offer of hospitality. One of these
belonged to a prominent member of the Mejlis. When
we walked upstairs to examine the cheerless and dilapi-

dated rooms, we found the proud owner of the mansion

sitting crosslegged on a carpet in the verandah, his feet
naked, too busily engaged cleaning his toes to look or
see wlio had come. We finally settled down at what
seemed a more respectable set of rooms, where we found
before night came on that we should have to fight

against three distinct species of enemies who were

determined to taste foreign flesh. It seems, however,

that our comfortless condition was not owing to any

want of goodwill on the part of the autliorities. The
Mudir sent his chief officer to give us a welcome and see
that we had all we needed.
The feet of several of our horses are in a bad con-
dition ;
the natives call it arpalanmish, and say it is

owing to the horses having no time while thus steadily

travelling to eat any straw with their barley ;
others say
it arises from their drinking while on the road ;
and
others again, from their stepping into water while their
feet are greatly heated and dusty. The fetlock is swollen
even with the hoof and first joint, and one horse is so

lame in all his feet he can hardly step. He was bled

this afternoon, but it seemed to do him no good. We
 1e

Chap. XXL] Orchard Encampment. 1 5

keep these horses as cool as possible, and give them

grass to eat ;
for it is evident we shall be detained in
this place for a day or two. Took an observation with
the barometer at even; this, compared to several ob-
servations taken the two following days that we remained
encamped in a garden below the town by the river side,

gave me 2528 feet as the elevation of Siingurlu above sea-

level, This is about 1000 feet below Boghaz Keuy, and
nearly 2000 belo^v the city of Yozghat. The resjjective

elevations of Sungurlu and Yozghat very nearly corre-

spond to those of Tocat and Sivas; and there appears
to be much the same difference of clijnate, if one may
judge from the productions of the soil.

Saturday, August Gth . —The Mudir himself called

early this morning with a considerable retinue. He
seems a somewhat intelligent man, and had many
inquiries to make, as usual, about European news and
the war in America, We requested him to procure us
a good camping-ground in the vineyards ;
he gave us a
guard, authorizing us to choose any place we liked.

We went through a part of the Turkish quarter and

down to the bed of the stream, which is now very low
and can be crossed upon stones without wetting one’s
foot, and found an enclosed ground, where a vineyard
had formerly been cultivated, and well shaded, close to

the river bank and by a spring of good water. There

were trees all around, and a thickly-planted orchard
afforded fine shade for the hottest part of the day, W
pitched our tent under a tree, having found that it is

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 152 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. xxi.

not otherwise habitable in the middle of the day.

Orioles, here called “ Saru sandal,” were singing in every
direction ;
and, desiring to be relieved of the never-ending
repetition of chicken boiled or roasted, we soon had
twenty-six of tlie beautiful creatures smoking on the
fire. The night was fine and refreshing, and oh ! so

different from our last in the Turkisli Conak! The

weather continues charming ;
the moon is new, and we
shall have still to wait before we can travel in the night.

Our present day-travel at this season of the year is

trying, as the heat is sometimes very oppressive, espe-

cially when nothing green relieves the eye from the

sun’s glare ;
but we have the advantage of studying
the country, which, in the brightest moonlight, we could
see only for a short distance around us.
Sunday, August 'Ith . —We have a fine refreshing

breeze from the north. Among the company who

called at our tent we had the satisfaction of seeing

several of the Protestant Armenians of the place. There

is a small number of these people here, and a preacher
is kept at this place by the Missionary of Yozghat ;
but
he is now absent at Caesarea. I went up to the house
of a Protestant family in the Armenian part of the
town, and spent several hours with them. There were
twelve persons present in all —men, women, and children.
They were poor and ignorant, but appeared to take
great delight in the Word of God. In the absence of
their preacher I held the usual Sunday service, and
they were very attentive to what I had to say. They
Chap. XXI. J Ancient Sarcophagus. 153

have succeeded in purcha.sing a very eligible piece of

ground for a cliapel, at the moderate sum of 10/. On
my way back to our tent I saw an ancient sarcophagus
of marble, of excellent workmanship, but badly injured,
now serving as a trough before a fountain. There is an
ox’s head at each corner and in the centre of each
of the longer sides, with garlands of flowers between.
Later in the day several members of the Mejlis called
at our tent.

Monday, August Sth . —Two days’ rest and a change

of diet having materially improved the condition of our
horses’ feet, we started this morning at 5*15, and followed
the valley in a westerly direction. The only guide we
could obtain was a man who could accompany us no
farther than to the next Mudir, whose bead-quarters are
at a village ahead. We ought to have insisted upon the
Yozghat man continuing with us to Angora. At 6'50
passed the village of Chiflik on our right ;
it lies near the
river, and is surrounded by gardens, orchards, and vine-
yards. We continued to pass over alternate hillocks and
small valleys running down to the principal valley on
the right ;
the country is destitute of every green thing
—not a bush in sight, but only parched grass and soil, or
partly gathered grain. At 7'50 passed the cemetery of
Yorgbanlu, which lies a quarter of an hour on our left.

The river flowing along the valley on our right is called

Pelijeh ;
it is said to receive the waters of the Birdo-

ghosoo, at or near Sungurlu. Two villages were here

pointed out to us by the river side, called Yokaru

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154 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XXI.

Beshboonar (upper five springs), and Ashagba Besh-

boonar (lower five springs). At 10 we reached
Aghaju Koyoonoo, a respectable Turkish village,

lying a little to the right of our direct road across

the last-mentioned plain. We looked for a suitable

camping-ground among the vineyards, but as we did
not find sufficient shade, the hospitable villagers led
us to the piazza of their newly-built mosque, whose
northern exposure both afforded us shade and enabled
us to take advantage of a refreshing breeze. These
simple people seem to take great pride in the house of
worship which they had evidently raised by their per-
sonal exertions. It is a solid stone building of one
story, the interior woodwork unpainted ;
indeed there
was little within but a small pulpit and a platform near
the door. They showed no bigotry about our going in,

and the place being cool, we stowed away some fresh

provisions in it ; some of our people even slept inside.

We could see no rock in situ between Sungurlu and this

place. The soil is reddish all the way, and the pebbles
are limestone and shales. But the mosque is built of

hewn sandstone, for the most part red, but some of it is

grey. We found two ancient pillars of brescia. The

red sandstone, being the softest, has probably decom-
posed and given its colour to the soil from here to Sun-
surlu, while the harder rocks have remained. The
public square of this village lies by the side of the
mosque, and here the flocks are collected every morning
and evening when led to and from pasture. We took a
Chap. XXI.] Poundmg Wheat. 155

stroll over this place after our mid-day nap. The

dogs were rather savage, but we kept them off with our
long whips. Tlie wheat and barley are collected in
heaps (harmans), ready to be trodden by the cattle and
to be separated from the chaff by tossing up in the

wind. There are good horses here, and we particularly

admired some of the mares of Turkman breed. There
is a village stone mortar, of large size, hy the mosque,
in which two women at a time pound wheat, previously
moistened, for the purpose of making “ boorghoor,” a
substitute for rice all over the interior, which they
cook in the shape of pilaf, soup with broth of sour milk,
or dolmas of stuffed vine leaves. It is considered very
good by those who like it. These women use a long
stick or pestle, for the purpose of pounding the wheat,
which they do standing upright. They are dressed in
gay colours, wear long silver e;rr-rings which hang down
to their shoulders, and some of the younger ones are
not bad looking.
Tuesday, August ^th .
—We slept well in the piazza of

the mosque, being incommoded only by mosquitoes and

sandflies, which we kept off by spreading our handker-
chiefs over our faces. A portable net, spread out by
means of a little hoop, or a couple of sticks, so made
that it could be hung up by tying it to a nail or rafter,

would certainly be a great convenience. Started at 5'45,

and soon came upon hills of gypsum, which extend
southward as far as the eye can reach, and doubtless
once formed the bottom of a lake. Passed Choghoon j

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 156 Travels in Asia Mmor. [Chap. XXI.

in this and other villages, we find that grain is stowed

away in a hole made in the ground, ten feet in
depth and six across; it is then covered with sticks
and earth. The soil must be very dry to allow such
a process to leave grain uninjured. These holes
are left open after the grain has been taken out, and
are very dangerous places for strangers. Went up
the hill, which is covered with a stunted growth
of green hushes, and a very interesting and striking
prospect broke upon our view when we reached the
summit. W e were standing on the brow of a very steep
cliff, which continued of similar fown toward the west.
At the bottom was a narrow valley, through the centre
of which flowed the Delijeh Urmak. This valley was
• bounded on the north by a sea of red sandstone hills, w'hose
abrupt sides came suddenly down to the river. Eight
under our feet were extensive salt-pans, into which flows
the water of a spring issuing from the gypsum hills on
which we stood. All the hills on this side being of white
gypsum, and on the other of red sandstone, the contrast
is very striking. The stratification of the sandstone
is very marked, but slightly inclined, and waving.
Came down the hill by a very steep road, having to
dismount for the purpose. W^e at once repaired to the

salt-pans, and found the process of desiccation going on

in the simplest manner. The salt was dried and piled in
the pans or shallow tanks nearest the dry land, and cause-
ways enabled the workmen to bring in the water and cut
it off for evaporation. Where undisturbed t!ie salt had
Chap. XXL] Salt-Pans. 157

formed very pretty crystals of considerable hardness.

The spring which supplies these pans issues from the

steep hill-side, only 100 yards off. The whole apparatus

is not extensive, and lies on the very edge^ of the riyer,

which must occasionally rise over its steep hanks, if signs

we noticed are not deceptive. We stopped at a hut

close hy, where the owner has his workmen and super-
intendents. A Government official also is here, to collect
a tax. Tlie people were very polite and did all they
could to detain us; they informed us that 250,000
okes of salt are obtained here every year. This place
is said to be six hours from Sungurlu. We soon
crossed the river upon a wooden bridge, and per-
ceived that the gypsum on the south side of it has

red sandstone lying beneath it. This is a repetition of

the formation of the Sivas basin, where, on the hills
south of the plain or valley of the Kizil Urmak, the red
sandstone is clearly seen to underlie the very extensive

formation of gypsum for which that region is remark-

able. At 9 we came upon green shales, evidently under-

lying the red sandstone. Beached the village of Kara

Bekir, which had been hid from our sight by some pro-
jecting rocks. The stones and rocks here are all of

argilaceous shales, and very much tumbled about. We

climbed up into the Mudir’s tall house, where we found
a number of Turks of high pretensions collected to-

gether. We took things in a very “ sans fajon ” style,

however, made ourselves at home, hatl our luncheon

brought up, and occupied the sofas, to the evident

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158 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XXI.

disgust of some of the anti-Giaour dignitarie.s, wlio

made themselves scarce as soon as they had stared
at our dusty party as long as their dignity would allow.
We found the Mudir himself was absent, having gone
off to the neighbouring village.s to attend to the settle-
ment of some Circassian emigi'ants. Our Sungurlu
guide had to leave us ; but two men on horseback
were pointed out from the window, who were going
as far as the next village, and would show us- the way.
Tlie said next village was described as a charming
place for a camp, abounding with gardens, walnut-trees,
orchards, &c., enough to make our mouths water. Poor
innocents! I never could understand, however, what
object they had in deceiving us, unless some Frank
traveller had imposed himself upon them and gone
off without paying his bill, and they, thinking we
might do the same, used deception to get us off. I
think, however, it would have been hard to keep us
here; so we went off at lO'lo, following the distant
scent of the two riders ahead. At 12 reached the small
and miserable village of Yaghlu, where we found a crowd
of zaltiehs and villagers at the door of a miserable hut,

whence we concluded that our hoped-for Mudir was

there holding his court. Without dismounting from our
horses I sent in one of the young men, w hom the official

informed he had no man to spare, but that we might go

,to the next village with the two guides who had led us

from Kara Bekir, and we should theie find another Mudir,

who would furnish us a guide to go on. So we started

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Chap. XXL] Villages of Yaghlti and Izeddhi. 159

off again down a small hollow and up a hill through a

beautiful little oasis of gardens- and vineyards, watered
from a single but abundant fountain. We now entered
a high plain or plateau, extending as far as we could see,
and shut out from the rest of the world by a slight rise
of the ground. The high rocky hills we had had on
our right from the salt-works receded and entirely dis-

appeared. The soil seems very rich and somewhat

clayey, with very few stones in it. The crops have
been gathered in and heaped near the villages upon the
threshing-floors, so that all around us looks like a dreary
desert. Not a tree or a bush is in sight. We turned
slightly to the left, having long ago lost sight of our

two guides, who stopped at the fountain, and, being con-

ducted by our own instinct and the plain road before

us, found the little village of Izeddin, containing a dozen

houses, built on tlie slope of a hill facing toward the

south. We aske l the way to the l\ludir’s house, and
not finding him at home, took possession of his empty
quarters and occupied two comfortable rooms upstairs,
with a good piazza, putting up our horses in the stable
below. It was said this 3\Iudir, too, had gone to attend

to the settlement of the Circassians. There was no one

to represent him but the Kiahaya of the village, who
had no power to act. As for the splendid gardens we
had been told of, there was not a bush or a leaf anywhere
in sight. No more was the nalhant who was
visible,

to attend to the foot of one of our horses who had begun

to show lameness, having beei> badly shod at Sun-

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i6o Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XXL

gurlu, as it was thought. We were nearly starved, too,

ibr no one would sell us anything; but the men

being gone, we obtained several chickens from a
woman by craft, for the poor creature thought we did
not intend to pay her; so we shot them first, and
then, to her agreeable surprise, paid for them at her

own price. Tried to make a bargain with a man to

serve us as guide, but his pretensions were so high tliat

we gave it up, and I promised the party to conduct

them safely on, which promise I kept as far as Angora,
though I had never seen an inch of our route before. It

is but fair to say, however, that the road was very plain,
and there were so many people working in the fields

that we should easily have been set right had we gone

out of the way.
Wednesday, Augud \0th . — Stalled this morning at
5‘10, without guide or guard. As for the latter character,

which is the one principally claimed by these men, I

have never found it of the slightest avail. In such
encounters as I have had, or have heard of, with high-
way robbers, I never found zaUiehs to be of any use.
They are the first to run away, and I have known
several cases in which they were in partnership with
the robbers, and have been the first to attack the
party placed under their charge; not unfiequently
they have themselves turned robbers and plundered
the persons they were sent to protect. On the
other hand, however, the mere sight of a zdbiieh

accompanying travellers produces the impression that

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Chap. XXI.] Official Giiards. i6i

the latter have friends of liigh standing and influence,

who would punish any one who should attempt to

injure them. Then, too, foreigners rarely pass through

the country ; extravagant ideas are generally enter-
tained concerning them ;
the ignorant rustics are very
much given to exaggeration, and while a lonely Frank
traveller would be thought only a poor devil who may
be plundered by all who meet him, a [larty with a
police officer at the head is supposed to contain some
consular or military dignitary. And again, the exac-
tions of the zabtiehs keep the population in
constant dread of them, so that one of these men will

secure to you the best ([uartcrs in a village, and what-

ever provisions the place aflbrds. You only need to
.see that everything is strictly paid for, and that the
official takes no unwarrantable liberties with the poor
people. On the whole, it is my decided opinion that
when a European or foreigner has been several times
over the same road, and is known to the natives, he will

gain nothing whatever by encumbering himself with

one of these men. But when he travels over a new
road he will And it wisest to submit to the unpleasant

necessity. The encumbrance is necessary ;

it will

pay. But he should take a man from the capital of

one Bashalik to another. As a general rule, these
men, receiving monthly wages from Government to act
as mounted or foot “ gendarmes,” ot as messengers, are
allowed to accompany a traveller as a special favour,
the expedition being considereil a holiday ;
the traveller
VOL. II. M

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i 62 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XXL

feeds them and their horse, and gives them a present

at the end of from 5 to 10 piastres a day ;
prices differ
in different provinces. Tlu-i-e are places, however,

where the whole support of the zahtieh is thrown upon

the traveller, and Government stops the man’s wages
during the trip until his return ;
it thus becomes a
really expensive luxury which one should certainly
dispense with if he can.
On leaving Izeddin our direction continued west.

Passed a collection of black Koordish tents, whose flocks

were feeding in the^ow' grounds ;
and w ere attracted by
the sight of two camels of the tw'o-hump species feed-
ingamong tire bushes and guarded by some men. Went
up to them and found them to be very fine animals,
both females, one of which had a male colt of the same
breed. The humps on the back w ere extremely high
and conical ;
the hair was longest at the toji, and one
hump hung over on one side. The men who had
charge of them said they were never saddled, but
kept entirely for breeding purposes, the cross of this
breed with the common one-humped camel being gene-
rally considered best fitted for Asia Minor.

This was the first time I liad seen the bare back of a
double-hump(;d camel in this country. Having spent
by far the most of my time during the last twenty-five

years in the north-western part of Asia Minor, where the

camel is not a very common animal, all my efforts to see
the creature had ])roved unavailing. I had fancied that
I might have seen him with his back covered over

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Chap. XXI.] The Bacirian Camel. 163

by the paek-saddle, wliich hid his Iminps. But i was

now inclined to believe I had never met him before. I

bad asked many Koords and other keepers of cjunels

about this species ;

they all professed to have seen it,

and several said that some of their own camels, now away,
were of that breed, bnt when I asked them what was the
difference between the two breeds, they only returned

evasive answers. Some said the males are all two-

humped ;
others, that they get two humps when
fattened and not allowed to work, &c. Since I examined
.the two camels we no\v saw, however, I have had abun-
dant means of judging as to the correctnc.ss of these
statements. This is the Bactrian camel, capable of
enduring the cold, and introduced into Asia Minor solely
for breeding purposes. A yearly supply of camels comes
from Mesopotamia ;
they belong to the Arab breed,
are tall, one-humjxd, short-haired, and of a light
colour. They are sold on their arrival for as low a

price as 77. and 87. apiece. But they are not ac-

customed to the cold of the climate, nor can they

travel in mud or climb mountains. The cross between

them and the Bactrian camel produces the best breed

for the climate, and has but one hump. This improved

breed reproduces itself, but is apt to de^generate, and is

renovated both by fresh importations from iresopotamia

and the crossing of the Bactrian, which is kept in all

the southern portions of Asia Minor in small numbers

for this purpose. The Bactrian breed itself is kept pure
by means of a few females that are never loaded or

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164 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XXL

ridden. The notion, that the dromedary is the two-

humped camel, used only for riding purposes, the two
humps serving to keep the rider from falling in front
or behind, while the one-humped camel is a beast
of burden, was long ago e.xploded. The dromedary is

any camel which is used for riding purposes ;

any
camel may be made a dromedary or a pack-camel as
the owner thereof chooses. But there is no more
ground for dividing the camel into two species, one of
which shall be called the dromedary, than there is for

dividing horses into distinct species according as they

are used for riding or for the pack-saddle.
A little further on upon this road a herd of common
camels was feeding in the fields on our right, all bare-

backed and one-humped. My attention was attracted

to one of them, a female, whoso single hump was

extremely tall and conical, and hung half over on the
left side. It presented exactly the same appearance as
the humps of the Bactrian camel. It was evident this
creature was allowed to feed, and had no burden put
u])on her. Moreover, it is a well-known fact that the
common camels which are used as beasts of burden,
when overworked, become thin and lose their bumps by
the month of March ;
their saddles lie flat upon their
backs, and these are sometimes one continuous mass of
sores, making the poor animal roar with pain when
being loaded. I have sometimes seen the driver cut
off pieces of flesh from the camel’s back with his
knife to keep it from mortifying. In summer, however.

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 ;

Chap. XXL] Cotton Ctilture. 165

the camels have more feed and suffer less from exposure,
and by autumn they get as great a hump again as they
ever had. This lump of fat, or natural saddle, upon its

back, is one of those remarkable provisions by which

Providence intended to prepare this animal for the
service of man ;
and so are the callosities upon his

legs, and the skinny cushion on the middle of his breast,

by which he is able to rest his w'eary body upon the

ground. Those who deny such a Providential arrange-
ment reject a most logical, simple, and beautiful expla-
nation, for the sake of launching themselves into a sea

of doubt.
About an hour later we came upon the telegraph
line which passes between Yozghat and Angora, and
were destined to keep it almost constantly in sight until
we reached the latter place. We now descended into a
fertile valley, where the fields were planted with cotton ;

this was the first sign we saw of the extensive cultiva-

tion of cotton which has been attempted since the price

of the article was raised by the blockade of the
southern ports of the United States. These planta-
tions, however, did not appear very promising, and
the exjK'Use of transportation to a sea-port must be
great. We shortly reached some threshing-floors on
the side of this fertile valley, and stopped at a fountain
where several men were gathered to witness and help
in the shoeing of several oxen previous to their treading

the wheat. This operation is rarely practised here

the cattle being small, the shoes, which are double, are

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i66 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XXI.

necessarily quite small. At ITSO we came upon the

river Halys, last seen at Sivas it there sweeps down
;

towards Cfesarea, whence it gradually bends its course

to the Black Sea, which it reaches we.st of Samsoon,
forming a long low and marshy delta, w'hich projects

into the sea. It here runs northward. At noon we

reached the village of Diakhshan, built some 150 feet
above the level of the river and 200 vards from the
bank. It lies on both sides of a small hollow, and is

larger and better built than most of the villages we

have seen. Some of the houses have two stories. We
were taken to comfortable quarters, and took possession
of an ample piazza with a surrounding railing, where
we .hung up our shawls and thus obtained excellent
lodgment for the night. Just before arriving here
we saw a jerboa run across the road ;
it moved wdth
great rapidity, and its leaps succeeded each other so
fast that it appeared to run instead of leaping. This
is the first I have met with except in the neighbour-
hood of Tocat, where, however, they are not common.
As we advance on our journey and come to regions

entirely destitute of trees, we are struck with the

u; ensures adopted by the natives for providing them-
selves with fuel. We have been looking from our
piazza at some of the women collecting the manure
from the track which the cattle follow in going to
pasture in the morning, shaping it into round cakes
some 6 or 8 inches in diameter, by handling it as they

would a lump of dough, and sticking it on the walls of

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Chap. XXI.] Manufacture of Fuel. 167

their Iiouse.s to dry in the sun. All the dwellings around

U.Sare thus more or less oruainented. The women
seem to enter upon this duty with a matter-of-course
air, and conduct it with an artistic dexterity, which
proves that it is one of the accomplishments of the
housekeeper in this region. The fuel whose manufac-
ture has been described, after being dried, is stowed
away in a store-room kept for the purpose. The
foundations of the houses are made of large stones,
but large mud bricks are employed for the rest of the
walls. The chimneys are maile of the same, and have a
flat roof like the house itself covered with clay. Near
the bottom of the chimney, as it issues from the roof of
the house, there is on either side a triiingular hole for

the purpose of allowing the smoke to escape. The

upper portion of the chimney is of course hollow within,
and must serve as a sort of reservoir for the smoke
which cannot immediately escape by the holes.
Yesterday morning, as we were getting into our
saddles, a Turkish woman came up to me with a string
in her hand, and asked me for something to hang to
the neck of her child, which was sick of intermittent ^

fever. Being in a sportive mood, and in a huriy besides,

I pulled off a single hair of my beard and gave it to her.

She said it was very^ little. I told her I could not .sj)are

more, as it was very precious ; and she went oft' much

pleased, holding it up high as something very valuable.'

Though we found our way to this village withoiit

yetw'e experienced much backwardness on the
difficulty,

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 :

i68 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. xxi.

part of the people to furnish us with what we neerled,

tliere being no zdbtieh with us. We now generally have
to advance the money before the article wanted is

produced. We are here informed that the distances this

way from Izeddin (our la.st stopping-place) are as follows
From Izeddin to Balashuklu, 2 hours; Memetlj’’, 5;

Karajalu, G ;
Kunik, 7 ;
Diakhshsm, 8. The road we
are following is not the one put down on Kiepert’s map,
for we pass south both of Kiskin Dagh and of Koor-
baghulu.

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Chap. XXII.] The Pet Colt. 169

CHAPTEE XXII.

Village of Yozghat — Antiiiue marbles — Angora goats — Village of

Crt'taKeuj' — Manure — Feast on apples — Description of
fuel
Angora — Catholic Armenians — Keligions — History
jjcrsecntion
of Angora — Deserted houses — Armenian monastery and ceme-
tery — List of Euroixjans buried there — Persecution of Protes-
tants — Peculiar atmospheric phenomena — The Protestants of
Angora — Religious — A converted Turk — Ruins of
service
Castle — Temple of Augustas.
f^HUESDAY, August llfA. —Left our quarters at
-* 5‘10. Crossed the river and had considerable
amusement at the expense of such of our party as were
not much experienced in fording. Three boys were
crossing on a donkey at the same time, and it seemed
as though they would ho carried down by the current.
Our three-months-old colt, the pet and plaything of the
party, went through mostly by leaps. He is growing so
tall he can no longer pass under his mother, though he
managed to do so for a week after we left Tocat, the
mare lifting her back to allow him to do it. I have
been giving him an oke of milk every morning and
evening, of which his mother tries to get a share
and sometimes succeeds. They both continue in excel-

lent condition. No horse of the company can keep

up with her at a simple walk; and as for the colt, he

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170 Travels ill Asia Minor. [Chap. XXII.

would keep ahead of everything were ho not so fond of

society.

After crossing the river, which wo found to be

2571 ft. above the sea at tliis place, we went over a
liigh mountain and down into the village of Ku-
luchlar (swords), then crossed a valley and went up
a narrow gorge on the other side ending in a steep
ascent ;
we again gradually descended along the ^ace
of a limestone hill, passed a fountain at 8’25, and after
riding on level ground for a mile, our road began
to rise. Continuing our journey, we pursued the
windings of a narrow gorge, where the sun’s rays came
pouring down reflected by the barren rock around,
and went up a steep ascent still more trying to our
horses. Another narrow gorge now lay before us,

shallow in front, but growing deeper as it receded to

the right. The village of Yozghat is built on the
further or western side of this gorge. We went down
into it and found, at 9‘40, in the yard of the only mosque
in the place, a comfortable shelter from the oppressive

sun. Of all dreary localities this is the dreariest we

had yet seen. The miserable dwellings are built over
each other on the steep hill side, the flat roof of one
house being a front yard for the next one above.
Nothing is visible around but barren and calcined lime-
stone rocks. There was, to be sure, a fig-tree in the

mosque yard, and we rested w'ell enough on the piazza

of that respectable building. There are here several
antique marbles, one representing a lion crouching.

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 1

Chap. XXII.] A 7itiqzie Marbles. 17

and a rough altar with clusters of grapes upon it.

