Notes on a Journey from Constantinople, by Heraclea, to Angora, in the Autumn of 1838

Author(s): William Ainsworth

Reviewed work(s):
Source: Journal of the Royal Geographical Society of London, Vol. 9 (1839), pp. 216-276
Published by: Blackwell Publishing on behalf of The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of
British Geographers)
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 ( 216 )
IX. Noteson a JourneyfromConstantinople,
by Heraclea,to
Angora,tn theAutumnof 1838. BY WILLIAM
AINS\VORTE1,
Esq., in chargeof an expeditionto Kurdistan.
Angora,24thDecember,
1838.
IN consequenceof plague on board the steamerplyingbetween
Constantinople andTrebizond,and of the temporaryinterruption
in the navigationof that part of the Black Sea, our partywas
reducedto the necessityof taking the land rolltethroughAna-
tolia, yet we still determine(lto fulfil as far as possible the in-
structionsof the GeographicalSociety,as well as those of the
Societyfor PromotingChristianKnowledge,who have so lile-
rally suppliedus with the xneansof travelling,to obtaina better
acquaintance with the courseof the Halys, and moreparticularly
to explorethe almostunknowndistrictsbetween Eregli an(l An-
gora. With these intentions,and in orderto follow a less-beaten
track, we endeavouredto procurehorsesfor the purposeof pro-
ceedingby the site of the templeof Jupiterand the promontory of
Kirpeh,to the mouthof the Sangarius,but the forests and the
rockson the sea-shorewere declaredby our guidesto be impass-
able, and it was not till afterwe had arrivedat Duzchahthat we
were enabledto crossthe mountainsnamedYaili Tagh,andreach
the sea-coast,in the neighbourhood of the riverof Uskub.
Our party,consistingof Mr. Russell, Mr. RasAm,and myself,
left Scutarion the morningof Tuesday,September18th, 1838,
and on the same eveningreachedKartal,a village on the shores
of the Sea of Marmora;passingon the roadMefount Aidos and
tlle hills of Yakajik, composedof sandstoneand superimposed
limestone,and associatedat Scutariwith rocksof the felspatho-
pyroxenicseries. Kartalis surroundedby gardens,whichsupply
the marketof the capital with bamiyahs(hibiscusesculentus),
tomatos (solanumlycopersicum),capsicums,onions, and other
vegetables,besidesgrapesand peaches.
Sept. l9.-From Kartalto Pendik (Pantichium),a :fishingvil-
lage, chieflyinhabitedby Greeks. Near it are the remainsof a
castle,in part constructedout of the ruinsof a still moreancient
edifice. Geibuzeh(Geybuzeh),the ancientDacibysa(?), is now
a large village,with a han(lsomemosque,surroundedby cypress
groves. It is built upon a hill, composedto the west of trap
rocks,to the eastof cretaceouslimestones. At the khan or rest-
ing-place,a savrcophagus in white marluleservesas a reservoirfor
water,an(lnutr,-rousother fragmentaryremainsdenote the an-
tiquity of the site. The cretaceousrocks constitute a hilly
country,fromhence to Tavshanjikna pretty village surroun(le(l
by gardensand grovesof cherry-treesor vineyar(ls,whichexten(l
along the shoresto Harakah,a khan and ferry to the opposite
 1838. ] Kartsel-GeabixzehIrmid.
side of the gulf of Astacus. The ruirlsof a castle upon an ad-
jacent hill, and soli(l walls near the sea-siele,attest an ancient
site. The ferryon the gulf of Astacusexistetlin formertimes
between Libyssa an(lPronectus. Lilyssa, in Rennell i(lentifie(l
with Cshebissa (i. e., Jebisah, a name not llOW knownby the
natives)8,is in Colonel Lcake'smap identifie(lwith Mal(lysem.
At presentthereare two villageson the N. sile of the gulf,from
rhencethepassageacrossis made; the one Tavshanjik,the other
Harakah,whichlatter appearsfromthis circumstance,and froln
its ruins,to be the ancielltLibyssa.
Swlvt.20.- -The hilly country from Harakah, as far as to
Izmi(l, is composedof sandstonesandlimestones. On this road
a moundof crumbledruins,an aneientcornice,an(l two
columns
convertezlinto a gateway,are all thatremainsof Ilrunga of the
Jerusalem Itinerary. The roa(l from Scutari (UskudXir)to
Izmi(l,wherewe arriveelthis evening,is now measure(loff as far
as Itinerarydistancesare concerned;andpainte(lposts areput up
at every1 of an hourof a horse'swalhingpace, or about3 miles
to an hollr. The distancefromKartalto Geibuzehis 20 I)ostsor
5 hours; fromGeibuzehto Harakah,18 posts or 41-
hours,and
fiom Harakah to Izmi(l, 20 postsor 5 hours,makinga total of
1 82 hoursor 551 British miles,by the circuitousroa(l,
which is
aboutthe mean of the t,hreeancientsets of Itineraryor 62 Roluan
miles,and not far from Rennell's de(luctionfromthe reportsof
sevendiXerenttravellerscomparedwith one another,whicllgave
as a result 57 ordinarymiles.
Sept.21.- Nicomedia,so long a capital city, has been truly
sai(lto occupya mostimperialsituation,both with respectto the
scenery about it and its political and commercialadvantages.
Pliny the youngerwas prefect at lVicomedia,and the city of the
kingsof Bithyniawas the residence of Diocletian an(lthe hiso
torian. Its moderncvnditionhasleen toooftentlescribe(lto nee(l
any details here, but some travellers have almost (lenieelthe
existenceof anyremainsof ancienttimes, yet there is still a cas-
tellate(lbuilding,and the tombstonecarvers'yar(lsare fille(l Wit
fragmentsof antiquity. Lat.by two mer.alts. of the sun 40?47'
40ttN.; long. by chronotneters,by three sets of altitu(les,29?
53'30" E.
Sept.22.- The countryto the N. and N.E. of Izmid, all(lbe-
tweenit and the Black Sea,is hilly and'covered+vith^sood,form-
ingpart of the forests designatedby the Tulks as the Aghfij
Denizl,,&, or Ocean of trees. It is said to be crossedin that di-
* Jebiseh is probably the Arabic name of Geybuzeh (prollounce(l
answersto the ancieIlt Dacibyza. F. S. Geibizeh), alld
t Izmid is a colloquialcolltractionfor IzniBmid(from E;s Nexot3encs^).-F.
$ Jih^a numa, p. 666.-F. S.
S.
218 Mr. AINSWORTH'S
Jourrzeyto MIngora. 01838.

rectionby no gteat roa(lwhichinformation mustbe reccived+sith

great caution,but the sl'lrujl's(muleteers)would not proceedin
that line. The mountainsof the sky (Gok Ttigh), composeel
of limestonereposingon, and associatezl vith, mica an(l chlorite
schists,gneiss, and quartz,bounclthe Gulf of Astacusto the S.,
an(lcxtend eastwar(lly Satanjahto the Karcim'Ali T;igh,S. of
Khandak7 miles, and by the latterto the Boll TAgh,S. of thc
plain of Duzchah; constitutingportionsof the BithynianOlym-
pus; they are uniformlycoxTered in theirnortherndivisionswith
forests, witll the cxceptionof one culminatingpoint,bearing S.
23? E. of Whan(lak,an(l ratherin the rearof the Karam'Ali
Tagh, whose lJaresummitissai(l to expose the ruinsof an ol(l
castle. The hills of Khandakunite Olympuswith the southern
rangesof hills namedthe YailaTagh,*and these are also covere(l
withforest-treesfromtheir northernacclivitiesto tlleir al)utments
on the 13lackSea.
The countryat the head of the Gulf of Astacusand between
the Gok Tagh and the southernhilly districts,is at firstlow and
level, watered1JYthe Kizil Irmak,and cultivate(lwith rice and
Tnelons. Further inland are pastures diversifiedby hedges
coveredwith vil(l vines,hops, and virgin's l)ower (clematis cir-
rhosa),the luxuriantcreepersof these climates. On approaching
the lake of Sabtinjah,the northernand southernhills which en-
close it prolongtheirrockydeclivitiesinto the plain,whichis thus
raise(laboveits ordinarylevel, and is covered at firstwith a low
and shrubbyvegetationof evergreenoaks, &c., whichsoon,how-
evel, attain tlle magnitudeand growth of forest trees. I have
been thus luinute in describingthe featuresof tl-lisportionof
:Bithynia,becauseprojectshave often been madeto constructaw
canal betweenthat lake and the Gulf of Astacus. The younger
Pliny, in a letter to the EmperorTrajan,proposedto convey a
canal akng this line, wherehe sai(ltilerewere alreadyindications
of a previousattemptto dig one; but there are at presentno re-
lnainsof such a canal. Plans for the samepurpose,of the same
nature,havebeen formedby the Turksin moderntimes; one in
1490 is noticedby Rennell. (Vol. ii. p. 104;.)1 Plinyreportsthat
the diSerenceof the levels l)etwecnthe lake Sopl.on(Sabfinjah)
and the Gulf of Nicomclliawas 40 cubits, or alJout6() feet, an(l
the Turkishaccountis 30 liras (cubits), also aI)ollt60 feet.,and
the lake was sai(l to be 3o feet alJovethe Sangarius.
Tlle lake of Sabanjah,the ancientSophon, is up+rardsof
8 miles in length, and of an ovalform. At some seasonsof the
year it is saitlto overflow,and to pourits watersinto the Gulf of
* Summer-quarters mountains.
t Othersill 1505 and 1563 arementionedby the Turkishhist()rians
Hammer
Reisenach Bressa,s. 171.-F S.
1838.] GokTagh-Sabanjsth-Saarius.
219
Astacus; but there is a constantcommunication between it and
the Sangariusby a ri^7uletcalled Killis. The laLehas few pre
tensionsto beauty,the hills to the north are low, there is little
woodland,no villages, nor e^ell any rocky scenery;ltut to the
S. the woods are of noblc growth and estent, and rise to thc
summitsof the mountains,at lcast 10()0feet alsovethe lalse.
Saleanjahis a meretravellingstation,full of coffee-housesan(l
sitables,of whichthe inhabitantsvaly everyday, with al)out500
houses an(l two mosques. The Greek Patriarchof Nicornedia
clai}ne(lfor this spot (whichhas now only a few broken columns
an(lscatteredfragmentsof ancienttimes) the name of Heleno-
polis. Colonel Leake marks it as Sophon, and Rennell as
Lateae,which latter in the Theoelosiantables is placed24 m. p.
from Nicomedia, correspondingwith the distanceof Sabanjah
fromthe sameplace.
Se.lgt.23. The Theodosianor Peutingeriantaltleshale a site
marked as llemetriu or Demetrius, 13 m. p. from Lateae.
'here are in the presentday, at a correspondingdistance from
,<UsbEnjall, the almost-perfect remainsof a handsomebrielgeof
sevenarches, 1087 feet in length, and carriedover an old beel
of the Sangarius,fromwhicha small streamstill finds its way
along the same xalley to the N. A plan of this bridge was
ecuratelysketched by WIr.Russell; its name would appearto
connect it with that of the son of Antigonus. As a remote
proofthat this was the old bed of the Sangarius,Mr. Rasxim
obtainedfrom the natives a fragmentof a traditionin verse,
whichrelatesthat a dervish,or holy man, comingto the bridge,
wasrequiredto pay, which he refused to do, alleging that his
a.X70cations forbadehis carryingmoney about. The passage of
the bridgewas nothoweverallowed,and in his angerthe ders-ish
praye(lthatGodwouldchangethe bed of the river,thattoll might
not any longer be collected at the bridge; and it appearsthat
his prayerssvereheard. The bridge is called by the people of
the countryA8Iahamah, anda roadpassingoverit takesa southerly
elirection,being prol)ablyone of the Romanroadsto Ancyra.
From the old bridge we proceeded to the modernone, a
voo(lenstructurecarriedover the riverS;akariyyah, where it is
372 feet wide,withan averagedepthof 2 feet, anda rate of about
2 miles an hour. From the Sakariyyah, the roadis carriedover
narshyland,whichI knewby experienceto be scarcelypassable
at some seasons of the year, but now tolerablydry: a wooden
causeway,like an Americancorduroy,is carriedfor nearlya mile
over this marsh. At a guard-housefurther on we found the
residentssuflSeringseverelyfrom malaria. Beyondthis pointthe
countryimproved,and low hills of trap-rocksled the wayto the
woodedhills of Khandak,whichwc rcachedthe same evening.
 M. AINSWORTH
S Jaurneyto Angore>. [ 1838.

Sept. 24.- Khandak* is a posting village in thc forest,anel

containsabout200 ho-uses. For the supplyof the postnScutari
has 1()0horses, Sabanjah 150, and Khan(lak200. There are
few remainsof antiquity,but occas;onallyframents of columns
and of hewn stones are seen, more particularlyin the lourial-
groundof the town. Khandaliis identified by Colonel Leake
with Latania. There was much thunder an(l raindurirlgthis
alay.
Seyt.25. Left Khandakby a circuitousroutethroughforests
c)fbeech an(loak growingupon rocks. After a ri(leof nearly4
hourswe came to the open plain of Duzchah,remalkablefor its
picturesquebeauty It is itself verylevel, traversetlin an irre-
gularmannerby the Mllant river,whichforms the lake vf Ak-
Teni Gcll, in the S.E. cornerof the plain. It is surroun(lezl
by woodeelmountains,of whichthe Boli Tagh, to the S., attains
an elevationby trigonometricaladmeasurement of 1490 feet above
the plain, and the Yaila Tagh, to the N. is by barometer] 500
feet. To the W. are two openingswith lower hills, and to the
N. aboveUskub, vulgo Eskl Bagh, are some hills of minorele-
vation. The plain is everywhereverdantwith greensward,trees,
or shrubs while the surrounding heightsare coveredfromfoot to
summit with continuousforests, the diXerentshades of which
have a verypleasirlgeffect; add to this that the wholeis a plain
of about1!Zmiles in length and 8 in widthswhich can be taken
in at one view fromalmostanypoirltsso as greatlyto enhancethe
beautyof the scene.
In travellingfrom Duzchahto Khan(lak,in 1837, the riverof
:NIilanwas fordednearlyto the W.N.W., but at the present sea-
son, the riverbeing floceded,we approachedthe lake, crosseda
eleepcut, with water scarcelymoving,to the N.W., and loanks
clad with a deep and rank vegetation,while a little further was
tile riverof Milan flowingwith a quickcurrent to the S.E.; we
kept alongits bankshalf an hourto the N., then turned E. to
Duzchah: it rainedhardduringall the latterpartof the journey.
The numberof columns,cornices,and fragmentsof Byzantine
architecturein the burial-groundappear-as evidencesof some
formersplendourin this small station,i(lentifiecll;)ygeographers
with Duseprum,a site withouta history: one capitalof a column,
forming a head to a well near the khan, was ornamentelwith
well-scul?tureddoves encircled by wreaths. At present Duz-
chah containsscarcelymorethan20 houses
* A foss O1ditch,in Arabic..-F. S.
t M]lansu}(Milanwater),Jihan-NtIma, p. 650, takesits namefrom the Milan,
a rockyvalleyswhereit rises(H. p. 647).-F. S.
+ The Milanriverpasses throughthe lake of Ifsianlu (J. N.7p. 653), calledIf-
n lu-gol.
1838.3 Uskub.
KhandsIrk-Duzchah 221

Sept. 2fi. The town or village of Uskut, vulgo Eski Bagh,

borefromDuzchahN. 5?E. at the foot of the hills about3 miles
distant,but our routeto it was, on accountof the marshycharac-
ter of the plain, very circuitous,and we had to for(l the Mlln,
flowingwestwards. We foundthis place to havebeen once the
site of a considerabIetown,part of whichwas containedwithina
strongcircularwalIroundthe hill, and still in toleral)lepreserva-
tion, while the remain(lerlvas eztra muros: to the S. an(l ur)on
the llill was also arl aque(luct,but of a doultful era. The mo-
dernvilIage is for the most part within the old wallsnan(l many
of the streetsare approache(lby narrowgateways,evielentlylJe-
longingto an ancientstyle of building; the upperslabof one +^7as
12 feet long and 8 by 3 in thickness.
We here copieelses-eralinscriptions:they appearto be only se-
pulcllral. One inscription,however,was copied by Mr. Russell
froma solid massof stone, at a stationwhere excavationshael
been carriedon in somesortof outworkor temple: this appeareel
to havebeen the basisof a statue. Althoughno satisfactoryeviw
ANTI NQ
(3A/\AnA
K /\ A P I E:H
A N E >; T H E E
dence couldbe ol)tainedfromthese inscriptions,still the position
of thc townnearthe banksof the Hypius riverand at the foot of
the MonsHypius (Y^ilaTagh), will probablysatisfygeographers
of the identityof this site with the ancient Prusa ad Hypium.
Rennell had alreadyplaced this cit.yat a situationwhicllhe lle-
signates as Uskub, from Eskul), sulgarly called Bagh, as the
Shehris called UskubliKaza-si: this Uskub is,
districtof Al.<chah
however,on the banksof a lake at somedistancefromDuseprum.
- On leavingPrusaad Hypium we foundfurtherruinsin a very
dilapidatedstate abouta mile up the banks of a riruletwhich
:flowedfromthe mountainshigherup. This forest-cladchainwe
nolv approache(l,and began a long ascent,ren(:leredthe more
difficultby the muddy state of the roads after the late rains.
The forestsconsistedalmostentirelyof beech,with someoak anel
pine. The barometerat the summit level indicateda heitht of
1350 feet. The name of this chain,which cxtends to the E.
almost uninterruptedly as far as to the Elkas Tagh, has becn
variouslywritten in the maps Tshila, Tcheleh, Tshele, antl
Chila.* The word Yaila or Ytiilaksignifies summer quarters.
This phrase,which is applicable to any mountainpasture at a
consi(lerableelevation,is very commonin Asia Minor,an(l has
* Chilehtaghi,the mountainsof Chilah. J. N., p. 653. F. S.
222 Af r. A I N S W O RT II S .
Jourey to Ax2gora
[ 1838.
loeenconsequentlymistakenby moderngeographersfor a generic
termfor any chainof mountains.
It is veryinterestingwhile traversingthe forestsof Bithyniato
observe in practiceat tlle present(laythe verysan;leusa$es as
were noticedby Xenophon centuriesago, trees lJeing still, as
tllen, fire(l at their laase and then felled, whilc small vaggons
yokedwith male bufEaloes camefromthe shore to carryawaythe
wood. There are no villages, and the driversleeps in his cloak
everynighttill his workis done, andthe cartsare so constructc(l
that their slope becomese:scessis-e without causingany (langerof
an overthrov: the woodis used for ship-buil(ling,partlyat Ak-
chah Shehrand partlyat Constantinople
It had been some time dark before we began to ford the
Uskubli Kaza-sichai,whichwe di(l two or three timesprevious
to reachingthe port, without a harbour,designatedas '; ISay-
stairs,"Chusalli Iskeleh-si,and consistingof a long range of
wooden houses with a lJeach,upon which,in fair weather,the
small coastlngvessels are drawnup. A mile beyondthis to the
W. we came to Akehah Shehr, called in the maps Ak Hissar,
wherewe were detainedsometime by lJadweather.
Sept.27.-Akohah Shehr,*" moneytown"(orwhitishcity), is
now but a poor village of about 20 houses, where they were
buil(lingone brig at the time of our visit, an(l one small Greel
boatfromVirnah, loaded with dried leef, was drawn up upon
the shore. Great-quantities of Momordica elateriumigrew upon
the beach,an(l the inhabitants,which is scarcelycredible,were
ignorantof the squirtingpower of the seed vessel. It raine(l
hardwith muchwind also all this and the followingday. The
journeyfrom Uskub to Akohah Shehr occupie(lus 9 hours,tra-
velling 27 miles by a circuitousroute.
Sept.29.- We took a(lvantageof a momentarycessationof
raitl,after mi(lday,to startalong the coast,passing the riverof
Uskubli Kaza-si, 10 yards wide l)y 1 deep, but swollen, and
doubtlessa mere rivulet in spring,ascendel a woodyhill by a
narrowpathway, where our horses stumbled and fell in the
clayeysoil; from thencewe reached the valleyof the Ak su or
white water, 13 yards wi(le by 1 deep. We stopped for the
night at a poorvillageof 7 llouses called AkoyahKoi, and cor-
ruptedfromAk Saya Koi, " the white cliff village."
Set. 30.-Started earlyin the morning,cloudywith rain and
strongwindfrom the N.; ascent,as usual,up a forest-cla(lhill,
^v-ithsteep and slippery claey load, and much obstructe(lby
branches anel climl)ingplants. Forde(lthe river of KojamAn,
about 13 yards wide by ] deep, but swollen; crossed a small
* 0r Shir. J, N., p. 654. + SquirSingcucumber.
 il kohah
. Shehr-Ak* KclyaKoi-'Alabla'.
1838.] * 223
streamand kept along the shoreof the
continuednortherlywindshad causedmuch Black Sea. The long-
at the foot vf the cliSs, which, more sea than usual
combinedwith the heavyswell,
renderedthe road at tiInesalmost
eXectual attempt,attendedwith no impassalJle;
little
and after an in-
shore and also to pass overthe cliSs, wc risk, to larocee(lalong
turnto Ak kayakoi, wherewe remaine(l were compelledto re-
weathermo(lerated:latitudeby meridianthe follonvingdavtill the
The rocks in this district consist of altitudeof sun41?4' N.
ceouslimestonein thinbeds,andof limestonesllales,argilla
or in curvedand contortedstrata. altered
The
rocksin nearlyvertical
chief
shot, calcareous,an(l argillaceo-calcareous varietiesare iron-
carburettedlimestoneshalewith Lydianstone, lJe(ls; lalueanalblack
spar,andsome clay ironore. veinsof calcareous
After passingthe summitof the
takesplace in the characterof the Yaila T;ighan evidentchange
brambles,briars,and fern,is replaced vegetation; the underwoo(lof
der,myrtle,box, and,in flower es-enatby rhodo(len(lrons, olean-
this late season,da7hne,
vacciniunz, and cistus; nearerto the sea heaths and
alJundant: the numberof speciesof foresttrees was fern became
andamongthem the chesnutwas now consi(leralole,
The Mariandynipossessedin ancient frequent.
theSangariusand Heraclea,wherethe times the coast hetween
sea
minatedby the promolltoriesof l(alpe or formsa deep lay ter-
andthat of Posi(leum,now Cape Babi,* Kirpehon one side,
thecountrypossessedthe same characterson the other. But if
sentday, whichfrom other circumstances as it does at the pre-
(for from the time of
Nenolhonto that of Jaubert, 1806, travellers
taliento sea at Eregli) appearslikely to have uniformly
y}opulation have been the casc, the
and the prodtlctiveness of the soil could never llas-e
l)eengreat.
Oct. 2.-The weatherbeing calm we
jaman river had fallen half a foot sincestarted early. The Ko-
the }recedingday; the
rlextriver,the Kokala,offereelno impediment,
afternoon we arrivedat 'Alabli, a port an(l and earlyin the
about 40 houses anll a large government fishingvillage with
received house,
for the night. The Elaus is here a finewherewe were
wideand 1 deep, crosse(lby a woodenlzridge, river,17 yards
and
width immediatelybelow to upwardsof 5() yards.increasingin
'AlalDlihas beenidentifietlwith the ancient Althollgh
noremains here, save one fragmentof a marble Elaeum, we could find
governor's house. The hills throughoutthis day'scolumnat the
asusual,coveredwith wood, in which variety journeywele,
anel leauty were
;tFlom
the tomb of Haji Baba. a Ttlrkish
Saillt. J. N,, 1z G53,-Y, S.
 Mr. AINSWORTEl?S Journeyto Xnyot. [1838.

equallyunited; the rcycksconsistedof iron-shottrapand wacke,

xvithalteredrocksand limestoneshales. On approachinC 'Alabli
the countryopened,and the prospectbecame more eactensive; to
the S. the high woode(lmountainswhichfornl the continuationof
the Yaila TEgh andboun(lthe valleyof Boli to the N. terminate
the view; to the E. a successionof hills and valleys rise up
with the courseof the Lyousas far as to the pine-clothedtrachytic
summitsof the KaraTigh; while to the N. the peninsulaof the
Posideum,with its lighthouse,and the wallsand towersof Eregli
at the hcadof a calm bay, addto the varietyand beautyof the
scene.
Oct.3. As the Agha could not provide us with horses we
took a boatto Eregli,and startingearlyin the morningbeforethe
wind had got up, soondoubled the cape called ChingalBurnii,
composedof trap, limestone, and altered rocks; passed the
mouthof the Kilij or swordriver,the ancientLycus, and arrived
at Eregli a little after10, A.M.
It appearsfrom our observations thatthere are no less thansis
rivers, besides numerousrivulets, between Akohah Shehr an(l
Eregli. The first commencingfromthe W. is the Uskubli Sui,
or riverof Prusiasad Hypium, and thereforethe Hypius; but
thereis herea difficulty. In the plan of Duz-chahwe found the
riverof Prusiasad Hypium,knownas the Mllan, anxlit is a conw
siderableriver flowingintcsthe sea 3 hoursW. of AkchahShehr,
whilethe modernriver of Uskub is little better thana rivulet.
In the Theodosiantablesandin Arrian'sPeriplus,afterthe San-
garius comesthe Hypius (Milan), and RenrlellidentifiesLilium
with ChuvElllIskeleh-si. Probablythe riverof Prusiaswas the
sameas the Milan; while the river now derivingits namefrom
Uskub is called so on accountof its comingfromthe neighbour-
hoodof that townandpassingthroughits kEdilik(Kaza).t
Oct.4. Heraclea,now Eregli, as the Pontic Heraclea, {'has
filled the page of historyby its grandellrand misfortunes; antl
its remains testify its former importance."t The celebrate(l
botanist,Tournefort,in his coastingvoyagefrom Constantinople
to Trebisond,passeda nighthere, an(:l,-accor(lingto Gibhon,
;' His eye surveyedthe presentstate, his rea(lingcollecte(l the
antiquitiesof the city.' We have the same authorityfor the
* Mr. Ainsworth here cxamines with some detail the names of places as given
in the Theodosiantables and Arrian'sPeri)lus; btlt, as he well observes, it requires
a far more careful examinationof all the poiIlts in question than he had time for
and a referenceto books which a traveller coul(l not be expected to have with him,
in order to arrive at any satisfactory conclllsionon the sllbject His (liscussion is
therefore omitted, but the original MS. may be referredto in the library of the So-
ciety by those who feel interested in the subject.-Ev.
t Rennell. Geo.of WesternAsia vol. ii. p. 115.
18o8.] HeracleaorEreglz'.
existenceof a separatehistoryof Heraclea in the fra^,mentsof
Memnonpreserve(lby Photius, andthe authorityof Rennell for
a elescriptionof the sameplace by the Aca(lemicianBeauchamp
in the Mem. sur l'E'gypte,tom. ii.
.Heracleawas the port where the fleet of the Goths awaite(l
the returnof the secon(lexperlitionn that in the time of Galienus
ravaged Bithyniaand Mysia; loutthat that expeditionshould in
its retreat havebeen atten(le(lby a long train of waggonsladen
with spoils,will appeardoubtfulto thosewho knowthe character
of the countly; and Gibbon has also been misled by Char(lin
whenlle assertsthat to navigatethe Euxine after the month of
Septemberis esteemed by the modernTurks the most unques-
tionableinstanceof folly. There were upwardsof 30 craft iIl
the harbourwhile we were there, and some going out or coming
in almostdaily.
Eregli, or Bender Eregli (the port of Eregll), contractedinto
Benderegli,as the Turks havenamedthe ancientHeraclea, con-
tains 250 housesof Mohamme(lans, and 50 of Greek Christians,
whohaveone church. Having staidhere 4 days,we ha(ltime to
make a plan of the ancient town, and copiedan inscriptionin
the Acropolis. Ithe walls are now in a ruinouscondition,and
constructedchieflyof the remainsof a formerrampart. In that
part which fronts the sea, and where there are remains of an
outeras well as an innerwall still existing,huge blocksof basalt
and limestone are piled upon one another, and intermingled
withcolumusand fragmentsof Byzantinecornicesand tal)lets,
withsculpturedcrosses and Christianinscriptions, The castle
uponthe heightis in a veryruinouscondition. Only part of the
ancienttown was containedwithin the wall; the outer portion,
wllerewe found mosaic pavements,esten(led in the form of a
triangleto a valleywith a rivulet,now called Gaur Irmak, and
forlnerlya harbour,(lefendedby towers,the ruins of which still
esist. Was this the Metroum?-Of the Acherusianpeninsula
we couldfind no traces; it might have been a point where is
nowthe inefficientPharosof the Turks,a spot wherea few vil-
lagesare esemptedfromtases uponthe responsibilityof keeping
a light burningbeforemirrors(larkenedwith accumulatedsoot.
The latitude of Eregli by meanof tllreemeri(lianaltitu(lesof
the sun we found to be 41? l5' 30" N.; its long., by ]nean of
severalobservations,31?80t E.*; variationof compass,9?westerly;
weobservedalsofor dip and magneticintensity.
The formationsarollndEregli consistof igneousand seclimen-
taryrocks. The firstexhibitthemse]veschieflyat Chish I)epel
anclCape Baba, but also formthe basesof the Heracleanrocks.

*Gaultierplacesthe lighthousein long. 31?24' 56ttE. of Greenwich,

 226 to Angora.
Mr. AINStVORTH'S JournW [ 1838.
They consist of basalts,doleritesntrap, and trap-conglomerate.
The lattermore)articularlyfc)rmsthe foundationuponwhichthe
wall of Eregli rests, and manyof the huge stoneswhichenteliroto
its construction are forme(lof the samecoarse material. To the
S.W. of the townis a hill composelof argillaceouslimestonesof
a pink yellow and yellowish-whitecolours. 'rlle pink varietyis
compact,fissile, and was much used as a louil(lingstone ill tlle
ol(l city. To the north, anel at the foot of the Acropolis, is a
fountainof cozIse grittysanclstone,very fiZal;)le and passint,,on
the one hanel,into a conglomerate,anelon the other,into coarse
limestone. It is shelly, and remarkablefor containint,littoral
genera,such as patelluman(l astrea, avn(lzoo)l-lytesof a similar
character.
Thereis a generalremarkwhicllmightbe venturetlhere, tllat
it is impossil)lefor the travellerto wanderalont,the shc)resof the
iEllack Sea withoutbeingstruckwiththcrarityof shells commonto
the lVlediterranean shores,as speciesof turbo,I)uccinum,purpura,
solen, alld mactra,replace(lhere by an occasionaltellina, vetlus,
or cardium,and the frequentoccurlenceof ntfiadesbelongingto
the genus anodonta,while its waters alsoundin tunnyandother
sea-fish. In the gradual (liminutionin saltness whicIl takes
place in a Mediterraneansea like the Euxine, where the supply
of freshwateris large and the watersof the sea itself as con-
stantly going out, it would be curiousin a geologicalpoint of
viewto ascertainwhetherthe firstformsof animallife affiectedly
this new order of circumstances,Ije those whichlelong to the
lowerordersin the scale of creation? or whethertheir (liminution
in nvambers be also indicativeof a similar elestructionof larger
formsthathauntthe deep waters?
Oct.8.-We nowturne(lour steps in an easterlydirectionup
the courseof the Lyeus, an(l proceeclel over low hills of sand-
stone andironstone,by a road,part of whichwaspave(lwitllslabs
frome ft. to 8 ft. in lengtEl,an(lfrom1 ft. to ')ft. in widtll. About
5- miles from Eregli we foundon the roadside,and crowningan
eminence,an old tomb of an olDlong form built of large massive
stones,andhollowvithin. It is calledKQchakTash, " the hero's
stone." Three miles beyondthis, we came to where the LJ7cus
forcedits svaythroughrocksof sandstonein thick strata,tlipping
north,andrisingwitllroundedbutnearlyverticalwalls,overwhich
fail numerousstreamletsof water from the well-woode(lhills
aboxre. Immediatelyleyolld the pass, a large massof rock 90 ft.
high, now overgrownwith svood, except on its most preciili-
tous parts, has become an island,andin the centreof thestream
it formsa sin^,ular an(l pictulesqueobject. It loeganto rain in
the evening,andwe only reachedthe valleyof Yalchilar(masons),
abollt12milesfromEreglf,notfarfromwhich,in the forestto
 1838.] Eo'chak
Tash Yalcha'lar-
Lyous. 227
the N., are somecl;ffsapparentlywith hewn
now called B;il Kay;isi (honey-cliff),but whichsepulellralcaverns,
tlle bad weatller
preventedus fromvisiting.
Oct. 9.-It rainedin torrentsM1nightsand
4 ft., overflowinggreatpartof theplain,an(l the Kilij rosenearly
ance of a smalllakencoveredwithtrunksof assumingthe a)pear-
trees and woodof
variouskinds. The passof Barakatlar(Blessings),so
the revious evening,vvasren(lerel totally passableon
impracticable. It is
eviclentlyfromtheserapi(lanll verysud(lenrisings
obtainedthenameof Lycus,fromits resemblanceto athat this river
wolfrushing
uponthe folul.
We startednearmiddayduringa momentarycessation
butweresoonturnedout of our path by the swollen of rain,
obligedto aseendthe hill. After an hourssjourneyriver, an(l
picturesquecountrywe arrive(lat a point where the Lyeus through a
crossedby a brid.,e, and made a su(ldenbend from the ^vas
receivinga consiclerable N.E.,
tributaryfrom the S. The two rivers
metbelowcliSsof trapandsandstone.
We soonarrivedat the foot of hills consistingof trap
conglomerate and trap-
supportingcolouredlimestone,which
fromabovehad coveredwith a deep coatingof a rivuletflowing
travertino.
continuingour ascent 00 minutes we came to a village After
Yailar,';summer-quarters," name(l
from whence we had a fne view of
the Lycus flowing at first througha rockycountry;
through a fertilevalley,fromE. and W., andbackexlby and the
then
stollellillsof OvahTaghi (plainmolmt),partlywooded lime-
whiteroc.kycliSs. To the S. the countryconsisted ofandpartly
valleysandroundedhills, on one of whicha spot was alternate
saidto containan old ircon-mine.On this hill the pointedout
dicated barometer
an elevationof 840 ft. We continuedalongits crest in-
ashorttime, skirtedrourlda hill, andcamedown for
onthe lanks of which we founda village of four upon the Lycus,
whichwas empty, and in it we founda refugefrom houses,one of
poured the rainthat
downa11rlight.
The countrywe ha(lhithertobeell travellingthrough
ofmoreor less roundandirregularlyforme(land consisted
Itwas almostimpossibleto reducethem to anysystem scattered hills.
xnent:sometimeshardlimestoneor sandstonegave birth of arrange-
more or less lricturesque, to cliSss
fromtheirwoodedlinollsor steep bare
acclivities; at other times, roundedsuminitscommanalelon all
si(lesvalleyscvntainingvillagesandcultivate(l lan(ls,
vineswith streamsrolling swiftlybelow The hills or dcep ra-
times, but xreryrarely,conical,andthe serratedoutlinewere some-
of the Kara
T>igh generallybacked the view: its summitswere sharp and
sometimes pointed,numerousandnarrow,followingone arsother
in quiclK
successionn
of the same height, and everywhere
nearly

covere(lwith darkforestsof pinc.

VOL. IS.
R
228 Mr.AINSWORTH'S Journeyto Xngora. [1838.

At this seasonof the yeara large portionof the arable landis

occupied by crops of flax which, now -oung and rerdant,are
allowedto lae all winter protected by the snow. Maize and
millet were yet in great part in the fields, cut, but not carried
home. The garden-crops consistedof gourdsand cabbages.
Oct. 10.-Our woadto-day lay up the valley of the Lyous,
which we firstcrossedupon a woodenbridge, above which are
the remainsof an older constructionbuilt of stonenand a little
beyondit the riverreceivesa tributaryfromthe S.VV.,considerabl
whencomparedwith the Lyousitself
The path ve followed was carried along the acclivitiesof
woodedhills, of limestone,cretaceousmarls,and sandstone,with
trap-rocksand occasionaldykes of lasalt crossingfromS.E. to
N.W. The roadwoundroun(lthe acelivitiesandbaseof thesehills
froln :E.to N.E. At a distanceof about5 miles up the valleythe
Lacusreceivesanothertributary,equalto almosthalf the bo(lyof
its waters,fromthe S.E. Above the pointof junctionone of the
KaraTagh mountainsrises like an isolatedpeak to a height of
900 ft. above the river. Six miles beyond this a river is met
with flowingfromthe N., with a bridgeandsmall khan)and re-
ceivinganothertrilJutary fromthe E.
Our ascent of the Kara Tagh began at this point, and lasted
nearly an hour, wilen we attainedits summit, near the vil-
lage of Kara-binAr* (Black Source.) The barometerindicate(l
an elevationof 1500 feet andthe mountainsarountldid not rise
muchmorethan 500 feet abovethis point. The view now spread
out before us carriedthe eye down the KarS Dereh (Black
Valley), over a hilly countryto the basis of the Filiyas anal
Bartan rivers; and was boundedto the N.E. and E. by the lofty
and bold rockysummitso?the Kaya.Dibbah(N. 55 E.)>an(l the
moretame and woodedoutline of the I'ch-il-lerTaghi. Ruins
of a castle (?) are met with in the mountainsto the N.
We descendedthe valleyof Kara Dereh, and turned to the
southwardto Bash BurghEz,a small villageat the bot of Mount
Ipsil,t a spurof the KaraTagh,wherewe were to obtaina change
of horses.
Oct. 11.-Although it had rained all the previous evening,
we were enabled in the morningto obtainsome lunardistances
andaltitudesof the sun beforewe started. Ourroadlay alongthe
valleyof the Kara Derehsthe watersof whichflow eastward;the
Kara Tagh formingthe culminatingridge betweenthe basinof
the Lyousandthat of the Billaells. Before mid-daywe left the
rivulet, at an assemblageof uninhabited13uildingscalled Beg

* PronouncellBtlnar originally.,no doulJt,Billar, and by the easternTurks

Bunir-znin the French,n in en, mon, &c.- F. S.
+ Ipsalitagh,
fromthe GreekHypsile?-F. S.
 .Kara.TaghFiliyas Btlleus. 229
1838.]
jum'ah-sii (Bey's Fridaymarket),andusedas a market-placeon
Friday, the Mohammedansabbath,for the two kadiliksor dis-
tricts of Bash Burghiz anclPershembah.T Hence we ascen(led
N.E. to the chief place of the latter district,a rather showy
place at a distancefromits whitewashedlnosqueand largeagha's
house, but scarcelycontaining30 dwelling-houses. A meridian
altitudeof the sun gave the latitudeof this place41? 19'N. Bar.
28 980 inch., att. tller. 62?Fahr. The countryconsistedof sand-
stoneandlimestonealternatingin thin beds, andwascoveredwith
underwood,chieflydeciduousoaksand juniper. 5 miles beyond
it we descendedintoa deepvalley,witha rivuletflowingS., called
TursehglDereh-si. Our ascentwas up an acclivity,amid trap-
rocksandlimestone;we then passe(lthrougha wood,and neartwo
or three villages,whenwe came to the open valleyof 'Abd-allah
Pasha Derell-si,so calle(:lfroma mosquebearingthe samename,
placed in an insulateelpositionon the S. si(le of the valley, at its
terminationabovethe Filiyas. This valleyreceivesall the waters
of KaraT)ereh,and the Pershembahdistrict, to pour them into
the Filiyas, whichis here a fine river,dividedinto five (liffierent
streamsseparatedby islandsof pebbles,occasionallycoveredwith
plane,syeamore,tamarisk,and oleander,but sometimesstonyan(l
naked; the occasionalfloodsof this river,to judge fromits loed,
upwardsof a gtof a mile in width,mustbe verygreat,but it is soon
confinedin one channel, and at Tium, where it empties itself
into the sea, thoughdeep, is only about 100 yardswide.
The beautifulvalley of the Billaeuswas crowdedwith villages,
and the views on everyside variedand extensive. The riveris
seen flowing N.N.E., in nearlya straightline, apparentlyfrom
the veryfoot of the dark and frowningYaila TAgh. To the E.
is a hilly country,either cultivatedor coveredwith wood,and
interspersedwith villages belonging to a second Pershembah
district,wherethe plaguehad been ragingbut a shorttime before
our arrival,while our road lay down the river N. 30 E. to
Charshembah,the chief place of anotherKadilik orjurisdiction,
wherewe slept and changedhorses.
Our attentionwas nowdirectedtowardsthe ancientsites on the
banksof the Billaeus,an(l everyinquirywasmade regardingthe
e2istenceof ruins,&c.
Ptolemyhas placeda city called Claudiopolis,and also Bithy-
nium,on the riverElatas,which has been by some supposedto
be either the river of Elaeumor the Lycus, but Rennell and
* Beg jum'ah-sibazari.-F. S.
+ For Penj;shenbell, i, e. Thursday, put for Penj-shenbeh bazari, Thursday's
+ Char f()r Cheharshenbeh, Weduesday, i. e, Wednesday's market, an ellip-
tical expression.-F. S.
 Atr. AINSWORTH'S
Journeyto Anyora. [1848.

D'Anville bothagree in supposingthis city to have stood on tlle

Billaeus,an(l Elaeusor Elatas is substituteelfor it. From the
explorationnowmade of the Lyous,whichwe had followed up
to its source,we were convincetlof the noll-esistenceof any site
of importanceuponthat rixer. We haelcrosse(lthc Elaeus(?) at
'Alabli, an(l heard of no ruins up that ris-er; andwe nolv ap-
proache(lthe Billanusat some(listancefromits embouchure,anel
to whichpointwe directe(lour researches,havinghear(lof no re-
mainshigherup the river.
Therc remainedfor us, besides Bithyniumof Ptolemy and
Stral)o, WIarltinium, and Tium or 'lnios,in the countryof the
Caucones,who succeededthe Marianelyni, occupyingboth shores
of the lower courseof the Billaeusriver. Of Tium Rennell
says it is nolvrepresente(lI)y Filiyas, whlchis also the corrllpt
modernname of the Billaeus," but we hear of no remainsof
Tium."
Oct. 12.-After taking mornin,,sight$ for me, we started,
passing over a plain coweredwith syeamoreand tamarisk,the
riverbeing enclosedbetweenlow rangesof woo(ledhills of lime-
stone an(lmarl,with everyhere an(l there a w-illage peepingfrom
amongthe trees. Hemp is muchcultixatedon the islan(lsof tlle
river, arld on its banks. At a distanceof about 312miles ^-e
forded a large ris-ulet,7 yards wide by 1 a yard deep, calle(l
DagermEnosDereh-si,* with some small villages and one large
one, ChamAnliKIi, of about40 houses,on the hill-side. A littles
beyontlthis, at a p(vintwherethe river,aftermakinga long ben(l,
approachesthe hills on its left lzank,is a small village calletl
Chai Koi, built in part upon a moundof ruins,where there are
severallarge hewn stones, wllich make it not unlikelythat this
was the site of a guard-houseor small militarystation. Beyon(l
this, at Ak-bunar,we olJtaineda meridianaltitueleof the slln,
whichgasTe ourlatitude41? 29' N.
At Golmekehl-ler(Pottersville),a s-illageof 30 houses,on aw
low hill, by the ris-er-side,an(l about21 miles beyon(lAk-bunsir
(the whitesprint,),we foundmanyfragmentsof large hewrlstones
and marblecolumns,with distinctremainsof an ancientcause-
way.
A shortdistancebeyondthis a massof leasalticroc]s, havin^a
ten(lencyto the prismaticstructure,advancesto the borelerof the
riveron the left, narrowingits bed consi(lerably,and formint,a
kin(lof (lefile. Here are the remainsof an olul gateway,anfla
little beyondthem a moundof ruins, overgrvFTn with unelerwood,
whichmay havebelongedto a guarel-house.
Beyon(l this xvasa noble plane-treewhichmeasured8 yards
* Degirman
Dereh-sl,
Mill-valley
?-F.S.
 Sk-bunar-Tium-Wol Baxr.
1838.] 2o1

roundits trunk, at a height of 12 yards fromthe grounal, but

still more remarkablefor its fine and symmetricalformthanfor
its dimensions. Its branchesspreadnearlyequalin all directions,
as it toweredto a heightof upwardsof 60 feet.
The river, win(lingrollnd about e miles to the N.E., turns
suddenlyto the W. before reaching the sea, analsweepsround
the foot of a hill, whichbearsa considerablestructureof tarious
ages, and whichannouncesitself as the castle of Tium.
There wereseveralvesselsof small burthenin the river,and a
modernvilIagedesignate(las SaferjiOtghla. Crossingow-er the
hill, we passe(lI)yan ancientgatewayand entereduon the llictu-
resqueruinsof Tium, betTond which, afterpassinga finevil]age,
Beglarun Koi, we came to a second, Hisar-Anlvinthe xillage
attachedto the castle,the residenceo? an 'Ayyan,who founelus a
home for the night.
Oct. 13.1 We walkedthe previouseveningto the site of Tium,
by an ancientcauseway,Iledgedin on both sides by bays, proba-
I)lysplungfiom oldenroots,as the roaflfromAntiochto Day)hne
iS in art slmilarly ornamented;vet such plantationsare rare
among the Mohammedans. Passing over the walls, nve found
pillarsanxlfragmentsof ruins rising here and there,but every-
thing was covereelwith a dense and almostimpenetrableshrub-
llery. The evening was occupiedin measuringand sketchinga
beautiful ivy and shrub-cladruin, that appearel to havebeen a
churchc)ra basilica. The next (laywe began our laboursat .a
less picturesqueedifice,probablya guard-house,with two stone
platforms,descendinginto the town; lteyond,andnearerto the
centre,lrere a few arches belongingto an aqueduct; from tbis
pointve visited a moundwherewere some curious ruinsjand
numeroussarcophagiv the lids of whicllwere of large dimensiolls,
and cut in solid stone,but the coffinswere made merelyof frag-
mentsof pink slatylimestone.
The nextolejectof interestwas a smallbut veryperfectamph;-
theatre,now buriedamidtrees and shrubbery; and fromthis we
went to the castle,wllichwe foundto lJethe mostalteredand re-
built, alldconsequentlythe leastinterestingof a11the ruins. We
metwithno inscriptions, but transmitthe detailsof ourresearches,
whichareonly of a generalnature.
About middaywe were ferriedoverthe Filiyas, the (laybeing
verywarm,therm.in shade72? and the temperatureof the water
only 50?. Our road at first lay alonga level plain of alluvium,
formedby the river; arldswewere once turned back by some
deep lllarshes, beyondwbich we entered a thick forest and
began to ascend along acclivitiescomposedof trap-rocksand
limestones. We were now in the district of Kol BazAr,but
tllere were few villages; and in the evening,after travelling
 JourneytoAngora.
Mr.AINSWORTH'S [1838.

abollt 101 miles,we arrivedat Kisil Elmah,the residenceof the

'Ayyan,in a prettyvalleywhicllextendednorthwardsabout3 miles
to the sea-shore. The 'Ayyan was captainof a merchant-vessel
tradingbetweenBartanand Constantinople, and being an intelli-
gent man,I haveventuredto inserton the map the detailswhich
he gaveto us of the coast-linefromCape Bfibaeastwardto Ama-
serah.
Oct. 14. We could not stop the Sundayin the crowdedresi-
denceof the 'Ayyan,so continuedourjourney,whichwasa short
one, over the same kind of country,low, hilly, andwooded,but
with a few morevillages,forabout9 miles, whenwe cameto the
crest of some chalk-hills, from which a picturesqueview was
obtainedof the riverand moderntownof Bartan, like most Ori-
entalcities, lookingbest at a distance.
In the calcareouslimestonesof these hills we foundremainsof
marinealgae,but no shells. An abundantspringwhichissue(l
fromthe sameformationsindicateda temperatureof 57?, the air
in the shadebeing 79?. We had still a marshyplain,impassable
on foot, to ride overbeforewe got into the town, wherewe were
lodgedin the Khan.
Oct. 10.-Bartan, a townlittlevisitedby Europeans,is situated
in lat. 41? 36',* as determinedby a mer. alt. of the sun. It is
built at the junctionof two rivers,the Kojahnas,froma villageof
the same name, and near which it is said to have its sources,
andtheOtrdeiri,whichflowsfromthe foot of the DurnahYailasi,
in the districtof Za'farAnBoll. When the two riversunite they
are called the Sl'l Chati. The KojahndsArmak flows through
a deep bed in alluvial soil, being liable to an occasionalrise of
from 8 to 10 feet. Its depth at the present momentaveraged
from6 to 8 feet; its widthwas 28 yards,andits rate 22l milesan
hour. The O'rdeiriexceeds the Kojahnasin width, being about
30 yardsacross,but is neither so deep nor so rapid. There is
one stone bridge over the Koiahnas,and a woo(lenone replaces
anotherthat existedformerlyon the sameriverat the N.XV.end
of thetown. The communication overthe O'rdeiriis kept up by
means of a ferry, but there are also remainsof a stone larillge.
There werenumerousvesselsbuilding at Bartan,someof which
wvereof upwardsof 100 tons burthen, but the ort is 2 miles
below the town,whichis 4 miles fromthe sea by the river,and 3
by land.
The townof Bartanhas 650 houses,out of whichthereare eight
houses of Christians,who haveno church. The Mohammedans
havefivemosques. The houses,on accountof the marshycharac-
ter of the surroundingcountry,are all built of two stories,the
* GaultiersaysX41?33t52/tN.) 33? 14t8ltE. of Greenwich.
1838.] Bartan-Wojahnas Ordezri. 233
upperone of which is alone inhabited. For the samereasons,
the town is carefullypavedwith large limestoneslabs,betterso
thanany Turkish townwe had yet seen; and some of us were
doubtful if the pavementdid not belong to a zerio(lanteriorto
the Mohammedans,but remainsof antiquityare too scarce at
Bartanto certifyas to its being an ancientsite.
Tlle town is built upon two low hills of cretaceouslime-
stone dippingS.E. at an angle of 20?. The houses also extend
into the valleybetweenthese hills, whichrise S.E. and N.W. of
eachother,an(l stretch to the banksof the Kojahnason the one
side, andto those of the O'rdeirion the other,risingup the hill-
side to the N. or beyondthe latter river. Strabo says the Par-
thenius rises in Paphlagonia,and derives its name from the
cheerful meadowsthroughwhich it flows. The Partheniusis
generallyconsideredthe sameas the Bartanriver.
OcE.16.- Leavingour baggageat Bartan,we hiredhorsesto
take us to Amaserah(4 hours)and backagainthe sameday. We
crosseclthe Otrdeiri,and soon afterwardsturned up a narrow
valley with a small tributaryto the former,designatedas the
KaraChai, or black river. The valley soon narrowed,and was
nearlyblockedup by sandstoneclifEs, whichoftenpresenteda rude
outlinewith fantasticforms, andin one place a rockingstone is
curiouslyperchedupona pinnacleof thesamerock. We nowcom-
mencedthe ascentof woodedhills, the roada bad one, and conti-
nued along these till we camewithin viewof the sea, when we
turnedto the E., by a steep descent,Witil steps hewn out of the
solid rock. It wouldhaverequiredlittle, in a countrywhereso
little public spiritin the wayof internalimprovementexistsas in
AsiaticTurkey,to have determinedthatthis road had been exe-
cuted by anothernationof 51vorkmen, but it was not long before
we cameto a small nichein the rock,destinedto hold apparently
afigure,and beyondwas a tabletcontainingan inscriptionin Latin,
of whichwe could only makeout a-few words,as PROTAGE
NORENTI CLAUDI GERMANICI * * *. Alittlete-
yondthis is a tablet basement,supportingan archedframe-work,
with the upright figure of a Roman in his toga, much muti-
latedandthe headbrokenoS, but the attitudeis gracefuland the
detail good. Close by was a columnand pedestal cut in solid
rock,and supportinga colossaleagle, of which the head had also
lJeen stiuck of. There were also tro tablets, of which the
inscriptionswere quiteillegible. The columnwas 12 feet high,
tlle statue of natural size. The base of the frame was 7 feet
wide, the height 12. The base of the columnwas 3 feet wide,
theheight 12 feet, and the eagle was 4 feet 6 inchesin height.
Furtheron, on the road side, was a semi-ciroulararch, formed
ofone ring of solid masonry,14 feet wide by 7 high, and rurlning
 A1r.AsssvoRan's Jour?leyto Snyor.
-

234 1SS8.

back 15 betv 3;!amile farthelsvlponan eler7atedSitC3 lZrobgbly

visible at seaywere the remainsof an oblong monulnent,appa-
rently a mausoleum,near whicll was the lid of a large sarco-
phagus.
The road now led circuitouslydown a steep hill tovards
Amaserah which,like most modernTurkishtow4nstllatOCCIlpy
ancientsites,is picturesquelysituated. The town,shich consists
of 145 houses,and has a populationof about800 persons,is built
upon a rockypeninsulatllat has two necks,the firstbrmed ly a
minor and greaterbay of the sea; the second by a smallinlet,
ovel whicha Ilarrowcausewayled to wllatwasformerlythecastel-
lateflor militaryportiorlof the town Rude andnearlyperpen-
dicular rocks form the cape called Viwan Bbrni, which rises
aI>ervethe little bay to the S.W., and the whole of ^rhichwas
brmerly built in with large stone lulocksslike a wdl-kept llar-
bour. Tlle bay to the E. is wide and caTaciousd and beyondtlle
townthere is a rockymass,forming(apparentlyalways)an unte-
nalltezlislanal; alld to the E. a lesserreck is connectedwith thc
mainlandby a wall in a ruinousalld dila.pidated condition The
whole of that partcyfthe ancientand m>)lerntOWll which occu-
pies the peninsulawassurroundedby a wall defendedby towers3
whichappearto has-ebeen renewedat arivus tsmes,but to haxre
receivedtheirchief regenexationfromthe Genoese,whoseCllris-
tian escutcl-leonsare over everygatewaysand wh(se ornamental
tastein architecture has here andtllereinterwovenGothictracery
an(l 13yzantine rreaths amid the solid i3locksof Romanperpe-
tuity; and es-eneagles, sculpturealon white marble, are seen
pr(strate at the angles or cornersof wa11swhich they once
adorned. The townoverlooksthe sea to the A. I)utits greatest
extentfronts the interioror the S.; and there extendsbeforeit
and in the same directicon a well-woodedandpicturesquesalley,
B'hiCh iS replete with ruins of variouscharacter. One vf the
most extensiveof theseis a large buildingof red tiles, supporting
in an unscienhfiemannerhuge blocks of stolle an(l cut 11plJy
numerous irregularly-disposeda11dirregularly-irmcd arclles.
This ?lace is c.alledBadistanby the natis-es:it was approached
by a handsomegatewaywitha sem;-czircular arch, and appearsto
have leen a monastery. At the fot of the mountainsto the \v.
is a fragmentof wall with two tiers of arches,which perlla?s
belorlgedto an aqueduct. On the hilI-si(leare otherruins,ower-
glown with shrubl3ery,amid which tbey were just discernible
while a mre distinct arch stoodpronlinenthigh 1lpon thc hill-
side, and assistedin filling u}) a picture such as lesser Asia is
almostunvivalledin producing,and in wlsichmonumentsof by-
gonetlmes,belongingto suchvariedepochsan(lpeople aregathered
togetherin the samelittle centreof uncha.ng;;ng natllralbeauty
 1838.] 24ma.serah-Bithynia
Pczphluyonia. 25)

We are now about to quit Bithynia,and, crossingthe Par-

thenius, to enter uponthe no less interestingdistrictsof Palrhla-
gonia,but befole doingso we maybe allowe(lone or t+rogeneral
remarks.
First, it is worthyof notice that, in a11the contactsthat lvere
olJservcdlJetweenthe cretaceousor supracretaceous linzestones
anelthe igneousrocksin Bithynia,onlytlro or(lersof mo(lifications
inducedupon the originalaspectof the rockwerecommon,-the
one into a compactlimestone that was not granular, and the
othel, anclby far the mostcommon,wasinto a slatypink-colollre(l
rocls,indicatinga large evolutionof gaseousmattersat the ?eriocl
of the effusionof the igneousrocks,withoutanyvery considerable
lleat. This peculiarred colc)uration of portionsor zonesof strati-
fie(l rockshas alreadybeen attributedby some geologiststo an
inlpregnationderivedfromigneoussources,as in the case of the
reelschistsof someof the Swiss cantons,+shichhaveapt?ealedto
be derivedfromthe prolongationof a metallic or plutonic vein
(ISolle,vol.i. p. 484). And the originof the sfameballdsof reel
imestone in the Alps has been placed in the samecategoryl;y
Studeo. In the Bithynian chalk an(l supracretaceouslimc-
stones it is only where that formationis in contaetwith or in
proximityto igneous action (which is always ma(lesufficiently
e-i(lentby the flexuousand contortedor variouslydip?int,strata)
thatthc samel henomenaare oloserved.
Secondly,an instructi^ecomparisonmaybe made letween the
seelimentaryforInationsof Bithynia and those of Paphlagonin.
It woul(lar)pearthat the limestonesof the first country,from
theiruniformmineralogicalcharactersshen unaltereclby contact
v-ithvolcanicrocks,and the continueelabsenceof organicremains,
csceptinga few marinealgne,had been originallyformed in tl-le
cleepsea; while the ostracitesandstonesand highlyfossiliterous
limestcynes of Paphlagoniallaveevidentlyha(la littoralorigin.
This lriewof the subjectwould put the NTicomedian l eninsula
anda large portionof Bithynia at one period in submarine
depths,whichwere limited to the S. by the Olympus,whichat
thesalnetime boundedto the N. the-centrallacNustrine depositof
Asia l\linor describedby lEttr.\:v. I. tiamiltonas boun(ledto tlle
S.by the westernprolongationof Taurus, and upon the south-
easternacclivitiesof whichwe havetracedthe samelittoralforma-
tions of the supracretaceousepochs, succeeded in Northern
Syriaby (leep sea and non-fossiliferous roclts, apparentlyof the
Bame epochas the Bithy-nian deposits.
Lastly, although the countrywe had traversedfromAltchah
Shehrto the Partheniuswas evely-wherehilly, an(l sometimes
mountainous, still the countryof littoralmountainscoukl al\V7t57S

be distinguisheelfrom the more southerlyand lofty chain of

236 Mr. AINSWORTH
'SJourneyto Anyora. [1838.

Olympus,which,althoughbrokeninto differentparts,atldknown
by variousnames,is still alwaysdistillguishable fromthe lateral
parallelandtransversechainswhich give originto the numerous
small streamsthat flow intcsthe sea, or form tributariesto the
greaterrivers,as the Sangarius,the Lyous,the Billous, and the
Parthenius.
From this great E. and W. chain, others apparelltlystart at
nearlyrightangles,and approachthe shorefromS. to N., but this
wcouldbe an incorrectway of expressingthe fact, for these are
distinctsystemsof mountains,havinga diXerentoriginand struc-
ture, generally plutonic, and bearing up on their flanks the
brcakenand tilted-up fragmentsof those sedimentary(leposits
whichenterinto the compositionof the roundandirregularhilly
districtsof Bithynia. Such, more particularly,is the case on the
hilly chainsof Kojamanand of KaraTagh and Ipsil, with their
trachytic cones and outlying basaltic dykes; and of similar
naturearethree distinctrangesof hills,whichadvancein as many
cliSerentpromontoriesinto the sea, between the emloouchure of
the Filiyas and that of the Bartanriver,formedof a nucleus of
rocks of the felspatho-pyroxenic series, succeededby trachytes
near Amaserah,and havingbetweentheman irregularforest-clad
and hillycountrycomposedof rudesandstones,alteredlimestones,
andlimestoneshales,the valleysof which, whenfille(lwithdetri-
tus or alluvium,are almostalone subjectto cultivation.
Oct. 18. -We left Bartan and pursuedl)urjourney up the
courseof the O'rdeiriin a south-easterlydirection.A rugge(:land
mountainousdistrict,that of the Kaya Dibbah (hollowrock), lay
to our left, as it had to Qurrightin going to AmAserah. In this
little alpineand picturesquedistricta totaldifferenceis observed
fromthe generallytameoutlineof the Olympus,andof the trans-
verse chainsof Bithynia. The samecraggysteeps extendby the
KaraKaySnor black rock, anotherlofty limestone precipice,as
far as to the sourcesof the O'rdeiri,in a south-easterlydirection;
loutmoreto the S. they are united to the PaphlagonianOlympus
by mountainswhich are less lofty, with a rounded outline and
wooded acclivities,named the I'ch-il-ler Taghi, and which at-
tain by trigonometrical measurementan elevationof ]966 feet
abovethe lowerplain of the O'rdeiri.
The Otrdeiriforces its way througha pass in the ltchtil-ler
Taghi, whichwe reachedin 42 hours by a windingroute, after
for(lingthe riverthreetimes.
At the entranceof the pass two lofty mountainsrose to the
right an(lleft, cladto the very summit with forest-treesof varied
andbeautifulverdure,while the river, now a mountain-torrent,
rolled overa stonybedbelow. This pass opened into a pretty
but uninhabitedplain, and then again narrowed,the road being
 1838.] Itch-al-ler
Tagha'-.Sarnz'sh-I)ursan-li. 237
carriedamidhuge masses of sandstoneand conglomerate,
shadowedby laurel, ivy, box, myrtle,oleander, over-
and other
greenand deciduousshrules. After passingbeyondthis, ever-
a forest of birch,wvefordedthe river, and came through
some pine, the seeds of which had been larought amidplane and
down by the
torrents,to wherethe Otr(leirireceiveda tributaryfrotn
of the Kaya DilJbah,to the N., while we a portion
followed the south-
easterlybranch,and at a short distancereached a poor
called Sarnlsh,in the 'Ayyanlikof Oluz. hamlet
Oct. 19. There was no possilility of getting the
numberof horsesat Sarnish,so we mountedthe requisite
animalsthat couldbe obtained,andput the luggagefew wretched
into waggons
drawnby buff8aloes.At about an hour's travel we
mosqllein the forest where the neighbouringvillagers came to a
lected for prayer, and were at the same time roastingtwo had col-
sheep, to feast upon after service. Crossingthe whole
point,we commenceda long ascentthrougha forestriver at this
on the hill-
side, the roadbeingmadeof logs of woodlaid
loftyprecipiceof limestonecalled the Black Rocktransversely. The
us to the N.E., and a tributaryof the O'rdeiri came openedupon
rockypassnearits base. The barometerindicatedforthe througha
of the crestwe werepassingover about900 feet. height
Descending again into the well-woodedvalley of the head-
watersof the Ordeiri, we passed severalgood saw-mills,
especiallyon approachingDursan-li,a village in a valleytomore
S., and the residenceof the 'Ayyan of Ovah or the
Ovah Kaza si.
Dursan-liis corruptedfromDort Hasanli- the four of Hasan.
Oct.20.- -Ourroadstill lay towardsthe sourcesof the
andaftera shortjourneythroughwoodsof planeand O'rdeiri,
underwood cork,with
andcoarsegrasses,we passedthe mosqueandvillages
ofBagh Jeviz,* which extendsfar up a valley to the
ourroutelay alonga moreexpansiveand woodedvaleto N.; while
the S.E.
Everything was upona largescale,andtrulyalpine: at the head
ofthisvalley^vasthe mountainof DurnahYaila-si,
pinefringingits rudeacclivities,but with a baldwitha forestof
all:to the S., wild cragsand precipices,the hoIneofsummitabove
tainantelopeand the ibex, alternatedwith dark woody the moun-
thatappearedalmostunattainable. There was here andrecesses,
villagein the bottomof the valley,anda few houses(morethere a
thanmighthavebeen expectedin so secludeda spc)t)were indeed
teredupon the summit and acclivitiesof the hills to scat-
Thesehamletsweretenantedby a raceof a verydarkand the N.
hue,with uncombedhair and a neglected swarthy
rocksin the neiglll)ourhood appearance. The
consistedof sandstoneand sandstone
$ Walnut-Gal(len.
238 Mr.AINSWORTH9S Journeyfo Sngora. [183S.

conglomerates,passing into millstonegrit, ar,(lassociatc(l^ith

limestolles,limesteneconglomelate,andlimestoneshales. It took
us exactly4 hours and 40 minutes from the time we left Dur
Sanli to gain the crestof the watersheel of the Otr(le;iri.The t^1vo
barometersin(licatedfor this pointan eles-ationof 32()0feet; but,
althoughwe ha(lbeen alwaysascendingsince we left BArtan,it
^ as veryelifferent witll the countrynowbefore us, which,form-
ing the tno Iflanis, and named by Rennell, after an Oriental
authority,('the stonyIflani,"estentle(lto the E. in an elexateel
and continuousmoorlanel.
The t,reatfenturesof the newcountrywe had nolvellteredupon
consiste(l? first,in the high rangeof lnountainswhich beganat tlle
DurnahYailoi-si,and estende(lto the S. as r as the culnzin;ltillg
lxointof the SarkhunYaila-si,no^rcolrerefl +vithsnow. This range
is i(lenticalwith the blons Orminiusof the ancients.
N. E. of this was the great upland of Iflani, or central
Paphlagonia,whichis formedof sllpracretaceous r ocks. In a(l-
+-ancing towareAs the S. this upland alltl the stratifie(lrocks of
.hich it is comlrosedbegin to le lJrolven up bywater-coursesanel
ravines. Mi hen once the uplrercrust is lJroken,a softer and
morefrialulemateriallJeneathis carrie(lawaywith rapi(litytill it
meetswith anotherhar(lloed: at the head of the lateralvalleys
there is thusonly one rock-terraceabove the rivulet-beels;but,
in (lescen(ling(as is generally the case), the numberof these
rock-terracesincreases, while, at the same time, the w-alle) s
widen,till, prettynearlyat the same point, namely,on arri^Ting
at thavalley of the Soghanli Su, the table-land,which has gra-
duallydiminishedin elevation,terminatesin roundedheadlands
betweendiSerent rixTulets Beyondthe sameriver,a vastpile of
horizontally-stratified deposits,namedKazlYachi (Goose'slleck),
towersabovetlle riverto a heigllt of at least 1000 feet. This is
no mountainmass,but a portionof the same upland,(lenude(lby
variouscauses, more particularlythe actic)nof torrents,and is
foundto be uponthe sameles-elas the plain of Iflani,although
to a spectatorin the s-alleyof the Soghanll Sfi it appearsas a
distinctmountainheight.
It7as here, and at an elevationof upwardsof 3000 feet abole
the sea, that ^-e first met with almost continuousl)eds of large
oysters,and in the limestonesbelcxwcones and spiralunivalves,
generallyof a gigantic size. The rhole of the rocks arounfl
Za'faranBoli are redolentwith fossilremains,anelsomel)e(lsare
composedentirelyof nummulites.
'rhe sameeveningwe arrivedat Za'farAnBo];, and wereglad
to enjoythe reposewhichthe sabbathoWered to us in the quarter
of the Greek Christians,whichis calledKureinKoi.
Za'faranBoli, a townalmostunknownto Europeans,is lJuiltat
1838.]
IWani ICoxYcicht'-ZGl'farscn
Bola'. 39

thejunctionof two small strcams. The olle comesfromthe N.,

the otherfromthe N.E., andthe unitedwatersflow un(lerthe
lofty arch of a cliC-overhanging bridge, and down deep locky
dells, to the SoghanliSii. To the S.E, the upland,termirlating
in abrupt lJut low cliSs over the town, is occupiedby a new
barrackalldits attaclledmosque. In the s-alleyl)etweenthis and
the central uplan(lis part of the town and the Khain,wshile
ffi a Inile beyondis the large suburb calle(l Kir Kullah; and at
the entranceof the samevalley, called Kaya O'ghli, a detached
massof rocLr bearsuponits summitthe ruinouswall of a fort of
o greatantiquity.
The centraluplandterminatesin a circulardis)ositioncufits
low rocbkycliffs,andis againcontinuedin the centreof the town
ly aw detachedrocky terrace,which is also surroundedby ruinous
fortifications, andis the presentresidenceof the goverllor,an(lthe
prisonof the place.
The nextsalley is divi(ledinto two minorones, one of whichis
ornamentedat a short distanceby the suburbof Tokatli?con-
tainingabout 1o0 houses,embosomedin gardens,while at the top
of a rock-terrace,andapproachedby a steep ascent,is the SUI)Ul'
calle(l Kur.in Koi, the residenceof the Greelis. Beyon(l this
againare two otherlart,evillages,BaghlahandB6lak, each con-
tainingfrom 1o0 to 200 houses.
The town itself is situatedin the rnouthsof the diSerellt
ravines, and contains about 3000 houses of Mohalllme(lans,
while the Christianshave 250 houses and one churcll,that of
St. Stephen. Thus, withoutthe sulourbs,Za'farallBoli may be
considerel to possess a populationof 15,000 persons. It con-
tains a tolerable charshl or market,four llan(lsomemosques,
besides sexeral smallerones, two large lihans, antl four public
baths. Its chief tradeis in sairon, ^rhichis largely cultivatetiin
tlle neighbollrhood, andhas rendere(ltllis place one of the most
fl(;urishingandl?opuloustownsof AIlatolia.
The terIninalnalne of this city inxlicatesa Greek origin,
whetherHellenic or Byzantitle. The firstis a later interE)olation
of the staplecommodityof the place. The traditionpreselvecl
bv the Greek residents is that of a churchfoun(ledhere by
Thcodora,the wifeof Justinian,an(l consecratelby the gift of a
limb cxfSt. Stephen,from relics broughtfrom I'alestine. It is
probable that this empress,the frail object of GiblJon'sjust
but unsparingsarcasm,met with kindness,or dreamt ller first
sisions of ftlture greatlless,in Paphlagonia,whichit is recor(lel
she last left withthe pleasingassurancethat she was tIcstine(lto
becomethe wife of a potentmonarch. The memoryof such an
ev-entmayhaveled in after-periods of devotionto the founalation
of a churchat as?ot for whichthe nameof Theodolopolisis still
claimed.
240 Mr. AINSWQRTH'S
Journey to Sngora. [ 1838.