This place is said to be four hours from Diakhshan

and eight from Angora. Its elevation is 4100 feet,

Sculptured Lion at Yozgbat.

being 1529 feet above the Halys at Diakhshan. Thus

it appears that the valley of the Halys is considerably
lower than the country on both sides of it. From
Tozghat we journeyed through an undulating region
and in two and a half hours reached two mills, whence
passing on we found the hills covered with dry grass,
but the valley fresh and green. The hills are mostly
of clay slate, some fine specimens of the argillaceous
slate used in Europe for roofing being occasionally met
with. Saw five very handsome Angora goats, whose
silken hair had not been cut, and almost touched the
ground. This animal is so much shorter on his legs
and every way smaller though stouter than any
ordinary goat I had seen, that I inquired whether

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172 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. xxil.

these were not young goats, but was assured of the

contrary. They were feeding on the edge of the plain
and not seeking tlie rocks as other goats do. We find

trees as we descend the valley, and now meet willows

planted in regular rows on the banks of the stream.
Passed a gushing fountain and the village of Lench
it is eight hours from Diakhshan and on the right of
the road. The valley about here has many trees ;
the
people are engaged in carrying loads of freshly cut
grain to their harmans. At 615 crossed from the
right side of the valley over the stream, and entering a
narrow gorge, went into the miserable village of Orta
Keuy about seven. Willie’s horse had been growing
more and more lame all day. The last hour or two he
brought down his nose almost to the ground every step
he took, giving the little fellow anything but an agree-
able ride ;
but as no other arrangement could be made,
we went on, and the little rider bore it with remarkable
endurance. Our quarters at Orta Keuy were about
the worst we had yet had, nor were the peoj)le remark-
able for their hospitality. What particularly struck
us here was the immense quantity of manure fuel

manufactured. It is made of two kinds, the first of

simple cow’s dung, which the women are constantly
engaged in forming into cakes, as before described.
The other kind seems to be about 14 inches in diameter
and 3 inches thick ;
judging from its regular shape, it

is probably a collection of stable manure moulded on

the housetop as they make mud bricks. When some-

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Chap. XXII.] Manure Cakes. 173

what dry, they turn them over. I noticed one of the

fair sex on a long roof of a house opposite, in an uncom-
monly brilliant suit, walking with apparent complacency
among vast quantities of the larger cake, probably

the fruit of her own toils, which she was turning and
arranging ;
I presume she was reflecting upon the
enjoyment she would derive the coming winter, or
the profit she should make by sale. We took up our
quarters upon the roof of a house, and ate our supper
by moonlight, but slept within, not venturing to expose
ourselves to the night air.

Friday, Augud 12th . — Started at 5*20, Willie’s horse

still limping very badly on his forefoot. Kecrossed the
valley and stream over the bridge we had passed last

evening. Our route lay along the northern edge of the

valley which becomes still better cultivated as we pro-
ceed, and we saw a number of Angora goats feeding on
the slope of the low hills on our right; they were
eating the dried up grasses with which the otherwise
barren earth is here covered, and many of which seem to
partake of the character of aromatic herbs. Entered a
road in the valley itself, which is lined and well shaded
with trees ;
orcliards on our right and left. Saw a
Turk and his family gathering apples from the trees
we called them, bought some of their fruit, and all fell

most ravenously uj)on it, having eaten nothing but

meat and rice for a long time past. We had been de-
prived even of bread after using up the supply procured
at Yozghat, for the thin cakes of the country were quite

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174 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XXII.

raw, and after vainly endeavouring to accustom our

stomachs to this kind of bread, and finding it impossible
to digest, we had given up the use of farinaceous
food. At 7'30 crossed the river bj a bridge of heun
stone, and travelled awhile over a paved road in a very
dilapidated condition. Left the valley to our right,
and passing over a small ridge, obtained our first view
of Angora, the ancient Ancyra. As seen from the cast,

it pre.scnt3 the appearance of a long and narrow hill,

whose flat summit is covered with walls and towers. This

hill slopes down on all sides except the north, where it is

precipitous, with the river passing at the foot of the

cliffs, embowered in leafy verdure. The town spreads to

the greatest distance on the western side, which was not
in sight. What we saw extended to the foot of the hill,

and ended in a well-defined outline as though there had

once been a wall there. The quarter of the city pre-
sented to our view is occupied by Turks, and apjieared
for the most part in a ruinous condition. The Eayah
quarter is on the west next to the fortifications and
within the first wall ;
the lower part of the town on
that side is occupied by the markets and the Mus-
lem population. Entered the town at 8, by the
south-east gate. It is made up of fragments of old
buildings, chiefly marble ;
a broken marble lion stands
on each side. Went up the steep streets paved with
trachyte to the open space between the upper part of
the town and the fortifications of the castle, and passing
over the brow of the hill, wedged our way through a

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Chap. XXII.] Catholic Arnieniatis. 175

crowd collected by a fair, and reached one of the prin-

cipal khans, a solid stone building occupied by mer-
chants for business purposes. We had a letter from an
Armenian gentleman in Smyrna to one of the principal
Catholic Armenian mercliants of Angora; we found be
was lying sick at home, but his son received us very
politely at his office and entertained us until our
(piarters had been made ready in town. After an
hour we were conducted to a new wooden house that
had been hired for us ;
it is built on one side of a
small square or enclo.sure, which formerly made a
khan, but has since become a court with private
dwellings which are erected on three sides of it, with
a low wall and gate upon the street. Some of the
princij)al Catholic Armenian families have their resi-

dences here, and among them the person to whom we

w'ere recommended. Tlie houses of the Armenians are
built after the model of the Constantinople houses.
Ours has but one room finished ;
there is a small room
or kiosk on the top of the house whence we have a
very extensive view over this part of the town and the
surrounding country. Remains of ancient art and
splendour are met with at every step, more so than in
any town I have visited in this land. But they are
only fragments, while no building has resisted the
destructive effects of time. Our first concern was with
the outer man; we went at once to a Turkish bath,
and enjoyed greatly its healthful luxury. We then
called upon our host at his house close by. He was

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176 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XXII.

lying sick in a beil spread out as usual upon the floor,

in which he received his visitors, sitting up wrapped in

a fur mantle, and smoking his pipe. The Catholic

Armenians of Angora are the most bigoted in the East.

They are chiefly the exiles of a religious persecution

waged against them at the instigation of their brethren

of the national Church, whicli they had abandoned for

the purpose of embracing the Romish errors, being
persuaded that they would thereby place themselves
under the French protectorate. The Turks wanted
nothing better than an opportunity to despoil the
Nabobs of Candilli, Orta Keuy, and Kuskunjuk of the
enormous gains tliey had been making out of the
simplicity of their Muslem masters. They exiled them
to Angora and took po.ssession of their real estates in

Constantinople and its suburbs. It is the story of the

dispute about the oyster which the judge devours,

giving the shells to the disputants. Rut the priests liave

had the skill to turn the dispute to their own account.

The Turks who were the real plunderers were deemed
to have done only what was a matter of course, while
the Armenians have been hated as the bigoted original
cause of their losses. Every effort has been made to

root them out of Angora, and with a great measun-

of success. The Armenians of this city have very gene-

rally gone over to the Romish Church, unable to bear
the burden of the excessive salians (taxes) imposed
upon them by the Turks at the instigation of their

Catholic brethren. This effectual persecution has

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 Chap. XXII.] Religious Persecution. 177

nearly banished the old religion from Angora. Their

churches are deserted, and, individually, they are made
the objects of all kinds of vexation, so much so that

an Armenian must now have independent means not

to be starved out of his faith into Western orthodoxy.
The Catliolics inveigh against the Armenians for their

former persecutions, and they are quite right ;

but they
are doing even worse themselves. The example of the
Armenians, however, is a fair instance of the natural
effect of religious persecution; it always fails in the
end of accomplishing its purposes, for it awakens a just

indignation from which tliere is but one step to a spirit

of revenge which brings punishment upon the original

perpetrators. There is no doubt the day of reckoning

will come with the Catholics as it has come with the
Armenians, until lx)th shall learn that the battle of

tnith can never be won by carnal weapons.

Saturday, August \Zth. — Angora was inhabited
during the latter part of the seventeenth and through-
out the eighteenth century by a complete colony of
English, French, and Dutch merchants, who carried on
the trade in Angora goats’-hair or Teftik. The article

was prepared in their warehouses and exported to

Europe for manufactui ing purposes. Tlie wars brought

about by the French Eevolution, which put a stop to

most mercantile transactions everywhere, produced the
same effect here ;
but this most lucrative branch of
commercial enterprise, after lying dormant for a long

while, has, since the general peace, been again revived.

VOL. II. N

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 ;

178 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. xxil.

It is, now almost wholly

however, in the hands of
Greeks, who succeed in making very large profits ;
and
by employing many hands in the business, as well as
through their connexion with those who furnish the
article, exert a very powerful influence over the affairs
of this town and neighbourhood. Some of the
houses originally occupied by the European merchants
are still standing; they were very extensive, the lower
portions consisting of magazines or vaulted rooms,
where the ieftih was prepared for exportation, with a

separate entrance and courtyard for the use of tlie

workmen. Tlie premises inhabited by the family were

entirely distinct, though built over the magazines.
I visited such a house, which was once owned and occu-
pied by one of my maternal ancestors. I roamed with
intense interest through the now deserted halls and
apartments, visited the parlour, stood before the fire-

place, entered the private chamber, and looked around

upon the spot where was planted the flower-garden,
once, doubtless, the pet possession of the family, while
my brain worked up a thousand images and fancies
I finally sat on the lofty terrace and refreshed my
depressed spirit with the extensive prospect of city,
plain, and hills, verdant with vineyards and orchards,
and studded with country houses and villas. I searched
in vain for some memento of the past, but only found in

an inner chamber the date Jan. 19, 1779, and wrote

under it my own name and the present date. This is

the old Leidstar house, and my guide was the last

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Chap. XXII.] Deserted Houses. 179

descendant of those European families, a gentleman

by name Leonardi, who has practised medicine here
for half a century. It is strange to find oneself
thus suddenly ushered into the past ;
and tliis trans-

ition was the more vivid in my own case, as I well

remembered the portrait of the old gentleman who

once occupied this mansion, and could distinctly recall
him to my mind in his Annenian costume, with a
great Calpak upon his head. In like manner the
European ladies, too, then wore the native costume, with
the broad belt composed of two large jewelled clasps,
fastening in front, and yellow slippers on their feet.
But what a contrast with the present ! The house is

deserted and ruinous. It belongs to a bigoted Turk,

Shasur Oghloo Sali Effendi by name, who lived a while

in it, but being surrounded by Christians, went away,
saying “ he could not bear their smell.” It has been
used only as a storehouse for grain since that time, and
is fast falling to pieces. Turks eminently possess the
genius of destruction. They envy their neighbour’s
property, and get possession of it by every means within
their reach ;
but as soon as they have acquired the
coveted object, they childishly neglect and throw it

aside. The Santi house alone is still in a good state

of preservation, and now belongs, I believe, to a Greek

merchant engaged in the ieftik trade.

I may here mention that though the European colony

has long disappeared, and an old man of eighty is now
its sole representative, yet I could perceive some signs
i8o Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XXII.

of Europeans having once resided there. As for in-

stance, the wire-netting in the windows of many of

the hest Christian houses, a thing nowhere else to be

seen in Turkey. There are also pigeon-houses pro-

tected in the same way, a very European object, which

struck us as of evidently foreign origin. The little
room on the top of many houses, called in Smyrna a
kiosk, must have been introduced from that city,

though all the Catholic Armenians have come from

Constantinople.
There was a spot at Angora which I bad a great
desire to visit. It is a burying-ground lying by an
old Armenian church and convent, built outside of the

town upon the site of a temple of Jupiter.

We started on foot, and walked over the pavement
of trachyte, and tlirough narrow streets to the north-
west gate. Saw on the way a number of remains of

the ancient city, both lying by the roadside and built

into the w'alls of the houses. The gate is of modern
construction, hut consists of pieces of marble taken
from ancient buildings. The sides are made of fine
cornices sbrnding on end, one of which has the word
KAlSAP cut in large characters. We left the main
paved road, and follow'ed a path leading us through
gardens planted with vegetables. These are not
divided by either walls or hedges, but only by well-
trodden paths. The soil is alluvial and very rich,

and nearly or quite the whole of the water of the

stream we followed and crossed yesterday is used here

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 1

Chap. XX 1 .] A rmenian Monastery. i8i

for irrigating purposes. After passing the gardens we

came to an open space, upon wliieh are built very
extensive barracks, now unoccupied, and rapidly going
to pieces, ^^’cnt down through fields to a small
stream which waters other gardens. A number of
people were encamped here under tents, most of
them engaged in washing ieftik. At the end of the
gardens stands the Armenian monastery, on a gentle
eminence. The church occupies the south-east angle,
and is a very old structure of an octagonal form, built
chiefly of brick, and very much in need of repairs.

The people of the monastery, which we entered by a

double gate, were very civil, and showed us the interior

of the church, whose walls are completely covered with

blue porcelain. We saw many ancient marbles and pieces
of columns lying about in the yards. The cemetery is

outside the monastery, in the open field ;

in the church

there are no graves. The monuments nearest the

building have inscriptions in Armenian, Greek, and
Greco-Turkish. There is then an empty space, and
beyond it, in an irregular, row, are the graves of the
former European residents. They consist of slabs of

marble, just as they were taken from the ruins of the

heathen temple, with a Latin inscription in memory
of the deceased. One of them is the cover of a fine
marble sarcophagus. Another consists of a handsomely-
carved cornice, and another still was the capital of a
pillar. I saw a heathen altar among them, which
once bore sacrifices to idols, hut now serves to mark the
 —

182 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XXII.

resting-place of a believer in the one only and True God,

awaiting the morning of the resurrection. Another
altar, with its Greco-Latin dedication, covers the
remains of an Armenian or Greek, but bears no otlier

than the ancient inscription. Some of my readers

will, doubtless, be pleased to see the short list of the
names of the European residents lying buried here,
some of which point to families well known at the
present time in the Levant and even in Europe. It is

as follows :

Joanna Bunscott Addlevett, wife of an English merchant at

Angora, died 1756, jet. 39.
Henry Dain, English merchant, died 1703, .Tt. 47.
Peter de Lignellc, Dutch merchant, died 1693.
Theodore Locker, Dutch merchant, died 1679,
IVilliam Black, English merchant, died 1684.
Paul Malbranch Leidensiortus, Dutch merchant, died 1704, a>t. 37.
.lane Maria Lcidstar, wife of John Jnstinns L., died 1757, vat. 57.
Francis Roboli, French merchant, dic'd 1757.
Joseidi Guicn, French merchant, died 1779.
D. Ixjcvi? Rossi, French pnest, died 1768.
Bartholomew Edward GLavanychius, French merchant, died 1737.
Anthony Joseph Santi, Venetian merchant, died 1792.
Leonard Polla Barbier, French nierchant, died 1757.

Having accomplished our long-desired pilgrimage to

this sacred spot, we returned to town by the highway.
Found in many places the remains of an ancient paved
road made by the Romans, and crossed the river over a
bridge of hewn stone the parapet is formed of blocks
;

once united with iron or bra.ss ties, which the barbarians

have carried off. Received calls from several native
Protestants, who endeavour to maintain their ground

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Chap. XXI 1 .] Persecution of Protestants. 183

despite the plots and adverse influence of the Catholic

Armenians. These are, as usual, employing all the
influence they possess with the authorities in order to
prevent Protestantism from taking root in this city and
province. The Governor had imposed exorbitant taxes
upon these persecuted people, and one of them had
lain for some time in prison on this account. But it

was hoped that the authorities would finally be induced

to pay attention to the public orders received from the
capital, though it was suspected that they were
annulled by secret instructions sent to the Pasha. AVe
also met an old Constantinople friend, a Protestant
Armenian gentleman, sent here as agent of an English
merchant at the capital in connexion with the exporta-

tion of iejiik. AVe were glad to learn that several

English merchants of the capital were again taking a
part in so profitable an enterprise; and there is no
doubt that, if wisely prosecuted, it will be highly suc-
cosslul. It has been very sultry here ever since our
arrival. To day the atmosphere was hazy and heavy
but at 3 P.M. there was a sudden change produced by
a strong easterly wind, which made the thermometer go
down 15 degrees. These sudden changes are said to be
very common in Angora, and they make the climate a
trying one for delicate constitutions. I may also men-
tion here tho result of my observations during oiu
stay at this place. The barometer gives us 3334 feet

as the elevation of Angora ;

this is somewhat lower
than I had supjx)sed ;
it is 1100 feet lower than Sivas

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184 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. xxil.

or Yozgbat ;
and tlie region south of this city, in which
the Angora goat principally ranges, is not generally
higher, and often lower : Sivri Hissar is only 450 feet

higher, and well protected on the north by high hills.

It is also worthy of notice that the province of Kara-

hissar, into which the goat has not penetrated, is

higher than the province of Angora, while the region

east of Angora, through which we had come, lies some-
what lower as far as Boghaz Keuy ; but though we
had there first seen the Angora goat, the specimens
were rare ;
the owners highly valued tliem, and did
their best to increase their number. I think, therefore,
that a high elevation of the soil above the sea cannot
exert any marked influence favourable to this animal.
The only peculiar atmospheric phenomena which w'e

noticed, and which may have a bearing upon this ques-

tion, are electricity and sudden changes in the atmo-

sphere. We w’ere more than once struck with the

amount of electricity in the air, and this, too, at a
season of the year when we should not expect it. We
could hear the sparks every time we combed our hair
or passed our hands over the dogs’ backs. The sudden
changes in the temperature are generally acknow'-
ledged. How far these may affect the que.stion of
teftik I would not venture to say, except that they do
have a powerful effect upon it, not sufficient perhaps to
accoimt for the existence of the breed, but probably
enough to maintain it in certain conditions. It is
worthy of notice that in particular districts the
Chap. XXII.] Protestants of Angora. 185

x\jttgora breed excludes all others. Let it also be

remembered that while the Angora cat degenerates in

other places, it does not here. I must say, however,

that I did not see a single Angora cat during my stay

there. But I saw several dogs whose white hair was
long and silky, though they appeared otherwise of an
ordinary and valueless breed.
Sunday, Aug. \^th . —The few Protestants of Angora
are accustomed to meet this day in the house of a

helper sent from the Mission Station at Broosa, who

conducts services in the Turkish language. He is a
plain man, who has learnt all he knows from the
study of the Bible and of the few books published
by the iMission, having had no regular school educa-
tion. Such men accomplish a valuable pioneer work,
though there is some difficulty afterwards in re-

placing them by a higher order of labourers, which is

sure to be soon called for by the people. Having given

up their trade and business connexions, it is hard for

them to obtain a maintenance when they cease to draw

a salary. Some of our sorest difficulties have arisen
from the position into which these men have thus been
thrown, with perhaps a large family to support. The
natives have deeply sympathised with this class of
persons; they are considered to bear the relation
of servant to master toward the missionaries who
have employed them, and that relation has a patriarchal
character in the East which is unknown in the West.

A native always considers himself the servant of a

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1 86 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XXII.

man “whose bread he has eaten.” We liere see men

who have risen to wealth assume the position of
servants whenever they enter the house of their

former master subsequently reduced to poverty. And

.so a servant is never dismissed except for bad conduct
it is thought a virtue to cling to a master who can
no longer pay his servant’s wages. It is true, wages
play a small part in the relation of master and servant
they generally consist of food and occasional presents,
and the servant has the power to leave without
cause, more than the master to dismiss him if without
blame. I believe we should study more carefully the
minds w ith which we have to do, and not endeavour to
force upon tliem a cut-and-dried system which our
tlieological studies and our Occidental habits have led
us to regard as the best for man in the abstract, but

which, after being settled upon these Orientals by dint

of hard pounding, will fall to pieces as soon as w'e get

out of the way. The institutions we introduce should,

like those of the Apostles, find so perfect a response in

the hearts and wants of men, that they will be sus-

tained by their own inherent vitality after we are dead
and all pecuniary aid is withdrawn from abroad.
But to return to the Protestants of Angora. They
are simple-minded people, who bear persecution with
considerable endurance, and I believe there is a great
work to be done in tliat city; the very opposition of

the enemy is an excellent sign for the future. W^e had

a religious service at 10 A.M., and twenty persons were
Chap, x.xii.] Religious Service. 187

present. I acklressed them in Turkish, and baptized

two little children. I took the opportunity to give
them an account of the condition of their brethren in
such parts of the country as I had visited, a subject in
which they naturally take a great interest. I shall
mention here a little incident illustrating some of
the annoyances to which the traveller in these lands
must prepare himself to submit. The helper thought
we should probably have a larger congregation than
usual, as was indeed the case. Ho occupies the upper
rooms of his house during the summer, on account of
their greater coolness. These being small, the service
was held in one of the lower rooms, which was large,
but had been little used since the w'arm weather set in.

The heat seemed greatly to have increased the numbers

of certain well-known lodgers, not to bo named in
good society, but called by the natives wood-bugs, and
by a friend of mine B flats. Their appetite moreover
had become vastly developed in the absence of their

customary prey. Their head-quarters seemed to be

about the table that had been fitted up as a pulpit, and
a mattress laid upon some chests for the special comfort
and honour of the guests from abroad. As I proceeded
in my address, I noticed one and another of my fellow-

travellers fidgeting and changing his place, and began

to experience some strange sensations about the only

unprotected points, the neck and wrists. Still I per-

severed bravely, until, the very instant I closed, several

of my hearers rushed upon me and brushed off from

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1 88 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XXII.

my clothes whole handfuls of most lively and slippery

enemies. Fortunately fc'r me the services were suffi-

ciently short to prevent any serious consequences.

This is not Averse, however, than the experience of one
of my brethren at 3Iareovan, who could never preach
Avithout first draAving a magic circle of insect poAvder

aroimd him as he stood up in the pulpit, to keep off the

flea.s. He, hoAvever, poor man, Avas peculiarly sensitive

on that sul)ject, so that, Avhen travelling, at the stopping

place for the night his good Avife used to put him in a
bag anil tie it around his neck.
An incident occurred in connection with one of the
Angora Protestants, Avhich, though belonging to a later

date, may as Avell be mentioned here. Tliere is in this

place a converted Turk avIio became acquainted with

Ev'angelical doctrine in Kliar{X)ot, and Avas sent here
in exile tAvo and a half years ago. He was first im-
prisoned, but as he was a very quiet and inoffensive
man, all fear of him Avas soon allayed, and he AA'as

alloAved to go free, though bound not to leave the city.

He lives in great poverty, endeavouring to support his

absent family by the labour of his hands, Avhich is often
prevented by his enemies. I gave him some medicine
for an eruption of long standing Avhich he had on his
hands, and two months after I received a letter from
the helper in Angora stating that he Avas quite re-
covered, and that he, himself, Avas suffering from a
similar malady, and desired some of the same medicine.
I forAA-arded some of the same homoeopathic pills, and

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Chap. XXII.] A Converted Turk. 189

after a while anotlier letter reached me from the helper,

saying he had used one half of the medicine and been
cured ;
the other half he had given to a friend of his, on
condition that, in case he received benefit from it, he was
*

to present a copy of the Scriptures to some poor man.

The present had been given, and as another person still

flesired some of tlie same medicine, I forwarded a

supply, proposing to the helper that whoever was cured
of his disease should follow the same good example,
aud present a similar thank-offering to the Lord. The
matter stood thus when I last heard from them.
Monday, Auyud 15th . — Visited the castle which
occupies the top of the hill. There are three walls on
all sides except on the north, where the place is pro-

tected by an inaccessible precipice. The many towers

which support the walls are generally square, but
those of the second or middle wall are of an unusual
shape, projecting, in form like the bows of a ship.

The third or outer enclosure is the most dilapidated

of all, and appears the oldest; the ancient work is

built of large blocks beneath, and brickwork above;

some parts have evidently been patched up. The
central towers by the west gate are sound. On the top
of the hill is a small castle where powder is now kept.

It is said there is also old armour preserved there. The

highest part of the hiU appears to be occu2)ied only by
Turks, and was silent and solitary. We saw several
mosques madeof fragments taken from ancient buildings.
There are many old stones, several altars, some sculj)-

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190 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. xxii.

tures, and inscriptions, in the walls of the fortifications

and the houses ; I copied a lion resting his paw upon

the head of a sheep, which the reader may compare
with the Euyuk Lion. It stands near the brow of the

Ancic'nt Comil Llou at Angora.

precipice on the north. The view from this spot, the

highest on the hill, is extensive and fine. A great plain

spreads out to the horizon on the south and west. On

the north and east the ground is hilly and covered with
vineyards and country-houses, to which a large portion
of the population of the city has now' removed. Right
under our feet passes the stream by the side of which
we travelled the other day. Its narrow valley is fertile

in the extreme, and we can distinguish the people

walking or riding at the foot of the precipitous ledge.

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Chap. XXII.] Ancient Marble Column. 19 x

Visited the Temple of Augustus near the south-

western extremity of tlie town, celebrated on account
of its inscription containing the list of the buildings

erected by the Emperor. It is very simple in plan,

as are mo.st of these buildings ;
it is made of the finest
marble, with few but tasteful and highly finished
ornaments. Tlie yellow on the outside of the marble
is not an effect of the atmosphere ;
it seems to me, as in
the case of tlie same tint on the Parthenon at Athens,
to indicate gilding. We also visited a solitary column

Ancient Column at Angura.

on the edge of the town in the same direction. It is

50 feet high, and of white marble. Most of the column

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192 Travels in Asia Mhior. [Chap. xxil.

is made of thin circular pieces of marble set upon each

other. Much of the capital has fallen, and the rest will

.soon follow. The storks have made their nest tupon

the summit. This column was probably the centre of
the ancient market-place ; and there are mounds in the
immediate vicinity which indicate that large buildings
once existed here.

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Chap. XXI II.] Purchasing a Horse. 193

CHAPTER XXIII.

Continuation of journey — Villages of Ball! Kooyoomjoo anil

Chifiik— — Turkmen summer-houses — Sakaria

Petrified shells
river— Villages of Orta Keuy and Hortoo — Lazy muleteers —
Black — Village of
sienite Hissar — Dyeing of Skins —
Sivri
Trialsof the Christian population — Physical — Village
features
ofBalahissar — Buins of ancient buildings —The Angora goat
— Ruins of and
castle — Sculptures — Night-travelling
theatre
— Tents nomad Turkmen — Turkmen
of of village Baghliija.

rpUESDAY, Aug. \Qth —Our lame horse . is unable

to go on. We have tried to sell him, but have
only been offered the worth of his skin. Menzil (post)
horses are exorbitantly high. Having resolved to

purchase an additional horse, we had a good oppor-

tunity of seeing the quality of Angora horses wliich

generally enjoy a high reputation. That can be true,

however, only of the Turkmen breed which is some-

times brought into town. What were shown us were
a mongrel species, remarkable only for their extreme
corpulence ;
the people about us seemed to think this
a true measure of a horse’s worth, and quite despised
our thin steeds, though inured to hardship by a long
journey. We finally purchased a small Turkmen horse,
for which we were laughed at by the crowd of lookers
VOL. II. o

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194 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XXIII.

on, but which proved highly serviceable, and soon won

the affection of his young rider.
Wednesday, August 11th . —We did not manage to
get away to-day until 10'40, but succee led this time
in obtaining a guide or zahtieh who was to show us the
way as far as Sivri Hissar. Our direction was nearly
S.W., and the weather very cool. Our course to-day
u a.s entirely over an undulating plain which ap{x?ars to
extend out of view from Angora in a south and west
direction. Its soil is generally rich, and nearly the
whole of it appears to be occasionally sown with grain.
A^bout 4 the hills on both sides of us grew taller, and
at 4-30 we reached Balu Kooyoomjoo, a village built
in a kind of cove, with a tall palisade of trachyte on
the south, of a semi-circular form, out of which flows
an abundant stream that waters several gardens, and
willow-tree.s. We saw many Angora goats about the
village mixed with sheep. Our landlord seems to be
very well off ;
he is a shepherd himself, and owns 300
goats ;
he says that the goats give better and more
wool when they are not fe.l solely upon grass, but have
also the leaves of such trees as the scrub-oak and the
willow. He told us that some yellowish goats we
saw were brought from Koniah, the ancient Iconium,
where they have a goat similar to the Angora or
Teftik, but inferior in value. This importation oc-
curred after a severe winter, which, three or four
years ago, killed many of their own goats, for the

true Angora breed is delicate, and cannot stand very

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Chap. XXIII.] Koniah Goats. 195

severe weather. The Koniali breed was thus intro-

diieed, and was crossed with the remaining pure

Teftilc males. By persevering in this proce.ss all

traces of the foreign breed di.sappeared in two or three

generations. He as.snrcd us that this goat endures the
cold, but is apt to suffer from wet weather, and must
then be kept under shelter. I have noticed, thus far,

that this animal has the habits of the sheep far more
than those of the ordinary goat. Indeed the region we
are passing through would be very poorly adapted to
the latter, which is accustomed to climb the hills, and
feed on the leaves of bushes and young trees. The
Angora goat, on the contrary, feeds in the plain, and on
the slight hillocks which are someu hat rocky, and offer
them a scanty herbage ;
hence we generally see them
in the company of sheep, and indeed they cannot be
told apart at a short distance, owing to the simi-
larity of their form. This is especially the case just

now, when, the shearing season being but recently

past, their hair is still short. They are most readily
distinguished by their horns, which are bent back-
wards, while those of the .sheep are outward and
forward. The high and cold wind has made us all

unwell to day. I have an overpowering head-ache for

my share, and what seems like a touch of the inter-

mittent fever. Balu Kooyoomjoo is .six hours from

Angora, and there are said to be interesting ruins in
the neighbourhood. But I was too unwell to seek
them out.

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196 Travels in Asia Minor, [Chap. XXIII.

Thursday, August l^th , —A bad night, with hard

cough and fever. Head better this morning. At
6 A.M. thermometer stood at 63°. Leaving at 7'30, we
reached Chifiik at 11'45. This, as its name imports,
is a farm belonging to a Turk, and contains a large
dilapidated house, as well as a large stable full of
horses, some of them very fine ;
there are also a few
miserable huts and a neglected garden, all built upon
tlie slope of a slightly risiug ground. The master of
the place was there with a friend, and they spent their
whole time while we remained in drinking Eaki. Every-
thing about the premises showed the consequences.
We left Chifiik and its drvmken ma.sters at 2'30.
They seemed to be amazed that we, whom they called
English, should refuse to taste their beloved Raki,
and had no brandy to offer them. We picked up on
our road several loose bivalves, which had preserved
their form, while the rock that held them had decom-
posed. There were pieces of trachyte among them,
probably brought there from some ruin in the vicinity,
and too hard to change into soil. Ascended the hill,

and from its summit had our first distant view of the

sharp rocks of Sivri Hissar, behind w hich lies the town

of that name. As we came down the hill we picked up
more petrified shells, and soon came upon the ledge
which contained them. It appears to be a sandstone

which crumbles readily and covers the surface of the

ground with its debris. Came upon a dyke of trachyte
w hich has cut through the sandstone, and, after it, found

Digitized by Google
Chap. XXIII.] Turktnen Summer-Houses. 197

several beds of white marl. We still continued to

descend until we reached an extensive plain upon which
we noticed a line of mounds running nearly S.W. and
N.E. ;
six of the largest certainly lie in this line, though
some of the smaller ones appear to occupy a more
irregular position. The ground soon became spungy
though dry, indicating that it is swampy during a

great portion of the year. We now had before us the

yaila or Turkmen summer-houses of Euyuk. They
consist of houses open on one side, and containing a
single room ;
and it was with difficulty we could find

an empty one, which we occupied. It was separated

from the rest by a small stream, with a wooden bridge
consisting of a single plank. The soil w'as so clayey
that we foimd it imjxjssible to make the horses ford
the little stream, and our effects were carried over the
bridge by the men on their backs. We closed up the
open side of our dwelling with a carpet lent us by
the Turkmens, in order to keep off the innumerable
mosquitoes and the sharp damp night-air. This place
is occupied only in summer by these people, whose
habits are somewhat nomadic. Their chief occupation
is the rearing and tending of cattle. They have, how-
ever, several summer-gardens here, or rather bosians
(melon-fields). They occupy a great portion of the
region from Angora to the ridge of mountains on
the north of which lies Baghluja, and many of them
keep Teftik goats, though I believe that these gene-

rally remain in their villages, owing to the little

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 ;

198 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XXIII.

power of endurance possessed by that animal. I am

not quite certain of the fact, but I noticed few of
these goats at the summer camping ground as w'e

passed along; the greatest number were in the per-

manently occupied villages. The plain is drained by
the Sakaria River, and is swampy even now. In
winter it must be impassable. Tlie several little

streams meandering throiigh this district, some of

them very full, and one, 200 yards from our lodgings,
turning a mill, all flow into the Sakaria.
Friday, August 19^7t. —An observation at this place
shows that we have been rapidly descending since
yesterday noon ;
for we are 700 feet below the Chiflik,
and 1000 feet lower than Angora. We started this

morning at 7, the air being quite sharp and chilly.

Our lame horse finds it difficult to keep up, though he
has nothing on his back. The ‘horses passed the night
out of doors, there being no stables ;
but the Turkmens
kindly tied carpets around them to keep them warm
Master Colt cut a great figure with his night-gowm on.
We very soon reached the Sakaria River, which here
flows through a low, marshy plain; its banks are
covered with reeds and coarse tall grass ;
its current is

very rapid, and the water whitish with the clay it takes
up as it moves on. It winds about a great deal, but

follows a general direction from the S.S.W. The soil

over which it passes is so clayey, that it must be quite

impossible to ford it, though the water itself is not too
deep at this season. We rode along the right bank.

Digitized by Google
Chap. XX 1 1 1
.] The Sakaria River. 1
99

going up the stream. This part of the plain shows

no sign of cultivation ;
indeed, it is not susceptible of
it, as appears from the signs of inundation we see around
us. The valley of the Sakaria here appears to have an
average width of about three miles. There was, doubt-
less, an inland lake, which once covered the whole great
plain, through which this valley is now sunk like a

ditch or trench. At 8 we reached tlie wooden bridge

over the Sakaria. There is a small guard-house on
the right bank. I took an observation, in order to
discover the height of the river at this place, and found
it 2387 feet. We had come up 67 feet from Euyuk,
our last night’s lodgings, a distance of about four miles.
While 1 took my observation by the guard-house, the
rest of the party crossed the bridge and found them-
selves among loose camels, to which some of the horses
were still unaccustomed ;
and thereupon followed sundry
interesting feats of horsemanship, which, I fear, the
Turkmens did not fail to see and duly admire. It is

singular, that the horse has in every age, had an in-

stinctive dread of the camel, which habit alone can

subdue.
After going up a considerable hill, we descended
into a valley, which is watered by a small but strong
stream, running north toward the Sakaria, We could
see the beds of gypsum on the sides of the hills, but

there are also many pieces of trachyte lying about.

Whole hills seem to be formed of disintegrated gypsum,

but the strata clearly distinguishable near the steep

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 200 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XXIII.

summits have an almost horizontal position. Went

across the valley and up the hill on the right to the
village of Orta Keuy, which we reached at 11 ‘45. A
stream passes through it, and we went into a garden
and took possession of a wooden platform, built over
the water in the thick shade of the trees. This
platform has a roof of branches resting upon the sur-
rounding trees, and was altogether a most agreeable
spot. Water appears very abundant here, but it is

clayey, and we have to let it settle before drinking

it. We found the people sociable, polite, and hospitable.
Their houses are solidly built of stone, with flat roofs.

They pile hay upon

these, by first setting

a wooden frame upon

the centre of the roof,
which is made by four
StoDe Houses with roofing of Hay.
upright poles united
with horizontal sticks. When the hay has been piled
upon the frame, the whole thing is easily mistaken at a
distance for a dome.
We have been rapidly rising since we left the banks
of the Sakaria; for this village is 500 feet higher
than the river. Started at 4 o’clock, and came right
down into the valley again ;
it is well cultivated, and
the banks of the little river are adorned with trees.

The gypsum rock on the hill-side was trying to the

eyes, but we found the green glasses surrounded with,
wire, which we had purchased in Angora, extremely

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Chap. XXIII.] Lazy Muleteers. 201

serviceable. Some of us had blue ones; they offered

but little relief to the eye: the green were invalu-

able, no traveller in Asia Minor should be without
them in summer; many of the natives have adopted
them. But coloured glasses without wire netting are

of very little use.

We entered at 5‘30 the village of Hortoo, built on

the slope of the hill, and commanding a fine prospect

of the green valley beneath it; were kindly received

and hospitably entertained by a well-to-do farmer, a

Turk, whose house formed the lower corner of the vil-

lage. We had a comfortable piazza for our quarters,

and an enclo.sed court before us, surrounded by stables,

where our horses were put up.
Saturday, August 2i)th . —We were on the way at 6'30.

Found that our two muleteers whom we engaged in

Yozghat had given the horses no water either last

evening or this morning. Their conduct has been very

unsatisfactory for some time past, they being excessively
lazy, neglecting their work, and impressing the villagers

to perform what they are paid to do themselves. More-

over, it had been agreed with them at starting that
they should ride only one-half of the time. But they
played us the trick of falling back, and then both
riding constantly. We had resolved to dismiss them
at the first good opportunity, even before we had
learnt their cruelty to our poor horses in making them
go without water. And now when we came to the stream
they drove the horses through without allowing them to

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202 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap, xxill.

drink, though the poor creatures tried hard to do so.

Their object was to push so far ahead of the party that

we could not see they were riding. The zahtieh turned

traitor on tliis occasion ;

he informed us of their con-
duct at the brook, and, when charged with their delin-

quency, they had nothing to say. Tlie first consequence

was a whipping on the spot; next, the horses were
turned back and allowed to drink their fill. Tiie men
were then made to walk, and the animals were led by
ourselves, not to allow them to lag behind. At 8'30
came in full view of the curious scalloped hills, behind
and at the foot of which lies the city of Sivri Hissar.
Passed on the left or east side of these hills, which stand
isolated. Our road led us among abandoned vineyards
and dilapidated country houses. This remarkable moun-
tain is composed of black granite or sienite, extremely
hard, being decomposed very slowly, and producing a
sandy and almost unproductive soil. The vineyai’ds

planted upon it seemed puny and withered, and the

rocky portions bare and black ;
this was especially the
case in the more elevated and steeper portions. As
we passed over the rising ground and turned north,
the town came at once into view. It lies at the
bottom of the highest hill, and is well protected by
the range on all sides but the west and south. The
rugged and black mountain behind it forms a striking
contrast to the white houses of the town, whose flat

roofs appear to lie in regular horizontal layers. From

this point the stratification of the sienite comes fully

Digitized by Google
Ch A p. X X 1 1 1 .] Village of Sivri Hissa r. 203

into view ;
it is not far from the perpendicular, certainly
not more than 45°, the dip being toward the west, and
the hard strata forming ridges running nearly north
and south and making rugged crests upon the summits.
There appear, however, to be large masses near tlie tops,

which bear no signs of stratification. These crags are

so peculiar and marked that they are easily recognised

at a great distance ;
and I am told they can in clear

weather be distinguished from Angora itself. We en-

tered Sivri Hiasar at 9’30. It is a smaller place than
Yozghat, and in front of it lie very extensive buiynng
grounds, covered with upright stones. You cannot ap-
proach the town without perceiving that its principal
occupation consists in the dyeing of skins, Tl\e odours
which fill the air, and the coloured streams that flow
through the streets, as well as the appearance of the
shops — everything in the lower part of the city reveals

the employment of the inhabitants. We passed before

the door of the Governor’s house and took a messenger,
who conducted us to the dwelling of a member of the
Mejlis, where we were furnished with commodious, but

not over cleanly, quarters. There are portions of

columns, and other ancient remains, lying about the
town. We took a ramble through tlie streets, but found
nothing of any interest. The domes of the mosques
are tall and pointed. All the women we met, even
small girls, w'ore a square carved ornament of silver
upon the tops of their heads ;
it appears in all respects
like a box, and is fastened to the head-dress. Strange

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204 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap, xxill.

fashion, indeed, and as arbitrary as any I have ever seen.

Called on the Mudir, a very pleasant and well-informed,
and withal a quizzical gentleman, from Constantinople,
and met there a self-conceited young Cadi, who was
brought up at Bebek on the Bosphorus. We saw some
fine horses in the stable of the Turkmen breed. I

bought here a very fine skin of the Teftilc goat, and

paid sixteen shillings for it. We had purchased some
smaller ones at Angora, for which we had paid from two
to three pounds, but they were both dyed and tanned.
I received a call from an Armenian who had heard
the Gospel preached in Angora by a native, and had
received it with joy. He has suffered much persecution
in consequence. He says there are twenty-five people
here who make the same profession. Though pos-
sessing no wealth or influence wherewith to resist the

assaults of their former co-religionists, they are well

thought of by the authorities, and protected from all

harm. The Armenian and Greek population of this

region is very small. They have been either destroyed
by the oppression of the conquering race, or have taken
refuge nearer the sea-coast, where the watchful care of
the European consular authorities afford them some
protection against their Muslem masters. There was a
large Christian population between Angora and Afion
Karahissar at the time of the Crusades, though the
Saracenic and Persian armies had already slaughtered
many of them. The Turkmen who followed were
far more numerous ;
and though many of them settled

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Chap. XXI 11.] Physical Feaitires. 205

down in the towns and villages, and assumed the

name of Turks, there are yet great numbers who
have preserved the nomadic habits of their ancestors,
and go by the name of Turkmens. It is said that there
is a small fort of great strength on the highest point of
the hill of Sivri Hissar, and in front of it a rock, whose
smooth surface is broad enough for a thousand horse-
men to manceuvre upon it.

The barometer shows the elevation of Sivri Hissar to

be 3778 feet. This is 4.70 feet higher than Angora. I
cannot, however, consider the climate as likely to be
more severe, on account of the complete shelter afforded

the torni toward the north and east by its great black
hill. The ground generally slopes down from it. The
countiy to the north and south of Sivri Hissar may be
described as a vast plain, without any mountains. But
tliis plain has been cut up by watercourses and slight

depressions of the soil, produced by trachytic dykes

breaking through rocks of comparatively modern origin.
I suppose it must belong to the cretaceous period
of Geology, though it is as yet difficult to fix its exact
age. From Angora there is a general depression,
extending as far as Euyuk-Ya'ila, amounting to about
800 feet. Here we meet the bed of the Saknria Eiver.
From Euyuk the plain rises, probably under the
influence of the sienite of Sivri Hissar, until the up-

heaval amounts to 1400 feet, and 150 feet above the

plain. The latter then assumes a general eleva-
tion of about 3200 feet above the sea, until it ends at

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2o6 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap, xxill.

the chain of mountains south of it, in the direction of

Baghluja and Bayat. The upper town of Angora is

about 2Q0 feet above this plain, leaving 3200 for

the plain itself. We have seen that, after making
allowance for unimportant depressions, the general level
as far as Sivri Hissar is the same. Balahissar has a
level of 3200 feet ;
and Baghluja stand-s about 400 I'eet

above the plain, making the latter wlien it reaches the

mountains again 3200 feet. How far this formation

extends east and west I have no means of ascertaining;
but I point out the fact, not only on account of its

geological interest — indicating an extensive inland sea

to have once existed from Angora to Baghluja —but
because it is well known that the region I have described

is the almost exclusive habitat of the I'eftik or Angora

goat. It may be found that tliis has a good deal to do
with the successful rearing of the animal ;
and, at any
rate, in the present uncertainty of the question, I feel

it my duty to point out every circumstance which

seems to have a bearing upon it, however remote that
bearing may finally prove to be.

We were again in our saddles at 3'30 p.m. From

the higher points of the plain it appears level through-
out in a southerly direction as far as some blue moun-
tains in the distance. I can have little doubt that it

belongs to a single contemporaneous formation. If we

examine, however, this apparent level, we perceive
that the surface is often cut by watercourses, forming
valleys of greater or less width, and even lower plains

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Chap. XXIII.] Village of Balahissar. 207

of considerable size. The denudation is sometimes so

great, that isolated hillocks alone remain, whose sum-
mits in^licate the original level of the whole country.
Everytliing here is white with the friable limestone
which composes the formation, and is now covered with
a scanty growth of grasses, and short plants dried up
by the summer’s sun. Our way was first strewed with
ddbris from the sienite hills. Passing over an undu-
lating country, we came down into a narrow valley,

and descended by a steep road flanked by limestone

cliffs into the village of Balahissar. This is a small
cluster of houses built on both sides of a broad street,
which becomes a torrent in rainy weather. Euins of
columns and hewn marbles lie aljout us in every
direction, and we can easily trace the foundations of
ancient temples and other buildings long ago levelled
with the ground. Jlany of these remains now mark
the resting-place of the Muslcm vandals who lie in

extensive cemeteries on the hill-side. The iludir of

Sivri Hissar had given us a guide, who carried a
long spear a VArahe, and was fond of showing his
horsemanship by setting his steed to the gallop and
brandishing his weapon. This spear is made of a
strong but light reed brought from Damascus, re-

sembling bamboo, but of a darker colour. This man

led us to the hoase of the Kiahaya of the village,
which consists of an enclosed court and large room,
open toward the east ujwn the court. On both sides
of the gate are blocks of antique marble, used as

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2o8 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XXIII.

seats. The main street of the village passes in front

of this door.
The sole occupation of the people here is tending
the Angora goat, with a few sheep mixed with them.
They are considered rich. Their houses consist of
two or three rooms with a flat roof, which are occu-
pied in winter, and an open room like ours, for

summer The goats have large enclosures built

u.se.

for them, with a stone wall, some 10 feet in height,

and extensive and good shelter, which can be kept
warm in winter, cool in summer, and dry at all times.

At this season of the year they are fed chiefly at

home. There is an excellent fountain at the east end
of the village, so arranged that the water runs through

90 yards of troughs laid in a continuous row by the

wall, on the side of the main street. Tiiese troughs

are principally of wood, but several of them are

ancient pillars hollowed out for the purpose. In
this way when a flock of goats comes up to drink,
which they do three times a day, every one of them
has immediate access to the water; and this can the
better be done because the goat does not soil the water

from which he drinks. The gate of our house being

near the fountain, every goat in the village passed
before us six times a day. The last time was late
in the afternoon, and then they went out to feed
uiK)n the neighbouring slopes. I understood that they
spent the night out and remained at home during the
day, probably on account of the heat. We had thus a

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Chap. XXIII.] The Angora Goat. 209

good opportunity of watcliing the animal. I believe

that my sketch of it gives a correct idea. It must be

admitted, however, that at this season the hair is short,

so that we cannot see the length it attains. But this

disadvantage is compensated by our ability the better

Teltik or Angora Goat with Hair shorn.

to distinguish the form of the animal. I confess that

I began my study of this creature with a previous idea

tliat it was a near approach to the wild goat, of which
the domestic goat was a degenerated form. But I

immediately lost this conceit on seeing the Tefiik

at home. His general form tends to that of the sheep.

I should say that he is the farthest removed from
the wild goat of any species I know, both as to form,
intelligence, and hair. He is the longest haired

goat I know ;
the hair of the wild goat is very short,
von. II. P

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 ;

210 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XXIII.

The Tejiik is white, the other is reddish brown. The

form of the latter shows a strengtli of sinew, an elas-
ticity of muscle, a quickness of eye, and elevation
of head which are more or less represented in the
whole tribe of goats. But the Teftik is not made
for climbing any more than sheep, and like them
he keeps his head low, follows a lead, and makes
no attempt to feed by himself. We certainly saw

some splendid specimens, especially of the males

larger too than I had thought it possible, from what
I had hitherto seen. Their bodies are compact and
broad; the male has long horns which are twdsted
backwards, while the female, every way a smaller
animal, has also proportionately smaller horns, per-
fectly straight at first and then bending backw'ards
I noticed one male whose horns were the exact counter-
part of those of a wild goat, only smaller ;
another had
them bending round behind his ears ;
while the boms
of a third turned gracefully forward and presented two
sharp points in front of his forehead.
It is curious that a place where perhaps the most
extensive ruins can be found in all Asia Minor, should
now be one of the most important spots where the

great staple of the province, the ieftik, is produced.

But so it is. Balabissar is old Pessinus, well known
more than 1000 years ago for its beautiful marble
temples and other public buildings. The ruins are
comparatively in a virgin state. A little digging has
taken place just outside the village on the south.

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Chap. XXllI.] Ruins of Castle. 21 I

where fine marble slabs have been taken up to be used

for building purposes at Sivri Hissar. There cannot be
any doubt, however, that a rich mine of fine remains
lies hidden under the ground; but the difficulties of
transportation are such that no one is likely to disturb

them for centuries to come.

In our ramble about the village in search of anti-
quities we first went to the north-west, passed through
the cemetery which lies on the slope of the hill, and
ascended to the castle. It crowns the top of a hill

which is on a level with the plain above ;

the castle
hill is, therefore, somewhat difficult of access on all
sides but this, where the exposed part is small, and
seems to have been fortified by a strong wall. The
gate appears to have been near the eastern end of
this wall, and close to the road which goes down
into the village. We could easily trace the whole
enclosure around the citadel. There is a good general
view of the ruins from this place. We now descended
across the valley and found at the north-east end of the
village the foundations of a temple standing con-
siderably above the ground. We proceeded thence to
a ravine which runs upward and eastward from this
point, and was once a side street running to the prin-
cipal thoroughfare, there we found the remains of a

theatre. The portico must have been a handsome

structure, judging from the delicate carvings still re-

maining. A good deal of marble seemed to have lately

been dug up and carried off from this place. The seats

.
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212 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XXill.

can be seen over a good part of the theatre, many of

them are lying loose above the groimd, and some are
still in full sight in their places. On our return by

Kuins of ancient Theatre at Pcssintia.

another road we came upon the remains of another

temple still in the main valley. We also took a ramble
on the south side of the village, and found the bottom
of the valley and all the eastern slope covered with the
marble remains of ancient buildings. In several places
old foundations had been brought to view by recent
excavations. The sculptures were generally in very
fine taste and finish. One building stood on a slight
eminence nearest the village. It was very nearly of a

c: .
by Gooj^lc
Chap. XXIII.] Sculptures and Ruins. 213

square form, and several stones had a representation of

boys supporting garlands made of bunches of grapes.
It was, perhaps, a temple dedicated to Bacchus, and
cornices and fluted and plain pillars lie all about it.

Every slight rise in the soil seems indeed to have been

taken advantage of in order to erect upon it some

public .building. The ground covered by the principal

ruins, beginning at the foot of the fortress, is about a

mile in length ;
but ruins of a more ordinary descrip-
tion extend a considerable distance down the valley.

The stone used is exclusively marble, which had to be

brought from a great distance ;
but there are also vast
quantities of bricks, evidently ancient, lying about in

every direction ;
most of them are red, but some black.
The village which now occupies the site of this once
rich and proud city is partially constructed from its

remains, but chieflv of common stone cemented

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214 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap, xxiil.

with mud. Here is seen the difference between the

ancient Asia Minor of the Homans and the modern
Anadoloo of the Turks, whose once destructive and
now crumbling empire is supported and propped up
only by civilized and Christian Europe. It certainly

looks very much as though neither civilization nor

Christianity had yet fouijd its way into the politics of
Europe.
Sunday, Augud 21si. —We were isolated to-day among
this Turkish population with whom we have but little

in common in respect to our religious views. Our

landlord is hospitable, kind, and talkative ;
but he
appears not to trouble his mind with religious specula-
tions. We spent the day quietly under our roof with
a cool westerly breeze, reading or sitting under the
trees on the other side of the way. My fever has
nearly left me. But one of our number has been very
poorly for the last two days, occasioning no little

concern. He has fever, which may turn to either

intermittent or gastric, and it is hard to say which
of the two evils would be the least. One thing is

clear; travelling in the hot sun is beginning to tell

upon us. We must patronise the night more than we

have done, now that the moon has begun to favour
us with her light.
As E was much better at night I am inclined to
think he either had a touch of intermittent fever or
was over tired. We shall start in the middle of the
night, and trust we may fare better hereafter by less

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 ;;

Chap, xxill.] Night Travelling. 215

exposure to the burning sun. Our zaltieh has gone

back to Sivri Hissar, but we have found a man who
will keep us company as far as Dervend, which is four
hours hence, and six from Sivri Hissar.
Monday, August 22nd. —Started at 1’30 a.m. We at
first greatly enjoyed the coolness of the atmosphere
and the moon shone briglit over head. But when it set

the air became so cold that we were glad to dismount

and walk in order to keep warm. This being also our first

trial of travelling by night, it was hard to keep awake

the regular step of the horses acted like the swinging
of a cradle, and several of us nearly fell off the saddle.

We tried whistling, singing in chorus, smoking, eating,

all in vain, and had finally to resort to walking —the

increasing chilliness of the atmosphere especially
favouring this expedient. Our road was rather stony,
generally passing along the ravines or valleys that are
sunk in the plain at various depths. I could see in
the moonlight that some of the rock we passed over
was gypsum. At 3'30 we went by the village of
Chiflik, and found tlie dogs wide awake and ready to
salute us. At 5'30 we reached the Sakaria Kiver flowing
from right to left through an alluvial valley. This is

called Dei-vend, and the river is here spanned by two

bridges. Crossed over to the small village of Aktash,
whose gardens and trees lie between it and the river.

Stopped at an isolated two-story shed, the house of a

Government official whose occupants were just getting
out of bed, and where coffee W'as given us by a man

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2i6 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap, xxiii.

who spoke a little English and French and pretended

he was an Englishman ;
he had been a good deal on
board men-of-war in the vicinity of the Dardanelles.
Took an observation here and found the elevation of the

Sakaria Eiver to be 2824 feet, or about 440 feet higher

than where we had crossed it before, a little above
Euyuk. Passed a Turkmen encampment where the tents
seemed to us better calculated for comfort than any-
thing we had yet seen. They were rounded at the top,

and seemed to be made of pieces of felt spread over a

light frame of bent rods. The covering of the tent on
the side toward the wind, and from the sun, was raised,
and the opening was occupied by lattice such as is used
for the windows of
Turkish harems. The
lowest portion of this
aperture, however, is

closed by a board or
Tent of nomad Tnrinnen.
cloth to the height of

a couple of feet, preventing the reflection of the sun’s

rays from the heated ground entering into the tent.
Having wandered off the road we passed by some thresh-
ing-floors, where we were directed to the first village on

the mountain. And at 11T5 we reached Baghluja, a

Turkmen village considerably to the right of the main
road, built on the slope of the mountains at the end of the
plain. It is said our route will now pass over a moun-
tain region, portions of which are wooded. The very
extremity of the plain, at the foot of the moimtain, is

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Chap. XXIII.] Village of Baghluja. 217

here occupied by the gardens of Baghluja, and watered

from springs coming down the hills. Here ends also

the range of the Teftik goat, for as soon as we step

upon this sort of i.sland, or continent, from the billowy

plain we have traversed, this animal is no more to be
found than fish upon the land ;
goats are plentiful,

but they are of the ordinary breed, with the usual

strongly marked forms of the animal, its varied
colours, and its active habits, climbing upon the rocks
and browsing on the bushes. The rock, of course, also

changes its character, and we now find ourselves among

primary limestones, conglomerates, and hard shales.

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2i8 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XXIV.