It is recordedby Gibbon, on the authorityof John Malela,

Theophanes,andthe historianof Justinian'sbuildingexploits,-
Procopius,-that in the journey to the Pythianbaths through
Bithynia,she distributedliberalalms to the churchesn the monas-
teries,andthe hospitals.
In thatpart of the Peutingeriantableswhich contaixlsa cross
roadby Otresa('OsmAnjfk) to Amasia,thereis a backroadwllich
Rennell has supposedto be the sameas the coast-linefromT;um
to Sinope,but whichcontainstwonameson the roadfromAmasia
to Sinope, viz., Stephaneand Thomia. The first name might
havebelongedto thatcommunity+rherethe gem-coveredmember
of the marty-ris still mostreverentiallypreserved--the second to
Kastamuni.
Oct. 22. We made an excursion to Kara BlI;ar (black
spring),a spot on the stony upland, 7 miles N.E. by E. from
Za'faranBoli, where,in a small isolatedgroveof darkpines, and
amidnumerousMohammedan tombs,werefragmentsan(lcapitals
of columnsof a plain Byzantineorder,waile iIl their neighbour-
hood a slab of rudelimestonebears a still morerudeeffigyof a
femalefigure,of less thannaturalsize, the breastsbare, the face
motilatedby time, andthe shouldersornamentedwithwhatwere
probablya pair of wings. Traditionhas preservedno memory
of this spot, at once claimed by the Mohammedansand the
Christiansas belongirlgto their progenitors,but whether a
temple,a monastery,or a mausoleum,mightbe a matterof dis-
cussion.
We startedly the villageof Tokatli, and,leavingKirKullahon
our left, crossedthe easterlyravineof ZafarAnBoli, called Kaya
O'ghli, and a limestoneplainhavixlgtwo farms upon its almost
nakedsurface;beyond this, and 6 miles from Za'faranBoli, we
crossed the deep and rocky dell called Serb Dereh (rough
valley), which we had also tran-ersed at a point higherup, on
coming from Dur Sanli. This deep ravine completely cuts
Za'faranBoli fromthe upland,and wouldform a strongrlatural
line OI defence.
We returnedby anotherline, followingthe Serb Dereh, and
keepingthe rivuleton our left-handside, as faras to the valleyof
the SoghanliSu, which we found full of villages. We passed
throughone largeone, Yasi Koi, containing300 houses of Mo-
hammedans,andseventy-fivehousesof GreekChristians. It has
three minarets,andthe populationis engagedin the cultivation
of saffron,besiles which the Christiansmanufacturewine and
opiumin small quantities.
Oct. 23. Startedearly in the morningupon an excursionto
see the junctionof the SoghanliSu with the river of Hamamli.
Ourroadlay acrossthe Bulak Dereh,a ravinepicturesqueas the
1838.] Za'faran]3dlz'-
YasiKoz So'ghanle'Sai.
241
others,and then alongthe banksof the $oghanli Su, till about
7 miles fromthe townwe arrivedat the junctionof the two rivers,
and at whichroint a l)ridgewas carriedover them. The united
stream was 42 yards wicle, 2 feet in depth, and flowing at a
rate of about3 miles an hour.
We returneelfromthe place, over well-cultivatedfields, now
in part clothedwithfloweringplantationsof colchicumautumnale,
to the villageof Bulak, fromwhence,passingovera rockyridge,
we entere(lupona beautifulmountain-enclose(l vale, at the foot
of Orminius,covered with vineyards,and diversifiedby small
country-houses. We jollrneyedup this valley about a mile to
whereit turns N., and at the head of this, passingoverigneous
rockswhichhavedisrupte(land borneup vast cliis of limestone,
we founda fine streamof waterflowingfrornbeneaththe lime-
stone rocks. We passed over the rockybeds, through which
the waters ha(l forced themselvesa passage,and found an olul
channelblocke(lup by huge masses,whichhad fallen downfrom
above,antlprobablydivertedthe streamfrom its originalcourse.
The good people of Za'faranBoli make picnic parties to this
picturesquespot, whichis also famous amongthe Christiansas
the site of two monasteries-onedevotedto Theodorusor Theo-
dora,the otherto St. John. The temperatureof the waterwas
4S?; the air 50?. We returnedby the suburbof Baghlaror Bo-
ghazlu,so thatwe had nowencompassedthe townon all sides.
But the importantpoint determinedby this day'sexcursion
relatedto the distributionof the riversof Paphlagonia,concerning
whichmore errors have crept into the maps than even in the
upper courseof the Halys.
All the maps indeed agreein making the river of Boli flow
into that of Filiyas, but all of them equallyagree in makingthe
riversof Cherkesh and of Bayan(lirtributariesto the river of
Bartan. But while Kinneir,Leake, and Lapie make the river
of Za'faranBoli (Soghanli Su) and that of Araj flow into the
Halys by Kastamuniand Tash Kopri, Rennell has made the
Araj, flowing from Kastamuni,join with the Hamamli or
Bayandirriver,and flow into the Bartan.
All these variousand conflictingviews, each incorrectin some
one particular,are simplifiedby the knowledgethat the great
basin of the Filiyas or Billaeusriver receivesthe watersof the
riversof Boli, of Bayan(lfr,of Cherkesh,and of ArEj, which
flowsfromthe westernside of the Kastamunihills, and joins the
Bayandirriver 2 hoursabove the junctionof the Soghanli Su
with the same river. The Cherkeshor Bayandirriver, wllich
we had seen in 1837 at both thoseplaces,is saidto flow onwards,
and 8 hoursfroirlHamamllto receive the watersof the Milan,
comingfroma mountainous country,includingthe governments of
 Mr. AINSWORTIA'S
Journeyto Jrlgora.
[1838.
Shah-l)utunandO'lak; the chief places of which are A1 Bash,
4 houls from Mllan, and Pahlavan, 11 hours fIom the satne
place. Near MilAnare sai(l to be some thermal springs, anel
oppositeto thejunctionthe villageof AkohahHisar.
The unite(lriversof Baaandlr,Araj, an(l Soghanl; Su flow
througha )ass in the Orminiusat the footof the SarkhilnYailsi-si,
antlare said to receis-ethe watersof the Boli r;er 20 hoursfrom
tllis l-,oint,whichmustbe verywide of the truth.
The basinof tlle B>irtan river,or Parthenius,we haveseen con-
sistsof twocomparatisrely smallstreams,the Kojahnascln(lO'raleiri,
both of whichfloxvfrom the nortllernan(l westerllslop,esof the
Ormilliusandthe PaphlagonianOlympus,and unite(l areless in
magllitudeth'lnthe Filiytisbeforeit entersthe OrIninius.
The latitufleof Za'faranBoli, by the meanof two mer.alts.of the
sun,is 41? 1a' N.; its longitude,by chronometers, 32?53'. We hael
muchbad weatherandsnoxrwhile here. The meanheightof the
barometerwas28 *450, indicatingan elevationof about1coo feet.
The rock formationsin the Orminiusconsist of trap-rocks
andtra)-conglomerates, withlimestonesanllsandstones which+vere
non-fossiliferous; andof sandstonesan(lsuperincumloent limestones
in the plains) whichalsountl in organic remains.

Retracingollr stepsto ourformerbarometricstation[3200 ft.]

at SaloanChilah,we found ourselvesin the midst of snow anel
ice, andour roadlay through forests,where the snos tuml)led
uponus fromoverladenbranchesof fir. At the villageof 'Osman-
zilviour attentionw-asattracteelby aLdyke of compactquartzrock,
risinglike a wall 20 feet abovethe soil. 'rhe rocadwas in other
respectsveryuninteresting.The moorlandbeinglittle (liversifie(l,
whencultivate(l, therewere a few villages, whennot,it was a con-
tinuouswasteor forest-lantl. It was late in the eveningbeforewc
arrivedat an isolate(lhouse, where the 'Ayan of that portionof
Iflani X-hichis untlerthe jurisdictionof Za'far<wn Bol; resi(les.
Thele weresexeralrobbers,in chains,walkingabout the house.
In the valleyof the 'Ayyanlikwe countedfifteensmall villages.
Oct.26.-Crossing oversome low sctlndstone hills, we cameto
a firstvalleyof Be(lilswith fivevillages, andthen another,lYhich
exlzandedinto a plain,cultivatedin almosteverypart,an(lstu(l(letl
with villages,in the mi(lstof ^hich was the BAzal, or market-
village, calle(l Istanl)olBcizcir. At Constantinoplethe term for
the first (lay in the Mohammedanvv-eek is Bazar,*antl for the
secon(l,P<izarErteh-si. In Anatoliathc seconddayin the lveelQ is
calle(l Des-rek,but, whenap)lied to a market, they say Istanbol
Biizar,or Collstantinople market((lay).

* Market ((l;ly), gulli being ullderstoofL Buzar-erteh-si, mlrket's morroxv,i. e.,

day after market-day.-F. $.
 Osmaxzjffi-lWanas of .Wastamuna'.
1838.] 243
At ChelebiKoi, N. 5 E. of the
latitude of the place 41? 24' N.,Bazar, an alt. of the sungavethe
bar. 27.00 inches. After a
shortjourneyof 4 hours,we cameto a
whichwas the residenceof the 'Ayyanstony of
(listrict,at the foot of
diction of Kastamuni:hence the two Iflani, underthe juris-
guishedas Iflaniof Za'faranBoli, arldIflcini Iflanis are al^vaysdistin-
IflGniof Kastamuniis statedto have twenty of Kastamiini.
jurisdiction; but the (lifficultyof obtaining villagesunderits
SUt)Ject may bejudge(lof by the fact that the inbrmationupon this
Za'faranI3011asserte(lthat tllerewere only 'Ayyanof Iflcinlof
in his juriseliction,while the 'Ayyan twenty-fourvillages
of Iflani of Kastamunias-
sertedthattl1esamegovernlnentcontaine(l
A numberof villagesoften assemlule nearlyeightyvillages.
more particularlyin reference to togetherto hol>1a court,
I)ivan, anel,whenseveralunite,they are taxatlon: they call this one
This arrangementis frequentin this part numbere(laecor(lingly.
hence, in the ma1s,four or five vi11ageswillof the country; anel
marledwiththe samename. sometimesbe foun(l
The mean elev,ationof the great uplan(l
be juelge(lof by the heightof these of Paphlagoniamay
froinone another,an(l upon what places, situateat a distance
averagebetweenthe level of the valley constitutedpretty nearly the
theundulatingterritory:suchareIfl.inio?lvttoms an(lthe tops of
CheleliKoi, 2780 feet,an(lIflaniof Za'fartinBoli, 3000 feet,
plaincontainingthe Baz.ir of IflaLniof Kastamuni, 2840 feet. Tlle
100feet below Chelebi Woi, while the Za'faranBoll is about
Sal);inchilah dominatingland, as at
(yet not outof the upland),attained
3200feet. The (listrictof I)adtillimay13e an elevationof
aportiorlof the sameupland,only that, looked upon almostas
itis surroundedby mountains,and is at a height of 2400 feet,
theU*un Burun chain,the summitlevel se?aratetlfrom Iflani ly
crest of whichhas an elevationof about3600or lowest partof the
To the norththe Paphlagonianupland feet.
is l)roken
and sharpor roundedmountains,an(l intersecte(l ur)ly alorupt
valleys; by deel, narrow
whichSwith tl1eirseveralris-uletsand rivers,
their way to the Black Sea, through soon find
turesque variouswindingsandpic-
glensandravines.
On this uplandthe cultivationconsists
and bariey; indeed it may be consielered almostentirelyof wheat
among the most
luctive wileat-couritries of Anatolia. Besidesthis they alsopro-
tivate a speciesof Polygonurn cul-
in the fielcis,and a Chenopodiurez in
their gar(lens,y3rinci?ally to feed fowls,the eggs of
large article in their diet; but these seeelsare which form a
useelin makingblead. The gar(lensalso groundalso, an(l
sunny furnish.ali'tle maizein
exposules, an(l plenty of cal)lages and
climate anel soil are well adapteelfor potatoes.pumpkins. The
YOL. IX.
The appearance
S
244 Mr.
AINSSORTH
s Joutney to 21X2yors.

of the fields, with their shortstubble, the marsllyspots covered01838.

with coarsesedges,and thc greensward,with its long festucas,is
verysimilarto that of manypartsof Ireland. The lanflis l)oth
manurPdand regularlytop-dressed. As a general average, 80
akahs, or 220 llos.of wheat, fetch25 piastres,or 5s.; the samc
measureof barley,3s.
Oct. 27.- Crossingthe limestorlcrocks of Tflani, the roael
openeduponthe cultivatedvalleyof Sighir(os) beyonalwhichwas
a smMlplain, with five villat,esunder one court(Divan), nameel
TekiyyehKoi (conventville). :Beyondthis,the characterof the
countoycompletelychanged,froma continuousuplanfl,intersected
by nearlycircularplains and valleys, withgentleslc)pes,to more
loftymountains,chieflywithconical,althoughnot actuallysharp,
summits; rapi(l,but not abruptacclivities,analdeep an(lrlarrow
Yalleys) elothedto the baseof their sideswith forestsof fir; which,
on the mountainsides andsummits,alternatedwith cqually pro-
lific7but now leafless,woodsof birch.
One of these narrowvalleysnow opene(l before us, havinga
little cultivation,and corresponding groupsof hamletslike eyries
on its sifle,while a black forest slreatl out l)elow. This district
is called the KaraAgha; (I)lacktree). It is in the 'Ayy.'lnlih(f
Chllani,wherewe arrivedafterabouthalf an hour'sfartherri(le.
An hour'sjourneyfromChilani broughtus to tlle foot (f the
U'ztinBurun) and in anotherhourwe rcaclleelthe summitlevel
or lowerpartof the crest, for which the barometerinflicatedan
elevationof 3600 feet. This mountainchainestends nearlyN.E.
and S.W., and is formed of rounde(lmountainswith gentle
acclivities,coverelwithwoodfromthe base to the sumlnit.
The descentwasmore rapidthanthe ascent. We passedsome
fine specimensof purequartzoserocks; but, unfortunately, night
overtookus, andenteringupon a plain stllclfled withvillages, {lnd
belongingto the 'AyyanTik of .I)adahi,aftera journeyof 4 hours
fromthe crestof the mountains,we arrivedat the XAyyanshouse
(firstpassingthe Bazarin the mi(lflle of the plain),andwherewe
were,as usual,well received,andtreatedwith a largefire.
The Ayyanlik of Dadahl has under its juristlictionabout
twenty-four villages: the cultivationis the same at an elevationof
2500 feet as thatof the Iflanl (listrict; but maize,tolacco, anel
Frenchbeansareaddedto theirproductions: 7ines do not suceee(l.
The plain itself is formedby the union of severMvalleys, but
moreparticularlytwo large ones, whichextendto the S.S.E., anel
to the S.W. The first, Khonsilar,containseleven villages,of
from seven to twentycottages;the second,thirteenvillagesof
largesize. The plain is surroundeelon all sieleslJymountains,
whicharenotcontinuous,but ratherin groups. To the east(llone
are some limestone ridges above the isolate(lresiderlceof the
 Tekiyye7^
Koz Khonsilar-Dereh
Xo
1888.]
'Ayyan; but to the S., the S.W., and the
roundedschistosehilIs. The highest of N.W. are groupsof
Bel, now covereclwithsnowat its summit. these is called Golgi
Oct. 28.-Started at firstin a N.W. and
tion, overthe rangeof hills which l)ouncled then in a N.E. direcS
Our roaclup the hills lay at first N., a the plain o? Dadahi.
finallyN. a little E. to the crest. The hills little W., then N., and
forestsof oak andfir. were coveredwith
The descentwasto the E. of N., by the
chi-lar(Waggoner's-town), village of 'Arabtah-
consistingof three parts on opposite
sidesof a narrowand steep valley. From
throughGerish (three small villages), thenthis we turnetlE.,
schistosehills, down to a brook, where wre over low, fir-clad
quarries of excellentroofing-slate,a ?act first met with fine
restingto the Turkishgovernment,as the that lnay notbe uninte-
stantinopleare brought,at some expense, slatesnovvusedat Cont
fromEnglancl. from Europe, chiefly
This valleysoon openedandturnedN. 2 E.
DaurilianIrmak. It was most remarkable to the vale of the
for its abundanceof
cranberry-trees, now in full fruit. Tl-letreeswere small,
hardybut stunted trunk, somewhatsimilar with a
to the olive. Jays,
blackbirds, and fieldfareswerefeastingUpOIl the ripe berrie.s.
On entering the valley of the Daurikan
13yardswide, by 1 footin depth, our Irmak, here about
withsome deviations,led us to roal turne(ldue E., and,
Jurimaran,the residenceof a
mukhtar, or sub-governor, whe was to provideus with horsesfor
our furtherjourney.
Oct. 29.-We followedthe river'sbank
Itthentooka bend, crossingfromN.E. aboutE. by N. 3 miles.
froma
consisting of chalkcliSs an(lhills of flintygravel,diXerentcountry,
neighl)ouring fromwhichsome
villagesare employel in makinggun-flints.
lKoiis a smallvillage, prettilysituatedin a DereX
by
precipices. To the S.W. is an extensive deep glen surrounde(l
covereclwithvillages,belongingto KurehKaza-si plain, cultivatecland
To the N. a hilly district,whereis the bAztir (Kurehdistrict).
aconical hill, on which are the vestigesof a of JurimaranSand
weobtaine(lbearingsof it from the next plain. castellate(lI)uilding:
professe(lnot to knowthe roador the namesof theOur muleteers
got
a boy as a guidefromthe next villages,so we
we cameato.
Continuingover the uplandof Salmanli,the
inlong
a an(labruptprecipice,forminga terrace chalk terminated
uponigneousformations,andextencledfrom of rock, which
rests
ing
a lJroad,plain-likevalley, which E. to W., front-
in was cultivated, and aboun(ls
villagesl)elongingto the districtcalled
Beyon(lthis valleywe passedthrougha pine O'lunjeh.
grove
sandstone,at the head of which a rivulet flowed on chalkand
from a subter-
s 2
 Journeyto Anyora.
Mr.AINSWORTTIFS
246 [1838
ranean passage: 13cyondthis we came upon carbonaceousanX
otherschistoserocks3andamonglofty woodedhills Night again
overtookus, and there was no possibilityof stopping, for haxlwe
done so our muleteers,who had been rebelliousa11day, would
havedecampedduringthe night)anelleft us withouthorses, so wc
mal;e a torcedmarch,ascendingfc)rupwardsof an hourthe moun-
^

tainso? BakirKGleh-sl(copperdistrict),anddescendingintothc
little mountain-l)asin3 in which the tosYnJ attachedto the copper-
mines)is situated,arris-ed thereat (about9 P.M.
Oct. 30.-The general eXeetof the town of Bakir Kireh-S;
(copper district)is verygeod. It is situatedin a deephOllOWn
for which the lnean of the baroinetergavean elewationof 2800
feet, an(lis surrouneled ly mountains,of which the mostreinark-
able is callel Baklr Sultan. Its acelivitiesare coveredwith the
red-lookingrefuseof formermining operatiorlss andit terminates
;11a rockypinnadewhichrises 710 feet abovethe town. Qn this
pinnacle is a tomb and a keepers house. The view from the
summit presented,in es-erydirection,a continuoussuccessionof
mountains,roundedout with steep declivities to the E. and5v.;
brokenup into ljolul)rocky, limestonecl;Ss to the N., and over-
tQped by the moredistantsnvnrysummitsof the Alkas Taghi*
to the S.E.; while clouds lay over the Black Sea like a white
shroud spread at some distance beneath our ?eet The
effiectof these mountainsupon the climate may be judaed of
by the factthatthe previouseveningwe were almostwet through
ly a drizzlingrainswhile the sky above was nearlyclouelless,an(l
thc moonshonebright.
'Rothe S W. of the town is a conic;llmountairlnamed Kizil
WaraTAghl; to the S.E., KirnakTaghi?whichwe crossedon our
arriYal andat our departure;to the N .E. , K>iziYusofTaXll; andl
N. by E., the limestonecliff called Atr-Sizler Kaya. Such a1e
tlle nameso? the principalmountairls which are groupedaroun(l
the copper-mines,comprehendelby the Turks under the name
of the 13akirIGureh-ds i. e. copperdistrict.
There is everyprobability,fxoln the .characterof the scoria,
thatthe veins or beds fromwhichthe ore was formerlyobtainetl
consistedof Gompad copperpyrites; but althoughwe descendel
somedistanceinto a shaft, we were unable to ol}taina specimen,
nor wereanyin existencein the tc)wnitself. It is now manyyears
sincethe mineswerearrought. In some cases the walls analroof
o? the galleriesfeU in; in others they were filled withwater,a1-
thoughthere still exists some eloubtwhetllerthe deepestpartof
thc shaftgoes belowd1elevel of the valley and i? not, the lnines
mightbe recoveredby carryinghorizontalor slightly-indinedgal-
leries directlyto wherethe watersare accumulated:at all events
* J.N.p.648.
t Kazi?-F. S.
1S.v8.] BuDirIkurch-si-Al;^sis.Tctyhi. 247

a little enterI3rise might, withthe aillof Inachincryrecolrcrthcse

long-lostmines.
That they wereformerlyverylzroeluctive maybe de(luceelfroxn
a statementmade in Gibbon, chap. lsis., that, in the timc of
MohammedII., Ismail Beg, prince of Sillope, yieleledto the
conquerorof Corlstalltinople, on his summons,a cityanda revenue
of 000,000 ducats, derive(l,it is said, chieflyfrom the copper-
snines,.anamountwIlich, Gilulsonsays, appearsenormous. The
rTurkisIlgeograpller of Anatoliahas said after Strabo(p. 562)
an(lthe circumstance has been repeatedin modern geographical
works, that the peopleemplotbedin these mines emit a horrible
stenchfromtheirbo(lieswhen they come to the surfacej This, it
is evident,coultlonly applyto formertimes; but whenin the old
galleries, we did not perceiveanyeither uncommonor unpleasant
oflour. The Sandaracurgium * of Stralso,^hich, accor(lingto
thatgeographer,+rasrenderedhollowevenin his time by the con-
tinualmining operationscarriedon in its interior,was a lvranch
of theOlgasys,AlkasTagh. Now astheBakirKureh-slaresituatecl
in the YeralahGoz,a rockyregion,only, as it were,detacheelfrolll
the loftierrange,from whichit also borrowsits name, it is not
iinpossilule thatthe placesmaybe identical.
In the presentday a few thieles and conrictsonly, besi(lessome
more respectablepersons, are engagedin sifting and collecting
fromthe refuse of formertimesstonesthatmayat,ainbe sent to
the furnacewithsomechanceof profit. It is curious,in esamining
the vast piles of refuse amongwhich they are carryingon their
labours,to observehowregularlythestonesllavebecomestratifieel,
an{lhowfrequentlythe formationof carbonateof coppert, es-enin
a lsotryoidal formhas takenplace. We also founela specilnenof
lsonepassinc,intoa sulestanceresemblingturquoise,fromim?ret,-
nationwith copper.
The furnaceswere formerlyupon the bror of the hill, lvhere
the formerrefuse exists, but they are now 16 in numl)erin the
valley, close to thewater, by the ai(lof whichbellows, of slnall
size, arcluadeto work.
The townitself has a handsomemosque, -andupwarelsof {;900
hollses,of hich one-halfonlyaresubstantially built,the remaineler
are the (lwellingsof lloorminers,andoftenruinousan(luntenantecl.
With the loss of its resources,the town has fallen into gleat
pow-erty.Its latitucleby the sun's mer. alt. 41?47/; its long. by
chronometers 33?50' E.
Nov. 1.-We left Bakir Ktireh-siby the ap in Kirnak rIaghi,
'@ Sn7lczaaacz?gi2bnl signifies " arsenicworks,"and is tllerefore
amine;consequently
hollow as far as it has lJecllwolkc( F. S.
t Bicarbonateof copper asld bydvateof copper.
248 Mr.AINSWORTH'S
Journeyfoilngora.
[1838@
and descendinginto the valley, followedthe upwardcourse of a
risulet flowing N.E., and round a mountaincalled I'kinjller
composedof coarseclay-slatesandironshotschistX andcoveredwith
forestsof pine and birch. We continuedto ascendfor a period
of 3 hours, throughforest and bad roads, made worse by in-
creasingrain. The countrythenopened,anelbecameless woode(l;
and afterwe had passeda high limestonecliS, we foun(lthe same
rockbeginningto abound,andforminga newfeaturein the district.
A few miles farther, ostracitesanllstonemade its appearance
and we entereduI)onthe plainof Daurikan,or Kurehliazasi (the
Ka(lilik of the mining district), full of villages and well cul-
tivated, and lsounded by hills l3f link awndwhite cretacovus
rocks.
Nov. 2.-The valleyof DaurikSn contains the river of the
same name, which we had alreadyseen at Jurimaranin a rocky
district. It extendedfromN.E. to S.W., and containedfourteen
illages, mostof themlarge. We left the village of Dallrikan
the next day, and our route lay over hills of trap, black schist,
and limestone,withoutwood,but pasturingcattle. Crossingtwo
valleys we came to a los crest of woodedchalk hills, where
is a guard-house;a little beyond these the valleyof the Gok
Irmak was spreadout at our feet, studdedwith villagesan(llan-
tations, and backed by the city of Kastamuni, above which
toweredan old castleplacedupona rock.
From Za'farAnBI1i to this place, except in the low valleyof
the Jurimaran,our elevationhad prolaablynever been less than
2000 feetabovethesea. At Bakir Kurehsi !2800feet,andatDau-
rikan,on the high uplandof YeralahGoz,and nearthe sourcesof
the riverof the samename,anapprosimateobservationgave3240
feet. This fact, whichhad hithertobeen renderedmostapparent
to us by the climateandvegetationof the countrywe weretravelling
through,wasnowmadeactuallyvisible,for, withouthavingmade
any particularascentfromthe generallevel of our road,the hea(l
of the Gok Irmak, which river had still to flow some distance
before it joined the Kizil Irmak (Halys), and must then still
havea descenttowardsthe sea, was at a lexel of severalhundred
feet belowus.
Qn our road to Kastamuni,where we arrivedearly in the
afternoon,we passedthe riverof lEadahiflowing into the Gok
Irmak, which it exceededin size, being about10 yards wideby
1 in depth,whilethe riverof Kastamuniis only from7 to 8 yards
wide where 1 foot deep, and becomesvery shallow when spread
overa large surface.
I%ov. 3.- 3<astamuniis a large Turkish toxrn,situated in a
yalleyfromi to i of a mile wide, whichit col:npletely fills up: a
1838.] Daurikan Kasfamnni. 249

break in the hills whichboun(lthe city on the *vestformedan

othervalley,which is fille(lup with suburb calledHisArArdi,*
while upon the rocky cliff alsovestan(l the ruins of an ancient
castle.
The total numberof housesis saidto amountto ] 2,000, giving
a populationof 48,000 persons. Froln our inquiricsthe Greeks
haveon]y 1] 0 houses,anclthe Armenians20. The formerhave
a small churchde(licate(l to St. John the Baptist. The Arme-
niansmeet for prayerin a khAn. In the Mohamme(lan city we
counted thirty-six minarets, an(l there are twenty-fourpublic
baths.
The principaltrade of Kastamuniis in wool, of which the
the neighbourhood is said to produce nearlyas good as that of
Angora. The men also *rorklargelyin copper, and the women
in cottonbroughtfrom'A(lanahin Cilicia,an(lof whichsails for
shipping are madeand sent to Constantinople. They also print
cottons and tan leather,but in the latter article Tash Kopries:-
cels theln. There are said to be thirty-two printing-houses,
havingfrom four to eight presses each, also twenty-twodyeing-
houses, of which six are fol recl and si2ateenfor blue dyes.
There are only two tanneries. The countryproducesno grapes:
*vineis broughtfrotnTosiyyah,ricefromTosiyyahandBoi-abad,a
little silk also fromthe ]atterplace, andwater-melonsfrom Tash
Kc)priand the gardensalong the Gok Irmak.
Tbere arein the city fourmonasteries(Tekiyyeh)of stationary,
and two of itinerantDervislles. The castleis a veryrude struc-
ture, built of the same coarsesandstoneas the rock onwhich it
stands. The mortaris a mixtureof lime and pebbles. Some of
the towers,three of whichare round,are nearly50 ft. high; an-
otheris partlybuilt of tiles, and some squareones, more espe-
cially sucll as flankthe outerwall, are of betterconstruction,and
formedof largerstones,probab3ybelongingto a more remote era
than the rest. A plan was ma(leby Mr. Russell, wllenceit ap-
pearsthat the castleis of an oblongform,414ft. longby fiOwide.
Kastamunlhas always been underthe Turkish dominion,the
capitalof a provinceor sanjak,and was a long time the resi(lence
of a p.'tsha,but, un(ler the economicalreformsof the present
sultan,it has been ma(lethe seatof a mutesellimunderthe Pasha
of Angora. Little morethan a centuryago the Christianinhabi-
tants were expelled from this city and forced to take up their
resideneein a village on the Gok Irma, still designatedas Gaur
Koi. Wllen re-admittedto live and tradewithin the F)recincts of
the town they had no church, and only theirold burial-ground,
till underthe presentsultan, a fermanwas granted,allowingthem
* J. N. p. 648. VulgoArdhi.
o NTr.AINSWORTH'S
Jour?teyto vlngora. [iS38.

to build a ehurehand burytheir deaelnear the abode of their

forefatllers.
The populationan(lextentof Kastamunielaimsome attention,
though its situationis not amon^,the most pieturesquein Asia
lMinor,and notwithstanding its commereeis veraineonsideral)le.
Someof the mosquesand the new barraeksrise alsovethe sur-
roundinghouses, andare rather superiorto eommonbuilelings;
lout the houses, althout,hof two stories,are in generalill built;
the streetsare narro+rand dirty, and the centre of the town is
washedby a deep kennel,into whichthe Elth of the wholeplaee
is eolleeted. There are no open quaysto en]iventhe seene,an(l
only here and there a eoveredwoodenbri(lge,aerosswhieh the
Mohammedan has to pieli his way,lest he should^rakethe sleep-
illg dogs,and be defiledby touehingthem.
Wastamuniis not unfrequentlyvisited by the plague, and is
alw.aysliable to bad fevers, more partieularlymalaria,whieh is
said often to assumea veryfataltype. At an altitudeof 2350 ft.
abovethe sea, the snowis said to lie two monthsuponthe ground,
and the summerto be veryhot.
It is, however,in its past historythat Kastamuni,with its eom-
mandingthoughruinedcastle,presentsitself to us with features
of peeuliarinterest. The an(ient title of Constambol,the eity
of Constantinehas been elaimed for it (Bell, vol. iv. p. 107).
It is still ealledConstambelin a modernGreekworkon geography
publishedat Smyrna;and Kastambolis the mostfrequentnamcby
whichit is knownoutof the precinctsof the town. Rennelleven
claimsfor it the still more ancientname of Germanico)olis but
it is betterknownin the pagesof modernhistoryunderthe name
of Castamona(Castamon,Leake*), as the paUtrimonial estate/if
llOtthe capitalof an independentkingdo1nunder the Comneni
lamily, beforethat familyattainedthe power and the eminence
whichupheldfor a wvhilethe fate of a sinking emI)ire(Gibbon,
chap. xlviii.). And the samefertile district, secludedly tnoun-
tains on everyside, was also the strongholdof an independent
prince cxpelled by l'lderimBayAzid,re-instatedloyTilnur, an(l
againexpelleRby MuhammedI.
We have alreadyhad occasionto commentupon the compara-
tive geographyof the riverI(astamuni. This river,designatedas
the Karasu on the maps, is knownby the name of Gok Irmak
from its sources,8 hours above Ikastamuni,to its junctioll with
the .KizilIrmalvor Halys. At Kastamuniit is a mere rivulet
7 yardswideby 1 ft. *leep,but 6 miles below it receivesthe rixer
of Dadahi, 10 yardswidely 1 in depth. The unitedstreamsflow
onwar(lsby TtishKopriand Boi-abci(l,to the Kizil Irmak. The
of Castra-Comneni.
abbreviation
* A probabIe
 Jrastantunt-Gok
Irtnak -TeishKofrz'. l
1838.]
riverof Sarpunjais placedby Kinneiras a triloutary to the Kasta-
snuniriver; lJutfromall the informationwe cot1lelobtain,it ap-
pearedto flowintothe ArQij. Kinneirfirstshowedtlle connexion
of the riverof Kastamuniwiththe Halys. Rellnell hy mistake
introducestwo rivers,one of Kastam1'lni, tlle otherof Tash Koprl,
ane:1 130thflowinginto the sea at differentplaces.
Tlle weatherwasverycloudyane1uncertaineluringour stayof
3 (lays at Kastamuni. The lat. I)ythe sun's mer. alt. was l?
ol' N.; long. by two chrorometers233?5d' E.; bar. 27.gS4
inches, indicatingan elevationof 2400 feet; we also maeRe ob-
servationsfor dip and magneticintensity-.
The rocks around Kastamdni consist, belolv, of primary
schists; abovethese are cretaceousrocks,white, red, or lJrown,
^ithfew organicremains. The upper beds of chalk alternate
rith sandstoneconglomerate. This rock crownsthe castlc-llill,
ar(l passes, in the hills E. and W. of the town, into sandstone.
TOthe W. of the castle-hillthe sandstonedips 7? E., lautbeaontl
this, ancl over the adjacentvalley,the same beds dip W. at an
angleof 9?.
The contrastof the dark-colouredschists with the red and
whitecretaceousbeds furnishessomeof the mostremarkalule fea-
tures in t.he neighbourhood, more particularlyin the glen at the
N.W. extremityof the town.
Nola.6. We continuedourjourney,proceedingalongtlleva]ley
of the Gok Irmak,which flowe(lwith few windingsto tbe N.E.
about5- miles, at whichpointlow sandstonehills advancingfrom
the S. from the neighbourhoodof Kastamunlcomedown to the
edge of the river,which,curvingroundthe hills, afterwards take a
courseof E.N.E. We stoppee1at this point to olJtain the sun's
mer. alt., which gave the lat. 41? 26'. A little fartheron the
Gok Irmakreceivesa small tributaryfrotn the S. The tempe-
ratureof the waterwas 13?cent.; of the air 13'2?cent. llmile
fartherwe crosse(lthe same river by a coveredwoodenbridge,
13eyond whichthe rinerstretchedto the eastwardalonga pleasant
valley, cultivated, full of villages, plantations, and gardens.
7 miles beyondthe bridge the river enters into a rockyravinen
an(lis lost sight of for abouta mile, whenturningto the N. of E.
it entersuponthe valleyof Tash Kopri,surroundedby rocksand
mountains,but woodedand cultivatedin its centre)andabound-
ing in villages.
Nov.7. Tash Koprl(stonebridge)is on the rightbankof the
Gok Irmak,and is a)proachedly a l)ridge75 yardslong, which
formerlyconsistedof fouratches; two of these now remain,and
t+sroothers,^^Thich were carriedaway,are replaced by three low
andbadly-constructetl modernarches:the river,whichhereflowed
fromW. to E., divide(1itself into fourshallowstreams.
iS2 Mr. AI NSWORTH
'SJourney{o Angor.
tl 838.
The town is said to contain 1500 houses: sve countecl10
minarets,2 khxins,and 2 baths: tannersand blacksmithsforma
large partof the population.
The Ilumberof architectural remainsin TAsh Kopri attestan
ancientsite: old columnsand hewn stones,cornices)&c., alJound
in the cemeteries. We visited a small louildingyclept a ma-
dreseh or college a collectionof hewn stones an(l remains of
antiquity,put together in the form of a parallelogram, vith an
open spacein the centre,and two rowsof ancientcolumns,not
two of whichha(l capitalsof the sameorller.
Near the buildingwasa beautifulsarcophagus of whitemarble,
7 feet 9 incheslong, 4 feet wide, and 3 feet 6 inches high, and
ornamentedlaterallywith vvreathsencirclinga mutilate(lhuman
face: bulls' headswere sculpturedon the si(les and rams'hea(ls
at the corners,with bunches of grapes beneath. On the left
bank of the riveris a low hill, whichis pointed out as having,
once bornea castle,of whichthereare ne ruinsat present. On
a stone near the gateway is a mutilatedinscription,of which
only a few lettersare legible. Mr. Russell also copiedotherin-
scriptionsfromthe wallsof the college,from a mo(lernfountain,
and one froln the interiorof a tanners house. The followint,,
which confirmsthe supposedidentityof Tash Kopri with the
ancient Pompeiopolis,is inscribe(lon a large slal) of stonein-
serted laterallyinto the wall of the buildingabovealludedto as
constructedof materialsof forlueredificesand called the college.
As an excuse for antrinaccuracies,I shoukl state that both this
and the following were copied by Mr. Russell during a heavy
showerof rain:-
ArA@HITYXHI
IRAIONl<t\AYAION
rA^I I I IANON
TON I IA^AII<OY ArPO
NOMEANTA 4>l/\TAT
Qs HBOY^H ICAI
OAHMO:5 Tl42; MH
TronozE ns nom
I lHlol lo/\Ef2E . . .Q
ANE<3ENTOANA PIA>:
ENEl<EN .*
The followingwas in the frontof a fountainin the N.W.
quarterof thetown:-

* To Good Fortune. Caiu8 Claudius Gallitianus, the son of Pallicus, the kind
administratorof the country, the serlate and people of Pomi)eiopolis,the metropolis
have dedicated on account of his courage.
 Pompefopotis-nik Tagh.
1838.] 3
L. 1RLAVIVS
ASCLEPIAI)ES
PETRONIANVS ISIC POSITA/S
EST.*
t\OYI<10E ?^AY10E
n IA<HE n ETPQN ASIC/\H
IANOS
ENf3A^E l<ATOIXETAI.
It is well knownthat
hisMap, identifietlTashKinneir,antl afterl-limColonelLeakein
an(lwhichsite RennellhasKopriw-itllPoInpeiopolisof the tables,
givenby the tablesis so sought forat Tosiyyah. The information
inaccurate,that,svithoutan
coin,or monument,to satisfy inscription,a
the min(l,the rest is a11
Ifwe take the distance conjecture.
givenly the tables of
Gangra, theformereomesnearerto Pompeiopolisfrom
givenfrom Pompeiopolis Tosiyyah;but will the 27 m.p.
Again,if Tash Kopri (of to Sinope agreewith the same place?
which$here now seems no
Pompeiopolis, it is muchmorethan doubt) be
Having so far examine(lthe 35 m. p. fromGangra.
quittingthe river flowingantiquitiesof Tash Kopri, re
starte(l,
Ilik Tagh, a spuror rather N.E., and l)eganan ascentof
the
herccrosses the valleyof the Gokportionof the Alkas Ttigh,
which
YerAlahGoz,beyondwhichagain, Irmak, and unites with the
high
and lofty pinnacles of and nearerto Sinope,weresome
schists. limestonereposing upon
primary
Our general directionwas
adjacent E. by N., and we stoppeduponan
plain to take the
N. lat. 41? 2D'. 400 sun's mer. alt., which gave for this
place
of 7 houses called yards to the W.S.W. was a stnall
village
about 1 a mile N. 52 Khazineh-dar
an(l
E., but
Koi (Treasurer-ville),
dismantledwalls and crumblingseparatedl)y a deep ravine,
the
pied
the summitof a nearly fragmentsof a castle
namedKiz Kal'ah-si insulated rock. This castleoccu-
the
East,as,for instance,(Virgin-castle);not an uncommon was
nearKopri,andprol)ably narnein
castle's
never having been taken. referringto the
HisErI'ma of Rennell, from It appearsto be the same as
the
mountains
whichare now particularly which he nameclthe chain
of
best
mastsfor the Turkishna+ry, known for furnishingthe
point
with the Ilih Tagh. and consequently agreeingin this
Leavingthe castle on our left we
flomringto the Gok Irmak,descendedinto a ravinewith
rivulets
apparently
of olclarches, called where we found fragments,
but whethera bridgeor aChekmtikKapu-si (Tinder-box
bridge);
cult
todetermine. defenceto the defile it is lliffi-
Ourascentof the Ilik Tagh
of micaslate, &c. We commencedfrom this point,amid
rocks
an(l
attaine(l soon enteredupon the pine
the highest level of tlle forests,
range,where the l)arometer
* Lucius Flavius
Asclepiades Petronianus is placed
here.
4

s Journey{o jlgosfl.
AIr.ATSS\VORT}I [lSoSe

inelicatedan eleration of 4000 feet. The only specics of lilae

+^ras the Pintc.snpinea.Some treeswhichwe measuledwere ul-
w-ardsof 100 feet high, and 3 feet 4 inches in (liametcr,cuttint,
into timber of 1 foot 9 inches square. Our ri(le througll tlle
forcstwasdrearyand monotonous,ancl-weonly arriveel afterelarls,
and amidstthe din of jackals. at KavvashahTekiyyell-si, as its
nameshows,a conventof dervishes,of vYhom therewere four,out
of the inhal)itantsof about 15 cottat,es.
Nov.8.-Started earlyul) hills of crystallineschists,the eoun-
try aroundl)eing no+smorel)are of trces an(l in part cultivateel,
I)utat an elel7ationof aI)out3'700feet. After travellingo llours
throughthis tractwe openedupon thc valleyof the Gok Irm.lk,
whichimmediatelyuponleavingthe mountains wasas crow(lctlwitls
xrilIagesaswhenwe lastsawit. Limestonehadfor sometime past
succeede(lto the pine-clad schistoserochs, an(l they ^Terethem-
selvesnowsucceededlJytraprocksandalteredformations;I)utthc
valleyof the riverderiveda new featurefrom the predominance
of vast(lepositsof detritus;the acclivities,oWerirlglittle resistance
to the actionof rain and springs,vere deeplyfurrowedby ravines
withoutanyvegetablecovering,and presentinga curioussucces-
sion of differentcolouredindentations.
At an elevationof about 1770 feet abovethe sea, and about
700 abovethe level of the river,we stolped to get the sun'smer.
alt., whichgave the lat. 41? 2St N. Tlle hills aroundwere clacl
with juniper(J. Phoenicea and J. macrocarpa) and with (lwarf
andpricklyevergreenoak. A little more thanan hour'sjourney
broughtus to 13oi-abad,a smalltownbeautifullysituateduI7ona
triloutaryto the Gok Irmak.
Nov.9.-Boi-Abael containsabout 300 llouses, in which thc
po-)ulationis said to consis$of 1000femalesand800 males. Thc
townis (lividedirlto 11 mahallahsor di+risions, eacTlsaid to hawvc
its lnosque: this is an exagt,eration. There are 3 khans an(l2
ballis. Tlle town is ratherscattered,whichadds to its beauty,
and occupies a valley to the E. of the rivulet. The bed of the
latteris filleclwith lusuriantgardens,full of fine fruit-treesover-
run by vines. The rivuletof Boi-abad is called Kaz I)ereh-si
(Goose-ralley),and to the N. flows,in an open an(lcultivated
vale abouta XL Of a mile in width, to its junctiollwith the Gok
Ilsm.;k(Amnias); I)utto the S. it isslles froma narrour an(l se-
clulledvale, containilag a largcvilla.gebearingthe same name.
This uppervale of Kaz Dereh-siis separatedfrnm thc xalleyof
Boi-abaelIy the limestonereks +tTllich beal the relnainsof the
zasses from the one valleyinto
castle or hill-fort,and the rixv-ulet
tlle other througha ravine+rithperpendicularsidesat least 300
feet in height.
Boi-aba(;lappearsto lJe partlya Persian name, in whichlan-
 1838.] Boi-abad GokIrmcEk. 5
guageA'bEdmeansa city. Boi has scarcelya
in Wallachiaand MoldaviaBoi or Boiavaris aTurkish meaning;
nameapplie(lto
lan(led proprietorsor lor(ls of the soil. The
tives had no idea of the meaning,but the Turks best-informedna-
times to Bo*a(l or Boiavat,as it appearson somecorrupt maps.*
it someo
The castle, which is attrilouted ly the nflives to
but lears no inscriptions,was long the seat of anthe Genoese,
clsieftain. It still eontainswithinits walls aboutthirty in(lepenelent
houses, whichare said to have been (leserteclonly about dwelling-
ago,whenits lordwas a eertainHusein, the last of the 8 years
or Sipahis(Gibbon, c. lxv.), a term used by the Chipawist
country,andcorrespondingto the originawl people of thc
of our Anglo-Tntlian
term(; sepoy." The last chieftainis said still to be alive
in Con-
stantinople;but l-lis propertywas confiscated,antl his
have turnedto the humble occupationof gardeners. followers
visiteclthis hill-fort, of which a plan was madeby Mr.When we
therewasnot a personwithin its walls, an(l the houses, Russell,
althoughlJuiltof ^rood,were(lesertedas if yester(lay:thestill new
beingovergrown pathway
withviper'slougloss(EchiumCreticunz), spurge,
an(lotherwee(ls, gaxe an almostpainful idea of
sudden
1;ion;but the inhabitantsbelow spokeof the thing in a desola-
highlycharacteristic manner
of the feelingat presentpredolxlinant in Ana-
tolia. " Of what use is it to live seclu:leclon yonder
Is it not l)etterto dwellamonggardensan(lcorn-fieldsmountain?
By threesets of lunardistanceswe madethe long. of?"
234? 51' E.; lat. by sunss mer. alt. 41?27' N.; variation Boi-aba(l
I)arometer 28? 8, indicatingan elevationof about1000 feet 9? W.;
thesea. abolre
No;. 10.-Continue(l our journey alongthe
Irmak,passingvillagesat almosteverymile an(lvalley of the Gok
a half, till we hatl
travelle(l 4 hours,whenwe tllrnedto the right,
thel)anksof a smallrivulgt,to the village of about a mile along
'Ali Pasha-Shali,
wherewe stoppe(lfor the night,in a room similarto what
atBoi-aba(l,withouta window,anddarkas a (lungeon. we ha(l
The valleyof the Gok Irmakaxeraged
^mile to 1 mile; and fromits ntlmerousto-day a width of from
windings,
androcks,its generallusurianceof vegetation,an(litswoodedhills,
^7illages an(l
corn-fields, furnisheela continuedsuccessionof fine andvaried
lan(lscape.
The recentbrecciaand sanclstone here rose in hills to an ele-
vation sometimesof upwardsof 800 feet; anclalthoughat first a
mere pelJl)ly eletritus,as we ?roceetle(ldown the valley,the samc
* It is properly Boya-aba(lndye-town. Boya,
colour or
Pelsian. Such comIlotlll(lsare 1lot Illlcommol. F.(lye,
(abo(le),
S.
is Tulkish; ab.ill
t l'robably of the Cha)wall falnil. Sipalliis a Persian word, signifying "sol-
dier
;" misspelt Spahi,atldh;epoy.It could hardly be
challgeelilltOC7/?ipabi.--F.
S.
6 Mr. AINSWORTH
SJOU?Be?J
{0Axtgora. Ll83g
deposit assumedthe characterof true sandstoneand sandstone
conglomerabe, risingoften in loftyand nearlyverticalprecipices,
in which the charactcrof the beds varieclmuch, from coarse
to fine breccia,andfrom rudeconglomeraterock to siliccousan(l
calcareousfreestone. From variouscircllmstancesthere seems
reasonto believethat this valleyha(lits existence,at least in part
anteriorftothe last igneousagencywhichdisturbedthe surfaceof
EasternPaphlagonia.
Nov.11. Quitting the valley of 'Ali Ptisha-Shali,we again
enteredupon that of the Gok Irmak, andpassing Tahiran,now
a village, but formerlya small Mvhammedan town, foun(lthe
-a]ley beginningto lose its (limensions,and to be shut up by
diallageand euphotiderocks, supportingcompactlimestone,and
advancingin wooded precipices or rockypromontories(Karxi
Denin) uponthe bed of the river. A little fartherwe came to
the junctionof the Gok Irmakandthe Kizil Irmak,whichoccurs
in an open space; after this the latter having passe(l through
high and precipitousrocks to the S.S.W. descendsto the N. I)y
E., and then suddenlysweeping roundlto the S., forcesits way
thlough a defile formedby perpendicular cliSsof limestone,called
Kara Depeh (Black vale), while the rockswhichit thus encloses
to the S. are named the Ada Tagh (Island-mountain). The
latitu(leof the )oint of junction of the two rivers lJythe sun's
mer. alt. was41? 22' N.
It was our intention to have proceededup the banks of the
Kizil IrmEkto Haji Hamzah, and from thence to 'Osmanjik;
and notwithstanding the manyrepresentationsmadeto us of thc
mpracticalilityof this route,we were determinedto attemptit.
Proceeding, however,up the Kizil Irmik, about a mile from
where it receivesthe watersof the Gok Irmak, we came to the
willageof Beg I(oi, beyondwhichthe formerrivercomesthrough
perpendicularrocks of schist and limestone, whicll aSor(le(l
neitherpassagebelownor above on eitllerof its banks. Uneler
these circumstanceswe could not do better than proceeddown
the riverto the ferryof Vezir Kopri,alld, fromthat place, cut off
thc westerlybend <)fthe streamtowar(lsHaji Hamzah,meeting
tlle ris-eragainat 'Osmanjik.
Accordinglywe forded the Gok Irmak nearits junctioll, and
procee(ledthrougll the pass of the Kara Depeh. This pass,
nless Paphlagoniaextendedfarthereast in the time of Xeno-
hon, wouldappearto applyitself pecu]iarlyto the description
{rivenby Hecatonymus,one of theambassadors fromSinopeto the
Greeksat Cotyora,who saidthat Paphlagoniamust of necessity
be enteredlbybut one pass, and that lay betweentwo pointsof a
rockexceedinghigh. The river runs througha gorgein a lime-
stonerange, whichestends from S.W. to N.E., formislgorlthe
1838.] Beg Koa KaraDepeh Wik.TaEgh.
ES7
S. bank a conical rock about250 feet high, and then risesin a
lviderampartof rock to the N.E. till it formsclifEs,at the dis-
tance of scarcely !! miles, nearlylOOQfeet in height. To the
S.E. numerousrudely-shapedpinnaclesof limestonecrownthe
mountain summits, upon one of which there are some ruins,
apparentlyof awmonasticcharacter,concerningwhich we coul(l
not obtainanyinformation.
This elefilehasnin modern times, obtainednotorietyfromtlle
frequencyof the robberiescommittedin a neighbourhoo(l so well
a(l<apteelfor such exploits; an(lthis circumstance le(l the Turkish
governmentto build a guard-housein thepass, whichwastenanted
by two uselessveterans,who, however,gaveus a hospitableshelter
for the night. Long. by chron.35? 14' E., lat. 41? 21' N.
From the uplandplainsof Iflani at a mean elevationof 2500
feet abovethe level of the sea, ^rehad descendedto Kastamuni
at the hea(l of the valley of the Gok Irrnak, about 150 feet.
In followingthe deep declivityof that hollow, in partfilled with
(letritaldeposits,alreadyat Tash Kopri, a (listanceof about24
miles, the leYel ha(l descended550 feet more; at Boi-abad, by
800 feet more, and at the junction of the same river with the
Kizil Irmak,by 60Qfeet more; the level at the confluence,by
barometer,being about 450 feet aboxre the level of the sea: but
throughthe rapidsof KaraDepeh alone,the Ki2il Irmakdescends
at least 100 feet; the elevationat the Guaral-house,below the
pass, being only 350 feet, or 100 feet less thanat a distance(by
windings)of about8 or 10 miles; and consequentlyhavinga fall
of morethan 10 feet to a mile. The rix7er was flowingat a rate,
by our measurements, o? upwardsof 5 miles an hour.
The influenceof so rapid a decreaseof elevationycombined,
mole especially,withthe increasedtemperatureof a valleywhere
vegetationis protectedby hills, the radiationof the sun fromtheir
sifles, and the evaporationfrom numerousrivulets, is equally
markedby the successivechangesof the vegetablellroductions.
On the plainsof IflEni, as previouslyseen, barley an(lwheat
formthe chief, if not, besides some culinaryvegetables,the sole
produce;lout esTen at Kastamuni,in the valley of the Gok Irmak
maize,tobacco,gour(ls,and a few melons,are pro(luced;grapes,
however,(lo not ripen well. The same fertiles-alley,down to
ThishKor)ri,is for the most part cultivated,as far as to the base
vf the hills; while the water-sideis occupiedalmoste+7erywhere
by villagesand gardens in which grapes beginto abound, an(l
melonsof variouskindsare raised. Walnut-trees,deciduousoak,
willows,andtall poplarsare frequent.
The greatforestof the Ilik Tagh, stretchingfromthe water-
sieleup to an elev.ationof 4000 feet, consistsalmostentirelyof
pine-trees fPinus pinea), which attaill a height of upwardsof
100 feet. IShese forests, therefore,are still, as they havelong
8 NIr. AINSWORTH'S
Jour?ley
{0f?nyora.
[1838.
beens the most valuableof any in the Sultanssterritoriesfo
timberof thatdescription.
In descendingfrom the Ilik Tagh to Boi-abad some roclvy
tracts affiorda flourishingvegetationof shrubs of coypressn txvo
speciesof juniperandevergreenoak. The castle-hillis covere(l
with spurge. The fruitfulvalleybelow aSordsfocldfor the few
silkwormskept in this neighbourhootl;vines, without care or
cultivation,climb ovcrthe tops of the highesttrees; and the gar-
dens of +he Kez Dereh-siproducethe mostdelibhtfulfruitsand
vegettiblesin Anatolia.
In the valleyof the Gok Irmakandthe lowerpartof 'Ali P;ishti
ShAli, muellrice is cultivated,asusual, in small fiel(ls, for par-
vses of irrigation:this, xlrith thatfromTosiyyah)suppliesa11the
marketsof this partof the countrysan(l leaves a surplus to 1)>
shippe(lat Sinub (Sinope),for the marketof the capital. In this
partof the valleythe Acacia spinosal)egins to makeits appear-
ance, an(l soon afterwards,with the evergreenoak, covers ex
tensiveslopes, andforms,togetherwitllit, the chief vegetationof
the (listrict. The larehis now not vlilfrequent in the ravines,an(l
on the sielesof hills a species of privet Mso becomescommon
rose-treesalzound; Arbor Judae (CercissilifluasGram,) is more
rare. The Astragalustragacanthus an(lAcacia spinosarenderthe
thickets almostimpassable. Broom and box are intersperseel
here anxlthere; and that usefulplant.,Rubiatinctoria, flourishes
unelerthe hedgesof madder,brainble,and privet.
At lengthon the leanksof the Kizil Irmak,coarsegrassesarere-
placed by the three-fingere(lgrass (DactylariadacZylon).Tl-le
eypressl)ecomesa tree of somesize The pineis succeede(lby the
Pinuspinaster,a stuntedtreewhichclimlesup the acc]ivitiesof the
I(ara Depeh, till stoppedby xrertical precipicesof limestonc,over
which, again, it often shows itself, lout in separatedpatchesor
solitarytrees,with rootsissuingfromcrevicesin the rocks,at the
foot of which,esTen at this advancelseasonof the year,a scentlezs
lJut pretty-colouretl )ink was in full flower. The banksof tlle
riverwere clad with Syringaargentea,and the Tamaris. Therc
arc rloOleanders,but wiltlvines,like the climbingplantsof South
America,convertthe treeson the banksof the river into shadowy
bowers. There is also some underwood,chiefly tamarisksand
lulackberries,with sedge and tall grass, whicll sheltersmany
vsildtoars. The evergreenoakstill possessesitselfof pelJblypro-
lnontoriesand declivitoesof detritus. Tllese featuresin the (lis-
tributiollof the vegetationdisappearetlwhen we left the river to
approacllVezlr Woprl,and an undulatinganallow hilly country
of schist was uniformlycoveredrith a shrtll)ler>J of decixluous
oak an(l juniper, as X-ellas somepriset, till the saule soil was
reclaimedby cultivationsthroughthe indllstryand walltsof the
inhabitantsof a townantlnumexousvillages.
 Cgheltijak-Vezz'}Copre'. 259
1838.]
Nov. 143.-We travelledalong the
9 miles fromthe guard-house banks of the Kizil Irmak,
to tlle ferry,whichwe crossed
rude boat. Tllere ^X-ere fev villages in this partof the in a
We passed a ruinouskhan, an(l salley.
mence(l,but nevercompleted. a bridgewhichha(lbeen com-
The river at this point was 80
about4 miles,an(lwas from3 to 4 yardswide, hatl a currentof
feet (lepth.
Followingthe river a short distance,in we
advancing upontheriver,whichappeared,at came to a steep cliS
ortwo,to passthroughlofty thedistanceof a mile
tothose at Kara Depeh. cliSs o? limestone, somewhatsilnilar
banksto Bafirah. TurningThere is no roa(l along the river's
at this pointto the S.S.E.,we
thevillage of Cheltijak, passed
containingabollt twentyhouses and a
mosque,and entereduponthe country
described, of low shrules,previously
reachingVezir Koprijust as night set in, abollt9 miles
nearlyS.E. of wherewe left the
lVav.13. The tolYnof Vezlr ris-erzs side.
containing a mere rislllet, Kopri is situated in a hollow,
ru(lelimestonerocks,whilewhich the
soon flows into a countryof
thesouth by the TavshanTaghi. more fertile districtis backe(lto
It contains
hamme(lan farnilies;fiftyArmenian,and twentyabout lOoOlMo-
which sects has a church. The town is Greek, each of
sometimes separatedby party walls; and the dixide(l into quarters,
illthe sanle way, each llortion malket is divide(l
tection.Tl-lereis a I)ezestan,or hasing regulargates for its pro-
finegoo(ls, which is a tolerably coveredmarket, for silks and
(lomes louiltof tiles. At each of thewell-lookingedifice, witll four
tombstone is dovetaile(linto the wall.gatewaysof this buildinga
mutilate(l One of them containsa
inscription,and the sculpturedinsignia
ariest.The other also bears an of a Greek
turnetlupsiele(lown,wasmorelegible:- inscription,which, althoug

ZEMNQZ
KAIZHvAN
TAKOyM I
QEETHM
KYPI^AH
XYTOYTE
KNQZAIA
METAYTOY
MNHMHEXA
PINENTQ
PqBETEI.*
*''HollolJral)ly,and having
who bs)rechildren to him.lived
Sytus, respectably forty years,
In lnemory [of him erectedCrilla, dauehter of
the
year
172." this monument] in
VOL. IX.
T
 260 Mr. Journeyto jlngor.
AINSWORTH'S [1 838.
the
There are no ancient buildingsin the town, but some of in the
hewnstones alternating with tiles, which have been used
of the baths, appear to be of better quality than are
construction Fragments of
generally foundin mere Mohammedan buildings.
are also not unfrequent. The four khans are poor
columns lat. by
places;and only one o? the four baths is good. TheE. The
sun'smer. alt. is 41? 7' N.; the long. by chron. 35? 35'
of
mean of the barometerwas 29 100, and at this low elevation, and
about800 feet, cotton and mulberry trees are cultivated;
storks'nests make their appearanceon the chimneyand house
tops. Turks;
Vezlr I(opri was formerlycalled Kedi Kal'ah by the one of the
and4 hoursto the soutllthere is a castle situated upon
conical peaks of the Tavshan Taglli, calletl
highestand most this
TavshanKal'ah-si(Hare-castle). We would have visited till wc
castlefromVezir Kopri, but did not know of its existence
observed it far away to our left, on our rollte to 'Osmanjik.
If ov.15. Our routelay up the valleyof the riverin a direction
W.by S., towardsthe foot of the TavshanTightl (Hare-mount), up at a
withfew villages and a scantycultivation,also blocked After travel-
distanceof 6 miles by rocky knolls of limestone.
we came to the foot of Tasshan Taghi. and com-
ling32 hours be-
mencedour ascent amid forests of deciduous eak gradually
with pine and beech. The ascent laste(l
colningtrees,interspersed The
20hours, the rocksconsistingof sandstonean(llimestone. it becomes
sandstonecontinuesto the summit of the range, when
laminarand schistose,dipping at a high antle to thebirch S.W. At
of small trees,
the crest the vegetation consists chiefly shrubby vac-
coveredwith lichen, and in a state of decay, with
at the foot. At the summit, the barometer indicated an
cinium along the
elevationof 3690 feet abovethe sea. After continuing
de-
crest for upwardsof an hour, we descendedthe opposite ravine amid
clivity,680 feet, to Kosajak,a village situate in a
cliSsof schistoseand limestone,and inhabitedby charcoal-burn- A curious
ers attachedto the silver-minesof Gumish KhAn. of limestone,
phenomenonexhibited itself here in a huge mass
about300 feet long by 100 high, which lay detached upon the
declivityof a hill of mica slate. It certainly was not a lzou]der-
stone,andwas moreproloably tilted up into its present position.
Nov.16.-Continuing alongthe valleyof Kosjakinofathe W. 2 S
the valley Kizil
direction,we descendedgraduallytowards upon a plain
IrmAl. At a distance of about 9 miles we entered
boundedto the N. and E. by limestonecliSs; to the S.E. wasthe
defile through which the great (5onstantinople road is carried
fromMerzivan to 'OsmAnjilv, which we soon afterwards joined at
Hasan. l'he sun's
tro or three stragglingcottages called Haji
1838.] TarshanTaghz'-tOsntcinjik-Wizal
. .
IrmcEk.
. . .
261
merid.alt. gave the lat. of the centre of this plain 40? 58'; bar.
28 230.
From this pointto the gap in the mountainsabovethe valley
of the KarchakChai, about5 miles in distance, the roadlay to
the S. of W. Hence the Constantinopleroadis carriedby the
pass of Menzil'Atshikito the N. of W., a point of importancein
the construction of this part of the country.
'Osmanjik,with its trachyticpinnacles and castellatedruins,
has beenso frequentlydescrilbed, that we need not enterinto any
detailrespectingit. The Kizil IrmAl at this place flowsfrom
S.E. to W.N.W. Bajazet'sBridge (Bayazid's)consistsof thir-
teen arches, and is 283 yards long, 8 wide, xvithwatel at this
seasonof the yearin only half the channel. The townhas 300
houses, five mosques, and three khsins. The lat. by altitude
of ocPolaris40? 57' N.
Nov.17.-We pursuedour journeysouthwards,followingthe
lJanksof the streamfor 10miles,whenweleft it to the right,theriver
crossingthrougha gorgein the mountainsformedby the junction
of th?eWirkDelim mountainsand those of Iskilub. The Kizil
Irmakis in every resErect a fine river, both below and abovethis
pass, where we ferried acrossit on our way to Iskilub; I)ut it
does not eqllalwhat wouldczpriori be expectedfroma riverof
such a long course,and fed by so manylarge tributaries. In the
valleyof 'Osmanjik,and in that of Kankari,it is no morenavi-
gable thanit is in the districts of the Kirk Delim, or the Ada
Tagh. An exaggeratedidea of the magnitutleof this river has
obtainedcredit in Europe from the vaglle reports of travellers,
ho have not adoptedthe test of actual measurement. Taver-
niercalls it a large riverat KesraSopri; Tournefortcomparesit
to the Seine near Angora; Mr Charles Vaughan estimatedit
pretty accuratelyat 160 yards at 'Osmanjik; and atadifferent
seasonof the year it had appearedbeyondSuaz,to some of our
party, almost as large as it now was in the vale of Kankari.
Severalwritershave calledit Aitoe-su and Atoe-su;* but below
Angorawe found it generallyrecognisedas the Red River, or
I(izil IrmAk. Tlle fact mentionedby Tournefort,and noticetll)y
Rennell, on the authorityof Haji Khalifah,of its passingbelow
tlle parallelof Angora,throughforlnationsof red saliferoussand-
stone,is quitc accurate.
The sun's 1ner. alt. to-day gave the lat. 40? 50' N. The
Kizil Irmak W. 700 yards distant; the pass in the mountains
S. 50? W.; an(lvillageof KijanlEkN. 12?W. 1 mile. On quit-
ting the river'ssiclewe crossedsome hills of trachyticrocks, an(l
-1AttG-su,or Aito-su fAttG,water), is some local name. The commonTurks
nametheir riversfromthe neighbouring town,andconsequently the same river has
frequentlyseveral(lifirentnames.-F. S.
262 AIr. AINSWORTH'S
Journey to Xngora. [ 1838.
descendedinto the valleyof HamsimGozi (Warm-bath's eye),
so ca]leelfromwarmspringssituatedat the headof the valley.
Thisvalleycontaine(l twovillagesof Turkomans, the firstof that
nationwehadmetlvithinproceefling southwards.At oneof these
(Mujteli)*vestoppedforthe night. It is remarkalule as contaill-
ingsomefragments of ynodernGleek builFlings,columns,hewn
stones,Ac.; andin the side of a fountainthere is a tombstone
withscollopshell, a pilgrim'scrook, anda deacon'sl)adge,such
as are usedby the modernGreeks. Half an hourfartheron was
a village of Greeks,called Rum Koi.
Nor. 1S. W9Ve approachedKilk Delim by a narrowpass in
limestoneroclts,in whichwereseveralcaves; an(lon the eastern
side 507as a tomb hewn out of the solid rock,like the tombs
large

of the kings of Pontus at Amasia. This huge relic of human

lal)ourwas at a height of about 100 feet above the w-alley,antl
cut into the side of a precipicewhichfrontedthe N. It consistefl
of a hollowstone-coffin,hewnout o? the solid rc)ck,with which
it was still connectedat the top, but separatedat the sielesby a
passage4 feet 9 inchesin width, antl31 feet in depth lgutcross-
ways, at the base, was 44 feet 9 inches. Tlle tomlt was orna-
mentedwith two lateralpillars, in low relief, antlcouldonly be
enteredly a small aperturealJout4 feet high, an(ll 5 feet fromthe
ground; the total height being about 30 feet, and the *vi(lth
44 feet 3 inches. Above the aperturewas inscribedin colossal
letters-
IKEXIOY*
Some of the letters were painte(lred, andit is probab3yto the
modern Greeks of Rum Koi that this monumentis indebte(l
for the inscription,as well as for the additionof a led crossanel
somerlldely-painted letters.
Our ascent up Ikirk Delim took us esactly one hour, svhen
we attaine(lan elevationof 30(.)0feet, and fromxvhich)oint the
countrysoonextendedin a high alpine plain, with a small lake,
andin goo(lpart cultivated The land gra(luallylowersbe-on(l
this to the great plain of Chl'lrum,which, in its 1ON\TeSt13aLt, jS
only 730 feet below the crest of the I(irk Delim. The inter-
vening countryis destituteof wood,thiniyt)eopled,ancldrearyin
aspect,but in partscultivatedby differentcropsin rotation. The
sun's lner. alt. gave the lat. 40? 37t N.; the Castle of ChurilIn
bearingS. 30? E.
The Kirk Delim mountainshave a nucleusof mica slate,lzut
are composedprincipallyot trachyte,earthy, compact,an(l py-
roxenic, and of suy)erimrose(l an(l tilted-uE)litnestones. Tlse
chainis well woodedin partswith oak and pine. It exten(As from
* '*Of Icesius."
 - ItosehTa:gh.
KirkDelz'm-Churum- 263
1%38.]
tlle Kizil IrmAk,in the W., to the hilly districtcontainingthe
silver-minesW. of Merzivstln, which by its southernbranehes
scparateelPontus from the TrochmianGalatia (Strabo,p. S6J),
and is consideredby Rennell as a spur of Paryadres. But al-
tlloughfromthe plain of Merzivanit llas somewhatthe appear-
ance of a (listinct chain, from so elevated a plain as that of
Chiirum,it loses its Illountainouscharacter,a circumstancewhich
also appliesitself to the IVosehTagh, wllich,like low hills when
seen from Cllurum,descencl,on the westernside, down to the
w-alley *)fthe Kizil Irlnak, upwardsof 1500 feet in a few miles.
As Churum has lJeen ^isitedlately by Col. Chesneyan(l Mr.
W. I. Hamilton, it need not therefole detain us k)ng. The
numberof housesis saidto asnountto 1800, but theyaregenerally
of one story, and the populationcan scarcelybe estimatedat
more than 7600. There are four khansand as manybaths, and
we countedsisteen xnillaretsfromthe castle. There are but few
CllIistianfamilies, all(lthese are chieflytilemakersand potters;
thereare also tannersat the place, andmuch wheatis sold in the
markct.
The castle, of whichvvemade a plan, is nearlysquare, lvalled
round,with towersat the angles, an(ltwo squaretowersbetween
these on each side. The interioris occupiedlJydwelling-houses;
the walls are of variousdates, and have often been repairedor
rel)uilt,the originalplan of the buildinghavingapparentlybeen
presersred.The principalstoneis a fine compactwhite limestone,
but an easilydisentegratingsandstonehas also been used. A
great numberof whitemarblecolumnshasalsol;)eenbeenworked
into the wall, besides manyGreekto1nbstones,with crossesand
sculptures,and variousinscriptions,most of whichare illegilule.
We copie(l one of the most legible, nearthe gate. The lat. of
Chiirum,bythe sun's mer. alt., was4()?3lt 47tt; an(lthelong.
I)y chron.was 34? f l' E.; the mean of the bar. was 27*374,in-
dicatingan elevationof alaout2360 ?eet.
Churtim, after the subjectionof ChapvsinO'ghll (the well-
kno^snTurkomanchieftainof Yl'lz-kat)was made the seat of a
pasha, I)ut soon sunk, from its want of resources,to a mere
'Ayyanlik,underwhich are Saz, 'Osmanjil<,Haji Hamzal1,Iske-
lib, an(l Kasar:thetwo latterare townsunknownto Europeans.
Crossingthe plains of Churumin a north-+w-esterly direction,
we approachedthe foot of the KosehTagh, whichwe entered by
a valley plantedwith gardensand vineyards,and then ascended
till we reachedan alpineplain coveredwith pine, and havinga
illage upon it. Beyond this we passed over the crest of the
rielge at an altitudeof 3330 feet, and then l)egan to deseend,
passinga guard-housein our way. The sun's mer. alt. gaveour
264 Mr.AINSWORTH'S Journeyto Anyora. [1838.