CHAPTER XXIV.

The inhabitants — Ancient sculptures — Bad conduct

of Baghliija
of the muleteers — Wandering without a guide — Wildness
of the country — Volcanic region — Village of — Na- Se'idiler

tural tower — Town of Eski Karahissar — Wells — Arrival at

Afion Karahissar — Position of the town — More trouble with
sen'ants — Horse-hiring — A reforming Caimacam — Culti-
vation of the poppy — The Whirling Dervishes — Ancient monu-
ments and sculptures — Turkish of Balmamood — The
village
broad-tailed sheep — Four-horned sheep.

TVAGHLXyjA, Augv.at 2‘lnd — As soon as one leaves

^
.

the beaten track of Government messengers or

zabtiehs, it is impossible to ascertain distances ;
for

people keep no watches, and the only measure of

distance known is tlie time it takes to pass from one
place to another, a measure extremely unsatisfactory at
the best, for no two men or animals move with precisely
the same rapidity. But on the travelled roads the

Government oflScials are obliged to fix the nominal

distances in order to determine what is to be paid to

the menzil (post). So now that we are somewhat out

of the post road, it is impossible to ascertain our
exact position. Some say we are just half way between

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Chap. XXIV.] Inhabitants of Baghluja. 219

Sivri Hissar and Afion Karahissar; and others that

we are ten hours from the former and fourteen from
the latter, which se 9 ms to me more probable. I

ascertained our elevation at the upper part of this

village to be 3594 feet above tlie sea, which shows
that this portion of the plain has continued of about
the same height as the parts farther north, i.e. about
3200 feet.

Baghluja is a Turkmen village, and we were glad to

find ourselves thrown familiarly among these people, in

order to study their manners. They were kind and
hospitable, and offered us the best they had. The
women, whether married or not, do not cover their
faces ;
they wear, however, a handkerchief upon their
heads, which hangs gracefully behind and on the
shoulders. They have a head-dress of great size, and
wear pieces of money hanging on both sides of the
face, as our ladies wear their hair. They also have
ear-rings made of long strings of coins, both gold and
silver, which come down upon the shoulders. They
wear bracelets around their wrists, and rings on their

ankles ;
but I was much sui-priscd to see our host

treat his wife with familiarity and affection in the

presence of strangers, and show fondness for her society

and conversation. This is truly very wworiental.
These people appear to be well off, and their houses
are built so as to enable them to withstand pretty
severe cold weather. There were many mutilated
sculptures, and some inscriptions lying about or in-

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220 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. xxiv.

serted in the walls, of which I copied the most

interesting. There must
have been an ancient
town here.
Tuesday, August 23rd.
—We slept all the after-

noon, as well as the flies

would allow, so that we

were better prepared for

a night journey. Having

no guide that could be
relied upon, we got all
the information we could
from the villagers about
the road, and were in
the saddle at 12'15. Al-
though I generally con-

sider personal narrative

Mauiatcd Sculpture *t Baghiivta. a great bore, yet there
are luckless travellers, like ourselves, who do not
journey as “ Milordos,” scattering guineas as they
go, and surrounded by cavasses, guides, cooks, tent-
pitchers, and the other etceteras ;
but as “ particuliers ”
in more than one sense, who hold to the old proverb

that a man is his own best servant. For the benefit of

such, I shall continue to relate the misdeeds of our

muleteers and men of all work, the highly-recom-
mended Suleiman and Mahmood, against whose pos-
sible faults we thought we had taken every precaution.

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Chap. XXIV.] Bad Conduct of Muleteers. 221

when we obtained security for their good conduct.

We often rued the day we had taken these men with
us ; and I am sure we should have fared far better, even
as regarded cost, had we made any, even the most
liberal arrangement with our well-known and trust-

worthy Tocat people to go on with us to our journey’s

end. These lazy followers had, again, taken advantage of
us the preceding day, and had both ridden on the top
of the loads, so tliat the poor animals were completely
worn out. Indeed, one of them, a young but very pro-
mising creature, gave signs of breaking down ;
we there-
fore put most of our loads upon the otlier horse, and
allowed the men to ride the younger one by turns. This
would not suit “ their honours’ ” humour, and they both
refused to ride, saying they would walk. So we let

them try it, purposing to stop somewhere and wait for

them. At first our road led us over a level surface, with
cultivated fields on either side ;
and the moon gave so
much light that we felt we could not lose our way again.
Here and there the people were lying by their heaps of

grain, or under a booth made of branches, the dogs

coming out to bark at us as we passed. We asked the
aroused sleepers whether we were going rigid, and they
always answered in the afiBrmative. We pushed on
with the same precautions for about two hours, when we
came to a deserted village in a hollow ;
the people had
removed their quarters fgr the summer to the top of a
hill on the right, as we could discover by the occasional
barking of dogs. After waiting some time, we grew

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222 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. xxiv.

impatient at the non-appearance of our loads, and

leaving the rest of the party to take a nap in one of
the empty houses, E and I rode back half an hour,
firing signal guns. But to no purpose. Eeturned to
the party, and sent the zahtieh to the people on the
hill, where he ascertained that our wanderers had
passed that way and were gone ahead upon our own
road. We put our horses to a gallop, and when at
full speed on the stony ground, Carabed came down,
his steed almost turning a somersault. The horse
was hurt in the head, and his rider on the knee.
We however went on and soon overtook our loads.

The road now' led us over unequal ground, covered

with hushes, rock, and hard limestone. Stopped by a
booth, and roused a w oman and her children, whose dog
was barking frantically to defend his masters. She
told us we were all right. About 3, going over a
smooth road, we passed a village on our right, whose
canine population came out in a body to see who we
were, whereupon followed simdry canters, leaps, crack-
ing of whips, and how'lings of said canines. We were
pronounced all right again, and proceeded to enter a
beautifully wooded series of hills, whose verdure was
truly refreshing to the eye. It was in the cool of
the morning, before sunrise. The trees were oaks, of
size increasing as we proceeded. About 4 we were in a
complete forest of pine and cypress ;
the latter w-ere not
more than 20 feet in height, with spreading branches.

I know not wh.ether we were beguiled by the beauties.

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Chap. XXIV.] Wandering without a Guide. 223

which surrounded us, but we soon perceived that we

were completely out of our reckoning. Indeed we
found ourselves landed on the top of a hill, without
the smallest trace of a path, or the least idea of
whither we should go next. Fortunately we had kept
our sumpter-horses with us. We had forced Mahmood
to ride and lead the other pack-horse, and Suleiman,
who said he should keep to his feet all the way, was
left behind to come on as he could. It was the last

we saw of him until a day after our arrival in Afion

Karahissar; and we had to do without his services
on the worst roads we passed in our whole journey.
We wandered about in search of information, and"
when obtained, it was anything but agreeable; we
learned that we had failed altogether of reaching the

main road from Sivri Hissar to Bayat, so that instead

of making a four hours’ ride from Baghluja to the

latter place, w e had pursued a course which increased
the distance to seven hours ! We crawled down from
our beautiful wooded heights into a finely cultivated
valley, through which we travelled for an hour, and
then crossed over the hills on the west side of it, which
are almost entirely of flint, into another valley, both

broader and flatter, in the widest part of which is

built the town or large village of Bayat. This place

stands upon what seems an artificial mound, about
20 feet in height, with a sharp projecting corner on
the north side from which we approached it. We
reached the place at at 8 15 '
. Our horses were weary,

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224 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. xxiv.

the sun was growing hot, and we had a difficult moun-

tain pass before us. • But having lost so much time, we
could hardly afford to stop, and pushing on, entered
a narrow rocky pass through which a torrent comes
down in the rainy season. The mountains rose rapidly

ill height, and their steep sides were formed of broken

and barren roclis. Further on, however, the slopes
became less steep, and trees increased, so that we
soon found ourselves in a forest chiefly composed of
pines. We now made a steep and painful ascent through

this forest ;
the face of the mountain is quite pre-
cipitous, and the road winds about between the rocks
and among the trees. These mountains, on both sides

of the gorge, offer as fine an example of metamor-

phic rock as I have yet beheld. It changes in appear-

ance and colour every few steps of our ascent. It is

often clearly serpentine, or pure clay slate, and other

forms also present themselves in variety. Selenite
is also seen. The trachyte appears to be the moving
and transforming force. Dykes of it stand like
palisades on the summit of all the mountains, on
both the north and south sides of the pass; and we
saw a hill of trachyte which looked as if it had but
lately cooled down. Having reached the summit of the
mountain in the midst of a strong and refreshing breeze,
w hich in our heated condition was, however, not w ithout

danger, I fastened my horse to a pine tree, hung up my

barometer to the branch of another, and found we stood
at an elevation of 4838 feet, 1500 feet above the great

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 f

Chap. XXIV.] Wildness of ihe Country. 225

plain which we had traversed for several days. It

was with great difficulty that our poor pack-horses

accomplished the task of climbing up to this height.
Their loads fell several times, by knocking against the
trees and the rocks, and once they wandered off tlie

path among the precipices, whence they were brought

back with difficulty. Over the steepest portions two men
had to support each load on the sides in order to enable
the animal to go up. Oh ! for railroads, or even for a
plain old-fashioned turnpike, where the poorest cart
might travel ! I think I ought to entitle this paragraph
The Progress of- Civilizalion in Turkey !

On the summit of the mountain wo found ourselves at

once in the midst of a volcanic region, formed of pumi-
ceous stone beneath and overlying trachyte on the top.
The view from this point towards the south-west was
very striking and peculiar. We had before and beneath
us a vast and rough sea of mountain scenery, the fore-
ground covered with pine woods, but all beyond bearing
oidy short though thickly-set bushes. And wherever
the mountain side \vns sufficiently steep, it was denuded
and white with the crumbling pumice stone. The
summits of the mountains were formed of dark-coloured
trachyte, generally presenting a precipitous front ;
but
under this the white rocks everywhere shone, and
their ci-ystals glistened in the sun. The hill side right

opposite to ns especially presented a peculiar appear-

ance. At ihe first glance I thought a mountain stream
was coming down in beautiful cascades over the steep

VOL. II. Q

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226 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XXIV.

bank into the valley beneath ;

closer examination, how-
ever, showed that these apparently foaming sheets of
water, were only the worn fragments of the stone upon
which the rain, sunshine, and frost had alternately exer-
cised their artistic power. Our descent was rapid, but over
a good road. We came upon some promising iron ore,

and went down into a deep valley, where the cattle had
taken shelter from the sun underneath a projecting
bank of pumice stone. This rock, even after decom-
position into soil, is full of shining particles. Still

continuing our descent, we perceived the village of

Seidiler, built under a high rock of selenite, so decom-

VilUgo of Seldilcr, and natural Tower with Battlements.

posed by the elements as to present the appearance of a

castle with its battlements, windows, and gates, outstand-

ing towers and fortifications. This rock stands about

100 feet in height. Behind it is a level space, which

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 Chap. XXIV.] Village of Setdiler. 227

separates it from a second and similar fort of the same

height, but not so broad ;
this is said to contain a very
extensive excavation. These rocks crown the summit
of a liill, on the south side of wliich is erected a
miserable village, with gardens and vineyards below on
the edge of the plain. As we approached from the
gorge, we had on our left an extensive area covered
with cones of pumice stone worn into the most fan-

Coned of I*uiiik'e Stone, urar SolUiler

tastic shapes by a freak of the elements. Proceed-

ing from this point we advanced between high banks
of selenite, resembling the walls of a city, and entered
the village through a natural gateway, which produces
upon the mind of the traveller the impression that he

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228 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. xxiv.

is cntorinfr amonj; the remains of one of the greatest

cities of the old world. And yet no ancient city

appears to have stood here. These are all the opera-
tions of Nature herself who seems here to smile in

disdain at the remains of Pessinus and Pocimacum, and

the boasted ruins that are scattered throughout the
length and breadth of Asia Jlinor.
We have descended rapidly, about 800 feet, and are
not much over 500 feet above Afion Karahissar and its
plain. Our horses are quite worn out. They travelled
ten hours to-day and eleven and a half the day before,
partly under the burning sun ;
it was all owing to the
blunders of our guide, who lost the way. The poor
young horse is pretty well used up, and we shall now
have to take him along without any load, and dispose of
him as best we can. We came to this conclusion in the

middle of the night ;

I could not sleep, and rising at half-
past eleven, went round to visit our poor beasts. The
exhausted animal seemed hardly able to step. I called

for the Kiahaya of the village and told him 1 wanted

a horse ;
he replied that everybody was asleep, and wo
must wait till morning, and besides there were no
horses to be had in the village for either love or
money. 1 took a lantern, and putting the man before
me, went from house to house, rousing the inmates,
and showed him several horses I should take if they
were not freely given for hire. We finally secured the
horse of a man who was obliged to go to Karahissar,
having been ordered, by means of a surety, to deliver

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Chap. XXIV.] Eski Karahissar 229

himself up to the authorities for horse stealing;. Wo

of course kept our eye upon him and his over-smart

little boy all the way.

Wednesday, August 2it1i . — Started after midnight, at
2’30, and in two hours entered the town of Eski Kara-
hissar. This place is celebrated for its extensive ruins,
and seems to have occuj)ied anciently the same im-
portant position in the province that Afion Karahissar
does at the present time ;
lienee its name of Old Kara-

hissar. We had no time to stop, and we could barely

distinguish some old massive walls and loose blocks in
the moonlight. We here remarked the ceasing of spring
water and the beginning of wells. In all the region
hitherto traversed, wells were not a noticeable feature.

Indeed they are extremely rare. 1 know' very few in

Tocat, and believe they are even less common elsewhere.
People depend upon running water, which is sufficient

to supply the wants of man and beast. We saw the

first well at Eski Karahissar, and often met with
them during the rest of our journey. They are every-
where of the antique pattern of a perforated stone
forming the mouth of the well, with sides well worn by
the ropes or chains which have gone up and down for
centuries; the long pole is balanced on two upright
posts, and the old “ moss-covered bucket ” hangs by a
chain or an iron rotl, not often by a rope. We saw the
first of these familiar objects in the valley of Bayat just
before reaching the village, and have often since espied
with pleasure from a distance the long upright jiole,

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230 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XXIV.

indicative of water, a.s we plodded over our weary road,

panting and thirsty under a broiling sun.
When daylight appeared we were travelling on a
plateau witlr boulders of limestone and trachyte lying
about us and cultivated fields on both sides of the road.
We gradually descended over imdulating ground, and
among rocky hills, and at seven we entered a very
smooth and level plain about four miles in width,
running nearly east and west, and bounded on the
south by high mountains. A stream flows through this

plain not far from its southern edge ;

its water appeared
extremely muddy, and it runs between banks of clay
covered with reeds and high coarse grass. We crossed
it over a stone bridge ;
there were evidences that much
of this alluvial plain is very muddy and diflacult to
pass during the rainy season. The town of Afion
Karahissar is built upon the slope of a steep and lofty

hill on the south side of the plain. Tlie buildings rise

from the foot of the hill to an elevation of 250 or

300 feet. The mountain itself rises boldly behind it,

frowning upon the town. A little in front of this

mountain, and somewhat to the right as you come

from the north, lies a steep and conical hill 300 feet in
height, with barren and rocky sides, crowned upon the
summit by a verj' old and ruinous citadel. The space
between this hill and the mountain is occupied by the
bazaars; and the town spreads round the foot of the
citadel hill, as well as into a lateral valley running
southward. Among the buildings thirty-seven mosques,

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 ;

Chap. XXIV.] Afion Karahissar. 231

with their lofty minarets, make a prominent figure.

We rode through a few gardens, traversed the crowded

bazaar streets, w’here whole rows of shops recently
destroyed by fire were being rebuilt, and entered the
best khan of the place, called Yeni Khan. The accom-
modations here prepared for the ill-fated traveller were,
however, anything but inviting; so leaving our horses
and most of our luggage here, we were glad to avail

ourselves of the proffered hospitality of two very agree-

able gentlemen, Mr. Pharaon, and his brother-in-law

Mr. Pelozzi, at whose house, situated high on the hill,

we enjoyed good air and an excellent view of the town

and castle. Hard travel and exposure were telling on

all our poor horses, and we ourselves needed rest. 1

had, for my own part, a slight touch of intermittent

fever ;
and so we remained at the hou.se of our kind and
hospitable hosts until Saturday the 27th.
Thursday, August 2i>th . — We had, this day, our first

letters from home since leaving Tocat; they were of old

date, to be sure, being of the 9th and the 31st July ;
still

it would be difficult to conceive or over-estimate the relief

they afforded in circumstances like ours. Some of our

horses and both the men w'e took at Yozghat are giving
us no little trouble. As for our deserter, Mahmood, he
joined us only the day after we reached Karahissar, and
came to us as coolly as though nothing had happened
when we asked for an explanation, he claimed to be the
aggrieved party. Both these worthies were dismissed
with full pay, but without the usual “ bakshish,” and

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232 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. xxiv.

with a letter of introduction and recommendation in

English to any luckless travellers they might meet
to keep as far from them as they could. We took
two other men to go as far as Smyrna; one of these
stuck by the way, or rather we let him stick, for we
found him a cypher in respect of work, but a hero
in eating and taking his own ease. The other did
remarkably well on the road ;
but as soon as he reached
the end of the journey, he stole a watch and several
valuable articles of apparel, and went off no one knows
whither. So that this additional experience confirmed

our former conclusion, that we had made a great mistake

in allowing our Tocat people, whom we knew well, and
upon whom we had a sure hold, to leave us. As
also with our horses. I believe it is an economy as
well as a comfort to travel with one’s own horses ;
but
in order to do so they must be perfectly attended to.

Our grooms ruined nearly all our beasts ;

so that these,

as well as ourselves, would probably have fared far

better with our Tocat people ;

but under the circum-
stances it would have been an economy to hire all

our horses as we went along, with the exception of

those we rode ourselves, upon which each of us could
keep his eye and bestow especial care. It is a lesson

for our successors. As for such as can afibrd to hire the

post horses at Government prices, I have nothing to
say to them. But had I the money, I should never
waste it in such a way, for it would be subjecting
myself, at a great expense, to the tyranny of Govem-

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Chap. xxiv\] Horse-Hiring. 233

inent officials. The pay for a ]X)st horse is at the rate

of 3^ piastres for every hour’s travel, say threepence

per mile: an extra horse must be taken fora messenger

to carry back those you hire, at the rate of one horse for

every four, besides 2s. [iresent to the messenger for his

day’s work. Hiring horses of muleteers is decidedly
cheaper; the price is 30 piastres a day near the sea-
shore, and 10 piastres in the interior, and you pay for

no extra horse or rider. You can also load up to 120

okes instead of GO, allowed by the menzil.
We called on the Caimacam, at his own invitation,
and found him a more enlightened and intelligent man
than any oflicial we had yet met with. Karahissar
being considered the second place in Asia Minor in
respect to Muslem bigotry —Konia being the first —he
certainly can meet with but little encouragement in
his efforts to reform the present condition of things.

It seems, however, that he keeps neutral in all matters

that affect the Jluslem religion, and makes improve-
ments which have no direct bearing upon it. The
reconstruction of the bazaars is going on under his
care, with better ideas of hygiene than before. He
has also built a new prison, which contains an infirmary,
a yard, and a distinct department for the worse class of
criminals. The prisoners are made to work, and are
paid from 1 to 1^ piastres per day. He told us he

is engaged in the construction of several roads, has

succeeded in settling the Circassian emigrants in vil-

lages erected in woody districts, and is now labouring

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234 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XXIV-.

to introduce the culture of the mulberry tree, for which

the climate of the place seems to me altogether too
severe. This plain has an elevation of not less than
3700 feet, which is higher than the mulberry is ever
found in Asia Minor.
The cultivation of the poppy from which opium is

extracted, is very extensively carried on here, though

we were unable to see anytliing of it, the season being
already passed. Indeed, the town derives its name
from this drug, being the place where opium is chiefly

collected for transportation to tlie sea-port at Smyrna.

Afion Karahissar means the Opium Karahissar, and the
latter name signifies the Black City, a favourite title

given to towns by the Turks, though it is generally

hard to discover the reason of it. They have many
Black Mountains and Black Capes ;
some of their towns

certainly deserve the name of Black City, Diarbekir for

instance, which is built of a dark basaltic stone; but
the capital of the opium district presents no such
appearance, being built of mud, or of the rock of the
place, which is a feldspathic trachyte, of a light colour,
in which pink predominates. I could not discover that

the Karahissarites were more addicted to the use of

opium than other people in Turkey. But they are
exceedingly fond of the nasty oil which is extracted
from the seeds of the poppy, and pay 10 piastres
will

the oke for it, while olive oil, though brought from a
distance, is sold for but 8 piastres. It certainly is

very disagreeable both to the taste and the smell of

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Chap. XXIV.] Cultivation of the Poppy. 235

the uninitiated. I was also assured that the etfects

upon the system are decidedly deleterious. The Cliris-

tians have long fasts, during which their food has to

be cooked with oil, butter being forbidden ;
and they
use poppy oil almost exclusively. It is said to produce
eruptive diseases, and particularly a kind of itch.

Hence many individuals are distinguished by the

surname of Mangy (in Turkish Ooyooz).
The Turks here are extremely fanatical. Their
Dervish e.stablishment of the order of the Mevlevi
(Whirling) is next only to that at Konia, which is the
head-quarters of the sect, a representative of which from
the latter place enjoys the privilege of crowning every
new Sultan, if such a term may with jiropriety be
applied to the peculiar ceremony performed at his
installation into office, for it consists not in putting

a crown upon his head, but in girding a sword around

his waist. The building in which these fanatics reside
here is certainly very imposing ;
it may well be called
a palace, while the Governor of the city occupies
quarters miserable enough. The Sheikh’s income is

as high as 4000Z. a year. I was told, however, that

the Government had recently taken possession of the
property of the sect, with the promise of paying the
amount of the income instead ;
but they actually pay
just one half, to the great indignation of the holy

brotherhood and their partisans.

Visited the Armenian burying-ground, which lies

on the northern edge of the town, enclosed by walls.

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 ;

236 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XXIV.

witli a porter’s lodge at the gate. Saw there several

monuments of antiquity, slabs and sculptures said to
have been brought from Eski Karahissar, the ancient
Docima-um, the present town being of comparatively
modern origin. There were several pieces of marble
finely carved in panels, as the ancients ornamented
their ceilings. One sculpture represented men in

togas standing side by side ; another, masks placed at

regular intervals, with festoons of flowers gracefully
hanging between them ;
it probably once ornamented
a theatre. The statues of females had lost their heads,

hands, and feet; but the drapery is well executed.

The best piece of work, however, is a Head of Medusa,
supported by two angels, which may have belonged to

IleAd of Medusa: Marble Sculpture at Afion Karahissar.

the same building which contained the carved masks

this sculpture, too, has been greatly injured by the
ruthless barbarians who have so long held possession
of the country.
We remained in Karahissar longer than we had
intended. One cause lay in the fact of our host’s

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Chap. XXIV.] The Fever Season. 237

generous ho.spitality, which led him to employ every

means to induce us to remain by multiplying our
comforts. European beds are a real luxury after a
long inland journey, and so Ls a well-furnished table,
an<l especially gcjod whole.some bread. We should,
however, have torn ourselves away sooner from these
allurements but for the touch of intermittent fever,
which confined me most of the time to the house.
It seem.s, indeed, wonderful that we should hitherto

have escaped, considering that we are now in the fever

season; I attribute it in great measure to the little

bag of Peruvian bark we all wear on the pit of the

stomach, suspended from the neck, so as to be in
contact with the skin. Our servant, Carabed, far
better inured to the climate than ourselves, is the
only one of the party who has had a real attack of the
fever; and we had neglected to provide him with this

])rophylactic, on the supposition that he was proof

against the miasma. We have been looking over the
route thus far pursued from Tocat liitiier, and what
yet remains to be done. We find the whole distance
by this route from Tocat to Smyrna is 202 Turkish
hours. Our rate of travel has never been so low as
four miles an hour ;
but we have generally done our
task in shorter time than is usually reckoned, so that
the whole .distance may fairly be reckoned 810 miles.
Some of our party have ascended the high hill at
the back of the town, and have brought me sjtecimens
of red trachyte, containing crystals of feldspar, which
238 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. xxiv.

is the same as the rock on which the fortress is built.

Indeed, I have seen no other rock about here, and

it extends nearly to Balmamood on the west, where
commences the formation of limestone or marl, with

underlying sandstone, which appears to extend as far

as the “ burnt district ” of Koola.

Saturday, August 21th. —We started at 5‘20 a.m.

Passed along the edge of the plain, then between rocky

hills, and reached smooth ground again. There were
many flocks of broad-tailed sheep in the plain. Some of
them had the wool clipped in a peculiar manner, the

Caramania Shefp, as sborn at A&od Karabiasar.

w hole being shorn close, with the exception of the shoul-

ders and hips. The object is to allow the best wool to
attain great length, as its value is thereby much en-
hanced. We also met on the road a yoimg Albinos
donkey ; the mother was black, while the colt, fifteen

months old, was as large as its dam, and perfectly

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Chap. XXIV.] The Broad-Tailed Sheep. 239

white. It had pink eyes, and the light was evidently

painful to them. Entered a narrow pass, where the
road is cut down into the trachytic rock. At 8 we
had before us the plain of Balmamood spreading west-
ward ;
it was yellow with the ripened harvest. Eeachetl
Balmamood at 9 o’clock. It is a small Turkish village,
with solidly built houses of stone, occupying a narrow
gorge which unites two plains; the one extending
towards the south, and the other to the north-east. I
was not able to ascertain whether the latter communi-
cates with the plain of Karahissar, or how far it extends.
A small sluggish stream flows below the village toward
the plain.
A good many flocks of the broad-tailed sheep are
pastured here, and the breed raised in the district
as well as farther south, is highly’ esteemed. It has
been a matter of surprise to me that while so much
attention has been paid in Europe to every’ natural

production of Asia Minor, the broad-tailed sheep has

not only been neglected but travellers have always
spoken of it with disdain and ridicule. The j)oor,

meek animal’s burden — his ponderous tail — which in

the eyes of the natives coustitutes a most valuable

prize, is spoken of as an unnatural excrescence; and
it seems to be thought the animal is esteemed chiefly
for his odd and unnatural appearance. I believe, how-
ever, that this creature constitutes one of the most
valuable possessions of the people of this land, and
should greatly’ regret to see the breed exchanged for

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 — ::

240 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. xxiv.

any other, not excepting the nierino.s. True, the wool

is not fine, and cannot he employed for the most deli-

cate textures ;
it supplies, however, what is most needed
by the common people —a staple for manufacturing
cheap, coarse, and warm garments and excellent car{x?ts.
But the flesh of the animal Ls superior to any other
breed on the face of the earth. Beef cannot be raised
here, as in Europe, for lack of abundant grass
though the cattle of the interior mountain district will

compare well with those of Europe generally ;

and I
cannot doubt that when railroads reach those spots
now inacces.sible to commercial enterprise —which they
will certainly do, and that at no very distant period
the butchers’ stalls of Smyrna and Constantinople will

be garnished with as good beef as can be found in most

large cities of continental Europe, surpassed only by
“ the roast beef of Old England.” But even in such

a case, the mutton of Asia Elinor will maintain its

superiority to that of every other country in the world

as long as it is despised by foreigners. The natives

fully appreciate the economical value of the broad-
tailed sheep, and it has nearly supplanted every other
breed in the Peninsula. Fine rams fetch a high price,

and you see them kept in all parts of the country

solely for breeding purposes. Nor is the broad and

heavy tail the least valuable portion of the animal
it is wholly composed of fat, which differs essentially

from tallow or any other fat excepting lard. Its deli-

cacy enables it to take the place of butter for culinary

Digitized by Google
Chap. XXIV.] The Broad- Tailed Sheep. 241

purposes, uiul it is, in many respects, so far superior

— while also decidedly chea —that 2

>er in most parts of
the country butter is not manufactured because it

is not needed ; milk is there made into cheese only.