lat. 40? 33t; andimmediatelybeyond this we first entereduon

beds of gypsum, which gave ori^in to a low, undulating
country,withwide,grassyplainsor nearlylevel uplands,occupie(l
by migratoryTurkomantribes, and filling up the valley of the
Kizil Irmak from the pass in the Kirk Delim to tlle igneous
rocksof Kal'ahjik.
The formationsof the KosehTagh consistedof carbonacecxus
rock, Ac., with altered limestc)nes,and on the west declivitJy
gypsum. It wouldbe out of place here to enter into the detail
of the mineralogicalpeculiarities,which +veobsersTed in these
mountains: suffice it to remarkthat the variousassociationsof
the rocks are highly interesting. A short ride from the place
wherewe enteretlupon the gypsumpasturelan(ls,led us to the
banks of the Kizil Irmak, which we crosse(lwithoutdelayin a
ferry-boat,and turned to the N. by W., the table mountainof
Bayad bearing N. 65? W., and the pass of the Kizil Irinak,
throughthe Kirk Delim, N. 6S?E.: we crossedsimilarmarshy
and grassylandsof gypsumtill we arrivedat the footof the llills
of Iskelib. There was a greatvarietyin the vegetationof these
tracts, more especiallywith respect to thatinterestingl oint the
social propagation of the sametrilJes; andit was ev-identthat, as
in the plainsof Syriaand Mesopotamia,a predominanceof Com-
posite and Umbelliferae characterizedthe autumnalvegetation,
andthat one or two species had generallya large local develop-
ment to the exclusion of others; and that these predominant
speciesdiSerfromthe slightestvariationin the soil an(lposition.
The seasonof the year, however,preclllde(lany vely accurat
researchesof the kind, exceptto an experiencedbotanist.
Leavingthe plains,we enteredinto a smallvalley enclosedlJy
rocks,chieflycultivatedwith vineyards:volcanicrocksbegannow
to protrudethrougllthe gysum, and lrere succeededby volcanic
tufa, and conglomeratess dipplngN.E. The castle of the town
of Iskelib, mostsingularlylaced, then brokeupon us, occupy-
ing the summitof a conicalllill of *hite litnestoneeml)osomedin
the centreof nakedvolcanicrocksand conglotnerates, the learren
andstonydeclivitiesof whichgave little promiseof everbecoming
the site of a town. Minaretafter minaret,and housescrowdinfr
from the deep valley up the rockyside of tlle hills, gradually
openeduponus till they wereseen sveeing circulallyroundthe
castle, almostas far as the eye in the duskyeve couXlreach. It
presentedthe veryremarkable)icture of a town perchedupona
nakedrock; but the gardens in tlle bottomc)f the valleywere
prodllctiveof a11sortsof fruits,awlthoughsVoodwas rare.
Nov. il.----IskelilJ,commonlypronounced
Eskilup,contains
 1838.] Iskelib-.Kaya Agh2i-Chat Koz:
1500 houses,chieflyof two storiesin height,withtiled roofs: of
these about thirtyare withinthe castle. The remainderof the
townis much scatteredthroughthe valleysroundthe castle, each
of which is watere(lI)yits ownrivulet,and whennot occupiedby
buildingsconvertedinto fruitfulgar(lens. The numberof houses
was obtainedfrom the Shehr Kay.lsi-*by Mr. Rasam, and the
populationmayloeestimatedat 9000.
The castleor hill-fortis an old structureof irregularform,and
verymuchdilapidate(l. The remainsof towers at the ol posite
anglesare still evident. The gatewayan(lmost of the walls have
lJeen repairedin modern times. At the southernfoot of the
rock on which the castle stands,an(l frontingthe centre of the
town, are several sepulchralcaverns,two of which have some
claims to elegance, being ornamentedwith sculptures: one of
thesnis much mutilate(l,but upon the other two wingeelangels
are clearlydiseernible,the one learing a roundcup, the other a
branch. These twogrottoeshavealso each of themtwo columns
of incongruous orders,and,with the sculptures,are indiXerentin
execution,and ev;elentlyof the lowest Empire.
This town, like Kankari and K.al'ahjik,notwithstandingits
size, its castle and antiqueremains,is in so secludeda spot in
the centreof a mountaindistrict,that it did not appearto have
been visited by Europeans; and some jealousy was shown on
ourreachinga place where no Christiansubjectsof the Porte are
allowedto take up a permanentabode. The few Rayast that
pursuedtheir avocationshere lived in the khins, for by a law
peculiarto the place,forlndedupon some superstitiousnotion,no
Christianis suSeredto live thereformorethannine monthsin the
s-ear. Their wivesare consequentlyleft at KEnkari.
The weatherwas cloudy,with rain, dvuring our stay at Iske-
lib, anel did not allowof any celestialobservations. The mean
of the barometerwas 27? 348; mean temp. 51&?. Elevation
aloout2300 feet.
We quitted Iskelib in a dense fog, and after about an
hour'sride we left the igneous rocks, and came upon upland
gypsum,boun(ledto the W. by a hilly rangeSthe centralportion
ofwhicll,svithconicalsummits,was coveredwith a thin vegeta-
tionof pine-trees. At 6 miles from Iskelib we passed a large
IkaeaAghzl (Pass'smouth),the weatherha(l clearedup a little,
atld2 miles farther,we cameto the valley of Chal Koi (River-
town),which broughtus nearerto the foot of the hills where
largebeds of pitchstoneand pitchstoneporphyryhills appeared
amongtrachyticrocks. Ascending the next hill, a singular,
* Shehrketkhuda-si,pronounced Shehir kyayasiXi. e. DeputyGEovernorof the
town.-F.S.
t ProperlyRi'ayah,or Ri'ayat,spelt Byot by the Anglo"Ixldians.F.S.
266 Mr. AINSWORTH'S
Joterneyto vlnyora.
[1838.
nakedlrock presenteditself to our vie beyond and on the
southernsideof Kizil Irmxik,isolatedupona plateauof gypsum,
and learingE. 65 S. We couldnot divestour min(lsof the idea
that this was a castle, occupyingthe site of Stabium whichwe
musthaveleft, althoughsought after diligently,verylittle to our
left, on ourroadfrom Churumto Iskelib: thc natives,holrever,
knew of no castle in thatdirectic)n.but the interventionof the
river ren(lers the intercoursevery small. After a journey of
alJout15 miles,we cameto the lralleyof Bayad,in whichare fcltlr
villages; on the sille of the hill, Depeh; at the heaelof the
valley where we passedthe nightnNahaden; 600 yar(ls l)elor,
Yatikohi;and high up on the hill side to theW., Urulan,a small
village. The fourvillagesare uniteelunderthe nameof Bayad;
an(l that of Nahaden is encIosedby a dyke of pitchstone)or-
phyry,runningE and W in a kind of recess,whilea small river
comingfromthe llilly rangeflowed nearlyfrom N. to S.; overit
was a bridgewith someappearanGe of formersolidity,if not anti-
quity; andnearthe mosquevf NahAdenwas a massof pitchstone
porphyryhemrn into a singularforln,similarto thatof a baptismal
font. On the summitof a hill close to Nahaden,anxlseparating
the recess in which the village stands, from the upper of 7alley

the river,lvere the rudewalls of an old llill-fort which must in

its l)est day havebeen but a veryrude strueture,not improbaluly
a strongholdof Gallo-Greeians. It is also said that there is a
e.astleolle day'sjourneyN W. fromthis plaee.
Nov. 23.-Our route lay overa eountrynearlysilnilarto that
of the previousday. Alternatinghills anclvalleysin the gpsum
formationboun(ledto the W. by hills of sandstone. At a dis-
taneeof about6 miles fromEaytielvfe approacheclthese hills, irl
the narrowvalleysopening from whieh were seYeralTurkoman
villages. The sun'smer.alt. gas-eourlat. 40?34' N. Beyondtllis
we eame to a deep ravinewitll a guarel-house,sueceede(lly a
dreary1lplandof unproduetivegypsuln,terminatang in a valleyof
sandstone,and the village of O'lijikdwherewe stoppedf(r the
night. ISerea ehangeof soil is aceompanied by-fertility.
Nov. 24.-VVe starteclin a \v. by N. direction,over cultiv.ate(:l
lantls,followed1)y-plainsof gypsum, dilectiontill we
warying our

arrivedat a springat the head of the valley. I-Ierewe sent on

ourclris-er withthebaage-horses to Kanghari,8whileweol;lrsels-es
turnedto the S.0AT.,by tlle willageof Beli 13agh.,descenaling into
a deep valley composedof alternatingbeds of re(l sandsanclstone
and gypsum,amongwhichtherewas a mine of salt whichwe ha(l
some difficultyin Ending.
* Or Kankar;. Pronouncedvulgarly Challgri, this substitlltion ofthe sound of
ch for k is commoolamong the Arabs S. of Basrah, See Niebllhr'stltravels,Vol. ii.
 1838.] Baya d-Nahaden- - Salt Mine. 67
This mine (lccursin clay beds in the gypsum,at allelevationof
about2500 feet abovethe seandippingalsout70?to the N. The
entran-cefronts the S.: the slolre varies, but mules go to tlle
bottomof the mine withfacility, anzlreturn loa(led. The willth
variesfroln 7 to 28 yar(ls,and the heit,htfrom4 to 6 yar(ls,tlle
sorks leillg carrie(lon withoutorderor regularity. The inclina-
tion at the bottom axeraged1 w-ar(lin 17. The total length
was 400 yar(3s;the directionwerywin(ling. Tllere is a suerin-
tendbntTvhoreceivesfrom 1 to 1.12 piastresper load: tllc people
who come for salt have to dib for themsels-es. This salt, like
thatof Persia,whicllis foundin formationsof the saluccharacter
and age, is remarkablypure, and in homogeneousmasses, more
or less transparent.
Salt is procuredfrom other mines in this lleighbourhood, but
this iS l)y far the most extensivebed. It is also procuredin
summerin theneighbourhood of Kankarifroma smalllake, round
whieh the salt erystallizeswhen the water esaporates. The
therm.indieate(S at the bottomof the mine a temp. of 23? eent.,
(73l?, Fahr.), the temp. of the externalair l)eing 13? (ao1?
Fahr.). The minerswere workingalmostin a stateof nudity.
Their hammerswere attaehe(lto rerythin an(l flexible bars of
wsood,upwardsof 3 feet in length.
The gypsumof GalatiaresemlJlesin its eharaetersthe gysum
of Parisin palt, and still more eloselythat of lN'fesol}otalllia
an(l
Aral)ia. 13utlaying aside the questionof the divisionof tllat
greatformationintot^rodistilletportions,tllereis little doubtlgut
that tlle gypsumof Galatiaor of eentralAnatolialJelongsto tlle
supraeretaeeous epoeh.
The saliferousred sandstones,whiellare beneaththe gypsum,
ancl^whicheonstitute the great rangeof the K;inkarihills, are,
with the gypsum, broken up and altered l)y the eru}rtionof
trachytican(l+olcanicrocks, as in the neighltourhood of Islvelib;
and the lower beds of the same formationare compose(lof a
l udely-aggregateclmass of trachytic and volcanic roclis, with
chloriteandjaspers; so that on firstinvestigationit appearedlilte
a mere local lareccia. It was only after examiningthe develop-
ment whichthe same formationssubsequentlytook in the hilly
districtsof Galatia, wllerethe reclsandstoneconglomeratepasscs
intored and lJrownslatysandstones,togetllerwith re(l sandan(l
califerousclay, andoccupieslargetractsof country,thatthe real
iml ortance(3f the formationdeclareditself, and it appe.areflas a
-rartof the same saliferoussandstonewllich Mr. W. I. LIamilton
met withbetween Yuz-hat and Ak-serai,and to which he callc(l
OU1' attention,as the sandstollethrough which the Iiizil Irsnal
flowsbetweellAngoraand Kaisariyyeh.
NJo+s,it is importantto relnarkthat althougllthis san(lstone,
 ?68
Afr A I N SSORTH'S Journey{o Xnyora. [1838.
like most saliferousdeposits, contains few fossils, and that
agc is difficultto determine,that still in their upperbeds its
alternatewitll the gypsumandits marlsand clays; and this alter- they
nationin the low countrynearthe Kizil Irmak,letweell
and Iskellb is repaate(las often as twentyor thirtytimess Kankari
ing the contemporaneous establish-
originof at least a partof these forma-
tions, as well as their almost imme(liatesuccessionand
relationto each other: if, thereforenthe gvpsum can be (lemon- clc)se
stlated to belong to the tertiaryepech, so also mustthe
panyingsandstonean(l trachyticconglolrlerates;a resultaccom- which
will establish a further relationbetween the formationsof
uplan(ls of Asia WIinorwith the plains of Mesopotamia the
Arabia, and parts of Persiaantl Syria. The non-occurrence of
eyclatliclimestone,or lacustrinemarl associated with the gypsum
in south-easternGalatiancannotbe properlyconsiderezl
havea moreperfectacquaintance till wc
with those formations.
A coupleof llours'ri(leoveruplandgypsumled us to a
w-alley,crossedby a rivulet comingfromthe N. a little E., broad
met by another valley of less es$ent, having its rivulet an(l
ing fromthe N.W. The town of Kankari, of considerable com-
tent,occupiesthe lJaseof a promontory ex-
of breceiaewhichadvances
betweenthe two lralleys,and is crownedby a rlline(l castle, the
interiorof whichis filled with dwelling-houses.
Nov.26. Kankarlis, as just mentioned,a large town, con-
tainingabout 3000 houses and a populationof 18,000
Out of these there are 30 Greek families an(l 16 persons.
The Greekshavea churchdedicatedto St. Obadias: the Armenian.
nianshave no place of mrorship.The Mohammedanshave Arme-
largeandsome smallermosques; there are 6 khansand 4 03
baths;the chieftradeis in salt andwo()l; red berries*are alsopublic
articleof trade. The town is built like Iskelll)at the an
oftwo valleys.but is all grouped at the southernfoot of thejunction
onwhichthe castle stands,in one large and irregularmass, hill,
dis-ersified only
by a few bllildingsplaced apart,as the newbarracks
arewhichoccupya low and unhealthyposition in the
thevalley,whilst a fine naturalplateau,.out of reachofbottomof
existscloseto it. Anotheris a singularMohamme(lan malaria,
ofwhich we made a plan. It is called the Mej;dbuil(ling,
;gloriousstone,"+and appears to have been a converltTash of der-
or
vishesanda burial-placefor holy men. It was saidby a resident
dervish to havebeetl built in the time of Harun el
aninscriptionon it shows that it dates from the Rashid, I)ut
reigrlof the
Eyyublte sovereignsof Syria, and John Lascarisat Constanti-
* Probablyyellow
berriesfvr^Qmnus tanctori2ts).-F.
S.
+ Thereis probablysome nzistakehere,as sucha compoundis very
F.
S. umlsual,-
18tS8.]
ICcinkariYaprakla-'Sunat. G269

nople, not long before the overthrowof the Khalifate

Moghuls. by the
At Yaprakli,6 hoursfromKankari,1 from
fromTosiyyah,an annualfai; is hekl, whichTuelit, and lOhours
beginson the lVth
Septemberandlasts 7 days: it is celebratedoverall Lesser
This place is alsonotedamongChristiansas being Asia.
tornbof the prophetElias, a ratherdulJiouspoint,the site of the
said to be no stationaryhousesat tlle place, svhichisbut there are
being upona mountainheight. describedas
Our stayat KAnkariwas prolongecla few daysin order
some astronoinicalobservations, to get
as we ha(l been disappointe(l at
Iskelib. The weatherwas, however,very unfavourable,
rally cloudyand much snowfalling. We succeede(lin gene-
lunardistancesfromPollux; two sets of sun'salt. for timegetting
place; and sun's mer. alt.: these gave its long. 33? 49' at this
40? 35' o0t' N. lat.: the mean of the barometerwas E., and
approx.elevation,2350 feet. 27.340;
Dec.S. We left Eankari in a densewhitefog and hoar frost
below: our road lay alongthe valleyof the united
north-western rivulets,the
of whichwas 12 yardswideat Kankari. Soon after
quittingthe environsthere is no cultivation,except in one
valley,2 miles below,and then little else but vines an(l small
tamarisks.The hills on both sides consist of gypsum, stunted
wavedand twistedin its stratification,with occasionally much
andsandstone. Afterfollowingthe rilrerabout6 miles red sand
tothe S.W. over a hill of gypsum; descendedinto we turned
Beg Duzi; re-ascended,an(l crossinganother bedthe valleyof
of uplan(l
gypsum,again(lescendeclinto the valleyof Akghoran,wllich
followed in a S.E. direction. We were muchhurt we
sometravellingRayahsscoffedat and assaile(lwithhere at seeing
the mostcon-
temptuouslanguageby a parcel of ltoys and children.
morebed of uplan(l gypsum brought us to the valley One
Tunairiver, which there is reason to believe comes of the
from
mountains about Yaprakl;. It is a small streamfrom 12 tothe 15
yardswide, which empties itself at a short distance
pointinto tlle Kizil Ir1nAk. The valleywas aboutE a from that
insome parts,less in others,an(l there were two mile w-ide
kishlas or win-
tervillages, one belongingto the peole of Akghoran,
tothe villagersof Inantluk,whose actualresi(lencewe the other
served at a shortdistanceup a smallvalleyto our right. soon ob-
lingup the valleyof the Yaprakliriver in a direction Travel-
W.,we arrivedin little more than an hour's time atof S. 70?
sInall Tvinai,a
anddirtyvillage, inhabitedby guards,who are required
theprotectionof travellersat the time of the YaprAklifair. for
 270 M. AINSWORTII
s Journeyto jIngor. [1838.
The fog had eontinuedall day aImostwithout inkrruption, at
times *zre rose al)oveit, on tlle high 1llan(ls, lvhere the sun *sas
seen throughthe mist; towar(lsevening the eSeet of the eo-
lour of tlle sky, by the (leeompositionof the least refrangilule
rays,gave to the eliSs aboveTunzii a beautifuland remarlialule
appearanee. At daybreaknext morningtlle sliy was elear, the
ground eovere(lwith hoar frost,and the summitsof tlle neigh-
lsouringhills tingedvith the first rays of the rising sun; lJuta
dense banlvof mist lay along tlle valley: itl a few minutes the
(liffusionof vapourl)eeamegeneral,allel es-erything was +^rralt
in
;zfog, whichcolltinue(lmoreor less a11day, only elearingup at
intersals,loutneverlcavingthe slty clouclless.
l)ec. 4.-The air at an earlyhourwas cold, analour progress
cheerlessin a fog whicll scarcelypermitte(lus to see the ol)jects
arouncl;lout11atlit been clear,there woululhave been little va-
riety,for afterleaving the valleywe came upona level uplan(lof
gypsum,on s-llichfor 4 miles there was only one stone, wElich
birdsha(lperclleelu})onan(:lwhitenetlwith their(lung.
This characterof countrywas, however,soon interrupte(lby
the occurrenceof igneousroclSswhichhadbloltenthe uplan(linto
fragments,leavingsolitaryrouncior conicalhills with narrowval-
leys an(l passes between them, whichbecame more extensiveas
+ve re-ap-)roached the gypsum: in thesevalleys there is eitller
pasturageor cllltivation. To the left was the largevillage of
Cllan(lur,beforeus a narrowrockypass, beyoll(lwhicha ller(loi
camelslvere browsingor reposingwith their hea(ls towardstlle
place of the sun, which was not visible, while to the extreme
rightwas the villageof Haji Koi, backe(lby low hills, and to the
left igneousroclvsand gypsure stretched(lown to the lanks of
the Kizil Irmak.
Crossinga morelevel collntryalJout4 or o miles, with the rc-
maIkableconicalhill, on whichthe castlcof Kal'alljik* is place(l
bearingS. 32? W., we arrivedat that town,all(lwere kin(llyre-
ceivedin the Christianquarter.
Kal'ah-jik is remarkablysituated at the l)ase of an isolateel
and nearlyconical hill, upon the suminitof whichis a fine ol(l
castle filled with dwelling-houses,which in some places assist
in forming part of the walls: upon closer examinationthe
castle is foundto be in a ^erydilapidatedstate: still, from the
larecipitousnature of the rocks on most sides, and its own
strength, it must in ancient warfarehave been a very strong
place. The remainderof the housesare congregatedrounelthe
base of the hill, *rhichthe towncompletelyencircles,and, except
on the southernside, it scarcelyexten(lsbeyon(l the l)ase, nor
* Kal'ahjik (littla castle).
 183S.] Chandtr Kat'ah-jik.
.
.
271
altove a certain height up its sides. This plcace,
sacke(l at the time that Ibrahim Pcisha came to which was
now in a state of great poverty and partial ruin. Angora, is
to contain 80() houses of lVIohamme(lans It is sai(l
and 6() houses of
ArmenianChristians,5 of whichcontainc)families. The
is divi(ledinto 14 mahallahsor districts,eachof town
whichcontainsa
mosque: thereis but one khanan(lone public bath. The
menianshavea tolerablechurch,de(licatetlto St. John the Ar-
tist, an(lin the neighbourhood Bap-
are the ruinsof
The circumstancesrhich le(l to the t)artialantolel monastery.
destruction
town+verea generalrebellionagainsttheirgovernor,E.Iajiof this
Bey, on the occasionof his levying an oppressive Shmeel
xrernorwas besieged in his own house: a swiveltax. The go-
was brought
downfrom the castle,lout havingbeen found useless
wasset on fire, and the governor(whosebrotherxYasatthe house
timegovernorof Kanlvari)was ultimatelykille(l by the the same
They then Illacell themselvesunfler populace.
the protectionof II)I;{hW1n
Ptisha,who sent hither 4000 soldiersunder Hasan
Tile Turlis,however,were enavbledto send 10,000 Yar(lahchi.
the liadilik of Kuran, and the result was that the troopsfrom
havinga smallerforce,were obliged to retreat,and the Egyltians,
natetownwas exposeclto a mostsexererctribution. unfortu-
I9ec.5. At 2 h. 26m., A.M., therewasa shockof an
whichthreatenedto tumbleaboutour earsthe house earthqualie,
wereloclged. The movementwas in undulationsand in wllich we
gular,anelthe house rolledfor a secondor two like a shi)not irre-
thesensationwas equally un)leasant, while the at sea:
1nortar
fromthe raftcrsanxl(lirt comint down the chimnev, falling
strflinwhichthe building un(lerwent,gave a momentary svith the
butnothingfell near us, an(l there were only two alarm,
elolvn houses
in the wholeplace. The dogs bet,anto bark esTery thrown
tion,an(l people were runningalsout half nake(lin with
(lirec-
theilhands. This firstshock^sasfollowe(lshortly lights in
asecon(l,but so feel)le as to loescarcelyfelt. The afterwards l)y
fesvminutesafter the first sllocli,stoo(l at C'7.588in.;l)arometer,
at 6,
a
itinelicate(la fall of .()56: the ensuing(laywas as A.M.,
misty as ever. cloud>-an(l
At 2 h. 35 m., P.M., we ha(l anotherslight shock,
cularly rather cir-
un(lulatory;bar. 27.45d,ther. a1?; no
8h. 46 m. a fourthslightshock: bar. the same.wind, but cloudy.
Dec.6. At 8 h. 17m. and lOh. !26m.,A.M.,anirret,ularrum-
blingshock: loar.stati(nartr. At mi(ldaythe
alittle,an(lxvecoukIdistintuishthe castleforweather cleare(lup
the firsttime since
we haelbeenhere.
Dec. 7. 2 h. 35 m., A.M., a rather rutle slsock: lbar.C>7
ther.49?: snistas usual. There was no winel,an(l the 550;
wcather
 272 Joterneyto Sngora.
Mr. AINSWORTH'S [1838.
was calmboth beforeand after the shocks: there was only upon
one occasiona distantrumblingnoisethataccompaniedthe shock:
there was not the slightest odorous e2thalationperceptible, at
least wherelve were. The effectupon the soil was impercepti-
ble, nor couldwe hearof its affectingany of the neighbouring
springs. The electricalconditionof the atmospheremust have
leen, fromthe previouslydescribedstateof the weather,subjected
to great tension and great extremes,but we hadno portablein-
strumentsto determinethe extent of this phenomenon. On the
night of the 3rd of DecemberMr. Russell had noticeda large
meteorshootin*,from N.E. to S.W. We en(leavoured to observe
the directionof the oscillatingu7aveby meansof a basinfilledwith
water,but the indicationswere unsatisfactory:to the feelingsof
all of us, however,the directionappearedt;obe from N.E. to
S.W., which coincideswith the directionin which the igneous
rocksof the countryhave estended the line of their upheaving
force, and is the sameas the direction,not of the dip, but of the
beds of the sedimentary formations.
The rockon whichthe castle and town are built is a tracllyte.
The only observations we got at Kal'ahjikwas an altitu(leof asPo-
laris, which gave its lat. 40? 9t, and one set of esening sights,
whichgaveits long.by chronometer 33?3o' E.
However interesting it might loe to watch the phenomena
of an earthquake,we were not at all sorry at leavingthis un-
stable place, on which the fog lay as thick as ever, but when
we ascendedthe hills to the S.W. andgot aboveit, we foundthat
it occupiedchiefly the valley of the Kizil Irmakan(lsome of the
a(lj;wcentcold uplands of gypsum. At about 4 miles from the
townwe met, amongthe variousigneousand alteredrockswhich
we crossed,a remarkableand interestint,formationof vitrifie(l
schist.
On our rightve had a mountainnow partiallycoveredwith
snow; and passingby a guard-house,we stoppeda little beyond
it, to take the sun'smer. alt., whichplacedus in lat. 40? 1t N.
As this place is sai(lto le infestedby robbers,arewere some-
hat alarmedby the appearanceof two horsemenarmed with
istols, who camesu(ldenlyuponus; but whenthey sawthat we
+rerepreparedto give them a warm reception,they left us un-
molested.
A few milesbeyondthe gllard-housewe foundthe remainsof
a poorwletch who had been impaledthere eight monthsbefore.
Three other indivieluals had been impaled,at the same time as
this miserablebeing, at Angora.
XVeclescen(ledfrom this point amollg rocks aboundingin
partridges,into a picturesqueglen, at the heacl of whichwas a
villagewherethe robberswho rendere(lthis district so insecllre
1838.] HasanO'ghlan-Hosezn
Ghaxi-Khedreler. 27o

in parttook up their abode. The country after this began to

improve,some cultivationshowed itselfs and we arrivedafter a
journey of 18 miles, at the large village of Hasan O't,hlan,in-
habited by Turkomans,who are pastoral,and whose women
make carpets.
Between the valley called Dereh Sheikh,beyon(lthe impale(l
man and the villageof Hasan Otghlan,we had crossedthe line
of divisionl)etweenthe Kizil Irmak and the Sakariyyeh. At the
last-mentionedvillagethere is an abundantspring,the water of
whichflowsby Angorainto the river of Ak Kopri. A hilly dis-
trict, called Hasan Taghi, bounds this valleyto theS., and ex-
tendseastwardsto the banksof the Kizil Irmak.
The distance of Hasan Otghlan from Angora is about 15
miles, the heights of Hosein Ghazi bearingfrom the village
S. 77? W. There are numerousfragmentsof ruinsat Hasan
C)'ghlEn,moreespeciallywroughtstones, columns,and capitals,
but we founelno inscriptions.
The soil for severalmiles is here composedof primaryschists.
These formthe hill slopesand undulatingcountryonwhichlarge
flocks of Angora and other goats are pastured. This line of
countryis interruptedby Hosein Ghazi,a lofty dyke of trachytic
rocks,which,for miles in width, has alteredthe a(ljacentforma-
tions,and extendseitherin continuousmassesordetachecleruptixe
dykes and veins. Of the formeris the BAghlfinor Baulus Taghi,
the Mountof St. Paul, an uplanddistrictwith a roundedoutline
and occasionalcliSs, extending to the N. of Angora. Of the
latterare the hills of Angora, four in number,on one of which
stand the castle and town: the second is called Khedrelez,or
St. George,*and has on its summita modernsepulchralchapel
and ruins, supposedby some travellersto have belonge(lto a
temple of Jupiter: thereare also twosmallerhills to the north.
There has been some discussion between two trave]lers8
whetheror not the castle is commandedby an adjacentheight:
Kinneir aflirmingthe fact, Brown denying it. The hill upon
which the castleis situatedis separatedfromthat of Khe(lrelez
by a narrowravine,whichis about100yardsin widthaand contains
the rivuletof Tabhanah(corru)tedfromDebbaghKhanahChai
or Tanneryriver). The height of the castleabovethe valley,by
our measurement,is 432 feet. The hill of Khedrelezis higher
thanthe castleby a few feet, andthe distanceof the two crests is
about270 yards.
The rivuletof Tabhanahcomesfromthe S.E., andat its passage
* J. N. 643.
t Khe(lrelez,a colloqtlial corruptionof Khidr Iliy a3 or Khizr Iliy as, is the name
of a Wurkish saint and hero, confbullded by the Turks with St. George alld the
Prophet Elias.-F.S.
+ Bell'8 Geography,vol. iY., p. 119,
274 Mr.AINSWORTH'S
Journeyto Awgora. [1838.

betweenthe castle-hilland that of Khedrelez,has been dammed

-in by a strongwork,whichwas also defencledby towers, coming
downfromthe castle (of whichthere are also others(lefenfling
evely possil)lerockyascent), and connecteelby- a wall which is
casrie(loverthenext hill Flowingonwar(lscircuitously ltetween
Ajit Taghi an(l Khe(lrelez,the rivuletcurvesrounflto tlle S. of
TV.,is partly lost in irrigatingthe vegetable-gardens of Angor.an
anflthen flows N.w-. till it joins the ChilJultS.i immeeliately
belowthe bri(lgeof Ah Kopri (\Vhite Briclge), a mo(lernstruc-
ture, misname(lwith respect to its colour, but reposint upoll
I)loclKs of an ol(leranflbetterconstruction. The Chiloulv,St'l,so
natnc(l fiom a village svherepipes (Ctlibvil) arc m;l(le, flows
alonga narrowvalleyof trachyticrocks, whereare many farms
(Clliftlik)an(lgar(lens,till it enters the valleyof Angola, a lnile
abovethe monasteryof St. Paul, and ;1> a mile fartherpasses
un(lerAk lSopri,N. 50? VV.of the castle summit. T]:leunite(l
stream is only 1() yalds in wielthloyaboute feet in depth, but
containsa good deal of fish.
It is nee(llessto enterinto detailsconcerningthe moelerntown
of Angora,formerlyAncyra,and a city of consitlerablenote in
all afflesof history. It has l:)eens-isite(lan(ldescriloecl
by mally
travellersof ability,who haveleft little thatis new to be exr)lore(l.
PocockeanflTourneforthavedescribedthe remainsof Roman
architecture, amongwhich starldsf)remosta templein honourof
Augustus, of +s-hichthe Latin inscriptionswere copie(lby I'o-
cocke,an(l those in Greek by Mr. W. I. Hamilton,:ln(lcopies
are also sai(lto exist in the Vaticanat Rome. Severalmassi^-e
but irregularruins of temples, guar(l-houses,or other pulglic
buiklings,besi(lesnulnerousinscriptionsin thc castle, antlsome
rather rudely sculpturedlions, belong probalulyto the Roman
era, if they do not alsoillustratepartly the state of arts among
tlle Galatians;but of thatperiodfew, if any,well authenticated
remainsappearto havebeen found.
Remainsof Byzantillearchitectureareby farthe mostfrequent:
a column of little pretensionsto beauty,and which imagination
has dedicatedto Lainius,the conquerorof A{axitrlin;numerous
sculpturesin the walls of the castle; someinsclitions, an(lvarious
Greek tombs an(l monuments,illustrate this period. Mr.
Hamiltonlaboureclhard amongthese interestingrelics, an(lit is
to be hope(lthathis researcheswill assistin elucidatingthe history
of Angora.
Amid ruins of a more mo(lerndate are the castleas it llOW
exists,a churchof (loul)tfulantiquity,an(la subterranean viaduct
of some extent; andin a small castle which occupiesthe highest
partof the castlerock,are some olclcoatsof mail of rude fashion
and execution.
The moclern town of Angora ss elivi(letlinto eighty-four
 A-Zaira
or Engurz
1838.]
cluarters,each lsav;11gits great mosque or
Xom seventeen to ehteen khanss jtlmi. Thelse are
antl ouly three Hamams.
There was formelly a llantlsomelexestarl
goods,but it is l1OW ln luins. The reposts or market f:l fine
concernint the populationof Arxgorasary Xotn of sarious travellers
to 100,0()0*which is not surprising 20)W0 persons
olotainingr, considerirlg the (lifficllltyof
correctinformation. rlthe
place,whoseauthorityuponsucha pOI11tkaclfschief jllstice of the
estiInatedthe population at snonoa ofought to be considerable
whom 5,0QOonly are
Christaans.But it maybe doubtetlwilethet the Turks themselves
keepany col^rect account.
iFromthe Christianswe obtaineclan
nearlythe same thing, 8,000 llouses ofestimate s-hich came to
ArmenianCatlloliess1)200 Greeksy800 Roman Mohammeelans, :5)200
nians(callel schisulaticby theirbretllren) CatholicArme-
and 300 Je-ws. This
estimatcappealedto all of us to be nearlyone
the probable po)vllation. According half abow-e that of
long establishedin the tounf tlle to an Armenian doctor
populationconsistsof 10,oQ
){0hAmInEtnS) 53000 ChristiBs)
fromthe new commercialarrangenzents8t14 200 JeWrs. It appears
Turkey and CxleatiBlit$in, ellterezl into between
and the internalreirms that have
beenprojected in consequence of thisby the sublimePorteathat
are2,,dar
statisticalleport vf the empireis intentled
aspreliminaryto Otht1< iternAl
to be ma(le
changEs.
The lengthand sohnessof Angora goatsShairis evidentlyto
leattribllted
to an estremeclimate. Co1dwinters
ofby WIanlius;arlelin the (c(:>mplainexl
latter part of December 1858 we
?bund the snowupwarelsof a fbot ill depths
temperature F - 16? cent. ol + 3? FMlr.)have an(l the minimum
eSectof lellgtheningtlle hairor fleece eserywhele the
of animalsor of supplying
them, as in the uplands {f Thibet
thellot summersgive to the hailsits with
silky
an unde} down; while
isremarkablethat not only the cats, but lustre and soRness. It
o?
tlle Angora l}reed havelong and fine also the shepherdsdogs
breed hair. Tllat wrell-known
of cats has lately muc.hd;tninished,
15eel1
usedto adulte1atefurs The their fleeces having
;ssignetl circumscribed
to tlle courltryof this bree(l of goats limitsgenerally
haxreyet seell, correct they are not met with are as f;aras we
Ilmak.The quantityof wool anrsually t} the E of Kizll
to 500,,000okahs,but of this only exportedalnountsn
said, it is
SQ0,000 20(),000okahs,or aloout
lbs. are of the morewaluablefleece.
The other articles of commerce
ofthe Rhamnusctharticus, whichare yellow berriessthe WIlit
is much cultia7ateds
partlcularly
in stonyplaces, more
as on the hillsof St Paul andeven
on
thatof Whedrdez.The amount of produces statedfl 2S,000
TOL. IX
U
276 Mr.AINSWORTH'S
Jotcretey
to Anyorcl.
lbs. The rootsof ma(l(ler(RublGl [1838.
tra^,acanth, anzl other gums, alsotinctoria) for red dyes,mastic,
vvellas waxand honey. But the form articles of commerce,as
twist, an(l goats' hides. The chief tradeis in woo], lnerino
demand for
manufactures is universallyadmittedto be veryBritish goo(ls antl
The older Europeancommerceof considerable.
great. The tombstonesin Angora was always very
the lourialgroundof St. Paul's
howmanyof our countrymenmust attest
is difficult to accountfor its have been engagedin it. It
successexperience(l,or from decline, unless from the want of
in a place where consular unsvillingness to opencommunication
protectionhas been abrogated
aperiodof fifteenyears. Almost now for
French,who havc nowonly a fewabandonedby both Enffllishan(l
Armenians native a^,entsin the place, the
havehad the courageto establisll a houseof theirown
inLon(lon. When the Oriental
quillityensured to the country? question is settletl, aneltran-
commerce there is little doubt but that
will springup anew; andwith
resources of Anatolia, and of Western the moreactivityas the
ma(le betterknown. Asia in general,will be
The longitu(leof Angorawas
an(lloytwo sets of observations determinetlby lunar (listallces;
E.of Greenwich,an(l the with chronometers, to be 32?
thesun 39?56' 30" N. The latitudeby mean of two mer. alts.50t of
mean
givingan approsimateelevationof of the barometerwas 06 922,
thecompasswas 9? W. The 2,750 feet. The w-ariation of
surfacewas also observed. magnetic intensityof the earth's

[NIr.A;nsszorth'sMS. is
eight slleets,Olla scale ofaccompanied
in by a map of his route,
an inch to fourmiles; loya plan
Heraclea; with several plans of castles and o:S
Mr.Russell; an itineraryby Mr. Pulsford other buildingsby
direct
to Angora; numerous fromZa'faranBcali
of inscriptions,
placesin the Arabic character,with an(:l
a list of the names
Rasfim;andaIsothe whole of the theil explanationby Mr.
which
the severalpositionsdepend,as astronomicalobservationson
lai(l downin tl e map.]

v - J
j -
S E
Journey from Angora by Ḳaïṣaríyah, Maláṭíyah, and Gergen Ḳal'eh-sí, to Bír or Bírehjik
Author(s): W. Ainsworth
Reviewed work(s):
Source: Journal of the Royal Geographical Society of London, Vol. 10 (1840), pp. 275-310
Published by: Blackwell Publishing on behalf of The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of
British Geographers)
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1797844 .
Accessed: 06/01/2012 11:46

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 ( 27.e, )

VII. Journeyfrom Xnyora b1yKazsartyah, iklllceta'yah, a7td

G?ergews .Kal'eXl-si,
{o Be'r or B-lrehjik. By W. AINSWORTII,
Esq., in ehargeof an Expeditionto Kurdistan.
I)URINGthe three winter months that the leartyremainedin
Angora,variouse2ceursions weremadeto hills immeeliatelyin the
neighbourhoodof the town, in orderto obtainlJearingsfor map-
ling the eountry; among othersvvevisitedthe sum1Bitof Ch^al
rrtigll,6 miles southof the eity, whenee+vegot a good bearing(.f
LIasanl'agh, a remarkal)lepeak rising8000 feet al;)c)ve the sesl,
18 InilesS.S.E. of Ak-Serxii,an(l 120 miles fromAngora.
A moredistantexeursionwas ma(leto the minesof IshiliT'lth,
alsout40 miles N. I)y E. of Angora, an(l ly-int,4o60 feet a1os7e
tlle sea; the routeto whichis laid downin tlle aecompanyingmal.
On the afternoonof Tuesday, the 19th of Mareh, our party,
eonsisting of Mr. Russell, Mr. R:issam, an(l myself, aeeom-
anied by a khavass btishi an(l tro khavtisses,sent by Z:iiel
MohammedP>'lsha,as a guar(l throughthe Kurdishdistrietsof
HaimAneh,quittedAngora,and travellingin a westerlydireetion,
halte(lat Elilir Yaman, a village of twenty-sishouses,4 hours
fromthe eity.
March 2()th.-Passed a sxnalllake which it took 25 minutes
to ride r(un(l; beyontlthis we deseende(lfiom a low undulatint,
eountryinto the valleyof MurtahOvah-si,whichwe ha(l exlzlore(l
higherup on our exeursionto Ishik Tagh. .'rhe peeuliarityof
this fine and fertilevalleyis its being boun(lel to the W. lJy tlle
prolongationof the hills of Ayrish,;:n(lI)eingsucldenlyclose(lul)
at its southernextremityby hills of traehyte,amid which the
Char Su and the riverof Angoraeffteettheirjunetion, while in
the passis situatethe smalltownof Istanos.*
At the entranceof the samepass is a lari(lge,at which} ointthe
great Constantinople roadand that to Istanos,only 2 an houroff,
separate In deseending it, eompact 1lniformtrachytes are sue-
ceede(l by trachytic conglomerates, near Istanos, broken up into
peahs an(l pinnacles, and backed ly steep cliSs of rutle but pic-
turesque appearance. The town contains aI)out400 houses, 50 of
Mohammedansan(l 350 of Armenians; it occupies the right bank
of the river, anll, confined by the cliff, forms a long narrow street,
which is well stoned up, like a quay, an(l all(ls to the general
.appearanceof comfort an(l cleanliness.
A remarkablerock, almost insulated fiom the cliS, advancesover
the lower part of the town. It is crowne(lljy ruins of former tixlles,
covered with storks' nests, anel burrowet1I)y cllvernouspassages

* Vulna starl6s.
u
VOL. X.
276 Mr.AINSWORTH
fromAngorato Ks^sarayah.
[March,
difficultto reach. These caves measured,the first 9 feet l)y 7,
the seconil34 feet by 10, with an openingto the E.
Another series of caves, approache(lwith some diiculty,
stretchedalong the face of the cliS in three tiers. The first
chamberwas reachetlby a galleryon thefaceof the rock, 16paces
in length: fromthis anothergalleryascended,partlyin stairs,by
the side of therock 18 paces,wherea little protectionis givenby
a woodenrailing. A long seriesof chamberswerethereentered,
some havingwells for water,and mostof them fire-places. The
whole extentwas 145 aces; the chamlerssevenin number,the
galleriesfour; but manyof the chamberswere againdivided,as
if for one c)rtwo families. There were no remainsof antiquity
discovere(lduringthis examination,and the caves appearto have
leen piacesof refugefrompersecution,or a retreatfor securityor
defence. In the burial-ground of the towntherewere some frag-
ments of large columnsand corniceshewnin trachyte,an(l one
tombstoneof whitemarble,with an illegible Greekinscription,
probablybroughtfromsomeotherplace.
The left bankof the riveris occupiedby gardens,and the new
church, hich does cre(lit to the industriousChristiansof the
place,*whotoil chieflyin merinosandtwist.
21st. Mr. Russell and I rode out early in the morning,
accompaniedby a guide, to ascendthe Gokld Tagh, the highest
mountainin this part of the country;turningto the left, just
above the junction of the ChErStl and Angora river, we soon
quittedthe trachytesandgained a barrencountryof chalk-marl
and greensand,here and there (lisruptedor traverse(lby dykes
of trachyticrocks. The districtwashilly, withthe usualcharacter
of friableormarlyformations, ratherabruptandshinglydeclivities
an(lroun(l-toppedhills; on one of these, to our right,were some
huge stones,which appearedas if oncepiled togetherwith regu-
larity. After 2 hours' ri(le, crossinga small rivulet with re(l
water, we began our ascent, and soon reachedthe village of
Gklu, of about40 houses. ISere we obtaineelanotherguide,
and proceededin our ascent, crossingseveral glaciers, ami(l a
dense fall of snow, accompanie(l by a strongwinfl fromthe N.
After about2 an hourwe reached a Yaila, or summerstation,
nearwhich was a cave celebratedin all the adjacerstcountry,
being distinctlyvisible at a great distance, from its occurring
in the face of a cliff which rises almostperpendicularly to the
summitof the mountain. The cave,however,only presentedus
with a wide semi-circularopeningin in(luratedlimestone,which
also containedlarge veins of calc-sparan(lsometravertirlo. The
cave was 50 yardsin widthnand 20 yardsin flepth; andhad also
lateral small caverns,and nearlyverticalpassagesof no grcat
interest. It was fronte(lloyaw wallof stone,whichencloseela kin(l
1839.] Istanos-GdkluTagh Sermesh. 277
of platformfor keepingsheep or cattle. As the snowcontinued
to fall so densely, that we could with difficultysee a few yards
beforeus, we gave up any furtherascent (the chief ol)jecthaving
been to obtaindistantbearings),and returnedthe same evening,
hothwet and cold, to the hospitableChristiansof IstAnos.
22nd.- From Istanoswe visited the junctionof the Char Sfi
and Angora river,*whichoccursamid cliSs of trachytes,about
200 feet in height; anelfrom thence we continuedin a south-
westerly(lirectionover hills of the same characteras yesterday;
passed Tatlar, now a ruined village, on the left bank of the
river,Atajik smallvillagesbeyondA'na-Yurt,alsoa poorvillage
with small lake to the S. Beyondwas Ata Tepeh (islandhill),
of volcanic origin of rathera singularconicalform, which car-
rying tilted-up formationsin a long line to the S., has causeela
remarkablelend in the river,fromwhenceits name:crossingthe
neck of the peninsulawe againreached the banks of the river,
backe(lhere by the hills of Germesh,rising from 800 feet to
]000 feet abovethe plain, and a little fartheron we cameto the
farm of the Kara Koyunli, or black-sheeptribe, consistingof
about 20 houses enclosed in a square, like an Arab or Persian
fort. 'rhe valley was boundedto the N. by the westerlypro-
longationof the Ayash hills, composedof chalk, chalk-marlss
and red and ocllrousyellowsandstones,(lippingN.W. at an angle
of 2o?,and preservinggreatregularity.
23rd- We rodeout earlyin the morningto visit the castle of
Germesh. The river was foriled with difficulty, although in
summerit is said to be nearly absorbed by the sllrrounding
frialulesoil. Ourfirstvisitwasto the warmspring(84?of fahr.)5
whichissues fromtlle (leclivityof the castle-hill. Over it there
is a small bathing-house,with a circulardome, constructedof
stones cementedby snortar,and apparentlylJelonging to a re-
mote Mohaminedan era, although ascribe(lby the nativesto the
formerpossessorsof the soil, un(ler the usual designationof
Genoese.
The ruinsof a castle,apparentlyof Romanorigin,occupythe
summitof the samehill, whichconstitutestlle luosteasterlypoint
of the GermeshTagh. This castle, now in a veryruinouscon-
elition,was built of stone, cementedby goodmortar,andconsisted
of an interiorportion,58 feet in lengthby30 in breadth,bounded
to the N.W. by steep cliSs, 36 feet (leep, anzlto the S.W. by a
sval}]9 feet deep. This more approachable side was, llowever,
elefeneleelby an outer rampart,50 feet from the interior,and
havingthree roun(ltowers, one of whiclt rises to the N. of tlle
highestpart(f the fort.
The summit of the hill, altout 700 feet lligh, consists of
* EllkUri Scl, (8CIllftl at AIlgOl'& Chibuk chl'lY
(PilJclliver).
v g
278 M. AINSWORTH
from Angorato Kazsar?*jah.
[March,
hypersthenerockan(lbasalt; the declivitiesexhibitedtrap, tufa,
and conglomerates.
Returnillgto Kc)yunli,sre joined the rest of the party, an(l
proceeded over a level plain of ri+reralluvium4 miles, to the
point wherecliSs of chalkapproachthe riverbanksfromthe N.,
leavinga small and fertileplain, succeededby YolvariTurkhali
(Upper), a village in a chalkravine,wherethe riveris receive(l
amonghills, an(lwherethereis alsoa woodenbridge. The hills
soonbecomehigher,with roundedsummits,an(l rathersteep de-
clivities,being composedof induratedlimestonesin waved and
contortedstrata; andwe entereda pass that presentedsomepic-
turesquepoints of view. About 1 mile from the entranceis a
copioushot spring,of very pure and clear Yvater;and there are
remainsof an ancientroad,that was in parthewnout of the rock.
Beyondthis a large caveis seen at an elevationof nearly400 feet
fromthe valleybelow, which containsthe ruinsof a buil(lingof
strength,adaptedfor defence. This had been oncethe retreatof
robbers,for whom the pass oWersmany advantages in the pursuit
of their avocations. Near the exit of the valley the limestone
reposesupon mica-schistand clav-schist,with quartz-rock. Be-
yondthis is an open plain, in part cultivated,with the village of
Ashaghi Turkhali(Lower)to the right, bounded,to the N. anel
W., by a long rangeof uniformlow hills of gypsurn. The river,
free from the rocky pass, now takes a more westerlydirection;
and we followed a middle route between it an(l the hills for
about 4 miles to the village of Sarrul)as,the residenceof an
A'yan, andwherewe wereto obtainfreshhorses.
24th.-We continuedour jollrneyalong the same plain, +vith
the riverto ourleft, and gypsumhills to ourright; the valleyis
alsout5 miles in width, and boundedan the S. I)ythe Germesh
hills. After travellingfrom 5 to 6 miles the valley begins to
narrow;andin the gypsumcliSs, as they approachthe river, are
numerouscaves, used as fol(ls for sheep of the Angora breed.
There was then a sad mortalityamong these delicate animals;
manywere dyingbeforeour eyes,andthevultureswereso glutteel
as to le too lazyto move.
Below is a bridge over the AnU,orariver,by whicha road is
carriedto Servi-Hisar,*fordingthe Sa0;iriyah,1 a mile furtheron.
At this point bothriversenterwild and rockypasses in sienitic
rocks, which here sud(lenlysucceedto the gypsum; a narrow
peninsulaof the latter separatesthe two rivers,expandingas it
extendsupwardsto the N. The Sakariyahhas a verytortuous
course, and, afterformingseveralsmall lakes, enterswith its tri-
l)utaryinto the sienites; afterflowingthroughwhich, amidstfalls
an(l precipices, for about 11 mile, the two rivers egect their
* AtulgoSevri Hisar.
1839.] TurkhalaSarrubas-Mislu-Sha'ban-Egxz'.
C>79

junction,just beforethe igneousrocks are succeededby an open

plain,soonagainshutup ly othermountains.
By this excursionwe determinedthat the site of Pcssinus did
not exist, as Col. Leake supposed,on the E. si(le of the San-
garius. Mr. Hamiltonanfl AI. Texier have, I lJelievc,ielentified
the ruins of BAla-Bazarwith that place; but some (lifficulties
remainto l)e reconcile(lin the marchof Manlius; and whAt iS to
be said of Plutarch'sstatementthat Catothe youngel walked in
one dayfromAncyrato Pessinus?
Our luggage,escortedby Mr. Rassamand two Khavasses,had
gone directfromSarrubasto thevillageof Mislu, fordingon their
way the Angora river (Engi;lviSu). Havingaccomplisheelour
esploration,we had thus in part to retraceour steps letwee\nthe
two rivers,overlow undulatinghills of gypsum, with somelime-
stoneandbrecciadeposits,and then acrossa wideplain, extend-
ing fromthe castleat the easternen(l of the Germesh Tagh, to
the village above mentioned,situatedat its lvesteln end, a dis-
tanceof about from 12 to 15 miles in a straightline. A-t the
westernextremity,traprocksno longeroccupythe wholemassof
the hills, loutonly the summits,andrepose 1lponcretaceousmarl.
There is one hill furtherW. than the villat,e; beyondit is the
vale of the Sakariyah;and there are no otherhills of importance
interveningbetweenthis and the conical summitsanalserrated
peaksof the Sevri-Hisarmountains.
Mislu was once a flourishingsillage, probalulyon an antique
site; but its walled-ingardensare now neglected,and its houses
fallinginto ruins. About tsventyonly are still inhabited. The
countryis wateredly manyeopious springs: r)artridges begin to
aloound,and -grounal-squirrels have made their appearancein
numbers.
25th. VVeascendedthe pass irl GermeshTagh, S. by W., an(l
enteredupona fertilevalley,stretchingfromE. by N. to W. b) S.,
andshutup at its easternextremityby a ridgethatunitesthe Ger-
meshTagh with the Sha'ban-uziTagh, of whichl)earingswere
takenfromthe ChAlTagh, nearAngora. The latteris composed,
like the former,of cretaceousrockand basanite. The Sha'lJan-
tiZi has also sandstoneon its southern(leclivity. Before us was
a largevillage,also calle(lSha'ban-uzi. The rivuletof the valley
is a tributaryto the Sakariyah.
The ascent of the hills of Sha'ban-uzioccupiedus about l
hour. From the summit we hael an extensiveprospect. The
undulating(listrictof LIaimaneh,the valleyof the Sakariyah,thc
mountainof Ayash,with the distantElmah,Idris,an(lSevri-Hisar
chains, forme(lthe chief features. Descendingthe hills by the
yaila of the villageof YaghmurBabai(FatherlRain),and passing
280 Mr. tINSWORTTI toKaisartyah.
fromXnyora [Marcll,
somesmallcaveswithhownarches, we reachecla fine cultivatel
plain, wherewe firstenteredthe districtof Hf'iimanell. OU1road
lay alongcontinuousfertilelands,pro(lucingscarcelyanythingbut
wheatand barley,till we reached Karghah-li(Jacklav town), a
large village,the seat of the Vaivotiahof the district,an(lhaving
everyal)pearanceof muchagriculturalwealth.
26th.-The rich agriculturalland arounelKarghah-lidoes not
extendfar: *rehtlelnot travelletlan hour to-elaywhell we foull(l
ourselvesupon a high undulatinguplan(lof chalk, withoutwoo(l
or cultisration,an(l lJut few ligneous or vivaceousplants. Tllc
vegetationconsistedof a few gramineaean(l wormwoo(l. The
averageelevationof this ul lan(l, froma nulllberof observations
is 3000 feet. After trasellingabout 16 miles in a S. E. elirec-
tion, we cameto a valley+vitha risulet, divicleelinto tX-opartsl)y
a range of hills, through+rhichthe watersfin(l their wayby a
narrowandprecipitousleass of compactlimestone. 'rhe lorver
an(l more northernvalley contains two or three villaffles,the
largest of which is called Ujuk, anel was generally cultivate(l.
The southernvalley containee1the Turkomanvillage of Alif;
sith tents an(labouttsrentyhouses,I)utnoteverywhereculti+atetl.
At this villagewe foun(lnumeroustombs, columns,cornices,anel
otherfragments,es-identlyof Byzantineorigin,and apparentlyin-
(licatingan ancientsite.
Fromhenceour road lay ul) the samevalleytill we turne(lto
the E. to KaeliKoi(TvIclge-ville), formerlythe seat of govcrnment
of the wholedistrictof Hctlimaneh. At resent it contaillsal)out
forty houses, louilt upon the declivitiesof some learrenhills of
compact non-fossiliferouschalk, with hare1frin1)1elimestone
clipping15? N.
27th.-Having sent our luggage to the village of Jull1k,AIr.
Russell an(:lI started to w-isitsome warm springsin the nei>h-
bourhoo(l,whercsomeremnantsof antiquitywere saidto be. W(?
reache(lthem in aboutthree quartersof an hour,andfoun(l,as in-
dicated,a largehot spring, presentingthe peculiarityof issuing
fromthe top of a roun(lor flat-toppe(lhill, alsout30() feet above
the a(ljacentvalley. This springis inclose(lin a showymodern
buikling,withthe usualdoine-roofs,(livi(le(lintot^roparts,23''fect
seluare, one fol men, the other for wolnen. lvhe roof of th.1t
intenelee1for tlle men has fallen in, the lace being totally neg-
lecte(land ahandoned. Thc supplyof wateris consideralule; its
temperatureis 41 5 Cent. (lq5? Fahr.), the air being 58? Fahr.
Tlle bathsare inclosexlin a spflce that is sv1rroun(1ee11-va Xa11
40() yardslong by 300 in width. It was also formerlyeiefeneRe(1
I)y l)astions,no+vin a very ruinousconelition. Witllin this in-
closurethele is a InOdern jaIni', or lllosque,also going to ruin,
1839.] Hagmareh .KadiKos-Ardij .Tagh-Juluk. 281
constructedchieflywiththe stones of a Greek temple; thereare
also many ruined modern houses, anel a burial-ground,^7ith
Byzantinetombstones,cornices,pillars, &c., but we found no in-
scriptions. .By the sideof this inclose(lspacethere appearedalso
to havebeen formerlygardensand respectablehouses; but now
a11is deserted,andnot a being was to be seen around.
Our routefromthe bathspassedup a narrowvalley, where a
few compositeplants first ap}eared in flower, amid limestone
shales tilted up at a high angle. From thence we commenced
the ascent of ArdijTagh (Mount Juniper),not however,much
covere(lby shrulbsof any kind, and composedof sandstoneand
limestoneshales. The crest is elevated about 600 feet above
the plain of HaimEneh; 900 feet above the valleybelow; and
3592 feet abovethe level of the sea.
An hour'sdescentbroughtus to the Tllrkomanvillageof Kizil
Koi, wherewe obtaineel,aftersomedemur,a changeof horses,and
l roceededrapidlywith these up a long valley, and over naked
uplands, to the mountainof Gokoheh Bunar (EIeaven-gate
Spring),at the footof whichwere tents of Kurels,newlyarrived
in these districts. Passing roun(l, +vereachedthe village of
Kizil-jah Kal'eh (Red-dishCastle), wherewe were disappointed
in not fin(lingthe castle which we had expected from its name
and fromreport. It is merelyone of the stone-fortsso common
throughoutLesser Asia. The mountainof KarajahTagll was,
however,nowonlya few milesfromus; butas nightwasapproach-
ing, anclwe had still a long way to returnto join our luggage,
and as the plaguealso, which had been statefl to exist at Kadi
Koi, and in variousparts of the collntry,was again said to be
verybad, in order to preventour stoppingat Kiziljah Kal'eh,
we wereobligedto yield to the Khavassesand Sl'lrujis,an(lturn
backupon Chaltis,a largevillage,wherewe did see a iw people
sick: we then crossed a hill, and arrivedlate at Juluk, a post-
stationon the roa(l from Angora to Koniyah,situatedin a glen
of trachytes. From the hill above.Julukwe ha(lobtaine(lsome
valuablebearings,by which, in the absenceof astronomicalob-
servations,prevente(lat this season of the year by continually
clou(lyweather,wc were enable(l to connect lVarcijah T;ighwith
ChtilTcigh,anelHoseinKtizi,near Angola, also with the Aytish
mountAin, anll then againwith Shat-Musaand the Al dij 'laagh.
2Sth.- Issuing out of the glen we traverseda plain towards
somelimestonehills, and,leavingthe baggageto pursueits wayto
KartiGetlik,*rc approache(l the footof thcseto xisit some sepul-
chralor monasticgrottoesof little interest: crossingthe hills we
cameupon Kurkli,a Kur(lvillage,withmoregrottoesof a siInilal
* Properly Geduk, i. e., Rent, Fissu]e.
282 fromAnyora{o Kazsaraoya71.
Mr. AINSWORTH [March,
character,and, proceedingalong at a good pace, soon reached
a narrowglen, compose(lon one side of induratedchalk, on the
otherof trachyticconglomerates. On the side of the cretaceous
rocks are se+rerallarge cas-cs,arrangedin tiers. The lower
story containsa few large chamlers, one of which is suported
I)y squarepil]ars,anelhas sepulchralrecesses. Above is a long
centralchamber,19 yards deep, with an arch in the centre, to
the right what has apparently1aeenthe chapel, 7 yardslong by
5 yardsin width; while to the left a long galleryleaclsto a small
chamber This excavatedmonasteryis in the same style, but
not so completeas thc)seactuallyexistingat Deiri Za'feran,near
Mardin.
Froxnhence, descendingthe trachytichill of KaraGedlk, we
joined our baggage at the illage of the same name, and pro-
ceeded in a north-easter}ydirection 3 hours, over plains of
monotonousoutline, similarin structureand vegetation,till we
gaincelBanam,a large villtlgeat the southernfootof Elma Tagh,
and lsetsveenth.atchainand anotherof differentcompositionand
appearance,calle(lUtra Tagh.
29th.-The rangeof Uira Tagh, which stretchesfrom S. W.
to N.E., southof Elma Tagh; is composedof a cerltralnucleus
of serpentineand steaschist. These rocks-are traversedby dykes
o? quartzrock,with abundantchalcedony,andhavealso tilted-up
limestone,apparent]yof the chalk formation. On the northern
si(le thereis anotherassociationof rocks consistingof basanites
assoc;atedwith hornstone,finty slate, and red quartzites. There
is a largedepositof gypsumon the southerndeclivity. The baro-
meter on the crest of the U'ra Toighindicatedan elevationof
4630 feet, or 861 feet aloovethc plain of Angora.
In these mountainsthere have been several shafts sunk in
searchof copper; and furnacesformerlyexisted at Karghah-ll,
sThicllwe ha(l been particularlyrequesteelby Zaid Mohammed,
Pasha of Angora, to visitand examine. We foun(lOlltysmall,
<although numerous,veins of pyrites,whichwere not promising.
The desertedgalleries of the mines had becomethe retreatof
foses, which were much discomposedby our intrusion. The
southernslope of the U'ra Tagh is coveredwith fir, X-hichtree
is rare on the northernside. Snow was also abundanton tile
southernside, especiallywhereprotectedby low oak woods. We
spentthe nightat Karghah-ll,a willageof alsoutfortyhouses,with
abandonedgardens, and a Sne spring issuing fromthe gypsum
rock.
'30f71.An extens;+re tract of low undulatirlgcountry,almost
lilvc a plain, extends letween the U'ra Tagh and the Kurah
'agh, to the S.E . The fall of waters is towards the Kizil
IrmAk;anzl the countrylvecomesmore hilly in the neighbour-
1839.] Ura *Tagh-.Karghah-lz'-.Kara-jzler-
Cheshnz'. 283
hood of that river. This district is called Tabzinli:the plains
aboundwith the large field-partridgeand with small bustards.
In aboutthe middle of it there is a small stream, called froma
neighbouringvillage Tol. It is only S yards wide by one
eleep, but loses itself in marshesand small lakesbefore it joins
the Kizil Irmak. On arrivingat KurahTagh we met withourol(l
friendsthe saliferousred sandstones,whichexllibitedthemselves
chieflyas a coarsegrit, upon which were superimposedgypsurrl,
marl,andfresh-waterlimestones. This was on the outskirts;the
central ridge is composed of red and brown sandstones,and
sandstoneconglomerate;and above, yellow marl and gypsum.
During the passageof this chain, we were overtakenby a sharp
storm, amid whichwe had yet to travel severalhours. VVede-
scendedto a smallvillage,anelenteling a gorge in red sandstone,
T)asse(ltva beds of pink an(lwhite limestones,adaptedfor quar-
rying, and succeeded by dark-l)rownsandstone. We thence
travelledalong anothercultivatedvale, ascendedovera hill-side,
and madea rapi(ldescent, in limestonegravel hills, to the large
village of Karajiler, corltainingabout 300 houses,a11inhalJited
by Mohammedans.
31st. Aloout2 miles fromKarajiler is the celebratedbridge
of Cheshni[Chashnigir*]. It occursat a remarkablespot,where
the riverleavesan open +?alley,in re(l saliferoussandand san(l-
stone,to entera tol(l rockypassin sienite,whichis scarcelymore
than 1 mile in length. The bridge,said to havebeen erecte(lby
SulttinMur;i(l,is built of re(l sandstone. It has one large and
four lesser arches, at the water'soldinary level, one hibhup on
a rock in the centreof tlle bridge, analsome others still smaller
on the level of the water. The width of the river there is
31 yards. The briclgeat the highest point is 12 yards above
the ordinarylevel of the water. Ts, the eastwardof the bri(lgeis
a large villagecalled Kapu K)1 (Bridge-ville). The jurisdic-
tion of 'Izzet, Pasha of Angora) terminateshere, so our Kha-
vzissestook their departure. The countrywe were now al)outto
enterupon,belongsto the minescalled Denek Ma'4ell,forwhich,
afterchanginghorses,we imme(liatelystarte(l.
Our roadlay in a N.E. (lirection,over a rude hut not unpic-
turesque sienitic mountain,called Begrek Taghi. Below the
riverpass,we observedtwo slnall islands,a house,and ford. On
thesehills vegetationwas forward; the dwarfalmond-treesbeing
about to blossom: on the summitwe observedgrapllic granite
an(la (lylve cf basaltin sienitc. Descen(lint,from l3egrekTaghi
^recntere(lupona rclnarkal)legraniticdistrict,low lvithroundecl
*shitishhills, but deep rockyravines,with rivulets,and a gene-
;r ;; The Killg's Taster," in hollour vf whom, tile bridge was named.-JehallNuma,
284 Mr.AINSWflTH from {o .KazsarSyah.
Anyorcl [March,
rallyscantyvegetation. This districtis inhabitedby the Jerid
tribeof Turkomans;and in one of the valleyswe passedGot-
ovah,one of theirstationaryvillages,with sixteenhouses;I)eyon(l
it HAji-'Alf,an(lthe HasanluBalci-Su,with fifteenhouses. The
countrysuddenlychange(l,aftera ratherlong,but not unpleasant
ride, whenwe reache(lthe end of the graniticrocks,thereleing
a fine cultivatedplain, called Chapal;Otah-si. Beyond this wc
came to a hilly countryof induratedlimestone,in the midst of
which,risinggraduallyto the heightsof Denek, is the sillage of
Denek Ma'(len,where are the filrnacesand the resitlenceof the
clirectorof the mines. We had continuedrain all the latterpart
of the journey.
The ores turned to account at Denek lMa'denare simply
galena,moreor less argentiferous. The minesin the neighbour-
hoodof the villageare now unproductive, the chief vein being at
e hours'(listance. The present produceof the mines,when in
full work, is said to be equal to 1000 okes,* of 2- lbs. each,
weelily; which quantityyields 22 okes of silver. The village
near the mines is in better order than most of those establish-
ments; the charco:lis kept in a largewoodenenclosure,a hand-
some fountainpoursits watersinto a small basinsurrounde(lby
trees. The Greek miners have a small church; the Moham-
medanshave also their mosque,but withouta minaret. There
were fourteenroastingfurnaces,two smeltingfurnaces,and one
openone,forthe oxidationof leadandthe reductionof silver. The
mineshave a largejurisdiction,includingsevenKazaliks,t from
whichmen and fuel are obtained; and the produceof the tases
is also devotedto tlle maintenanceof the sameworks. It would
have been harcl,un(lerthese circumstances,if they had not been
ma(leto returnsomethingto the government; but so jealousare
the 'Osmanlisof their mines,that the Ma'denAgha si ha(lbeen
removed,afterthreeyears'residence,only a few days beforeour
arrival. The mineswere formerlyun(lerthe immediatesuperin-
ten(lellceof the governmentat Constantinople;but it was said
that Zaid Pasha was about to take the responsibilityof them
upon himself. Our receptionat the mines was anythingbut
civil, althoughwc recognise(lpersonallysome of the miners; on
the contrary,much anxietyand jealousy was shown, so it was
thoughtbetterto continueour journeynext day, althoughI ha(l
intendedto makesomemineralogicalresearches. The elevation
of Denek Ma'denabovethe sea, by our barometer,is 3340 ft.
Apri! lst. Our roaddescende(lin a southerlydirectionalong
the valley of the Denek rivulet,41 miles, when we reachedthe

* Vulgo, Okah,for Wakiyah, from the Greek and Latin uncia. F.S.
t Or Kadiliks, wsence the moderIlGreek KosxX.-F.S.
1839] DenekMa'den .Kara
Gfox-SogherBaranla. 285
village of Jinal O'ghlu, lzelongingto the Jeri(l Turkomans,
whose tents w-ealso met with in tlle recesses of the hills furthel
on,wherethc valleyexpanelsconsiderably. At 7 milesfromJinal
O'ghlu, the Denek rivulet falls into a streamflowingN. 50 E.,
fromthe conicalmountaincalled Chelebi to the S.W. tojoin the
riverof Yuz-Kat.
Near this point was the small village of Merdan'Ali, from
whichwe travelleclover a hilly urlcultivateel(listrict,elesecn(le(lto
finflanothertributaryof the Yuz-Xcit riverflowingfrollla small
lake, and then along a gravellyplainto the foot of granitichills,
whereis the village of Ahme(l,or Hamid, of fifty houses,inha-
bited chieflyby Turkomans. Its elevationis 2700 ft.
Gnd.-We couXlnot get the necessaryquantityof horsesfrom
our Turkomanfriends,so a part of the baggat,ewas put into
'arabahs,or carts, drawnl)y oxen, which proceede(lslowly up
A+ountKaraGoz (Black Eye) while we madea lateralexcursion
ul) one of the culminatingpoints, to examinean ol(l castlenbut
foundonly the remnantof walls, now dividedinto cells for sheep
and goats. The labourof the ascentwas amplyrepaid,however,
by a good roun(lof compassbearings. Tts elevationis 4180 ft. -
and the fort commandedthe chain of Elmli Tagh, Idris Tagh,
over Kal'ehjikandthe B aranlichain.
Atthe southernfoot of KaraGozis tllevillageof'Isa K6jah-li,
fromwhencewe proceede(l,still in a southerlydirection,overa
frle fertile plain, to Sogher,* a small villagewherewe were to
obtainhorses. This plainis bountledto the S. by the KarvGin-
seraiTagh, with its castellatedsummits; to the W. by the lofty
snow-clad and wooded range of B aranlf, tern;linatingto the
N.W. in serrateelridges, evi(lentlysienitic; to the N., by the
KareiGoz, and to the E. I)ythe remarkablemountaindesignated
as Boz-uk. The plainof Sogheris at an elevationof 3320 ft.,
an(lhas all the charactersof a true alpineplain; marshy,witha
vegetationof rushesand hedge-grapes,and no shrubsorflowering
plantsof a warmclimate. We had a sharpfrostat night.
3rd.-Crossed the plainto visit Tash Kasmah: large quarries
of marl)le,openedin ancient times, I)ut now not in use, at th(?
fbotcf the Baranlichain. This mountain-range, risin^,uprards
of 0000 ft. abovethe valleyof tlle Kizil Irmtik,is compose(lof a
nucleusof granite,sienite,gneissan(lmica-schist,tilting up lime-
stone and some sandstone. The grarliticrocks predominatein
the W. and N.W.; limestonesin the central portions,where,in
COnSeQllenCe, thc outlincof tllc m(untainis now roun(lcfl. Thc
rockyconesand castle-bearirlgpinnaclesnear Jemalahare com-
lzese(lof granites and gneiss. Mica-schistspretlominatcill tlle
* Properly Sighir i,e., Bulial.lo
286 MR.AINSWORTHfrOS Xnyora
toKagsarAyah.
[April,
easterlyand south-easterlyportions. The limestone at Tash
Kasmah is non-fossiliferous,rather coarse-grained,but of a
pure whitecolour. At the easternen(l of the plain,the valleyof
the Kir-Shehrriver opened before us; lJut we turned to the
westward,to the village of Jemalah, of sixty houses; above
which, upon a rockyhill, are the rllins of an old castle. This
building provedto le an edifice of variousages, formerlycon-
structedof largehewn stonesof graniteandgneiss,repairedand
modifiedby the Mohammedansin formerages, and in a still
moreslovenlymannerin moderntimes.
A pile of stonesnwhichis said also to markthe site of a castle,
called Gechi Kal'eh (She-goatCastle), occupiesthe summitof
the mountainsat the oppositeside of the entranceof the valleyof
Kir-Shehr. At 4 or 5 miles down this valleyis the village of
KiziljahWoiSX7herethe lJeautifuland renownedgardensof the
once flourishingtown of Kir-Shehrcommence,and estend not
only to the townitself, a distanecof 5 miles, lJutalso far beyond,
muchexceedinga]l publishedreports. The rivuletof Kir-Shehr
is calledtheKalichi-suandis nottheKenAk,bysomeconsidered
as the Cappadoxof Pliny.
Kir-Shehris a sad-exampleof a townruinedby religiousfana-
ticistn. Ttnever was verypopulousor rich,lout,with gardensof
unboundedfertilitynpossessedmostof the necessaries,andmany
of the lusuries,of life. These tranquilcomfortsbroughtaround
it, ho^vever,dervishesof manyorders,to whomreligiouszeal be-
queathedvariousedificeswhich, like villages, are, to the number
of seven,distributedroundthe town the resourcesof whichthey
have drainedand exhaustedto the very last: what houses still
remainare mud hovelsof the lowestdescription* the onlyj'ami'
is ruinous,and its minaret lJrokenin half: *i3ishansare aban-
doned; the bezestein,whichis a goodlybuildling)is untenanted.
There are six mesjids; and the populationis stated to be from
3500 to 4000. There is only one Christianresident,who is em-
ployetlin the manufactureof gunpowder.
The mountainsN.E. of Ki}-Shellrarecalled WhirkahTagh,
and are said to conceal a rock-fort,called Sefa Kal'eh. At a
shortdistancefromthe townis a hot spring, amid some rocks of
travertine,which haxe apparentlyowed their existence to hot
watercontaininglime, iron, and otherearthymattersin solution.
The aspect of these rocksis ver>-variolls; wavedand contorted,
with huge nodulesof argillaceousironstone. The springis pro-
tecteelly cl \\7311 and its water falls into a small bath. The
tenperatureras 36"Cent., or 113?Fahr. the air heing at tlle
time 53?Fahr. Thc weathelwas eloudedand rainy,andallowed
of no observationsat IVir-Shchr,althoughit-is a pointwhichwe
wereveryanxicsus
to fixastronomically.
 TgZa 287
18.39.1Jemalah-Kir-S/tehr-T>hXyezAc-Box-izk
5th.-The ruins of Utch Ay.tlk(Three Let,s), to which our
attentionhatl been clirecteelby Mr. W. T. IFlamilton,as esisting
betweenKir-Shehrand NeG-Shellr,lve ascertaineclto have been
passedalreadyin ourjourney,andthat lvhenat Jeinalahve ha(l
left them 2 hours to our left. Mr. Russell and I accordingly,
this morning rctracedour steps along the Kalichi-su as far
as the bridge of JemaTah,and continuedthence N. 5. E. to
.Juhiln,for which place we ha(l a letter from the Mutesellimof
Kir-Shehr, to procure us a guide. Passing over the south-
easternslope of Boz-uk (tlxeBoz Tagh of Mr. HamiltonSsin-
formant),we gainedin an hour'stime the crest, fromwhencewe
saw an extensiveplain stretchingbefore us, in part cultivated,
with here and there the encampmentsof Turkomans;and only
boundedby the hills of saliferousred sandstone. In this plain,
and immediatelybelow us, was a ruinousand ratherlofty struc-
ture,isolatedat the foot of the hills, withoutany adjacentbuild-
ng or ruln.
Upon closer examinationthis ruin was foulz(lto be built of
bake(ltiles, with a deep mortar l)ondfi and to belong probably,
to the Byzantineera. It appearsto have been a monasteryor
churchof the ByzantineGreeks; andwas perhapsusetlin more
mo(lerntimes: lxlt the dome has fallen in, leaving the cross
archesto stand forthin nakedness;whencethe presentname c)f
the ruin. Thele is a small spring an(l a collection of recent
Mohamme(lantombsin the neiglzbourhood.Boz-uk Tagh is a
graniticmountain,not so loftyas Bartinlf,an(lconsistingof nearly
one isolatedmount, with a stonefort upon its summit. All the
countryaroundappearsto havebeen once in a stateof (lefence;
six castles are to be counte(l on the hills aroundthe plain
of S;ogher. The neighbouringhills are com)ose(l of granite,
gneiss, and mica-schist supportingcretaceouslimestoneandre(l
sandstone. The last elevationof the BarAnli,the Boz-uk, and
the Karvanseraichainsof hills, wasposteriorto the depositionof
the supra-cretaceusred sandstone.
We returnedto Kir-Shthr in the evening; the LIasanTagh,
with its boleland sharp,althoughnot conical,but ratherbicapi-
tateelsumInit,reflectingthe gleams of the setting sun froln its
perpetualsnows,was an olJjectof constantattractionduringthe
ride. Kir-Shehrappearsto be at an elevationof 3Q95ft. ab(>ve
the sea: and the adjacentplains may be consideredas forming
partof the greatcentral)lateau of Asia l\!Iirlor.
6th.- Our route lay S.E. by S. over an un(lulatint, grassy
country,at the foot of the KSlvanseraihills, tlle soil bein^,com-
posefl of gravel,quartz,anel primaryschist; 3 luiles fromklr-
Shehr is a nearly circularmound of earth, 40 ft. high, sur-
288 Mr. AINSWORTHfrOm Anyora {April,
to .Kaisar?'yah.
rounded lvy the ruins of a wall t24 paces in circumference,
with the remainsof six lateraltowers. In the sameneighbour-
hood there is a spring,of whichthe waterexpandsinto a weed-
clad basin. This remnantof an ancientfort, or guard-house,
is called G61 Hisar (Lake Castle). Passing Emlrlar villageof
twentyhouses,nearthe rightbankof the Kizil Irmak,here flow-
ing throughred san(l and sandstone,we arrivedat Mujur, the
ancientiIVIocissus (.?).
Havingabout600 houses,Mtljuris distinguishe(las a kasabah,
or markettown, the intermediatebetweena city, (Shehr,)and a
village, Koi,8 a rord that is variouslypronouncedin different
artsof this country. Mujiiris built upona calcareousfreestone,
easilywrotlghtan(lquarried. Caves anfl subterranean dwellings
begin to maketheirappearancehere. There are manygardens
in the neighbourhoo(l;and a little higher up the valley, is a
mound, the probablesite of the castle of l\Tocissus. In other
respects,remnantsof antiquityarerare. The firsttime for many
a day,the weatherbeganto clearup, probablyfromour getting
moresouthward;and we obtaineda meridianaltitudeof the sun,
giving for the latitude of Mujur 39? 5' 40" N.; its elevation
lbeing3140 feet.
LeavingMujul, we passedKuru Gol (dry lake), in a valley,
a smallvillagewith caves, and beyondit Kuru Kum (drysand),
another small village entirely inhabited bv Troglo(lytes,.and
arriveclin the eveningat Haji-Bektash,a holy spot, situate(lin
a high part of the country,and visiblea long wayoS.
Haji-BektAshis a remarkableexamplewhichmay be adduceal
against the collstantoutcry that taxationis the sole cause of
poverty,an(lof the presentruinousconditionof villagesandtowns
in Lesser Asia. Kir-Shehr,which, with its luxuriantgardens,
fine soil, abundantwater,andwarm exposure,might be madea
mart for the productionof silk, we have seen, is but a wreck.
When askedwhythe town was so prostrateand fallen,the ready
answerwas, excessivetaxation. At Haji-Bektash,no one com-
plained: on the contrarythe people lJoastedof their rivileges
anel prosperity. The toml) of Haji-Bektasll, one of the great
TurkishSaints, and founderof an orderof Dervishes,has save(l
this Kasabahfromtaxation;for all its inhabitantsare requiredto
pay, is for the supportof the tomb; and a portionof the salt-mine
of Tuz Koi is also assignedfor the samepurpose. Yet notwith-
stanelingthese advantages,every otherhouseis, as usual, a ruin.
The 'ayanhas built himself the only stone house, whilethe in-
habitants,havinglittle to pay, work still less, but sit in listless
* The o irl keri,altd several other Turkishwords, is prolloullced like tlle i'rellch
eu, or Gelman o.-F. S
1839.] Majur Haja'-]3ektash-
-zil Irmak. Yarapason.289
groups, sunning themselvesand smoking through a llaySsex-
istence. The whole a)learance of the place is that of unpro-
ductivenessan(lidleness. The tomb itself, whlchit oughtto be
theirprideto havein a goodstateof repair,is allowedto crumble
Into rums.
There is close to this place a high mound,in part composedof
loose materialspiled up upon strata of red sandstone,and sur-
roundedby a moator ditch. This moundis called Kara Kavuk
(Black Bonrset);an(l ly Rennell is identified with the site of
Gadasena,a placeancientlyrenownetlfor its sanctity,asthisplace
is now (Strabo,p. 537); but we are, fromvariouscircumstances,
moreincline(lto place Gadasenaat U'ch Ayak.
Haji :Bektashis situateat an elevationof 3780 feet above the
level of the sea; MountArgaeusbearingS. 52?E., ISasanTagh
S. 32? W. by compass.
8th.- In orderto shortena greatbend of the Kizil Irma8, the
earlypart of our route to-daywas mountainous, by the conical
hills of Akajul, composedof quartzreposingupon gneiss and
mica-schist. On descendingupon the plain of the Kizil Irmik,
we passedthe village of Salandah;andarrived,in time to obtain
a meridianaltitude of the sun, at this great ben(l of the river,
which has so long led geographersto supposethat there rvasan
easternand a southernl)ranchof it. It is in 38? 48' N.
The low collntrynearthe riverwasoccupiedlty sandstoEle anel
cretaceousrocks,in nearly horizontalstrata. Keepingalongits
banks,we were ferriedoverat Yarapason,whereit is al)out400
yar(lsin wi(lth,but veryshallow. Yarapasonat present contains
about300 houses,andis built alongthe side of a cliff composed
of a friahle light pink-colouredsandstone,suppoitingcretaceous
limestone. The same cliSs extend in a sort of semi-circle,for
nearlya mile, everywhereperforate(lby caves of wariousdimen-
sions, a few of which are ornamentedwith columnsand devices,
loutwe foundno inscritions. At the easternextremity,the rocks
havebeen denuded,leavingthe har(lerandcoarsermaterialin the
form of numerouscones an(l heaps, of from 10 to 30 feet in
heigl-lt. Many of these containedalso a separategrotto, often
sepulchral. Yarapasonappearsto be the Osianaof the tables.
In our route to Neil-Shehr (New ToX-n),we passeda ravine
still more relnarkablefor the curiousforms irl^hich the same
friablerockpresenteditself. Sometimestruncateel conesbalanced
huge masses of rock upon theirl oints; and at othertimes they
werewrought,apparentlyloy the actionof the elements,into fan-
tastic shapesnin which the resemblanceof lions,frogs,lizarels,
an(lbirds, mightbe traceel. As a proofof the near approachto
tluth exhil)iteelby someof these forms,it mayl)e mentione(lthat
290 frOmiIngorato Keivarz'yah.
IMR.AIDISWORTH [April,
c)neof ourpartywastheroughlyimpresseelwith theirhavingbeen
sculture(l by the harldof man,andour sl'lrujiinsiste(luon their
lJeingthe workof a gaur.
9th.-The origin ancIcorrect etymologyof NTeu-Shehr,or
Nev-Shehr, has loeen given by our learnedForeign Secretary
WIr.Renouarel,in M1. W. I. Hamilton'smemoir.* It is a pleasing
andcleanlytown,sittxatedat the side of a lsol(lravine,anditself
ratherdarklyl)acke(lby highcliffsof volcanicrock. The Greeks,
who forma considerableportionof the communityhere, appear
to have congregate(linto the "new city;" for all the numerous
and s-arioustroglodytevillages in the neighhourhoo(l,are now,
for the mostpart/as Satlav,Y;iraI)ason, Ac., alandonedby their
originaloccupants. Neu-Shehr contains2000 houses of Mo-
hammedans,800 houses of Greeks,60 houses of Armenians,2
large jami's, 1 greek church, 9 khGins,1 bath, 6 mohammedan
schools, and a quadrangularcastle, with round towers at the
angles. In a commercialpoint of view, it is, when compared
with othertownsof the interiorof Asia Minor,a rery flourishing
place. Up the ravine,is the small w-illage of Gorah; aneldown-
wards,at a short distance,the picturesquetroglodytevillageof
Nar, or the pomegranate. Ned-Shehr is in latitude38? 37', an(l
at a meanelevationof 3940 feet.
lOth - -Wehad intendedmakingan excursionto Urgub,to see
the curiousrocksdescribe(lon that routeby Mr. Hamilton,and
earliertravellers,but it snowe(lall night and all day; bar.25 510
inches; meanof ther. 42?. As we had now quitted tlle ancient
Morimeneand Chammanene,it is illlportantto makeoneremark
upon the hydrography of these provinces. Pliny (lib. vi. c. iii )
mentionsthe rixterCappadoxas formingthe boundarybetween
Morimeneand Galatia. Rennell identifies the Cappadoxwith
the Kar(lashCesme (KarindashCheshmeh)of Tavernier,on the
left bank of the Kizil Irmak. ColonelLeake,and mostother
geographers,have a large river namedKonak,flowinginto the
Wizil Irmak,between Kir*Shehraud ChashnigirKopri (on the
rightbank). This does not agreewith our observations;for in
that intervalwe met witll only two large rivulets,both of which
were feedersof the Delijah Irmoik,or Su (Maddishwater),whicll
is a largeriveron the roadfromAngorato Yuz-Kat. It appears
thus that the Cappadoxcorresponds with the riverof Kir-Shehr,
or the Kalichi-su. There is, however,a rivercalledKonGk,which
has its sourcenearYuz-Kat; an(l,flowingpast Bulak and Imlar,
empties itself into the Kizil Irmak, between the parallels of
Kaisariah and Urgul).
I 1th.-Having l)een dletainedby continuallybad weather,we
* GeographicalJournal, vol. viii. p. 148.
 XrOT .. X . X

Koa-SxiltMines. 291
.Tar
1839.] Neu-She1^rCap7vadox--
rejoice(lto-dayat a little improvement,our next steps takingus
to the salt mines,and thence to the lake of Koch-Hisar. The
Shehr-Kyayasi(ketkhotla-si)*gave us a little troublepreviousto
our departure,having asked us for 400 piastresfor the delay;
also requiringtwo piastresper hourfor horses,the ordinarypost
pricebeingone piastre;andfurtherasserting,becauselMr.Russell
had been a little unwell,thatwe had broughtthe plagueinto the
town. These matterswerenot arranged*vithoutsomediscussion
withthe mutesellim.
12th. --We travelledfour hoursin a N.N.W. direction,overa
plain of volcanicsan(l,and extendedformations of l)asanites,amid
whichrose curiousdenudedhills, to Tuz K5i (Salt Ville), near
tlle banksof the Kizil Irmxik. Close to thisirillaffle are the salt-
mines,to whichthe attentionof the expeditionhad been called,as
leing near HAjiiBektash. The salt occurs in a powerfulbed,
the extentof whichit was impossibleto judge of, as none of the
actualshaftsgo to its floor,althoughlnanydisplayits roof. This
bed occursin a stiS yellowclay, sometimesbluish coloured,with
aloun(lantcrystals of gypsum,xvhichis superimposedupon it in
horizontalbeds, a little to the east of the mine. There are about
seven shaftsnowopen: these are distribute(l,in a rathercurious
maIlner,round the sides of a pit formed by the excavationsof
forlneryears; andthey run in to variousdepths,from20 to 300
feet The salt bed was about40 feet belowthe lesel of the hill;
the galleriesare carrieddownat a high angle of illelination;and
the salt is taken out in lJaskets,carriedup ru(le stairscut out of
the clay. There was also a shaft at the l)ottomof the pit, but
it has long ago fallenin, ;n(l is now the grand receptacle for
rainwater. While Mr. Russell and I were at the mines,there
cameon a ses-erethunderstorm: torrentsof watercaIne pouring,
in a fev minutes,into the pit fromseveralsi(lesat once; the soft
clay ga-e way in large masses,an(l seseral slips occurre(lroun(l
the sides of the zit. It appearsverylikely that works so care-
lessly carrie(lon, will, some (layor other,be overwhelmedall at
once.
I shall not wenturefurtherhere than to state that these salt
(lepositsare evidentlyof a supracretaceous or tertiaryera. The
geologyof all Garsaura,or Garsauritis,is of a most interestin
character;but, notwithstan(lingthe intimateconnesionof that
branchof knowledgewith physicalgeography-here affiecting not
only the general features of the country,but also the dwelling-
places of its inhatitants-I shall not dwell uponlocal eculiari-
ties for fearof rel?etition;but will afterwards,in as brief a resume
* This Persiall lvord is alwars shorteIled iTltokyaya by the Turlis. It signifies
" (leputfrloctlm texlells."-F. S.
 L)9.D WI1.A1NS\\
OR1I-1
f7'(v}}t /}?O}'fl fO Ivai^;ariya7l.
LApril,
as possible,exs(leavour to estalJlishthe chief pointsin the history
of these remarkablerocks.
14th. Our route lay S.B.f up the valley of the Tuz-Koi
rivu]et,containingfresh water,an(l passing Kizil Koi, a village
of thirty dwellings, chiefly caves; and Chiftlili,*allother
village, in part of caves, in 2 hours we reachedTatlar. small This
place has been alreadydescribedby Mr. W. I. Halnilton.t
hasTeonly to noticethe perfectcolouringof the paintingsill I
cave, where is the old Greek MS. * the existenceof a castle,the
the topof the cliSs,anda kindof elirt-bedlDetween on
thesedimentary
rocksandthe basanites.
From Tatlar our directionlay N. 60? W., over undulating
do+Tns of basaniticpebbles. At 4 miles is Chular,a Turkomuin
villageof thirtyhouses,bysideof rivulet;anelabout3 miles
we entered a rocky pass of sienite, with a l)oorvillage. farther,
hills are calle(lTt'lsh-Teller,and are almostentirely These
the rockyserratedoutlinegenerallypeculiarto such sienitic,with
We traxTelled formations.
along a wide and monotonousplain, upon
manycamels were feeding,estendingfromthe footof tlle which
Teller to that of tlle loftier mountainof Akajik, both of Tash-
hadfurnishedus svithbearingsexTer which
since Te reachedKir-Shehr.
The same evening we arrive(lat Sari Karaman,the seat
vaivodah,sent hithel to govern the Turkomantriles, andofnot a
appointed by themselves. The dogs w-ereveryferocious:one of
themtore a large piece out of A1r.Rassam'scoat. The
^vere only a little better. people
15th. Crossinza bridge over the rivulet of Akajik,a gentle
ascentle(l us to Buz-Khur,a village of caves, with ruins
khan. On our leftwas the mountainof Kharin; andbeforeof a
andextendingto the limits of the horizonto the right,a us,
levelplainof cultivableandin partcultivatedlaIld. At nearly
distantabout 3 miles, the face of the countryaltered; Domanll,
and at
Danishmanli, a villageof twentyhouses,e miles furtheron, were
hillsof sienite,rather remarkable,inasmuchas impacted
of diorite, passing into fine-grained sienite, ;re masses
throllghout distributeel
the formation,whichitself consistsof small grainsof
hornblende, amid large crystals of fel(lspar. A rockyrange of
sieniteesten(ledhenceto A'yanli,theseatof the A'yan,containing
abouttwenty houses, where we arrive(lwell (lrenchedby
rain,wllich fell incessantlya11the latter part of the the
Halfanhourto the N .E. of A'yanliare someruins,and part journey.
Byzantine of a
church. The nativesknow no name for the
saveKilisa, ' the church;' and it is from thence that theyplace,
drasv
* C..hiftSik
means as much laIld as can be ploughed hy a
y oke (chift) of oxen: it
is
theretoreollly applied to these caves as habitations.-}'. S.
+ GeographicalJourleal,xol. viii, p. 1^}7.
1839.] Ak-jik-A'yanla'-Kojah-Tagh-Turn-abad. 293

the marble columnswhich decoratetheir rustic burial-ground.

This site apears to be upon the cross-roadwhich led from
Parnassusto Arche]aisColonia,and which in this district,con-
tainedthe stationsof Ozzala,Nitazus,andArdistana. The direct
distancefromA'yanli to Ak-Seraiis 30 miles,whichapproximates
to the distanceof Ozzala; but, consideringthe inequalitiesof the
soil, more with Nitazus,the two stationsnot being veryfar from
one another.
16th.-A fall of snowset in in the evening,an(lcontinuedtill
the morning,rvmainingon the groundandon the hills at A'yanli,
at 3800 feet abovethe sea. We di(l not, in consequencestarttill
after 10 A. M . (it wasstill snowinghard,witha coldnortherlywind),
os-eranundulatingdistrictof graniteand sienite,reachingonlythe
villageof Sipahiler,a term applied in Asia Minorexclllsivelyto
horse-soldiers.We were here killdlyreceivedby the inhabitants
belongingto the Turkomantrilzeof Sherakli,of whichwe *vere
the moresensible,as we hadleft the Domanlitribe at the last vil-
lage, on accountof the ill-feeling exhibitedtowarAsus.
Sipahiler,a village of about sixteenhouses, at arlelevationof
3580 feet, is situatedat the foot of a rangeof sienitichills, which
rise alsout 800 feet above the village. This rangeis calledthe
Kojah Tagh; an(l the natives pOilltout three hill-forts upon
differentrockysummits,whichwere,however,mereaccumulations
of stones, withoutmasonry. One of these is called ChakohAk
Kal'ehsi, anelanotherBoilujahKal'eh.
I 7th.-From the uplan(l,at the foot of the Kojah Tagh, along
whichwe continueclour routethismorning,we had a fineplospect
of the Kizil Irmak,an(lwere enableelto connectourpresentjour-
neywiththe BaranliT^igh,I(lr Shehr,MUjUl,andHaj1 Bektash;
the hills abose which were all distinctlyrecognisable. Beyond
the7illage of Demir-lu Ikoi, and about7 miles from Sipahiler,
we turne(lin a south-westerly directionto crossthe Kojah Tagh.
To our right, or N.W., was a bold rockygranitegroup,named
the Saru-bulakTat,h, the oSsetsof which stretcheddownto the
Kizil Irmak,whichriverseparatesthemfromthe Baranll Tagh,
itself advancingin a ratherremarkablebold andisolatedsummit,
overthe Kizil Irmak,whichhasa verytortuouscoursefromhenceto
Cheshni Kopri. The )ass overthe KojahTagh is commanded,
althoughat some distance,by a hill-fort on a high sieniticcone,
calle(lToklu Tal'eh. Soon after descendingfrom this rangeof
hills, the plutonic rocks are succeededby induratedlimestone,
in curved and contortedstrata; these by grey and brown sand-
stone, composedof granitic san(l an(l pebbles: andthese again
by saliferousred sandstone,which alternatewith gypsum, and
formlow hills along the easternshore of the Great Salt Lake.
Passingthe village of Turn-abad,we obtaineda meridianobser-
x 2
294 lMr. A r N S0VOR.TlI frO}n arlyah. [April,
il nyorato Iszaio
lrationin 1N.lat. o8?56'; andaftera shortjourney(much(lelayed
however,lJyone of ourl:>aggage horsesfailint,),overa hillydistrict,
we came to the pass of Kriziuyuk, in sandstonesand gypsum,
and whichis clefendedat its entraneefromthe west by the castle
of Koch Hisar.
The viewof the Great Salt Lake from the entranceof the
pass is verybeautiful,but it wantswoo(l. Narrowat tlle north,
wherc it is hackedby low hills, it subsequentlyexpandsalrnost
beyondthe reachof the eye; is next lost behindthe hills of Injeh
Burnu, a smallcape to the S XiF,and thenre-appearsto the south
as a wideand distantexpanseof water, backedby lofty summits,
which are, however,in realityat a greatdistanceleyontl the es-
tremityof the lake.
18th.-In the shelteredand sunnyexposureof Koch l:lisar
manyfloweringplants*velcomed us atonceto spring. The castle,
from whence this place elerivesits rlame signifyinf, *' ]:tam
Castle,"occupiesthe top of a hill, which is nearlyisolate(lfrorn
the remainderof the range,and coinman(ls,accordingto ancient
i(leas,the town and the entranceto the pass of Kazi-uyuk. The
foundationsof the castleare now difficultto trace,and occupyan
oblongspace,t82 feet in length tzy150 feet in wi(lth. The loose
stonesare piledup withinthis spaceinto so manysheep an(lgoat
folds, xvheneeits moelernname. The presentsillage of SasalJah
contains130 houses, but no residentChristians. Hereare salt-
petre works. A mer. obs. garreits latituelein 38? 55' 50t' 19.;
approx.ele+r.'856 feet. The informationwe obtainedregarding
the value of the salt lake lvasprettynearlythe same as is given
by Mr. W. I. Hamilton.* A portionis said still to le elaime(l
by Ahmed Beg, son of ChapwanO'ghlu; an(lHaji 'Ali Pasha
cleputesthe Mutesellimof Ak-Serai to receivethe revenue.
] 9th.-We lent our stepstowar(lstlle northernendof the lake,
our routelying near its shores,alonga les7elplain, lsor(leredto
the right by a long rangeof loxv hills, at firstof red andlarown
sandstone, then eapped by gypsum, at length entirely sup-
planted by the latter deposit, whieh extends to the estreme
northernend, wherethe hills terminatein a plain bounded to
the northby the Pasha Tagh. This last ehain, notieeelin Mr.
Hamilton'smemoranda, is, as that travellersuggested,eomposecl
of red sarldstone,suy)porting eretaeeousmarl and gypsum. It
loes not rise morethan 800 feet al)ove the lake. The weather
beingfine, we obtainecla good mer. alt. of the sun, whiehgave,
for the most northerlypoint of the lake, 39? 7t 30t' N.; bar.
27 142; alt. ther.6a?
PassinCby ArghunWoi, a (lesertedvillage, with 1)a(1water,
we travelledin a xvesterlydireetionoverhills of eretaeeouslime-
-* Geogla)bical Jourllal, Xol, viii. p. 1a47
18oD.] 3Uci.ri-uy2zk
-.Woch
Hi.seer lV?zlzz1votSalt Lake. '5t9;u
stolle, covere(lby limestonebreceia, affiordinr a scarlty)astureto
l.algehercRs of camels,anflfoo(lfor flocksof small bustarels. XVe
lvere approachingKarajahTagh, from the southward:a small
lake of freshwatel ^as to oul right, anfl a morefertileplain was
occupiedly sel eral encampmentsof Kur(ls,with their flencks;in
the midstof whichwas the largevillageof Kulu Koi, contailling
upwarelsof 100 houses, only lately garrisonedby the cavalryof
I.Tt'tji
'Ali Pcishci,lvho had olbtainedfromthe Kurdsmuchstolen
y:ro)erty,takenwith tllem oll theirjourney northwarels towards
Halmanell,on leasint,tlle sicinityof Koniyah. We ha(ltravelleel
1';'hoursfromNoch Hisar; and Nulu Koi was 9 hours from
Kizil-jallKal'eh: the (listrictis called KoreishKazalik.
oOth. From lQulu K6i we were enaluledto follow a more
southerlyclirection,and to approachthe shoresof the Salt Lake,
of +which it was our chief objectto recoslise the formanddirec-
tion as much as possible: .v miles S. 30? W. fromKulu Koi is
a hill or mound +X-itll a xnoat,called Ba'l-chah-Hiscir. The
country aroundur(lulcatesgent]y; the soil is cretaceous; and
ha-ing many sprin2.,s,is colrcre(lwith grass, in consequenceof
which the tents of Kurtls are to be seen in every (lirection.
Out of this districtrises a nearlyisolateelhill of a long form,
alJout800 feet above the level o? the lalie, antl formeelof 1)a-
sanite,supportinglimestone. I t is calle(l'I'as-shanTXighi(Hare-
Mount). BeA70nd thisis a smalllake,whicil,by a mer.alt. of the
sun, talienon itsnorthernlimits,is in 88?4S'45"N. It is calle(l
I(((pek G(,1 (Dog-Lake). Tlle soil nONY becanaecoxreredwith
nesemlaranthemuman(:la1temis,a. VVepasse(l anothersalt-
malsh,neaoly(lrieclup, tln(lreache(lIn-Ax7i,a lalge village, on
the si(leof a +-alleycontaininga streamof fresh+raterflowinginto
the lake, the vestern limits of w-llichwe hael been skirtingall
day.
Glst.-From In-Avl our route],ayinan eastelly(lilectionalong
the valleyof the rivulet; marshy,lN7ith abundanceof plover anel
urater-birds, amidwhichwereflocksof herolls. At a distanceof
about 6 miles, havingleft tlle valley.ar.tlturneelovera plain of
gy)sum, in part cultis-ated,+e cametn a lalsecalleelAXIuratl Soh6
Goll,*about8 miles in lengthlJy4 in *s-i(ltll. The shoresof this
lake, at its nolthernerel, unlike the Gleat Salt Lake, weresteep,
the watersha+7ing expose(l beds of gwpsumbeneath the super-
incuml)ent lacustrine cleposits. To the ws-estof this lake
+X-ere solne r emalkable hills of volcanicrock, which had con-
stitutel usefulpointsforlJearingsfromKoch Hisar, an(lall along
the nolthernanel+s-estern sides of tllc lake. The first of these
v;s called Box Ttigh (Ice-lMount),a moreor less roundedhi11,
* Tllix is evi(lelltly a misTlomer. Perha)s it shoululbe MoradSu Golu (Morad-
Ris er Lali;e).-F. S.
Q96 NIr AINSWORTH
from Angorato Waivara'yslh.[April,
immediatelysouthof In-Avi, composedof basanitecovering in-
duratedlimestone: the secondwas an isolatedmassof basanite,
of remarkableappearanceas it rises out of a level plain of la-
custrinedeposits. It is called Kara Tepeh (Black-Hill); and
there are said to be ruins upon it. The two others similarly
circumstanced:one of them is a double hill; the other a low
conicalvolcanicmound.
Continuingalongthe banksof the Murad Soho Goll, where
the plainswereveryflowery,andwherewe obtainedtwo species
of jerboa,I)esidesa beautifulphalaropus,we cameto a riverflow-
ing northintothe greatSalt Lake. This riverhadits originin an
extensiveadjacentmarshto the south,partof the watersof which
flow into the MuradSoho Gol, and partto the Koch Hisarlake
At this pointis a veryantiqueaqueduct,the masonryof whichis
completelyhi(l by a thick incrustationof travertino,(leposited,as
on the aqueductof Daphne,nearAntioch,by the waterstricklin^,
fromthe artificialcanal. This duct, whichcrossedtlie riverjust
noticed, is called from that circumstanceKaya BoghAz(CliS-
Passage).
Nine miles from hence, continuingin a S. S. E. direction,
alongan almostperfect level, we passeelTu'sunU'yuk (Peace-
Mound), an artificialmoun(l,that once supporte(la large edi-
fice; the ruins of a former considerabletown are almost cir-
cularly dispose(laround this central moun(l. These ruins are
now, with the exceptionof a few fragmentsof columns,level
^viththe groun(l; so we (liscoxrered nothingof interest,nor any
inscriptions:by position, however, the site may, with esery
probability,be connectedwith Congustaor Congustusof the
tables: 4 or 5 miles fiom this, travellingovera marsh,whichwas
in partcrossedby a stonecauseway,we arrivedat the Kasabahof
Iskil, built uponthe same great level ground; but as the lake
contains no coralliferousor molluscousanimals, it would be
difficultto say positively,if it were not for the natureof the soil
and the configuration of theland, that this greatplainsouthc)fthe
lake has been formedby the gradualdiminutionof the watersof
the latter.
Iskilcontainsabout400 housesof Mohammedans.The llouses
are much scattered,the streets consequentlywide; there is no
daily market,and a generalappearanceof neglect, as if the town
belongedto the shepherdsof the large flockswhichpastureover
the lacustrineplain, who have no villages to seek refuoe in,
but now an(lthen distant enclosures,like caravanserSis, for the
cattle
We made but a shortjourneyo^Ter the sameplain to Sultan
Khan. About 4 miles from Iskil we founel some interesting
ruins(Utyuk Boyrat),consistingof a mound60 feet higll, for the
 U'yuk-IsAcil-Uyuk Bozesit S7at{szs1
18a9.] Tilslexz s/l6C71. 097

nost partartificial,numerousByzantineremnantsin averybroken

condition,and some antique grottoesin cretaceousmarl, here
coveredby limestone conglomerates. A mo(lernmesjid,louilt
chieflyof the hewnstonefragmentsof formeredifices, haflsuc-
ceede(l to older ruins, but was itself now also a ruin. Close
by the town, whichmar probalolybe the Perta or Petra of the
Itineraries(foundalsoin Ptolenly),there floureela fine streamof
water,whichlost itself in marshesimmediatelybeyondit. These
marshes form in the line we were now taking., the south-
westerlylimitof the lake; lJutthey are so far driedup in autumn
as to allowof a crossroadfromIskfl to Al<-Serai.
SultanKhan (the Sultall'skhan), is about10 miles fromIshil;
andbythe sun'smer.in 38? 1S'N. It is so namezlfroma kharlor
cAra;inseraiwhichadornsthis otllerwisepoverty-stricken village.
This khan is dividel into two l)arts,the lnore easterly is not
veryloftybutwide,all(lornaluentedby a gatewayof richSaracenic
workmanship. This portion is 70 yards long by 64 in wiclti1;
the westerlypart is in a I)etterstate of repair, and is verykofty
It is 61 yardslong, by 42 in width. I annexa translationof its
Arabicinscriptionby Mr. Rassaul:-
"The exaltedSllltan'Alau din, greatking of kines, master
of the necksof nations,lord of the kings of Arabiaantl Persia,
sultarlof the territoriesof GodSguardianof the servantsof Godr
'Alau-dtlnyawa-d-(lin,Abu-l 'at-h, commandero?the faithful,
orderedthe buildingof this blessedkh.n, in the monthof Rejeb,
in the year662" (A.J). 1264).*
23rcl. -Inpursuingour roa(l from SultanKhxinto Ak-Serai,
in an E.N.E. clirection,we had at startingto go roun(lthe sourees
of a rivuletoriginatillgfromsix diXerentsprings,and thence con-
tinuedour progressovera lnarshyland. All that part of the
plainrhich extendsbetweenthe lake andthe gra(lualrise of land
towardsthe foot of the HasanTfigh, is lolverthanthe Inorecon-
tinuousand extensiveportionof the salneplailln lying betweenthe
lake andthe I(a.rajahTagh. The plaill we were nourtraversint
is diversifiedby two ruined khans, a long causewavof stone,
and numerouswe11sapproachedby paved roals uponan inclined
$ Not the Khalif, but olle of the Seljukiarl Sultalls of Kolliyah. The prinees of
that dyrlastyadopted mally of the titles here given, as may be seen on their coitls ill
Adler (Museum (Sufico-Borgianum, sTol.ii. p. 72) alld Marsden (Numismatica Oriell-
talia) *arldthey probablyassumedthe title of " Commanderof the Faithful^7 (Amilu-i-
Mumirlin)after the extilletioll of the chalifite, on the murder of iMosta'simbi-Uah,
by orderof Hulaliu, A.u. 656 (A.D. 1'258): SO that accordirlg to the date hele
given, could we tlust the historian Al.lmed el Dimeshki, quoted by Adler (p. 74)
the plillce here nameelwas eldest soll aold successorof Ghayyathu-d-din,tite terlth
sultan of Koniyah, who died A. t1. 654L;hut othel histolial-ls gixTe rlosuch successorto
that sultaw;* als(l accordillgto Adler, 1s1Dimeshki's statemeIlt is disprolezl by COillS
still extant . few parts of Asiatic history are, inaleed,morein warltol elucidat.;onthan
the chlonology of the Seljukian Sultans of Hitm.-Y. S.
298 Mr. AINSWOETTH fl om Angolra
to KcsisslrSyah.
[April,
plane. At 31 miles fromAk-Serai we crosse(lthe ris7erof Ulur
Irmakly a stonebri(lge: it flowsinto the Bayaz Su or river of
Ak-SerAi,a few miles below.
Beforewe leae t.he region of the Salt Lake and enter upon
the rockydistrictsof Garsauritis,it mayl)e allowableto makeone
or two briefobservations. The Palus Tattneusof the ancientsis
calledat the presentday,by thoseresidentin the neighbourhood,
Tuz Choli (the Salt-Desert), as it is almost entirely dry in
summer; lJutit also sometimescalle(lTuzGoli (the Salt Lake),
Aji Gol (Bitter Lake), or Koch Hisar Goll (Lake of Koch
I-.Iisar),
Tuzlah(Saltern,or Salt-Work):MemlihahandMellahah
in Arabic,signifythe samething.
The easternbanksof the lake are tenantedby pastoralTurko-
mansof quiethal)its,but the westernside is inhabitedby Rurds,
who are constantlygivingtroubleto the gl)vernment by their pre-
datoryhalits. It wasmostlikely, onthis acceunt,that A1r.W. I.
Elamiltoncoul(l not find any one to take him to the lake from
Afiytin Kara-Hisar,Alv-Shehr, I'lghCn,or even Kolliyah; for
fresh water, accor(lingto every report, is neverwantingto the
west csfthe lake. We met with the same difficultyon approach-
ing the lake fromthe N.W.; but once on its banks, lve werere-
solute in followingthe yet unexplc)redwesternline, in doing
whichwe approachednearto the southerndeclivitiesof Karajah
Tagh, the northernfrontof whichvfe had also visitedin our es-
cllrsionthroughHaimaneh. There was, therefore,no real dii-
culty in completingthe northanelsouthlines throughthis part of
centralAsia Minor,as the (listancepreviouslyunexploledrequired
only a journeyof 4 hours.
lthe lake which, as beforementioned,is almost (lrieelup in
summer, +sasnearlyat its greatestextent at the period of our
s-isit,anfl consequentlywell adaptedfor an exploratoryrecog-
nlzallce. To the N., N.E., and N.W., whereit receivesno large
tributaries,it is entirelydry in summer,and its limits are well
defined by the absenceof vegetation,and the coatingof salt and
lulld; but in its south^vesternand southernlimits, where it re-
ceivesseverallarge stleams of freshwater,whichare markedon
the ma?, the plain being, as has been mentioned,verylevel, far
beyoz(l+llelimitsof the lake, the tributarywatersspreadthem-
selves out and con^Tert the whole land into extensivemarshes;so
that, I)etweenmarshin winter,and salt desert in summer,it is
clifficultto firld out vvhatmay be consideredas the southern
l)oundary. But as the line of our routeexten(ledto rretty nearly
the point where all the soutllerlyrivers,except the Bayaz Su,
spread out into marshes,and that line is again connectedwith
Is6ch-HisAr,loythe laboursof Mr. W. I .Hamilton, as good an
idea of the real extentof a lake constantlyvaryingin the details
1839.] UlurIrmak-Tilr CAlote-elt-Seraz-4rchetais.
. . ,
29f)
of its form, may lJeobtaine(l,as if its exactlimitstothe southllae
been astronomically fise(l. <-
A seriesof barometricalobservationstaxe for the meanheight
of the lake al)ovethe sea, 2500 ft. The elevationof manyzlaces
aroundnotalso lnuch exceedinXit: Koch-Hisar, {2S36ft.; Kold-
Koi, C'856;U'zunler, 2778. In Avi, 2924 ft., Sultan Khan,
2908.
The lake contains nv fish, nor mulluscousor conchifer(vus
animals; its waters and its banks are therefore frequenteelby
few aquaticbirds. Althoughconstantlyon the look out, we can-
not say that we ever saw one bir(l on its bosom, though tl-le
storyof birds not being alJleto dip theirvings in the water,is
ei(lently fabulous. The state of its saturatlonis, however,very
great, for salt is collecte(lat almostall seasonsfromthe bt)ttom
of the lalve,analwashedin its waterwithoutany sensible loss by
the process.
24th.- Al-Serai hasbeenfixedby Mr.W.I.Hamiltonin 38?CQ0'
Nr.lat. The weatherdi(l not allow of our takinganyobservations
there. The towncontains800 Mohamme(lall, and 10 Armenian
houses. It derivesits chiefinterestfromits numerousSaracenicre-
lnnins,someof whichareof greatbeauty. It was evidentlya con-
siderable town, an(l a place of opulenceunderthe Arabs, pro-
I)ablyat the timewhenso muchcarewasbestoweduponthe great
oa(l passin:,by Sultan KhAn,no (loubta continuation or branch
of that tiven by I(lrlsi, as thc higll roa(lfiom Bat,h(ladthrough
WIaIatiyah to Kaisaliyah,thenceto Koniyah. Ak-Serciiis also
supose(l to be a more ancientsite, and has leen i(lentifieelwith
Archelais,or Alchelais Colonia,a colonyof the EmperorClau-
1ius,wllicll,in tlle AntonineItinerary,is l lace(lat 149 hI.P. fl'Om
Ancyra;an(lin that to Jerusalem,at 162. The kno^rn latitu(les
of Ancyraand of Ak-Serai, makethe actualdistance correspond
most nearlyw-iththat givenby the JerusalemItinerary.
The greatest (lifficultyconnecte(lwith this questionis, that
Pliny (lil. li. c. 3,) places Archelais upon the LIalys,in conse-
quenceof which,supposingthatthe riverof Ak-Seraimightha^Je
once flowedthroughthe lake into the Halys, we particularlyex-
alninedits northernlimits in orderto determinethat point, an(l
can safely affirlnthat there does not appe.arto llave been any
probability,even if tlle level of the lakewere much higher thanat
present,of there ever havingbeen a communication betweenit
arldthe Halys. The insulationof the Bayaz S6, and the non-
existenceof " a southernbranchof the Halys,';are importantfacts
in the geographyof Asia Minor.
Tlle next object,whichwe propose(lto oursels-es on leavingthe
greatSalt Lake,ras to followin partthe greatroadfromPhrygia,
throughLycaonia,by the caital of Ca)padocia; an(l it is to be
300 AIIr.AINS5VOR'rHffOM to ZzEtsarSyah.
Sngorcz tApril,
remarke(l,that in discussingthe route in the Theo(losiantal)le
fromAmoriumto Tyana, a11commentators haveagreed in sup-
posing it maclea bend to the south, for haclit been straight,it
wouldhavepassedthroughArchelais;but, as it is, Rennellbrings
it 13miles to the southwardof it, andCol. Leakefollowsa similar
line. The positionof theruinedtowns,whichwe wereled to believe
might have been the sites of Congustusand Perta, left us only
in doubtas to the continuatiollof the roaclto the southof Hasan
TAgh,in the line of the presentroa(lfromSult;anKhan; but by
taking the cross road given by Strabo,from Ephesusto Tomisa,
into the account,an(l consideringthat the two, whichmusthave
crossedeachother,prolablymet alsoin one ormoresites common
to both; an(lthosesites, the Garsaboraof the Tables, an(l Gar-
sauraof Strabo,andthe Coropassusof the Tables, andNazianzus
of the Anton. Itinerary,are to be soughtfor in the aggregationof
minesandearlyChristianremains,existingin the secluclecl vallezs
anclrockyravinesat the north-easternfoot of HasanTagh, where
M1. HamiltonvisitedViran-Shehr-we now *ventin search of
these, Gelvedereh,Belistermah,and Sevri-Hisar.
The hills aboveAk- Serai are cotnposedof redandlorou-n sancl-
stone,with gypsum;but in continuingup the courseof the Bayaz
Su, these are soonsuccee(ledby volcanicrocks and sand,which
give a llexvfeatureto the aspect of the country. Level uplands
terminatein abruptcliSs overdeep ravines,withshinglyand sandy
leclivitieswhich are generallycovered with the ruinsof rocks
fallen fromabove.
Some villages, as Demirji K6i ancl Selmadar,the llouses of
which are a mereaggregationof loose stones, are so curiously
r)lace(l,un(lersuch circumstances,on the declivityof hills amid
fallen rocks,that at a little elistanceit is difficultto distinguish
the one fromthe other. After a ride of sis hoursin a S.E. (lirec-
tion, througha countryof this description,we approachedGel-
vederehby a narrowvalley, the cliSs on each side of wllichare
burrowe y grottoes,oftenvariouslyornamente(l;andthe bottom
of the valleyis full of ruins. The modernvillageof GelsTedereh
is exactlyin a similarposition,only thatthe inhabitantsappearto
havekept recoilingfromthe moreopen ravinesinto the snoreun-
approachalJle recessesthat a number of these oSeredto their
choice. At this point they have built themselves a handsome
new church; an(lthe cas-esand grottoes,whichcontinuewithout
interruptionfor a distance of from orle to two miles on the
approachto the village, are here frontedup with stone-work,so
thatthe housesrise in terraces,one abovethe other,and occupy
the head of two separateravines. The grottoes are similarto
those metwith in otherplaces, asYarapas6n,Tatlar, &c., but
lather moreornamental. We did not perceive anyruins in(lica-
1839.] Salnadar-GelvederehMal'hob. 301

tive of so great antiquityas thosefound by Mr. Hamiltonat the

neighbouringsite of Viran-Shehr,3 hours from hence, S.W.
The firstsite entered upon in this day'sride is at presentcalled
Belistermah.
LeavingGelvedereh,we ascended,in a stormof windand rain,
the rude rocksof Sevri Hisar, nearthe crestof whichis a curious
conicalhill, bearing the ruinsof an ancientedifice whencethe
name of the mountain. Below this are cliSs of sand and tufa,
with a few cavesanda small Greek illage, bearingthe samename
as the mountain. From this valley we gaine(l anothel, more
isolated,and surroundeclloybarren,rocky,volcallichills, in the
millst of whichare the ruinsof a pretty modernGreek church.
Our gui(le (lid not know the way overthe districtwe had now
enteled upon,and we werenotlong in lesing our track,whichxve
(lid not regaintill, aftertravelling2&hotlrs,u e came uponhills
^rhiCll
commandecl the great r)lainof Mal akol).* We ha(l pre-
iously been passing throughravines,ancl ainitl hills generally
coveretlwith woocl, and compose(lof tufa, con*,lomerate,ancl
obsidian. It raine(l incessantlyas we travelle(lover the plain,
whichis cultivatecl,and aboun(lswith sillages, but is ill suppliecl
withwater,being at an elevationof 4138 ft. In the centreis the
largevillageof Malakob,anothercuriousGreekcolollyorcongre-
gation; it containsQOO housesof Greeks, and 70 of Mohamme-
llans. The men tra(le at Constantinople,the women cultivate
theirgardens. Their dress is peculiar. Water is obtainedxvith
labour from deep *vells,of wl-lichtllere are several,surroun(led
by stone enclosures,each of xvhichbelongs to a (lifferentfaluily.
rrhereis one modernchureh,in part builtof the ruinsof an okler
e(lifice, anal dedicatedto St. Theoflore; anotherin ruins,dedi-
cate(lto St. lTNIicElael;
an(la prettychapel, in the sfamecon(lition,
t{) " All Souls." There are also fragmentsof anotherchurch,
where we co)ie(l from an altar-piece,the only distinct anclcon-
secutiveletterswhichbore any appearanceof antiquity-
A X A 1 <3e A X A T W B
n AT P IAT Ao O
The housesare a11built uponthe same plan, the fralne-work
being forme(lby three or four well-turne(lsemicirculararches,
and the intervalfille(l up with rubblean(lmasonry. They are
nostlyexcavatedfromthe mountainto keep oSthe summerheats.
The villageis built upona level plain of volcanicsand,whichin
summeris drifte(labout by everybreeze, to the great inconve-
nience of the inhabitants,who also, to protect their cattle anel
* All Armerlianname: Mal-A'kob,for ZIar-Yakob: St. James-F. S.
3()'2 NIr.AINSWORTII f7o?n Aezgorato Kcli.varSyah.[Aplil,
foel(ler,havepave(lcircularspacesin fiont of their houses,giving
to the place a cleanlya)pearance. The gardensare at the foot
of some hills about2 miles N.E. of the village, where there is
also a (lcome-shape(lmountain,calle(lChevri,uponthe summitof
wllichan annualfestivalis kept at Easter.
Passing over the Chevli hills, we came, aftera 14 hour'sride
N.E., to KaisarKoi, a vil]age lvith a ruined church, a rather
)retty karaxanser.ii,and otherrelicsof formertimes. It has now
only five houses belongingto Greeks, arld about 20 to Moham-
meelans. By its nameand y)osition,this place mightbe identified
with Dio-Casarea. Three miles to the rightis a conical hill,
bearing the ruins of a church or monastery,called Charink
Killsa.* About 5 miles from KaisarKoi, ?assing the ruinsof
a small Greeklillage, withremainsof a church,a few cavesand
houses *^7ith pavementsin front of them, +X-e descentledin a
soutllerlydirection,by a picturesquepass, illtO the valleyof So-
wanli-Tr Dereh, (lescribedl)y Mr.W. I. Hclmilton,as Soanllum.
The passwe clescende(lly,was hewn out of the solid rock,lJelo+v
^shichthe valleyopeneeimostpicturesquelybeforeus; an(l it is,
as WIr.ETamilton observes,a trulyremarkableplace. The clith
at tne lleatlof the valleyare not above60 or 80 ft. high, and the
decli^7itiesl)elow,about 100 ft.; but l)oth become loftierfarther
down. The valley ?k)11ows a rather win(ling (lirection; an(l
throughoutits wholelength, fromthe top to the ljaseof the hill
of Cybistra,are cax7es or grottoesmoreO1less numerous. Tired
vith a continue;lrain and a drencllingevery(lay, we stopT)ed at
O'rtallE(oi(Mid-Xrille), a cleanlyGreelivillagenearthe middleof
the valley.
The morningof ourarrivalat Kara-Hisar was fine,an(lame-
rielianaltitudeof the sun gavef(3rits l,osition58?21' 00". Soon
afterour arrival,Mr.RussellandI startedfs3rZingibErCastle. It
railledall the es-ening,an(lalso^Thile weretakingthemeasure-
\\7e

ments,whic} occupie(lno small time largeandso irregulara

in so

buikling; lJutwe were anxiousto compareit with the detailsof

the ancientaccountsof Cybistraand Nora.
The castle of Kara-Hisar,or of Zingibar, one of the most
reIllarkableruins in tllese districts,standson the loftiestof tw-o
olc.lnic coneslelonging to a hill which forms nearly the most
Routhern point of a low range,extendingnorthwardsto Injeh-,$u,
an(lsouthwardsin low hills towards'A1;Tfigh. These hills are
merely detachedfrom the central upland of Garsauritis,anel
cannotbe said, as Rennellsupposed (No. 2, pp. 172, 194), to
* For Chiril Kilisa, i. e. Bell-Church.-F. S.
t For Soghali,Onioll-Ville.- F. S.
+ Devehli KaraHisar; i. e. Camel Black Castle.-F. S.
1839.] Sowczxllt'Dere1l7.taraHzsaa-SZiwga'barNorcl. 30o
connect the LycaGnianhills (KarajahTagh) with Anti-Taurus
(Ali Tagh) or to loea continuationof the Lycaonianhills east-
wards,an(lof Anti-Tauruswestwards.
Cybistrahas been identifie(:l by Col. Leake and otherswith
Kara F.lisAr,but by Rennell writha )la.ce calle(l Costere.* It is
chiefly relnarkalJleon account of its having been the militar)
StAtiOll of Cicero, while watchingthe motionsof the Parthian
army,which threatenetlCilicia and Cappadociafromthe side of
Syria. Straboplaces Cybistra300 sta(lia from Cansarea, this,
ulzon the scale proposed by Colonel Leake,+ would amount
to alJout34ffi.93ritishmiles. Thereis sometlifficultyin ascerLain-
ing what dist(nce is meantin the TheodosianTa.bles: but this
woul(lcorresond srelywell. The elistanceof Kara-Hi al from
Caesarea bvthe Injeh Su (Sadacora),bein;,estimate(lat 12 hours
or 3eSBritishmiles.
The castle of Nora or Neroassus, appearson a variety of
grounds,to be the same as Cybistra. I'lutarch(lescribesit as
situatedon the confinesof Cappadociaantl Lyeaonia,while Ren-
nell objectsthat this castleis noton the commonboundaryof the
provinces,becausethe districtof Tyana intervenes,whichis not
tlle case, the districtof Tyana being altogethel to the south of
Kara-Hisar. Rennell says it consistetlof distinct forts near
each other, but Plutarch only mentions the great incon-
xenienceto the garrison,from the narro+rness of tlle space in
whichthey were confined,enclosel as it ^s-as+rithsmall houses.
Diodorus (lib. xviii. c. 41 Ed. Wesseling) describesit also as a
single castle, situate on a high rock andxTery strong. Plutarch
givesto it a circuitof not morethan!2furlongs(440 yards)accord-
inM,to tlle translatols,250 paces. Antl Diodorus sa+Ts,only
2 stadia,or 4()4 E3ritish yards,in circumference. The superficial
content of the interior castle, re(luce(lto a figure of an equal
periphery,is 11 Britishyards. The plan generally agreeslvith
Plutarcll'stlescripti(n,but is so heterogenous,thatit is to be re-
,rettel thatit is lost with the others.
It is to be remarkedthat this castle comman(leel the pass by
+shichthe greatroatlfromCaesareale(l by Soandulll,to Iconium,
as also that+shichcontinue(lsouthwardto Tyanaand Cilicia.
On leavingGarsauritisfor the districtof Cesurea,the country
is too interesting,an(lhas been too little the objectof recent *le-
scriptionsto be passed without remark. Garsauritisisito le
viewe(las eminentlya rocky country; Morimenehas rangesof
mountaills;Central Cappadociais similarlysituated, as is also
Melitene; but Garsauritisis remarkablefor its wild and stony
* Kosterehor Cx,stele}l. Jeh. Num4. 1 fi20* f Joalrn.ll, ve,1. ix. p. i.
304 W[r.AINSWORTHffOS to .Kaisara'ya^.
Angora [April,
districts, secludeel glens and ravines, anel often picturesque
outline; but it has also fertile plains and still more producti^7e
declivities. Wol)d is generallywanting: there is some on the
Sevri-Hisarhills, but for fuelsdrydung,charcoal,andthe rootsof
astragalustragacanthus are gencrallyused. Whethergrantswere
madein moderntilr.esto the Greeksof this unpromisingland, to
renderit tributaryto theirindustry,whetherby apprehensionor a
moroselove of seclusion,they willingly retired to the rocksand
caves of this singular country,or whether they have reinained
aroundthe ancientabides of their forefathers,the presentsers-ile
and ignorantrace cantell you nothing. Marryingearly,the men
repairto Constantinople and Smyrnatotrade,whileto the women
is left the care of the house, the flock, and the vineyard:an
evil followsfromthiswhichonce attracte(lthe legislativeattention
of Lyourgus; the females become masculineand full of violent
passions,and whenthe men returnto their homes,they are often
very far from finding an echo to the subdued tones and more
polished mannerswhich they had learnt to appreciatein the
civilise(lworld. The priestswho remainat home, mightbe sup-
posed to havesomeinfluence,but they are often old and unser-
viceableand evensometimesdisrespected.
Garsaura,or Garsauritis,it is well known,formedone of the
divisionsof Cappadocia, anclwas boundedto the southby Tyanitis
and Lyeaonia;to the ^^7est by Phrygia (Plinynlib. vi. c. 3), and
the districtof Tattapalus, or the Tattaan marsh(StraboSp. 568)
whichlay alongthe commonboundaryof Phrygia, Galatia,and
Cappadocia(Rennell, vol. ii. p. 1o7); to the northby the Halys
and lMorimene,and to the eastby the districtof Argneusand the
CappadocianCilicia. It thus constitutesa separate district,
equallyremarkablewith respect to its naturalfeatures and its
remainsof art, its configuration,its structure,its ruins,its caves,
and its population.
The northeasternpartof Garsauritisis particularly characterised
by its cvnicalvolcanicmountains,its streamsof lava, andbasanitic
cliSs, but above all, by its nakedsolcanictufa and tephrinerent
into deep and narrowglens, stueldedwith cones and pinnacles,
also the effect of disintegration,and often presentingan infinite
varietyof singularforms;andlastly,clifEsandprecipicesexcavated
almost whereversuch presentthemselves,withvast multitudesof
grottoesthathave served,or serve still, for dwellings, churches,
chapels,monasteries,or tombs.
The N.W. portion of Garsauritis(lerivesits features,which
are less singularand of a moreinhospitablecharacter,froma long
range of sieniticmountains;rocky an(l picturesquein the Tash
Teller; undulatingin the Sari Karaman;stonyand wild, again,
1839.] Garsaurcl C'entralGarsaleritis-Hasan TfigZl. 305

at Ch;imiirli; bol(l lout rocky, with castellatedremainsin the

Kbjah Tagh; abrupt and truncatedcones at Toklu Kal'eh;
grollpe(land mountainousin the Siri-bfilakTagll, an(l therethe
sienites meet the mountainsof Morimene(Baranli Tagh) and
enclosethe Kizil Irmak,orHalys, in deep andnarrowvalleysand
ravines.
CentralGarsauritisis characterised by the Akajuk mountain,
a tamesa(ldleback,not xerylofty, but visiblefromall WIorimene.
Conneete(lwith it are many oSsets, in the deep valleysof which
are the lakescalled Delvehli, Tursupi, and others. This district
is tenanted1aythe Akajuk Kurds, whe possessa tolerablerepu-
tationfor goodbehaviour
The Tattseaor Tatta Palus, is acknowledgedto have been in
ancient Phrygia(Strabo,p. 568), extendingthroughthe south-
easternpartto Taurus, that is the plain of Perta, extendingto
Karajahand HasanTagh, was consideredas bounding,as well as
its northernpart, on Galatia, and formedpart of the kingdom
madeup ly Antonyfor Amyntas. The S.W. quarterof Garsau-
ritis, as thus limited, is pre-eminentlydistinguishedfrom the
otherquartersby the lofty summitof HasanTagh, risingupwarels
of 8000 feet above the level of the sea. This mountainhas a
nearly conical form, an(l is said to preservepatches of snow
throughoutthe year. Its north-westernbase is boundedby the
plain of the lake; to tlle S.W. a low un(lulatingcountryconnects
it with the KarajahTagha while to thc E. it is prolongedby one
or t^o cones, and then a lofty chain of hills, which shut u)
Garsauritisto the S., but (lo not extend as far as that part of
Tauruscalled 'Ali Tagh, an(l fromwhich they are separatedlJy
the uneventerritc)ry of Tyanitis.
Hasan Tt'lghis in every directiona picturesquean(lstriking
mountain,but there is still xnoreinterest connectedwith the
curious glens an(l rocky ravinesat its lease, than with its own
acclivitiesor heights. Of solcanicorigin,exceptingthe sandstone
anelgypsumdepositsof Ak-SerAl,almostimme(liatelysucceeeled
by trachytesto tlle east, it has spread over the whole countrya
eansielerable,although local formationof trachyte,claystone,and
clinlistolle,
4 which generallyreposes upontuA or tephrine.
These rocks influencethe configurationof the whole of the
south-western quarter, the cornpactunifbrmproductsof eSusion,
are spreadas it were, in vastbeds over the roclis of aggregation,
giving rise to plains or slightlyundulatinglands, ^rithsometimes
stalr-liketerraces; but wherethereis water,as alongthe courses
of rivers,the detritalrocks of a friable nature are carrieelaway,
* Although I use trachyte, claystolle, &t., 1 am jar iXollladmittill the correlUtness
of these terllls.
306 [ April,
39fr. A I NSWORTII fromAngorato I<ai.sara'yah.
xvhilethe morecompactrocksare tumbleddown,leavingvertical
cliSs aboveand acclivitiesof sandbelow, with scattere(lmassesof
rock,amielshich the habitationsof men are so intermingled,that
it is sometimebeforethe travellercan distinguishthem from the
ruinsof the cliff. The Sce of the rockabove, as well as the de-
clis-itiesof sand below, xvhen not covere(lwith fragments,are
ill manyplacesstudde(lwith numeloustrottoes.
On approaching the foot of Hasan Tagh and the head of the
waters,the trilzutary streamsare more numerous,and the ravines
in consequencemorefrequent,sometimesas manyas threeor four
are to I)eobservedmeeting at short distances,and all with ex-
caated cliSs and innumeralule nest-likemansionsof the livingan(l
the (lead.
But at other times lax7as(tephrines)mingle themselveswith
dornites,leucostines,basanites,andbasaniticconglomerates, form-
int, rangesof hills as in Sevri-Hisar: and then again, the rude
(lomitesadvanceupon the lowerterritoryin naked rocky masses
like a true graniticcountry,surrounding little isolatedbasinsamid
wllich are again found the ruins of hal)itations,and of stone
churches,belongingto the samelace of men.
The moflernGreeksare not, however,confine(lto these wil(l
spots,so elifficultof accessand so rarelyinvitingto the eye. The
small town of Mal A'ltob has been (lescriled as situatedin the
midstof a fertileplain KaisarKoi or Oio-Caesarea is againin a
rockydistrict. The south-easternquarterof Garsauritispartakes
indeel of bothfeatures,grassyuplantlswithtepehsor solitaryhills,
sometimeswith old churcheson their summits,as at Charink-
I(ilisS,andcultiszated plains,with little waterorwood,out of which
also rise bol(l, rountlednand naked hills of lucostine,like the
phonoliticelomesin Scotlandand France, and the seat of super-
stition,as in the Cllevriandotherlli]ls; an(llastly,ollthe confines
of the district,vfe fin(lat SowanliDereh antlplaces a(ljacentto
it, the same deep cut valleyswiththe samerepetitionof cliS anel
cave sceneryas awakenthe traveller'sinterest and fix his atten-
tion in the northernand southelnportionsof this very remark-
able district.
28th.-We startedalong the plain of Kata-Hisar,* where
vegetationand scenery rere both monotonous. The rivuletof
Kari-Hisar flows oneval(lsin winter,as it did at the present
moment,to the most southerlyof the lakes that occupythe plain
of Kara-Hisar which lecs;)memere marshesin summer. At
that time the quantityof waterbroughtdownfrom the SoYvGillll
Dereh ly Wara-Hisalis so small as scarcelyto suffice for the
* DextXllliRal aw
His;r.-J. N ., p. 60(}.
1839.] KaraHisar InjehSu-Saxlik BeshTepeh. 307

purposesof irrigation.The plainof Kara-Hisar,accordingto

ourbarometers, hasan elevationof 3420feet,anddoesnot send
out a streamin axlydirection.A rangeof hills stretche(l
along
ourleft, in a directionN.N.E. At theirfootwerecaveswith
ruins of a Christianvillage. On the plain, 3 hoursfrom Kara-
Hisar, there is a ruinouskhan. The foot of ArjishTAgh had
hithertobeen occupiedby hills of volcanicsand, tufa, an(l con-
glomerate,whichterminatedin a well-definedline on the plain;
but immediatelybeyondwhatis now the northernlake, a con-
siderablestreamof basaniticlava had flowed between hills of
sand, &c., expandingtowardsthe base of the mountain,and ad-
vancingupon the plainin a northerlydirection,extendingto the
limits of the Great Sazlik or Marsh, beyond Injeh Su. The
low clifEsformed by these scoriaceousand lava-basanitesare
partitionedout by the industriousChristiansfor the cultivationof
the yellow berry(Whamn?sinfecforius).
Injeh Sfi (Slenderwater)is a smallSown,remarkalJly situated
in a ravine of volcanicconglomerate, which is traversedby the
rivulet that gives its name to the town; Injeh Su (Narrow
Rilrer),not Inju Su tPearl River). The town is shut up at its
N.E. estremityby a handsomekhan, the walls of which extend
fromone side of the ravineto the other. The ravineexpandsat
its upperpart, anelopens into another,having a north-east.erly
direction. Both the declivitiesand base are occupiedby dwel-
lings: the lVIohammedans and Greeks having each about 750
houses. There are also many grottoes. The Christianshave
two churches,one of which makes a fair appearanceon the hill
side. The houses are also for the most part good and cleanly.
Injeh Sfi is governedby a Mutesellim,sent from Constanti-
nople; the produceof the taxesof the townbeing devotedto the
maintenanceof the Jdmi', calle(l Mahmudiyah,in the Moham-
medancapital. It was indebtedalso to the Sultan,whenKara
Mustafawas Vezir,for its Khanand Jami'.
29th- -Ourroute to Kaisariyahlay to the E.N.E., along the
bordersof the GreatSazlik or Marsh,alternatelyat the foot of
black rocks and cliSs of lava, and occasionallyby stony un-
pleasant I)aths over the same ruele material. Mr. v\,r. I.
Hamilton has remarkedupon the absence of rivulets in the
declivitiesof Arjish, the melted snowbeing almostimmediately
absorbedby the porous volcanic rocks, but on this sille it re-
appearsin abundantsprings,more or less circularlydisposedin
little rock-enclosedvalleys,wheretheyunite,not to formrivulets,
but to expandover the great marshpreviouslyalluded to. Be-
yond these basaniticrocks with frequentsprings,we came to a
moreopen valley,everywherecoveredwith galdens, and making
AtOL. X wr
308 from Angorata Kassar2'yah. [May,
Mr.AINSWORTH
a shortascentover the side of U'lan-li mountain,we passed by
whatwas apparentlya greatsubsidencein the rock, called Kurk
Kurk; and thence descendedupon the plain of Kaisariyah,
passing,before we reachedthe town, a long peninsulatedhill,
called Besh Tepeh (Five Hills), at the extremityof which is a
ruinedcastellatedenclosure,anduponwhichis saidto havebeen
built a portionof the ancienttownof Caesarea.
May1st-8th.-Kalsariyah is a townof great antiquity. As
Mazaca,it was the capitalof Cappa(locia,at the time that the
Greeks knewit only from the reports of casualtravellers. In
the time of the early Roman emperorsit took the name of
Caesarea,but with the additionof its original name. E3eing
situatedat the foot of Mount Argaeus,it has also been denomi-
natedfrom that mountain. Its modernnameis a merecorrup-
tion of the ancientvne; at present it is vulgarlyabridgedinto
Kaisar. It appearsonce to have been a large andpopulouscity.
After the captivityof the unfortunateValerian(immortalisedon
the rocks of Shapur), Demosthenes,a Roman, not so much as
Gibbon,remarks,by the commissionof the emperor,as in the
voluntarydefenceof his country,resistedin Caesarea the progress
of the Persian arnls. The town was subjected to a ne.lrly
general massacre,and is sail at that time to have contained
400,000 inhabitants. The rlloderncity, which is for the most
partin a reryruinouscondition,contains1!Z,] 76 Mohammedans,
5G237 Armenians,and 1109 Greeks. Total, 18,522 persons.
This was the Ayan'sreportto Mr. Rassam.
During our stay at Kaisariyahthe weatherpresentedsome
very fine intervals,which enable(lus to obtaina seriesof Lunar
Observations, whichgives its longitude35?4S' E. Its latitudeby
a numberof mer. alt. of sun and severalstarsis 38?41' 40".
We also laid down a plan of the city and of its ruins, shich
chieflybelongto the Mohammedan era.
The attentionof the expeditionhad been particularlycalledto
the investigation of the hydrography of the immediateneighbour-
hood of Kaisariyah:whatevermay still be tlle difficultiesthat
will hang overthe statementsof the ancientsupon this subject,
nothingcan be more certainthan that no rivulet or riverflows
frcomthat neighbotlrhoodto that calledby the Turks Tokhmah
Su, the sourcesof which,to put the questionlJeyondall doubt,
we investigatedin a subsequentnart of our travels.
There is a rivuletwhichflowsfromthe northernfootof Arjish
and which, sweepinground'Ali Tagh, passesby the populous
villageof Tagh Kazi, and is thence, at most seasonsof the year,
lost in irrigation;at others it is a tributaryto the Sarimsak.
There is also another small tributaryto the same river from
1839] KassarzyahArja'sh
Tagh,or MauntArgaeus. 309

Manju-li. Mr. W. I. Hamilton ascertained,in going round

Arjishon the east side, that thereare no tracesof any streamor
watersexcept such as flow N.W. or S.W. The SarimsAkriver,
whichwe traced nearlyto its sources,flows from the village of
the same name,in a westerlydirectionacrossthe greatplaill of
Kai.sariyah,where,at a (listanceof 2956 yardsfromthe city, it is
8 yardsin widthby 2 feet in depth. It loses itself in the SEzlikor
Great Marsh,whereit is said to be joinedby the Kara Su, and
to flow lvy Boghaz Kopri to the Kizil Irmil.* This united
stream is what Messrs.Hamilton, Texier and Callier identify
with the Melas of Strabo (xii. p. 538), after the submersionof
the landsof the Galatians.
The noble mountain of Arjisll, the ancient Argaeus,sul-
garly called Ardish or Arjeh, is now clearlyproved to l)e the
loftiest peak in Asia Minor. Almost perpetuallyinvolvedin
clouds,duringour stay at Kaisariyah,we had only an occasional
glance of its extreme summit: and the season of the year in
whichthe snow line descendsto within a few hundredfeet of
the plain,put all attemptsat an aseentout of the question,even
if, afterMr. Hamilton'slabours,it had been deemed advisable
to incur the delay an(l expense entailed by such an under-
taking. The structureof this fine mountain,which,like Hasan
Tagh, is principallyof volcanicorigin, and belongs to a com-
parativelymodern epoch of activity,will be best describedby
the before-mentionedtraveller; but the whole, in a general
point of view, presentsan interestingaccumulationcf conical,
rounded,and saddle-loackedhills, chiefly composed of grey
friable lavas,with a basalticbase. The mannerin which these
variousformationsare dispersedabout the declivities,is rather
remarkable,andalwaysverydistinct.
The summit of Arjish bears from the Armenianchurchin
KaisariyahS. 17?30 W.; the variationof the compassat the same
place was 10? 30' westerly,hencethe truebearingof the summit
is S. 7? W. Its summit appearsto be about 10 miles fromits
averagebases consideringit for the moment to be isolated on
everyside, which it is not to the S.E. This would give a mean
areafor the wholemountainof 300 miles, and a circu1nference of
6(). Its elevation,as determine(lby Mr. Hamilton, is 12,809
feet. The report that both the Eusine and the Me(literranean
may lJedescriedfromits summit,givenby Strabo(p. 538), must
be receivedwith caution,since its distancefrom the Euxine is
170 Britishmiles, and fromthe Mediterranean1 10 geographical
$ BarorlWincke, a PrussiaIlstaff officer, who accompaniedthe unforturlateexpe-
dition of Zaid Mohammed Pasha, also verified this fact. He further states the
marsh to be divi(led into two distinct parts to the N.
Y 2
310 Mr. AINSWORTHffOM Angora{o KazsarSyah.[May,
miles,withridgesof high mountainsbetweenboth. There is also
a traditionthat the Romans had a castleon its summit,where
TiberiusCaesarused to sit, which is not deservingof attention,
exceptas probablyconnectedWitll the adjacentsummitsof 'Ali
Tagh or U'lanli.
The Armenianshave preserveda written chronicle of the
earthquakethat ravagedKaisarSyah in August, 18oo> but it con-
tainslittle that is of anyinterestto the philosophyof these de-
structivephenomena. It appearsthat it commencedtwo hours
beforesunriseon the morningof Thursday,August 1st, and was
accompaniedby a loud noise, the shocks being repeatedfor as
much as ten hours from that time. Manyminaretsand other
lofty buildingswere throwndown. The record say-sthat there
perished as many as 665 persons. The houses thrown doxvn
are xrlentionedrather hyperbolicallyas beyond enumeration.
Severalof the neighbouringvillagesthat were built in ravinesof
crumblingrock, suSered severely. At Tagh Kazi 17 houses
were destroyedlJythe fall of a rock. At Manjusun,3 hoursto
the west,the loss of houses was also great. A catastropheof a
similar kind which occurredat Beli-Yaz; has been noticed by
Mr. Hamilton. I could obtain no satisfactoryaccount of any
well-definedswallowingup or subsi(lences.
There was some dis,erepancy in the barometricalresults ob-
tained by ourselves and by Mr. Hamilton. Ours gave for the
elevation of Kaisariyahabove the sea only 3236 feet Mr. H.
placing it at 4200 feet. The boiling point of Robertson'sther-
ulometerwas 25 8; our barometerstoodat 26 314; the thermo-
meter at 59. Cloudy weather.
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kinylah 7giles.
Notes Taken on a Journey from Constantinople to Móṣul, in 1839-40
Author(s): William Ainsworth
Reviewed work(s):
Source: Journal of the Royal Geographical Society of London, Vol. 10 (1840), pp. 489-529
Published by: Blackwell Publishing on behalf of The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of
British Geographers)
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 ( 489 )
to Mosul
V.-Notes {akenon a Journeyfrons Constantinople
XI Esq., in charge of
in 1839-40. BY WILLIAM AINSWORTH,
an Expeditionto Kurdistan.
route,as farK6niyah(Iconium), is thatusually
[AsMr.Ainsworth's his Jourllal which add to ourpre-
followed,thoseportionsonlyofhavc been here given. E.]
viousknowledt,e of that country
at
MESSRS . AI NSWOETTH an(l Rassam, now British vice-consul
tnd of Noveinbern
Mosul, embarke(lin a kiik (or wherry)on the on the southern
at the en(l of 5 hours reachell Hersek,
1839,anfl The neck of alluvial
sideof the Gulf of Iznikmid(Nicomedia). at the mouth of the
mu(lan(l sandon whichthis village stan(ls of two miles
Dervend su (Barrier-Water)*e:xtends1lpwards
the sea. The neighbouringlagoonsr)ost-house reneler place so un-
the
into at the leside there.
healthy thatnonebut the attendants from which there was
Itis not far from the site of Pronectus,
now probably Harakall, as the neigll-
anciently a ferryto LilJyssa} anci-
(pronounced Geibizell),
I)ouring ruins show Gekbuzeh were suppose(l
west of it,
entlyDacibyza,and Mal(lisemto the Leake to occupy the site of
byMajor Rennell antl Colonel
along the outskirtsof Gok-tagh
Libyssa. They then travelled Olympus, consistingc>f
(Heaven-mount), the westerne2atremityof inclined
with a varyingdip N. or S. at a snoflerately
san(lstone, called Dervend (Derbend, i. e.
angle. The village at the pass,
Greeks. Early on the thir(l
Barrier),is chiefly inhabite(lby Lakeof Isnlk (Nicaea).
daythey came in sight of the beautiful its shores are lime and
The hills by which they descendel torock. Izllik, of whicllthe
sandstone restingon schistanxl quartz
has not now rtlore
(loublewalls are in greatpart still sulasisting,
only are inhabitezl by Greeks.
than150 houses,one-Sfthof whichintersectingtowers,oblong,of
These crumblingwalls, anal their
bricks,coverel in most
whitemarble, an(l semicircular,of redareextremelypicturesque.
placeswithlu:suriantly climbing shrubs,
'rwo fine gatewaysan(lthe remains of a Christianchurchare par-
ticularlyaleserving of notice; but the latterdoes llOtappearol(ler
thanthe time of the Lower Empire
througha valleyat
On the 5th of November, after travelling and passing a large artificial
the easternextremityo? the laken
5 miles from Iznlk, they
dam or moun(l near Karxidun,about rock as those last mentioned
loeganto ascen(lhills of the same
through a rocky glen anrl
an(l after crossinga ridge, descenzled Lefkeh Su (Etiver l)f Leuce,+
narrowpass into the valley of the
to the S.E.
* Named fiom Kiz-derbend(Virain's-barrier)
Greeks. Mr. Airlsvorth says it is here called
+ Pronotlllced 3tefki by the modern the waters
aIld supposes it to be the main streamof that river. It receiveskharsarld
Sakariyeh and beyond itw those of Vazir
of YeIli Shehr and 'Ain-gc)lin i# valley
Bileh-Jik.
490 Mr.AlNSWORTHfrOM Consfantinopte
to Mosul. [Nov.
the ancientGallus), which they crossed by a bridge,and soon
reachedthattown,whichhas only 400 houses. The low land in
this ^7alley,
which is peculiarlypicturesque,consists of red an(l
browntertiarylimestone;and the hillv tractto the eastof Lefkeh
is a brown sandstone,with red and white marldipping north,
succeededby a tract of trachyte; afterwhichcomesa rangeof
precipitouslimestonerocks, througha deep rent in whichthe
river Sakariyellprobablyforcesits way. The town of Kllusrev
Pasha.,or Vezir Khan,at the summitof this beautifulpass, has
about 100 Greekand 50 or 60 Mollammedan families: an(l fur-
nishes allnually4000 okahs of silk. The valley of the Lefkeh
river soon becomes very narrowand less fertile; andthe high-
roa(l, crossingthe stream by a bridge,leads over stonyhills of
trachyteto a level anS slightly cultivatedllpland. Bilehjik, on
a limestonerock,is now visible3 milesdistanton the right. The
descent commencesat the distanceof 20 hours (about7 miles),
and ?asses throughleds of conglomcIatesandstonean(l marl,
with somebrokentrachyte. The hills to the north,throughwhich
the Sakariyehand its tributariespass, appear to be limestone
which has sufferedfrom volcanicaction To the southa lower
range of trachyteis succeeded by limestone,and well-woo(led
hi]ls; at the foot of 7hich is Svgut,* a small town, namedfrom
the manywillowsin its neighbourhood, and containingabout400
houses, pretty equally (lividedbetween Christiansand Musel-
nans.
JVov.7th.-A journeyoverhill an(ldale, with much wood, for
3 hours,broughtthem to a more open tractof micaciousschist,
lightlycultivated. In one place somefragmentsof columnsand
architectureseemed to mark an ancient site. Beyond this, in
crcxssingan extensiveplain, they had a distantview of Eski-
shehr,about7 or 8 miles S. 54? E.
That town, now almostabandoned,consistsof two portions,
one at the foot c)f the hil]s, the otherbetweentwo rivuletsin the
lain, wherethe marketis held. There is a khan, and a manu-
factoryof I)ipe-headsfromthe magnesianand silicioussubstances
calledbythe Germans;' meerschaum" (" sea-foamorspray,"from
its whitecolour). The pits whenceit is obtainedare said to be
8 hoursdistant (24 miles), on the roadto Servi Hisar. A sy3e-
cimen,procuredby Mr. Ainsmrorth at this place, fiesll fromtlse
mines, pro^7eit to be a hydratedsilicateofmagnesia. It appearsto
be founalin a be(l of volcanicrock, similarto that of Garsaura,
whichcrownsthe hills S. of Eski-shehr,and restsupon strataof
talk-schistand serpentine. This seemsto be only a local variety.
It is a porous,friable stone,almost entirelycomposedof small-
* PronouncedSe,yut. ED.
 Lefkeh-Bitlkjik-S<vgut-E.skz'-shehr.
*
.