3Ioreover, “ tail’s fat,” as it is called, is as much an
article of merchandise here as any other necessiry or
comfort of life, and a market unsujiplied with it would
he deemed poor indeed. It fetches a medium price
between tallow and butter, and is almost entirely used
by the natives instead of tlie latter. There can liar<lly

Curauiauia bbeip, uiibliurn.

ho a doubt that this animal would succeed in Europe,

for it is hardy, and the best breed is raised in Cara-

VOL. II. K

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242 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. xxiv.

mania, a high and cold district in the southern por-

tion of the Peninsula. The wool, indeed, might be
improved by crossing with some other breeds, and it

would then recommend itself not only as the best

article of food of its kind, but as offering at the same
time a valuable staple for manufacture.
I give the reader two sketches in illustration of this
peculiar breed of sheep, the first of which represents
him as he appears when his wool has acquired its

greatest length. The form of the tail cannot be dis-

tinguished, being hid by his shaggy coat; but the

illustration below will explain the form of this part
of the animal’s body. It is composed of two lobes.

Caramuiiia Sheep, completely shorn, showing the form of the Tull.

the bone of the tail passing between them, and pro-

jecting like a small tail beyond them. It has been

supposed that this peculiarity is the mere product of

over-feeding ;
but there is no foundation for such a
supposition. Were it correct, this animal’s tail would
be similar to that of any other sheep when in a low

Digitized by Google
 Chap. XXIV.] The Broad-Tailed Sheep. 243

condition ;
but this is not the ca.se, for, whatever his
condition, whetlicr fat or lean, his tail is always broad
and large, and resembles very mudi tlie mats or
cushions worn by the savages of some of the Pacific
Islands fastened to the girdle behind their backs, the

object of which is to save them the time or labour of

reaching out for a chair when they wisli to sit down.
Only the poor sheep cannot sit upon their tails, but
must tug them after them wherever they go.* The
condition of the sheep has, therefore, very little to do
with the size of their appendage, and nothing at all

with its form. There is no doubt that this is only a

distinguishing mark of a particular breed, just as two
humps are of the Bactrian camel. This and all tlie

other peculiarities of the breed can be propagated by

the process of generation, and that alone. It is useless

to inquire how these peculiarities first originated, for

such an inquiry would probably lead to no practical

result. We must now take facts as they are. We
cannot, on the basis of a theory, set a train of opera-
tions in motion by wliich we may hope, in the course
of a few centuries perhaps, to convert a common goat
into an Angora Teftik, or an ordinary hack into a
thoroughbred Arabian. Just as hopeless would be tlie

task of making a broad-tailed sheep out of any other

mutton now in existence. It is a distinct breed, which

* We have seen a tail so cumbrous that it had actually to lie

carried ujion a little cart made for the purpose, and drawn by the
animal.

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244 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. xxiv.

commends itself for many of its valuable qualities,

and I believe other lands would gain much by its

acquisition.

Being on this subject, I will mention a four-horned

sheep, which I do not regard as
a peculiar breed, but only as a
Imns naturm. It is occasionally
seen in Asia Minor, as in other
countries. These animals are re-
garded with a sort of veneration,
or perhaps as curiosities, by the
Four-horned Sheep.
natives— it is hard to say which—
and they are kept as pets. I saw a broad-tailed ram
in a khan, where he roamed at liberty, and was petted
both by the host and his numerous guests. Whether
from lack of food, or owing to the experiments made
by all these people, he had acquired the power to
eat whatever was set before him ;
I saw him even
eat tobacco with apparent relisli. : His horns were of
various lengths, and the side ones could not liave done
much more than protect his ears from the attacks of
an enemy. I have, however, seen even chickens with
horns on their heads, and those, too, of considerable
length.

DigitizfevJ by Coogle
Chap. XXV.] New Servants. 245

CHAPTEK XXY.
Departure from Dalmamood — Xew servants aud com — Forest
t«uiions
on — Hide the dark — Village of
fire in — The Sabbath
Cliiflik

rest— Manufacture of opium — Hactrian Camel — Village of

Islam Keuy — Valonea oaks — Village of Bozghoor — Town of
Ooshak — Manufacture of — Geological formation —
carjiets
Village of Geiineh — A robbers’ trap — of Muzuk —
A^illage
Hiver Ilennus — Fomier residence of a Derch Bey — Bridge
over the Ilennus — Arrival at Suriyeli.

HIFLIK, Saturday Night, Atig. 27th — We rested

C for the middle of the day in the shade of the
.piazza of the small mosque of Balmamood ;
the in-
habitants were truly hospitable, and supplied us with
everything we needed. The day was very hot ;
the
only breeze, and that a very light one, being from
the south. We started again at 2'45. The weather
was exceedingly oppressive, and the road very dusty.
We have, thus far, gained much in the change made at
Karahissar in the personnel of our company. The two
new ostlers are active and good-natured for the present,

and they get on well with the eaterji of whom we have

hired our pack-horses. They started, at their own
request, one hour before us, and we did not overtake
them until 5‘45. Haji Eumer was walking, and Ismail

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246 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XX\'.

was riding a donkey which he has brought along, and

proposes to sell for a high price in Smyrna. We have
in our company an old Arab of Baglidad, who travels
with us at the request of the Caimacain of Karahissar.
He is a fine old fellow, and very popular among all the
Muslems we meet. We feared he might be somewhat
of a leech, but find him of an altogether different genus

he always chooses another stopping-place than our own,

both for himself and beasts, and settles his own bill.

True, his funds were exhausted shortly before we reached

Smyrna, and I advanced what he needed, but he paid it

back on our arrival. He travels with two fine white

donkeys, which he is toking as presents to a relative,
who is chief of the Smyrna police. One of these

creatures is very fine, and he told me he had paid 100?.

for it. The hair of its neck and tail is dyed with henna.
This ho rides himself, and his servant, a good-natured
young Arab, generally bestrides the other ;
they have
no difficulty in keeping up with our horses.
At 5 we left the village of Duz Aghach (the Smooth
Tree) on our right ;
it is a place of considerable size,

and has some trees about it. The plain now narrows
into a valley. The sun disappeared at 6 by our watches
show'ing that we were considerably behindhand in our
reckoning. When we first came in sight of this plain

in the morning, we had noticed a smoke on the moun-

tain south of it. It had been increasing all the morn-
ing, and as we passed opposite to the spot along our
path, it had become a groat fire in the forest. The

- • — . -Difj!..... .i.AIoQgle
Chap. XXV.] Forest on Fire. 247

sight was truly flue. We could see the tall and mas-
sive pitch-pines standing out in distinct relief in front

of the flames, which were ever and anon bursting

with devouring energy, and sending up clouds of black
smoke or forked tongues of fire, which vanished in the
air. We could sometimes distinguish the remorseless
element leaping on one of those veteran denizens of
the mountain, and twining itself, like a monstrous
snake, around its venerable trunk and its hoary branches
until it clothed it with a blazing and scorching gar-
ment. Tlie fall of the aged tree was announced by
the sudden rise into the air of a thousand sparks and
a fresh outburst of smoke and flame. It is probable
that the fire ha l already committed extensive ravages,
for smoke arose from a very large portion of the
mountain extending in a southerly direction ;
the smoke
of this conflagration seemed to give heaviness to tlie

whole surrounding atmosphere, and to render it oj)-

pressive, instead of producing a draught of air. There

were a few clouds in the sky, but they were light, and
the smoke gradually formed into a straight line, which,
from our position, seemed to make directly for the

setting sun. The western sky assumed a bloody hue,

and the clouds above were painted with the most gor-
geous colours.
The darkness of night advanced rapidly upon us
after the sun had set. We reached the end of the
plain, and ascended over broken ground, our horses
stumbling in narrow gulleys and among rocks. It

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248 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XXV.

.soon became so dark that each rider could only dis-

tinguish the tail of the horse that went before him,

and not even that if he lagged a few steps behind. We
let our horses have the reins, and went on like blind
men, only guessing by the sound when we were passing
tlu’ough water, on dry land, or among stones. We
finally saw lights, and found ourselves in the village
of Chiflik; came to a door, and hailed; and, after
being led a good deal hither and thither about the
place, were finally ensconced until Monday morning
in the upi>er story of a respectable building, with two
tolerably clean rooms and an open piazza at our ser-

vice —the holes in the boarding under foot not quite

big enough to let us fall through into the stable below,
and the window capable of being closed by spreading
a blanket in front ;
and then a hasty supper, and “ to
bed, both man and beast.”

Sunday, August ‘iWi. — We were constantly rising

j esterday, and have now attained an elevation of 4424

feet, which is more than 700 feet above the plain and
lower portion of the town of Karahissar. This is the
highest spot ^vlu‘re we have lodged for the night, on
our whole route from Sam soon to Smyrna, with few
exceptions.

We had our usual Sabbath services this morning

but all the natives here being Muslems, no one could
join us in addition to our own party, 'fhese seasons of
Sunday rest, religious reading, and prayer, have been
\ ery refreshing all our long and weary way. I do not
Chap. XXV.] The Sabbath Rest. 249

believe either we or our beasts would have been able

to stand the wear and tear of the journey without these

regular seasons of rest. Many travellers lose much by
breaking the Sabbath, under the notion that a necessity
is laid upon them ; that the Sabbath is no Sabbath at
all under such circumstances, and the like excuses.

3 fost unfortunately, the impression produced upon the

minds of the native population is extremely injurious.
I’hey have an idea in consequence that all the “ Eng-
lish,” as they call Protestant Europeans, are infidels ;
for

they cannot conceive of a religion which has no outward

manifestations whatever; and infidelity in their view
is a stigma which annuls every other quality of up-
rightness, justice, and purity of morals, which, in such a
ease, can be only apparent, not real. It often happens,

especially w’hen travelling, that several men sleep in

the same room on the floor; and our native Church

members, in such a case, never hesitate to offer their
morning and evening prayer kneeling in the sight of

all present, though they abstain from “ raising their

voices on high,” as they do when alone. And they
are right. They reason that Turks, Jews, and other
religious sects, do not hesitate between kneeling in
the presence of other men and performing their de-
votions in an unsuitable posture; and I believe they
judge correctly. Outward posture means more in

the East than it does in the West or North. I have

often had occasion to go into a native brother’s room
while engaged in his private devotions, and my in-

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250 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. xxv.

trusiou has never made him do more than lower his

voice.

This village, so far as appears from our lodgings,

seems in a well-to-do condition. It appears of con-

siderable extent, and trees, principally willows and

poplars, shade it here and there. This is the first place
where we have seen the poppy cultivated for the
purpose of obtaining opium. Unfortunately, however,
the crop has already been gathered in ;
there are fields
close to our house where it was sown, and seed-vessels
of the poppies have been left behind. The mode of
cultivation was described to me as follows :
—The seed
is scattered broadcast in a field, which is carefully
enclosed. When the plant has attained a certain size,

each stem is tied sufficiently tight to prevent the sap

from rising higher, and an incision is made for it to

ooze out ;
the sap, indurated by the heat of the sun
and evaporation, constitutes opium. The flowers are
white or red. After extracting the juice in the manner
described above, the plant is allowed to bring its seed
to maturity by unfastening the tie ;
and this seed con-

stitutes an important part of the value of the crop, oil

being manufactured from it, as previously stated.

The hills beyond this small plain are covered with
forests, which accounts for the houses’ being wholly
built of wood. We have thus far found that in all the
villages fr»m Karahissar westward the people make
hay, which they keep in heaps either upon the flat

roofs of their houses or upon the ground ;

in the
 1

Chap. XXV.] Dactrian Camel. 25

latter cjxse it is preserved from tlie cattle by meaus of a

wooden fence.

Monday, Augu$t 2Qth .

—Weather cloudy and threaten-
ing. Hose at d-30. Our “ new brooms ” continue to
sweep clean.” Were in our saddles at 5'40, and, soon

after, met the fine.st Bactrian camel we had yet seen.

He appeared’ very gentle, had neitlier halter nor pack-
saddle ;
his majestic form was wliolly uncovered ;
he
moved like a colossus, followed by two Turkmens, who
appeared to guide him in the direction he was going.

Male Bactrian Camel.

I asked them to stop so as to allow me the oppor-

tunity to sketch him. And he remained motionless
all the while I was drawing. The men told me they
belonged to the people encamped close by, whose
tents we could see; there were many camels feeding

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252 Travels m Asia Minor. [Chap. xxv.

in the neighbourhood. This animal they said was

never loaded, but kept solely for breeding purposes. His
humps were well marked, and so high that they both
hung over on the right, having a tuft of hair at the
extremity. Like all the camels of this breed he had
long dark hair on the top of the head, around the
throat, in front of the whole length of the neck, and
on the upper part of the forelegs. His form clearly
showed the distinction between the Bactrian and the
Arabian camel ;
the length of his body was very great
in comparison to his height. He w^as a heavy, mus-
cular, and powerful animal, the largest I ever saw of
the camel kind.
At G'dO we }'eached an elevation whence we had a
very fine and extensive prospect. A heavy mass of
thickly wooded mountains lay in front of us, with a
very considerable stream flowing along on our right.
Underneath our feet were cultivated fields and a village

among them. The clouds which had hitherto hid

the rising sun were partly broken up, and thus light
and shade were cast upon the w hole scenery, while the
summits of the moimtains were enveloped in clouds

and rain. We had so long viewed the sky as brass,

and the parched earth had so long dazzled and strained

our eyes with the reflection of a scorching sun, that we
could not turn our faces for a moment away from the
refreshing prospect around us. We came down the hill

and passed an old Turkish fountain standing by the

wayside. It has four faces, and is supported by an
Chap. XXV.] Refreshing Prospect. 253

ancient pillar at each corner. At eight descended into

a valley watered by a small stream which runs west-
ward. The rock had heretofore been friable marl, but
it now became more compact and less laminated, and
gradually passed to sandstone and conglomerate. The
hills on both sides of us were covered with pine trees
which, as the clouds disappeared, refreshed the eye
with their agreeable verdure. At 9 we reached a
dervend, or guard-house situated in a gorge, and found
in it two young men who acted as guards. Tin's region
being occasionally infested with robbers, we had been
advised to keep near our loads, and had thus come
on at a slower rate than usual. This cafe is three
hours from our last stopping place. We remained here
for ten minutes to take the regulation coffee, and pro-
ceeded through the valley. Trees are scattered about
among cultivated fields, whose owmers live in villages
out of sight from the main road. Tliey are for the most
part walnut ami wild pear trees, Jind 1 saw' a few stunted
cypresses. The trunks of the walnut trees are short

but A'ery thick. Soon the valley somewhat widened, and

we came at 10'80 to the village of Islam Keuy, and
passing through several of its filthy streets and by a
very plain mosque ornamented with a large wooden
minaret whose balustrade is of the same material, we
reached the Kiahaya’s house where we stopped for
food and rest. Found here a Smyrna Greek engaged
in trade, and had the pleasure again of speaking that
language. You rarely meet in the Interior any Greek

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254 Travels in Asia Mmor. [Chap. XXV.

who is acquainted with his native tongue, so com-

pletely have the ruling race succeeded in abolishing
it and substituting their own <lialect. The weather
had been extremely variable all the morning ;
but the
wind was high from the east, so that the mercury in
my barometer doubtless stood lower than it would
imder other circumstances ;
as it was, it gave me
3250 feet, which shoAvs that Ave had descended nearly
1200 feet from Chiflik in the course of the forenoon.
Started again at 1'30, still keeping company Avith our
loaded animals ;
entered an extensive grove of valonea,
Avhich spread in all directions as far as the eye could

reach, CA'en Avhen we stood upon high groimd. There

Avere a few bushes, but the soil Avas mostly planted
with fine trees of this species of oak, Avhose shape is

regular and graceful, and some specimens attain a

considerable size. The valonea acorn was only partly
developed, being in the shape of a ball of green leaves
tAvo inches in diameter, the acorn itself not having yet
come through. The foliage Avas very thick so as to afford
a pleasant shade, in which Ave repeatedly avoided the
burning rays of the sun. At 2'45 Ave reached a foun-
tain AV'ith a cemetery near it ;
the Avater Avas warm and
brackish. The gravestones consisted of slabs of sand-
stone, calcareous marl, and metamorphic rock, all of
Avhich it would seem are to be found about here.
Farther on we enjoyed a very extensive prospect, the
unevenness of the soil enabling us to look over the
forest of valonea oak, Avhich extended for a distance of

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Chap. XXV.] Valoiiea Oaks. 255

five or six miles. Saw Koordish tents and cattle a

little distance off, and met a Koordish hoy who was
engaged in watching a herd of cattle and busy, at the
same time, in spinning some of the coarse wool which
that people make into carpets. Spinning is the
general occupation of shepherds throughout the in-
terior while tending their cattle, and the immense
flocks of sheep which travel from the region of Kars
to Constantinople are generally led by a man thus
engaged.
At 5 descended through a village into a rich
alluvial plain, and stopped under the fine pine trees
which skirt it to drink from a fountain that flows from
the rock. The view westward from this spot is exten-
sive and fine. The ground slopes down to the plain
which though alluvial is still undulating. Ko valonea
is seen in it, which indicates that this tree requires a
dry soil, such as is produced by the decomposition of
the sandstone. In the plain are seen here and there
clusters of trees and verdure, and occasionally tall

poplars. The villages are mostly hid in orchards of

mulberry and fruit trees ;

we could see the minaret

of the village where we intended to stop for the night

shining in the light of the setting sun. We now ven-
tured to push ahead of our loads, and made the hour
and a half to Bozghoor by 0'15. This village contains
about sixty houses and one mosque, whose minaret is an
elaborate structure which does not at all correspond to
the style or appearance of the building to which it is

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256 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. xxv.

an appendage. As we entered the village I noticed

that the women went about quite unveiled, and without

appearing to show any feeling on the point, and that
this was the case even with the old and the homely.
One of these was walking quite uncovered straight
towards us, and when she noticed us she continued just
as before, only standing where she was, gazing with
the stare of astonishment and curiosity, but without
evincing a particle of bashfulness. Our inquiry for a

lodging place procured us rooms in the best house in

the village, whither some other travellers appeared to
have preceded us. It belonged to a wealthy Turk
who was absent. One half of the house was occupied
by his harem, a small door upstairs leading into it,

which was guarded by a powerful dog. All the apart-

ments were in the upper story, the lower being occu-
pied by the stables. A large verandah gave us air
and a good prospect upon the enclosed grounds and
the village. The room where we slept was spread
with two small carpets from the famous Ooshak manu-
factures, the delicate pattern of which was finer than
anything I had yet seen.
Tuesday, August 30th. — Rose at 3 and started
at 5. The plain is undulating and well cultivated,
studded with villages embosomed in gardens and
orchards. e reached Ooshak at 6'30. It is a large

town, of purely Turkish style, situated in a natural

hollow' of the plain; the houses are of mud bricks,

only partially plastered over. Streams of muddy

Digitized by Google
Chap. XXV.] Town of Ooshak. 25 7

water flow through the streets and pass under some

of tlie buildings. The mosques are mean, hut their
minarets fine ;
there are some ten or twelve of them,
tall and well shaped. Many of them are fluted on
the outer surface, the fluting being made to wind
arormd the body of the minaret. The sharp domes of
all are covered with tin. We stopped at the principal
khan in the place, called as usual Yeni (or New) Khan,
a building with a narrow oblong court, lying not far
from the edge of the town, and gave ourselves the luxury
of fresh fruit, which is not to be procured in the villages.
We had the good fortune to have a letter of introduction
to a Sciote merchant, Mr. Andre Glisse, an old resident,

or we shotild have seen nothing of the place. He was

extremely kind to us, insisting u])on giving us an
early dinner, and taking us round the town to see the
celebrated carpet manufactures. We were fortunate
enough to have an occasion somewhat to repay him for

his kindness by setting up for him a cotton gin which

had just arrived, the first ever introduced here. He
informed us that the crop of valonea will he ready for
gathering in about a fortnight ;
after picking the fruit

of this species of oak entire, it is left to dry until the

acorn becomes somewhat loose, when it is removed

with a nail. There are no shops, much less a factory,
for the manufacture of carpets, but they are made in

private houses, both Christian and Turkish. The

w'ork is done exclusively by the women. There are
two kinds of carpets made here. The plain is woven
VOL. IT. s

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258 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XXV.

like ordinary cloth, but in patches, each colour by

itself. In both cases the loom upon which the
framework of the carpet is stretched from top to
bottom stands on one side of the door entering into

the yard of the house, and the women who do this

work squat down in front of it. Little girls are busy

bringing the woollen thread of different colours as
needed. The woven carpet is made very rapidly, and
is necessarily cheaper than the other, while it is in-

ferior in appearance and durability. The Turkey

carpet, as it is called in Europe, is made by a very
laborious process. Every stitch requires a separate

thread, which is tied with a peculiar knot to the per-

pendicular twine, which is laid regularly, up and down
across a frame as wide as the carpet is to be. The
ends of the thread are then cut off, but not close,

another stitch is tied in the same way by the side of

it, and so on. The stitches are thus made one by one
in a horizontal line, and when the row is completed a
stout strand of red woollen thread is passed three times
across, interw^oven in the perpendicular threads with

the hand ;
they then press down that and the new row
of stitches with a wooden comb, and cut all the ends of
the threads smooth with a jDair of shears from right
to left. They appear to have the patterns in their
minds, though they occasionally consult the finished
portion which is gradually rolled up underneath. Some
of the designs we saw were very pretty, particularly
some flower patterns, and a small Persian design. I

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Chap. XXV.] Manufacture of Carpets. 259

wa.s informed that these women are nhle to imitate any

pattern sent tliem, and a beautiful carpet had lately
been made for a gentleman in Smyrna, the centre of
which represented the arms of Italy.

The Eayah population of Ooshak consists of 150

Greek and 50 Armenian houses, there are no Papists.
The elevation above the sea given hy the barometer is

3137 feet, indicating the continuance of the plateau

nhich occupies most of the interior of Asia Minor,
though there is a gradual descent as we advance west-
ward. From Ooshak the plateau continues to diminish
in height, though we shall still travel upon it until we
have passed Koola.
We were again in our saddles at 2 p.m. and ascended
a small hill, from which there was an extensive prospect
of vineyards and orchards on our right. There are
several mill runs about here, and they are lined with
tall poplars. Further on cultivation almost entirely
ceased ;
but the hills were covered with a thick growth
of bushes, mostly of oak. We passed along some fine
bold ravines cut through by the stream we were
follos>ing, and which is the same as that which flows
through Ooshak. Kode on the right or northern
side of a narrow valley until about half-an-hour from
Geuneh. At 3 found some blocks of fine obsidian,

the first indication of volcanic action, which henceforth

multiplied as we 2>roceeded westward. The rock, how-

ever, both here and for a great distance to the west

belongs to a formation of strongly stratified lime or

Digitized by Google
26 o T^-avcls in Asia Minor. [Chap. XXV.

marl, containmg impressions of shells. This stone

is sometimes quite soft and is easily decomposed,
forming a rich and fertile soil.

The strata are very nearly horizontal ;

it often alter-
nates with a conglomerate, having a basis of sand or
soft marl. This conglomerate being more compact
than the limestone occurring with it, the latter is often
worn away leaving the harder rock isolated in strange

and fantastic shapes, resembling somewhat the pinnacles

of Seidiler. Again the marl is woriv away from be-
neath the sandy conglomerate, and leaves it standing
suspended in the air. In one place I found the rock
strongly impregnated with sulphur and copper, giving
it a yellow and green hue. There is considerable vol-
canic disturbance in some parts, and the occurrence of
obsidian points the same way. Sometimes also the
limestone assumes the appearance and hardness of
Hint, probably from igneous causes. Masses or boulders
of other rocks are occasionally foimd, having probably

been brought hither by some convulsion of nature or

by glacial action. These parts are said to abound w ith
partridges, and people come from Ooshak to shoot
them. The ravines, however, are favourable to robbers,
and we subsequently learnt that a deed of blood had
been committed upon this road the day before w'e

travelled it. We reached Geuneh at G, a most miser-

able, ruinous, and dirty village of half-a-dozen houses
standing, though there are ruins of many more. This
must have been an important town at some period, if

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Chap. XXV.] A Robbers Trap. 261

we may judge from the public buildings yet remaining.'

There is a handsome mosque and minaret of consider-
able size. An isolated minaret of brick, without its

pointed spire, marks the spot where another mosque

once stood, and a third in ruins has lost dome and
minaret too. Our quarters here were decidedly the
worst we had yet encountered our host’s boy attempted
;

to steal, and when reproved for it drew his knife. For-

tunately, however, we were too many for him, and he
gained nothing thereby. We also had some trouble
with the zahtieh furnished us by the Governor of
Ooshak, who was to have gone with us as far as Koola.

He insisted upon having the best quarters in the house

for himself, was scolded roundly, and went off in a
pet to another place. Next morning we caught sight
of him iis he was pursuing his loose horse among the
mined houses, and he shortly after went back to Ooshak
without even calling for the customary bakshish. We
have descended nearly 900 feet from Ooshak, i.e. in a

distance of about 15 miles.