491
1839.]
grainedvitreous or transparent
tals of augiteor pyroxene. felspar,with here analthere
crys-
are of a light grey colour, In the mostcommonvarietieswhich
each separatemicroscopicwhen carefullyesamineelwith a glass,
grain
compositionon its surface; andnis observedto be in a statelof de-
is passinginto a varietyc)f like otherdecomposing
felspars,
it is indifferentlycalled. percellanitekao-lin,or pe-tun-tse, as
cessof elecompcesition In certain varietiesof this rockthe pro-
has
uniformpulverulentmass,proceededfurther,anzlthe resultis an
cerouslustreanalmoreclose inbibingwaterwithgreatavielity.
productsattest the existencetesture of othervarietiesof the The
of same
theircomposition,anfl those largerproportionsof magnesiain
accountof their utility. They varieties alone are souZht
binationwith more impare exist,howes-er,chiefly infor on
and coarservarieties an(l com-
themagazinesat hence, at
Eski-shehr,
beforethe choicepiecesare thereis muchcutting andreducin;,
In the hills of Eskl-shehr polished previousto exportation.
breceiaand compactbrown the meerschaumis associatedwith
common in the neighbourhoo(l siliciousrocks,whichlatteris
of basalticformations, most
frequent betweenEskl-shehrand Seyyid such as are
placeare cliSs forme(lof el Ghazi.
andgrey rock, sometimesso thin alternatebeds of theAt thislatter
samewhite
others more uniform,and friable
at
at
as to be almost
pulverulent,
lyingupon these therearesariousothers containingbreccia; and
Eskl-shehr,by obser ations made kindsof siles:.
mometer, correctedby ColonelSykes's with the boiling-pointther-
approximatively of 2308 feet abovethe sea. Tables, is at an elevation
9th.-Their road from Esk;-shehr
nating here anfl there in lay over uplands, term-
stretching moderatelyhigh terracesof rock,
out into wide unvaried
plains. The hills are cosrered or
with
low shralJs;thelossland,
Thesheep of this tract,which is however, has buta scantyvegetation.
average height of 3(300feet, have open an(lexpose(l,an(l has an
goats have (as $hrouXhout clean and light fleeces; and
the
although their upper fleece is not WesternAsia) an underdown,
Angora or Kurdistanbreed. so silky as that of the
true
Thegoatsof the central
are uplantl
furtherremarkablefor their of StraboXs PllrygiaEpictetos
colours,
belnggenerallyre(ldish-brown short horns, an(l their
various
analwhite,or red(lish-brown anelblacli, but sometimes
black
Afterp.lssint,rounda wooded anel white.
fertile hill of
xTalley,+sateredby a stream30 feettrap-rock,theycrosseda
and
then entere(linto the town wideby 1 foot
narrow
ras7ine of Seyyi(lel Ghfizi, in (lepth,
at tile foot of the clifEs situatedin a
the
cast. This town contains whichbound the valley to
an(l
is muchleneratedby about 600 houses of
Mohamme(ltlns Muselmans,
on accountof the saint
492 Mr.AINSWORTH to Mosul. [Nov.
fromConsfantinople
who is burie(liIl its sepulchralchapel. A lsekiyeh(convent)and
other religiousbuil(lings,not quiteso ruinousas usual,are pic-
turesquelypercheduponthe cliffsaboure the town.
lOth.-The ravineSeyyidel Ghazi entersthe hills in a (lirec-
tion of S. 8? E., andpasses, as previouslynoticed,throughsili-
cious rock and lava, whichon the uplandare soonsucceededby
a distinct dark-colouredtrap-rock,witll only a few dwarf oaks
and junipers. At a distanceof about 6 miles from the same
place limestone succeeds to the silici-calcareousrocks, from
which spring trees of oak and arborvitse (Thuya). A small,
fertile valley in the midst of this woo(leddistrict, contains a
village of about 100 houses,called BardakChill Koi,* where
remains of ancient buildings, the columns apparentlyof the
age of the Lower EDmpire, seem to show the vicinityof some
ancienttown.
A fcorestof tall pinesthen crowrledthe woodedeminences,and
led, afterabout2 hours,to a large cultivatedplain. A wooded
hill andmoreopen countrybroughtthe travellers,amidsta pour-
ing rain,to the wretchedvillage of KhusrevtPasha, in which,
as in Nizib, a large and ancientChristianchurchhasbeen con-
rertedinto a mosque.
11th. Forestssimilarto those on the other side of Khusrev
PAsha,growingon soil, the substratumof which,is a bllle and
whitegranularlimestone,alternatingwith clay-schist,continueto
the S. of that place. A few organicremainsancl impressions
are folmd in the softerbeds of the sedimentary(leposits,which
here begin graduallyto rise into hills from 900 to 1000 feet
above the neighbouringvalleys. This is an outskirtof Emir
Tagh whichis tamein its outline, but from its abundantwood
and verdure,alwayspleasingandoccasionallyverybeautiful.
About 16 milesbeyon(l KhusrevPasha lavas and tuSa, with
beds of ol)sidianand colouredsiles, arefirstseen. As the decom-
positionof these substancestakes place at differentrates, they
soon formterraces,beset with caverns,naturalor artificial,which
have been used as chapels,hermitages,or habitations.
The first have ornamentedportals,and were evidentlysepul-
chres: nearthe ruins of an ancientvillage further on, there are
manylarge caves,which served as habitationsor oratories;anel
near the commeneement of the districtof Bayad, a rockyhill by
a spring,is fu]l of them.
That district is a high upland in Emir Tagh, rather ex-
posed,but havingsomegood arableland. Beyondit, low hills of
schistand quartz,succeededby limestone,form the southernde-
* Pitcher-freclile-ville; or, if Chili, Partridge-ville.-ED.
+ Khusrev,proIlouncedKhusref,is theKhosrau(Chosroes3of the Persians.-ED.
.|. Biyat in the ItinBrairede Constalltinoplea la Mecque p. 91.-ED.
1839.] Seyyidel Ghaxi-Ernir .Tagh-Bulavada'n. 493

clinty of Emir Tagh, whichdescendsto BulaYadinby a long and

verygentleslope.
This smalltowncontains3000 inhabitants,exclusivelyMusel-
mans. Its houses are only of one story; and there are five
mosques,some khans, and a market-place. A solitaryminaret
at some distancefrom the town marks, no (loubt, the sitc of aw
ruine(llnosque.
The great plain in wllich Bulavadinstands is bounde(l hy
SultanTagh on the S., and l)y Emir Tagh on the N., and has
severallakes. Its elevation,as ascertainedby the boiling-point
thermometer,is 2900 feet above the sea, an(l it lies between
ridgesdividingthe waters flowing towardsthe Black Sea from
thosewhichflow towar(lsthe Me(literranean.In thatpeculiarity,
it resernlolestlle plainsof Koch-Hisar,ItlghunSu, Koniyah,and
Nigdeh, in each of whichthere are similarlakes.
l62th. About 22 miles S. of Bulavadin the plain becomes
marshy, an(l is at times difficultlypassable. There is a cen-
tral water-course,nearly stagnant,which at some seasonsflows
slowlyin an easterlyand north-easterly directionto the perma-
nent lake, whichoccupiesthe lowerpartof the plain,and which
varies much in size at diSerentseasons. The road is carrie(l
across this marsh on a raise(lcausewayfor more than 5 miles.
In the marshthere is an abundanceof birds, such as starlings,
plovers, snipes, quails, ducks,geese and bustards,vultures,blue
kites, merlin-hawksand buzzards.
At about9 miles from Bulavadinis the foot of SultanTagh,
wherethegroundbeginsto rise; and the villagesof SinakDereh,
and SinGkYaka, standat the entranceof two ravinesin the hills.
SultanTagh, althoughnot verylofty, is remarkablefor itslJold,
Alpine character,an(lmassive,rockyoutline. Its generalelexa-
tion appearsto be from 1000 to 1500 feet abovethe level of the
plain, and perhaps 4000 feet above the sea. Its culminating
pointaboveAk-Shehr was, even at this season,only tipped with
snow. Froman examinationof the pebblesbroughtdownin the
bed of its winter-torrents, it appearsto consistchieflyof lime-
stone,lying on argillaceousand micaciousschists. This chainis
not so extensiveas it appearson our maps. The lakes in this
tractsgenerallysai(lto be salt, are,fromall we coulellearn,fresh,
and aboun(lin fish; nor is there any substancein the neighbour-
ing soil at all resemblingthe saliferoussan(land sandstonewhich
nearlysurroun(lthe Lakeof Koch-HisAr.
13th From Ishakli, a large village, surrounde(l by gardens,
theyproceededto Ak-shehr,about12 miles distant. The country
at the foot of SultanTagh is here nvellcultivated,and oftenvery
pleasing The cultivationextendsfora mile or two in the plain;
but beyondthatnorthwards,all is marshor water.
494 fromConstantintple
Mr. AINSWORTH toMosul. [Nov.
Ak shehr is situatedat the entranceof a large valleywatered
by a small river. Its houses rise aboveone anotherin terraces,
or are prettily scatteredamid groves and gardens. There are
fifty Armenianfamilies. From Ak-shehr, an extensive,grassy
lain stretchingfar awayin an easterlydirection,is boundedby
a few rangesof low hi]ls.
14th. At 32 miles, nearlyS. by E. fromAk-shehr,theypassed
Karyat,a villageon a hill, an(l entereda plain bareof trees,I)ut
yieldinga little c{ern.This plain, occasionallyvariedby a village,
rivulet or somerublylimestone,extendsto Arkad Khanof the
maps.
Beyondthatplace, the road leadsover lo+shills of limestone
(apparentlyof the chalk for1nation)to the valley of I'lghun,*
remarkablefor its two lakes and streamrunningbetweenthem;
respectingthe junction of which Mr. Ainsworth ha(l not an
opportunityof satisfyinghimself. At the entranceof this small
townthereare some sacredbuildingsof the Mohammedans,an(l
a rivuletwhichflowsnorthwardsto a lake, and has two villages
at its furtherextremity.
l5th. A tract nearly similar to that just (lescribed,leads
throughKhanumKhfn (the lady's khan) to LAdik,or Jorgan
Lfidik,t a villagegllated on a moun(lof ruins. Numerousfrag-
ments of Byzantinearchitecture,as well as its present name,
makeit not improbablethatthis is the siteof LaodiceaCombusta,
place(lby some ancientwritersin Lyeaonia,by othersin Pisidia
or Phrygia,whichserves,at all events, as Cellariusremarks,to
assistin determiningthe part of Lyeaoniain which it is to be
sought.
]6th. The valleyof Ladik, which is in a kin(l of recess, is
boundedon the sollth-eastby a hilly district,composellof brown
and blue argillaceousschist, passing into common mica-schist,
with veins of quartz, lying underis limestone. A remarkable
rock on the top of the hills to the right is called Kiz Kaya-si
(maiden'srock); and 2 miles on the rou(lare the ruins of what
was evidentlyan old Greek village; T)eyond whicll, an unpro(luc-
tive valleyopensuponthe greatplain of Koniyah. Not far from
I(oniyah,thereis a Greekvillagean(lmonasteryof sotneantiquity
on MountSiliya.
19th.-Konitah, as one of the greatcities of Asia Minor, has
been much visitedby Europeantravellers,who haveeach, flom
the days of Niebuhr to those of ColonelLeakean(lMr. W. J.
Hamilton, contributedtheir remarksupon its past andpresent
condition. It appearsthat the first of these travellersmade a
* Or I'lgll]n, Itill. de Constant.a la Mecque, p. 93.-ED.
t YurukanLadik, i. e., Wandering(Turkomans)or LazikiyehKaramarl,i. e. Kara-
manianLaodicea. -ED.
1839.] SultegnTagh Ak Shehr Ladlk-Koniyah. 493

sketch of the town, which will no doubt embraceits greatest

peculiarity,the distril)utionof its walls.
Aftervisitingmanyof the greattownsof Asia M;nor,Angera,
Kaiseriyah, Kastamuni, &c., Koniyah certainly apears the
mostfallenandruinousof all, and yet it standsamongthe first,
in its earlyrenownfor size, population,an(lriches. Stral)opar-
ticularlyallu(lestoits being well built, so?%vaov ?V 6VVCVXC4EYOV.
Pliny says, (;urbs celeberrimaIconium." In the Acts of the
A)ostles (ch.siv v. 1.) we find it noticedas frequentedby a great
multitu(leof Jews and Greeks. In the ecclesiasticalnotices,
accordint,to Cellarius, it is also placed first uponthe list as a
metropolis. Hieroclesalso, ;; Iconiummetropolis."
Independentlyof othercircumstances, numerousmonumentsof
variouskinds, principallyin the Saracenicstyle of architecture,
fully attest that underthe Mohammedans,this city has always
been one of great celebritv antl sanctity,as well as a seat of
learning. There are at presentthe remainsof upwardsof twenty
me(lresehsor colleges,a numbernearlyequalto thatof Baghda(l,
the city of the khalifsthemselves.
There arestill severalhall(lsomeMesjidsor Jami'sirlKoniyah.
The Sherif Altun JAmi'is the largest;nest comesthatof Sultar
'Alau-d-(lin,our Aladdin; and then the Jami of Sultan Selim
whose building exploits would have delighted the heart of a
Procopius.
Manyof the sepulchralchapelsare also of great sanctity. In
the journalof the sixth campaignof Suleiman( 534) we fin(lthe
Sultanhaltingat Koniyahto visit the toml)of MevltinaJelalu
(lin.* Severalthat now remain are objects of veneration,and
evenof pilgrimage;butgenerallyspeaking,they andthe colleges
are crumblinginto ruins.
'Ali Pasha, then in commandthere, had about 6000 ret,ular
troopsat his disposal,of which about 500 werein N;gdeh, and
100 in Saran(lah. The militiaof the Pashalikhad beendisbanded
since the reversesat Nizib; and the guns attachedto that service
were sent to Constantinople. A sort vf quarantine,limitedto
the fumigationof persons,had beenestablishedat the erltranceof
the city.t

Nor.22nd,1840. This day, says Mr. Airlsworth,we quitte(l

Koniyah,travellingover its wide and level plain in a direction
S. 50 E. On thisplain the beautifulbirdcalledthe Aleppoplover
(Lesson, Man d'Ornithologie)first makes its appearance. It
* Rumi, authorof the Mesllavi,a much-a(lmiredethical poem irl Persian, and head
of the Mevlevi orzlerof Dervishesor Fwakirs.ED.
t The remainderof this paperis extractedfrom Mr. Ainsworth'sReport. - ED.
496 fromCovtantinwle
Mr. ATNSWORTH to Mosv.Z. [Nov.
soonalmostentirelysupersedesthe commonlover, pewit,or lap-
wing; andis met withas far as Persia.
The soil of the plain became soon verysaline, and communi-
cated its peculiar characterto the vegetation. It affordedus
muchamusementto observethe suddenimpulsewith which the
camels rushed towardsthe now frequenttufts of Mesembry-
anthemum and Salicornia, reminding them of plains with
whichthey were probablymorefamiliarthanwith those of Asia
Minor. After travellingaboutfive hours,we came to a marsh,
wherethe roadwas coveredwithsmall frogs,as if they had been
showereddownfrom the sky, but in realitythey had only issueel
from the waters; and variousbirdsof prey were enjoyingan
alzundant repast.
In anotherhour we arrivedat Khakhun,a village of herds-
men, situatedin the midst of the marsh,and there we reposed
for the night.
2Srd.-We started at an ear]y llour, in the midst of a
dense mist which only allowed us to distinguishthat we vvere
travellingthrough the same marshy ground. About 7 miles
fromKhAkhunwe cameto Ismil, a largevillagejust withoutthe
marsh,andl)uilt upon a dry gravellyplain,not far fromthe ex-
tremeW. of the KarajahTagh.
At about7 milesfurtherfromIsmiltheweatherclearedup, and
wefoundby backbearing,the hill of SiliyaaboveKoniyahN. 88
W., the culminatingpointof lKarajahTagh N. 86 E., an(lHasan
Tagh N. 66 E.
About 4 miles beaond this, the groundbegan to rise a little;
and, passing a slightly elevated tract of coarse limestone, we
enteredupona grassyplain affordingpastureto numerousflocks.
6 miles furtheron we passedoversomehighergroun(lformed of
coarselimestone,then descendinga rockyterraceabout 20 ft. in
height, enteredupon a cultivatedplain continuouswith that of
SultxinKhan and Koch-Hisar (Hasan Tagh bearing N. 56 E.
about 15 miles), which as far as KarEBunar(Black Spring),at
the foot of KarajahTaghis onlyaboutg miles in width. I amnot
awarewhetherMr. W. J. Hamiltonhas correctedthe geography
of this part of the country; lout in mostmaps,as, for example,
that publishedby the Societyfor the DiSusionof Useful Know-
ledge, Hasan lnagh is placed nearlya degree in latitude to the
N. of Karabunar. KarujahTagh is continuednorthwardto
Hasan Tagh by low hills which laorderthe plain previously
noticed, and to the identityof which,with that of the lake of
Koch-Hisar,I can bear sufficienttestimony,as I tookthe bear-
ings of many known points, more particularlythe remarkable
volcanichills near I'n Avi andthe MuradSu Go1.
The samechainof hills (irlcorrectlymarkedin the mapsas the
18.39.] KarajahTagh-lVaraBailcir-HclsanTayh. 497

Bulghar Tagh) is connectedalso to the E. with Hasan Tagh

by low hills and volcanicconcs dispersedover a rocky district.
The roadfromEregli to the Golek Boghaz,it is importantto
remark,is not carriedthroughTaurus(BulgharTagh) as on the
nal3s in a directionS. of E., I)utfor 4 hoursat firstto tlle mag-
netic N. 50 to 60 E., having all that time the plain of Bor or
Tyana to the left, and between the travelleran(l the foot of
Hasan Tagh and its more southerlycones. I was the more
anxiousto brm a correctidea of the more southernestensionof
:HasanTa?, as uon thatdepends in a greatmeasurewhether
or not the roadgivenin the Theod:osian Tables)afterpassingby
Congustos(Tiisun Uyuk) an(l Petra or Perta (Uyuk Boyad),
and crossingStrabo'sroute from Ephesusto Toimisa,at a point
whereMr. Hamiltonfises Nazianzus and where we foundGel-
vedengan(lotherruins,passeti overthe mountainsto Tatana,or
colltinue(lalong tlle plain from Uyuk Boyfid towards Kara
Bunfr. I am now satisfiedthat Mr. Hamilton and ourselves
visitedthe spotwhere these three ancientroadsmet; for Kara
Builaris quite out of the wayfromPetra to Tyana,whitherthe
Theodosianroadis carrietl:and Mr. ERamilton has describedthe
routein the AntonineItineraryas it is extentledfrom Andabilis
to Nazianzusand ArchelziisColonia(Ak SerGi).
The facts here detaile(lare also of importancetowardsascer-
tainingthe reasonwhy Cyrus an(l Alexandershould pitch their
tents at Kilisa I4isur, in the neighbourhoodof I30r,which ap-
pearsso far N. of Eregli, and has been shownso satisfactorily b)
Mr. Hamiltonto be the ancientTyana. The knowledgeof the
directionof the roadfromEregl; at once showsthat, exceptfrom
the positionofthe Turkishposts,thetravellerwouldhavenonee(l
to go to Eregli in his road acrossMount Taurus, the passage
throughwhichis to the N. of that town,and is, moreover,inac-
cessible to an armyfor a large part of the year; and at other
times,hardlyto be approached,on accountof the extensiveand
almostimpassablemorasses,occasionetlby the drainageinto that
basin whichformsthe ancientTyanitis, the peculiarfeaturesof
whiehare nowwell known.
The townof Kara Bunar is inhabitedthiefly by Turkomans,
who feed their flocks in the plain in winter, but emigratein
summertowar(lsvariouspointsof the greatplainof SultanKhan
Its housesare aImostall of one story, ratherfromfasilionthan
deficiencyof means; for manyare well furnishe(l,accordingto
the taste of the c(3untry. SultanSelim built a handsomejami'
here, but it is fallinginto ruins, attachedto it, thereis alsoa large
well-builtkhan coveredwith lead, the greaterpart of which has
long since been convertedinto bullets. There are severalsalt-
petre worksat this place.
498 Mr. AINSWORTHfrOM Canstantinople
toMosul. [Nov.
Extendingsouthwardsfrom KaraJahTAgh, and closing the
PlaiIl of KarEBunar, there are, first, a rockycone with naked
stoneslike ruins,then a pairof twin cvnicalsummitsof volcanic
cinders;andfurtlleron, a higherconeof similarcharacter,with a
truneatedsummit-a featurewhichhere belongs tv all the hills
of volcanic cinders, whether black or white (augitic or felds-
pathic); and whetherin the craterof volcarlos,or on theirsides:
this peculiarityhas also been observe(lby Mr. .Hamilton. Be-
yond these truncatedcones a rocky range of low hills sweeps
roundto the W. as far as a group3 miles to the S.; and extends
thencein low rockyhills to a conicalmound,on which there are
the ruinsof two towers,overhangirlg the townof KarSBunar; to
the S. of X-hich,thereis a steril, stonydistrict.
24th.- About 3 miles fromBuilar, in a directionto the S. 55
to 6V E., afterascendingthese hills of volcanicrock,thereoccurs
a reinarkablydistinctcrater,with a heap of cindersin its centre,
forminga truncatedcone. The lips of the crater,whichis al)out
60 feet in (lepth, are for the most part formed of solid black
basarliticlava; but white and yellowish-whitetephrines,besieles
otherminezalsubstances,arefoundin it. The conein the centre
appearsto l)e entirelyformed of black cinders(augitic), andis
about 100 feet in heibht. The bottomof the channel,left be-
tween the outerwalls an(l the centralcone, is for the most part
filled withwater,and in placesaffordeda finecropof grassfor the
horsesand cattle s-hichwere quietlyfeedingthere. A little be-
yond this, we came into a long narrowplain)stretchingS. 76 E.
along the foot of KarajahTagh, passing other conicalmounds
of lulackcinderstill we cameto the last slopeof the hills overthe
valleyor plain of Tyanitis, Eregll bearingS. 68 E. at a distance
of 12 milesor upwards.
In the midstof the marshyplain overwllicll we had now to
travel,and where the central channel ;'drags its slow current
lazily along," is the villageof Harkhan,inhabitedhy herdsmen.
There are tWQ roa(ls to this place, one used in wintervery cir-
cuitous,the otherin summer,by whichwe were still enabledto
pass; but great part of it waws alrea(lyunderwater Hence we
had alternatelymarsh and dry gloundas far as Eregli, situatedat
the foot of the westernextremityvf the hills whichgraduallyrise
from thence till they are lost in the snow-clad sumrnitsof
Bulghar Tagh. It is a poor place, containing800 houses csf
Mohammedansand $0 of Armenians,and has a small market.
Notwithstandingits position,it *^7as not garrisolled. Being em-
bcusomed in trees,to the travellercomingfromtheGolekBoghazs
Eregli has a pleasantand invitingappearance,nor are its inha-
bitalltsinhospitable.
25th. We startedin a directionof N. 50? E., andpasse(ltwo
1839.] Vclcaezic
Rocks Bulghar.TayhEregli. 499

rivuletsflowing to the N.W. Our road lay along the low hills
whichbor(lerthe plainto the E., anelare colnpose(lof red sand-
stone in bluish cream-cc)loure(l be(ls, conoloJnerated limestone,
anel gypsum. To our right ve hacl the lofty chain; for the
propername of which I ha(l alreaelyinquireelof severalpersons,
who all calle(l it BulgharTagh. As I thOUt,ht, however,the
name might s-aryin (liSerentplaces, I at,ain inquirecl,lvhen
restin: at its foot, an(l also in the villat,es on the Ciliciansitle,
xvhenthe narnewas uniformlygiven, so that I feel convincetl
every futuretras-elleron this roaelwi]l fin(lit universallvin use.
Ralnl4(1an-Otghlu, &c., an(l the other namesgiven in our males,
are larobablyderivel :fromTurliomftlntriles inh.lbitilgits lowe
ran,es at the easternor Cilicianfoot of the cl:ain.
I4oweverit may be with re>azelto the lain (jf Nlgdeh at
present,it is certainthatwith regaltl to the C;olel,Progh.iz-no
correctieleahas yet been to the worl(l; an(lthe peculiarity
gixTen

of its hy(lrographical featurestarenotpointetloutin anyworkth;ltI

llaveseen. Its lzeculiarcharacteristie is, thatthesoureeof theSavus
or SeillCIn is in the lowhills on the lvesternside of the chain,and
that the Pass, afterfollosin^,the courseof these watersfor solne
elisttance, turnsup the valleyof a tributalystream,at the summit
of which,an(lat an elevationof 38 12 feet, arethe fortifie(lpostsof
Moh<amme(l 'Ali Pashti; immediatelybeyontl which,the waters
.lgainrunto the E . an(lS. of E ., rushingthrout,ha tremenclous gap
in the mounttlins,an(lthenceflow (lirectlytos-areRs the Cyelnusor
risFer of Tarsus. I shall (lescribethis pe1SS more in detail here-
after; but havenoxvsenturetlto recortl,in the fewestxvordspos-
sible, its leading features,that tlley l-nayle better unelerstoo(l;
for travellershave hithelto unifbrllllyregcal(letlthe streamthat
assesthroughthe above-mentionctl (Cazas the greatriverof the
mountain-passxvllichCol. Chesney.ln(l tI-less-ritercsf this rapel
crossedin a journey-through the Batlinjin O'ghlu (listlict, an(l
foun(lit to be a tributaryto the Scihun.
At a elistanceof 12 miles from Eregli lve canle to a slnall
villaCecalled KaSn, with a rirulet flowing N.W. Our route
now turne(lto S. (;0?E., as if beWnt upon car)yingus intOtlle
heart of the llills. VVeascen(le(la short distanec amn^, low
hills of re(l sandstonean(:lsantl; then up a hill of conglomerate
and limestone: bey-onelwhich Ws1S a cultivatedfiel(l. At this
* 15heelescri)tionof the G>!lekT30ghAz, or Pass, tllrougll the BulgharTagh, is 1lot
illClU4ed ill my Memoir UpOll the Cilician leasses,as I Ela(lat thtlt tim ollly been
partly throllghit. It is therefi)rewell to rlotice here that they are gelleally ca]le(l
by tlle anciellts the Ciliciall gates,-Strabo (lib. xii. 1) 370), Arriall (lib. ii.), Cel-
larius (lib. iii. ca). lriii), but lleitllerArriaolllor Quilltus Curtius (lib. iii. cap. iv.) -
or, I helieve, arly of the historiallsof Alexaolders c.ampaignscollfourl(lthese gates
with the Amalliall, wllich "were 1leart.}lesea." Cicero (lib. v. acl Attic. epist. xx.)
calls thenl the gates ot rraultls,leaeliilgfronl Cappallociaillt) Cilicia.
VOL. X. '2 L
500 Afr.AINSWORTHfrO7R Constantinsple
tohIosul. [Nov.
point, the few dropsof waterfirst collected beganto flow to the
N.E. This was about4 miles from Kayan and 3 from Kolu
Kushla; an(l immediatelybeyon(l its source the risulet flows
througha little pass in basaniticrocks,an(l continuesalong the
valley in a directionof N. 70? E. till it opensuponthe cultivate(l
plainof Kolu Kushla,lvhereit is joined by other small streams,
llvhichunited,flow down along valleyand pass on stretchingto
the S. 80? E. The hills nowlegin to attaina somewhatgreater
altitude. Those on the S. side of the valley are compose(l
chiefly of gypsum; those to the N., which are morelofty an(l
rugged, are com?ose(lof trap-rock,more especiallybasanite,
spilite,wacke,and tuSa. Kolu Kushla is a cleanlyaogregation
of Turkomanhouses,with a large khanand a post station.
26th.-This day'sjourneycarriedus to the foot of the central
chainof the Bulllar Tagh. And it appears,from an examina-
tion of the rocks and fossilorganicremains,the detailsof which
woul(lloe out of place in these notes, that the western,like thc
easterndeclivitiesof Taurusand its outlyingchains,are composed
principallyof tertiarytleposits. The successionof these rockson
the easternsi(le has been describedin my "Researches,&c."
And it may be relllarkeclthat the main differencebetweenthe
two aspects of the samechainare, that on the westernsi(le the
varietyof formationsis by no meansso great as on the eastern,
xvhilethe frequentan(lextensiv-e(lisruptionof igrleousrocksamiel
the iormationsotl the W. side has given riseto an illfinitevariety
of alteredrocks too numerousto be here specified; an(l has, at
the sametitne, rentleredthe existenceof organicremainsmuch
morerare,and the age of the formationsmorediffilcultto deter-
mine. It is necessaryalsotoremark,forthe use of futuretravellers,
thatthe road*vefollowe(luponthis occasion,directfromthe )ass
to Adanah,presentsneitherthe great variety of formations,nor
the vastnumlerof ,it,anticfossils,w-hichI metwithon myformer
journey frl)mTarsus to the lead-minesin the valley S. of the
(E;olekBoghaz. Near the Romanarch, on the roa(l to Tarsus,
the tertiarylimestonesareassociate(lwith micaschists;and in the
great chairlof 13ulghar,cretaccousrocks, converte(linto a non-
fossiliferous,hard,andgranularrock,are piled up in precipicesof
fearfulheight and grandeurupon the same mica schists; but I
llavenot detectedin any ?art of the chainse(limentaryformations
+^Thichcouldbe sai(lto be inferiorto thc chalk.
The waters of the val]ey of Kolu Kushlti swee) gradually
roun(lfromN. 85? E. to S. 40?E. Fartheron, the valleywielens
and cc)ntainsone or twosmall villagesat the foot of the hills; and
gardenswith vineyardsand grovesof walnut-treesornamentthe
rivulets loanks. About 32 miles the lateral xralleyof Kolu
Kushl.tterminatesin a moreestensivevalley, ncarly paralleltc)
18.t39.] Kayan BulgharTt'gh-Seahun. 501

the centralchain,an(lcontaininga large risulet,whichflowsfrom

the S.W. This valleyis boundedto the E. by a rockyrangeof
hills clothedwvithwood, composedof limestone,sandstonean(l
altere(lrocks reposing upon rocks of it,neousorigin. And be-
tweenthis chain and the loftiersummitsof Bulgharis the valley
of Aluguga,also with its tributaryrivulet.
The general directionof Bulghar Tagh, from a variety of
bearings,mas be said to lve. rom E.N.E. to W.S.\V. The di-
rectionof 'Ali Tagh, the greatsnowyrange N. of thisdI believe
to be elifferent, and probably, in consequenceof a (lifferent
structure; the determinationof this point remainsfor future
travellers,whenthe prolont,ation of Taurusto the DurdunTagh,
an(lby Ak Tagh to the sourcesof the Tigris, will lte completed.
The line most wantedin thegeographyof this partof the country,
afterthe determination of the sourcesof the S;eihl'lnon our pre-
viousjourney,woul(lexten(lfromNig(leh to Mar'ash,by which
the compositionand configurationof 'Ali Tagh would pro-
bably be determinecl,and the varioustributariesto the Seihun
and Jeihun satisfactorily(lelineatel. So well cons-incedhave I
long been of the value of such a (letermination, and of a (lescrip-
tionof the interestingcountryaroundFarrashah, that,hadr on this
occasionbeen travellingfor geographicpurposessolely, andnot
makinga winterjourne)to Mosul, scarcelyanythingwoul(lhave
preventeelme fromexluloringthose tl'ACtS. Col. Chesney'sroute
to Sis, and Lieut.wNlurphy's ltearingsat Anazarba('Ain Zerbah),
will howeverdo something. I heard that M. iFisc.her,of the
Prussian corpsin the service of the Sultan, who superintende(l
the constructionof the Turkishoutworksin the Golek Boghdz,
had collected lnanymaterialsfor improvingthe geographyof the
Taurus; ancithat the BaronsMoltke and Wincke,who laboure(l
har(l in the same cause, returnc{lofterthe l)attle of Nizib by
Bostanto Malatiyah,a veryelesirableline.
After enteringthe valleyof thc lnaintributaly to the Seihun,;it
a distanceof 6 miles, the roa(lleavesthe w-alley
of the riverdfor a
short time crossin^,over hills c)f .altere(lrocks, xvitha ravine
throughwhich it woul(lbe very elifficultto convey heavyguns.
iFromthese eminencestlle roatl passes almost(lirectlyalong a
gentle slope, to a pointwherethe flrst-mentioned streamcoming
fromthe left is joine(lby anotherlarge rivuletflo^vingfrom the
right, anfl coming from the valley of Aluguga before noticeel;
these tsvo rivers uniteelflow througlsa ss)lnewhatnarrowpass,
an(lthis pointhas been madcthe seat of the Turkishoutworksto
protect the Golek Boghaz. The peninsula between the two
riverscommanelsthe centreof the valley, and is occupie(lby a
battery,whichat the time of ourvisit consistedof foul guns an(l
two mortars. The valleybelowthe junotionof the two streams
2 L 0
502 WIr.AINSWORTHfrOS to MoszFl.
Constantinople [T0V

is crosse(lby a palisadewhich stretchesup the hill, upon the

declivitiesof which,to the left, are two smallbatteriesat diSerellt
heights, and on the right side similar entrenchments exist, one
at the foot of the hill, the otller on the (leclivities. This spot
is calle(lChiftlik-khan,and there is also a lJridgebesides the
Kervan-serAi.It is now(lefende(lby a fewgunnersandArnauts,
whosechief businessappearsto be to stop the deserterswho con-
tinllallypass throughthe defile. As there was no resting-place
here, nor onwardsfor some distance,we turnedup the valley of
Aluguga, by a ba(l road. AlJout22 miles up the valley, we
came to the lQishla (winter-quarters),which ve were disap-
pointe(lat findingyet untenanted,so we had to proceedabout
the samedistancefurther,whenwe foundthe villagersoccupyin
two separatespots. About 3 milesfurtherup, a mine of argen-
tiferousgalena is worketlupona small scale. The valley,lvllich
pursuesa direetionof from 60@S. to 70?W., to from 60? N. to
70?E., is generallynarrow,I)utcontainsnumerousvineyartlsan(l
manyplantationsof walnutsand cherries;the latter,whichare of
threedifferentkinds, are much soughtfor both at Koniyahand
at Adanah. There were manypicturesquepointsof view in this
wooded arsd rocky valley, above which the central chain of
Bulghar towersalongits wholelength almostperpendicularly to
a height of upwardsof 1000 feet abovethe spectator. In this
centralchainwe only observedlimestonerestingon talcandmica
schists,but in the outlyingchain were a great varietyof altered
rocks,amongwhich,besidesa varietyof spilitesor amygdaloi(lal
formations,was a remarkablybrightred rock,whicllalso abounels
in otherparts of the passes, sometimesv-ith a large conchoi(lal
fractureandeven texturelike a clinkstoneor phonolite,but more
generallyrudelycompact,with a splinteryfracturelike a jcasper
or thermanticle.Besides,there were talc and mica schistsas at
the Yaila of Allxguga,diallagerocks,bluish steatiticschists,an(l
schorliticsteatites.
27th. Havirlgregainedthe junctionof the streamsat Chiftlik-
khan, our routelay dowrlthe valleyS. 82?E. A little beyond
the khan we founda rivulet,the watersof whichwerewarm,but
I had not a thermometerat han(lto ascertaintheirteinperature.
About 5 miles down the valleythere is anotherpalisadecarrieel
acrossa narrowportionof the pass,and a battely is placed upon
the heightsabove. This partof the passis well woo(le(l:12 mile
furtheron, the road is hewn out of har(l rocks of saccarhoidal
limestone,and on turllin; the cornerwe passed the firstTurkish
outwork,consistingmerely of a wall carrietlin partacrossthe
valley, with an adjacentguardhouse. There are a few soldiers
at bothtlle stationslast mentione(l.
* Herepronounce(l K ushla.
 18o9.] tDos
Altegwlya
Immediately beyondChiftZit,-thanl-Turkish
the Turkish outworkisForts.
built by Mohammed'Ali, a
calle(l Shakarlouliar,c;Sugar all(lname(lfroma springbridgelately
close to it,
alwaysdesignate(las ; sweet"spring,'>clearor freshwater lJeing
wraters"of Constantinople,a by the Orientals:hencethe ;; sweet
" gol(len mu(ldyrivulet flowint, into
horn." s the
Tile valleyopens a little
guard-housesof the Egyptians; leyon(l this, and here are the first
roadpermanentlyleavesthe and lOmin. heyondthem
valleyof the Seihun,xvhich the
ina south-easterly flours on
(lirection,
ofeliallagerock, first S. while the road is carried
30? W., and over hills
banksof a large rivulet then S. 10?
theroadleavesthe flowingfromtheS.W. >AtW., downto the
tributaryof the Seihun,Ibrahimthepointwhere
blisheda quarantineof 10 Pashahadesta-
lheen (loneawaywith. It is days,whichhappilyfor us had lately
regulations certainlyremarkablethat
shouldhanTe quarantine
eachPasha establishesbecome so prevalentin the East, where
hadthem between them in his territory thus
Malatiyahand SivAs;the Pfisha Hafiz Pasha
onenteringhis of Kutahiyeh
an(l government;Haji 'Ali on
Ibrahim Pasha suggested enteringhis capital;
Golek the more vexatious
Boghazand Beirut; ^^rhile annotrances at
Latakiyah wereleft open. Iskandertln,the Orontes,antl
Travellingup the new valleywe
its
crestaftera journeyof 2 had now entered,
the
village and marketwhich hoursand upwards,an(l we reached
the Pasha has established therefound
benefit of the soldiersstationed for the
at
detaineelthere a (laywaitin, these importantposts; but we
^vere
ing
to the Turkisll system, for horses. The
Pasha's having l?een done awaypost, accor(l-
territoryas well as vith in the
aloneare kept along the greatthe tAtcirs(couriers),a few horses
lines
lespatches solely, which is done of communication for carrying
stage;shile for the traveller's by successiveSurujisat each
as
occurreel in the presentcase,convenience
from
the horsesaresent for,
ofwhich were manyhours surrounding villesges,some
1 piastre per hourin distant. The price is also augmented
from
hour, the Sultan'sterritoryto 2 piastres
besidesthe inconvenience of a constantdelay. per
Theoutworksestablished
in
muchmoreimportantthan these passes by Mohammed'Ali
are
of
beingmerelines of is generallyimagined;
fortification,fromwhichto aclvance an(linstead
hostile
country,theirlastinganddurable u)on a
and
expensebestowe(lon their character,andthecare,skill
considered as a permanentline construction,show that they are
erection. They are quite of frontierby thosewhoordereel
their
diSerentfromanything
*The observable
"sweet waters ' is
dolci " of the Frallks, merely a literal trarlslatiollof the "eaux
"aque
douces" or
amoIlgthe Ttlrks. E1).establisheelat CorlstaIltinople;the springhaying
llame
no such
a04 Mr. AINS\VORTII to Mosul. [Nov.
fromConstctntinol?le
in the SultAn'sterritory,evellat Varnahor Silistria,andcalculated
to opposean enemymoreskilledin warthanthe Turks,beingin
point of executionquite equalto whatis colnmonlymet with in
the North of France.
The plain, if it may l;)e so called, which occupiesthe level
summitbetweenthe watersof the Seihun and the riverof Tarsus
is aboutan Engli.,hlnile in Tvidth,an(l faces the magneticpoint
of N. 30? E., the approachto it lJeing,as beforesai(l,up hill an(l
througha l)rokenand woodycountry. Throughoutits widthit
is defendedby eight (liSerentbatteriesof stone, eachsurrounded
by a foss, an(l approachedby a drawbridgewith doublegates
instead of portcullis,lcading into stonemaazines of admirable
construction, and in everypoint bomb-proof:some of these are
connectc(l,an(lthe interseningfoss is then casemated. To each
batterya signal-staffis attache(l. The system adoptedin their
construction is thatwhichI havealwaysheardmilitarymen men-
tion as nonvmostapprosedof; thatis to say,the rampartdoes not
rise much abovethe soil, the greaterpart being sunk, and the
tlitchesherehas-eleen dug in soli(lrock,whichwoul(lren(lerthe
cuttingapproachesa elifficultand te(liousulldertaking. All the
batteriescomman(lthe samefront,an(laresoplacedas to intersect
one anotheran(l not leave a sheltere(lspot, so that each battery
must be silence(lor takenin detail beforethe pass coul(lbe sai(l
to be gained. On the heights allove to the E. there are also
adelitionalan(lextensivelines, beyon(lwhich,up to the sunlmitof
the mountain,there are towersof obserxation,and at the western
extremitythereis also a stone fort Witll barracks.
A ravineor lov uncovere(lwayin the centreof the plain leads
to the rlace where the sol(liersare ill security, and shere thc
Pasha has built hisnself a commo(lioushouse. Blacksmiths,
carpentersan(lbuilders are also kcpt here upon a large scale,
both for rellairsand also to carryon the works,whichare not yet
complete(l. There are upwar(lsof 100 guns distribute(lin the
battelies. The amountof gunnersand soldiersstatione(lhere at
present, an(l clliefly livingin log-huts, is not however neally
sufficientfor the defenceof these extensivelines.
By obsers-ation with the boiling-pointthermometer,the eleva-
tion of this culminatinglevel was foun(l to be about3812 feet:
we hatlsharpfrostsboththe nights thatwe spenthere, an(l con-
gratulatedourselvesthatno snowhad yet fallen.
29th. Ourroadlnowdescende(lrapi(lly,with the tributariesof
the riverof l arsus,into a pass in the directionof S. 20? W. A
shortway(lownnardsve founda small battery;but it aprearsto
be abandone(laneldoesnot comewithinthe scope of the existing
fortifications. Imme(liatelybeyondtllis is the most formidalJle
part of the Golek Boghaz, where an ancientl)ut illegiblein-
 Egyptian Outworks Golek
1839.] Bo$h(zz. 50)
scriptionhas fallen,with the
face downwardsinto the rock uponwhichit was
attestthe lalJourandtrouble stream,andtracesof ancientcut, with its
spentby formerconquerors chisel-work
int, a waythrougha in open-
narroxv
pices,whichone voul(l think gorge, amidstlofty limestonepreci-
anotherThermopylae. a handfulof men coul(lconvert
into
:Belowthis ass vegetation
changesin its characteraSor(ll)ecomesveryluxuriarlt,and many
clirnateon the Cilician siele aloun(lant evielenceof a changein
allnostexclusivelyof l)inesof of Taurus. The forests consist
thellik 'I'agh. fine growth, lJutnot so
Plane-treesgrowby the water's large as in-
bottomof the valley is fille(l vith a dense edge, while the
)ak,bay,laurel,quince,
aresentmoment tlle pink wi](lfig, wilelvinecow-ering of evergreen
an(l cedar. At the
ilower,but tlle lnyrtle an(leyclam(n an(l lulue crocuses are in
notappeartill a littlelower arl)orJuelae(Cercissiliquastrum)do
(Rhamnus doxvn,wllerethe wilulo]ive
jujuba) beconlecommon,an(l andjujube*
are clothe(lwiththe brightreel the banks of rivulets
On the right-han(lor S. olean(ler.
si(le
summits of limestone,towering,of this leassare tsrol)old rocliy
lare
surlounding forest: the mostwesternofantl pleci-)itous,over the
castle,vvithcrurnbling these bearsthe ruinsof a
wallsandroun(l
imme(liately belowthis,an(lprettily towers,saidto le Genoese:
mountain side, is the elnbosomed amongtreesonthe
of
tmelfurther southwar(l,is theGolek,while in the valleybeyond
village

'Ali'smines. village attache(lto

WIobammel
At a distanceof S miles
hereI hall slept on a from the rockygapwe cameto
formeroccasion,an(lhere the a khan
itself
into t^robranches;the one roaddivi(les
an(l
its streams, leadsto followsthe courseof the
salley
in a directionof S. 2a?Tarsus; the otherturnsoverthe hill-
side
tancl

E,
Wefollowe(l the latter route, asand leadls(lirectlyto A(lanah.
previolls I had l)een to Tarsus
occasion;but I lvoul(l on
asthey will then get recommen(l
tl

byTarsus, futuretravellersto go
ontheAdanallroadtheyhaveto goo(l quartersfor the nit,ht,hile
go outof the vay to finfl
an(l
there is not above 2 hours'
(liSerencein the lengthvillage,
a
roaels. of the
Passing by a ruinouskhan, near
travertino
froma rivuletwhich which is a large deposit of
with
lime, we turne(lroundtlle appears to be remarkablyloaded
alueE. to S. 80? E., till hill's side fllong a wood an(l by
tombs,
fromthe khan; an(l22 we entered a glen of limestone,
4miles
in a milesdownthe glen, which
south-easterly directioll,is a khanwith one opens
or two a(ljacent
;k "
Locust-tree," sayS BIr.
or charob:Aillsworth-evidelltly
ceratoIlia siliqua
irl America by an oversight- as that
treeis the
acacia,
are calle(l " Gleditechia triacallthos, Robinia
locust-tree."-ED1 pseudz
506 Mr. AlNSWORTHf}Om Constantinople
{oMosul. [Not.
housesdelightfullysituatedamidstabundantwaters,surroun(led
by treesandshelteredby arloverhangingcliS.
The roadlay hence over the hill's side, leaving the glen and
soon enteringupon a hillyccountry of tertiaryrocks; 12 mile Som
the last-mentionedkhan thereis a ruinedcastleol squalebeacon
resemblingin structulemanJof the moresimpleold Irishcastles.
There is canother of a similarcharacterupona woo(ledandconical
hill, 1 mile to the right. At this distanceit appeclrslike a
l-oundtowz er, but as we arrivedearlyat our village,I ha(larl op-
portunityof visitingit. Passinghence on-ersolnezoophyticlime
stone, and ctossing a rivulet hid among oleandels,we cameto
a low coulltryof rhomb(idalsandstone, and turningoWto the S.
for about 1- lnile, calmeto the same village ^JhereColonel
Chesneyanda small partyrestedon a formeroccasion,an(lfrom
whence the Colonel and mself, having gone out the ensuing
morningto shootpartridges,lost the lemainalerof the parts, an(l
were oI)lige(lto find our way throughthe countryof Balinjan
OZghluto Sis, a journeywhich occupie(lus three days. This
BadinjanOJghluis a Turkomanof great considerationfiom the
extentof his possessionsan(l the numberof his followersSin the
fertilecountryof Cilicia. He is now, and hAs been for many
years, the civil govelnor of Adanah, which is, however,always
the residenceof one or moreof Mohammed'Ali's generals.
The village at lvhich we hatl now arrivedS and the naIneof
which, hy some unfortunatequarrellingwith the inllabitants,I
faileflto obtainscommandsa s-eryextensiveand trulymagnificent
arospect. Tlle greaterpartof Cil;ciaCampestris,with the towns
of Tarsusand Adanah,are stretchedat the foot of the hills, anel
the horizonis l)nlybouncle(lin the same directionby the shc)res
of the l\Iediterranean;while l)urclun l'agh, Amanus, an(:lin
front Jelel El-AiTCr, formthe backgrounal to tlle E. It may lJe
wcorth rhile to recordone or twv distantbearingsfromtllis point.
Jebel Akra' (AbountCasius),S. 2 1?E.; :Ras-el-lVhanzir(Boals
Heafl), S. 27? E.; Beilan-(lefile,S. 47? :E.; N. rock of Jcbel
El-N ur (see Beaufort'sKaramania) S. 68? E..; N . end of
Amanus( Darius'pass),S. 82? E.
30tAa.-Wesoonregainctl the greatreadto Adanah,which leel
alollg a valleyfromS. 15?to S. 20? E., an(labout 9 miles from
the villagecame to anothersquareruinouscastle,which,like the
{thelztwo, exTiderstly belolzge(lto some Eurvpeanyossessorsof the
rich alld fertile?lain of Adanah;nd Tarsus. We finallyentered
uponthis p]ainat a shortelistancebeyonclthe ruin; and as we are
now leavingtlle Golek Bhaz, I may be allowed to remark,in-
dependelltlyof its interestinggcogIaphical featules res-iously
notice(l}thatit ^vouldalso be impossiblebI arlytra^7eller to ride
throughthe wholelengtl-lof tllis pass withoutbeing muchstruck
1839.] Roads Bcictinjan .Tagh.
O'yAlie-Dxrd2en 507

with its xariedbeauties; I can now compareit with four other

long and tedious passes throughTaulus, one of which is asso-
ciate(lin my mind vith only painfulrecollections,an(lalthough
not so difficult,an(lperhapssurpasseclin one single pointby the
Dur(lun Tagh +here the roal carriedover the hill suzldenly
comes upon the Pyramus,rolling alonga (leep an(l(larkchasm
n<.nyhun(lredfeet below,sharppreeipiceson all si(les,anel the
shining lreakof Durdilntoverint,up to the skies al)ove,with no
visibleroaelleft forthe astonishedtraveller; rivalledalsoperhaps
in the ?aSSof Ak Tagh by the beautifulvalley of Erkenek;-
still the G(.)lekBoghaz contaillsby far the most numerousanel
xTarie(l points of bol(landmassivemountainsceneryof any of the
other passes. The superiorheight of the mountains,an(l the
gigantic scale of the sceneryof the Alps, (loesnot allowof their
l)eing fairly comraredwiththe chaanof Taurus,in everyrespect
inferior to them; but the able illustratorof the fevrmer(Mr.
Xrocke(lon)woul(lalso fin(lmuchthatwoul(lbe highlyworthyof
his pencil in the Golek Boghaz. The differencesof elevation
lJetsseenthe t\\70 Wili no doubt be hereafterasceltaincd? but it
will lJe more (lifficultto (lecide upon their peculiarclaims to
listinction. There are in the Golek pass open spaceslike the
Vallais, lout in the Vallais, on each side, are long continu(us
mountainrallges, which ultimately(especiallyto a pedestrian)
becolne monotonous,while in the Golek, mc)ulltainsucceedsto
mountaint(? the rit,ht anel left, antlvast semicircularprecipices
su)portltroken2,1acierspile(l one upon anotherin such profuse
confusionantl inilnitalulegrandeur,that it is impossibleto tear
oneself from a scene hich, whereverone turns,I)resentsa nelv
won(lel-.In its morerocky,cragtyscenery,the Golek is, as far as
such a successionof fallen masses,
I have seell, quite vlnris-alle(l:
rockyprojectionsanel steep cliSs, will not aflmitof descri?tion;
or wouldthey be replesente(lby the Trosaclesten times mag-
nifie(l. I nee(l not Inentionthe vegetationor the hal)itations o?
1nen,as ad(lingto the peculiaritieso? these scenes; but one thing
is deservingof notice-the lammer-geyeror contlorof the Alps is
arely seen by tlle traseller, except at heights at +hich its size
an(lstrengthcan only be conjectureel;but the great lare-necked
vulture, which representsin Taurus the condor of the An(les,
analthe lammer-geyerof the Alps, and is a largerbizelthanthe
latter, Inzy be sometimesseen in (lozenstogether,*vaitingtill
some surly shephertls'(lcogshaxe ha(l theirfill of a newly-killeel
animal,an(lthey are neser wantint,amielsttheirfavouritecrags.
The featuresof the l)lain of A(lanahare s-eryuniform: here
an(l therc is an occasionaltrce, most generallythe loellst-tree
(Caratonia siliqua), a peculiarityin ^shicllit di?el'S from almst
6everyother plain in Asia l\Iinor or Syria. The thornyacacia,
508 {oMosul. LAlov.
Mr. A I NSWORTH from Constantinople
the caper(Capparis spinosa),and two species of robinia,are its
only shrubs; itS floweringplantsand grassesare numerous. Its
more remarkabletenants are gazelles, foxes, hares, jerl:oas,
ground squirrels,and largeand small bustards. It is celebrated
for its cultisationof cotton,and nowproducesmuch sugar-cane.
There are also mallydate-trees,a furtherprvof of the warmthof
its climate.
The learnedPresitlentof the Royal GeographicalSociety, in
his Anniversary A(ldressfor 1838, has verytrulyremarkedof the
Cilician,Amaniann andSyrian passes,that they included" a line
of marchwhich,fromits leing so frequentlymentionedby histo-
riansas that whichwas preferre(lto all others in tlle colnmuni-
cation betweenthe eastern and westernparts of the continent,
must have possesse(la(lvantagesin a militaryan(l commercial
point of w-iewwhichhavenot yet l)een sufficientlydevelc)pe(l,but
resultingas well fromthe natureof the countriesto be tlaverse(l
as fromthe facilityof commandingsupplies for the support of
armies." Withoutproposingto myself to unfol(leventhe majo-
rity of these peculiarities,I maypelhapsbe allowedto pointout
what appearedto me as leadingfeaturesin the case. The first
of these is that,fromthe sea-shoreto the northerntermirlation of
'Ali Tagh, exceptsome foot-pathsand an occasionalbri(lle-roael,
thereare veryfew feasible passes throughTaurus. The firsto?
these-the maritimepass-to the W. of Solah, afterwar(lsPom-
peiopolis,has beenput into a stateof defenceby IbrahimPasha,
but I understan(lthat it is difficultof access. There are other
foot and suminerroads between this an(l Eregli, from which
latterplace is a summerbri(lle-roadacrossBulghal Tagll. This
is the sameas that noticedin the Itineraryto Meccaas the pass
of " KarghahKesmez"(impassaljleby crows). Allotllerl)ridle-
roadto Tarsus takes its departurefroln whereI before noticed
is a khan; this was apparentlymuch in use by the ancients.
On one part of its courseare a numberof sepulchralgrottoes,
on anotheran illscription,and nearerto Tarsusthe remainsof an
olden road,a sarcophagusandarch,the probablehistoryof which
is containedin Rennell's "Western Asia; " but this rou(l con-
tinuesfor a long whilein the hills, an(lis in manr parts (lifficult.
I speak here from personal examination. It is not improbable
that it was by tllis roadthatCyrussent the Cilicianqueen, un(ler
guarelof Menon, as the most directtc)Tarsus. It appearsalso
to have been the road followe(l by a partof Alexander'sarmy,
andis the sameas the " It-gelme2"(inaccessibleto dogs) of the
Mecca Itinerary. Of the passes throughTaurus N. of Golek
Boghaz, I knowlittle; but in ourjourneythroughthe Badinjan
O'ghludistrict,ColonelChesneyand myself heardof nonetill we
came to Sis. Indeed, the reasonsfor the preferencegiven by
 Plainof
1839.]
Adanah-Sdanah-Defles. 309
the Greeks, Persians. Romans,
same pass may be Turks and Crusaderssto
p. 370), when he says, inferredfrom the words of the
"Tauro Straba(lib. xii.
facillimi ejus sunt ad Cilicias portas:
juxta quas
Syriamtransitus." omnibusquecommunissimiin Ciliciam et
After the necessitiesof the
ingsupplies;" case,come " the facilities
nowtheseapparently for aSord-
thefrst orderin ;' Cilicia always^rere,andstill are, of
Campestris."
a garrison
equalling$hatof Aleppo, andAdanahhas es-erywinter
townin Syria. Tarsus, is consideredthe thirel
iFrench its port, is the place
consul and English of residenceof a
Jones,loaded as manyas vice-consul. The last agent, Mr.
Theadxrantages twelvevessels
werestill greaterwhen annuallyfromthis port.
afterwards Caesareas the populousAnazarba,
thecentreof a now communicated wealth and productiveness
to
glory.WhenMallus neglecteddistrict,and
had fallen, Mopsuestiawas in its
uponits ruins. Sis, in a Christian
(Ttlm, the same plain, monasterystill rose
Seliyah,Meraneh),is still coveredwith
arch.From Issus loy the seat of an Armeniancastles
Bai patri-
oranges an(lmyrtles. Cicero,to in
the Syriangates is a
garden of
have the passageat his Epistles (and I
command), regretnot to
of
Cilicia; ard Albertus )articularlynotices the resources
cap.vi. p. 255), talks ofAquensis,accordingto Cellarius(lib.iii.
Tarsus at once. Of all the3000 ships sailing from the )ort of
of Syria,Iskenderun,orsites betweenthe pass of Taurusand
that
lnay
be saidto haveattained Alexandretta,is the only one which
it possessedat a more greaterimportancein moderntimes
than
l)ec. 1st.-To return remoteepoch.
Ahmed to our journey: we
PashaanalKhurshidPasha, found at
the
firsts)eaks French,an(l who receivedus veryAdanah
kinclly;
hot plain.the soldiers was well knownto us previously. In
this
were in their
mometermarkingat midday22;1,cent. summerdresses,thether-
without
blackeningthe bulb, 47?cent. (72 lloFahr.),andin the
(1163 Fahr.) The castle,sun,
which
was beingdestroyedwhen
the
samecondition. An last here remainsirl
omissionof that journeywas prettynearly
up
the rix7er oftheSeihun,at the bri(lgen now filleel
Adanah, it maybe remarke(l, is 325 feet in width.
tlle
allIlalsof historyas Tarsus, althoughnot so distinguishedin
ilnportance.It is noticedwas
much
by
still in ancienttimesa
townof
Byzanksays, ;; Ab Adano,Cceli Ptolemy antlPliny. Stephanus
According
to Dio Cassius,its et Terraefilio, conditamesse."
peopleof Tarsus. The inhabitantsusetl to wagewarwith
the
also
beremembered,was progressof the Crusaders it
Tlae
Bishop marked
of Adanahhatl, ly a saelquarrelat this will
quoteel
by Cellarius,a seat in accor(ling to the Ecclesiastical place.
cedon. the Councils of Nicaea Notices
an(l Chal-
510 Mr.AINSWORTH to Mo.sul. [Dec.
frornConstclntinopte
3rd. Traselleelover the plain to Misls. At this moment
there were flocks of manytTlousands of small lDustards on the
plain. l\alislsis sazll fallen since my last visit, and contains
scarce]ythirty families. The Pyramusis perfectly navigable,
an(las well adapte(lto small steamersas far as this place and
'Ainzarl:)ah as the Selhunis to Adanah;and I hase oftenthought
w^7hat a happyscene this most favoure(lvale of Ciliciawouldl)e
in the llands of an industriouseople, like thc people of the
Unite(l States. The numerousnoticesof Mopsuestiaas well as
its admirablezosition antl extensiveruins,attest its formerim-
zortance,which render its present conditiollso muchto be re-
grette(l. In a former memoir, I comparedthe (listancesgiven
by Xenopllonand the Itinerariesto Mecca and Jerusalem,with
those obtaine(lby the Surveysof the officersof the Euphrates-
Expedition,and I havc collecte(lthe variousorthographies of lhis
interestingsite, but do not give them for fear of being tedious.
For its importance,as furtherillustratingthe peculiaritiesof this
country,I may be allo+vedto quote Procopius: " Eam a(lluit
amnisPyramus,sint,ulareurl)i ornamentumferens;" and an in-
scriptiongivenby CellariusafterGruter,p. 255, which,bearing
the title of AntoninusPius, says," Evergetzeac servatorisHadri-
anaeMopsuestiaeCiliciae,sacrae,liberae et Asyli, suis legibus
viventis,et federatzeac soci Romanorum."
4th. We had a continuedand heavyrain on our journeyto-
day. I was asnareof the few cc)mforts to be obtaineelat the miser-
able village of Kurd Kulak (^X-olf's ear), but scarcelyanticipate(l
the misfortuneof being detainel a day there, which, however,
was rendele(l actuallynecessarylly the ba(l weather. Thursday,
the 6th, we passed the Amaniangates (Demir Kapu) and the
ruinsof Castabalum,an(l kept along the sea-coast,from which
the ruinsof Issus were scarcelyvisible,an(lhence,no doubt,the
reasonof theirremainingunnoticedtill the time of the Euphrates-
Expedition. This line of roadenabledme, however,to observe
that the Pinarus,afterlosingitse]f in an extensivemarsh,empties
itself into the sea by a varietyof small streamlets,which has
occasioneelmuch eliscoldancy amongtravellers. Since the insur-
rectionat the time of the campaitn of 1839, IbrahimPasha has
done his best to open marketin the long-desertedbut beautiful
a

bazar of Bayas, certainlya highlymeritoriousas well as )olitic

measure. The Pashti is activelyengageflin transportingwoo(l
fromAmanusto Egypt. To accomplishthis, he gives a pair of
exen to any family,moreparticularlypreferrinZChristiansfrom
theirsteadiness,antlout of the small allowancema(leto them for
work, they have at the en(l of a year, if possible,to pay for the
oxen.
8th. The luggagel)eingdetainedfor vfantof horses,we went
1839 ] Minzj -Kurd
. -Avul
. cik-
* Iskenderiln. 51 l

on a-headto the house of WIr.Hayes, WI.B.NI.,Vice-Consulat

Iskenderun. We found this little place much improvetl. Mr.
Hayes ha(l built himselfa commodiousEnglish-lookinghouse;
the Austrianatent occupie(lthe ol(l consularestablishment,and
IbrahimPasha had also built granariesfor rice an(l corn, &c.
comingfromEgypt. There is no dout)tbut that if this place is
continue(lin the line of the Austriansteam-packetsthat it will
veryrapidlyrise in importance. As it is, forty vessels, on an
a^Jerage, come everyyear to this port fiom Great Britain, an(l
from fifteento twenty-from other countries. The (layafterour
arrival,it lJlewone of thosetrelnendousgales fromthe mountains
whichare so muchspokenof as being frequenthere; an(lin tlle
eveningsvewere only able to makeour wayto Beilan, where Nlr.
Hayes has a stnallsummerresielence,arldto *rhichwe werema(le
kindlywelcome.
It is noticed by Stralsoan(l other writers that Philotas le(l
Alexan(ler'shorse by the CalnpusAleius. Now ly procee(ling
fromMallosto thatplain,they woukl have crosse(lthe Pyra]nus
below Mopsuestia,I)utha-e been equallynecessitateelto pass the
Ananiangates,betweenshich and the seais a l)asalticknoll,rutle
althoughnot precipitous,on the shore. I examine(lthis particu-
larlywith the viewto the possibilityof the army, or any parto?
it, havinglJeen able to comealong the shore. Hence it is quite
correctto say, (; Post Mallum,GEgaesunt,oppielumcum statiolle,
leindeAmanialesportze,cum statione." When Qllintus Curtius
(lib. iii. chap.4) says, " tres asperosaditus et perangustosessen
quorumuno in Ciliciam intrandumsit," he meanseviflentlythe
Golek Boghaz. Cellarius, I find, after reviewingthe various
testimonies,is led awayby Polybius, who again foun(ls his de-
scriptionson the reort of Callighenes, to consi(lerthe Amanian
gates of StralJo,Ptolemy, Arrian, an(l QuintusCurtius, as the
pass over Amanus, by mhich Darius got to the rear of Alex-
ander'sarmy. Now Cellariushimself admitsthat Arrianin his
accountsays, " xcrTct sit jxta prope," or, gise the wholepassage,
" Darius superatomonte, qui l rope Pylas Amanicasest, Isson
ersusmovit,Alexandrumimprudensa tergorelinquens." Now
Polybius'slanguage,as opilosedto this correctan(lbeautiful(le-
scription,is only guess-work. " Jam Alexan(ler,inquit,fauceset
quas CiliciaePylas vocant,superaverat:Brius xero per Ama-
nidas Pylas (luctoagminein Ciliciamcum copiis pervenit.' In
the originalit is, tOCpELOV E xg%affi?VOV Tp 8RX TtO 'AvRv E-
EOZ6VZV IIVXGVVsopsgs, etc., which conveysesactlythe same im-
pression.
Upon this occasion,vithout actually visiting the district, I
looke(l carefullyat the mountains,to see what oppositionthey
wouldpresentbeJsondIssus to the passageof Darius'troops,an(l
512 NIr.AINSWORTH
from Constantinople
to Movul. [Dec.
they appearedto present several points, where few difliculties
woul(lbe presente(lto an armywithoutcannon. Ciceroendently
le(l his troops into the lleart of Amanus; for in his Epist. xx.
lib. v. ad Attic., he says he inhabitedfor severaldaysthe castle
which Alexanderhad nearIssusto defendhimselfagainstDarius.
" Ibi dies quinque morati, direpto et vastatoAmano, inde dis-
cessimus." In two epistles to M. Caeliushe narratesthe same
thing. This castle, built by Alexander,has neverthelessbeen
confoundedwith Issus,which as 'l:o;' existedas a greatandopu-
lent city in the time of Cyrus. See Anabasis,pp. 147-149.
Whether Issus and Nicopolis were two diXerenttowns, as
Straboand Ptolemt assert,or the sameas is statedby Stephanus,
I haveno new information;but the discoseryof only one ruineel
city on the plain of Issus would appearto confirmthe latter
opinion. Probablya great many contradictoryopinions may
l)e found among historiansregardingthe Cilician, Amanian,
and Syrian gates, and it can only be hoped that a correctgeo-
graphyof the countrywill alwaysbe referredto by futurecom-
mentators.
9th.-A melancholyscene presenteditself to us on our arrival
at Antioch, in the actual(lecimationof the troopsthen quartered
there: 700 men werein the hospitals, one of which is Ibrahim
Pasha'slate Palace (whichhe is saidto have sold to Mohammed
'Ali), and the average mortality was from fifteen to twenty
per day. Upon inquiryof the me(licalofficers,they attriblltedit
to the commonfeser of the country; but uponvisitingthe hos-
pitals I foundthe symptomsand course of the diseaseto present
quitea diSerentface. The attackswere sudden,accompaniedby
giddinessandgreatprostration of strength:this wassoonfollowed
by a comatosestate; the tonguewas paralysed,and the pupil
fixed; an(lif powerfulremedieswere not earlyadministered,the
attacksprovedfatalin fromfour to eight or twelve hours. The
attentionof the medicalofficersbeing roused to the truenature
of the malady, inquiries were immediatelyinstitute(l, most
minutely,into the food anddrinkof these poormen; norwas it
long before the cornwas ascertainedto be largely adulterate(l
sviththe seed of the lolians temtllentuln,* well knownin the East,
and even noticedin Scripture,for its veryfatal eSects. Ibrahim
PashEsent orders to has-e the afflicte(lre^,imentremose(l to
Aleppo, and for a time to le allowedperfectlest, in orderto re-
coverits strength
The barracksbuiltby this Pasha,fromthe old wallsof Antioch,
are still in anincompletestate The quantityof cultivationaroun(l
the townhas much increased;but the prosperitywithinhas, if
anything,diminished. The okl governorstill held his situation,
S Zizan in Arabic; Zizania of the Greeks.-ED.
 Issas-Antioch Jisr Hadid. 513
1S39.]
but complainedbitterlyof the rovertyof the colintry. Although
e}ceedinglyanxiousto serveus, we were as usual detainedfor
wantof horses.
12th. Rode in the afternoonto Jisr Hadid (Iron Bridge).
There is a strip of land on the l)anks of the Orontes,whichis
devote(lto the cultivationof the culinaryvegetablespeculiarto
Turkey, badirtjan (egg-lzlant),bctrniyah (Hibiscus esculentus),
ane1capstcum. Ibrahim Pasha has purchasedthis for sixty
purses, or 3001.,and farmed it out. It proloablyyields more
than 200z. a-yearto its proprietor.
13th.-From Jisr Hadidto Herem,*in a directionby a single
l)earing,S. 65? E., lout (leviouslyby the road, is the southerla
prolont,ation of the plainof 'Umk. l-Terem is a remarkableplace,
an(levieRently the site of a formertown. It is situatedat the foot
of the limestonerocksof Amg(.)liTagh, noticedl)y Mr.Thomson,
fromwhichan abundantsprint,issues, an(lis remarkablefor its
large mound of rllins, which rises from a still more extensive
platforrrl beneath. The situationof Gindarus,the " Acropolis
Cyrrhesticae" of Strabo (lib. svi. p. 517), also called " Ars Cyr-
rhesticae," and renownedas a resortof robbers,is well known as
heing nowthe tepeh at present called Jindaris, or Chindaris.t
IWy most^vriters it is place(l in Cyrrhestica;but by Ptolemyin
Seleucis. Be this asit may,betsveenit antlAntiochwas Gephyra
(Brielge), accordingto the Pentengeriantalules22 miles M.P.
fiom Antioch, anelat a similardistancefrom the " Gendarum"
of the tal)les. There are no ruins upon the plain of 'Umk at
those clistances;antl no doubt the olcl road, like the mo(lern
one, whetllerbounclfrom Antiochto Aleppo, or fromAntioch
to Gin(larus,was force(lto take the sameline as in the present
elay,whichwill alone give thc quantitie?s requiredby the tables,
an(lwhichat the sainetime demonstrates, almostlJeyon(la (loubt,
the ielentityof lSereman(lGephyra.
tlnheAmgoli Tath, with its culminatingpoint, called from a
toml)uponits summit, Sheikh el Barakat,but betterknownto
the Alepr)inesas MountSt. Simeon, is remarkablefor the great
numberof villages,monasteries,antlothersacreelruins,profusely
scattere(lon its most barrenrocks, or in its stonyand almostin-
accessible lralleys. These edifices, I)elongingto the earlyages
of Christianity,are remarkable also forthe architecturalskill with
whichthey-are constructed,an(lwhich,in massivesimplicityand
correctnessof style, far excee(lany mo(lernbuilelingsin the same
country. Colonel Chesneyhas in his possessiondrawingsillus-
trativeof theireculiar features,renderedstillmoreinterestingby
* MorecorrectlyHarim, prolloullce(lHerem.-Ev.
i The Arabs have no ch; I)ut the Tw;rks,Kur(ls, an(l Persians llave that sonud
thereforethis rlamewould be prorlouncedChillelarisby the latter,but Jilldarisby tbe
Arabs.-ED.
514 l\lr. AIN.SWO:RTHfrOM to Movul. [Dec.
Constantinople
the well-knownSaintSimeonStylites,wllo,accordingto tradition,
performe:lhis extraordinary penanceamidstthese rocks.
Scarcely3 miles fromHerem, the firstminesbelongingto the
zerio(lnow mentioneelare met with. They are uponthe banks
of a rivulet,overwhich was carrieda gooallybriclge. It was a
]argevillage,apparentlywithtwo churches: 2 miles fromthence
arethe ruinsof a churcll,and aeljacent to it a li(l of a sarcophagus,
in the Byzantinest-le. We had remarlie(lat Tiuln the bo(lyof
the sarcophagus, forme(lof lalninarrock, in sitv. Here a tomb
was alsoexcavatecl in the soli(lrock,the li(l alonebeint,moveable.
This is, llowes-er,verydifferentfromthe real Byzarltinetoml)s at
'AinzarlJeh,or the splendidlyornamenteclsarco)hagusat Pom-
. .