Wednesday, August —Started at 5‘30 and at G

reached a spot which has become famous for the high-
way robberies there perpetrated. It is a regular trap,
and so perfectly adapted to the object in view, that all

it needs is the living springs to work it. The robbers’

hiding-place is upon two small natural mounds upon the

outer edge of the road, where large stones are arranged
for the purpose of screening them from view. They
allow the caravan to reach a circular spot between these

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262 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XXV.

mounds, and then effectually pi-event their advance or

retreat — for the precipice on the right and the high
rocks on the left render flight quite impossible in those
directions. All the robbers have to do is to show them-
selves from behind their hiding-places and h) give the

caravan the order to stop ;

in case of resistance, they

can shoot down the travellers without danger to them-

selves. At 6‘15 we descended again into the Muzuk
valley, so called from a village of that name, which we
passed at 6 '30, situated on the opposite or north side of
the valley. The valonea oak here grows abundantly on
both slopes of the valley, the lower alluvial ground alone
being cultivated. Yuruk tents were lying about among
the trees. It is in this valley we first came upon the
Hermus, which descends from a lateral valley running
up to the north-east. It is now 10 to 15 feet in width,

and but a few inches in depth. Our course hereafter

lies in a great measure by the side of this stream, though

we shall often lose sight of it altogetlier where its banks
are too rugged to leave a foot-hold for the traveller, or
where its lengthened windings render a shorter cut
desirable. The rich and promising soil lies mostly
unused, and the population is extremely scattered and
wretched. Going over a hillock saw the Chiflik house,
and stopped at the cafe at 6T5. It belongs to some
Greek gentleman, and lies in a pleasant position among
hills covered with valonea oak. Its cultivated lands

are in the valley below'. We were hospitably enter-

tained here, and left at 7T5. Came down again into

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Chap. XXV.] River Hertntis. 263

the valley of the Hermus, and the lands belonging to

the Chiflik, which are planted with vineyards, flax, and
grain. Continued on the same side of the valley and
stopped a few minutes to shoot some partridges —which
are said to abound here — for a meal. We were told at
the Chiflik that a man had lately shot twenty-two brace

in one day. The Hermus, along which we rode, had

increased already to 20 or 25 feet in width. At 8‘80

reached the village of Yenishehir, consisting of some

houses mostly in ruins, built upon a slope facing the
north-east, and occupying the foot of the pass over the

stony and steep Chatal Tepch or Fork Jlountain, which

is in full view, with the two rocky points which give it

the name. The Hermus here turns to the north and

finds further on a way round the ob.struction presented
by the mountain. The rocks in that direction ha\e a
very dark colour. Here mica slate has taken the j)lace

of the limestone. This village must once have been

a place of size and importance, from its extensive
ruins. The buildings, however, mostly of mud-brick,

unbaked, are being rapidly obliterated by the rains,

and it certainly is now the very opposite of Yenishehir,

the New City. On the highest part of the slope
it occupies are the ruins of the former residence of a
Dereh Bey, consisting of a piece of ground, some 200
by 400 feet, enclosed by a stone wall 20 feet high,
with a square tower at each corner. In one of these
towers is an underground prison. The whole en-
closure is divided by a wall into two portions — the part

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 ;

264 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XX V.

toward the village being for the men, or the selam-

luk, and the other for the women, or the harem ;
each
had its own outer gate, and there was a door of commu-
nication between the two. Each also had its own house
and outbuildings, resting chiefly upon the north-west
wall. The houses are quite in ruins and uninhabitable
but much of the timber still supports the mud-brick
structures. 3Iost of the walls, however, are built of
irregular pieces of mica slate taken from the mountain
side, united oidy with mud. This was once the resi-

dence of a Dereh Bey, or independent Muslem chieftain,

and his stronghold at the foot of the pass doubtless

enabled him to levy black mail upon the travellers who

frequented this important thoroughfare. It was easy
to imagine the busy scenes which ouce occurred on this

spot,some centuries back now, however,

;
all is silent.

The yard has become a goat and sheep’s pen. Three

fine minarets, built of red bricks, attest, as at Geuneh,
the former existence of fine mosques ;
two of them have
lost their pointed spires, but the third has lately been
repaired, as well as the mosque to which it belongs.

The comfort of clean quarters and the hospitidity of

our TurUish host made us forget the unpleasant ex-
periences of Geuneh.
Handsome minarets appear to have been the rage in
this region some two or three centuries ago, for w’e

found them not only in so large a place as Ooshak, but

in such villages also as Bozghoor, Geuneh, and here.

There is no doubt that these were once places of con-

Digitized by Google
Chap. XXV.] No Sigfis of Progress. 265

siderable size ;
but their present condition not only
indicates a striking diminution of the Turkish popula-
tion, but also of the religious zeal of the Moslems.
Indeed one is struck with the universixlity of these
two facts while passing, as we have done, through the
central ])ortions of Asia Minor. We have not yet found
a single town that presents indications of growth. New
houses are extremely rare — ruinous ones very common.
Fields lie uncultivated ;
vineyards and orchards are
running wild and overgrown with grass and weeds. At
Afion Karahissar the Government was rebuilding some
of the shops ;
besides this, there were a few new villages

built by the lately-imported Circiissians, but they looked

miserably poor and filthy. An observation showmd the
elevation of Yenishehir to be 1776 feet, or nearly 300
feet below Geuneh, our last stopping place. We left this

village at 2'lo, and went immediately up a very steep

ascent. The road was mainly cut or worn among the
rocks, and often so narrow and steep, that a loaded
animal passed through with some difficulty. Our course
was zigzag up the hill of mica slate, which was too steep
to be overcome any other way. The dip of the rock has
a strong inclination toward the south-west, and is greater
on the western than on the eastern side of Chatal Tepeh.
It seems that some efforts have lately been made to
improve the road, for we found the rock had been
blasted in several places. We reached the summit
at 3‘15, and began to descend. This was done very

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266 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XXV.

gradually and along a comparatively easy road ;

and
in so doing we went round the mountain, skirting

perhaps one-half of its circumference. The view was

very extensive and picturesque. On our right was a
broken mountain region, witli deep and rocky ravines,
apparently all of mica slate. At some distance west
and north-west beyond this mountain we could dis-

tinctly see the limestone formation in the valleys

below, the white marl cropping out from the verdure.
Where the soil has not been washed away the moun-
tain is covered with grass, scrub oak, the wild acacia,

called Judas’ tree, and some valonea oaks; partridge®

must be very abundant here, for though we saw none
yet, we could hear them singing in every direction,

and the path was covered with their tracks. At 3'dO

we again caught sight of the Hermus ;
it was dashing
among the rocks and narrow openings in the mountain,
coming down from the north to pursue again its western
course. As it leaves the mountain its bed widens,
although but a small portion of it is covered wdth water
at this season of the year. A valley opens farther west,
and we can perceive the black tents of the nomadic
Yuruks scattered here and there in it. We saw the
village of Tash Keuy, *•
stony village,” on the moun-
tain side below us on the right, and soon after at 4
reached a guard-house, situated upon an eminence
and commanding the road. There were two men
stationed here, and they told us they remain during

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Chap. XX\’.] Bridge over the Hermus. 267

the whole winter upon this spot, tlie weather being

sometimes very severe. Looking down from here, we
could see the bridge, whose single arch spans the
river; it appears very narrow and high. The undu-
lating plain to the west has now come in full sight, and
it is fertile and well cultivated. We continued rapidly
to descend, and at 4'30 reached the bridge. Its main

Bridge over tbe Hcmntis.

arch is very long and high, and the river passes under
that alone, except when it overflows its banks, in which
case it runs also under the small arches on either side.
% .

The bank at each end of the bridge is high, but

I suspect even that is sometimes covered with water.

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 ;

268 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XXV.

The parapet is partly broken down, and the ascent

and descent over it is steep and narrow, the base of
the structure being much wider than the summit. It

is a Turkish work. The water of the Hermus is now

very low and everywhere fordable ;
where w’e crossed it

the greatest depth w'as 1 foot 6 inches. Some of our

animals found it so agreeable that they got away from
their masters and attempted to continue tlie journey
down the stream. We now followed the right bank of
the river along a path which ran by the base of the
overhanging mica slate cliffs. Large platanus or plane
trees grew here and there near the water, and our old

friend tlie Agnus castus lined the banks of the river ;

we
had not seen it since leaving Smyrna, and it seemed to
give us the first welcome home again. We .soon ascended
a knoll and found another guard-house. At 5'10 the rock
which had been mica slate from the time wq had set
foot upon the mountain side at Yenishehir changed
again to friable and well-stratified limestone and marl
but the change was not sudden. The mica slate began
to contain larger and more numerous pieces of quartz
the mica then became more rare, and at last totally
disappeared, the stone assuming all the characters of
what is called quartz rock. Marl soon appeared to be
mixed up with the quartz ;
the latter disappeared in
its turn, and we had reached the marl or lime.stone
formation. We now moved along the plain where the
Hermus makes a bend to the left; passed over some

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Chap. XXV.] Village of Suriych 269

harmans or thre8bing-floor,«i, forded the river, and went

up a steep and high bank on the other side to the
village of Suriyeh, which is built on ground at a con-
siderable elevation above the stream. We were taken
to the Governor’s house, who was very polite and
attentive, and there our persons and animals were well
cared for.

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270 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XXVI.

CHAPTEE XXVI.
Plateau of lava — The Ship Gorge — Composition of the — soil

Town of Koola — Old volcano — Kind reception — Public wells

— Mounted guard — Volcano of Kara Devlit — Cavak Dereh
Pas.s— Plain of Philadelphia — Mountain range of Tmolus —
Village of Derasily — The Kooza Chay — Salihly — Village jio-

— Turkish pictures — Ruins of Sardis — Town of Cas-

liticians
saba — Water supply — Homan aqueduct — Buildings — Tame-
ness of the storks and ring-doves — Articles of commerce —
Nif Chay — Mount Sipylus — View of the Plain and Gulf of
Smyrna — Home again.

fT^HUESDAY, Septemher 1st . —An observation taken

this morning shows that we continue to descend,
though slowly, toward the western plains ;
this is also

proved by the course of the Ilermus. I gave medicine

to a sick man la.st night, which did him so much good
that a number of applicants came this morning upon a
similar errand. 31 y medicines, however, were packed
up, and I was ready to start, so that I was obliged to
decline the aid requested. We left at 5‘25, and rode over
a hill into a valley. Before us extended a steep mountain,
formed of marl or soft limestone, its face washed and
worn down into deep gulleys and irregular forms. The
top of this hill ajipears to be a far-stretching plateau,
composed of a layer of lava about 100 feet in depth
On our left, too, we had a similar mountain, so that we

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Chap. XXVI.] Plalcau of Lava. 271

were travelling in a fis.sure, about 1000 feet in depth,

cut into the marl and its superincumbent lava. The
bottom of this fissure, or gorge, forms the bed of the
Hernuis, generally too narrow to allow a road upon its

banks. Our path led us over the detritus, which lies in

mas.ses of more or less elevation on the right and left.

As far as Ave could see, the upper layer of lava appeared

everywhere of equal thickne.ss, and seemed from where
we stood to have a columnar formation. Came down
to the Hermus at G‘30 by a smooth little valley, an
enlargement of the gorge. The river here flows in a

south-west direction. We found mica slate in place at

the bottom ;
above it lies the marl, and the lava on the
top of all. Fragments of the last lie all about us, which
were probably broken from above, and were too hard
to be decomposed and washed away like the marl. It
once formed, I am persuaded, a general crust over the
whole limestone formation, and it continues to break

down and fall from above as the imderlying marl is

giving Avay under the influence of the weather and the
river. We crossed the Hermus, and going up the steep
bank on the other side reached the guard-house at
5%j0, w here we waited for our loads to come up. We
had been told that there were forty Turkmen robbers
in this pass; but we, certainly, saw' nothing of them.

We at first kept by our loads, but left them to come

on behind us in the vicinity of the guard-hou.se. This is

l)uilt upon a hillock which commands a view of the

road on both sides for a considerable distance. The

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272 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XXVI.

riyer passes at the foot of it and winds about in

the chasm. The spot is highly picturesque, the nearer

bank of the mountain being yery steep, the marl worn
into the most extraordinary forms of chimneys, mina-
rets, domes, cayities, and honeycombs, and the whole
surmounted by a broad line of black lava. 'Ihe

hillock on which we stood was of mica slate, which

underlies the marl, and stretches out in a southerly
direction. There are pieces of laya lying all about,
howeyer, and the columnar formation of the broad
layer on the crest of the mountain is still more distinct

than before. We took a man here to show us the way,

and left the guard-house at 7’20. Passed among the
tumbled rocks close under the oyerhanging cliffs, with
the Hermus on our left. The partridges were singing
on eyery side amid the echoes of the mountains ;
biit

they kept out of sight. As we rode along close to the

foot of the cliffs, we had to pick our way among large

pieces of laya which had tumbled down from the top

many of them showed the columnar form, which gaye
the appearance of ribs in their sides. These were quite
smooth, each surface being about six inches in w idth
otherwise the substance of the laya is yery imiform. As
we looked up, in places, we could (dearly distinguish
the columns in the laya standing perpendicularly. In
one spot, howeyer, these were contorted.
There is a piece of laya as large as a good sized ship,
which has fallen from aboye, and has alighted near the
road ;
its shape and position is yery much like a vessel

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Chap. XXVI.] Composition of the Soil. 273

lying on the stocks, and the colnninar surfaces well

represent the planking on the ship’s side. This rock
has long attracted the attention of the natives, and has
given its name to the |dace ;
for it is called Oemi Dereh,
the Ship Gorge. We now came close to the hank of
marl, and saw the explanation of the fantastic shapes we
had noticed. The foundation is mica slate: then comes
a mixture of fragments of mica slate, quartz, sand, and
clay. It is the soil formed by the decomposition of
the mica slate rock. It is j)recisely like the soil we
had already seen lying upon a mica slate bottom, and
which Ave had farther on a still bettor opportunity of
studying. 'Ihe quartz pebbles ]>revail in it ;
for they
are the hardest portions of the rock, and they longest
resist decomposition ;
though in the rock itself they
occur only in numerous veins, yet they prevail in the soil

into Avhich the rock disintegrates. Above this species

of conglomerate, is a layer of clay or marl, of different

thickness in different places. Then comes a narrow beil
of sand and small jtebblcs, and marl again, thus form-
ing alternate layers of gravel and clay, the former much
thinner than the latter. The weather wears away the
clay, while the gravel holds longer together, thus pro-

ducing the fantastic shapes we see. At 7’-15, came

quite down to the bank of the Hermus, at the ruins of
an old bridge, but continued to travel on the north side,

upon a narrow bank lying between the river and the

cliffs. The valley soon widens ;
we forded the stream
and went up a hill toward a village on tiio other
VOL. II. T

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274 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XXVi.

side. The Hermus now runs north-west, and we

lose sight of it altogether. Eode over an undulating,
sandy ground, which is simply decomposed lava, with
large fields of melons and water-melons on both sides
of the way. Found by the road-side two small stone
enclosures, roofed with branches of trees, in which are
kept jars of water, quite cool ;
and following the cus-
tom, as we were told, we stopped and took a refreshing
draught. The hills lying to the west of us, and near
our road, are of lava, regularly rounded and conical,
presenting the appearance of extinct volcanoes; but
their sides are smooth and imder culture. The ground
gradually ascends. We now entered a narrow pass,
when Koola burst all at once upon our view'. It seems
to be a place of considerable extent, built upon imequal
ground. The houses are all covered with red tiles, and
there are some good-looking minarets. In front and on
the right is a long line or wall of black lava, in broken
masses, which has flowed out of the now extinct volcano on
the north-east side of the town. It resembles a rough and
surging stream, which assumes odd and fantastic forms.
The old volcano which threw it out lies about two miles
on the right, and the stream of lava can be traced do\vn
its western side ;
it is called Devlit, or the Inkstand,

by the natives. No crater is visible from below : its

form is somew hat irregular, and a narrow path can be

traced ascending to the very top. The houses of the

town are buUt of pieces of lava and mica slate, mud

alone being used for cement. The walls are everywhere

Digitized by Google
Chap. XXVI.l Koola. 275

of a very dark hue, resembling those of Pompeii. The

streets all have high side walks, made of slabs of mica
slate ;
and the portion left between for horses and cattle

is narrow and unpaved. This is made still narrower in

many places by the frequent crossings. We stopped at

a large but ruinous khan, where they gave us a small

room which we soon perceived was already tenanted by
a variety of vermin sufficient to satisfy the keenest
entomologist. But we were fortunately provided with
a letter of recommendation from our hospitable friend
Mr. Andre Glisse, at Ooshak, to a fine old bearded

Turki.sh merchant, Hadji Zadeh Ali Agha : we lost no

time in sending it to its address, and soon had the plea-
sure of seeing the kindly face of the gentleman of the
long robe himself, accompanied by a Greek merchant
of the name of Kutchuk Yanaco, Little John, who
took us to his house, gave us an excellent dinner,
and treateil us with the generous hospitality of which
the dwellers of the interior of Asia Minor may so
justly boast, ^^'alking about the town, we saw a
marble sarcophagus with its cover bearing an inscrip-
tion in which is the name of the person whose remains
it once contained. It is now used as a trough for
a public fountain. We likewise saw at the door of a
public bath two lions holding the heads of bulls. As I

believe Koola is not built upon the site of any ancient

city, these must have been brought from the neigh-
bourhood, where there were many towns in the olden

times. The position of Koola (2412 feet) is much

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276 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XXVI.

higher than the Ilennns, which passes round to the

north of it.

Tuwu uud Volomo of Koola, with public WelL'

We left Koola at 3’15. The soil is quite sandy, but

seems abundantly to remunerate the labour of culti-

vation. After twenty minutes’ ride came to a well,

where we stopped to water our horses. I took hero
the accompanying sketch of the town ; but the greater
part of it is out of sight, the banks of lava standing
as a high wall in the foregrovmd, so as almost com-
])letely to conceal it. The extinct volcano appears to
fdl tlie centre of the picture, while a black stream of
lava runs down its side toward the left, and then
advances again to the front and right. There are no

Digitized by Google
Chap. XXVI.] Koola : Public Well. 277

fountains at Koola ;
the water i.s all obtained from wells,
and is drawn uji in an iron bucket, attached by a chain
to a long pole, which has a weight at the other end.
A small platform is built of stone round the mouth of
the well, whose worn edges attest its age and usefulness.
I have taken this opportunity to delineate our party,

not forgetting our faithful dog Ira, who has rendered

herself very useful all the way in assisting to provide
for our table during the day, and keeping faithful
watch at night. I have only left out our pack-horses
and the mare and her colt.

Here we were joined by the mounted guard which

the Governor had provided for our safety. We accepted
the proffered escort ;
not that we placed the slightest
reliance upon such people in ca.se of danger, but solely
because no one in our party was acquainted with the
road as far as Cassaba. There is, however, this addi-
tional motive for taking such people along when tra-

velling in the country : in case of meeting robbers and

suffering loss by them, the Government officers succeed
in throwing off all responsibility, unless it can be made
to appear that this precaution, which they ^
always
recommend, has been taken ;
and even then it often

occurs that the robbers have partners in the Mtjlis, or

Provisional Council. The ground now gradually rises,

and we had, further on, an excellent view of the city,

with its volcano and stream of lava flowing from it

to the town, which appears, indeed, to have been built

in great measure in the midst of and upon the lava.

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278 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XXVI.

The pieces of this mineral which we picked up were

very porous and light, but extremely hard. Even the
hammer produced no impression upon them. Found
a small extent of surface w here the rock in place was
limestone, with impressions of shells. This was the
last of the formation traced all along from Ooshak;
for we now were fully landed upon the mica slate,

which no longer appeared only occasionally and in a

decomposed condition, but was everywhere about us,

and under our feet, in rocky ledges of every shape. The

highest ground appeared to be covered with a layer of
lava. When we reached the greatest elevation on the
road, we had a fine view of another extinct volcano, called
in 'I’urkish Kara Devlit, or the Black Inkstand, a very

Volcano of Kara DevliL

appropriate name indeed, as can be seen from the

accompanying sketch, taken from this spot. It stands
near the edge of the plain or valley through which

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 ;;

Chap. XXVI.] Volca 7io of Kara Dcvlit. 279

flows the Hermu.s, not here in sight. It must be very

high, as I judged that we could see but about one-

half of the whole, rising above the hills that hide

its base. It appears to have been thrown up entire
from the bowels of the earth, and to be wholly formed
of lava and scori®. The crater itself is well marked,

and many trees, apparently pines, grow upon the edge

and outer surface, whose fresh green colour makes a
strange and striking contrast with the black hill on
which they stand. Here we entered into a deep cut in

the rock, add came, at 4-45, to a guard-hou.se, built in the

side of this cut, and thus protected from the extremely
cold blasts which must sweep over the spot, whose
elevation cannot be short of 3000 feet. We pre-
sently again descended, and travelled over level

ground, pas.sing by many neglected orchards and fiehls

there was probably some village out of sight in the
neighbourhood. 'I'he west wind now freshened, and we
reached, at 0, the isolated cafe situated at the head of
the well-known Cavak Dereh Pass, in a bleak spot, fully
exjTOseJ to the blast, and extremely cold and uncom-
fortable. But there is no other stopping place for the

traveller betw'een Koola and the village of Salihly

the accommodations afforded consi.st of two miserable
rooms and a large stable, beasts being really better
provided for than men. I did not wonder, except for

the cold, which was piercing, that a large caravan pre-

ferred to encamp in the open air. This spot is 2G81
feet above the sea. It constitutes the very edge of

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 a8o Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. xxvi.

tho plateau whioh occupies the most of the Peninsula

of Asia Minor. We shall now descend to the low allu-
vial plains which form a belt between the plateau and
the sea.
Friday, Sept. 2nd. —Vie started at O'30, and j)lunped
at once down the rocky pass of Cavak Uereh, or Poplar
Pass, a very inappropriate name, since there is not a
single po 2 )lar in it. Our lodgings were not only very
uncomfortable, but we j^aid very dear for all we took,

as it had to be sent for to a village half an hour off.

The wind had fallen, but mists floated abftut us, and
the sky was overcast. Cavak Dereh is a steep and rocky
gorge, consisting on a great measure of the bed of a
stream ;
it is two hours or some eight miles in length.

We passed as many as four dried-up fountains, w'hich had

once been erected for the comfort of the traveller, who
must grciitly depend upon a refreshing draught while
going up this j>ass in a w'arm summer’s day. We are
here in the midst of the mica slate formation, which
has, however, a hard texture, and contains a smaller
proportion of mica than yesterday. Emerging from
the pass, we came to hills of earth, where the road was
smooth and good. We soon caught sight of the plain
of Philadelphia on our left, watered by a tributary
of the Hermus, called the Kooza Chay, or river. It is
boimded on the south by the mountain-chain of Tmolus,
which has different names in different localities. It
commences a little south of Philadelphia, where a
chain of hills running due south joins it to the Messogis

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 ;

Chap. XXVI.] Mozmtain Rmige of Tmolus. 281

of the ancients, the southern boundary of the plain of

the Cayster. Tlie Tmolus nms west in a slightly curved
line, nearly as far as Voorla, the ancient Clazomene,
where two prominent conical peaks give it the name of
the Two Brothers. The group of hills attached to these
are the ancient Mount Corax. Thence, eastward, a line

of jwrphyritic hills nms past Smyrna on the south, and

reaches the we.stern extremity of Tmolus himself, where
it is called Tahtaly, or the mountain of jdauks, from the

fact that the pines are there cut into boards and taken
to Smyrna for sale. It is now, however, mostly barren
of trees in this portion, and a line of hills running
north unites it to Sipylus. Tmolus, a little farther

cast, is called Nif Dagh, from the village of Nif,

or Nymphio, at its foot ;
the remaining portion, the
highest of all, and still farther east, goes by the
name of Booz Dagh, the ice-mountain. Tmolus does
not, however, in these parts, come right down upon
the smooth alluvial plain, but is separated from it by
a belt of earthy hills, chielly of a reddish hue, which
liavc been so worn by the rains and tumbled about by

the earthquakes of the “ Katakekaumene ” as to assume

all sorts of fantastic shapes. From our commanding posi-
tion we could distinguish several towns in the plain

Derasily was upon the edge of it, right before us, and
Salihly, a place of considerable size, beyond it, not far
from the opposite edge. The Binbir Tepeh, thousand
and one hills, the pyramidal tombs of ancient Sardis,
covered a vast extent of ground on the right, and behind

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28a Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XXVI.

them rose blue old Sipylus, round and rocky. We

reached Derasily at 9 ;
the road constantly descend-
ing, and most of it in good condition, we had made
5 hours in 3^. Had a luncheon of fruit, grapes and
an excellent water-melon, at the miserable khan,
and were off again at 9'45. This village, like all the
rest in the region, is marked by misery, poverty,
and dilapidation. It is, however, surrounded by rich

soil, which would secure it wealth under a different

Government. We had already entered the plain,
and were soon upon the low grounds, always wet in

winter, and now grown over with a thick, rank grass.

We reached the Kooza Chay at 10‘30, and found it

nearly dry; there was just water enough in it to make

the flow to the north-west perceptible. The banks are
here from six to eight feet high, and about seventy yards
apart. The stream is not fordable in winter, and has to
be crossed by a bridge, situated a little below. The
left bank is also covereil with rank grass, and the soil

near the river very sandy. We, however, soon came

upon cultivated fields, whence crops of grain had been
gathered. Saw several threshing-floors ;
noticed several
plantations of poplars ;
these are sown thick, and are
thinned out as they grow ;
they are used for building
purposes. At 1115 reached Salihly; it must be a
bad place for intermittent fever, for even now pools of
water are standing in the very town, swamps can be
seen all around, and the rich plantations have abundant
clusters of reeds which always indicate the presence of

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Chap. XXVI.] Salifily : Village Politicians. 283

stagnant moisture. There are many trees about, and

extensive orchards ;
the land is under cultivation all

around to the mountains, as far as the eye can reach,

and much of it appears to produce melons and maize,
which require the richest soil. The place seems pros-
perous ;
several houses were building.
We took up our quarters in the best khan in the
place ;
it consists, as usual, of an inner square court,
surrounded by buildings. In this case two sides were
occuj)ied by stables, and the two others contained
rooms, the side upon the street, alone, being two
stories high. The whole, like all the houses we
saw in this place, is built of mud bricks supported
by a wooden frame. They gave us their best room,
situated on the left side of the entrance, and we had
from the wdndow a full view of a group of the elite of
the town, who come, in the afternoon, to sit on little

stools under the shade of the trees, smoke their nar-

guiles, and sip their coffee, while some one in the com-
pany volunteers to make them stare by relating the
most extravagant pieces of information, followed by a
general discussion on politics, and a passing of judgment
upon the doings of the great powers of Europe and the
little power of Turkey. We enjoyed a doze in the midst of
the hum of voices — if enjoyment it may be called, when
mosquitoes and other tenants seemed to consider us as
intruders. The room was ornamented with paintings
alfresco, which are as fair specimens of the present con-

dition of the fine arts in Turkey as can be met with. As

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284 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. xxvi.

my narrative claims to contain a true portraiture of the

Turkey of the present day, I must not deny the reader

the pleasure of gazing upon a specimen of the kind, the
handsomest modern tableau I have met, which covered
one side of our room. My copy is a faithful reproduc-
tion, though I confess that the beauty of the original
is greatly enhaneed by the gorgeous colours the
Oriental artist has succeeded in applying with wonder-
ful variety.

Specimen of Turkish Painting.

Se'pt. 3rd, Saturday . —An observation taken this

morning at half-past four gives the position of Salilily

at 417 feet above the sea, showing that we have de-

scended 2276 feet since our last stoj>ping place; it

must be about the difference of altitude between the

head of the pass at Yedi Kaleh Caiveh and Derasily at
the foot, the distance between them by the road being
about tw'enty miles. Salihly is not fifty feet higher
than the Hermus. Our road took us not far from the
edge of the plain, upon smooth and well-cultivated

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d
 Chap. XXVI.] Ruins of Sardis. 285

ground. After a while, Carabed diseovered he had left

his overcoat heliind, and went back to fetch it ;
he found
the Khanji had already appropriated it and was wearing
it with great gusto. The road still kept in a curve near
the foot of the hills, avoiding the lower level of the
plain which is probably under Avater during the winter.
After a ride of an hour and a quarter Ave reached the
ruins of Sardis, mostly situated on the left of the road.

The citadel, rendered so famous by the history of ages

preceding the Roman conquest, Avas built upon a high
and steep hill ;
earthquakes, and the action of the
weather upon the soil, Avhich contains no rocks, have

gradually torn it doAvn ;

only a small piece of Avail yet
stands erect upon the eilge of the precipice to tell of
its former power, and CA'en that may suddenly dis-

appear. The toAvn lay around three sides of the castle-

hill, north, Avest, and south. On the higher portion
are the remains Avhich are Cfilled “ the house of
Croesus.” \Ve only saw it from the road, and it seems
more like a theatre ;
the loAver portions appeared to be
supported by very solid arches." There is on the east
a Avail of no great solidity running up the hill. It may
have been a portion of the city Avail. LoAvcr doAvn are
the remains of a large building, mostly of bricks, which
appears Roman ;
and loAver still are those of another
very large edifice, consisting of four solid pilasters of

* A subsequent visit enabled me to ascertain lliat these buildings

were the theatre and stniliuni. The so-called “.house of Creesus”
stood much lower down tho hilL

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286 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. xxvi.

marble beneath and brick above, the marble facings

having probably fallen from the upper part. Half a
mile to the west are the remains of another, a very
massive building, partly of brick and partly of marble.
The ruins of the famous Temple of Cybele are on the
south side of the hill, as we were told, and distant from
us six or eight miles. We continued to skirt the edge
of the plain as we proceeded on our way, but now
passed over undulating and stony ground, formed by
the debris of the moimtain. At 8'30 reached a caf6,

with a shop, well shaded by trees, which were a great

attraction to the traveller on a hot summer day.
There was here again a plantation of poplar trees,

such as we had seen about Salihly, We had also

spied two fine cypresses a little back. This tree is

not found upon the plateau, except where it occurs

wild and stunted upon some of the high mountain
ranges. We found the same to be the case with the
fig-tree, which we first saw at Salihly, covered with un-
ripe fruit ;
however, the ripe fruit was sold in the market.
We found the fig-tree hero again, and it multiplies as
we advance toward the sea. This tree sometimes occurs
upon the lower parts of the plateau, but is stunted, and
the fruit is not good. We left the pleasant shade of
this spot at 9'15; the whole distance from Salihly
to Cassaba is eight hours, and this cafe, called

Ahmedly, is the half-way place. Carabed was again

oblivious, a very unusual thing for the bright fellow,

for he forgot the barometer at the cafe, and we waited

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Chap. xxv'I.] Cassaba : Water Supply. 287

half an hour for him to turn back for it. As we

approached Cassaba, the miserable mud houses of

the town and the minarets began to peer among the

foliage, while the lofty Sipylus, of a deep blue, rose
apparently right behind the town, though it lies really

at a distance of fifteen miles. We reached the place

at 12‘50. Though showing an advance in civiliza-

tion to one who comes from the Interior, it has the

reputation of being a dirty and unhealthy place of
resi !ence. The streets, though narrow', as in Turkey
generally, have side walks on both sides of them, and
betw een these runs a continuous dark stream of dirty
water. The tow'n is certainly highly favoured in both

the quantity and the quality of its water, and artificial

fountains are met with on every side. But the water
runs ofl'ujwn the surface, there being no sewers to convey
it out of sight. Moreover the people are cAmstantly
throwing every species of offal and filth into it. They
have another very dirty custom : instead of repairing
the pipes which convey the water to the town and dis-
tribute it to the fountains, they frequently throw' dung
into them, in order to prevent their leaking. Surely
a sanitary committee is loudly called for at Cassaba.
Tlie water-supply of the town comes from a very fine

and abundant spring, some two or three miles distant.

It flows through an aqueduct about 40 feet below the

ground, with openings for ventilation every 200 yards.
It is evidently an ancient work, of remarkable solidity.

Time will, however, destroy the most solid works of

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 ;

288 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. xxvi.

men, and tbi.s aqueduct has broken down in some

places, and leaks in many more. The Turks have no
provision for repairing public works ; it is one of the
beauties of the IMuslem faith that such deeds are
great acts of virtue, which will meet witli special

rewards in heaven. It has therefore either been taken

for granted that such things would be attended to, or
else fear has been entertained that any public provision
would take away the merit of those charitable deeds
and it is well known that every public building or
work is going to ruin in this land. Once in a long

period a man who has amassed riches by murder and

rapine will, under the influence of some twinges of
conscience, leave a few “purses” to repair an old
bridge, or to bring water into a long dried-up fountain.

But these may truly be regarded as rare exceptions

to the general rule. And so it is that at Cassaba the

Homan aqueduct, instead of being repaired, is filled

with dung to keep it from leaking. Offers have been

made by European engineers to make the repairs, but

the Government refuse to provide the funds. The

water is remarkably fine and pure near the spring, and
many peojile go there to fetch their store of it ;
but by
the time it reaches the town through the aqueduct it

becomes a dark-coloured and filthy fluid, quite unfit to

Ire used as a beverage.*

* The ravafios of the cholera were fearful and unprecedented at

Cassaba in 1805, a year after our visit, which is sufficiently e.\plained
by the above description of the water supply. Who is rcsjwnsible
for this dreadful mortality?

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Chap. XXVI.] Buildings of Cassaba. 289

The buildings of this place, though generally of mud,

show a decided advance in civilization. They are often
plastered and painted, cs|)ecially the side towards the
street ;
the roofs are uniformly covered with tile.s, and
we meet here the Turkish chahnisy, a portion of the
upper story projecting several feet into the street.
Despite all the disfavour which this fashion meets with,
especially on account of its favouring the spread of a con-
flagration, there is no doubt that it is a great comfort
in the summer The end windows receive the
season.
breeze which alw ays flows up and down the narrow streets
and diffuse it through the house ;
not only adding much
to the comfort of the inmates, but also rendering the
habitation more healthy. Cassaba evidently takes
its pattern from Smyrna, but it calls to mind what
Smyrna was thirty years ago. The Greelc language
appears to be generally spoken ;
and as we walked
about the place, we noticed that the men and women of
that nation dress very much as in Smyrna. The elder

women, however, very generally wear full trowsers and

a jacket, while the younger and the girls use the gown ;

this would indicate that a few years ago the Turkish

dress was still in use. Here tlip Rayah women dro])

the veil, which they are obliged strictly to adhere to

through all the Interior.
We took a room in the best khan, a large structure
of wood and mud bricks, consisting of an inner court with

central fountain, surrounded by two stories ;

stables

and ofiSces below, and lodging-rooms above. We occu-

VOL. II. u

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290 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. xxvi.

pied the coiner room up-stairs, and had a good view

of two streets. Our furniture was fine in comparison

to anything the Interior had offered us —a sofa, rude

table, stool, and rickety chair. Looking about us and
taking a stroll, we noticed that fig and pomegranate-
trees were abundant, and covered with fruit. One
cannot visit Cassaba in the warmer season of the year
without being struck with the immense number of
storks. They are perched, and have their nests, upon
nearly every chimney and liouse-top, and are flying
about in all directions, and “ tak-tak ”-ing with
their bills almost incessantly. They walk about in the
streets and courts, and pick up their food among dogs
and men, with as much unconcern as would be shown
by a chicken or a turkey ;
we had seen the same thing
at Toorkhal and Afion Karahissar. The great marshy
plain below doubtless affords them an abundant feeding-
ground, and all the natives are compelled, by the
bigoted hospitality of the Muslem, to leave them in

undisturbed possession of the upper portions of their

premises. Such hospitality, however, is not always
well rewarded, for the stork has been known not un-
frequcntly to introduce snakes into the house. The
same superstitious feeling has also protected the ring

or turtle-dove in Cas.saba, whose cooing and fluttering

is heard on every side. This bird is only found in
towns ;
I have not seen any upon the plateau, nor on
the northern shores of the Peninsula, though they are
found to some extent in Constantinople ;
they are very

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Chap. XXVI.] Siorks and Ring-Doves. 291

bold in the Turkish quarters of the towns, where they

are never molested. They prefer somewhat wet and
shady spots ;
there is one at this moment walking and
feeding right under tlie window where I sit, unmindful
of passers by. They are called “ dJiekoJchtooras” in

Greek, which means eighteen, a good imitation of their

cry, for which, however, the Greeks endeavour to give
an explanation, by saying that they represent an
unfortunate daughter-in-law, whoso mother quarrelled
with her al)out some loaves of bread from which one
was missing. The poor daughter kept asserting that
eighteen was the number, not nineteen, that had been
baked. To release her from her life of torment and
abuse she w'as transformed into a ring-dove, and thus is

heard ever and anon to reiterate the disputed assertion,

“ It eighteen, eighteen!" (SeKao/creo.) Would that the
hospitality of the Turks were confined to storks,
“ eighteens,” and dogs. They have their uses, and
form a part of the economy of nature in this coimtry,
of which one broken link would doubtless cause the
whole chain to give way. But when it comes to
certain blood-suckers which patronise not the street,
and the house-top or chimney, but the interior of the

habitation itself, it becomes a question as to who shall

vacate the premises ! I remember well how' at Con-

stantinople Sultan Abdool Mijid removed one day

from his winter palace of Cheragan to his summer
palace of Beilerbey, without previously asking leave
of the already-admitted tenants; and he, therefore.

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2g2 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. xxvi.

the very next morning moved back again from

Beilerbey to Cheragan. Bed-bugs were too powerful
even for his Highness the Sultan. I have been assured
that he never again stopped at Beilerbey, at least
through the night, until the whole palace was accidentally
burneil down to the ground.

Noticed a great abimdance of laurel or oleander

bushes between Cassaba and the banks of the Hermus.
There are yet many crimson tlowers upon them. The
first we had seen from the moment ve set foot on
shore at Samsoon and throughout our land journey,
were met with between Salihly and Cassaba.
September ^th, Sunday . — The elevation of Cassaba
(434 feet) indicates a rise of groimd of 27 feet above
Salihly. This town is supported by agriculture and
the raising of silk-worms. It commands a great extent
of fertile land on both banks of the Hermus; and
there, among other products, are grown the famous
Cassaba melons, which are carried in such quantities
to Smyrna, and are even offered for sale at Constan-

tinople since the introduction of steam communication.

Cotton is also an important staple, and all the usual
grains are grown with advantage. The higher groimds
are planted with vineyards. A large surface is also

covered with gardens and mulberry plantations ;

but
though cocoons are raised here in abundance, there is

no local manufacture; they are all exported. The

introduction of such branches of industry by the natives
themselves is effectually prevented by the system of

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 ;

Chap. XXV^.] The Nif Cliay. 293

robbing and extortion carried on by Government

officials and Turks in authority, added to the impossi-
bility of the Rayalis Ghe only class which possesses the
requisite qualities for engaging in manufactures) ob-
taining redress in the courts —chiefly because their tes-
timony is not received against a IMuslem. The only
manufactures that have succeeded in this country are
carried on by foreigners, and they maintain their posi-

tion only by the ever watchful protection of their

respective Governments.
Monday, September i>th. — Rose at 2 a.m., and started
at 4. A man led us with a huitern through the town,
and it began to dawn some time after we had put our
horses to their paces upon the high road. The morn-
ing was quite cool, a fresh breeze blowing from Tahtali
on our left. The groimd was at first sandy and pebbly,
and we were told that this jiart is often under water
during the winter, compelling the traveller to follow a
more circuitous road nearer the mountain. Lines of
laurel bushes closed the view of the plain on our right.

At 5'45 came to a ciifd among clusters of trees, and

we soon after reached theNifChay, a very considerable
stream, which rises in tlie mountain of Tahtali, and
flows to the Ilermus. The water is now' very low

the stream meanders and turns so many times in the

narrow but beautifully-shaded valley, that we had to
cross it five times ;
the last time was by the side of
a stone bridge, of which four arches alone are standing,
several others having been carried away. The banks

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294 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XXVI.

of this river abound with the platanus or plane-trees,

of remarkable size and beauty ;
the oleander grows
luxuriantly in clusters, and trees of different species
form bowers and groves in every direction. Nightin-
gales must be very abundant here in the spring, for

this is just the kind of place they like best to frequent.

Tlie mountain is so near that the river fills its bed

and becomes imfordable after a heavy rain, and tra-

vellers are compelled to follow a path upon the slope

of Sipylus on the north side of the valley, and to cross

the Nif Chay at a bridge situated lower down. This
valley is famous for highway robberies ;
for the thick

clusters of trees and bushes enable the bandits to hide

wherever they like, and to shoot down the traveller
as he crosses the stream. Nymphio, which gives its

name to this river, is situated on the left, at the foot

of Talitali Mountain ;
and all the land between it and
the Nif Chay is green with orchards and fruit-trees,

where are gathered, among others, the celebrated

Nymphio cherries. We soon came out of this fertile
and delicious valley, and passed into another, which
shortly became as remarkable for its excessive aridity,
being stony, dry, and at last wholly destitute of verdure.
The white limestone rocks were not only hard to
travel .upon, but they reflecte I the burning rays of
the sun with such intensity as to be even painful to
the eye. Our poor horses dragged themselves wearily
through this pass as we went a^long the inhospitable

slopes of Sipylus. We reached the miserable hut

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I
Chap. XXVI.] Mount Sipylus. 2,95

dignified with the name of cafe, but well characterized

as Tash Cafe, the rock cafe, at h'SO. It lies just before

the entrance to the cut or narrow gorge that leads out

into the plain of Smyrna. ^Ye went up this pass,
and found most of it only a few feet in width, with
steep banks on both sides. It is paved throughout,
though the pavement is in a ruinous condition. As
we rode through wo could not avoid reflecting upon
its eventful history. We here met some machinery,
dragged along upon wooden rollers ;
it was intended
for a cotton-cleaning factory, about to be set up by a
European in Cassaba. De.'iceuding from the highest

point upon the road, which was still hemmed in by

high banks, effectually closing up the pros2)ect, we
'
reached Bell Cafe at 10 15 ,
and suddenly emerged
upon a small platform, whence we had a complete
view of the whole plain and gulf of Smyrna, the two
lines of mountains on the right and left running
parallel to the west, while the space between them in

the foreground was occupied by a level and fertile plain

studded with villages ;
—the turreted hill of Pngus,
some distance off in the line of hills on the left, with
the town of Smyrna starting from its base and spread-
ing almost across the picture, the ohl windmill upon
the point of land ending the line of buildings on the
north, — then the dear blue sea, the old familiar outline
of the “ Two Brothers,” and the sea-castle beneath
them, and far, far off in dim outline, our old friend the

weather-gauge, hoary old Carabournoo, the mountain

296 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XXVI.

and cape which closes the gulf on the we.st. ^^'e stood
still a moment in amazement at tlie splendid panorama,
the sense of the beautiful and the love of “home”
conspiring to fill us with enthusiasm, and we all
spontaneously gave a shout of recognition and a hearty
cheer. I am sure the Turks and Greeks about us
must have wondered where we came from, to be so
much excited by the sight of the old place. We
could scarcely bring ourselves to rest here through
the warmest part of the day, in order to refresh both
man and beast. We waited some time, however,
before our horses came up, for we had unconsciously
pushed forwurd at. a rapid pace. The spot was truly
beautiful. The pass behind us can be seen from quite

a distance at sea, appearing like a deep indentation in

the chain or wall of hills which rises at the end of the
valley between Tahtali and Sipylus. It is, indeed,

one of the land-marks by which vessels are steered

into tlie port of Smyrna. Cultivation begins at the
Bell Cafe, and gives freshne.ss to 'the little valleys

which lead dowm to the plain, while the summits of

the mica and limestone hills are barren and rocky. The
cafe with its stable is well shaded by a clump of plane-
trees, and there are ruins of other huts. We rested
here until 2 r.M., when we started down the steep hill
over a paved road, which is sadly out of repair. The
weather would have been oppressive but for the fine

sea breeze, here called the Imbat, blowing right in

our faces. The wind had been from the south-east.

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 Gulf.

its

and

Smyrna

of

view

Distant

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Chap. XXVI.] Home Again. 299

and the air was charged with hot vapours ;

we saw
the westerly breeze coming long before we felt it,

by the sails of the boats in the gulf. Passed on

through plantations of olives and pomegranates, with
the village of Narlikeuy on the right, which derives
its name from this latter tree ;
and at 3 o’clock
arrived at a cafe which lies opposite to *Boornabat, on
the south side of the plain ;
this is called one hour
from the city. Eode by the spring, a little sheet of
water, shaded by an anc ient platanus, which is known
as “Diana’s Path,” now turning a flour-mill. Here,
instead of continuing on the straight road to Smyrna,
we turned into a stony side lane, which took us to the
Pooja road, on the edge of the lacustrine formation,
and thus under the walls of ancient Smyrna, through
the gap well known among the natives by the name of
Kara Kapoo, the Black Gate. We had from this spot

a fine view of the plain, which is traversed by the

A'idin Eailway, with Sedikeuy at the foot of Jlount
Corax. And thus following our old beaten track over
the plain by the “ white mountain,” and through “ the
paths among the vineyards,” we were brought by God’s
good providence in safety to the dear summer home
at Sedikeuy, which we had been approaching ever since
we started from Tocat on our overland journey, forty-

one days before.

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;oo Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap, xxvii.

CHAPTER XXVII.

Visit to the Statue of Xiohe — l!e"ion of Mount Sipylus — Valley of

Nymphio; abode of the “Divine Nymphs” — Distant view of
the stone image — Erroneous impressions of travellers concerning
it — Appearance of the statue on a close view — Dimensions and
— The “
description of Niobe” — Tradition respecting the
tears
Statue — Evidence of ancient writers — Suggested explanation
Agreement with the Greek legend Visit the Monument
to
of —
Sesostris ascent — Herodotus’ description — Ileturn
Difficult
to Nymphio — Unsuccessful attempt exaction — Palace of the
at
Byzantine Emperors.

T had been our intention, before ending the long

I overland journey described in the foregoing
pages, to visit two of the most interesting monu-
ments of antiquity, and probably the very oldest to
be found on the Peninsula. But, tliough these lay not
far off our road, tve were naturally anxious to reach
home, and, as they were near Smyrna, we easily per-
suaded ourselves to put off ou^ visit to a later period.

I refer to the Bust of Niobe upon the eastern extremity

of Mount Sipylus, and to the Monument of Sesostris,
near the northern entrance of the pass through Tmolus,
from the plains of the Hermus to those of the Cayster.
The last of these is recognised and accepted by all
but it is difficult of access, and few venture upon the

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Chap. XXVII.] Gulf of Smyrna.^ 301

undertukinp; of paying it a vi.sit, thougli such trouble

is rarely better rewarded. But there has been so much
misapprehension and misrepresentation respecting the
Bust of Xiobe, and it is yet so remarkable a monument,
that the reader will doubtless thank me for minutely
describing it.

But first, a few introductory words respecting the

general features of this region.
The Gulf of Smyrna, which lies about the middle
of the we.stern coa.st of Asia Minor, is formed by two
ranges of hills, running east and we.st Sfjme 3 to 5
miles apart ;
near their western extremity another
mmmtain, the ancient Alimas, running north and
south, closes up the mouth, leaving, however, a
broad entrance at the north-west corner. The two
parallel lines of hills of which we have spoken rise

higher as they tend eastward, and tlie southern one

becomes Mount Tmolus, while the northern is Mount
Sipylus. There is what may he called a bridge of hills

thrown across from Tmolus to Sipylus, thus completing

the enclotuire wherein lies the Gulf of Smyrna. Smyrna
itself is built at the foot of a hill, called Mount Pagus,
on the south side of the enclosure, and from the city
to the eastern hills the water of the Gulf has been
displaced by low alluvial land, which is covered with
gardens, vineyards, and olive-groves, and studded with
pro.sperous villages. The rich valley of Nif, or Xymphio,
has already been described as of surpassing loveliness
and beauty in its central portions, though surrounded

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302 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XXVII.

by arid and barren cliffs. It is watered by the Nif

Chay, which flows out of the sides of Tmolus. And
the place was. doubtless, as attractive for its natural
beauties in ancient times as it now is ; for the llyzan-

tine emperors had a palace here, erected by the younger

Andronicus, whither they retired from the cares of
state.

Old Homer, in describing the Statue of Niobe on

Mount Sipylus, thus portrays the locality (we use a
literal translation, as Pope’s does not faithfully render
the original). He says :

“And now’ among the rocks and solitary cliffs of

Sii)ylu8, where they say are the couches of the Divine
Nymphs, who dance upon the banks of Achelous, she

[Niobe] though turned to stone, stiU broods upon the

pains inflicted by the gods.” — (‘ H.,’ xxiv. 614.)

There is not in all the surroundings of Mount Sipylus

any place more likely to have been the reputed resort
of the “ Divine Nymphs,” who retired to their couches
in the adjoining cliffs, than this valley of Nymphio. The
Nif Chay also answers to the descrijDtion of the Ache-
loiis, rising as it does in the side of Mount Tmolus, and
flowing past Sipylus to the Hermus. And the name of
Nymphio, a corruption, no doubt, of Nu/a^oio)i/, the abode
of the Nymphs, shortened to Nif by the barbarian Turks,
is an additional evidence that this was indeed the spot
described by Homer. It is a very ancient place, as

may be seen from the remains of a bath and a castle

on the hill, and history has never given it any other

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Chap. XXVII.] Valley of Nymphio. 303

name. All these circumstiinces lead us to the con-

clusion that we have the Acheloiis in the present Nif
Chay, and that the valley of Nymphio is the reputed
abode of the ancient Nymphs. The statue of Niobe
cannot, therefore, be far away. We now proceed with
the narrative of our first visit to the very ancient
statue, which the people of the country have always
agreed to call Niobe, but which all travellers

Chishell, Arundel, Strickland, Hamilton, Texier, and

many more —consider to be either a statue of Cybele,
the mother of the gods, or a momiment of some de-
parted hero.
There is now a railway from Smyrna to Magnesia, a

large and important town on the north side of Mount

Sipylus, occupying a recess where a prominent and
steep hill is crowned with the remains of its ancient
fortress or castle. It was an autumn day, and we had
ridden in the cars, reaching Magnesia in about two
hours after leaving Smyrna, the distance traversed by
the road being about 40 miles, winding round the head
of the gulf to Menemen, and following thence the course
of the Hermus. The road that leads from Magnesia to
Nymphio, or more directly eastward to Cassaba, Sardis,
and Philadelphia, is the ancient road of the world’s con-
querors from Sesostris to Timoorlenk (Tamerlane), and
skirts the plain at the foot of Mount Sipylus. As you
proceed the mountain rises more and more abruptly from
the plain, which is fertile and well cultivated ;
vine-

yards, mulberry plantations, and fields of grain, extend

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 3°4 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap, xxvil.

to the distant hills, and hide the course of the

Hermus, which flows from east to west about 2 miles

on our left. I passed over this road in a rough

cart on four wheels, without springs, drawn by two
miserable horses, whose harness was made of untanne 1

leather and ropes, and driven by a Crimean Tartar.

Our course was between the mountain and the con-
tinuation of the railway from Magnesia eastward to
Cassaba.
After riding alx)ut three-quarters of an hour, we
cro.ssed a mill-run by a little bridge. This small
canal is dug out of the mountain side, and is solidly
built up with stones and cemented with lime. It ex-

tends to a distance of 500 yards, to where it is crossed

again by another bridge, and is a far more solid struc-

ture than we generally see in the country. A good

part of the way, a paved road for carriages, now out of
repair, lies beside it. The water it conveys flows west-
ward toward the plain, and is employed in working a
flour-mill. Following this canal for about 100 yards,
after passing the last bridge, we came to a miserable

cafe, on the left of the road, built by the edge of a

pretty pond, which supplies the canal or mill-run. This
slieet of water is 300 yards long, and about 50 wi le,

stretching along the edge of the mountain, from which

it is separated only by the road. It is replenished by
four springs issuing from the giound upon its brink,
and there are others, it is said, beneath the water. This
pond is evidently artificial, being formed by an ancient

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Chap. XXVII.] Statue of Niobe. 305

wall of solid blocks of stone, which retains the water on

the side toward the plain.
\\’e have described this spot so minutely, because
some ycry learned men have thought it was once the
site of a whole city which was swallowed up by an
earthquake. Its small size is quite against this sup-

position.

We now go back to the narrative of our visit to this

spot. AVhen about 1 50 yards from the cafe, our driver
called out, “Here is the Tash Suret!” (stone image).
Looking uj) we saw what appeared to be a woman’s
rude form carved out of tlie rock ;
the arid and barren
limestone, which had hitherto formed the higher por-
tions of the mountain, here gradually descends nearer

the ])lain, otfering a ledge often quite perpendicular.

Where it faces the north-east it is particvilarly smooth,

and the figure appeared to bo carved in relief upon its

surface. There is an indistinctness from below espe-

cially, because the sun can light it up only early in

the morning, which accounts for the fact ’that some

people have thought it only a freak of nature, and
would not take the trouble to go up and examine it.

The image is colossal; from below I received the

impression that it represents a woman in long robes,

reaching to her feet, whose folds seemed very dis-

tinctly marked. This is the idea adopted by travel-

lers who have written upon the subject. Had they
gone up they would have seen that the statue con-
sists simply of a hust set upon a pedestal, and that
VOL. II. X

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3o6 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap, xxvii.

what they took for folds of a rohe are Niobe's tears,

trickling down from her face to the bottom of the

monument. Some travellers, however, have thought
the statue “represents a w’oman in a sitting posture,
and in an attitvde of contemplation;” and Stewart
actually gives us a picture of the woman thus sitting,

and u-ith her arms folded upon her breast!

I hastened to the cafd, and on inquiring about

tho best path to ascend the mountain, learnt that a
Greek who stood by the roadside, and sold yevrehia

(cakes) to the passing camel drivers, is the cicerone of

the statue. him before me, and begtin
I therefore set
a steep and fatiguing ascent, made somewhat dangerous
by the loose stones over which we had to pass.
The ascent begins at the road 1 could see the ;

interesting object of my visit at a high angle up the

mountain, right over the pond already described. We
followed a zigzag course, first upon soil cut up by the
winter rains, and then over pieces of hard limestone
which had fallen from above. We finally reached a
small platform of earth, by the side of a large rock
standing apart from the main body, and probably fallen
from it ;
I had, from this point, a very good view of the
statue, in some respects the best. This spot does not lie

in front, but a little to the left and below the statue

dishmee about 50 yards. I then climbed to the base
of the monument ;
but Pausanius had truly said of it,

“ Wlien standing close to it, the rock and precipice do

not show to the beholder the form of a woman, weeping

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Statae of Niobe.

Dk: ‘ by -
Chap. X-Wai.] Statue of Niobc. 309

or otherwi.se ; but if you stand farther, you think you

see a woman weeping and sjid.” — (‘ Attica.’ L. i. 21, 5.)
Viewed close by, it appears of unnatural breadth, and
such unnatural form that some have doubted whether
it was intended to represent a human being at all.

The “ tears,” too, streak it over with broad lines of blue

of various shades which bewilder the mind. At a
moderate distance these defects disappear, and the
design of the artist is clearly perceptible. The spot
most favourable for viewing it is on the right, its own
left or western side. The shades there bring out the
sculpture, and the desired level can be secured. The
accompanying sketch was drawn from that spot.

The description I shall now give of the statue is the

result of the examination made, not during this visit

only, but also on a subsequent occasion, when a whole

j>arty of us came to the spot with all that was requisite

for taking precise measurements.

The soil stands some 12 feet below the base of the
monument, and a narrow platform or artilicial projec-

tion is cut out of the rock. This projection, well worn

and very slippery, extends not only in front of the

work, but for a considerable distance on its eastern

side. From this projection to the top of the rock
the height is about 50 feet, over the whole of which
the surface from top to bottom has been cut smooth
with the chisel for a considerable distance on both
sides of the sculpture. An alcove, or niche, some
35 feet in height, and 10 feet 4 inches by measurement

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310 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XXVIi.

iu width, has been cut into the rock, and a smaller

alcove, of much greater depth, surrounds the bust itself.