l ElOp(). .1S.
A little beyontlthese rllinswe begantn ascendthe hills. The
tall housesof a formerpopulationstoo(lprominenton the top of
the hi]l to the rightnwhile in our immediatevicinitywere ruins
apparentlyof a differentage. These now presentedonly a cir-
cularmound, with successiveterracesof small stones,irregularly
piled, so as to form a fartificationsimilar to those (lescribetlas
ma(leby the ancientBritons. We fountlanotherof these mounds
comman(lin.a narrowpass, previousto our arrivalon the plain
of O.'tna. They appeal to be of great antiquity,anelwere un-
loultedly meantfor the defence of the rc)adto Chalci(lenean(l
Chalybone,an(l which appearsto have been carrie(lalong its
presentline long before the monks helnme(lin tile llewn leath-
way, as they appearin some placesto hae clone, with so many
begging-boxes.
Curvingroun(lthis antiquemound,and aftera shortascent,an
interestingscenepresentsitself, a deep hollowin the rocks, at
the l)ottomof whichare the ta]l ruinsof an abloey,while high ul,
on the opposite acelivities, is a large an(l inhabited caxcrn.
Hewn reservoirsfor water,of large diinensions,an(lhavingstair-
casesto the bottoln,occur occzasionally by the roa(l-side. They
certainlyin(licatea most patient and laboriousindustryon the
part of the tenants of these stony +wildernesses.Passing by a
ruine(lhouse of the-same period, the roaelenters a more level
valley, having a general directionof S. 5o? E., an(lonly frcom
2()0 to 300 yards in wielth:t11eremainsof the ancientroad ale
quite evidental] alongthe centreof the valley; andnearhalfway,
there is now,an(lwas forrnerlJr, a cross-road,whichwasindicatell
by a huge stcxnewithan effacedinscription,whichnow lies in a
falling con(lition. At the end c)f this vale are lnc)reecclesiastical
ruins,a(lorneelwith Ionic columns; and here the ol(l roaelwas
hewnout of the rock: a little beaon(l,two rows of hermits'cells
occupyboth sitles of the roacl; an(l lzassingthese, the traveller
entersupon the rexrlarkable )lain of I)ina, whicllextendsto the
 E'm-yoliTayh H.erem-Dana.
1839.] 515
foot of MountSaintSimeonon
Danato be)on(lthevisible one side, an(lS. 35?W.
horizon. from
Althougllthisplain,svhichis very
water,stillit everhasbeen,an(l level,is ba(llysuppliedwith
Esen in the han(ls isstill,remarkable forits fertility.
of the poor peasantry
conscriptiolls,taxations, that
an(llevies innumerable, haveoutlive(l
a mostpromising it
aspect. The chief objectsof still presents
maize,cotton,baclinjan, and bamiyah.The land cultisationare
divi(ledillto small not being
compartments,
outin lines of exceeding as with us, tllese areplante(l
ret,ular;an(lI haveseenlength, whicharesliilfullystraight
as goo(lworkelone and
ploughing matchin Picartly. D;ina, hereas at a prize
uponan antiquesite, and which is a
averyprett)little can show, besi(lestwo modernvillage,
ofthe plain; but the circulartemple,is situate(lin ruinedchurches,
ruinedvillagesof the forlner nearlythe milldle
tivators of the soil are place(l
anllultn the usual rochs. all roundthe plain,Christian cul-
at its e(lges,
I t(lok learings of no less than
arestill more,as theyarenine
Yillages so
circumstancetl;an(l
quently hicl(lenin recessesin there
the hills. lbrfihim fre-
sent some of Pasha lately
the farmersof this plain
'Umlc, ;ln(l,if possilule,rexleem to colonise the plain of
lected country. cultivalJle portionsof that neg-
14th.- Nearly 3 miles from
ourselves oncemoreupona stony Dana sveleft the plain,and
found
anundulatingcountryof har(l roa(l, os-erlomrhills, or ratller
horizontal limestone rock, with a nearly
stratification. The
across this country,availableforonly possiblewayof makinga roa(l
and the expensewoul(lbe draught,wouldbe lJymacadamiza-
tion,
the
Euphratesby A'zazmighteasily verygreat,whereasthe
however, that there is aAsoa goo(l be put in orfler. I roatlfrom
understan(l,
numerous ruinsto our right; andwe line to the S. There were
khanand anotherruine(lvillage, crosseda valleywith an okl
and
(fig-treevillage), whe]e that fruittreethen ascen(leelto Injir K{)i
in
the rocks)or by pilint,up is cultivatedin little
holes
Passingalong a rocky stones.
upland,
cameto moreruins,I)esides al)out2 miles from Injir Kci,
we
to
our view on the adjacenthills whichotherst)resented
tlid
notalter its character or their declivities. themselves
much until T1le road
battlements of its no^sruinous long after seeing the lofty
churches,an(l minarets castle the great multitude of
houses,
all at {nce upon our that belong to the fame(lAleppo
opene(l
jacent
hill. FIere, for the first w-isionfrm the brow of
invalley
the of the Ikovireilt time, igneous rocks an a(l-
succee(l
and a contraste(l (Chalus) to the long-continuelllime-
stone,
purposesof humanity,spring configuration,and a soil available
fromthis changein the to the
the
earth's crust. structureof
VOL.
X.
2 M
51t) Mr. AINSWORTHfrot7t to Mosul. [Jan.
Constantinople
15th. Wewerehospitablyreceivedin the commercialhouse
of Mr. Kilbee, bllt afterwardsremovedto that of Acting-Consul
F. Werry,Esq., who did everythingto assist us in recovering
someof our lossesat Nizib. SuleimanPasha (Selves) had been
very polite upon the occasion, and particularlyrequestedthe
Europeansin the serviceof his highnessthe Pashato give up to
the British consulall papers,instruments,or booksof a scientific
naturewhichmighthavefallenintotheirpossession. Mr.Werry
had then recovereda few apers, chieflyduplicatecopiesof maps
and astronomical calculations;but althoughwe tracedand heard
of the local distributionof someof our instruments,we were un-
successful,aftera long delay,in obtainingthem even by the off8er
of repayment.
There are seseral British mercantilehouses, and muchcom-
petitionin the market. Goodsare consequentlygivenwith little
or no security,and great lossesare thus sustained. It is in(leed
no uncommonthingin Aleppo for a nativemerchantor tra(lerto
obtain a certainquantityof goods on credit, an(l to remit the
(' grous" directlyto lingland for new too(ls, insteadof paying
his originalcreditor. A considerableloss has lately been sus-
tained by several houses,from an attempt made to introduce
into the Britishmarketthe Valonlaand galls of Amanus,which
proveda failure, perhaps from mere opposition. In what can
these products,so abunelantin Amanus, differfrom the similar
productsof Kurdistan? Perhaps it may be answereduponthe
sameprincipleas the variousproduceof differentvineyartls; but
the oak, especiallythe Valonia,*whichis an evergreen,whilethe
galls of commerceare furnishedby deciduous species, is an
obdurateand stubbornplant,not easilyaffectedby slightcauses.
The commercethat is not Britishis of a verytrifling kind, and
seldomembracesthe wide field of manufactures.It is muchto be
regrettedthat, since the occupationof Bireh by the Egyptian
forces, the Pasha has thought properto put an a(lditionaltax
uponeach camel-loadpassingthat greatthoroughfare.
Jan.5th,1840. We had severalfalls of snowduringour stay
at Aleppo; but, contraryto ourhope, the colddidnot last. Hav-
ing set out in a fine warmafternoon,we only reachedthe district
of Hailan,wherewe hadmuchdiflicultyin findinga lodging: most
of the housesbeingoccupiedby soldiers,we werehurriedfromone
villageto another,till we at last settledat Meheritel. This wortl,
as Mr. RassAmremarked,is Syriac,and signifies " the two bro-
thers:" the nameof the (listrict,Hailan,signifies" powerful,"in
thatlanguage. This circumstancem7ill assist,probably,in throw-
ing light uponthe remarkableruins at 'Ak Deyavinand Jinder
Aba, whichprobablybelongedto old Syrianfamilies.
* Quercus LEgilops.-ED.
1840.] Aleppo Commerce Kowezk-.Hazlan. 517
6th. That was frozenduringthe hightwas generallythawed
by the sun duringthe day. We ha(l, however,a cold piercing
windin our faces,whichcompelle(lus to dismountandwalkon at
a quick pace. We left a lake to our left, then crossed the
Koweik (Chalus) flowing S. E., anel in orderto connect this
countrywith A'az, OU1' formerline, we went up the banksof the
river, by a small village an(l Tell, from which we enjoyed a
goo(lprospectof A'zaz, an(l its Tell an(l adjacenthills an(lthe
more (listantKillis. We then turnellback to the S.E. to 'Ak
Deyavin,whither our baggage had gone elirect. In attempting
to crossthe countryour horses got so (leepintothe mire,thatat
onetime we were almost in despair of being able eitherto pro-
cee(l or to return. 'Ak Deyavlnis remarkalule for its Tell; (and
in this country almost every village has its mound Tell in
Arabic,Tepeh in Turkish;) surroundedby ruinouswalls built of
giganticstones,whichsupportthe declivitiesof the hill, an(lshow
thatit is certainlya workof art. Tell Bashil,in this district,as
is well known,was the site of a castle at the time when the cru-
saders carrie(ltheir arms l)y Bireh to E(lessa. That some of
these moundsare naturalthere can be no doulot; as some,also,
are in partnatural,an(lin partartificial.
7th.-We passedby JinderAba, wherethereis a Tell of trap
boulderssurrounded1)y-a wall, and rhere the A'zaz and the
Aleppo roadsjoin, to the vi]lageof lS.Iala O'ghlil a stationwell
knownto Mr. Rassamand myself. The next day, JanuarySth,
crossingthe Sajur, we quarteredourselvesat Ekisha, a small
village; whence on the ensuing day, January9th, we reached
Bireh or Birehjik, after a journeyof 6 hours. For the last 2
dayswe ha(lha(l muchrain,an(lourold enemyaguehad assaileel
both M1. Hassaman(l myself. I have nothingfurtherto remark
uponwhat has been previouslypublishedrespectingthe geology
of Northern Syria, than that the succession of formationsat
Aleppo, on the cliSs overhangingthe river Koweik (Chalus)to
the W., are fromabovebelow--
1. Hard, coarse,cavernouslimestone,with ostracites,conides,
pectinides, turritellae,a donax and a venus. This is the
formationwhichappearsto constitutealmostall the Emgoli
Tagh, anllwhichhas l)een designatedas a conielelimestone;
but as it here lies upon plastic clay, it prol)ablyrepresents
the " calcairegrossier" of the Parisbasin.
2. Greyish-greenrock, earthyand soft; sometimesa greenish
clay not fossiliferous,with veinsof aluminiteand talc spar.
S. Red and greenthermanti(les.
4. Blackish-greyspilites (a coarse paste,with nodules of cai-
careousspar).
Spilites and leasanites.
2 1W2
Sl8 M1. AINSWORTHfrOS Constantinofleto Mo.sul. [Jan.
These formationsare succee(ledto the E. by irregularlyfissile
chalk,whichtherecontainsno fossils,but occasionallyflints. At
Jinder Alea a rather estensive districtof basanite commences,
succeedingthe hills of yellowfissile chalkto the N., and extend-
ing far awayto the S.: to the E. it is itself succeededly yellow
chalkwithinabout32 miles from the Sajur(in which the con-
glomeratesareprobablya local f)rmation),while the traprocks
formcliSs whichstretcha+vayto the S.E., abovethe level of the
surroundingcountry. The eliagonalline followed fromAleppo
to Bireh enablesme to makethese little additionsto the geoloy
of this tract,and serves furtherto illustratethe frequentoccur-
rencein these countriesof igneous rocksbetveen the chalkan(l
supra-cretaceous deposits. Bireh was occupiedby the troopsof
Mohammed'Ali, who were for the most partquarteredin the
mosques,while the fine old castle, a noble monumentof the
Macedonians,Saracens,and Crusaders,was now abandoned.
The few old guns and the littie ammunition, whichit coul(lbonst
of, had been remove(lto Aleppo,but manyof the formerwere
brokenup on the road.
While we were at Bireh the weathercleare(lup an(lwas fol-
lowed by a sharpfrost,which material]yimprovedthe health of
the party, so tl-satwe were enabled to continue our journey,
(Sunday,January11th,) whenwe travelled10 hoursto Charme-
lik, a villagewith huts like bee-llives,so commonin the plains of
Harranand Seruj, where *roo(llJeillgveryscarce,flat roofs are
superseded by ingeniously contrive(l spherical or dome-like
coveringsof sun-driedbricks. There are somevillagesthus con-
structe(lin NorthernSyria,and they are alway-s the dreadof tra-
vellers,as they aboundmore in verminthananyothers. There
is an allcient Tell at Charmelik,besides a modernkhan, and
this place has been markedill the maps as the site of Anthe-
musia,the capital of the districtso named. That site, however,
is far frombeingsatisfactorily determine(l.
12th. This day we reachetlUtrfah, xvhereX-e found Mo-
hamme(l,colnmoniycalled Ma'junBeg, commanderof the irre-
gular troolrsattachedto the Egyptianarmyin Syria, stationed
with threeregimentsof infantry,besidesa greatnumberof irre-
gular cavalry,who were continuallyemployedill foragingparties
in the plainsof NIesopotamiaSuverekon the one side, and Ras
el 'ASinon the other, being theirpointsof rendezvous. The time
of the year,at whichthe battleof Nizib took place, broughtthe
Egyptiansin; for the rice-harvestof the plain of Seruj (Batnae)
and of Harran(Charran),is by farthe mostproductivein all Syria
or Mesopotamia. On the plainof Seruj alonethereare upwards
of twentyvillageswhose inhabitantsare employedin this branch
of husbandry. The militaryare, as usual, distributedin the
184Q.] JinderAba-Geology-Bireh-Utrfah. 519

mosques; andone of the prettiestof these, that of Ibrahimel

Khalil, is alsosacrificed;loutthe sacredfishare allowellto remain
unmolested. IbrahimPrishaappearsby the systemnowgenerally
pursued,to wish gra(luallyto overthrowcertain A{ohatnmedan
prejudieesat their very foun(ltion. The large learrackof the
Tur]osaloneis in partut into requisition;an(lthe castleis shut
up; so that I couklnot copya Syriacinscriptionshich I heardof
in my formerjourney. The travellerwill finalin the va]leyN. of
the castle two ponds, both full of sacretlfish; that near the
mosqueis artificial,thatnearthe castle,natural, and at its head
thereare severalabundantspringsof water,whichin coldsveather
feels quite warm to the hand. Three of these, carefullyexa-
mined, gaxrea similar and uniformresult of + 21? centigrade
(69z? Fahr.); the atmospherebeing at the time + 4? centigrade
(39S?Fahr.).*
The rivulet which flows past U'rfah toithe E. and N.E. is
called Kara Woyi, but I fear my authoritieswere ignorant
persons. Procopiuscalls it Scirto,anclD'Anville Daisan. The
latter has got, from some unknownsource, most exaggerated
accountsof its occasLonal flooals:perhapsthey are derivedfrom
some notice of a spring about a mile W. of the town, whichis
said sometimesto overflosv with a roaringnoise,in whichthe good
priestsof U'rfahsay the miraculoushandkerchiet; havingthe lm-
pressionof our Saviour'sface, waslost.
lVIa'junBeg was extremelycivil; wished us, while at U'rfah,
to live at his expense; and, representingin a stronglight the
dangersof the roadthatlay lefore us, wasanxiousfor our taking
a guardof irregularllorse; but at length consente(lto our start-
ing with one llorsemanand a chaush, or oflicer of irregulars,
by name Etaji 'All, a leclwin fr(?mTunis, of great activityof
bodJ7,and well known by his fearlessness. Besidesthis, we had
our tatar,a uselessold man,two servants,and two surujis. This
madevlpa goo(llyparty;I)utit (lid not take awayall ansiouscuri-
osityabout the resultsof our journeyacrossthe " Mesopotamia
WIediterranea " of Cellarius,wherethe rovingtribes, alwaysun-
certainin their allegiance,di(l not nowknowun(lerwhose(lomi-
nion they lived, while they were (laily exasperatedto acts of
* U'rfah,accordingto a notice in Bell's Geography is ill 37? 10' N. latitude. The
meantemperatureof such a parallel, accordingto De Humbcxldt,would be about 64?
Fahr. At Mosul, in a lowerlatitude alld less exposedsituation, the spring of Dam-
lamahgah," Thisbe'swell," presets, from Mr. Rich's ob,servatiolls comparedwith my
owrl,a pretty corlstarlttemperatureof 66? Fahr, So that the Airl-el-Zilghah may be
decidedly coIesidere(las having a temperatureexceeding the annualtemperatureat
U'rfah. Their pleservirlgthis high temperaturedurirlg winter prevents the ponds
which they supply being frozen,and is, as we firstobservedat the springin Ishik-Tagh,
in Anatolia,highly favourableto the propagationof iish.
52() Mr.AINSWORTHfrOM Constantinople
to Movul. [Jan.
robberyby the wholesaleplunderthat wascommitteduponthem
by those who calledthemselvestheirrulers.
15th. We were only enabled,as at Aleppo, to set off in the
evening; but in this country"the start" is everything;and,
passing Gurmishsa small villagp of Christians,we crossed a
largerisulet,flowingfroma glen with a village to the N., where
hills of chalk-altounding in flintssucceededto a districtof basa-
nite. We travelled over these roads for three hours to Kara
Tepeh, a hill with a village of from thirteento fourteenhouses
and a few tents. A little leyond it is the Jalab,$ here 30 feet
wide by li to 2 deep. Accordingto Procopius,as quoted by
D'Anville, there lvas a castle called Kalaba, where the Jalab
leaves the foot of the hills; and this would correspondwiththe
positionof the mounalnow called Sara Tepeh in a districtwhere
the Turkishlanguageis now seldomspoken.
16th.-Our roadlay overan undulatin countryof horizontal
limestoneof the chalkformation,an(lwe travelle(lin a circuitous
manner,alwaysfollowingthe valleys,whichhad an uncommonly
desertedappearance. We fell in, however,after2 hours'journey,
with sometents,wherewe sought to take a new guideand leave
the one we had lJrollghtfrom Kara Tepeh to return, lout our
Bedwins had much to do, and plenty of blowsweredistributed
beforethe stulaborn Kurds could le got to move. A little be-
yondthis place, we cameupon a lnore open valleyvtowardsthe
headof whichwas a large encampment:we hovvever turne(lup a
valley to the right: it was snowing so denselyan(l I)lowingso
hard,that we coul(lscarcelysee or hearone another: we had all
been long anxiousfor a halting-place,whencomingup a hill more
bleak andexpose(lthan before, our glli(le made a halt: he no
longerknewhis way, and tlle village he was leaclingus to was
gone. Nothing that I could say coulds-ardoS the blowshe got
fromthe Bedwins: there washoweveronly one courseto pursue,
which was to return2 wearisomehoursto the encampment:our
jadedbaggage-horses tumbledat everyotherstep; but Haji 'Ali,
with his yellowboots,wasoS andon his horselike a mouse,antl
one of our servantsliept up his couragean(lgavequickassistance.
The evening found us endeavouringto make a file of a little
dampgrass; but it wasof no avail,anzlsleepwe must in ourwell-
drenchedclothes.
l 7th. There was another disturbancethis morning about
guides. Haji 'All was dealingaboutlulowswitha heavystick,his
turbanhavingfallen and left llis head bare, while his frienclwvas
usingthe butt-endof his gun. SeveralKurd horsemen,xvithan
* Jalab, anciently pronouncedGzilab,is iderlticalwith Kalaba.-ED.
1840.] Jalab -ItaraTepek-Miwar-TellGauran.
expressionof countenancethat was anythingbut friendly, had
riddeninto the tent, andthe Tadr was eyeingthem askance,pre-
tendingto be engagedin saddlinghis horse. As I hadpreviously
balancezlmeans,andknewthatwe could beatthe wholeencamp-
metlt by the superiorityof our arms and men, I watchedthe
resultwithoutinterfering. The Pashd'sauthoritywas ultimately
recognisesl,anda propermountedguidewas given to us: he did
not, however,proYe of much use: we retracedour steps to the
place whencewe set outyesterdayevening,andthenthe snowwas
so (leepoverthe adjoiningupland thatno traceof a path wasto
be found: the guide and Haji 'All were activein ascerldinghills
where^rer a glancecouldbe obtainedof a new country. At length,
aftera tediousride, we reachedan abandoned village,fromwherlce
we oltained a lriew of the fertiledistrictof Mizar, wheretrap-
rocks, succeedingto the limestone,a sort of cultivatedoasis
occurs,dispersedaboutwhichare manyvillagesof tents; in one
of which,calledChabakchu,*we foundanotherfiremadeof grass,
and space enough for a nap. The igneous rocks of the Mizar
district extend to the KarajahTagh, distant N.E. alJout 10
miles: they also occurat intervals;and occupyloyfar the greater
partof NorthernMesopotamiafromhence to the foot of Masius
near Mardln.
18th. We travelledover a cultivatedplain, coveredhowever
with large stones, 2 milesto Zibilli+ village and tell: here we
changedour guide,and then pursuedourjourneygenerallyin a
directionfromS.E. to E., passingseareralrillages andtells, among
whichwas one calledTell Gauran(Gabr'shill), with a ruin on its
summit, sai(l to be that of a Christianchurch,till we came to
Tell Ja'fer, wllere it was settledthat we should pass the night:
some parts of the road had been very stony and othersvery
muddy:it was like the countrynearJezireh, and is verybael in
winter:it is worthyof mention,that althoughsnowfrom6 inches
to 1 foot deep covereclthe limestone district, the moment we
came upon the basalt and basanite,none wasto be seen. The
outlinevf the countryis alsoquitealtered,and an infinitevariety
of low roundedhills with grassyvalleysintervening,is succeeded
by long sweepsof clllti^7atedor barrensoil, occasiorlalspotsbeing
coveredfor mileswith nothingl)ut loose stones. Tllis districtis
traversedby many rivulets, chiefly irl beds havingrockysides:
villagesinhabitedby Millis Kurds(not TurkomAns,as stated in
some maps) with their accompanyingtells, are b be seen in
everydirection. To the S.E. the plain is boundedby the hills of
Sinjar; to the S.w. by those of ?Abdal 'Azlz and betweenthe
two is the veryremarkablehill calle(l Tell Kaukab(Star hill)*

* ChibUkCh{2.-ED. t Dung-ville.-ED.
b22 Mr. AINSWORTHffOm C'onstGlntinople
to Movtel. [Jan.
Nearer to the N.W. are the hillsjust traversed,forwhich I coulel
find no name. To the N.E. WarajahTagh, and beyond it the
rocky and snow^cladsummit of Masius, were now distinctly
visil)le. KarajahTagh is a rocky range of conicalsummitsof
trap-rocks,runningnearly N. and S. I)etweenthe districts of
Suverek and Divar Bekr. Mount Masius commencesat the
flourishingandwoodedvillageof Derrik,fromwhichit firsttakes
its name,an(lconsistsof a lange of limestonehills, which termi-
nates ratherabruptlyin the plain. On oneof the boldestof tllese
rocks Mardinis singularlyperched, while beyonelit, the preci-
pices dwindleaway,and are occupiedby the monasteriesattached
to lleiri Za'feran. Tlle prolongationof these hills to the N.E.
is the celebratedJebel Tur. Fromthe Deiri Za'feran,low hills
advanceto the S., an(l bearthe ruinso? Dara: they then s^veep
roun(lto the E. oppositeNisibin. The watersof the Jakhjakhah
(Mygllonius)mahetheirwaybetweentwo Christianvillages, an(l
the hills l)ecomemore lofty (the KarajahTat,h of Mr. Forbes),
bearingupontheirdecli+rities the castleof Khallfah (once a no-
toriouslobl)er of these (listricts),which is visible fromthe road
to eitherJezirehor Mosul, andgivesits nameto thesemountains.
Not far fromthis the limestoneis succeededby traprock,which
brms the conicalhill of Ba'arem,an(la low rangewhich(lescen(ls
downto Jezirehibn 'Omar; a little to the N. of which,this last
by the Tigrisfiomthe
of Masiusis only separate(l
prolongation
of JebelJudi,whichthereforma passwellknown
boldprecipices
sincethe daysof Xenophon.
10th.-We wenta littleoutof our road,althoughtheanxiety
of ourguarelwasincreasingas we approachedwithinsightof the
castle of Mardin,to visit the ruinsof a eity calledby the natives
Kohrasaror KohHisarg(high heador eastlemount). We found
the ruins to be more extensive and remarkalulethan we had
expeeted, and regrettedthat eireumstanees dil not allowof any
elelayfor measurementand minute examination. The walls of
the city lrerebuilt of goo(lsquarehewnstones(basalt),like those
of Oiyar-Bekr,andwere defendedby squareand roundtozlters.
The towers on the N. side preserveabout half their original
height, but on the other sides, are more ruinous: the spaee in-
elu(le(lwithinthe walls is nearly square,and the extent of any
one of the si(lesfiom 600 to 700 yar(ls: the whole of this spaee
is filled up with ruins of houses, exeept towardsthe E., wllere
there is a large motlnd, apparentlyonee a building of some
extent. The housesw-ereevnstructedof hewn stonewith semi-
eireular arehes an(l interveningmasonry: many of the arehes
are still standing. We found no inseriptionsnor Babyloniall
* This name is probablyirlcolrect.-ED.
 1840.] W.ct}
. ajah Tayh-JaDjahah
. . . Koh I-Iisar.
*. 524

bricks, but by no means explored all the ruins ;hich cover

abouta mile of groundin and outsideof the walls. By far the
most remarkableremnantconnectedwith the ancient place is
the burial-groundwithout the walls, rhich n7ithresiect to its
constructionandarrangement,is the mostperfectnecropolisthat
I haveever seen: each tolnbwas a separateand distinctmauso-
leum, built of massivehewnstc)nes,forminga chamlterwiththree
arca(les,one frontingthe entrancean(l one oll each siele: each of
these arcadeswas divide(linto two parts,by a huge single slul)of
leasalt,so as to containone coffinaboveand onebelow,or sis in the
saxnesepulchre. The elooritselfconsiste(lof anotherheavymass
of basalt,ssTungupon hingescut out of therock,antlreceive(linto
circularholes in the building.* Although many of them were
quiteperfect, it requireda man'sstrengthto movethem; and as
a portalwas thus left to the housesof the dead,it
appearsas if
as in Egypt, the inhabitantshal been in the practice of visiting
tllem; an(lin the interiortherevv-as spacefor two or threepersons
to walkaboutin: these tolllbswerein partunderground, laid out
in regularrows,of sllich there *vereabouttwenty,each contain-
ing neally 1()0 tombs: ami(lst these are the more lofty ruins
apparentlyof churches,not unlike, as are also the houses,those
at Garsaura:one of these was tolerablyperfect; of anotherthe
+^7alls
rose like pillarsfromthe plain.
only

It is impossilule,fromwhatwe could observe,to formany satis-

factolyconjecturesas to the antiquityof this city; but the crosses
Dculpture(l upon tlle portalsof the tombsandthe characterof the
chulches, show that it belonge(l to the Lower Empire, and to
a Christiancommunity.
We ha(la longjourneythis day, passingseveralte]ls that had
lost theiraccompanying villages,fromthe ruinsof lvhich*venow
onlydisturbedsome gruntingl)oars,then lost our way in a wide
grassyplain, and soon aftervardsour gui(le, who turne(loW,or
made of to the left, while Haji 'Ali was reconnoitringto the
right; but we ultimatelyreachedsome Itur(l tents,where, not-
withstan(ling theirprotestationsagainstreceivingus, we persiste(l
in quarteringourselvesfor the night: on the vhole, the contlact
of these Kurelsmustlze lookeelupon as rery cre(litableto them,
moreespecially- xvhenit is consi(lere(lthatany robberycommitted
atthe presentmomentis certainof a perfectimmunity.
20th. Our actixeBedwinswere ob]ige(lto part from llS this
morning,moving of over the plains to Ras el 'Ain, while we
* Lord Lindsayfound tombswith somewhat similar massive
6inchesthick, antl still moving ols their hinc,es,at Um Wais,stone-doors
from 5 to
probablythe atlcient
Ga(lara
(Athenaum, No. 564) . Thesetombswereillhabite(l,atldmy companionswould
havethe tombsof Koh-Hisaror Kohrasar,to be also houses.
524 {oMosul. [Jan.
Mr. AINSWORTTIffOm Cortantinople
crosseda streamcalled Jahjah,*where there are the ruins of a
bridge:t we nowregainedthe greatcaravanroad,and aftera ride
of 5 hoursarrivedat Mesko, a stationaryvillage,wherewe found
some of the Sultan'sirregulartroops: they looke(l at us with
wonder; but the T)resence of a governmentTatar savedus from
troublesomeinquiriesan(lexaminations. At this place there is
soxnecolumnarbasalt or rather basanite (augitic basalt), the-
columnsof whichare twicethe size of any at StaSaor Fairhead,
which are themselveslarger than thoseat the Giant'sCauseway.
About 2 lniles from Mesko some ruins indicate the formerex-
istenceof a village; another,of whichthe tall minaretsattractthe
traveller'seye on the roa(lfromMosulto Mardin,as well ason the
presentroad,is called KochasAr, no doubta corruptionof Koch-
Hisar, and was formerlya place of some importance. We tra-
velled till darknand stoppedat the small village of Gurmalah,
the castleof MardinbearingN. 66? E.
21st.- On our roadto Mardinwe passeda valley with rivulet
an(l olive-groves,I)eyondwhich there are two villages built on
the nakedlimestone. This place is called Kursuor Gurusdan.
but awaitat Gol,
I had intende(lnot to go up the hill to WIardin,
a Christianvillage on the plain S., a little W. of the cDity: as,
however, some delay *ras likely to arise from our remaining
below, we trudged up that tediousascent,and exactly one hour
from leaving the plain foundourselvesat the level of the lower
wall of the city.
22nd. When Turkisll affairs assume(lso unfavourablean
aspectas they (liclupon the late success of the Egyptians,and
the overthrowof the Sultan's armies of seven years' growth,
Mardinwas one of the firsttownsto revoltin favourof the old
state of things: everythingthat was Europeanwasdiscarded;the
new militarydresswas lookedupon as the cause of all misfor-
tunes, antl the Turks to regain their wonted superiority,had
nothingto (lo but to reassumetheirold clothes. Not 7 yearsago
lM;irdin underwent,frolnits perpetuallymutinousspirit, all the
rigours of a captureby the troopsof Reshid Pasha, at which
time, a mine was so skilfullyexplodedas to destroya number
of the Sultan'stroops an(l a jami' or large mosque,withoutin
any way affectingthe position of the mutineers,wK had fled
intothe castle: since thattime it has beenattachedto the Pasha-

* Or Jakhjakhah. See p. 527.-ED.

+ This river is a tributaryto the Kaukab,if not that river itself, which may change
its slameIlearTell Kaukab. It appearsfromMr. Forbess Memoirthat all the streams
flowiIlgfrom the S. side of KalajtlhTagh and the Mardin hills, fall into the KhabGr
beforethe riversof Nisibill, 'Aznowar;&c. which again unite with it beforeits junction
vith the Hc.li.
 1840.] MeskoGurusdanMardzn. 5
lik of Diyar-Bekr;andwhenthe Sultan's'government
the midstof its (lifficulties,to secureits authority,by hastened,in
mentof Sa'dullahPasha, the peopleof Mar(linsawno the appoint-
but that of surrenderingor going overto the Pashaalternative
The bigoted adherenceof the latter to many of theof Mosul.
Mohammelansuperstitions,had gained for him manyadherents exclusive
in the city of Mardin,and he was accordingly
allowe(l send a
governorthere'an(la smallbodyof troops,for whichheto no doul)t
receivedthe thanksof the supremegovernment. Ibrahim
will doubtlesssoontake possessionof this town, when Pasha
the ruins of the castle will be still furtherprostrated,probably
unrulycommunitywill be sent to cultivatethe and this
thatlie at its foot. In the meantime authority lJeautiful plains
ticklishfoundation,and while the Egyptiansareremains on but a
sendirlgan agent
to DairS,whichgives them the commanel of the greatroad from
Constantinopleto Baghda(l,Sa'dullahPasha is
fortunateDerrikon accountof a real orsupy)oseslriflingthe un-
with the Chieftainof U'rfah. The irregularcavalry, correson(lence
there were frorn1000 to 1500 at Mardin,were of which
ployed in scouringthe surroundingcountryin pairs; constantly em-
performedtheir (lutywithoutspirit. Mardin,which, but they
lnetricalobservationsmade during my brmer visit, Ifrom baro-
to be 3125 feet, I nowthink,fromfurther supposed
morethan2300 feet alvovethe level of theconsideration, not to be
sea. Fromthe castle
of Mardin,Tell KaukabbearsS. 4? E.; the Sinjar
generallyfrom S. 54? E. to S. 12?E.; and the hills hills extend
of 'Al al
'Azxzfrom S. 6? W. to S. 42? W.; the road to Mosul S. 21? E.
The prospectfroznMardln is one of the moststriking
be^vellconceived,not only fromthe almostinfinite thatcan
extent
tivate(lland that lies stretche(lout at its feet as on a of cul-
the nllmerousvillagesand hillockswith which they map, from
andwhichdwindleaway in the distanceto a mere are studded
alsofromthe vast an(lalmost boundlessexpanseofmole-hill, but
grounflunbrokenby treesor rivers,andfor the mostpart nearlylevel
gradually from sight to the utmostverge of the horizon, sinking
everything is indistinct,and here, fromthe greatheightat where which
thespectatoris placed,so estremelyremote.
23rd.-As usualon the first day we only just madea start,
forwhen the horses were brought, every one was
shoeing:we were joined here by a bishop an(lfound to want
Church of Rome, whowere going to AlIosul:theypriest of the
had been to
Constantinople in orderto obtaina fermanfor buil(linga church,
but had only succeededin gettingauthorityto divide
ofthe existingJacobitechurchesinto twopartsby a one or more
whichhas in one case leen carriedinto execution centralwallS
since our
526 to Mosul. [ Jan.
M1. Al N SWORTH from Constantinople
arri^7alat Mosul. We only travelledo hoursto Harin, a villoge
and tell.
24tA2.-About3 miles from Harin is Kasr Bor;, a ruin of
the sameage as Dara, loeingpart of a castlein whieh,acec)rding
to a traditionmentionedby our companionthe bishop,a son of
Dariusonce live(l: 42 miles furtheron, we left the ruinsof Dara,
with its vastgranaries,remarkabletomlts,an(lbeautifulresers-oirs,
on vur left. In frontof Dara there is anotherlarge granarystill
calle(lAnbar l)ara: the river of Dara, afterflowinM downinto
the plain,suplies the +vants of a largevillagecalle(lAhmecliyall:
fromhence ^ e bore anay by rather a delriousrouteto another
ruin called Kasr SerjanS. 70? E. fromthe tell of Ahmediyah,
fromwhichit is about8 miles distant. Of theseruinsin the form
of a parallelogram,nothing remainsexceptthe foundationsand
part of two octagonaltowers,one of whichis almost gone. In
the eveningwe arrivedat Nislbin.
Afterthe campaignof Sinjar in 1838, Hafiz PashaatteIrlpted
to renovatethis very ancientcityin a still fertiletractof country.
A villagewas founded; protection,with some immunities,were
oSeredto its inhabitants;an(la jami', with a large squarebuild-
ing, called a kasr, I)ut serving as barracks,and a khAn, were
erectedunderthe superintendence of 7l\1irzaPasha, a t,eneralof
cavalry,who fell at Nizib, and vas notoriousin this neighbour-
hood for his exactionsat Mardin: a large farmwas also esta-
blished; but all is now neglected: a fes treeswere planted,but
it is doubtful whether they will succeed, as it is commonly
l)e]ieve(lthat trees w-illnot grow in these plains. Some new
foundationshad lately come to light; but I could not learn
whetherany antiquitieshad been met wilh in these excavations.
The two tall columnsof marblementionedl)y lE{r.Buckingham,
and the church of St. James, formed from fragmentsof the
ancient Nisibis, andcontainingsomebeautifulfriezes,stillremain
to resnindthe travellerof a spot so often mentiolle(lbothin civil
and ecclesiasticalhistory.
25th. We had some fine frostyweather; loutour companion
the priestcouldnot get ri(l of an aguewhich he ha(lcaughton
his journey, crossingthe Mygdonius.* We passed Antari an(l
LatSf,small villages, and a Christianvillage calleel Dezan l)ik,
perche(lon the w-ery summitof the MardinMountains(Masius)to
the N^> We cameto Tell Jihan, where,on due consideration, it
was thoughtadvisableto stop, after a journeyof only 42 hours.
The inhabitants weremostbrutalandill-behave(:l, andgaveus much
trouble,althoughwe hadoUtaineda guarelof fourhorsemenfrom
* The natives call the Mygdonius Jah.jah, or Jakhjakhah,as well as the second
riverwest of Mesk6.
1840.] Hart'nNislbuz Chil-clghaCharPera.
Nisibin, and were altogether sixteen persons, our party having
increased as we went along, as trave]lers who intend to cross
Sinjar wait in the neighl)ourhoodtill others come u), that they
may altogether form a considerable body.
26th.-We passe(l the mound an(}village of 'Aznowar, lvith a
rivulet and a few trees: and'one mile leyond it, is a more rapi(l
stream, the Hassawi of l\Ir. Forbes, which bounds the leasalticdis-
trict, the limits of which, from Jezireh westwards,are trace(l in my
former narrative. The country nolv changes from a cultivated to
a grassy plain, broken by occasional ravines and rivulets. After
a ride of 7 hours, we came to Chil-aghsi, two villages close to
each other, where we were received by a lady va-hohas the ma-
nagement of the post, and was immediately converted, by a small
handkerchief, into a warm friend. We accordinglyfared well at
Chil-agha, and a laml) YW7aS killed for our supper; but our party
had become so numerous, that by some strange accident it was
consumed while dressing.
27th.-We now entered upon a still more desolate tract than
that which we crossed the day before. Eight miles from Chil-
Agha was a tell with four tents, the inhabitantsof which had been
lately robbed of their flocks by some of the Sinjar eople. Tlley
lived under the jurisdiction of Jezireh, and the governorof that
place had despatched 300 to 40() horsemen, wholn we had seen
the day before on their wav, to endeavourto recover some of tlle
lost sheep. The tell of Rumalah, as it is called, which we were
now passing, is the commencement of that part of the high road
to the E. which has been the scene of so many of the foul deeds
committed by the followers of Khalifah on the one hand, an(l the
tribes of Sinjar on the other; but they vvere always assisted by
the villagers. The country is a nearly level an(l uninterrupte(l
greensward,without water, and with only here and there a tell or
mound to break its uniformity. By a proper distribution of the
waters descending from Masius an(l the Ba'arem hills, it might
however be in great part lJroutht into cultivation, and made to
maintain an industriouspopulation, instead of the worthless vaga-
bonds to whom it is noxvabandoned.
Every one of our party now began to enliven the tedium of the
road by tales of robberies and murders committed at various
points. The Titar had his tale, the S6rujis theirs, and lnost of
the travellers added to the general stock. I coul(l not, however,
help feeling a melancholy interest myself, when a mound called
Char Pera was pointed out to me as the spot where Mr. Taylor
an(l his unfortunate companions were murdered some years ago.
Such occurrences are so many indelible stains upon the govern-
ment under which tlley occur; for the tribes of Sinjar are not
like the Bedwins of the Desert, and might, with a little troulJle
528 Mr. AINSWORTH
from Constantinople
to Mosul. [Jan.
andexpense,for whichthegovernment svouldultimatelybe repaid,
be kept in order.
The moundof Char Pera, and anotherof larger dimensions,
lvhichwe passedon this day'sjourney,were mere accumulations
of ruins, aboundingmore particularlgin pottery,and apparently
of Saracenicor Persianorigin. The secondmoundof ruinshere
noticedis calledAthlan Tepeh-si,*and appearsto have been a
p]aceof muchmagnificence. We slept this night by the side of
a lorookcalled Wiwanet,our party separatingitself into many
eliffierent
groups,busilybut vainlyendeavouring to blow somewet
rushesinto a fire.
28th.-We were now approachingthe Tigris, and the re(l
san(lstoneand gypsumdepositson the E. side of the riverforme(l
low rangesof hills, stretekinginto the plains of NIesopotamia,
Jebel Gharahto the N.E., consistingof san(lstone,and the more
lofty Jebel Musll to the E., of gypsum; both ranges running
N.W. and S.E. At the footof Jebel Mush is a tell of the same
name: on this moun(lthereis a castle erectedby Ahmed Pashxi,
the predecessorof MohammedPasha, as governorof Mosul.
It was builtwith a view to keep in subjectionthe tribeof Aralvs
who (lwell on the banksof Tigris, and in the valesW. of Jebel
Miish, not far from the site of Eski Mosul. This tribe,which
has for manycenturiesbeen here established,is calle(lthe Mosuli
'Ashirat ^.e.the Mosul-tribe.
Furtheronwar(lswe cameto anotherfort,also bui]t by Ahine(l
Pasha,an(l called FaukAniMarAka,to distinguishit froma tell
at a lower level near the meetingof two brooks,called Maraka
Sufli. In the eveningwe reacheelAbu Marrior Abu Malyam,
describe(lby Mr. Forbes as a ruinedvi]lage, near which there
is a most abun(lantspring of brackishwater, forminga small
brook, which is, however, soon lost ill reedy hollows. Tlsis
abundantspringis a subterraneanrivlllet, at that time 16 feet
wide an(l2 deep, just issuingagainfromthe earth. Phenomena
of this kindare exceedinglycommonin the gypsum-districtnear
Mosul, where waters after sweeping along for some distance
beneath the superincumbent light and porousrock,reappearin
deep ravinesof the samerock,p erhapsagainto be lost in subter-
raneanpassages,till these fall in and disclosea brookor opena
valley. On this road,aboutg miles fromAbu Marri,thereis a
remarkablesubsidenceof this kind; an(l there is anothernear
Mosul, wherepeople go to shoot pigeons. This is easily under-
stood; but there is anotherfeaturein the gypseousdistrictsnot
so easyof explanation,althoughveryfrequent; it is the elevation,
at the surfaceof the earth,of beds of gypsum,like so manysemi-
'$ Tamarisk-i.-ED. t OrSudani.-13X.
 1840.] Marc4ka-
** Athlan-tepeh-sz-Abii
Marrz-Mosul.
. 529

circular domes. These are sometimessmMl at others larger,

but seldom above a few feet in eliameter,and alwayshollow
within. When we considerthat there are sulphul mines and
manyhot-springsimpregnate(l withsulphuretedhydrogen(hy(lro-
sulphuricacid) nearMosul, all in the samerock,the eSect of the
evolutionof gaseous mattersimmediately)resents itself forcibly
to the mind.
Abb Marriwas now inhabited,but only by occupiersof tents;
its kasr,or l)arrack,was full of soldiers; an(l the residence,not
of a Musellim,but of a Zabit,an inferiorofficer.
29th. We a{lvarlced toxvaldsthe easternfootof the Dolabiyah
hills of Alzi Marri,on our left han(l. After a journey of two
hoursand a half,we reachedthe ruinsof a village called Khatun
Arabah-si:* the Abli Marrlhills lJeingstill on our left hanfl622
miles distant,tlle DcSlabiyah hills to our right ivmiles. We hatl
passedthe ruinsof Dolabt or Dolabiyah25 minutesbefore. Ors
a plain where there were nos only a few silver-leave(lsynge-
nesiousplants,an ononis,and a robinia with withere(lleavesnl)ut
as yet not a bladeof grassor of lulllbous-roote(l flowers,a bright
orange-colouredcaterpillarha(l survive(lthe sharp frost of the
night. At 4h. 4om. from Alii Marri we passed Selghat'Ara-
bah-si,anotherruinedvillage) and shortlyafterwar(ls, leavingthe
villageof Ahmedati a mile on our left hanel,we continuedalong
gypsumhills, fromwhencewe firstvbtaine(la viewof Mosul, its
remarkable,tall an(l falling minaretbearing S. 85? E. We
reachedthe Sinjargate of that city, 7 hoursfromthe time when
we left Abu Marri; but whilewe lvereallovezlto enterourselves,
ourbaggagewas oreleredrounclto the palace,in or(lerto be exa-
mined. MohammedPasha is remarkablystrict, and a]lows no
one to enteror go out of the townwithouthis permission;andit
is next to impossiblefor a ra'yah,or native,to oltain permission
to leave it altogether: at the same time, correspon(:lence with
Constantinopleis as uluch as possible impeded. By these
means the populationof the city is constantlyon the increase,
an(l it may probablyb()astof from 40 to S,OOO inhabitants.
Handsomenew barrackshave been erectedoutsideof the walls
nearthe Tigris; and the Aral)scarlno longercomeand rob with
imunity at the verygates. The reversesof Nizib were not felt
at this distance; and thus, while (ther Pashaliksare in a stateof
temporarydepression,Mosul is morepopulousand moreorderly
tharlever.
* Lady'swaggon.-En. + Water-wheel.- ED.
+ This, with the acaciasseen near Ayas, was probablysome otherleguminousplant,
as lleitherof the generarlamedare indigexloussI1 Asia Mixlor.-}3D.
Notes of an Excursion to Ḳal'ah Sherḳát, the U'r of the Persians, and to the Ruins of Al
Ḥaḍhr, the Hutra of the Chaldees, and Hatra of the Romans
Author(s): William Ainsworth
Reviewed work(s):
Source: Journal of the Royal Geographical Society of London, Vol. 11 (1841), pp. 1-20
Published by: Blackwell Publishing on behalf of The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of
British Geographers)
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1797631 .
Accessed: 05/01/2012 21:09

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 PAPERS READ
BEFORE THE

ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY.

I.-Notes of an Excursionto Kczl'ahSherkat, t;he U'rof the

Persians, and to the Ruins of Al HadAr,the Hutra of the
Chaldees, and Hataa of the Romans. By WILLIAM AINS-
WORTII, Esq.
Tz1X:Royal GeographicalSociety has alreadypublishedin its
Journalan excellentaccountof the ruinedcities whichforin the
subjectof the presentmemoir. But so manyare the questionsof
site, structure,and historical revolutionconnected with those
ruins, that descriptionsgiven of them by a travellerbeset with
such (lifficultiesas Mr. Ross (the author of the accountalluded
to) had to encounterfromthe hostilityor mistrustof the Arahs,
cannotbe expectedto satisfy curiosity,howeverfittedthey may
be to awakenit in the firstinstance.
The accidental arrival of two English travellers, Messrs.
Mitfordand Layard,at M(Ssul,enabledus to make up a strong
party to visitthe sites in question;and the resultsthus obtained
by a more prolongelland careful examination,addedto certain
inquiliesinto the comparativegeographyof these sites,will, it is
hoped,proveinterestingto the Society.
The partyconsistedof the above-mentioned gentlemen, Mr.
Rassamand myself; and we were accompaniedby an Arab of
Tunis, of whosecouragewe had had proof in crossingNorthern
Mesopotamia,whenhe was in the service of Mohammed'Ali;
but being worsted in an engagementbetween the ShammAr
Arabs (the men "without bon(lage")and the 'Anaidi,or irre-
gular trootxsof IbrahimPasha, uthichhad recentlytaken place
near Ras al 'Ain, he had abandonedhis horse to save his life,
andsoughtrefugeat Mosul. We had also withus a khavassfrom
MohammedPashaof Mosul.
We startedon Satur(lay,April 18th, travellingat firstacrossthe
cu]tivate(lalluw-ial
plainS. of Mosul,namedthe KarAkojah.At this
season of the year barleywas in ear, and beansin flower; fig,
almond, and mulberrytrees were in full bloom, but the pis-
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2 Mr.AINSWORTH'S
Excursion
fromMosul
* to Al HadAr.
. .
tachio as yet only budding. On the sandy deposits of the river
the water-melon had put forth its cotyledons. Doves and quails
had returned a few days before from their migrations. As the
river was high we nere obliged to turn up the rocky uplands W.
Of the ruinous buil(lint designated as E1 Kasr in Lieutenant
Lynch's map, lout better known at Mosul as E1 Seramum, an
old country residence of its Pashas. The cliis which advance
at this point over the Tigris, form the south-eastern termination
of a low range of hills which stretch to the N.W., an(l are
known as the Jul)ailah, or " hilly range." They are composed of
g-psum and lacustrine and marine limestones, and are from 6 to
9 miles in width. On the banks of the Tigris there is a deposit
of sulphur in the gypsum of this range.
The rocky acclivities and stony valleys of the Jubailah were
now clad with a beautiful vegetation. Grass was abundant, and
the green sward was chequered with red ranunculuses and com-
posite plants of a golden-yellow hue, which enliven at this season
of the year by their contrast the banks of the Tigris and the
Euphrates, wherever they are stony. Crossing the Jubailah, and
leaving the village of Abu Jawari, " the father of female slaves"
(the E1 Bujiyari of Lynch's map), to our left, we descended upon
another al]uvial plain, such as, on the Tigris and Euphrates,
whether cultivated or covered with jungle, is equally desiCnated
Hawi. The present one was cultivated,and containe(lthe villages
of 'Oreij (diminutive of A'raj, lame) and Kabru-l 'Abid, "the
slave's tomb." They are both inhabited br Arabs, now pastur-
ing their flocks on the Jubailah hills.
At the end of this plain the ground rises, and at this point are
the baths and village of Hammam 'A]i, the latter inhabited by a
few Chaldees, settled here by the Pasha of Mostll to cultivate the
land. The thermal spring is covered by a building, only com-
motlious for a half savage people, yet the place is much fre-
quented by persons of the better classes, both from Baghdad and
Mosul. The spring appears to have changed its place of exit,
as a ruinous building, beneath which once issued the spring,
is now 150 yards distant from it. The waters are abun(lant,
evolving hydro-sulphurous acid, and giving of much bitumen.
Their taste was vapid. The thermometerindicated a temperature
of 84 6 Fahr. The spring issues from a coarse granular gypsum.
Near Hammam 'A1; is a mound about 60 feet high, calle(l
Tellu-l Sabik, or " the mound of the victor," from a tradition of
an engagement having taken place in this neighbourhood. From
this Tell a range of low mounds extends about 300 yards to the
S.W., where it joins another line, consisting of two rows of low
moun(ls with an intervening fosse, and which extends in a N.W.
direction as far as to the Hawi. It would appear that these lines of
 * 'Alz' Safatus-Wadi-l Kasab.
Hammam *?
circumvallation encompasse(l a vil]ageor site of moreimportance
thanthe presentassemblageof poorhuts.* From Tellu-l SAbik
the high menarahof Mosul (A1 Tewltlah)I)(re N. 23 W.; Se-
ramum,N. 31 W.; monasteryof Deir SheikhMatt4,on the Jebel
Maklub, N. 32 ED.;Pyramidof Nimrud, S. 34 E.; Keshaf,
beyondthe GreatZab, S. 17 E.
Sunday,April ]9tAl.- Leaving T-Tammam'Ali, we crossedan
extensiveHawl, nearthe centreof shich is the villageof Safatus,
inhabitedby the Arab tribeof Juhaish, or "of the ass's colt,'?
whenceits name, Jeyush in Lynch'smap. XVethen turnedoff
to the rightto the ruinedvillageof Jeheinahor Jehennem," Hell
or the Lower Regions," which name excited our expectations,
but we only founelsomeold housesof a better class situateupon
the side of the hills which flank the Hawi to the W. Tellu-l
Sabik bore N. 10 E. 2 miles. Our road continuedfor 3 hours
oververdantprairies,on an uplandof gypsum, with sometracts
of sandstone,when we arrived at Wadi-l Kasab, or Reed-
Valley, the banks of a sluggish streambeinXcoveredwith that
plant. We roused an old sow fromthis cover, and captureda
youngpig whichit was obliged to leave behin(l. As the animal
went gruntingclownthe valley it stirred up several otherswith
theiryoungones, whichwe hunteddown,catchingtwo more,one
of whichwe liberate(l,as two werequiteenoughtor our wants.
LeavingWA(li-lKasab,we approachedthe Tigris, a few miles
below tlle tomb of Sultan 'Ab(lullah, which was the extreme
point reachedljy the Euphratessteamerin 1839, andpassingan
abllndantrivulet of waterswhichfilled the air with the otlourof
hy(lro-sulphurous aci(l,we cameto a level, nake(lspot, inclose(lby
rocksof gypsuIll,on the floorof whichwereinnumerablesprings
of asphalt or bitumen oozing out of the soil in little circular
fountains,from6 to 9 inchesin diameter,but often lluriedbeneath
or surroundedby a deep crust of in(luratedbitumen. These
fountainscover a space of land nearly100 yards in width, and
500 long. To the W. are somelow hills, namedA1 Kayyarah,
or the Pitch-place(whencebitumenis derived),the Tel Ghaw-ara
of Lynch'smap. These heightsare continue(linlandin a north-
westerly(lirection,separatingWa(li-l Kasab from the plainsto
the S., andrisingto a heightof about500 or 60() feet, to forma
cliS boundedby two cones, and called Tell al Nujm, or Star-
Mound. A little beyond these pits we found other springs,
givingof an equalquantityof bitumen. These are the onlycases
T knowof springsof pure asphaltin WesternAsia. The cele-
bratetlsprings at Hit, and those of Dalaki in Persia, off gis7e

* This place may possibly coirtcidewith the Tisalphataof Ammianus,which name

may be some corruptionfora place of asphalt,just as Hit hasbeen calle(l Is, Izzanopolis
and F,iopolis.
B2
4 l\{r. AINSWORTHIS Mosulta Al .HadAr.
Excursionfionz
bitumen as a swimmint,product as at Hammam'Ali. 'rhe
fountainsof aslhalt on the Tigris are situate rsearthe southern
extremeof the gyr)sumformation,whereit is succee(iedby red
the
sanelstones;an(l their geolo,:,icalrelations, notwithstanding
upraisingof the Hamrlntlpon a similar axis to the S.. are the
sameas thoseof the fountainson the Euphratesandin Persia,or
which become
nearlyat the limits of a series of rock-formations,
moreand more mo(lernfrom the Taurusto the alluvialplains,
which latter extend farther to the N. up the valley of the
Tigris, than up that of the ICuphrates;whence the (liagonal
positionof the Medianorallxrhichbountlsthe two forinations.
Evening ^Tascoming on apace. lAerdsof wild boars were
feeding on the Flaw-i,andan occasionalwo]fstole along the hill-
side, as we approacheda thick jungle with the viewto encamp
there; lJutwe foundthe banksof the rivertoo hith to waterthe
horses. After travelling4 or 5 miles in searchof a good station,
we were obliged by darknessto lJrin,gup at the foot of a tell
(or mound)on the right bank o? the Tigris, and belowthe tomb
of Hajji 'All, fromwhichit tore S. 30 W.
Mondcty, Spril QOth. Startingover a low range of hills of
red sandstonewe entereduponan extensixre Hawinoverwhichwe
trasJelled2 hours to a red cliS, l?earingS. 35 W. The banksof
tlle Tigris werewell woodedand picturesque;extensivetractsof
mea(low-lalldwere boundedby green hills, and terminateelin
islandsof severalmiles in length, coveredwith trees and brush-
wo()el,amidwhichwindedthe rapidTigris, in a broal an(lnoble
expanse, visible as far as the eye coul(lreach. The quantityof
large woo:lnearit is greaterthanon the Euphrates,and the re-
sourcesfor steamnavigationare very great.
Passing the cliSs of red sandstone,from which point to the
Hamrinthe Tigris followsa moreeasterlycourse,we came to a
valley with a brackishri+rulet, cominCfromthe Wadi-l A'hmer
Steep cliSs advancedbeyond this to the leanksof the river;and
oblige(lus to turn inwarclsuponthe uplan(ls,fromwhich we first
gaine(la view of KaLtahSherkat, situatein the midst of a snost
beautifulmeadow,well wooded,wateredby a smalltributaryto
the Tigris, washe(lby the noble river itself, andbackeflby the
rocky ran>e of the Jel)el Khanukah,now covered with broad
and(leepshadows. In 3 hours'time we arrive(lat the f(Jotof
this extensiveandlofty mounzl,wherewe took up our stationon
the northernsidenimmediatelybelowthe centralruin, and on the
banksof a ditchformedby the recoilof the Tigriss
Although fAmiliarwith the great Babylonianand Chaldean
moun(lsof Birs Nimru(l, Mujallibahan(l Orchoe.the appear-
ance o? the mass of constructionnow before us filled me with
wonder. On the plainof Babyloniato build a hill has a mean-
 kal'ah aShertczt.

ing; but therewas a stranffle adherenceto an antiquecustom,in

thus1lilingbrick uponbrick,withoutregar(lto the cost an(lvalue
of labour,wherehills innumerablean(lequallygoodandele^Jated
sites were easily to be found. Althoughin placesreposingupon
solid rock (red an(l brown sanelstones),still almost the cntire
depthof the mound,which+rasin partsupwardsof 60 feet high,
an(lat this siele 909 yards in estent, was built u of sun-burnt
bricks, like the 'Alver Kuf andthe Mujallibah,only withoutir.-
teraeninglaeers of ree(ls. Onsthe si(le of these llfty artificial
clifEsnuineroushawksanelcrowsnestledin security,whileat their
basewas a (lee) slopingdeclivityof crumble(lmaterials. On this
northernface, which is the most perfectas well as the highest,
there occursat one pointthe remainsof a wall built withlarge
square-cutstones, levelled an(l fitte(l to one anothel with the
utmostnicety, andbeselletluponthe faces, as in man) Saracenic
structures, the top stoneswere also cut awayas in steps. Mr.
Ross deeme(lthis to be partof the still remainingperfectfront,
whichwasalso the opinionof some of the travellersnow present,
but so great is the diSerencebetweenthe style of an Assyrian
mounelof burntbricksand this partialfacingof hen stonethat it
is difficultto conceivethat it belongedto the sameperiotl,an(lif
carriezlalongthe whole front of the moun(l,some remainsof it
woul(lbe founelin the detritusat the base of the cliff, whichs-as
notthe case. At the sametime its llositiongave to it ml)rethe
appearanceof a facing,whethercontemporary with the moun(lor
subsequentto it I shall not attemptto deci(le,than of a castle,
if any castleor otheredificewas evererectedhere bythe Moham-
medans,whosestyle it so greatlyresembles. On the same side
we visited the subterranean passagenoticed by Mr. Ross; axld
WIr.Mitfordfoundtherethe lleadof a smallurn.
Our researcheswere first directe(ltowardsthe mounditself.
We follndits formto be that of an irregulartriangle,measuring
fromthe S. to the N. E. point, along the si(lewhichis waslled
by the river, 1727 yards; along the N. side, exten(lingfrom
N. 72 E. to S: 72 W., 9()9 aar(ls. The moundthen strikesoff
in a nearlystraightline 400 yards to the S. 38 W.; afterwards
curvingroundto the S. point, a (listanceof 1750 yar(ls,making
a total circumferenceof 46835yar(ls; whereasthe Mujallibah,
the suppose(ltowerof Babel, is only 737 yardsin circumference;
the great mound of Borsippa, known as the Birs Nimrud,
76'2 yards; the Kasr, or terraced palace of Nebuchallnezzar,
2 100 -ards; and the mound called Koyunjuli, at N ineveh,
2.563yards. But it is to be remarkedof this Assyrianruin on
the Tigris, that it is not entirely a raised mound of sun-burnt
bricks; on the contrary,sexeral sectionsof its central portions
displayedthe ordinarypebbly deposit of the river, a common
6 AIr.AINSWORTTI
s Ewcursion
fronzMosulto SI HadAr.
allusium; andwhere sweptby the Tigris, the mound appeared
to be chieflya massof rubluleand ruins,in which blicks, pottery
and fragmentsof sepulchralurns lay embeddeelin humus, or
alternatedwith blocks of gypsum; finally, at the southernex-
tremity,the mound sinks down nearlyto the level of the plain.
The side facingthe riverdisplavedto us somecuriousstructures,
which, not beingnoticedby hIr. Ross, have been )robalulylai(l
bare by floods subsequentto his visit. They consistedof four
roundtowers,built of burnt bricks,whichwere 9 inchesdeep,
and 13 inchesin widthoutwTards, but on]y 10 inchesinwarels,so
as to adaptthemfor beingbuilt in a circle. These tonrerswere
4 feet 10 inches in diameter,well built, and as fIesh looking as
if of yesterday. Their -useis altogethera matterof conjecture:
they were not strongenough to have formedbllttressesagainst
the river; nor were they connectedby a wall. The general
opinionappearedto be in favourof hydraulicpurposes,either
as wells or pumps,communicating with the Tigris.
The south-westernrampartdisplaysoecasionallythe remains
of a wall constructedof llewnblocks of gypsum, and it is every
whereboundedby a ditch which, like the rampart,encirclesthe
wvholeruins, so that we did not feel justifie(l in separating,as
Mr. Ross has done, the southernportionof the townfromthe
more elevatedpart.
All over this great surfacewe foundtraces of foundationsof
stonet?difices,with abundanceof bricks and pottery,as observed
lteforeus, and to whichwe may add, bricksvitrifie(lwith bitu-
men, as are foundat Rahabah,Babylon,and other ruins of the
same epoch; brickswlth impressionsof straws, Ac., sun-dried,
burnt, and vitrifie(l;and ainte(l potterywith coloursstill very
perfect; loutafter2 hours'unsuccessfulsearchby Messrs.l\lit-
ford, Layardand myself, Mr. Rassam was the first to pick up
a brickclose to our station,on which werewell-definedand in-
dubitablearrovv-headed characters.
The little moundwhichcrorns the greaterone ss cruml)ling
to pieces. Weafound it to be 218 yards roundthe base, 314
yar(ls roun(lthe wall of gypsum, whichin part inclosesit, and
about40 feet in height. This moundis situate nearthe centre
of the northernside, and is separatedby a water-wornravine
fromanotherpile of ruins upon which are some Arab graves.
Furtherthan thesefew facts, neitherour researchesnor thoseof
Mr. Ross furnishanythingremarkalule.
By the characterof its remainsas well as by position,the ruin,
of Kal'ahSherkatis associatedwith the Assyriancitiesof Nine-
veh;and of NimrG(lor Resen, the Larissaof XenoE)hon, at the
junctionof the Tigris and the Great Zab. AmmianusMarcel-
linusis the only authoritywhonoticesin the sameneighbourhood
 Kal'ahSherkat. 7

IJ'r, a site, as its namewould indicate, of great antiquity,an(l

whichhas by Rennell arldotherslJeenidentifiedwithA1 Hatlhl;
but Ammianus,who calls it a castleof the Persiansnalescribesit
as at some (listancefrom that place. Cellarius(Notitia Orbis
Antiqui,tom. ii., p. 737), speakingof Ammianus.says: " Addit
superiori Mesopotamiaecastellum Ur, inter Tigrim et Nisibin
positumquod nonnulliUr Chald3eorum crelunt esse." After-
wards the same author continues: " DeindeHatram,wetus
oppidum,in media positumsolitlldine,itidem inter stcparaorem
Tigrimet Nisibin.9' Hatra is here broughtin afterUr by a
severe critic antl it is lzlacedbetsveenATisiblnand the Upper
for IJtr. There is
Tigris, whileno suchdistinctionis establistiecl
also anotherpassagein Cellarius(p. 7z9), where,quotingAm-
mianus,he sas: ;; Quum centesimocirciterlapide a Corduena
proxinciaet ArmeniaefinibusTigrimtrajecissitet sex dicbusper
solitudirlemin qua Hatra sita erat, iter fecisset, ad Ur nomine
Persicumcastellumvenisse.^?This ratherimplies a journeyof
6 daysfromthe time the armypassedthe Tigris, travellingalong
the banlisof the river,whichthey musthaveadheredto for water,
and throughthe desertsin whichHatrawas situate(l)than
throughHatraitself. Ammianushimselfsays:(;Properantes
itineril)usmagiusprope Hatramvenimus."Near Hatra,and
not at it raviewof thesubjectwhichis supported by hisgoing
was
andthenceto Nisibirl,if Tisalphata
froInU'r to Tisalphata,
on the Tigris, as thereappearseveryreasonto believe.
The positionof the Utr of the Persianscorlsideredas the same
as the l:Jtrof tlle Chaldeans,with regard to Harran,anssversas
well to the descriptionsof the journeyingsof Abrahamgiven by
the inspiredwritersandprofanehistoriansas the modern'Urfah,
if not indeed better "And they went forth from Ur of the
Chaldeesto go into Haranand dwelt there,"wouldscarcelyhave
been sai(l if Abrahamand his familyhadonly removeda few
hoursfrom'Urfahto Harran. The learnedSpanheim,in his His-
toryof Jol), describesHarranas uponthe roal from U'r of the
Ghaldeansinto Palestine,goint,fromE. to W.; andyet identifies
the U'r of the Chaldeansin thetimeof Abrahamwiththe U'r of
the Chaldeansofthe Chaklaeo-Babyloniandynasty, the Urchoe
or Orchoevf PtolemyanflPliny. Bochartan(lothers,accor(lin
to Cellarius,have sought to identify the countryof Abraham
withthe Ur of the Persians,but they havesupposedit to be be-
y-ondHatra which is decidedlynot the deductionto be ma(le
fromthe words of Arnmianus. In any attemptto identifythe
U'r of the Persians,now called KaltahSherkat,withthe U'r of
the Chaldeanssthere is only, till fartherevidence can be ob-
tained,the characterof the remains,andthe narrativeof the his-
torian of Jovian's retreat, to be place(l in oppositionto the
8 Mr. AINSWORTH MosultoAl HedAr.
s Excu1sionfro7n
testimony of certain Oriental hIstorians (see my ;; Researches sn
Assyria,S'&c., p. 15t3) in favour of the identity of U'r of the
Chaldeans with 'Urfah, and the existing tra(litions which llave
consecratedthat city as the birth-place of the father of Isaac.
The sentiment by which animals that are very low in the scale
of organizationare attracted by light and heat is a simple phy-
siological phenomenon, their nervous system, as in tl}e medusa,
being influence(l directly by external agents; but st is more
curious in creatures in which there exists a ganalionic cerebral
system. This evening a young snake found hls way into the fire,
although we were sitting round it; and at Al Hadhr the same
thing occurred wsth regarfl to a scorpion, whiie hundreds of
coleopterous insects kept nsanderinground the lTergeof the ashes.
After dark the frogs of the hAwl ming]ed their croaking with the
whoop of night birds and the howl of jackals, while thirsty mus-
quitoes hummed in our ears; but putting out the fire in orelerto
distinguish the horses better during the night, we (lisregardedthe
melo(ly around and about us, and slept in security in our cloaks
till the earliest dawn.
Tgesday,Ajpril21st.-Our khavassthis morning,seeingthat vve
were about to penetrate the wilderness without a guide, took the
pretence of his horse having lost a shoe to withdrawhimself from
the party, and to return by the river banks to blosul. On leav-
ing Kal'ah Sherkat we kept a little to tlle S. of Wadi el hIeheih,
in which there was now no running water, in order to avoid re-
tracing our steps to the S., as Mr. Ross had done. We travelled
at a quick pace oser a continuousprairie of grasses and flowering
plants, anel crossingthe 'Ain el Tha'lel, having still a little stag-
nant water, we arrivedat a ridge of rocks which rose above the
surrounding country, and were constitutedof coarse marine lime-
stones. :Froma mound, upon which were a few graves, we ob-
tained a comprehensive view of tllat part of Mesopotamia which
extended to the W., but without being able to (listlnguish the
valley of the Tharthar or the ruins of A1 Hadhr. The country
near us un(3ulatedmuch, and to the S.W. the Hamrin hills termi-
nated in a long bllt not very elevated range, upon which was a cone
called E1 Katr, which forms tlle westerly termination of the
Hatnrin; an(l as we afterwar(ls found, advanced over the valley
of the Tharthar. Mr. Ross has noticed this fact also; and it is of
importance, as Mr. J. Arrowsmith and other geographers have
traced across Mesopotamia a continuation of the Hasnrin hills as
far as this 'Abd al 'Azfz. The Hamrin are formed of tertiary
red sanzlstones,gypsum, analconglomerates7and the 'Abd al 'Aziz,
as far as I am yet acquainted with them, of chalk an(l superin-
cumbent limestones.
Opinions as to the probable position of A1 Hadhr were sn
 htlls-the ThartAlar.
'Asn el Tha'leb- the .Hamran 9

favourof some moundswhich were visible in the extremedis-

tanceto the S. 95? W., an(lhavinggreatfaithin the eyes of our
Bedwin,whoalso tookthis view of the subject,we starteelin that
dir?ction.althoughthe com}rass in(licateda morenortherlycourse.
After2 hours'quicktravelling,still overprairiesandundulatin^,
country,we cameto the sllpposedruins, hich turnedout to be
barehills of sandstone,the southernternunationof a low ri(lge.
Althugh pesteredhy sand-flies, we stoppe(la few molnentsand
breakfast eelon l)rea(land wikl leeks (A llium roseum) , ulhichare
abundantevery where, and frequentlyenarnelwith their roseate
andclustereelumbels the lichen-cla(ls)ace that intervene(lbe-
tween the (lark-?rreen bushes of wormwood. From this point
the tell with gras-esbore N. Tz?E., and EA1 Katr S. 503 W.
Changingour route, we startedto the N. '23?SV., in which
directionwe arrived,after 14 hour'sride,at a valley bounde(lin
placesby rock terracesof gypsum,whichintlicate(la wadian(la
wintertorrent,or actualwater. To ourjsaywe foundtheTharthar
flowingalongthe bottomof this xtale,but only from 15 to 20 feet
in wi(lthinsteadof the 50 we had been le(l to expect; and to
our great comfortthe waters lvere very potable. The stream
thoughnarrowwas deep, generally from5 to 7 feet, an(l hence
with (lifficultyfordable; on its banks were a few reeds antl
scatteredbuslles of tamarisc We procee(ledup the streamin a
directionN. 10?W. in search of a for(l, ^shichwe found after
1 hour'ss]ow and irregularjourney, and we lost 1 an hourre-
freshing ourselveswith a batll. We afterwar(lsfollowed -the
rightbankof tElestream,being unwilling,as ev-erlint, was coming
on, to separateourselves,unlessne actuallysaw A1 Hadhr,from
the waterso necessaryfor ourselvesan(lhorses. The riversoon
camefrom a more wester]y(lirection,flowing tllrougha valley
everywhereclad witha luxuriantvegetationof grasses,sometimes
nearly ff a mile in wi(lth, at others only 300 or 400 yards,and
again still more narrowe(loccasionallyby terracesof gypsum.
This rockwas very casrernous, and furnishedfrom its recesses
manysubterranean springs. At one place we observe(la partof
the watersof the Thartharabsorbe(lby a fissure in the rock.
The gypsum is also ol)servedat some points to rest upon red
sandstones,which here present chloritousbeds. We stopped
1 hour before sunset in ortler to ha^7etime to collect wood before
dark,and dineflupon rock partridges(per(lixpetrosa) kille(l at
Kal'ahSherkat.
* @

Wednesdcl?y,April 22nd.-Raln overtook us in our sleep,

which was otllerwiseunl)rokeneven by dreamsof Arabs, still
less by their presence; indeedwe had been hithertoas quiet as
if trasellingon the downsof Sussex. After holulinga shortCOl1-
sultationover Mr. Ross'smemoir,we deeInedit best to keep on
10 Mr.ATNSWORTH Mosutto SI Hadhe.
s E.rcursionfrom
up the river,but to travela litt]e inwardson the heights. This
plan was attendedwith perfect success; and we ha(lrid(lenonly
112hour, when we perceiveelthrough the misty rain mounds
still to the N.W., which we felt convincedwere the sought-for
ruins. Mr. Rassamand myself hurriedon, but soon afterwardsd
perceis-inga flock of sheepin the distance,we becameawareof
the presenceof Arabs,whocouldbe no otherthanthe Shammar,
so we mraited for our friendsan(lrode all togetherintothe kinelof
hollowin whichA1 Hadhr is situated. Here we perceivedthe
tents of the Bedwins extendingfar and wide within the ruins
and withorLt the walls to the S.W. The ruinsthemselvespre-
senteda magnificentappearance,and the distance at which the
tall hastionsappeare(lto rise, as if by enchantment,out of the
wilderness,excited our surprise. Comparingthe feelings ex-
pressedby Mr. Ross, on firstseeing these ruins,with the draw-
ings engrasedby the Society,we had before smiledinvoluntarily,
but we now enteredfully into that gentleinan'ssentimentsand
werefille(l with a similarsense of wonder an(l admiration;no
doubtin great part (lue not only to the splendourof the ruins,
but alsoto the stranffleplace wherethe travellermeetswiththem
-" in mediasolitudine,"as Ammianusso brieflybut so correctly
expressesit.
Inquiringof a shepherdfor the tent of the sheikh,whichwe
soon afterwar(ls by its two spears, we ro(ledirectly
distinguishe(l
up to it, andin a few minutesfoundourselvesseatedby a spare
camel-dung-fire,and surrountledby members of the Laml'ld
branch of the ShammarArabs. Happily for us there was at
this momentin the encampmentan Arab of Mosul who recog-
nise(l Mr. Rassam, and the receptiongiven to us was at once
hospitableandtolerablyfrank. The findingArabshereis in;leed
whatma7generallybe relied upon by any travellerin searchof
these ruins. The numberof halting-placeswhich presentwhat
is actuallynecessaryfor the Arab, water an(l grass, are not so
numerousin the plains of Mesopotamiaand Arabia as are
generallyimagined. Hence the reason of their changing lo-
calities;and hencethe travellerrnayalmostbe as sure of meeting
Arabs at Palmyra as at A1 Hadhr. For the same reasonthat
citieswerebuilt on theseoasesin the wilderness,the wandering
Arab nowresortsto situationswhere tllere are waters,and with
thempasturage. To M. de Lamartiness workon the East, there
is appendeda veryvaluablememoir,purportingto be an account
of the residence of Fat-h-allallSeghir amongstthe wandering
Arabsof the great (lesert. Tllere are a numberof factswhich
convinceme of the authenticityof this *locumellt,but I shall con-
tent myself with noticingwhat refers to A1 Hadhr. Leaving
Nain el Raz, evidentlymeant for Ras al 'Ain, the partywhich
 Ruins of All Hadh}.
* .

ll

the narratoraccompaniedpitchedtheirtents on the banksof the

Khabur, frol-n^hence they proceedeclto the mountainsof San-
what the writer(lesigrsates
giar (Sinjar): they then (lrew tonxar(ls
a river, or ratherarmof the Euphrates,which joins the Tigris.
an errorfoundellupon the mysteriousorigin of
This is esri(lentlv
the Tharthar. He then descriles the enormoustr.aysuse(l by
the Be(lwins of A4esopotamia, and of which a specimenwas
measuredby Mr. Ross. The Arabsprocee(ledfromthe Thar-
tharto theterritoryof Atterie,neartheruinsof the castleof Attera
(Hadhr),wheretheyencampedfor eitht days,the rastura(teheing
xreryal)undant. The courschere followedby the Arabs is in
everyrespectthe sameas that pursue(leveryyear by the Sham-
mar,in theirmigrationsto an(lfromtheir winterquarterson the
plains of Seleucia to their summerquarterson the Khslburand
in the Sinjur.
At the presentmoment,Sufuk, the chief of all the ShamtnAr,
was,with a large bodyof horsemen,at Ras al 'Ain, fromwhich
he haddriventhe 'Anaidiof IbrahlmP,isha,whilethe main bo(ly
of the tribesremaine(lpartonthe KhaburanflpartneartheSinjar,
wherethey werealso at ellmitywith the Yezidis. Havingbreak-
fasteduponnewlymadebrea(landfreshbutter,the lattera luxury
not to be ol)tainedat WIosul,X7emadeourfirstxisitto the ruins,
during^shichsomeof the Arabsgaveus muchannoyanceby their
rudelyanxiousandalmostimperiousinquiriesas to the exactspot
wherethe moneywas, which, as in our predecessor'scase, they
felt quite certainwe had come to seek for. At length,having
returnedto the tent, Mr. Rassam ad(lressedthem uponthe folly
of the ideaswhich they entertainedregardingfindingtreasures,
and endeavoured to explain the real objectof our researches,in
which he ^^asbacke(lby the sheilih an(l the merchant,anel^7e
wereleft the remain(lerof the day among the ruins prettywell
to ourselves a circumstancewhich, however,was also in great
partowingto a rumourwhich got abroadthat an armyras fol-
lowingin oursteps, analin consequenceof whichthe tribejudged
it connenientto take theirimmeliate departureWithOUt soundof
drumor trumpet; and, three hours after our arrival,therewere
only the tent of the sheikhan(la small one nearit remainingof
the whole encampment.
The ruinsof A1 Hadhrpresentthe remainsof a principalbuil(l-
ing whichapparentlywas at oncea palaceand a temple,andwhich
surpassesin extentanelin the perfectionof its stylethe ruinknoxvn
as the Taki Kesra,or Arch of Cllosroesat Ctesit)hon,and which
vvastheresidenceof the kingsof Persiaof the Arsacidandtnasty.
It consistedof a seriesof vaulted chambersor halls, of differerlt
sizes, all openingto the east, or towardsthe risinCSUI1 and pla-
nets, and regularlysucceedingone anotherfromnorthto south.
12 Mr. A INSWORTH'S ExcurionfromMosulto AI HccdAr.
and was (lividedinto two parts by a wall; while in fIont was
anotherrowof edifices,guar(l-houses,&c., at the southernend
of which was a great hall, with ornamented-ault and tall co-
lumns, similarto what is okservedin tlle chief edifice. The
wholeof thesebuildingswere enclosedwithina wall about ] 360
yardssquare,whichleft a consi(lerablespace open in front,and
this oen squarewas in the exact centreof the town,which,as
figured in Mr. Ross's map,is nearlya perfect circle, surrounded
by a ralllpart,about 3 miles 180 yards in circumference. Por-
tionsof the curtain,whichwas ]0 feet 3 inchesin width,still re-
main on thisrampalt;and there are also the ruinsof 32 bastions,
placedat unequalintervals,and not, as Mr. Ross supposed,every
60 paces. The space occupied by the tc)wnstill containsthe
ruins of tombs and other edifices,and is everywherecoxTered by
moun(lsof ruinedbuildings. 'rhereis alsoa spring,and a chan-
nel for water, not straightbut tortuous,whichcrossesthe town:
and there wereapparentlyfour gates,havingstraightand paved
roadsleadingfromthem to the centrale(lifice.
I7llewholeof the buildingsare constructed of a coarsegranular
limestone,al)ounding withmarineshells,moreespeciallyostaacites
and anomiae,apparently.for the mostpart, recentspecies. There
is a tra(litionpreservedat NIosul,thatthe stonesfor the construc-
tion of A1 Eladhrwere broughtfrom Sinjar,whereI hope on a
futureoccasionto seek forthis formation. The stoneshavelJeen
hewnwithskill, and are well adjusted.
Everystone,not onlyin the chief buildingbut in the wallsand
bastions,an(lotherpublic monuments,whennot defacedby time,
is lnarkedwith a character,which is, for the most part, eithera
Chaldaicletteror numeral. But someof themcouldnotbe deci-
phered eitller by Mr. Rassam or by a Jewish Rabbi of Jerusa-
lem, whomwe consultedat Mosul, for it is necessaryto remark
that the Chaldeans,or Chaldees,since theirconversionto Chris-
tianity,haveuniformlyadoptedtheSyriac-letterswhichwereused
by the apostles and fathersof the church, regardingthe pagan
writing (or Tergl'lm,as they call it) as an abomination. The
Jews, however,who learntit in theircativity, haveretained,ex-
cept in theirTalmud,and some otherworkswrittenin the He-
brewcharacter,the use of Chaldeanletters. Someof the letters
at A1 Hadhr resembled the RomanA, and others wereappa-
rently astronomicalsigns, among which were verycommonthe
ancient mirrorand handle i, emblematicof Venus,the lNfylitta
of the Assyrians,and Alitta of the Arabians,accordingto He-
ro(lotus, an(l the Nani (Hyde, p. 92), or Nannaia (Rawlinson,
Journalof R. G. S.)ix. p. 43), of the Syrians. Mr. Ross makesa
mistake,wllichit is importantto correct,shen he saysthat these
letters are only seen in the midst of brokenwalls where they
 . % . o A .A . . + .T.J .t.D.