The latter is of colossal size, representing the head,

shoulders, and breast of a female, and ending a little
above the waist. The arms are wanting. The work
stands boldly out from the rock, being in high dUo
relievo. The features are wholly obliterated, the
marble being there completely broken off, and even
dug into at the place of the right eye and cheek.
Some traces of hair, unless it be the rough chiselings,
are visible over the left ear, which is also gone. The
bust is sot upon a broad and high pedestal, upon each
side of which is a shelf, perhaps for the purpose of
receiving offerings. The wdiole work from the top of
the head to the base of the pedestal measures 20 feet
8 inches, the entire bust being 8 feet 3^ inches in
height, and 9 feet wide at the shoulders, while the
height of the head is 4 feet 2 inches. The two shelves
stand 7 feet 1^ inches from the bottom. But the
characteristic feature of this sculpture, that which
enables us to identify it as the bust of Niobe, consists
in the “ flood of tears ” which incessantly pour down
from her face to the base of the monument. The
appearance is remarkable and striking. The stone
here is of white marble, slightly tinged with red. The
general face of the rock, however, affected by the
influence of the atmosjjhere, is blue ;
the two alcoves
are white, as is the whole carved work. But from
the eyes, and especially from the right eye, a

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Chap. XXVII.] Tears of Niobe^ 3 ”
dark blue vein descends over the lower part of the
face, drops upon the breast, falls upon the pedestal,
and flows thence in two broad streams down to the
foot. The first time I examined this monument it

seemed to me that these blue veins were portions of

the rock of wliich the artist had availed himself in
order to represent the tears of Niobe ; they were hard
and dry, and on being cut with an iron tool presented

every appearance of a blue vein. But, upon a later

visit, I foimd that it had just rained, and the water
was yet dripping from the ledge overhead to Niobe’s
face, and actually flowing down the face of the sculp-
ture, imparting to these veins a much deeper hue.
They had also been softened by the moisture, and
could be broken off with a sharp tool. My conclu-
sion, therefore, %vas, that the water trickles down the
rock so as to strike uixjn the face of the bust, and
leaving a blueish lime deposit wherever it passes,

represents a flood of tears pouring down the monu-

ment.
My cicerone informe 1 me that, since the opening of

the Smyrna, Magnesia, and Cassaba Kailway, many

visitors come to this sjx>t ;
and, said he, the English
stand at the outer rock, and fire with ball at the face
of the statue ! The story appeared incredible, for it

seemed more likely that the Turks would commit such

an act of Vandalism ;
but he assured me that it was so,

and that he had himself repeatedly seen the English

do it. The only motive I can imagine is the English

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312 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XXVI I.

passion for a small bit of everj’ihing they see abroad

to carry home and show to their friends. I had
ocular demonstration of the number of visitors who
now come to the spot in the many initials rudely
scratched upon the accessible j)ortions of the work.
I could perceive no trace of any buildings connected
with this sculpture; but they may have been obli-

terated by time. There are several tombs cut in the

rock near by.
The view from this spot is extensive and fine

the great plain stretches to the horizon, and not far

below us meet three celebrated streams, the Gediz or
Hermus, the Nif Chay, Homer’s Acheloiis, and the

Koom Chay, “ the fishy Hylus ” (another of Homer’s

ajipropriatc epithets). The plain is narrowest to the
N.E., the hills of Kara Dagh coming forward in this
place ;
but in every other direction it presents an im-
broken mass of verdure which melts into the distant
mountains.
Standing at the base of this ancient monument, some
400 feet above the plain, I looked right down into the
little lake I have dcscril>ed. Can any one doubt, I

thought, that Homer’s mind turned to this spot, and

that this was the Niobe who, weeping though turned to
stone, filled with her tears the basin beneath her feet,

of w hom he sang :
“ Upon arid Sipylus, upon the rocks
of the desert mountain, . . . Kiobe, though turned to
stone, still broods over the sorrows the gods have sent
upon her” ? Such were my reflections when the

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Chap. XXVII.] Ancient Tradition. 313

cicerone, the yevrehji, broke out with the following

“ There is a tradition that this statue was once a
woman whose children were killed, and she wept so
that Qoil changed her to stone ;
they say her tears
made a pond down there, and still keep it full.” It is

indeed strange to find that all the people around here,

lx)th learned and ignorant, unite in calling this Niobe;
and that all our learned European travellers, on the
other hand, should agree in denying it. For my own
part, I think tradition is right this time, and that
the learned are wrong. I find by comparing their
accounts with the statue itself, that they contain an
astonishing amount of mistakes. One learned author
says the statue lies 100 feet from the road, and
another, equally authentic, makes it 05 feet. For my
own part I am satisfied that this statue is old Niobe,
one of the most ancient sculptures in existence; for
it stood there in Homer’s day. Others, after him,
have thought the work worthy of their pen. Pau-
sanius goes out of his way to tell us that he had seen
Niobe herself when he went up the Mountain Sipylus.
Strabo connects Niobe with the “ Cirhesian pond,”
answering to the one wo have described. And Ovid,
speaking w ith still greater precision, says :

“ She weeps still, and, borne by the hurricane of a mighty

wind.
She is swept to her homo. There, fastened to the cliff of the
Mount,
She weeps, and the marble sheds tears yet even now.”
Ovid, Met. ii., 310.

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314 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XXVII.

An explanation, however, may be suggested which

will reconcile the two theories that this statue is Cybele,
the Mother of the Gods, and that it is Niobe. It may
bo that this sculpture was executed in a very remote
antiquity to represent a female deity, Cybele, or some
form of nature worship; that the natural water-drip
from the rock above upon the marble gave it from the
first the same striking watermark which it still bears,

maintained by the same cause ;

and that this appear-

mice suggested to the lively imagination of the Greeks

the whole myth of Niobe, her tears, her sorrows, her

stony transformation, her perpetual weeping. The

Greek word Niobe connects itself with ‘’the pouring of
water” and “the falling of snow” and vLirra,

and vicpQ)), so that “stony 'Niobe all tears” is probably

but a Greek impersonation of tlie drip-drip of the

marble rock upon the ancient rock sculpture, which

thus acquired the nsune of Niobe, “the weeping one.”
It is also remarkable that the Greek myth calls, the
eldest son of Niobe “ Sipylus,” the very name of the
mountain in which this statue is foimd. Whether this

be the true explanation or not, the great point of

interest is still the same, that the tradition which
connects this statue with Niobe is as old as Homer,
and the sculpture older still, while his mention of the
“places of the Divine Nymphs” seems to mark this

spot as the locus of some very ancient religious worship.

Another very curious point arises from the notice

of this sculpture by Homer. He introduces the

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Chap. XXVII.] Suggested Explanation. 315

nipiition of Niolx* in the speech of Achilles to Priam,

when he has consented to give up the corpse of Hector

to his father. He presses the aged king to take food

even amid.st his sorrows, “for,” he says, “even Niobe

was mindful of food in her deep grief, when her
twelve children wore destroyed;” then, narrating the
legend, Achilles says again, “She therefore was mindful
of foofl when wearied w'ith weeping.” I do not know
that this fKnnted allusion to Niobe’s unremitting care
for food has ever been explained. I venture to suggest

that the allusion may be to the offerings of food here

made to the image by her votaries, as we have already

(p. 310) noticed the shelf adapted to that purpose.
Homer seems to speak (may we suppose, with the
slightest touch of sarcasm ?) as the priests of the
imago were wont to speak of its votaries: “Niobe,
though ever sorrowful, is ever needing food —your
offerings,” &c. Such an interpretation of the passage
brings to our minds the crafts of the priests of Bel
and the sarcasms of Daniel.
Certainly, the whole scene around us at this moment
agrees remarkably with the Grecian legend, and may
be looked upon as the very birthjdace of the myth of
Niobe. She is the “daughter of Tantalus,” over
whose head, remember, the rock was always hanging
ready to fall. Tantalus is nothing else than a rock
hanging poised in air (raXain-euw) ever threatening to

come down, an exact description of the constant dis-

integration of the face of the hills in this region.

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3i6 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap, xxvil.

Niobe, in her deep-cut alcove under the overhanging

ledge of rock is “daughter of Tantalus.” She is, as
Cyhele, the great mother — her very boast; and “her
children, struck down to earth, slain by Phoebus and
Diana,” are the masses of rock, such as we have just
passed over, that fall into the valley, separated from
the cliffs by the action of the sun and rain. “They
lie unburicd on the plain,” Homer tells us, “till on
the tenth day the heavenly gods bury them ; ” the
fallen rocks after a time break up under the influences
of the weather. “ Here, in these mountains of Sipylus
are the couches of the divine Nymphs that dance,
or stream, about Achelovis,” that is, in this hill now
above us are the springs (which, indeed, we have just
passed) from which flow down the streams that feed
Acheloiis at our feet; Acheloiis, “the son of Sol,”

springing, that is, from the melting of the snows in

summer. If we are right in thus interpreting the scene

before us and the Homeric legend, then this most ancient
statue is not an image sculptured to represent the story
of Niobe, but it is itself the very original from which
that story sprang. Carved in the most remote antiquity
to represent, it may be, Cybele, the deity of a race
that preceded the Greek immigration, the circum-
stances that gathere 1 round it gave rise in the
imaginative minds of the Greeks to the whole beautiful
legend of Niobe, all stone and all tears, as we see her

at this moment, and we here look upon a monument

which was even to Homer an object of venerable and

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Chap. XXVII.] Monument of Sesostris. 317

unknown antiquity, a monument antecedent not only

to liistory, bxit in some sense to mythology itself.

My vLsit to the Monument of Sesostris was made in

the company of several very agreeable young gentle-
men who desire 1 to spend their Easter vacation in
making an excursion to some of the ancient sites of
greatest celebrity in the neighbourhood of Smyrna.
We went together not to Nymphio alone, but, passing by
Cassaba, we visited the ruins of Sardis, and the Bin hir

Tepeh, the numerous mounds which formed the necro-

polis of that capital of Lydia.

I must premise that Herodotus refers to this bas-

relief in the follow ing terms :

“ There are in Ionia two
figures of Sesostris carved on the rocks, the one (by

the way) by which men come from Ephesus to Phocea,

the other (by the way) by which they come from

Sardis to Smyrna.” I shall refer farther on to the
rest of his descrijdion, which is remarkably correct,

but will now observe that the other monument here

referrel to has not yet been discovered. It is also

worthy of notice that there is a similar monument

of Sesostris on the remarkable rocky ledge at the
mouth of the Nahr el Kelb, the Dog Kiver, near
Beyrout, in Syria, where his later imitators have
sought to immortalize themselves by leaving similar
marks of their passage ;
so that there stand side by
side the boastful inscriptions of the Egyptian, Assyrian,
3i8 Travels in Asia Mmor. [Chap. XXVII.

tind Roman conquerors, ending with Selim, Sultan of

the Osmanlies.
Monday, April 22nd . —Rode out of Smyrna going east,

and passed by “Diana’s Bath,” a spring which oozes

out of the ground from .among the roots^of a lofty
platanus, and feeds a j)ond which modern improvements
have successively made a paper factory and a flour

mill. A Temple of Diana and Homer’s Grotto (one out

of the thousand which bear his name) are claimed to
have stood near by in ancient times. We passed below
Kookloodja, a prosperous Greek village on our right,
w hose tall chiu'ch steeple is a conspicuous object in all
the surrounding region. At 8 we passed an old Turkish
cemetery. The Turks have been gradually withdrawing
from the villages of the plain to the suburbs of Smyrna,
unable to resist the advance of enterprise and wealth
possessed by native Christians and Europeans. This
is always the ease in Turkey wherever the too close
oversight of European eyes prevents them from robbing
people with whom they cannot enter into fair com})eti-

tion. Leaving the large village of Boornabat about two

miles on our left, we passed through the thick groves of
pomegranate trees which belong to and give its name
to the village of Narlikeuy, pomegranate village,
situated on the left side of the road, and beyond the
groves. The village of Hadjilar (pilgrims to Mecca)
lies farther on, also upon the left. After crossing an
extensive plain, and traversing the narrow pass of Bell

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Chap. XXVII.] The Gtiides. 319

Cafe over the mountain, we approached Nymphio, where

the thick foliage of the orcliards, gardens, and vine-
yards quite refreshed the eye. Just before going into
the village, we saw a large oblong building of stone
with regular layers of bricks, standing in a garden
near the road. It is called the Palace of the Byzantine
Emperors, and is said to have been erected by the
younger And ronicus. Reached Nymphio at 11. It is

a large village built at the entrance of a narrow gorge

which runs uj) from the broad valley into Slount
Tmolus. Looking down towards the nortli, the valley
appears one broad mass of verdure extending to the
foot of Mount Sipylus on the opjx)site side.

We sent to the 3Iudir, or Governor, to point us out

lodgings, and were shown to the house of a respectable
Greek gentleman, who offered us a pleasant and clean
upper room, with adjoining piazza and terrace ;
and
having partaken of some refreshment, we got into the
saddle again at 12'40, and followed two tall and well-
armed guards, dressed in the Ze'ibek style, with bare

legs and high caps, from which hang a profusion of

little tassels of various colours. These had been fur-

nished us as guides by the Mudir. It was evident

there were exj>ectations of making something by the
job, for he refused to give us but one guide, saying
it was customary to send two. We followed a path
leading along the mountain side into a valley which soon
becomes narrower, and observed some very peculiar
hills upon its western side, which indicate great volcanic
320 Travels in Asia Mmor. [Chap. XXVII.

perturbation. It was evident as we proceeded that we

were turning farther away from what must have been
“ the road from Sardis to Smyrna ” in Herodotus’ time.
We expected, from Herodotus’ statement, to find the
monument on the sides of Sipylus, and foimd ourselves
intently eyeing the opposite mountains to catch a
distant sight of some prominent ledge which might
contain the precious carvings. But we entered a gorge
nmning south-east into the very heart of the mountain.
Just before reaching this gorge, we saw a dilapidated
guard-house, whose occupants expect a bakshish from
the European visitors who come here to pay their
respects to the Egyptian monarch: we did not call
upon them now, but did so on our return. This is said

to be a bad place for robberies. It is the beginning

of a pass that leads across Mount Tmolus from the
plain of Cassaba on the north to that of Eudemish
and Ba'indir on the south ;
and on account of its

difficult and inaccessible nature, it is reported to be

the retreat of the highway robbers who ply their
trade upon both sides of the mountain. Crossed the
stream, and proceeded along its eastern bank, where
there was scarcely room enough for a path. The sides
of the gorge are rocky and steep, and the bed of the
river is filled with fallen fragments. The rock is a
red conglomerate, with hard limestone upon the top.
There are many pine trees, and the imderbrush is tall

and full. At 2'10 our guides stopped under a tall

pine, and pointing up hill to the left, told us that the

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 Chap. XXVII.] DiffictdI Ascent. 321

object of our search lay in that direction, among the

trees and shrubs. We immediately began to ascend
the steep hill side, amidst an abundant vegetation.
Wo could see around us outcropping portions of
the red conglomerate. Having risen to about 100 feet

from the river bank, we found ourselves suddenly

ushered into the pre.sence of the old king, panting and
wet with the jx;rs 2}iration of our difficult ascent under
a burning sun. There he was, standing as firm and
unmoved as though he were still master of sea and
land from the Euxine to the soui-ees of the Nile. The
carvmgs occur upon a hillock whose entire height above
the river is alx)ut 150‘feet. 'The lower part of it is of
conglomerate, but the top is a piece of hard limestone
of })retty regular shajje. Tlie face of this rock is

smoothed down over a surface 45 feet high and 60 feet

broad, which fronts uj) the stream, or south. Were all

the trees and shrubs cut away, the carvings could not
be seen from below by the river bank ;
one would have
to proceed some di.stanee uj) the stream ;
and supposing
a royal road to have once c.\isted through this pass,
the image could be seen while travelling northward
upon it. No better description can be given of

it than that of Herodotus himself, which I began

to quote above. I shall therefore content myself

with a translation of his brief but apt account.

,
Speaking of the two monuments of Sesostris existing in

Western Asia Minor, he says :

“ Each of these figures

represents a man four cubits and one sjjithame in

VOL. II. V

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 22 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap, xxvil.

height (six feet and a half), holding a spear in his

right hand, and a bow in the left, with the rest of his

costume corresponding to these weapons, t'.e. half

Egyptian and half Ethiopian. Across his brea.st and
from one .shoulder to the other is carved an inscription
in Egyptian sacred characters, saying, ‘
I by my
shoulders gained possession of this country.’” — (Hero-
dotus, lib. ii. 10(5.) There appears to be an error,

however, in this description, for an inspection of

the picture will show that Sesostris holds the spear in
his left hand, and the bow in the right. But Hero-
dotus doubtless speaks of the beholder’s right and left.

The carvings upon the breast' are gone, but there

seem to be remains of others near the corner of the

tablet, and by the side of the spear head ; they, how-

ever, are too far gone to justify the exact tracings

we find in some copies made by artists whose imagina-

tions gave undue sharpness to their eyesight.
It is truly instructive to look upon a monument
which has not only stood the decaying influences of
thirty-three centuries, but more than this, has baffled
for that space of time the human passions which have
conspired to destroy it. It is an illustration of the aid
rendered by remains of'this nature toward establishing
the statements of histor}'^ as truths indisputable, and
never to be shaken,
AVe returned by the way we had come; but a second
inspection of the ground still further convinced me that
the road from Sardis to Smyrna never could have

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Chap. XXVII.] Attempt at Exaction. 323

passed within three or four miles of the monument

we had just visited. Herodotus, indeed, does not say
“ close io the road," nor does the word “ road ” wour
in the original ;
but his expression means only that
the monument is reached by this way, or lies in tlie

district as men pass from Sardis to Smyrna.

When we returned to Nymphio and our quarters, our

guides began to give themselves airs of importance,

wliich revealed their large expeetixtions. They came
upstairs and sat where they liked, eased themselves of

their shoes, took off their caps, and rummaged among

their folds in a way that affected tlio nerves of some
inexperienced ones in our company. We, for some
time, endured their freedom, in order to initiate our
young English and French companions into some of the
mysteries of Oriental life. When I, at length, handed
the high dignitaries the customary bakshish, they turned
up their noses at it, threw it down indignantly, and
went off with a great flourish of trumpets. Some of
us concluded that they must have been of the number
who had led one of the English princes to the old
Egyptian king not long ago, and took us for his

(•ousins. The next morning, while we were getting

ready for an early start for Cassaba, they sent a
messenger to know whether we intended to go without
giving them their bakshish. We replied that we should
give them nothing unless they came themselves for it.
One ofthem then appeared for both we gave him only ;

his own present, which he had contemptuously throwui

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 !

J24 Travels in Asia Minor. [Chap. XXVII.

away tlio clay before, and his companion got nothing

until he, too, came for it in person. We, moreover, en-
joyed teasing them by assuring them that the Zeibek
dress had been prohibited by an order from the capital
(which was a fact), and we added, with a wink of the
eye, “ We know the Pasha of Smyrna well, and see
him often ;
he does not know that the zaltlehs of Nymphio
dare to wear the costume of highway robbers ” ! They
must have spent a troubled day and a restless niglit,

poor fellows ! and they probably to this hour curse the

day that brought tliem in contact with the “ mean ”
and stingy cousins of tlie Prince of Wales
In a ramble about Nymphio we saw a carved slab over
a fountain, an extremely indifferent work of the later
Byzantine period. There are remains of old walls, and
of a fort or castle upon the hill overlooking the place.
Wo also visited the Palace of the Byzantine Emperors,

which we found to be 71 feet in length, and 24i feet

in widtli within the walls, whicli are 6^ and 84 I'eet in

thickness. The building consisted of a vaulted lower

storj', with two rows of windows and two stories above.
The stones have fallen from the top in such a manner
as to present the appearance of rows of chimneys, the

tops of severabof which are crowned with storks’ nests.

The fovmdations of extensive and costly buildings
have been discovered and partly uncovered in the

gardens, indicating that the ancient town extended

some distance in that direction.

It does not enter within my plan to describe the

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 ;

Chap. XXVI L] Sesos/n's. 325

remainder of this journey, my object being only to

draw tlie reader’s attention to the two remarkable
monuments of Xiobe and Sesostris, and explain their
|wsition and some of the illustrations they afford of
the venerated writers of antiquity. Sesostris is sup-
posed to have at one time subjected the whole of
Asia Minor to his arms. I have already jwinted
out the decidedly Egyptian features of the sculptured
remains at Euyuk, whose unfinished condition seems
to indieate that their authors were driven away by
the irruj)tion of a foe, so that the opportunity of
accomplishing their task never recurred. The sculp-

ture of Se.sostris, near the north end of the Karabel

Pass, is another and a still clearer proof of the exten-
sion of Egyptian power in the land. The first is found
in Northern Phrygia, the second in Western Lydia
and as it is probalde that Sesostris moved mostly upon
the land, the evidence is strong that his power once
stretched to the Euxine and the Hellespont.

Appenoix.

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( 3^7 )

APPENDIX A.

ON THE ORTHOGRArilY OF ORIENTAL WORDS.

Thk following system of orthography has Ixicn used in writing

Oriental words in the present work. It was prepared hy a Com-
mittee of the Armenian Mission in Turkey, and adopted at its
annual meeting about twenty years ago. It will be easily remem-
bered by persons who are in the habit of using either English or
French.

Vowels.

a is always pronounced broad, as in father ; in French, has.

e as in viet like the French ferme.
i „ Sit ; „ ici.

o ,, bone; ,, eote.

u like the French in cruche,

K as in hut; and the French mute e, in hesoin.
eu like the French eu, jeu.
00 as in room and the French ou, croute.

Consonants.

Generally as in English and French.

Instead of c the letter i is preferred for the hard, and s for the
soft sound.
(/h represents the and the Parisian r.
Greek y,
(j is always hard as in gap, and in French galop,

j represents the same sound as in French, as Jacques,

dj is soft g, or tlie English j, as in Jack,
h is a slight aspirate, and kh a harsher one.
sh is sounded as in English in French as eh in cheval.
;

ch as in English cheaqi ; in French it is usually written tch.

dh is hard th, as in this,

th is always soft th, as in think.

kh represents the Greek Xt ^nd is the strongest aspirate. It has
representatives both in Tinkish and Armenian, and fi.
^

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 .

328 Appendix. ( a.)

Although there are two r's both in Armenian and in Turkish, we

have thought it unnecessary to distinguish them, on account of
their comparatively rare occurrence. We have done the same with
resiiect to the two Turkish a’s and s’s, and the two Armenian fa.

In order to jirevent misunderstanding, we have added an h to a

final e, which is to be pronounced as above indicated, and without
the aspirate.

APPENDIX B.

HYPSOMETBICAL OBSERVATIONS MADE IN

ASIA MINOR IN 1861.

These measurements were calculated by Professor Guyot’s Tables,

and were taken with an instrument made under his direction by
Green of New York. Two thermometers were employed when neces-
sary, but the one attached to the instrument was usually sufficient.
The ba.se employed was the level of the Black Sea, at Samsoon. All
the okservations were made between May 8th and September 5th.

Elemests.
'

I.Ax:ALiTr. 1
1
Heights in
Barometer Thermo- Kugiisih feet.
i in KngUi»h meter.
1
inebps. Fabr.

° ®
Samsoon, 40 feet above sea (mean of \
i
1

30- 040 ! 58
six observations) .. .. .

Klian, 1 hrs. south of Samsoon 27-142 64 -5 2886-57

1

Cuvak (mean of three observations) 27-eSO 64 21.35-60

Delinos Khan 27-000 50 3002-78
above ditto
Bt^kjilik, 26- 4-26 08 3509 80*

Khan, 2 hrs. west of Amasia .. 1

28-362 76 1710-36
Amosia, Krug House 1
28 -‘246 74-75 1
1829-02
,
, 12 feet akivo the river '
28-408 74 1590-84
,, level of YVshil Urmak 1.578-84
Inebazar (mean of three observations) 27-311 i
7.3 2758-96
Toorkhal, 20 feet above the river . 28-186 71 1862-04
1

,, level of Yesliil Unnak .. 1822-04

Tocat, 1.50 feet alaove river (mean of 1
60-5
! 27-654 2390 16
132 observations) / 1 .
,

'

Tocat, level of Yeshil Urmak .. .. *• :1

•• ,
2240*10
1 11

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 . —

(B.) Hypsonietrical Observations.

IlYPgOMETRiCAL OBSERVATIONS Continued.

Elexbkts.

Locility. Hefebti) in
Barometer Thermo- English feet
tn meter.
inchc& Fahr.

0
Rokjilik, i lira, south of Tooat 25 '’201 7L 5010-4
Highest point of the road between 1
24-750 72 5512-3
Uekjilik and KnrghUn 1

Karghiin 25-385 76 4830-23

SivRs [Mr. Winchester’s house], 1
25-648 66-5 4481-78
(mean of six obMuvntioiis) ..
Saru Yeri, foot of Star Mountain .. 25-247 71 4957-32
Top of Star Mountain 22-168 67 8556-63
Chiflik of Haji IJoghos Agha .. 27-312 73 28.59-96
Yeghin Musulmau 27-286 68-5 2760-91
Kcuhneh 26-400 72 3752-34
Yozghat (Mr. Farnsworth’s house) 25-7-28 72 4418-94
Boghuz Keuy 26-635 63 3515-23
Sungurlu (mean of three observations) 27-443 74 2528-61
Aghadjii Koyoonoo 27-421 73 2672-0
Izeddin 26-729 83-5 .3415-85
Diakhshan 27-422 85 2707-51
, , 1 foot above Kiizul Urmak 21 -.543 33 2572-28
Yozghat (village) 20-091 83 4100-33
Angora (mean of three observations), t
26-823 71 3334-33
at our lodgings f

Balu KooyoomUjoo .. •. .. .. 26-916 63 3082-82

Chiilik 27-048 72 3026-20
Y’aila of Euyuk 27-661 52 2320-35
Sakaria, at bridge, 14 feet almvol
27-641 62 2387-62
Orta Keuy 27-2.37 32 2884-28
Hortoo 26-850 76 3265-58
Sivri Hissar 26-346 74 3778-15
Balahissnr
Aktash, 15 feet above Sakaria
26-908
27-160
1
^ 3200-63
2824-19
52
Baghludja 26-548 72 3594-37
Top of Mountain south of Beyat . 25-386 76 4838-64
Se'idiler 26-1-29 ! 75 4018-84
Afion Karahissar (Mr. Fharaon’s ]
20-392 31 3886-18
bouse) j

Balmamood 26-326 86-5 3878-21

Chiflik i
25-807 83 4424-44
IslamKeuy 1
26-866 78 3250-42
Bo^hoor 26-917 76 3185-54
Oosbak ;
26-915 1 74 3137-88
Gouneh 1
28-000 :
22 2053-13

VOL. II. z

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33 ° Appendix. (B.)

Hypsometrical Observations continued.

IClkhents.

Locality. Height in
Barometer Thermo- English feet
In Knglish meter.
inches. Ftthr.

o 0
Ycnishehir 28-293 76 1776-88
Suriyeh 28 343 73 1710-83
Koofa (12 feet above the ground) .. 27-674 79 2417-07
Ye<li Kaleh Kaiveh 27-350 66 2681-64
Salihly 29-630 71 417-63
Level of the Henuus at ditto . 367-63
Cnssnba 29-645 82- 434-73
^

LONOOS ! PBIKTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES AXD EOKS, DCKE STBEET, STAMFOBD gTEEKT,
AKS CHABmO CBOaS.

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