Ruinsof Al Hadhr.
* . 13

couldnot hase been exposedwhenthe structurewas perfect. It

is quite evident,fromthe prominentsituationwhieh theyoccupy
in the interiorof the great halls an(lsanctuaries,thattheir object
wasmuchmoreimportantthan a mere arranementof the stones.
The charactersalone indicatetheir antiquity;an(l,as to theiruse,
they appearto havea (listantrelationto practicescarriedto a
further extent by the Assyrians an(l Babtlonians,and by the
Egyptians. In whateverobscuritythe meaningof these signs or
letters maybe nowinvolved,they still possess great interestto
the archaeologist,
. . ..
as provillgthe Chaldeanoriginof the buildings
ln questlon.+

ff.R. .Y. {h. h * A.w. Yl. i *Y .

SLU&.+.Yt5.T
>.f .X.s.W.<.-. X. 6. +.
Ixlthe detailsof the variousarchitecturepresenting itself to
the inquirerat A1 Hadhr there is much which claimsa l)rief
notice. Mr. Ross has describedthe compartmentsof the chief
buil(ling,numberingthem fromS. to N., and we will followthe
sameplan in the few remarksthere remainto be ma(lein addi-
tionto whatthatgentlemanhas observed.
The mostsoutherlyhall is No. 1, whichis a small hall)9 yards
deep by 6 in width: it has externallyevery stone in the arch
sculptured,in lligh relief, witha humanbust, some of which,as
Mr. Ross remarks,halreverysingularcurlingbag-wigs,or, more
probably,a peculiarmo(leof dressinghair,whichwe knowto be
commonin Perslan sculptures,but those, I believe, orlly of a
moderndate, or more particularlyof the time of the Sasanian
dynasty. WIr.Layard,however,stated that he had seen hea(l-
dressesof a similarcharacterat Ba'lbek,andwhichwereRoman.
They wereprobal)lyconnectedwitha formof worshipintroduced
fromPersiainto EmesaandHeliopolis,an(lfromthence carried,
by the I)retendedson of Caracalla(HelioCabalus),to Rome.
The secondhall is of greaterdimensions,being 31 yardslong
by 14 uride,anfl 20 yardshigh. The figures on the arcllwere
thoseof angels,or femalesapparentlyin the air, withfeet crossed
and robesflyingloose; whilein the interior,on both sides of the
hall, werethreesquarepilasters,surmountedby full roundfaces,
2 leet 9 inches hit h, by I foot 8 or 10 inches broad,in high re-
lief, and execute(l with consi(lerablefi(lelity and spirit. Mr.
* The letters were generallyabout one or two inches in size, and carefully sculp
ture(l, one in tlle centreof the face of each stone.
14 Mr. AINSWORTH
s Excursionfrom Mosttlto i11HadAr.
Layar(lhas enable(lme to forwardto the Society,drawingsof the
mostremarkablefacesremainingin this and the otherhalls.
While the style of these sculpturesappearsto be prettynearly
uniforrn,it is irnpossilule not to recognisecostumesdifieringmuch
fromone another. In(lee(l,it requiresbut little imaginationto
figure to oneself in these sculpturestlle representations of the
successivepowerswho rule(lthe City of the Desert. The simple
turban-likehead-dressrepresentsthe Chaldean; the bear(led
physiognomyand scatteredhair, the Persiansatrap; the laurel-
leaved ban(l,supportingeagle's wings, the Roman; while the
bin(lin, roundthe.heatl,like a double fol(l of rope, as it is also
describedby Mr. Ross, appearsthe oritinalof the presentArab
hea(l-dress. It mavbe azlsancedagainstthis viewof the subject,
tllat if the buil(lintis all of one style, this style must also be car-
ried throughall its details,andthatwe cannotespect thatany of
the elecorations can be illustratis-eof (liCerentperio(ls; but there
is no reasonwhy,if the Parthiansor Persiansborrowedtheirstyle
fromthe Romans,they still mightnot hase introducedtheirown
sculpture, as at Persepolis: or, if the Romansbuilt the great
monumentof A1 Ha(lhr,they mightequallyhave beeninfluenced
by a conquere(lpeople to introducenas well as letters, forms
sacredto their religion,or gratifyingto their pride anfl to their
natlonal remlnlscences.
On the face of the wall of this greatcompartment,besides the
signs beforementione(l,are two inscriptions,one in Chaldaic,the
otherin Arabic,I)othcut in the stones,but whichrun alongfrom
one to another,and are evidentlymoremo(lernthanthe l)uil(ling.
The first,translateel by a Jewish Rabbi, appearsto be the lament
of some Jews of the captivity; for ancient Chaldeanswould
scarcelyuse the lanuage of David: " In justice to thee who art
our salvation,I hope fromthee, O God, for help againstmine
enemies." The generalopinion artlongthe Jews is in favourof
this inscriptionhavingbeen writtenduring the captivity. The
Rabbiscannotdeciphert}le signs of older (late; some are Cilal-
dean numerals,*,thersthey consi(lerto be astronomical signs,not
a few appear to be Parthian cjrArmenian. The Arabic in-
scriptionwas copiedan(l translateelby Mr. Rassam; its purport
is as fcallows: '; Mes'ttd Ibn Mau(lutlIbn Tamanki,the just
king*,prc)tector of reli^ion, and defen(lerof the faith,in humble
service, and seeking mercyfromhis Lor(l,caused this to be re-
pairetlin the tear cxfthe Hijrah 586 " (A.D. 1190). It is remark-
alulethatthe nameinscribedhere*is the sameas thatwe met with
at Stllt.anKhan,in Koj-hisoir,and is thatof a king whomI have
de?scribe(lin a formermemoir as havingestablisheda great road
* nAzzu-d-dirl,Mes'ildibll Maudud, Atabek of Irak, who reigned at Mosul from
A.H.576 to 589 (A.D. 1180-1193).-ED.
 * . .
Rzins oJvAI Hadha 15

fromBagh(ladthroughAsia Minor. It here apparentlyfol-

lowed the same line as that used by the Greeks and Romans--
Seleucia,Sitace, Ur, Hatra,Tisalphata,Nisibis; in the time of
the Khalifs,Baghdad,Sherl'atel Bei(lha (Sitace),Akbaraon the
Babilin (Opis*), Samarrah,'rekrit, kal'ah Sherkat,A1 Ha(lhr.
It is remarkalule that Ptolemy,in enumeratingthe sites upon the
Tigris,afternoticint,I)erbeta(Diyar-bekr),Saphe(Hisn Keifa),
anel Deba (Bezablleh Jezireh), starts off by Sinjar to Batnae
(Betuna)and Birtha (Bir), whichhas misle(leven Cellarius.
With the assistanceof lights we examinedthe subterranean
rooms connectedwith the firstgreathall, lJut did not find any-
thingof interest.
In the rearof the samegreathall is anothercompartment, sur-
roundedby a lofty vaultedpassage,96 yards round. From its
beautifullyornamenteddoorvvTay, an(lcompleteseclusionfromthe
otherpartsof the edifice, it maylle conjecturedto havel)eena
religioussanctuary. Over the doorwayis the mostbeautifully
sculpturedreliefin the wholebuilding; it representsgriffonssup-
portint,heads,humanandothers, andin the centre is the head
of Apollo, or Mithra,supportedby eagles with scrollsin their
mouths; beneath is some beautifullysculpturedfoliage. Mr.
Layardhas furnisheda drawingof a portionof this frieze. It is
evideiltlyof Romanexecution M. Texier, who passedthrough
Morulshortlyafterour returtl,gave his opinionalsoto thateSect.
It would appear as if the Romanshad contributedto adorna
templeconsecratedl to the worshipof a (leityin whomthey recot,-
niseelthexrcuwnApollo, adding the Roman eaglesto the insignia
of Mithra,whowas the sameas the Bel of the Chaldeans.
At the firstsmall hall of the northerndivision (No. 4), the
sculpturesoverthe archof the entranceare amongthe most per-
fect of the out-of-(loorsculptures. They appearto be alterna-
tionsof male andfemaleheads,the firsthavingthe peculiarhead-
dress noticed in No. 1, svhile the latter present a remarkable
similarityto the presentstyle of dressin WesternEurope. Some
of the ladies have dresseslike corsets,terminatingin a point
The bust is neatlyand only partiallydisplaye(l. Most of them
weartiarasofjewels, some havenecklaces. The hairfalls on the
shoul(lersof somein a profusionof ringlets,in othersis trimmed
up in large curls,and againin somepuSed out behind, as was
once the case at the Frenchcourt. On the wall betweenNos. 4
and 5 is the sculptureof a monstrousanimal,of whichI send a
copyby Mr. Layard.
* If Akbarawas, in the time of the Khalifs,as we know fromthe Orientalgeogra-
phers, upon the present Old loigris,how much more likely is it that Opis, lvhichwas
anteriorto Akbala, was there also, than at the presentjurletion of the Physcus alld
Tigris, whereLieut. Lynch has placed it in his map!
16 Mr. AINS\VORTII'.9
ExcursionfromMosut{o X1 .HadAr.
The walls weremeasuredin all theirdetailsof bastions,&c.,
and were foundto be 5460 yardsround,whicti,as the spacewas
paced and not measurecloff, can only be an approsimation;but
which comes remarkablynear to the amountin yar(ls of the
Persianfarsakh,the Jewishparsah,andthe Greekparasang,if (as
MajorJervishas (loneafterJomardandothers)we assumethatto
be an integral portionof the earth'smeridionalcircumference,
or the eight-thousandthpart, whicll com)uted to the ellipticity
-1-, will be equalto 5468 668 yardsEnglish. The exactnessof
the forms observedin the constructionof A1 Hadhr-a square
withina circleand in its exactcentre-certainlypoint out that a
systemwasol)servedin its construction;and it is a strikingcor-
roborationof the factsobservedof the circumference,that the
sides of the innersquare are 340 or 341 yards in length, or the
TIBthof the circumferenceof which the wholesquareis at or near
xth. Had all the a(imeasurements been takenwith care, pro-
bably a similar satstemwoul(l have been found to pervadethe
wholeof the details.*
Within the circuitof the walls were manyruins of doubtful
character. It could only be the result of a veryihastyexami-
nation shich would confine the dwelling-housesmerely to the
westernpartof the city, and assign to the easterna continuous
necropolis. Some of these buildingsare square,and tbey are of
diSerentsizes. I transmita sketchof one ornamented withpillars,
which had two interiorxaulte(l chamberswith an outervaulted
hall, and a stair leading to the top as if to sleep upon it, as is the
customat Mosul and Bagh(lad. The openingsto let in light are
more like loopholesthan ^indol1vs,but this mayhave been for
coolnessand fromwantof glass, as is observedin the cottagesof
the peasantsin the East. A large squarebuil(ling,with one
vaulte(lchamber,which appearsto havebeen a small temple or
mausoleum,occurson the northernside. It is built upona hand-
some basement,with a projectingbut simple cornice. I ought
not to omit to mentionthat the pear-shape(lcavities commonin
Syriaare also metwith amidthe ruinshere.
It only remainsfor me to make one or two observationsupon
the historyof this remarkalule city.
It is evielentfromthe characterof the lettersor si(>nsinscribed
on the hewnstones, that whateverstyle was a(loptedas a pattern
or for imitation,or whoe+Ter were the architectsemplayedin the
construction,that the chief personsin the city were Chakleansor
Chaldees.
* In laying down the plan I find I have also two admeasuremelltstaken olle from
the S.W. corllerof the inllerwall to the outerwall, and the otherfrom the N W. comer
to the outerwall; these ginTe,
one 625, the other620 yards,ar]excess over the probably
real distance of 615, which might result frotr, the inequalities of the soil. I have
consequentlyadoptedthe theoreticdistancein the plan as most correct.
 Ea} Zy History of H1 .HadAl*. 7

Moelernhistorians(Heeren/lV[anual, &e.,vol. i. p. 38) admit

theexistenceof theCha]deans as a northern
natiorlanterior to the
foun(lationof theChaldaeo-Babylonian dynasty. No mc)lluments
of thisveryaneientpec>ple
haveas yet, llowever,beendiseovered,
whiehcan be aseertained to belongto a periodanteriorto the
Balylonianeonquest;an(l it appearsfromthe few eities sup-
posedto havebelongedto them,andof whiehremains areextantS
as OrehoeandBorsippa,that theyeonstrueted hugemoundsor
loftytemplesto theirdeityBel, in thesamemannerasthe Baby-
lonians. But somelatituclemustbe allowedto thisstatement in
the north; for althoughthere is everyreasonto believe that
U'rfallwasoneof the U'rs of the Chal(lees,yet no remnants of
thiskindaretheremetwith,andwereit notthatwe finzlthateus-
tom preservedwherethereare rocksand stonesfor building,as at
Kalah Sherliat,one wouldhave felt inclined to confine it to the
countryfor which it was best suited,andwhere it sprangpartly
fromnecessity. Fromwhatis knownof the ancientstyle of the
Chaldeans,as well as fromtlle peculiaritiesobservedin the con-
structionof the monumentsnow to be seen at A1 Hadhr,there is
evely reasonfor believint,that cityto be of a comparativelyrecent
date.
The first periodwhen A1 tTadhrcomesunder the notice of
historyis at the titne of the conquestof Trajan,who firstreluced
A+esopotamia into a Romanprovince. lthe fragmentsof Dion
Cassius,preservedby Xiphilirlus,noticethe peopleof A1 Hadhr
as 7A72ptaoln which, as Valesius pointedout, shouldbe ZATP%VO.
For Dion, relatingthe campaignof Severus,writesTa'A'rp4:, and
Heroelianus(iii. cap. is.) z 'A'tgzz. Aminianuswritesit Hatra,
as c3oesalso Cellarius. The Pelltint,eriantables, almost alvays
in error,call it Hatris. Zonaras(p. 216) namesit 5r0xso Apa,lSsoY,
an Arabiancity. Stephanllsmerelysaysthatit is situatedbetween
the Euphratesand the Tigris.
Hadlian, it is well known,relinquishedthe conquestsin Meso-
potamiashortlyafterthe deathof Trajan; but eYen if Trajandi(l
notembellishthe city of Hatra,the connexionestablishedbetween
that place and Nisibis, where there also exist keautifulfriezes
somewhatsimilarto thoseat A1 Hadhr,must havehad consiler-
able influenceuponthe tasteof the Atrenians.
From the time of the cessionof the Mesopotamian proxrinces,
about A.D. 118 tothe conquestsof SeptimiusSeverus(200), there
reigne(lChosroes,Arsaces XXVI. (VologesesII.) and Arsaces
XXVII. (Vologeses tII.), who no doubt held A1 Hadhr in
subjection. It in the time of ArsacesXXVIII (Ardawan)
\\7aS

that $e6erus made his first and unsuccessfulattempt to reduce

EIatra; but the secondattelllptwas attendedwith success in the
time of ArsacesXXIX. (Pacorus). The resistancemadeb;y
VOL. XI. . G
18 S Excursionfrom Mosul {o AZ .Hadhr.
Mr. AI?{SWORTH
Elatraagainst the Roman arms is amon^,the most remarkable
featuresin its knownhistory,anelaffordsevidenceof the highele-
gree of militaryskill and great internalresourceswhich were
possesse(lby the Atrenians,as well as of a(lvantagesof position.
The conquestof Severus(loes not appearto havebeen preserved
by the Romans and althoughsome of the monumentsseem to
have belongedto the time of the Sassani(leor Sasaniandynasty
of Persiankings, still it wouldappearthat, from causesnow in-
volvedin obscurity,the City of the Wildernesswas abaneloned in
the earlyperio(lof that dnasty, for we find that on the retreat
of Julian'sarmyunder Jovian,tllev passedby Ur, leavingHatra
to the left as before elescribe(l,noticinX,the city as havingbeen
deserte(lbeforethat time, "olimquedesertum."
This period of the historyof Hatra is succeededby another
intervalof impenetrableobscurity. No sculrturenor monuments
of any kind indicCltethe existence of a Cllristiancommunity
withinits walls,whichis the moreremarkable,as Nisibin became
the scat of a patriarch,and A1 Hadllrwas in the centre of a
newly-convertedand esninentlyChristiarlpeople; but a single
inscriptioncomesto inform us that in the year 1190 (586 of the
Hijrah),oneof the Khalifsof Bagh4a(l,undeterredby the colossal
images, which infringethe laws of !\fohamme(l,attempted to
restere the fallen grandeurof this ancientcity. Nor was that
inscriptionmerelythe espression of capriciousvanit; it was an
indes to a greatroa(l,as previouslynoticed,sestore(lfromancient
times. There are, however, no Saracenicmonumentsat A1
Hadhr,antl the Khalifsappearto haveheld thatplace by a brief
and unstabletenure.
It only remainsto be remarkedrespectingthe nameof A1
Hadhr,which appearsat first to be a corruptionof Hatra or
Hatre, that it has a very distinct Arabic meaning the sord
l)eing particularlyuse(l tv elesignatethe (lwel]ersin toxvnsor
cities,in oppositionto the Be(lwins,or rovingtribes. This woul(l
agree withZonaras'sview of the subject. But it has also a more
antique Chaldeanxneaning,EIutra or Hatla signifyingin tllat
languagea sceptre,and figurativelythe seat of government. A1
Hadhr and Hatra or Atra mayhase been equally(lerivedfrom
this source,which some mayperhapsconsiderthe more likely,
as the city appearsto havehad a Chal(leeorigin.
The river Tharthar, which gives life arld verdure to the
prairiesof eastern Mesopotamia,has its origin from sourcesin
the hills of Sinjar. Its watersare brackish,but not unpleasant
at some seasonsof the year, and it is kno+7vn to lose itself in the
salt lake calleelA1 Milh. The red sandstonesof lbIesopotamia,
W. of A1 Hadhr, {alsofurnishrock salt. Accorelingto someof
the Orientalgeographers,there was forlnerlyan artificialcom-
 Desert of S 1HG6d
h} KhidArlZyas-J%ovl?1. 19

municationcxistingbetween the Khaltir and the Tigris, or this

riverandthe Tigris; loutI regretonly teing able to call attention
to the fact7not havin, the authoritiesat harl(l.
ThursdayjApril 23}c!.--We left A1Hadhr(6h. 451n.s. M.) in a
drizzlingrain,lvhichcontinlledmoreor less all day. The Sheikh
guidedus to a fordof the Tharthar,a little above the ruinsof an
ancientlari(lge;frc)mwhence continuingour route in a direction
from N. 30 to aI0E., we struck right across the grassy plains
towards Mo.sul. The sharp eye of the Arab distinguished
.

Bedmrins on the extremesrergeof the horizon,whenalmostun(lis-

cernibleby an unpractisedobserver. 1 2 hour'sjourneybroufflht
us to Wacli-lAhmaror Halnranthe Red Valley,where the retl
sandstonesbeneaththe gypsumare denuded,but we foundthere
stagnantpools of bitter water. At mi(l-elaywe stoppedto give
the horses a feed. At 2h. 30m. we passe(l by a low range of
litnestonehills, formingthe extremewesterlyprolongationof the
Tel Nujm. 2 hours froIn this, always travellingat a rate of
about5 Iniles an hour,we cameto the Wadl-l Kasab,the plain
aroun(:lwhichwas coverellfar and nearwith the tents of agricul-
turalArabs,who as a rewardfor their intlustry,in a eountry
where the administration is so powerlessn haveto pay tributeat
once to the Sultan and to the ShammarArabs These tribes
werethe Khayaliyin,c;the deceivers;" the Jubur," the restorers;"
antl Hadllliyin, ;; (the men) of iron." Passing this plain we
entereduponthe Jubailahhills) in a valleyof which, calle(l A1
'Adhbah,or the " freshwaters,X' we foun(lencaInpedthe Juhaish,
prev-iouslynoticed,the Duleim, andthe Na'aimn" the benevolent,"
-- agriculturaltribes. Night overtookus s(on afterenteringupon
the hills; being clouded we could neithersee the compassnor
the stars,and soon lost our way, wanderingal)out up rocks and
dolvn into xralleystill we hear(l the larking of (logs. While
followingthe directionof these SOU11dS, we stumbledupona path-
way, and keeping to st with a carefultenacity,we reache(lthe
brookanclruinsof KhidhrIlyas,fromwhencethe roadto Mosul
vas familiarto me. We arrive(lat the gates of the town,aftera
journeyof about60 English miles,a little before m;(lnight,but
coul(l not prevailupon the Kapujl* to open them, so we were
obligedto loiterin our wet clothes undera deserteelvaulttill the
breakof day. S;nceour returnto Mosul severalof the Silammar
Arabs have repail our visit, upon which occasionwe presented
them with pieces of calico for shirts an(l kerchiefsof British
manufacture,and have establishedfriendlyrelationswith them,
whichwill muchfacilitateourfurtherjourneyingsin Mesopotamia.
The geoU,raphical botanyof tlle greattractswhichwe travelled
* Kapfijl or Kapwljini.e. dool*-keeper illtlllXkish.-ED.
20 s E(uraionfromAfo.iut
Mr. AINSWC)RTH t} Al Hcldh.
Overon this excursioncan be describe(lin a few wortls,an(l may
thereforefin(la place in the present report. There are scarcely
any spots thatare actuallydeprive(lof all vegetation. The most
nakedhave a few Lichens, amongwhich are prominenta grey
Lecideawithblackraised apotheciaor fiuctification;next to this
in frequencyis a pink-colouredCetraria;on the extremevergeof
these grow a few pseudo-lichens,more particular]yVerruearia
mauraandV. epigea. Oat grassis bv far the most al;)undant of
the gramineousplants. This singlespecies coverswholeuplands
of miles in extent. to the exclusionof everythingexcept a few
floweringplants,whichat this seasonof the yearwerethe Ranun-
culus Asiaticus, and certainspecies of Hieraciumand Crepis.
The beautifulChrysanthemaand Gnaphalia,belongingto the
samefamily,whichalso, witha few Centaureae, aelornthe wildel-
nessesin summer,had not yet comeinto bloom. Othergrasses
were also met with, amongwhich\ Hordeumpratenseand a deli-
cately-panicledPoa advancedupont-hes mostsandyspots.
4 In the drier partsof the plains,grassesbecamemore rarean(l
lichensmorecommon,but these tractswere clothedwith a more
prominentlJegetation of under-shrubs of wormwood;amongwhich
the most commonspecieswere Artemisiafragransand A. absin-
thium. In these unfavouredspots there were few flovering
plants, and they weremostlygathere(lroundthe vastants'nests,
or had sprungup wherecattlehad been pasturing,or the Bedwins
had bivouacked. Among the social plants certain vagabond
speciesweremetwithhereand there,esp-ecially wherethere was a
pathway. Such were the gay Aster pulchellus,Alliuln roseum
(everywhere),Papaverdubium,Campanulaglomerata,and Gen-
tiana campestris,commoneverywhere. Romeriahybrida,Ma-
thiola taria, Matricariachamomilla,and Anthemisnobilis, aIt(l
two species of Erodium,on the morefertile spots. The family
cafthe Leguminos was also representedby the genera Cytisus
and Vicia, and that of Caryophylleaeby a fewspeciesof Sal30naria
and Silerle.
On passingthe Wa(li-l Kasab and cominginto the countryof
cultivatingtribes,new species,unknownin the svilderness,imme-
diatelymaketheir appearance,evenon plainsin otherrespectsof
similarcharacters;amongthe?seespeciallyTrolliusAsiaticusand
a-yellowvarietyof RanunculusAslaticus, but rare,Adonisflava,
Ornithogalum1lmbellatum,Gladiolus segetum, and G. Byzan-
tinus, Iberis saxatilis,Calenclulaoicinalis, Malva rotundifolia,
Convolvulus,Althwoides,NcS It is curiousto observehow many
of the Phanerogamous plantswllich gronvin these countriesare
:Eritishspecies: of about40 vhich I have collectedthis spring
nearMosul upwardsof 30 are familiarmeadowor waysi(leplants.
An Account of a Visit to the Chaldeans, Inhabiting Central Kurdistán; And of an Ascent of
the Peak of Rowándiz (Ṭúr Sheïkhíwá) in Summer in 1840
Author(s): William Ainsworth
Reviewed work(s):
Source: Journal of the Royal Geographical Society of London, Vol. 11 (1841), pp. 21-76
Published by: Blackwell Publishing on behalf of The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of
British Geographers)
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1797632 .
Accessed: 05/01/2012 22:50

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 ( 21 )

I l.-Xn AECOI!1?{OCa Fisit{otheChaldean

?, tnhabiting
Central
.hitlrdistczrl;
awldcf an Sscentof thePeakof Rowandix ( .TiGA
SheakAiw(.z)igl tAleSummerof 1840. BY WILLIAM AINS-
WORTH, Esq.
TITEmost characteristicfeature of the great mountain-barrier
which separatesWesternfrom Central Asia is the remarkable
parallelismof its ranges,the generaldirectionof whichis nearly
N.N.W. and S.S.E. TIlis chain, which is prolongedto the
S. by only a ferv comparatively low ranges,constitutingwhat I
haveelsewherenamedthe PersianApennines,assumesthe height
anfl characterof true Alps or principal mountainmasses in
the districtsof Luristfinan(l KirmanshAh;but there, as to the
S. of IQurdistanProper, in the alistrictsof Sulelmaniyehand
Ardeltin,and to the N. in the districtsof Betlis, Se'rt,andZakho,
the parallelrangesare not so numerousnor extensiveas to pre-
7entthe tribesof mountaineers from being triloutary on tlle one
slde to Turkey,an(lon the otherto Persia,or to Turkeysolely.
It is, however,lJetweenthe parallelsof 36?and 38? N. lat., or
in IVermanj or KurdistfinProper,$that the sGame chain appears
to attainits greatestextent and elevation;the numberof ran:,es
succee(lingone anotheris theregreat, an(l it is only withinthem
thattwotribesof mountaineers the Tiyarl and Jellu-belonging
to an ancient Christiancommunity,have preservedtheir intle-
pendenceintactfor ages. It is true that certainKurd tribes or
chieftainshavefrequentlythrownoS the yoke of the 'Osmanlion
the one side, andof the Persianson tlle other,and thattheir usil(l
and lawlesshabitsarestronglyopposedto a regulargovernment;
but within these few years muc)nhas been done towardsame-
liorating their condition,an(l towardsestablishingamong them
the authorityof the Sultin andof a dailyimprovinglegislation.
Thus, of the four districtsof KurdistanProper, Bukhtanis
underthe gosernmentof ZakhoandJezirehibn'Omar the latter
of whichsTasonly sul)(lue(lin 1834-35 by Reshicl P;ishti. The
tribesof northelnKur(listanwere reduce(lto obedienceby Hafiz
P;isha in 1837-38. The Bey of Hakkari is really under the
swayof the l'asha of Van, the fertile shoresof which lake bring
* MajorRawlinson designatesArdelan as Kurdistan,or the coulltry of the Kurds
Proper. Ahis may be true in orlesense, as the designationis unknown among the
natives, who call themselves Kermillj. But the modern application of the name
Kurdistrirlis justifie(l by long usage: that name is givell to the same countryill the
presentday by the Persians,Turles,Armenians,Chaldeatls,and Arabsof theneighbour_
hood, and is generallyrecognisedin WesterllEurope,thoughwith too great a latitude.
In the presentelay, KerkGkand Arbil are consideredas towns attachedto the Pashalik
of Baghdad,and the ancientAdiabene formspart of the Pashalik of Mosul. It is not
customary,although quite arbitrary, to considerthe courltryof the plains }v. of the
outllTingrallges of hills in either of these Pashaliks as forming part of Kurdistin,
JezirehZakho and Koi Sarljak,like 'Amadiyahand Suleialaniyehnare in the hills.
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22 Mr. Al sswoR ril's Visit to the ChcticZeans
industry,civilization,an(lgovernmentinto the heartof Northern
an(l Central Kur(listan. The Beg of Roz7anelizrevolteda few
yearstzack,and was entic:edawayfromthe lnountains,his brother
having been appointedin his place; for the steep rockswhich
form the naturalbarrierof the Rowan(lizcountrywere never
climbedhy the 'Osmanlitroops. The Beg of 'Ama(liah, whO
governsBahdinan,the fourthandlast district,has been a recent
cause of trouble, and in the spring of 1839 'Ali PEsha of
Baghda(lcameto Mosul in orderto reducethatdisobeclient chief,
tUt I10 actix7e
measureswerethen taken.*
Sqr. Rassam alld myselfwere waitinganxiouslyat Mosul in
the spling of 1E340for two desideratafor penetratinginto Central
Kurdistaxl:first, the meltingof the snows, whichonly procee(ls
so far as to renderthe great chainspassablein the month of
June; and, secondly,the arrivalof the instrumentswhich we
had receivednoticewere on their way from the Royal Geogra-
phical Society. Muhamme(lPasha of Mosul, who, by the
cessionof Mardinto the governmentof Diyar-bekr, ha(l raised
his force, in regular an(l irregulartroops, to aloout2000 men,
was waitingalso for the samefavourableseasonto put into execu-
tion the campaignprojectedthe precedingyear.
The Pasha starte(lon the 9Sth of May, and soon afterwards
* I regretthat in this section, the oll]y one publishedin " Researches,&c.," in which
the altitudes are not fountled UpOll barometricalobservations,that I was not awareof
Mr Frazers obserl7ationsuporl the same chain with the boiling-pointthermometer.
Thls hasbeen designate(la rude alld inaccuratemethod* but with the impro-ed illstru-
merltsnow made for the purpose I am inclilled to look UpOll it as much mlwreservice-
ahle thall the barometricalol-le. The instrumentappearsalmost incapable of gettirlg
out of or(ler, alld is much less easily broken; while I have neveryet seena barometer
carriedover a chain of mountains, or through a lorlg jourrley,without losing some of
the quicksilxer through the poresof the wood. This has happeIledto me with baro-
metersof variousconstructionsby Newman,Troughton,&c. The late ]?renchexpedition
of tIM. Texier, De 1a Bourdomlaye,&c. irl Asia Minorbroke siz barometers. Good
tables of correctionsfor observationsmade with tlle boilirlg-pointthermometerare still
warlted; but the illstrumelltitself is, if properlyconstructed,susceptibleof the greatest
delicacy. The numberof observationsmade with it UpOIl the pre3entiourneyamouIlt
to fifty-severl,of which six only were liable to doubt; whereasin the barometric
observationsmade acrossTaurusthereare several,as at Mardin,3175 feetby barometer
vhich I have since found to requirecorrection
It might be added, as one of the great characteristicsof the mountainsof Kurdistan
anzlof the Persian Apennines,thatthey do not constitute,as is usually the case, chaills
which rise towards the cenhe and fall towardsthe sides, but a courltryof mountains
gradually rising towards an ur)lan(lbeyond. But this is also the case with Taurus
where the waters spring from the northerndeclivities, as at the Gnlek Boghaz and
the pass of Pelverreh;aTldgreatrivers,as the Selhun,JeihGrl,Euphrates,arldTigris, fiInd
their way through the chain. In the Kllrdistanmountairlswe find the GreatanzlLess
Zab presentingsimilar phenomena,and the same is the case with regardto the Diyalah
ir, Kirmanshahand the KerkhaharldDizful in Luristan. The elevation of the great
Persian uplarld E. of these mountains is accordingto Frazer, at Zergurl 4500, at
Isfahan4000 (Hamadan is evidently higher); at Tabriz,according to Prown, 4.500
and from severalobservatiollsby myself the lake of Urumiyah4300 feet. lthe sources
of the Zab, accordingto ColorselMonteith,are at an elevatioll of 7500 feet, whichwill
loe found to agree with the thermometriclevel.
 JebelMat{'cb- Nav-kur-' jl anSiffin. '23

intelligencecameof the Persianshavingoccupie(lSuleim(iniyeh.

Under these circumstances we resolvedto startwitllout further
(lelay,anel,avoi(lingthe Turks if possible,by takinga crossroad,
to reach'Amaeliyahbefore them, an(l before the countryshouXl
be throwninto a disorderwhichmight renderit inaccessiblefor
the wholeseason.
The first object whichwe proposedto ourselveswas to visit
Sheikh 'Adi, so ce]ebratedas the chief seat of I'zedi or Yezidi
worship, and whither no European had yet bent his steps.
Hvvingriddena little wayout of town on the eveningof June
7thXwe were enablednext mornino(Monday,,June8th) to cross
the N. shouklerof Jebel Malilub, the Mons Nicatorof the his-
toriansof Alexan(ler,an(lfrointhe contortedlimestoneof which
issue someabunslantspringsof fine water. On the south-western
face of the sal.nemountainare also the ruinsof a Christianmo-
nastery,called Deir Sheikh Matte, the monasteryof Sheikhor
Father(Saint) Matthew.
Beyonelthis a countryof low hills of tertiarysandstonesled us
to theplainof Nav-kur,orthe placeof mud(not Nakur),watered
in its centreby the Khazir,or Bumadus,and boundedto the N.
by the limestonerangeof RabbanHormuz,at the foot of which
is the large Yezi(li village of Bagh-I(lri; to the N. E. by the
san(lstonehills of 'Ain SiSln; and to the E. by the limestone
rocksof Akra', throughwhichthe river forces its wayfromthe
N., apartfrom the hy(lrographical basinof Akra', whichwill be
afterwards(lescribed.
We reached 'Xin Sifin after a journey across the plain of
4 hours,an(lenteredat this place upontlle mountainouscountry.
The plain of Nav-kur,exceptwhen cultivated,is almostentirely
overgrownwith species of glycyrrhizaand artemisia,and certain
socialumbelliferousplants. Alrea(lyat 'Xin SiSin a slight change
in vegetation is perceptible. The commonthorn makes its
appearance;anclthe risulets are adornedwith the bright pink
blossomsof olean(ler,an(laXordwater-cresses,a luxuryabun(lant
thrc)ughout Kurelistan,
thoughunknownin lVIesopotamia. On en-
teringthe hills the remarkableincreaseof animaland insectlife
also attractsattention:largesnakesof an ash-greycolourare very
common,andwe sometimesobservedthem engagedin captivating
the beautiful lizardsof the country: coleopterousinsects, of
brilliant colours,basked on the floweringplants; and there oc-
curre(l,on a speciesof euphorbia,a yellow caterpillarwithbright
scarlet spots, and which attainedfrom3 to 4 inches in length,
with a proportionatebulk of body.
Two hours'journey over the outlying hills broughtus to a
morclofty rangeof limestonesand sandstones,which we crossed
by a narrowglen, w-ateredby a tributaryto the Khazir,an(l
 '24 Mr. AINSSORTH
s l;isi! {o the Chaldeans.
aboundingin a varied vegetation,more especiallyof shrulJs.
About 2- miles up this ravine the valleywidens,an(lgives oS
two otherlateraland parallelvalleys- that to the S. containsthe
villageof Magheirah:in the centralvalleyis thatof Kathandiyah,
while to the right is the northernvale, more narrowand deeply
clad withwood; and out of a dense and leautiful grove at the
headof this risethe conicalspiresof the templeortornbof Sheikh
'Adi, at once a secludedand l)eautifulsite. Sendingthe mules
to a spring near Kathandiyah(temp. 59? Fahr.,air 8'36), Mr.
Rassamand myself tllrnedup the valley of Sheikh'Adi, which
is commanded by a conicalsummitof the samename. We scarcely
expectedto overcomeso farthe religiousscruplesof so severean(l
so mysteriousa sect as the Yezidis, as to be allowedto penetrate
into the sanctuary;but aftertakinga rapid sketch of the build-
ing, whichstandsat the base of a perpendicularcliS, andllas two
conicalspires,one largerthanthe other,pointed, and supporting
copper balls and crescents, we continuedour way, and were
met by the guardianof the place, who, with soineslight expres-
sions of (listrust,usheredus to a gateway,whichled intoa vaulted.
stonepassage,throughthe centre of whichran a streamof cool
water. This passagewas about 40 paces long, and led into an
outer court, overshadowedby large mullerry trees, well pave(l
with flags, and having large cisterns of clear water, besides
separatebathing-rooms,for the ablutionspreviousto prayer.
Tempted by the refreshingappearanceof the water, as well as
frompolicy, withoutsl,eaking a syllab]e foreign to the ears of
thosepresent,we washedoursel:7es, andtakingof ourshoes,were
admittedinto a secondand largercourt-yard,witharchedrecesses
alongthe sides,andthe temple at the l)ottom. This spot was as
clear, cool, and invitingas the firstyard; andwe couldnot help
thinkingwhata delightfulsummerresidenceSheikll'Adi wouXl
make. Descending a flight of steps, we now enteredinto the
l)uildingitself. It was a great vaultedapartment,like an ordi-
narymesjid: on an elevate(lterraeewithin it, anelscreenedby
green eurtains,vas the eofEn said to contain the remainsof
Stleikh'Adi. Roundthis werespotswherefires of bitumenarl(l
naphthaare burntat the time of theannualfestival. Beyondthis
hall is an innerone, to whiehaeeesswas refusedus. I, however,
openedthe door,analsaw an apartmentlowerthanthe ehief one,
and eontainingonly a few planks and other lumber,-a place
mostdeeidedlyneitherof sanetitynor of mystery.
We now askedthe Yezidispresent eoneerningthe peaeock,of
whiehtheyat oneedeelaredtheirignoranee. The questionwasput
to them pululiclyand so abruptlythat noopportunitywasgis-ell
to preparean evasiveanswer. I carefullymatchedthe expression
of theireountenanees,and saw nothingthat indieateddeeeit; on
 Shezkh' aldi The Yezz'cAls. 2D

the contrary,the es)ressionwas that of surpriseat the inquiry;

anfl I am stronglyinclinedto thinkthat the llistoryof the lVlelik
Taus, or king peacock, as relate(lby Father MaurizioGarzoni,
M. Rousseau,Buckingham,and moremoderntravellers,as Mr.
Forbes,is a calllmnyinventedbythe Christiansof thosecountries.
I venturethis assertion,however,with reserve; for it is curious
that a Christianresidingat Kathandiyah,in the neighbourhooul
of the place, still persistedin the truth of this tradition. The
lNlohammedan Kurds(not Yezidis), mrho serve(las muleteers,re-
marke(lto me, that I had myselffourLd it to be a falsehood. The
images of David and Solomon have no more existencethan
the peacock; and I need not ad(lthatthe accountof theirassem-
bling on the eve of the festivalhekl on the tenthdayof the moon,
in the monthof August, of the lights being extinguished,an(lof
their holdingpronliscuousintercoursetill Inorning,has everyap-
pearanceof being a base calumny,assailinghuman naturein
general,whileaimed againstthe poor Yezidis in particular. I
have seldom seen a more respectable, benign, goocl-looking
Mulla thanthe one who superintendsthe churchof Sheikh 'Adi.
I inquiredwhenthe greatbitumen-fires,of whichI sawthe traces
werelighted. " On the night of the festival,"was the answer.
The broadblaze of numerousfires of mineralpitch light up a
scene whichthe imagirsation of the ignorantan(lwilful Easterns
has filled withhorrors. My informant,however,whatevermight
be his doctrines,had the look of one habituatedto a peaceful
melitative,andpiouslife, an(lrrloslcertainlynot of the leaderof
VlClOUS and llcentlousorgles.
. . . . .

-The only peculiaritythat I observedat Sheikh'Adi to dis-

tillguishit fromany othermesjidwere,besidesthe bitumenfires,
some sculpturesat the door, representinga large snake, painted
13lack,an(lprobablyemblematicof Satan, the evil spirit, whom
they ratherpropitiatethanworship. Therewasalso an ill-formed
quadruped-it is impossibleto say whethera dog, a horse, or a
lion-anel a hatchet.+
* The proof of directworshipof the Spirit of Evi] has beenmainly foulldedupon
the fact that no traceshave been perceivedof the worshipof Yezalan,or Ormuzd, or
the good principle,in oppositionto Ahriman, or the exrilprinciple. This is at the best
but a negativeargument. Whateverhas been propagatedamong these people of the
al-lcientdoctrineof the Parsis must be llOW corruptedby gross superstitiotls, atld we
may, perhaps,recognisein the scull)tured idol accom)aIlyillgthe serpent,the emblem
of ltzed Ferfer,or otherof the Parsi atteltdantsupon the evil spirit. (Tenllemann'sHis.
tory of Philosophy. Brussels,ed. fol, vol. i. p. 72.) The name Itzedsuggestsa coin-
cidence as curiousas that remarkedupon by Major Rawlilesonfrom Theopharles,arsd
a letter of Heracliusto the senate,noticing a positionill Adiabene, called Iesdem, and
which he considersas a settlementof Itzedis,or, as they wereaftetwardsnamed by the
Mohammedans,Yezidis. (Jour. of Roy. Geo. Soc., vol. x., p. 92.) AlIajorRaw
liIIsondoes not make axIyfurtherremarksupc)ntllis sect * but it would appearfrom
this passagethat he regardsthem as Itzezlls,or followersof itzed as-suggestedabove
ratherthall of Yezid, the second of the Omllliade Kllalifs. They Laven howevernmany
W26 Mr. AINSWORTH
s Fisit to the CAlalldcans.
The villageof Sheikh 'Adi stan(lson the top of an a(ljacent
cliS, above the prettily-situatedtemple. We partookof mul-
berriesfromthe han(lsof those kind7illagers,who, had all the
accusationslaid againstthein loeen true, woul(l have actedvery
diXerentlytowardsstrangersvisitingtheirmost sacredplace.$
The two largest villages of the Yezidis in this country are
Bah 'A'shikah,at the westernfoot of JeloelMaklub,surrounded
by olivegroveswith stone-builthouses,and pleasingsituation;the
next is Bah idri, at the foot of Rabban Hormuz, the seat of
SheikhAn, their patriarch. Besi(les this they arewidelydistri-
butedthrough Bahtlinan,and, as is well known,constitutethe
chief populationof the Sinjar. Their villages are easilyknown
by the cleanwhitewashedtombswith cvnicaltopswhichgenerally
crownsomesmalleminencein their neighbourhood. On a first
journeyin BahdinanI had been taught to look upon these as
templesto the evil spirit; but a now extendedopportunityof in-
quiry has satisfiedme that they are exactly the same as the
Ziyarets, or holy men's tombs,in the villages anelmezarsof all
WesternAsia.
Tuesday,June9th.-A gentleascentled us to the crestof the
Sheikh 'Adi range, wherein a well-chosen and picturesque
situation,as usual, was a burial ground of the Kurds. The
sanctityof these inclosures,mostlysituateon lofty and command-
ing positions,preservesthe treeswhichareplanted,or that spring
up naturally,from destruction,an(l they thus affordthe best
specimens of the capabilitiesof the soil and climatefor forest
growth. N umerousvineyardsoccupie(lthe hill-sides, and by
thesewe descendedintothe smallvale of Berbetsoutof whichour-
selves and the rivuletsfoundtheir wayby a narrowand preci-
pitousravinein limestone,about2 a mile in length, with a bad
roa(:l,andwhichleadsto the expandedan(l fertile valleyof the
GhomarSu, the headwatersof the Khazir,or Bumadus. This
valleyis rich in vegetationanti cultivation,and containsmany
villages. We crossedit in a diagonaldirection,and in about
1e hour reacheda villageat the foot of the range of hills which
superstitioustraditions concerllingthis khalif. Be this as it may, the Itzed,Karuben
Sheikh Ma'zen, or exalted doctor(as the evil spirit is variously called) of the I/zedis
is a corrupteddoctrille, cotlvertedby the ignoranceof the people alone into whatever
exists of direct worship,by the same processthat in the Roman Catholic Churchthe
doctrineof the interceSsionof sairlts becomes irl the hands of the uneducated a real
saint and even picture-worship. '
* Kinneir speaks of the ltzedis as tolerantin points of religion, free from nalrow
prejudices,and possessedof noble and generousprinciples. The I/zedis of Bahdinan
must apparentlybe (listinguishedfrom the same tribe in Sinjar. The great villagesof
the I'zedis of Bahdinan, more especially Bah 'Atshikhahand Bah Idrl, are the best
built, most flourishingand cleanestspotsin Adiabene,and the inhabitantsare kind and
hospitableto Frallks,but they detestTurks,who never fail to heap upon them all kinds
of absurdreproaches. Thereis llo doubt that the I'zedisare quite opento a betteredu-
cation, and e^tento a morehumanereligion.
 Berbet Cheloke' .T2zrci
Gharah. 'S7

boundsthe valleyto the N. Here we firstobservedthe hornsof

the chamoisof Kur(listan;about 22 feet in length, of a dark
lulackcolour,andcurvedinwards,withknotson the convexpart.
The ascentof the hills, composedentirelyof supra-cretaceous
limestones,broughtus into the region of the valoniaoak, where
the trees, however,were of sparegrowth. The ascent occupied
12 hour, when we were agreeablysurprisedto find the range
breakingsudflenlyof in a steep precipice,beneathwhich, at a
depthof 800 feet, was a narrowvale, with many villages and
gardens,and over which rose a huge massof alternatinglime-
stonesand sandstones,to the heightof about2000 feet, calledthe
Cha Zlrwar. We were oblige(lby this characterof the country
to alter our course,an(l keep up the side of the precipice,till,
passingoversomebrokenhills clad with forestsof oak, we found
ourselvesin the ^-alleyof Cheloki, boundedto the N. and S. by
narrowrangesof limestones,with a quaquaversaldip, rising so
steeplyan(lterminatingin so sharpan edge as to look almostlike
walls of art, an appearancecommonto the outerranges of lime-
stonehills. IInmediatelyN. of these doublerangesis the lofty
and Alpine chainof Gharahor Ghararah,separatedin a direct
line by a valley scarcelyI mile in widthfromthe JelJelHair or
Cheloki ranges, and boundedto the N. by the great s-alleyof
'Amael;yah.This chain,composedof variouslimestonesandsancl-
stones,separatesthe tributariesof the GreatZab and the Khabur
or Zakhoriverfrom the tributariesof the Khazir,or Bumadus,
an(lthoseof the Khosar,the river of Nineveh. It is prolonge(l
to the N.W. by the (S'haSpi, or Jebel Abyadh (white moun-
tain)-Researches, p. 265 which,reachingthe Tigris, is pro-
longe(lintonorthernMesopotamia bythe low sandstonehills which
lear the ol(l nameof Jebel Gharah. To the S.E. the samechain
is prolonge(lto the ravineof the GreatZab, andbeyondthatby the
mountainsdesignatedas the Sar HasanBeg, whichwill be after-
wards(lescribed. The centralchainof Gharahpresentsat times
a commonsingle crest,the lime rockshavinga quaquaversal (lip;
but at times the unionbetsseenthe oppositebetls is not perfect,
anela craggyvalley, of from2 a mile to I mile wide, is left be-
tX-ecnwalls of rock,(liy)pingto the E. andW.
At the easterlyfootof the Tura, or Jebel Gharah,andnearthe
village of Zinaloir,are some copioussprings,furnishinga trilou-
tary to the Khazir; and near this we obtaineda few organic
remains,illustrativeof the age of the sedimentaryrocksof the
TurS Gharah. Our roadwas carriedoverthis chainin a tortuous
manner,chiefly throughwoodedand picturesqueglens. The
heightof the summitlevel above the sea was, by boiling-point
thermometer,2187 feet: the culminatingpointsulaybe judged to
rise to 4800 feet. There was still a good deal of snow on the
28 Mr. AINSWORTll .S Visitto theChaldeXzs.
easternsloe, and patches on the western. We halte(lfor the
night in a vale at an elevationof 3620 feet, without habitations
but havinga fine springof water. llemp. 52*7Fahr.; air, 78 7.
Wedsesdbfy, June 10th.-We had nothillgbut a gently unlu-
lating andwell-woodedcountryfromour stationof last night to
the valleyof 'Amadlyah,the bottom of whichis ocoupie(lby a
depositof supra-cretaceous sandstoneandsandstoneconglomerate,
of little adhesion,anddeeplyintersectedbywater-courses.From
the undisturbedhorizontality of the beds I was inclinedat first to
look upon this sandstoneas a local (leposit,fillingup this great
valley,louta prolongedinvestigationdisclosedihat this formation
has been tilted up by the Tura Gharah,but not by the Tura
Matineho? the (Chaldeans,or the ChEMatinehof tlle Kurds-
the range of mountainswhich boundthe vale of 'Amadivahto
the E. or N.E.
The headwatersof the Gharahriver,a tributaryto the Great
Zab5springfrom a slight swellingin the soil of the valley,about
12 miles W. of 'Amadiyah;while from the oppositeside of the
same eminencethe waters flow to the Khabur. A riverwhich
at the place of our descent was a mere brook became, before
reaching'Ama(liyah15 yardsin width,being suppliedby moun-
tain torrents,which isslle from everygap and from everysnow
patchin the Tura Gharahand the Tura Matlneh. The detailof
some of thesewill l)e givenin the map.
The valleyof XAmadiyah, although containingmanyvillages,
belonging partlyto Kurds of the Bahdinantribe and partlyto
Chaldeans,is but sparinglycultivated,being mostlyoccupie(lby
forestsof valonia oak, which more especiallystretchalongthe
easternfootof the lFuraGharahfromhence to Rowandiz,a dis-
taneeof 3 days'journeynand this is the greatdistrictfor gather-
ing galls and valonia; for irl our travels furthereastwardwe
scarcelymet with anymoregrovessstill less with forestsof oak.
We had been accompaniedfromMosul by a RomanCatholic
Chal(lean,of the nameof Davud,a respectablegall-merchantof
'Amatliyah,who, being well acquaintedboth with the Kurdish
and Chaldeandialects of the mountains) was engaged to act as
interpreter. Fromthis lsan, and from otherinquiriesinstituted
at 'AmEdiaahand at Rowandiz,it appearsthat the perianthof
the Quercus valonia is alonegathere(lfor the market, but that
galls are obtainedlsothfromthe Q. valonaa-and fromotheroaks.
I did not findthemin the act of gathering,but the treespointed
outas furnishinggalls were Q. cerris,pedunculatan and infectoria.
The gaLll-apple, whichis knolivnto l)e the productof a speciesof
Cynipsnis only gatheredfrom the stalksor stems; that on the
leaves is pulverulentand useless. The zone of oak in these
mountainsextends from an elevationof 1500 feet to 2500 feet
 'Amade'yah 29

abovethe levet of the sea; aboveand belowthis the treesbecome

mereshrllbs.
The valleyof 'Amadiyah,exceptingthe slight elevationinter-
vening between the watershedof the Khabur and the Gharah
rivers, extends from the Tigris to the vale of Rowandiz,being,
however,curved alaout12 miles to the E. of 'Ama(liyah,in the
districtof Zibeiri, and is about 5 or 6 miles in width. The
townof 'Amad;yahis built upona rock-terrace of liinestone; the
only one which overliesthe sandstone throughout the valley. This
rocklies on the easternsi(le of the valley, and is an offset from
the Matinehrange. The extentof the terrace,whichis in shape
somewllatolral,is ; of a mile in length, and t a mile in width.
It is everywheresurroundedby cliffk,varyingfiom 40 to 80 feet
in altitude; consistingof compactlimestonereposinguponsand-
stone. It took us 45 minutesto ascendfromthe leaseto the gate,
the roadbeingtortuous. There aretwogatesto the town,one to
the N.W.>the otherto the E. The tononstandson the eastern
portionof the terrace,the remainderbeing occupie(lly graves
anda squareopen castle,with circulartowersat the angles,built
by the late Beg of Rowandiz,when he sackedthis place. The
rock terrace is also defendedat variouspointsby guaral-houses,
towers,andirregularly-constructed bastions)with occasionalcur-
tains, whichare not howevercarriedroundthe rock. The town
is all in ruins: of the houses formerlyesistings only aboutone-
thirdare nomr in repairor inhabited;and of the bazaraboutone-
fourth is made use of, the remainderbeing in a stateof decay.
Abovetheseperishin^,materialsthererisesa serai, the residence
of the pashti,the lowerpartbuilt of stoneathe upper of mud;
and nearit is a beautifulmodel of a pillar, a detachedminaret,
the only one in the place,and also nearthe only e:isting Inesjid.
At presentthe chief poI)ulation of 'AmadiyahareJews, who have
70 houses here and 3 synagogues. These oor )eople have
amongthemselvesa traditionthattheirancestorshavedwelthere
froma periodshortlysul)sequentto the captivity The Moham-
medanshave60 11ouses,and the Chaleleanshave20 houses,of
rhich 5 are RomanCatholic. There are also 5 housesof Arine-
nians,whopursuetheirusual alrocatinns as jewellers,artnourers,
%c. There was a garrisonof nearly 200 irregulars,chiefly
Arnautsand Greeksof Rumelia.
The (ChaldeancoulmunityoS'Amaliyah,whichremainssted-
fast to the ancientfaith, has only one priest,a mostsimplekind
heartedman, called Kashiya (priest) Man(lu. Besitles'Ama-
diyah,the duties of his post extentlover the villagesvf Bibabi,
Hamziyah,Belaghani, Arrishk, E1aratlan,Meristek, Komsani,
I)eri, Derzln, Erdil, and Beg Koti; a districtof ui wardsof 40
s(uare miles, whichcan be well suppose(lto derivelittle advan-
30 Mr.AINSWORTH'S
Visitto the Chaldeael.s.
tage from a single spiritualinstructor. Hence the progressof
the Roman Catholic faith among the Chakleansof Bah(linan,
which has alreadygaine(loverthe villagesarounclZakho, long
since left withoutany teachersof the faithof their forefathers.
By the recentchangesin churchgovernmenteSectedin Mosul
in June,1840, by the envoyof the Pope, lEiI. (leVillardille,I}ishop
of Lebanon,MarZahar,bishop of Mosul, was made patriarch,
with the title of Mar Nicolaus; and to him weregilrenBaghda(l,
Mosul,and A1 Knsh. Mar Yusuf assume(lthe episcopalsupre-
macyoverthe town and districtof 'Ama(liyah;Mar Petrosthat
of JezirehandZakho; Mar Michael,of Se'rt; Mar Basileis,of
Diyar-bekr; Mar Agathos, of Mar(lin; and Mar Laurentius,
of Kerkuk.
A Chal(leanbishop was appointed,aboutsevenyearsago, to
'Amadiyah,by the patriarchMar Shim'on; his name is Mclr
Elias: but, afterlivingat 'Ama(liyahonly one year, he secede(l
fromthe Chaklean,and becamea convertto the RomanCatholic
church. His characterhas, however,become suspecte(lamont
the RomanCatholics,who have reduced him to the 1O^7er rank
of priesthoo(l;and he is strictlywatche(lat Mosul, as fearsare
entertainedof his desireto returnto the Chakleanchurch. ISe
wouldnot, howe^er,be received in the mountains,where he is
equallydespisedforhis tergiversation lJythe laity and the clergy,
the latter of whom are the 1noreparticularlyindignantfromthe
greatresponsibilityof the chargeentrllstedto him.
Althoughthe priest of Ama(liyah,Kashiya Mandu, receivecl
holyorders fromIsh'iyah,ChaldeanbishopofBerrawi,resitling
at Dviri,he and his flock pay their tithes and contrtbutions to
Mar Yusuf,RomanCatholicbishop of 'Ama(liyah,now residing
at A1 Kosh. This is in virtue of an arrang,ement made by the
Roman Catholic church with the 'Osmanli government,who
woul(lbe less secureof theirpartof the revenueif it were pai(l
to the lJishopof Berraw-i,while the Roman Catholics would
naturallyget llothing froma church from which they have se-
ceded. Two otherdistricts,that of Dirakanand thatof Nurwar,
containingmany villages of Chaldeans,are similarly circum-
stanced: each of the above-mentioned districtshas threepriests.
The only antiWuities which we found at 'Ama(liyahwere the
foundationsof a templehewnout of the solid rockon the surface
of the terrace. It is 20 yards wide and 30 long, and about
8 to 10 feet deep. At the E. end is a ctlt in the rock for an
altar, and to the S. a sepulchralcave, diviled into three com-
partments. In the interiorthereare threerowsof y)illars,shaped
like olvelisks,only truncatedat the summits:this has all the ap-
pearanceof being an ancientPersian fire-temple,and as such
7as known to theitlhabitants. There is also a bas-relief of a
 'Amadiyah. 31
humanfigure,ratherlargerthan the naturalsize, cut in the face
of the rockbelow the N.W. gate. The figureis muchmutilated
but whatremainsof it resemblesin its details the statuein the
cave of Shapur, which is generally supposedto representthe
conquerorof Valerian.*
Not far from 'Amadiyahis a small Chaldeanmonastery,un-
tenantedandwithoutdoors. The townitself doesnot appear to
have been a place muchfrequentedby piOllS Mohammedans, as
there are only- two ziyarets in the mezar or burial-ground.
'Amaeliyahstandsin N. lat. 363 47t 29", as derivedfroman ol-
servationof the moon's meri(lianheight, and at an elevationby
boiling-pointthermometerof dl265feet.
* Thesevestigesof a Persiantemple situate irl orle of the most promillerltpositions
on the rock-terrace,an(l belonging, as would appearfrom the characterof the statue
sculpturedat the portal of the city, to the early monarchsof the Sasanian dyrlasty
would indicate thatolle of the sacredfiresor pyrea of the Magiansexistedat this placee
arld this, combilledwith the strongposition of the fort, favoursthe supposition()f its
being the Assyrian Ecbatana of Ammianus (lib. xxiii. c. 6). Whatever may have
been the origillalmeaningof Akbatana,or Ecbatana,which, accordingto WIajorRaw-
linson(Jourrl.of Roy. Geo. Soc., vol. x. p. 135), signitiesa treas24re-city, it i3 certaitl
that that name was very generallyapplied: hence the greatrlurpberof the Ecbatanasof
antiquity. The city of this name,noticed by Plutarch in his Life of Alexander,was in
Babylonia,and not in Assyria,arldmay be easily recognised,as the Macedonianhero
wenttherenext after the battle of Arbela. He was there particularlystruck with a
gulf of fire, which streamedforth continually as from an inexhaustiblesource. He
also admireda floodof naphthanot far fromthe gulf. (Langhorne'sPlutarch,p. 480.)
This descriptionapplies solel- to the Abu Jeghar,nearKerkGk,at which lattel place
is a castle-bearingmoun(l of great antiquityn resemblingthat of Arbela a city of the
same date. It is IlOt surprisingthat the Magiansshould have madethesenaturalfoun-
tains of fire the objectof a peculiarworship. MajorRawlinsoll(opuscit. p. 137) quotes
the Asiat. Res. (vol. iii. p. 10) to show that so great was the veIlerationin which these
fourltainswereheld, that they were visited by devoteesfromIndia. But save the fires
thereare no remainsof antiquityat the place nearerthatl KerkGk,for I have carefully
examined the site and circumstancescoImectedwith thesenattlralfires. (Researches
&c., p. 242 et seq.) The site of the greatMeelianEcbatanahas been satisfactorilyde-
terminedby MajorRawlinson. But StephanusByzantillussays: " Est etiam oppidum
Syria!Ecbatana and wehavethe authorityof Pliny and Hesychiusthat this wassituate
;17

upon Mount Carmelr Therewasalso a PersianEcbatana:Pliny saysZ" Magi obtinent

Passagardascastellum,in quo Cyri sepulerumest: et horumEcbatanaoppi(lum." The
ArsaciallEcbatanawhich appearsto hae been identical with the Ragau of the book of
Tobit and the Rhagesof the historiansof Alexander,is represeIlted accordingto Major
Rawlinsonby the ruinsof Kal'eh Erig, nearVeramin. If it can be shown,then,thatthere
weretwo MedianEebatanas,one Persian, oneSyrian,otleBabylonian,and one Arsacian
I can scarcelysee thegroundsforscepticisrnas to the existerlceof an AssyrianEcbatana.
Mr. Rich found that 'Amadiyahwas still knownto some by the name of Ekbadan-
and althoughmy inquiries on this subject have not yet been attended with success
Mr. Rich was far too carefula registrarof facts to have beelleasilymisled, and too well
acquaintedwith the Asiatic characterto have foullded his statementupon a leadine
question,such as " Do you call this place Ekbadan? " which, if the affirmativeis sup-
posedto be soughtfor, will always be given.
Our questionsled to the following results: first, that the Kermanji,or Kurds,know
the town universallyby thename of 'Amedi, or "the town of the Medes*"and that
'Amadiyah is a corruptionof this name by the Arabs and Turks not knowl] ill the
mountains: they irl the same way change the nameof the Berrawi illtOBerrawiyall-
that of Tobi into Tobiyah; alld so on with marly otherKurdish and Chaldealltribes.
Seconclly,that they have a tradition that the town, notwithstandingits Mediarlcon-
querorsaxldMagiallworshipswas foundedby tiLeApocryptlalprophetTobias.
32 Mr. AINS\\TORTII
S Visit to the Chaldea1ls.
The samenight that we arr;vedat 'Amtidiyah,the Chal(lean
mountaineersmade a (lescent upon a Mohammedanvillage,
people(l by the descendantsof an Amir Sayyid,or chief de-
scendedfrom the Prophet,only a mile fromthe town; an(l from
a11the informationI could collect, although most anxious to
disbelieve it, only two persons out of forty escapexlthe gene-
ral slaughter. 1 nevercouldlearnesactlywho were the authors
of this atrociousand in(lefensiblecrime, for in the interiorI
(lid not find the men even in arms, althoughthreatened*vith
war on every side. It is difficult, however, at a distance to
form an idea of the hostility esisting between the Chaldeans
an(l lEllohammedans.The Mohammedansthemselves(li(l not
refrainfromconstantlyexpressing,even befUreus, theirjealousy
and abhorrenceof the followersof a despised and deteste(l
eligion, retainingits intlependencein the heart of Islamism.
\hen a Tiyari man comes to 'AmEdiyahhe is subjecte(lto
every kind of indignity and insult, spurned, kicked, an(l spit
at. His Redeemer is cursed and vilifie(l to his face; often
they are seized and madeto work, and many have}een put to
death. Thus persecuted,it is not surprisingthatin time of war
they retaliateupontheir oppressorsin a sad sanguinaryspirit;
theirpassionsare too fearfullyroused, and the hatredtoo (leep
and lont,endured,to subsidein mercyand forgiveness;and ages
of tyrannyand -intolerance havedrivenfromtheirbosomsa11feel-
ings of pity tow-ardstheirhaughtyand implacalJleMohamlneelan
enemies.
At this time MohammedPastlei,of Mo.sul,wasXwith his cle-
tachment,encampedat a short distance from 'Amadiyah,the
Kerman;chieftainof *rhichhad taken refugseill KumriKal'ah
in the Berrawicountry. This dayhe came up and pitche(l his
tents within a mile of the town; and greatlydi(l the ofTicers
rejoice as they spoke iof what they deertle(lcertain the imtne-
diate subjectionof the Chal(leanmountaireers. In the evening
the rocks were line(l with sol(liers firing salutes, which were
answeredby the guns fromthe camp; butvv-ewentintothe heart
of the country,an(l returnedfrom thence, while the 'Osminli
Pasha was engagedin makingoverturesto the chiefs,withoutthe
least chanceof success; and whenwe-returnedto Mosul, he ha(l
retiredwithoutbeing able to eSect anythinglJeyondthe pacifica-
tion of a partof his ownprovincey by the occupationof Akra'an(l
the expulsionof the old gouTernorof 'Amcidiyah.
Aware that the roa(ls were now occupied by armedmoun-
taineers,who perhapsmightnot put much faith at such a moment
in the avozed purposeof our visit, we immeeliately on our arr;ral
sought out an(l found with difficultya man X-hosepo-erty an(l
ragsmight serveto protecthitu, wllilehe venturedto the 13ishop
 ---GeleMumu&hZozanNav-dashta'. 33
TuraMat2'?eh
of Berrawito announceour coming, and requesta free passage.
We spent two (lays, tormentedby san(l-flies,waiting for this
messenger,who.atlengtllarrivedthe morningofthe 13th, when,
issuingby the easterngate, to avoidobservation,we got into the
gardensand vale N. I)f 'Amadiyah,accompaniedby our mes-
sengerand the priestMandu,lNhohad volunteereclto go with us
to the patriarch.
The pass of the Matineh mountaillis exceedinglyl)eautiful.
Near its foot a mountain-torrent (Sulaf chai) comes tumbling
over the rocks, amid precipitouscliSs variegatedby a rich
vegetation an(l long pending stalactitesor a rough cvrering
of travertinodeposite(lby the waters; climbing an(l creeping
plants swing in flowera7festoonsdown the water'sedge, petri-
fied in their course, and their xrerdantfoliage is risalled
in various tracery by the stalagmitic(leposits. The torrent
forins three successive falls of from 18 to 20 feet in height,
aiternatelylosing itself in caves of green foliage or re-appear-
ing as a sheet of whitefoam. After about half a mile of open
valley the second llart of the pass is attained. It is a nar-
row gorge in limestonerock the first of the redoubtedSylbz
of the HakkEricountry. The mountainof Beshishis to the E., that
of SheikhtAnto the W. The pass itself is calledGeli Muzukah.
An ash-colouredsnake,havint hright yellowbands,waveditself
occasionallyup the smoothand perpendicular face of the rock;
but its progressunder such circumstances was veryslow, and it
might have been easily killed. The Asiatics generallyappear
to entertaina great prejudiceagainstsnakes,which they always
destroywhenpossible, althoughthe oor creaturesare neverthe
firstaggressors,and so much to be admiredfor theirgreatbeauty
of formand colour, and the eleganceof theirmovements. The
houses in Mosul aboundwith them, but, as is always the case
with Nature'sproductions,theyfulfil a beneficialpurpose. Ants
swarmin these mud-hovels,and these are checked in their in-
crease l)y the flat-toed lisard,which itself would becomenume-
rousas a plagueif it were not for the snakes,whichalso moderate
the pro(luctivepowersof the bat-tribe.
A little beyond the Geli Muzukahis an isolatedrock called
Peri Balgah-si, or the Honey-place of the Fairies, apparently
inhabitantsof Kurdistan. Wllen we got tc)the crestof the chain
we foundourselvesamidpatchesof snow,at an elevationof 5840
feet; and belowus the summer-quarters of the people of 'Ama-
diyah,wllich they ha(l not occupie(lthis year on accountof the
war. It wasa delightfullycool pasture,and possessedone mud-
builcling,the palace of the Pasha. These spots, nalneelYaila
by the Turks, are called by the ChaldeansZomE,and by the
Kurds,orin Kermanji,Zozan-the presentone ZozanNav-dashti.
VOL. X1. D
 34 S FiSitto theChaldeens.
Mr. AINSWORTH
From this point the extensivedistrictof BerrXiwiextended
lefore us; in our neighbourhoodwas a long valleydottedwith
villagesof in(lustriousChristians,while at its ileaclwas a peculiar
roun(leelmountain,rising alJovethe village of Ddri, the seat of
the bishop of Berrawi. Beyon(l were two distinct lofty and
snow-cladchainsof lllountains-the one, Tur Devehli,extending
from N. 5 E. to N. 2t5W., the other,Tura Shina, the extent
of which was not well (lefined. To the W. the valley opened
amidstmingle(lforests, rock and arat2leland,above whichrose
a group of rude peaks, one of which bore KumrlKal'ah, the
presentasylumof the Kurdishchief of Bahdinan;beyondwhich
appeare(la snow-cladgrouI of mountains,the name of whichI
could not learn. They were the mountainsat the head of the
Buhtancountry.
The chainof Matinehwhich we were now crossing,is.,it may
be observed,the continuationsouth-eastward of the Jebel Judi,
on whichlocal traditionplacesthe Ark, and whichdivi(lesto the
NT. the countryof Buhtanfrom that of Bahdinan,and in the

centrethat of Hakkarifrom the same country,for the tribe of

Berrawibelongsto the Hakkaricountry. The fourgreat trit)es
in northernKur(listanare Bahdinan, 13uhtan,Hakkari, an(l
Rowandiz. The Bahdinancomprehendsthe sub-tribesof-1.
Sindior Sindiyah(which lattersyllable is generallyadded to all
the tribes when spokenof by the Arabs); 2. Sleivani; 3. Goli;
4. Goyi; 5. Artushi; 6. Derran; 7. Kaidl; 8. Sheikh An
(Yezidis); 9. Navkur; 10. Bowat; 11. Najukur; 12. Kal'ati;
13. Kalah Deir; 14. Seruji; 15. Shirwan; 16. Barados; 17.
Gerdi; 18. Misuri, 19. Berrawi; 20. Doski; 21. Kerki;
22. Rekani, 23. Nerw; 24. BerrawiJur; 25. Govi; 26. Teli;
27. Zitk; 28. Sherm; 29. Zobar. The lastis the largestsul-tribe.
The Hakkari?uponwhosecountrywe are now entering,com-
prehend-1. The Tiyarl; 2. The Tobi ; 3. Jellawi; 4.
Piniyaniski; 5. A1 Toshi; 6. Artoshi Bashi; 7. Bazi; 8.
Sati; 9. Oramari; ] 0. J6lAmergi; 11. Jellu; 12. Dez ;
13. Siliyahi; 14. Berrawi.
The Christianvillages belongingto these tribes, as far as we
were able to ascertain,were as follows:-
1. Tiyari. 1. Ashitah; 2. Zawithah; 3. M;niyani; 4.
Margi; 5. Kllrkah; 6. Lizin; 7. JemathA;8. Zermi; 9. Shut;
10. Rawala; 11. Tel Bekin; 12. BeileithE; 13. Oriatha; 14.
Rowarri; 15. Lagipa; 16. Matha KEsr; 17. Bezizu; 18.
Rumtha; 19. Sadder; 20. Serspittin; 21. Betkhi; 232.Nehr
Kalahsi; 23. Ghamani;24. Kal'ahthani.
2. Jell2z. 1. Alson; 2. Jellu; 3. Zirinik; 4. NIarzaya;5.
Thilana; 6. Ummflt; 7. Zir; 8. Sirpil; 9. Bobawa; 10. Bi-
bokrE; 11. Shemsiki; 12. Murt oriyi.
 r
Po?lation of Hakkarlyah. 3

3. Julamerge'.1. Julamerik;2. K6chHannes; 3. Burju-

llah; 4. Espin; 5. Gavanis; 6. Kotranis;7. Euranis; 8.
Syrini; 9. Bekajik; 10. Daizi; 11. Shamasha;12. Murda-
dishl; 13. Madis; 14. Merzin; 15. Zerwa; 16. Deriki; 17.
Kermi;18.Gesna; l9. Kalanis;20. Khazakiyin;21. Kewuli;
22. Meilawa;23. Pisa; 24. Alonzo.
4. Berrawi. -1. Bebal; 2. Ankri; 3. Malaktah;4. Bis-
miyfih;5. Duri; 6. Iyat; 7. 'Ainahnuni; 8. Akushta;9. Mi-
sakah; 10. Robarah; 11. Dergali; 12. Tashish; 13. BAsh;
14. Hayis; 15. Derishki;16. Mayah.
5. Tobe'.-1. Gun(lukda;2. Muzra;3. Tomago;4. Berijai;
5. Jissah.
6. Baz or Bazi. 1. 'Orwantiz;2. ShoAvEh;3. Argub; 4.
Kojijah.
7. Dex.-1. RabbanDAdishuh;2. Maddis; 3. Chiri; 4.
SuvFa;5. Golosel;6. MarKiriyakis;7. Akeshi; 8. Chalchan;
9. Gorsi; 10. Savams;11. Chemmasha.
Besides these there are severaldistrictscontainingvillages
comy)arativelyinsignificant,of which neitherthe numbernor
localitywasnoted:-
1. Walti;2. Neivzli; 3. Gesnak;4. Daprashin;5. Burun;
6. Biljani; 7. Garwar;8. Albak (betweenJu]amerik andthe
Lakeof Van); 9. Shemso-d-din; 10. Shapat; ll. Bratsinnai;
12. Dirakan,and13. Nurwarin 'Amadiyah or Bahdinan.
I subjointhefollowingas the bestestimatethat I canformof
the population of Hakkari,foundeduponpersonalobservation
of thevarioussizes of the villagesandof thereportsas to their
number. It differsvery much indeedfromotherspreviously
published;but these havebeen foundedchieflyuponOriental
exaggerations.The fallacyof Dr.Walsh'sestimateof 500,000
Christians,forexample,mustbe manifest to all whowillconsider
the small e2atentof country occupied by these Christians and its
limited productive capabilities:-
1. Tiyari . 24 vill. at 20 houseseach 480 housesat 8 personsper house 3840
2. Jellu . 12 ,, ,, 240 ,, ,, 1920
3. Julamergi24 ,, ,, 480 ,, ,, 3840
4. Berrawi 17 ,, ,, 340 ,, ,, 2720
5. Tobi . 5 ,, ,, 100 ,, ,, 800
6. Baz . . 4 ,, ,, 80 ,, ,, 640
7. DEz. . 11 ,, ,, 220 ,, ,, 1760
156520
To which are to be added out of HakkEri-
In Bahdinin 11 villages, 220 hou3es,alld population . , 1760
Towll of 'Amadiyah20 houses . . . . . . 160
1,920
And 13 districtsnot well known,which may be estimated at 100 houses
each, or 1300 housesax}da populationof . . . . 10,400
27,840
D 2
36 Mr. AINSWORTH
S FiSZtto the Chaldeans.
The Chaldeansin Persia, the Roman-CatholicChaldeansin
the same country,andthe Roman-CatholicChaldeansin Meso-
potamiaand AdialJene,takentogether,are, on accountof the
greaterresourcesof these countries,probablymore than double
the populationof Chaldeanmountaineers, or Chakleansof Hak-
kari andBahdinan.
About an hour'sdescentbroughtus to the village of Hayis
(Chaldeans),wherewe found the bishopof Berr;isviwaitingfor
us. This first specitnenof a chief dignitaryof the Chaldean
churchwas highlyfavourable. I had expecteda l)ishopwith a
daggerand sword-perhaps,as it wastime of lvar,with a coat-of-
mail; but insteadof that, we saw an aged man, of spare habit,
with much repose and dignityin his manners,and a verybene-
volent and intelligentaspect; his hair and beardnearly silver-
white, his foreheadample and unelouded,and his countenance,
fromnevereatingmeat,uncommonly clearandfair. On meeting
us, he held out his handto be kissed,and we were then intimate
friends. The happy moral influenceof Christianitycouldnot
be moreplainlntInanifestedthanin the changeof mannersimme-
diatelyobser+-able in the countrywe had now enteredinto, an(l
whichpresenteditself witll the more foreefromits contrastwith
the sullen ferocitaof the Mohammedans.The kind, cordial
mannersof the people, and the greatrespectpaidto their clergy,
were amongthe firstfruitsof thatinfluencewhichshowedthem-
selves. As we proceededon our journey the peasantrycame
fromvillagesevenhalf a mile fromthe road,to kiss the Bishopvs
hand; and KashiyaMandu also came in for a share of the
reverences. Little childrenwho couldnot reachthe handof the
Bishop were held up by theirparents,and everywherethe same
pleasingtestimoniesof gratefulaffectionwereexhibited.
An hour'sjourneybroughtus to a perpendicular precipiceof
tal)ularslaty limestone,al)out 250 feet deep, and at the bottom
of which rolled the RobarElmei, a torrent 12 yards wide by
1 in depth, whichflowsto the Zab. On the oppositeside of the
riverwas a conicalhill, bearinga ruinedcastle,formerlyvery ex-
tensis-e:I couldlearnnothingconcerningits history. It is called
Kal'ah Beitannuri, and is curiouslyconnectedwith a tribe of
Jewswhoresideat the foot of the hill in the villageof BeitannurS
(Houseof)Fire), where they have a synagogue,and who lay
c]aimto this place fromremoteantiquity.
Our roadlay downtllle Robar Elmei, whichwe crossedon a
woodenbridge,passingseveralChaldeanvillages,and tllen up a
tributarystreamto the large villageof Duri, wherethe people
werewaitingfor eveningprayer, but the Bishop findingit late
afterperforminghis ablutions,renouncedhis intentioxls, and we
walkedfromDuri abouthalf a mile to a picturesqueand wooded
 Dura-MCG}
Kiyo7nczh. 37

glen, whereinwerea few hamlets,one of which wasthe Bishop's

residence,while up above,anclsurroundedby trees, appearedat
the footof a cliff a little whitewashe(lchurch, partly hewnout
of the rock. This is Mar Kiyomah,wherethe Bishopgenerally
officiates.
Havingtakenup our quarterson the roof of a house, plea-
santly overshadowedby a huge mulberry-tree,esreningprayers
weresaid; whenI firstfoundout thata personwhoseclotheswere
all tattere(land torn, whoseaspectbespokethe greatestpoverty,
an(lwhoon the journeyhad alwaysmarchedbefore the Bishop,
carryinga stick with a certaindegreeof pomp,was no otherthan
the Bishop'schaplain. After prayerscame nleals; the Bishop
anclourselveseatingfirst, then the raggedbut worthychaplain,
the priest Mandu, Davud and other chiefs of the group; and
lastly, the ser^tants wentto workwith a general scramble. At
night the roofof the housepresenteda happysceneof patriarchal
simplicity- two peasantsand their wives, twc)cradlesand their
noisy tenants,two priestswithdaggersin theirgir(lles,the chap-
lain, ourselves,muleteers,servants,&c., were all picturesquely
distributedovera spaceof about 12 Jardsby 6.
Sunday,June14th.- At divine service this morningbefore
day-break,the sacramentwas administeredto all present,boys
included:raisin-water suppliedthe place of wine. The crosson
the doorof the church, the crosson the altar,the Holy Scrip-
tures,and the E3ishop's hand,were alonekissed. The crossused
by the Chaldeansis rather an emblem than a representation of
the instrumentof our re(lemption:its form is this @. Such
crossesaremadein brass,orcut in stoneonthe churches,as dc)or-
was, and often on a large stoneat the entranceof a Christian
village,and it is kissel by the devouton goingout or comingin:
the Chaldeansgenerallymake the sign of the cross, but Mar
Shim'on,whenprayersweresaid at Julamerik)observedno such
form.
After breakfastwe went to the churchat Duri: like the rest,
it presented to our examinationonly a rudely constructedand
vaulte(lbuildingof stone, into whichbut little light wasadmit-
ted by aperturesmorelike loop-holesthan windows,perforated
in the upperpartof the rear gable-end. The altar was at the
east end, and beyond it was a recess for the commllnion-table,
approachedby a low door: the wholeapparatusof the church
serviceconsistsin a copy of the Liturgyand of the New Testa-
ment, a brasscross, a bell to ring, an incensevase or chafing-
dish, and a cup for the a(lministrationof the sacrament.
Generallythe interiorof the churchesare lined with printe(l
calicoesor otherornamentalcloths, often veryragged, but as it
wastime of wartllese weretaken down lest they might attract
38 Mr.AINSWORTH
S FiSiX
tv the Chatdeans.
partiesin searchof plunder. There are no seatsin the churches,
and the men andwomenstand together; the latter nevercover
their faces,nor are they in any way (lebarredfrom free commu-
nicationwith strangersor friends. The people were free yet
respectfulin theirmanners:theircuriositywas very great, and
becamesometimesrathertryingon the road. Of armsespecially
they are veryfon(l,and couldneverlet oursalone, althoughper-
cussionguns and pistolsare dangerousthingsto play with: there
wasalso no keepingtheirhandsout of our travelling-bags.The
men wear their ha}rplaited in a singletress, which falls from
the back of the head: this is surmountedby a conical cap of
whitefelt, whichmakesthemlook uncommonlylike the pictures
given of the Chinese. Their best travelling-shoesare madeo?
chamois-skin, witha strongnettingof string,butthoseforordinary
wearare madeof felt and require mendingeveryjourney; for
whichpurposeeach mancarriesa largeneedlein his breast.
We spentthe eveningwith the Bishop. We were in a grove
of luxuriantgrowth and variegatedfoliage; goldenorioles sang
fromthe shades,andpigeonscooedfromthe rocksabove;the men
sat roundand pattedus on the back with the familiarityof old
acquaintancesand the womencrowdedto enter into the passing
conversation.
The villages of Chaldeansin Berrawi hanng priests, are:
1. Bebal; 2. Ankar1; 3. Malaktah; 4. Halwa; 5. Bismiyah;
6. Duri; 7. Iyat; 8. 'ASinaNuni; 9. Derishki; 10. Mayah;
11. Akushta; 12. :Misekeh; 13. Robarah; 14. DerC,ehli;15.
Taskish; 16. Besh; 17. Haris: of these Derishkl and Mayah
alone have no chtlrches. The Bishop of Berrawiis the only
church dignitaryin the mountainsbesides the patriarchMEr
Shim'on.
Monday,June15th. We startedearlyin the morningto visit
tlle iron-minesof Berrawi,in the mountainof Duri. We found
these minesto be workedon the surfacein beds of oxideof iron,
disposedparallelto the strataof a fissileyellowlimestonedipping
W. at an angle of 26?. These yellow limestones belong to the
upperchalkformation,andtheferoxides(ferlimoneuxof Beudant)
occurin them in beds instea(lof nodules, as is commonlythe
case in this formation:these depositshaveneverbeenextensively
wrought,thoughsufficientlyfor the wantsof the people. The
reasonthat the Kurdishand Chaldeanmountaineersvaluetheir
mines so much and are so jealous of them, is that whatlittle
producethey derive from themthey convertto their own use-
which is not the case in Turkeyin Asia, where the mines are
eitherdisregarded or elsewroughtby government, oftenin the vain
hope of gettinggold or silver from them. Hence these moun-
taineersthink that if an intelligentnationhad possessionof their
 Dura- Sun-duk.
.Tura 39

mines, incalculablerichesmightbe derivedfrom them, whichis

quite a mistake: they themselvesare only acquaIntedwith five
minesin all Hakkari. I haveexaminedthreeout of the five,and
stronglysuspectthatnonepossesssuch advantagesas wouldmake
it profitableto transporttheiroresoverthe mountainroads. I only
wish I couldhaveconvince(lthe mountaineers of this, even half
so firlnlyas I wasconvince(lmyself; how much suspicionandill-
feeling regardingmy mineralogicalresearchesI should in that
case haveescapel !
We had a steep descentfromthe Tura Duri, and reacheda
valleynearlyfilled up with snow, uponwhich lay a whole grove
of treesthathadbeencarrieddonvnl)y a lan(l-slip. The Bishop's
residenceat Duri was at an altitu(leof 4917 feet; the crestof
Duri 579'2feet; the vale with snow5133 feet; from hencewe
ascend?dagain overrocksof blue limestoneto the crestof the
Deralinihills (alt. 5811 feet), fromwhencewe ha(l a prolonged
*lescentof 1t hour,at a quickpace, to the village of Gun-duk,
inhahitedby tributaryKurds. This deep valley reaches down
to the banksof the Zab; it is boundellto the N. by the great
rangecalled KarasiTiyari,whichformsthe westernboundaryof
the Tiyari district, althoughthe outlyingvillage of Gun-dukis
tributarythereto. On the S. side of the Zab andoppositeto this
valley is a well-wateredverdantvale, inhabitedby the Chal
Kurds,who holdout againstthe Tiyari.
Duringthe (lescentof the Deralini,Davu(l fell fromhis mule
and hurt himself,so that we were oblige(lto stop a short time at
Gun-duk. We hadscarcelyleft this village,andwere travelling
along the sides of the KarasiTiyari,whena mancamerunning
in greathaste out of the woodsto inquirewherewe weregOilig,
an(l who we were; our guldes having satisfiedhim upon these
points,we wereallowedto proceed. The path or mule-way,for
it was never anythingmore,took us roundthe southernslope of
the Karasi Tiyari, where its huge shoulderpresses down upon
the valleyof the Zab. This rapid river rolled along amielim-
practicableprecipices,nearly 1000 feet below us. Its course
could be tracedfor some (listance,but, except two narrowand
alpinevales,wateredby mountaintorrents,and inhabitedlJythe
Chal Kurds, therewas nothingbut bold masses of rock rising
above one another,and increasingin height eastwardsto the
mountainof Tsariyaan(l the Tura Shina. The Karasi Tiaari
is composedof micaceoussandstones,becomingvery schistose,
and passing into rude mica-schistsand clay-schists,with quartz
rock in bedsand dykes. These rocks were sometimesof a red
colour,sometimesblack fromthe presenceof carbon.
As we openeduponthe valleyof Lizan,or of the Miyah Izani
(river of Izini), a scene presenteditself more interestingthan
40 Mr. AIN SWORTH'S
Vtsit to the Chaldeans.
anythingwe ha(l -et met within the mountains. Before llS was
analpinerangeof limestonerocks,stretchingE. N. E . and\v.S.W.,
with loftyprecipicesfrontingthe W., an(lin their unseveredrecti-
linearprolongationappearingto forma barrieragainstall further
protress. There was,hon7ever, one gap in thisXformidableram-
part,throughwhichthe Zab foundits way,to obtain,as it were, a
little comparativereposeat Lizan,whereits bed is wide and less
rocky It is crossedby a bridge l)f ro)es, which at a distance
look like a single coil,andon the left bankis the Kurdishvillage
of Jenan, while on the right is the great Chal(leanvillage of
Lizan, governedby an old gentlerxlan who styles himself melik
or king, but ^^7ho is undera superiormelik of Tiyari,noN7in the
Inountains.The cottagesof Lizanwerenot all groupedtogether,
but werescattere(lamont,grovesandgardens,and beingbuilt in
a Swiss style, had a most pleasing appearance. A practicealso
obtainedhere, whichwe afterwardsfound to be generalamong
these people, of sleepingin summernot upon the roofs of the
houses, but upona frail scaffoldingof four poles supportinga
floor,sometimessmall,sometimeslarge enoughto containa whole
family. These bedstea(lsare from10 to 20 feet in heigllt,some-
timesin the fields,even ami(l rice-grounds,but ofteneruponthe
crestof little hills,or in placesexposel to the wind; bythismeans
they avoid to a certain extent the musquitoes,which aloound
alinostgenerallythroughoutKurdistan.
On approachingLizan, a person having apparentlysome au-
thoritycameout with othersto meet IlS. He receivedus at first
with somedistrust,but our countryandpursuitsbeing explained,
we sverewelcomedand takento the roofof a houseovershadowed
by a huge walnut tree. But we had espie(l, about half a mile
fromthe village,and pleasantlysituatedupon the banks of the
Zab, a neat whitewashedchurch, embosome(lin a groveof mul-
berryand pomegranatetrees. To this, accor(lingly, we repaired,
andtookup ourquartersin the l)urial-ground, refreshe(lby breezes
fromthe Zab, whichrolled by us at a rate of 62 miles an hour.
We had not been long seated beforethe melik madehis ap-
pearance,an old man ^ith nothingpeculiar about him; an(l
shortlv afterwardsthe priestof Lizan,one of the most engaging
and bestinformezlmen we metwith amongthe Chal(leans. The
polished manners,the learning,and the kindly feeling of this
nlanmust hase been all acquiredin the mountains,for he had
neverbeen out of them, anclif he had he wouldnot havefoun(l
at Mosulon one si(le,or at Urumiyahon the othes, anyexamples
to profitby, his mannersbeingsuperiorto anythingI haveobsers-ed
amongthe nativesat either of those places. Quiet, unassuming,
yet intentin his a}guments,there was nothing but his dress t(}
distinguishhim frolnan Englishcountryclergyman.
 Lizan-Zawithah. 41

They treated us as usual most hospitably, but without meat,

which was all the better for us at this seflson of the year. Here,
however, we got some fish, which is abundant in the Izani, into
which river it ascends during the time of floods, and is after+rards
caught by: (lam )ut across the streaIn, with openings into little
cells having a flooring of basket-work to let the water through.
There is always a bacl man in every large company, and one clis-
satisfied fellozv this evening got up the old tale of mines and
foreign conquests, but we put him down very quickly, and sent
him away to enjoy the society of his own sullen self and mind of
evil forebodings.
Lizan church was foun(l, by an olJservationo? Jupiter on the
meridian, to be in N. Iat. 36? 53' 50". There are several roads
from thence to the Hakkari country, but all of them have to
compass the ascent of the great limestone range immediately E.
of the valley. One of them is carried over the side of the Tsariy-a
Mount, E. of the Zab, but is not accessible by mules. All the
rest present great difficulties. Anxious to see as much of the
Tiyari country as possible, we proceeded (TluesdaynJune l6) up
the valley of the Izanl, vith the view of visiting Ashitah, the
largest of the Tiyari villages, and said to contain four churches.
We were accompanie(l by three arme(l Chaldeans, sent with us
by the melik of Lizan, who disappointed us in our objects without
making us aware of the fact, till too late to be remediecl.
At a short distance beyond Lizan we passeti the village lAIini-
yani, divided into two parts, upper an(l lower, about a quarter of
a mile from one another; ancl 3 miles from the same place the
village of Umrah, beyond which, 1 mile, was Zawithah. The
whole valley presented beauties equalling anything in the Alpine
districts of Europe. Beaond Lizan the valley begins to rise, the
river flowing through a ravine below; but above this, and at the
foot of the stupen(louscliffs which guard the valley, is a shelving
portion of declivity, which is everywhere cultivate(l, overgrown
with trees, or studde(lwith the pretty cottages of the moulltaineers.
Every available plot of ground is cultivatedin terraces, rising one
above the vther, and the rocky interval that separates them is
covered with fruit-treesor tall poplars for building. The system
of irrigationpractise(l on these terraces is very perfect; I ci)unte(l
twenty-five terraces sozvnwith rice, the most common crop, all
under water at the same titne. In the miel(lle of the valley the
culti^7ation an(l cottages are mostly on the S. side, and above the
level of the river (Izani), but higher uI?they occupy both si(les
equally, an(l extend to the banks of the stream. Cultivation
attains its greatest altitude at Zawithah. The village churches-
edifices of simple structure, without tower or steep]e, but neat]y
42 lMr.AINSWORTH'S
Visatto the Chaldeans.
whitewashed are generally built on some eminenceor slight
elevationof ground. Umrah has two of these, both occupying
picturesquesituations. The little wooden platformsfor night-
rest are sometimesdisposed,eight or ten in number,round an
enclc)sedbut uncoveredspace,where in summer-time the family
or families meet togetherat sunset, and conrerse previous to
retiring.
At Umrahwe commencedthe ascent of the mountain. The
heat of the sun renderedthe toil most severe. In one hour's
timewe reaclledthe footof the clifEs,
the mulesworkingup behind;
we then turnedalongthe faceof the precipicenearits foot. The
roadwas so bad,thatwe had twice to load and unloadthe mules;
at lengthwe reacheda gap in the rockswhich led us to a vast
growth of fennel, which announcedproximityto the snowline.
A numberof peasantswere occupiedin cuttingthis usefulplant,
which constitutesthe winter stock of cattle proventler. When
green it is choppedand put into sour milk, to which it gives a
pleasantaromaticflavour. Two species of fennel al)oundhere,
and it is remarkablethat they respectivelyfavouropposite sieles
of the mountains. With themgrowAlchemillaalpina,Trifolium
alpestre,Stachysalpina,and a Lobelia. We had not yet, how-
ever, attainedthe beautifulAlpine vegetationwhich we were
afterwar(ls presentedwith. These heights were nowarrayeelin
their most attractivegreen, and the relief to the eye was very
great. The crest of the Kuriki, the mountainwe were now
crossingover,leavingAshitahto the left or W., was 7652 feet in
elevation;the culminatingpointof Kuriki,clad withsnow,must
exceed8000 feet in height. The descentwas still steeper than
the ascent, and rendere(ldifficultby the nature of the rock,a
slatyargillaceouslimestone,whichdippedparallelwiththe slope
of the mountain,leaving smoothsurfacesto slide over,andit was
iinpossibleto saysometimeshowfar these slidesmightbe carried.
On the side of the hill, not far from its base, is a rude rock
called Taraspino,into whicha galleryis pierce(lfor workingan
apparentlypromisingvein of galena,but it is only wroughtwhen
thereis a demandfor bullets. The veinstonewas barytes,and I
got some pretty crystallinecalcareousspar; the forms,however,
werenot uncommon. Madreporites aboundedin this limestone.
I arrivedat Taraspino, a large village at the foot of the
mountain,witha Greekservant.who is a good pedestrian,about
an hourbeforeanyof the remainderof the party. Havingsaluted
the peasants,and partakenof some sour milk broughtby the
women,I went,beforea crowd couldcollect,to the forge,which
consistedof a small single furnacewithout chimney,but with
bellowsof adequatesize. The crucible would not hold above
 UtnrclhTaraspino-ZomaSuwarri. 43

20 lbs. avoir(lupoisof metal; and it is evident that it is only

smeltedfor bullets or someothersuchpurpose. The lead is not
oxi(latedfor silver,as there was no furnacefor the purpose.
Soon after the arrivalof the party the whole village, men,
womenand children,crowde(lrounclus. They willinglygav-eus
specimensof ore, yet to my surprisethe guides declaredthis a
ba(l village,and that we must go on; I beliesreit was owing to
our Mohammedan muleteerswho had been threatened.
We accordinglystarted for anotherrange, formedof quartz
rock and schist, an(l gaine(l the crest after little more than an
hour'sfootwork. We then continuedalongthe sifle of the hill,
overseveralsnowpatches,andabovethe xalleyof the Zab. Mr.
Rassamand Davud began to give me uneasiness,as thev were
far in the rearantl ha(l severaltumbles; Mr. Rassamwas com-
plaining of his chest, fromwhich he afterwardssufferedmuch,
and it was growingdark. At length,just aftersunset,we cameto
a summerpasturearoun(la great patch of snoxv,calle(l Zoma
Suwarri. There were a few peasantshere,and we drewup and
waitedfor stragglers,spendinga night of a most agreeablean(l
invigoratingtemperatureat an altitudeof 7169 feet by boiling-
point thermometer. The shepher(lsha(l with them somespeci-
mensof the fine mastiSof Kurdistan,which in outwardappear-
ance verymuch resemblesthe St. Bernar(l'sbreed, but is more
shaggy.
There is a road carriedacross the mountainat a lower level
than the one we were at present following,an(l which is only
availableduring a shortseasc)nof the year. Upon that roada
monasterywas built some years back for the entertainmentof
travellers,and a certainsum of moneywasgiven ly the Chal(lean
church towardsits erection. But a melik, by name A{elik
Khiyo,in whosedistrictwas this charitableinstitution,wasfound
guiltyof pervertingthe funds placed at his disposalto his own
advantage,and came un(ler the displeasureof Mar Shim'on,
apparentlyfor otherevil *loings,so far as to be excommunicated
fromthe church. He is nowin consequenceat enmitywithMar
Shim'on,and hearing that some Frankswereupon the road to
visit the patriarch,he concluded,as is customaryin this country,
thatwe werebearersof presents,whichhe resolvedto appropriate
to himself. The plan he adoptedwas to send two arme(lmen,
who met us on the road next day, and with many polite words
expressedtheir astonishmentat our having come so diicult a
roatl,regrettedour fatigue, requestedthatour guides shoukl be
sent back, as they would now see us safe to a place of refresh
ment,an(lthence acrossthe mountains. These kind proposals
not being acceptedthe argumentwas changed,and the conversa-
tion wasmoreparticularlydirectedtowardsthe gui(les,who were
44 S Visit to the Chaldsans.
Mr. AINSWORTH
told it was better for them to return,as the melik was deter-
minedto fight us, and they might come of badly. They, how-
ever, remainedfirmto their post, and we heardno moreof the
matter.
The prospectfromthe ZomaSuwarriwasverygrand,the rock
scenerybeing told and various To the N., range after range
of rugged mountainssucceededone anotherlike giantwalls so
rapidlyas to make it ineconceivable how such a countrycan be
penetrated. Five differentrangespresentedthemselvesbetween
us and the snow-claduplan(lsof Julamergiand the head-waters
of the Zab. To the S. wereall the long crestsof rockwe had
toiledover,the summits?f TuraShinaandKurikirisingourer all;
andafterall ourlabourthe gap l)y whichthe Zab found its way
into happyLizanappearedquite close to us, but at a depth that
diminishedthe trees and buildings into points prickedon the
rock'ssurface.
Wednesday, Jurte17th. OU1road still lay along the side of
the mountain,the snowwas moreabundant,and the slopeoften
verysteep. Those who got overfirst stopped to laugh at those
who came behind,for the falls were even more ridiculousthan
dangerous. In one place the muleshad to pass undera waterfall
at the head of a glacier,whentheirburthenswerewell wetted-
on two occasionstheyhad to be unloaded. It was on the side of
this Inountainthatwe foundwaitingfor us the personsl)eforeal-
luded to. A little belowwas a Zoma,sprinkledwith the large
bright blossomsof the crocusalpinaandazaleaprocumbens,be-
si(lesseveralspeciesof squill and the clusteredumbelof a spiked
ornithogalumand commonblue hyacinth.
We observetlon the sides of this mountaina considerable
chante in the vegetation,indeed we found almostevery range
moreor less characterisedby the preponderance of certainforms
over others, and the vast numericalincreaseof a few social
species. Here threest)eciesof plantsexcludedalmostall others;
theywere the Astragalustragacantha(greatgoat'sthorn),Trago-
pogonorientalis(goat'sbeard),andRhamnussa2atilis,the berries
of which are used by the Easternsto dye leather yellow. It
mustrlot,however,be confoundedwith the yellow berryof com-
merce,whichis the produceof R. catharticus. Goatsand sheep
feed uponall theselants, as didalUoour mules; andflockswere
numerouson these well-cladhills. } It is remarkableof the Tra-
gopogonorientalisthatits geographicaldistribution is veryvarious,
and thatthoughaboundingon the plain of Adiabene, it yet does
not crossthe Tigris. Its white stemwhen Srst pushingout in
springis abundantin the marketof NIosul,whereit is brought
fromthe plains E. of the Tigris; and,althoughwild, it is incom-
parablythe best vegetablewhichthis countryaXords. The ste
 Itha-GZalitha Malota^. 45

makesa pleasantsalad,and in the mountainsis peeledand eaten

raw.
On our descentdwarf-almon(l andAzaleaprocumbensbecame
abundant. We got down to the valley of Itha by meansof a
glacier or snow-patch,about a mile in length by 300 yards in
width. It sloped more gentlythan sme precedingones; and
althoughperforatedby a mountain-torrent it boremules andmen
in safety, and with our shoes off we could run or slide down,
whichwas a great relief after the continuedsteppingfromrock
to rock. The valleyof Itha is beautifullysituate,being encircled
on the N. by lofty snow-cladmountains,the TusaniTura, the
roeksof whichdip N., while theypresentbol(lprecipicestowards
the valley. Tllere are here three villages-Itha Plr Beka, and
Galitha. AfterstoI?pinga shorttime at Pir Beka wherewe got
our favouritedish of boiled wheat in sour milk, we procee(led
dossnthe valleyof the riverof Itha to the bridgewhichis oppo-
site to Galitha. The torrent(for it was nothing else at this
seasonof meltirlgsnows)was there 15 yardswide by 5 to 6 feet
in depth. The bridgewas ingeniouslymadeof wicker-work.
FromGalithNve commencedanotherascentalmostasfatiguin
as thatof the KurIki. Half way up this ascentI hadthe curiosity
to pass withthe water-course throughthe heart of a glacier for
about 600 yards,when I reachel the otherside; the eSectsof
light and shadewithinthis icy tunnelwerebeautiful,andthe fine
expanseof marbledarchwas pleasingto the eye, but it waslike
walkingin a drizzlingrain. In winter-timethe inhabitantshere
descendthe mountainson sledgesof verysimple construction:a
single piece of wood slightly concavo-convex, or l)oat-shaped,
has a deep notch in front,to whicha cord is attached,and the
navigatorpulls hard in the directionopposite to that in which
he is going; still he must exceed our railwaysin speed when
launche(lupon an even declivityof snowxvitha slope of from
15?to 20?.
Havinggained the crest,we had nothingto do but to descend
anotherglacier, andit was the workof a few minutesto lose the
elevationwhichit had takenus upwartlsof an hourto ascenelto.
We then found ourselvesin an alpine valley, overgrownwith
fenneland a rank,marshyxegetation,at the lower part of svhich
was the village of Malotah,where we passed the night, much
against the will of our gui(les, as the inhabitantswere E(urds.
These peoplerere in extretnepoverty,living almostentirelyupon
wild plants. We coultl only get from them the stem of the
fennel, gatheredjust as it issuesfromthe groundnearthe snow-
line, an(l stalks of rhubarb,the acidity of which, however was
verypleasantan(l refreshing. They had latelykilled a bear at
this village; the skin measllred6 feet 4 inchesfrom the snoutto
46 NIr.AINSWORTH
.? Vtsitto the Chatdearts.
the stump of the tail, and the fur was of a dun-grey-colour,whitish
beneath. We a]so saw here horns of thc wikl goat.
This valley, at an elevation of 6200 feet, was partly cultivated,
partly covered with snow, and the remainder overgrownwith a
rank vegetation, more especially of umbelliferous plants; among
which, however, were a few beautiful flowering plants, as crowvn
imperial (Fritillaria imperialis) paeonySand asphodel. The
waters of this little alpine valley found their way out by a narrow
and deep glen in limestone, and then tumbled along to the valley
of the Zab.
Thursday, June 18th. The ascent to-day was not so steep,
and in some parts we could mount our mules. The hills were
also now woo(led with fine oak; and gaining the next crest
(Warandun), we foun(l oursels-es immediately above a summer
pasture with a large patch of snow, vvhereonwas now encamped
Ismael, chief melik of Tiyari. The descent was stee)er than
the ascent, and extended about 800 feet. The only tent in the
Zoma of Warandfinwas that of the melik; all the rest were huts
made of branches,and there was an aspect of povertyin all things,
an(l nothing plentiful except milk. A few cross-stickswere quickly
set up and a carpet spread over them for our accommodation. It
was some time before his Majesty the King of Tiyari made his
appearance. He at length was seen slipping out of his tent, and
encompassing our carpeted mansion. He came as if from an
opposite directionnentering with an air half of pleasure, half of
surprise. He ha(l esitlently leen dressing, and was clad in a new
cloak of scarlet cloth and wine-coloured inexpressibles. As many
as the little tent would hokl crowded in, and our position became
extremely irksome. King, travellers, soldiers, peasants,.muleteers,
were all crowde(lor ratherjammed together. It was with difficulty
that space was made for a repast of rice and sour milk that had
been hospitably prepared for us. The conversationturned chiefly
upon mountain-politics,as the Melik's mind was evidently quite
absorbed by the appearance of the Turkish troops at 'AmAdiyah.
He said he was also threatened on the side of Van. But we
afterwardsfound that he had exaggerated this. He appeared to
be well aSected towards Ibrahim Pasha, from whom an emissary
had lately visited these mountains. He also spoke favourably
of the condition of the Christians under the Russian rule. He
was not a man whose countenance expressed much firmness or
vigour of character. -Tall and of spare habit, he appeared to have
given himself a gootl (leal up to (lomestic comforts, and to have
foregone the elasticity an(l energetic movements of the moun-
taineers, and in point of judgment and intelligence he was far
inferior to the patriarchof tlle Chaldeans.
Similar customs existing among people geographically remote
 Zomaof ff7ararldun-Kiyau. 47
fromone another,intlependentof theirimportancein tracingthe
early distributionof nations,always excite interest,especiallyif
connectedwith certainphasicalcircumstances. A pleasingremi-
niscenceof otheralpine countrieswas affordedto us here by the
general customof wearingan eaglet's featherin the capnthe son
of the Melik l)eing alonedistinguishe(lby a dark green cock's
feather,such as is wornin Tyrol.$
Leavingthe Atelik,who expressedhimself disappointedby our
present,althoughwe thoughtwe had been uncommonlygenerous,
we descendedanotherthousandfeet througha thickfc)restto the
valleyof Kiyau,wherewe pasturedthe horseswhile I examineda
neighbouringlead-mine. There was,however,only a sllaftof a
few feet in depth,and that not being at presentworked,I could
not ascertainthe thickness of the vein. It occurs in a slaty
yellow limestonebelongingto the upperchalkformation. Most
of the lead here is gatheredfrom the water-coursesin small
pebbles, as the tin is in someof the minesof Cornwall,only the
fragmentsare less round.
There are two villagesat Kiyatl,the upperone Mohammedan
and of tributaryKurds, the lower one Chaldean an(l with a
church.
In the parallelof Kiyau,or rathera little below it, and at the
foot of Warandun,the Zab is dividedinto txvobranchesof very
nearlyequal size; the southerlybranch comesfromthe country
beyondJulamerik,the northerlyfrom Leihun and that quarter.
This latteris calledBerdizawior LittleZab. A huge mountain-
masscalled NIeskannah extendsbetweenthe two rivers.
After a short ascent over yellow and fissile limestones,we
travelleda]ongthe banksof the Berdizawi,sometimesovercliSs
of conglomerate whichoverhangtlle rivel, and downwhich one
of the mules had a fall, but ^vasluckily held up by the trees and
recoveredwithoutany hurt. In little morethanan hourwe came
to a torrentwhich elescendedfrom a loftyand snow-cladchain
to the west callecIMaranan.t It vvas13 yards wide by 2 in
depth, and crossedby a bridgeof interwovenbranchesas usual.
Near the samepoint was also a bridgeoverthe Berdizawi,an(la
little cultisration,
but no village.
$ The Melik, observingthat I had been collecting plants, sent a man lvho brought
me a gorgeollsspecimenof a scarlet cypripedium,which grew in shady placesnearthe
snow-line. My only botanical work (Loudon's Encyclop2edia) does not melltion a
scarletspecies of this interestinggenus.
+ This name is apparentlythe same as that of the Metropolitan,called by Major
Rawlinson(Journalof Royal GeographicalSociety,vol. x. p. 103) Maranan,evidently
meant for Mar Hannan, the Metropolitanof Adiabene, who, at the beginning of the
ninth century,withdrewa large part of ivurdistanfrom the ecclesiasticaljuris(liction
of Aierbijan, and annexed it to the bishopric of Salak, which, according to Major
Rawlinson,was the name applied formerlyby the Syrians to the Kurdishmountaills
betweenMedia aradAssyria.
48 s T5z.sit
Mr. AINSWORTH' to tJzeCha1declrts.
BeyondANaranan riverto the N. are tworockyrangesof lime-
stone,which,with the characteristic peculiaritaof that rock,tower
up in loftyprecipices,in this casefrontingthe W., whilethe strata
dip E. The most easterlyand mostloftyof theserangesis called
Sinaber,and l;)eyorsd it is the uplandof Leihun. We crossedthe
firstand lowerrange, whena curiousarrangement of rock pre-
senteditself. The lofty precipicesof limestoneto the N. and S.
fall awayto the samepointin the E. Startingtolvardsit from
nearlyequal distancesnthe cliSs begin to loweran(lto recedeat
the sametime, till they meet in a point over whichthe Berdizawi
throwsitself vith a roaringnoiseand a cloud of foam andspray.
I regretthatour roaddi(l not conductme nearenl)ughto examine
in (letail or take measurements of this greatwaterfall. Turning
to the N., the path led along the footof the cliSs and then up
rockslike steps,so that on approachingthe-crestof the Sinaber,
I foundmyself separatedfromthe riverby severaltiers of rock-
terraces,presentingso manyinaccessiblecliSs.
On the up]andof Leihun we foundthe Berdizawidividedinto
threebranches,all whichuniteshortlybeforethe gapin the rocks.
The most westerlyis the smallest, being only a fe^ryards in
width, the secondcomesfromthe N.W., andwas 20 yardswiale,
analvery(leep, but its channel much filled with boulders; the
third came from the N. 30 E., and was 22 yards wide, and
from4 to 6 feet deep. We crossedall these streamson bridges
of twigs: they rolled beneath with the noise an(l rapidity of
mountainotorrcnts .
This uplandis inhabitedby the Kurdishtribeof Leihun,under
the beg of Julamerik Manyvillages,withmuchcultivation,are
scatteredaround. We crossedthe river,and turnedratherto the
S.W., to the village of the beg. A shorttime after our arrival,
this worthygovernor,a fine but ferocious-lookingold man, came
to us on the roof of his house, and, withoutallowinganyinter-
ruptions,a(ldresseelus in pretty nearly the following amiable
strain,omittingthe salam:-" What do you do here; are you not
awarethat Franksare not alloweclin this country? No dissimu-
lation! I must know who you are, and what is your business.
Who broughtthese people here?" tllrninground in a haughty,
peremptorymanner. " I," saidone of the Chaldeans,laying his
handuponhis breastin an un(launte(lmanner He turnedround
again,and sai(l,moredeliberatelyandquietly," You are the fore-
runnersof those svhocometo take this country) therefore it is
best thatwe should take first what you have, as you will after-
wardstake our property;"and he turned to his followersfor
approbation, whichwasgrinnedforthfiercely. Taking advantage
of the hiatus, Mr. Rassamendeavouredto put in somepeaceable
sentences,and ultimatelygot the old man into a better humour.
 sSinaberLeihun Eslaya.
49

After a time he got up to go away;then turningtowardsme,who

had been all the time sitting under a tree, where I hadgone to
take a few notes an employmentI was soonobligedto giveup-
he said to Mr. Rassam, (; You are social; but who is that
proudbrutein the corner?" I laughed at him, and he walked
pompouslyaway. At night the mules were huddledtogether,
an(leachin his ownwaypreparedagainstan attemptat robbery,
not so much from the old chieftain'sbrat,gadocioas from the
whisperingsand signs we observedgoingon amonghis followers;
but nothingcameof all this noise. The Chaldeanssaid that if
he had robbedus, the Tiyari,as we were undertheirprotection,
wouldhavepunishedthem for it; but I think they did not like
the risk that would have attendedupon the attempt; for there
were five well-armed men in our party, besides five slightly
armed.
Friday, J7hne19th.-From Leihiinthe directionof ourtravels
was altered:the samepreviously-described remarkablepeculiarity
in the configurationof the countrywhichhad so muchinfluence
upon its hydrographyaffectedalso the lines of communication,
and insteadof travellingnearlyconstantlyN., we now turned to
the eastward,overthe uplandof Leihun, andlow rangesof hills.
The temperaturewas so low as to feel actuallycold; andas we
went eastwardthe river of Leihun was seen flowing through
pastures,as a quiet stream,andno longera roaringtorrent. Far
awayto the N. was a Christianchurch,called Mar Ghiyorghiyo
Karkal,muchreverencedby the Chaldeans,as the tomb of a
holy personwho made manyconverts; and at the head watersof
the riverwasthe snow-cladchainof Para'Ashin,whichstretchesin
frontand beneaththe loftierErdishTagh. Passingover a range
of hills, risingno greatheight abovethe upland,we descendedto
a cultivatedvale, with houses and gardens. This place is called
EslayE. The inhabitantsare Kurds, but very poor: they sai(l
they hadnot tastedbreadfor fortydays. We certainlycouldget
nothingfromthem, so we madea breakfastupona saladof young
vine shoots.
Near Eslaya (6258 feet in elevation)we entereduponthe first
graniticdistrictwe had met with in the mountains. These rocks
presentedthe usuallarge andsmall-grainedvarietiesof grey and
pinkcolours. They showthemselvesfirston theupland,at an ele-
vationof 6000 feet, lout soon rise up 1000 feet above that, in
bare,rudemasses; and their prolongationapparentlyforms the
Tura Jellu of the Cllaldeans,and Jawur Tagh of the Persians,
the leftiest chain of Kurdistan. In the marshyspots, such as
are frequentin graniticcountries,therewas a brilliantvegetation,
moreespeciallyof primulaauricula,of whichthe peasantsmade
bouquetsto presentus with. Calthapalustris,Pinguiculaalpina,
VOL. XI. E
50 Mr.AINSWORTH
s Visitto theChaldeans.
Veronica aphylla, Epilobium alpinum, and many saxifrages;
euphorltia,caricesand grassesalso abounded.
Another ascent with a snow patch broughtus in view of
Julamerik,bearing N. 80 E. The firstappearance
prepossessesthe
travellermuch itl favourof a town so beautifullysituate. The
castellatedpart consistsof a massivebuilding,the residenceof
the l)eg, to the E.; a centralsquarecourt,with roundtowers at
the angles, anda few strayhousesirregularlydetached,occupies
to the W. the crest of a low cliff, which rises with precipitous
sides from out of the collectionof mud hovels, about 200 in
number,that nearlyencircle the castle hill, and constitutethe
town of Julamerik. In other respectsit is situate in a deep
hollow, on the Kurdistanupland,being at an elevationof about
5400 feet, and in a ravine,by whichthe rivuletsof the district-
of which there are many findtheir wayinto the Zab, flowing
immediatelybelow. To the E. is a bold rockymountain,called
Shembat,whichis at least 3000 feet above Julamerik;and be-
yondrise the still loftier summitsof Jellu or JawurTagh; the
highestmountainsof this part of Kurdistdn,and probablyonly
equalledby the MAraninmountains:the nearestof its summits
to JulEmerikis calle(lGalila. To the S.W. rises a rockof lime-
stone,about 600 feet high, bearinga ruined castle, designated
Kal'ahBawa. Aroun(l,and especiallyto the N. and N.W., is
seen cultivation,witll a few villages: we descendedto one of
these, calledMerzin,and thencesent of a guide to announceour
arrivalto Mar Shim'6n,and await his disposalof our persons.
The patriarchwasat that time acting-governor at Julamerik,or
Jemar, as it is called by the Chaldeans,the Kurd beg having
gone to Bash Kala'hto meet an envoyfrom Hafiz PashA. Had
he been at KochHanneswe wouldhavewaiteduponhim at once;
but we were too well awareof the jealousdispositionof the Kur(ls
at Julamerikto create impedimentsin our own way, by doing
anythingthat mightcauseeithera feignedor real distruston the
partof the patriarch. MarShim'onsentleackforanswer,as might
havebeen foreseen,thatwe had betternot come into Julamerik,
whereall our motionswouklbe watched,an(l no privateconver-
sationcouldbe indulged in; but his brotherwouldreceiveus at
Pagi, an Armenianvillage,close to thetown,andwherehe would
visit us next morning. We were accordinglysoon installed in
the yar(lof the Armenianchurch,from whence,as it cameon to
rain,we retiredto the vestibule,where the people for two days
had the extreme satisfactionof worryingus till we had nearly
lost all patience. We wereneverfor one mornent,night or day,
withouta nuluberof men aroundus, whoseorllyamuselnentwas
to examineall our things, to passjests,andfling epithetsof scorn
upon theirvisiters. I wasnot allowed to take any notes, being
 Jtilamerik Pagi. 5T

carefullywatchednightand day. We did everythingin ourpower

to conciliatetheserudepeople,by renderingthemvariousservices,
but to no purpose; neverthelessI obtaineda few astronomical
observations at night,effectingmy purposeunderpretenceswhich
nsure(lme a few minutes'privacy. By two meridianpassages
of Jupiter an(l one of the moon,Pag] churchis in N. latitude
37? 8' 53": its elevationis 4880 feet.
Sczfurday, June20th. M;irShim'oncameto us at five in the
morning,andconversation lastedtill 1T P.M ., fasting,I suppose,to
preserveclearnessvf un(lerstanding.The patriarch,however,told
us, by wayof aology, that llis brother,whohadbeen withus on
the previousevening,wasnotat his ownhome,but a guest.* Mar
ShimXon is in everyrespecta fine man,in the middleof life, tal],
strong, with a capaciousforeheadand intelligent countenance.
He was, however,evidentlytimid in regard to the Kurds. Our
presents,consistinnof moelestluxuries,scarcein the mountains-
such as calico,boots,olives,pipe-tops, frankincense,soap, snuff,
Ac.- were, to my amusement,displayedin public by Davu(l,
everybodyofferingan opinionuponthe valueof e;ch item. The
patriarch'sgoodmannersdid not preventhis letting us knowthat
a xvatch wouldbe acceptable.
But, withthese triflingexceptions,our conversation was of the
mostinterestingkin(l, and the patriarchfelt and expressedthe
greatestanxletyto enter into frien(llycommunication with Eng-
land, and to availhimselfof the kin(linterestfelt in the education
and moral and religious improvementof his people by manyof
the inhabitantsof GreatBritain. At one time he retiredto hold
a consultationwith his brother,but it was of shortduration,and
probablyrelatedto the feelingswith whichthe Kurdsmightview
such an alliance, but a moment'sconsiderationsufficedto con-
vince them that it was not of a nature to interfere with local
political arrangements;and that, at all events,they werealways
in a conditionto assert theirown free will, andto maintaintheir
religiousand nationalrights. These subjects having been all
discussedat length,MArShim'ontookhis departurefor the castle
of Jemar,his brotherremainingto keep us company.
Sundfly,June21st.-- It may be said that the consideration of
the moralandreligiousconditionof the Chaldeansonly remotely
aSectsthe interestsof geography:but as the Societyhasexpressed
itself in the Instructionsas by no means insensibleto the im-
portanceof this objectof our research,I shall here introduce,as

* It is worthyof being recordedas an act of kirldness,arylidso much rudeness,that

next day (Sunday) an early but simple repast was brought us- and all we could
learn was that it came froma widow who had lately lost her husband. After our first
interview,however,with the patriarch,plenty of provisionswereregulally sent us from
the castle of Julamerik.
E 2
 52 Mr. AINSWORTII
S FiSitto the Chaldeans.
brieflyas possible,a few remarksuponthese peoplenin the hope
of drawingattentionto whatI consideras the leadingconsideration
in all attemptsthatmay be made to amelioratetheir condition.
Writing to the Royal GeographicalSociety,I maybe allowedto
noticea speculationrespectingthe influenceof physical circum-
stanceson man. It has been advancedlJy the most eminent
travellerof the present age, that certain climates,more espe-
cially alpine districts, where but a brief interval of sunshine
alternateswith storms, and where the ruggednessof nature
begets sternnessand morosenessin mankind,are most favour-
al)leto the propagationof a religlon of asceticismand monastic
seclusion. But here, sn the heart of Kurdistan,where snow-
clad rocksperpetuallyfrowndownupon secludedvales where
giantprecipicesseemalmostto defy mankindto ventureuponin-
tercommunicationwherewaters,insteadof meanderingthrough
flowerymeads,pourin resistlesstorrentsover theirstonybeds
where clouds,unknownat certain seasonsin the plains, almost
perpetuallyobscurethe fair face of the heavens or dwell upon
the mountaintops- and where the universalaspect of natureis
sterile, forbidding,andaustere-the benigninfluenceof a kindly
religion, and the simple formsof a primitivechurch,havepre-
serveda people from self-sacrifices,unavailingto God and inju-
riousto society. The Chaldeanchurchneitherinculcatesseclu-
sion nor celihacyamongits clergy; its only purificationis fasting,
so strongly enjoined all Christians;and, in orderthat in this
point theirbishops whosedignityis hereditary-maybe without
stain,theyare not allowedto partakeof flesh-meateither before
or aftertheirordination.
But if the influencesof climate and soil, combinedwith the
peculiaritiesof positionwithregardto neighbouringracesof men,
on the moralandintellectualdevelopmentof the Chaldeans,are
modifiedin one directionby religion,it is muchto be regretted
that in anotherthey have exercisedfull sway,allowingthe pas-
sions too frequentlyto obtain the ascendantover moralityand
religion. The hardymountaineerknows but a single step from
the toil of-travel, the hunt of the chamois,or a combatwith a
bear,to an expeditionfor plunder, or to civil warand extermi-
nation.
Thus the characterof the Chaldean,besidesperhapsretaining
the impressionof earlypersecutionsn
hasundoubtedly beenaffected
by position,by the influencesof nature, and by the vicinityof
warlikeand predatorytribes, maintaininghostilecreeds,but it is
still moreinfluenced by a verysimple and easilyremediablede-
fect,namely,thatwith the formsandpracticeof worshipthey are
not taughtto understandthe gospel.
In a countrywhere none can read but the priests, it is most
 Chaldeans.
of tAze
C'Alaracter 53
essential that attentionshould be givento the instructionof the
people in the humanizingprecepts so characteristicof, and so
peculiarto Christianity. It is not the fault of the laity-,for they
are regular attendantsat church, but of the priestssolely,who
partly chaunt and partly mumble through a liturgy of great
beautyan(Jexcellence, and throughthe ennoblinglessonsof the
New Testament,in so unintelligiblea manner,that no practical
advantagescan be derived from them. And it is to be re-
markedhere that the old Chaldeanin which the liturgies and
Testament are written difEersalso much from the Chaldean
dialectat presentusedby the mountaineers. Certainprayersare
familiarto all, but they havelittle moraleffect. Manypersons
piouslydisposedretireto a cornerof the chtlrchto prayin privacy,
and I haveoften observedthat such persons adherealso to the
old Orientalpracticeof frequentprostrations,a form not ob-
serve(lby the clergy: but thereis no plaindistinctenunciationof
the preceptsand practice of our Saviouror of his Apostles.
There is no sermonor lectureto expounddifficultieso? doctrine,
to awaken reflection,or to sustain faith by convincingthe in-
tellect: thus the main b-odyof Chaldeans are only nominal
Christians,and must remainso till assistancebe sent to them
?iom more favourednations. Left to themselves and without
e(lucationthe people havedeteriorated,andwith the carelessness
and ignoranceof the laity have come laxity and superficiality
among the clergy, an attachmentto forms with a disregardto
substance.
It wouldbe a great injustice,however,to these mountaineers
were I not to acknowledgethat they are superiorin intelligence
and in moral worth to the inhabitants(Christianand l!doham-
medan) of the sameclassesin Anatolia, in Syria, and Mesopo-
tamia. There are someformsof society and manydecenciesof
life l)elongingto improvedcivilisationthat areomittedby the
mountaineers;but, leavingout exceptions,thereis no doubtthat
thetrare, as a race, more quick and impressible,more open,
candid, sincere and courageousthanthe inhabitantsof the be-
fore-tnentione(lcountries. Their bearingis erect, but without
the swaggerof the Turk; their eye firm, loutwithoutferocity;
their foreheadampleand high3 uncloudedlvysuspicionand evil
[eelings.
But thissliglltsuperiorityoverneighbouring nationsgivesthem
no claim to be looked upon as a people enjoyingall the real
benefits of the churchto whichthey belong; their general de-
meanourand tone, theirimplacabilitytowardstheirenemies,and
manypoints in the daily conductof life, are not only not conso-
nantwith,but are severelyreprobatedby, the religionlvhichthey
professto follow. The origin of the demoralizationand of the
54 Mr. AINSWORT6I
s Vzsif to the Chaldeans.
religic)usand intellectualprostrationof this remarkablepeople
was beyondthe controlof man,anflwasprimarilyconnectedwith
those manyrevolutionswith which it has pleasedthe Almighty
to visit easternnations;but tlle presentexistenceand continllance
of this stateof things is evidentlyto be attributedto the wantof
communication with otl:lernations,and to the neglectof educa
tion amongthe clergy as well as the people; andit is sincerely
to be hoped thatthe sameday that these facts sha]l be clearly
felt andfullyappreciated, will see commencethe futureregenera-
tion and humanizationof one of the most interestingand most
remarliable,yet little knownpeople, that are to be me;twith on
the earth'ssurface.
It is an agreeablereflectionthat the povverto rectify their
error, if any such exist, lies withthemselves,and thatthey are
thereforeopen to the best and surest means of doint good-
friendlyand brotherlyadvice,offeredby one ^rhonever (as an
esteemedauthorityw-rites)considersthosecorruptionsas heresies
whichdo not actuallytend to destroythe Christianfaith. The
eserciseof such liberalityis truly labouringnot to increasethe
powerof anyparticularsect, but to unite the Churchthroughout
the worldin brotherlylove and sounddoctrine.
The Patriarcllof the East, who in the time of Assemanihad
twenty-fivemetropolitans and upwardsof 200 bishops,has now
only one metropolitan,AndishoAndishIyah,or Ishiyah, metro-
politanof Berrawi, and four bishops,viz., Mar Yumna,bishop
of Gawi]en,Mar Yusef,bishopof Dahara,blar Iliyas,bishopof
Guj Teppa, A/IarGabriel, bishop of Ardishar,-all in Persia.
The dignitariesof the Roman Catholic Chal(leanchurchhave
been alreadyenumerated;it is remarkalJle that Assemanistates
that the Patriarchis elected by a council of metropolitans and
bishops convenedby the sees accordingto their priority,while
Mr. Rassalnassuresme thatthe officeis hereditary,and so far as
successionin one familyis concernecl,this is also affirmedby
Dr. Walsh. It appearsthat the nephew generallysucceedsthe
uncle.
Mow2day, June 22nd. This morningwe left Pagi, on our road
to Bash Kala'h,or the " castle at the head' watersof the Zab.
We hada gentleascentup the shoulderof TGrBurju-llah,which
lastednearly2 hours,an(lthen descendedto the valley, or rather
upland, of Koch Hannes, a small village upon a level upland
vale, advancingoverthe valleyof the Zab, the residenceof Mar
Shim'on. A servantcame out fromthe village and broughtus
presentsof flowers and a repast. Some of the Kurds of Jula-
merikwerein theirtents at their summerquartersin this valley,
whichis ratered by a great numberof torrents,supplied by the
snowsof Burju-llahr
 Loch
* Hanrles
- Espz'n Gharanis. 55

We rodesome distancealong the sidesof Koch E4anneshill,

havint,a higherrange, thatof 'Areb Tagh, beforeus. We then
descendedby a long and steep,though otherwisegood,pathway,
to a valleyin which were many villages and delightful groves,
with a variedandabundantvegetation. We then ascendedagain
to a cultivateduplandat the foot of 'Areb Tagh, wherewerethe
Chaldeanvillagesof Esin and Gharams,both havingtowersof
defence againstthe predatoryexpe(litionsof the Kurds; and
the latterwas a good specimenof the poorerclassof Cha]dean
villages-small, but vvitha l)old look; poor, but religious: the
inhal)itantsof five houseshad two churchesand one fort.
The prospectfromGharanls,where we spentthe night at an
altitude of 7009 feet, in a temperatureof 40 4, or on]y 8? 4
above freezingpoint, was verybeautiful. The quantityof water
poureddownby the mountainsaroundis Xerygreat: in travelling,
scarcelyhas the din of one torrentbegunto diminishwhen an-
otherbreaks uponthe ear. Cataractsin rivers or rivuletsgene-
rallydisplay some geologicalphenomena,such as differencesin
the structureof the strata, the crossingof a dyke of igneous
rock, &c. Here they exhibitthe eSectsof contrastedconfigura
tion. Three differenttorrentspouredin loftyfalls overthe side
of KochHannesMountain,to unitein one streambeforereaching
the valley of the river of Espln. The outlineand formsof the
mountainswhich constitut?(lthe lofty chain of Tura Jellu, or
JawurTfigh, wereneverso distinctlyseen: I couleltakebearings
to all the chief points,which, if not the highest, are by far the
moststeep andruggedof the HakkarlAlps. There are fouror
five abrupt, truncatecl,culminatingpoints, between which are
ridgesof sharppinnacles,risinglike sky-towers,and overlooking
deep and precipitousravinesfilled with theirvastdepositof per-
petualsnow,the graveof watersgone to rest. The silvercrestof
the lofty but less serratedpeaksof Marananalso extendedto the
N.W., the sun's settingbeamslightingup theirlong continuous
summitslike a great icy coronalset uponthe sea of silenthills,
which filled up the remain(lerof this beauteous landscape,and
whichwe now felt loathto leave, still moreso fromthe prospect
of a burningplain before us; but we rememberedthat we had
still to cross the same chaill still perchanceto breathefreely
on the sulnmitof the peak of Rowandiz.
Tuesday,J?ne 23rd.-There aretwo roadsfromGharanis,one
o^rer the mountains,the otherby the valleyof the Zab. We took
the latter, althoughthe longer, in orderto visitsome sulphur-
mines said to exist there, and to avoidthe Artushi or Arddshi
Kurds,who were not well spokenof.
We made two slight ascents and descentsbefore we cameto
the sulphurdeposit. This we firstmet with at the bottomof the
56 Mr. AINSWORTH
S FiSitto theChaldeans.
valley; it consistedof sulphurmixedwithblue llme shales,some-
timesgranular,but mostlypulverulent. The seconddepositwas,
half a mile beyond,in brecciaof bluelimestone,betvvteen
the frag-
mentsof whichwasa smallquantityof crystallinesulphur Neither
of these depositswereof much importance,fromtheir extent,but
geologicallythey resemble(lmuchwhat is observedin the plains
of Mesopotamia.A warmspring,emittinghydrosulphurous acid,
alsooccurre(lin the vicinity. We passedthe ChaldeanxJillageof
Kermi,andthenturnedoff}fromthe valley of the Zab, whichwas
here both rocky and beautifullywooded,to the N.E., passing a
valleywithtwomore Chaldeanlrillages.
The outlineof the mountainshadnowbecomeless rugged,the
uplandsweremorelofty,and the chains more continuous. We
met in our road witha well-armedcaravanof mules goingto
Julamerik. By the road-sidegrew large goldenpoppies; and,
where marshy,Britomusumbellatus. In the evening we fol-
lowed for some time the valley of the Zab, where it winded
througha marshyupland vale; at the end of this it receiveda
large tributary,wvhichwe crossedby a bridge: it flowezlfrom
N. 80? W. Ascendingan upland a little above the Zab we
reached the Chaldeanvillage of Meilawa. These Chaldeans
are subjectto Bash Kala'h,and no longerclaimthe distinctionof
belongingto a tribe.
The countrytowardsthe headwatersoftheZabbeyondthisquite
changed its characters. There werestill a few mountainpoints,
as ArghiTagh,*to the S.E., witha boldoutlyingrock,calledthe
" Rock of Fire." To the N., betweenBashKala'handLakeVan
wasthe ErdishTagh; but the outline of the chainsis now tame
* This ir the Muz Tagh of Colonel Monteith's map, and it appearsbarelyto rise
from 1500 to 2000 feet above the valley of the Zab, where the latter is about 6400
feet above the level of the sea; so that the mountain attains an elevation of 8400
feet. Monteith marks 9000 feet; probably from actual observationof a crest E.of
that which was visible to me, and which constittltesthe summit level betweenthe head
watersof the Zab and the upland of Urumiyah. Comparedwith the observedeleva-
tion of SheikhiwE,I should think Colonel Monteith'sobservationratherin excess, and
it appearedto me that none of the snowy mountainsof the districtsof Beradusht,Bur-
dasur,and Kaniresh,which boundthe upland of Urumiyahto the W., attairlarleleva-
tion exceeding 9000 feet; the mean height of the crest being Ss400feet, or 4000 feet
above the plain of Urumiyah. The TGraJellu, or JawurTagh, towersover the range
considerably,and advances heyond it to the W. But it woul(l be requisiteto extend
our researchesfurther S., alollg the Kandilan m(luntainsand Sardusht country, in
orderto determinethe loftiest summit betweenthe Muz Tagh and the Zagros I think
however,that there can be no doubt that the peak of Rowandiz has Tlorival in the
easterlychains of Kurdistansafld it is in thesethat it is situated. Notwithstandingthe
evidenceof Monteith'smap, it appearsquite certain,from the size of the riversflowing
from this easterly chain to the lake of Urumiyah, more especially the Naz-lu, the
Suhur,and the Burrinduz, that they originatein the Tura Jellu, and flow t};rouh this
chain, indeed, the transversevalleys of the two last named rivers are quite evident
from the plain, while some Iargetributariesprobablyflow from the westernside of the
JellGto the Zabn in the interval between the countryof the Tobi Chaldeansanel the
Zibari Kurds.
 Xerma'-Jliealawa Bash .Wala'h. 57

an(lrounded,the rangesbeing neitherserratednorboldlydefined,

and rising so little abovethe level of the uplandas to havethe
appearanceratherof hills than mountains. But the generally
Alpine characterof thewholecountrywas renderedsensibleby a
varietyof prominentfeatures- the bleak and bare aspectof the
an(lthat so tardy the reluctantJegeta-
soil-the little cultivation,
tion of coarsegrasses and sedges the hardyand ligneous cha-
racterof the perennialspeciesof plants-and the watersflowing
towardsthe lofty chains to the west-spoke of their altitudein
languageas strongas the diminishedpressureof the atmosphere,
whetherindicatedlJythe lengthof a columnof mercuryor by the
low temperatureof the boiling pointof watero Meilawa,by the
latterindications,was at an elevationof 6418 feet.
Wednesday,June24th.0ur roadstill continuedup the open
valleyof the Zab: 21 hours broughtus to where two streams
meet; the one fromthe mountainsbeyondBash Kala'h,the other
from Kanda Kilissa. We soon came in view of Bash Kala'h,
about2 miles to ourleft. It is a large village, distributedround
the base of a nloreconicalhill than that of Julamerik,and,like
it, supportinga castle. It is said to contain'S00houses,inhabited
by Kurds,Jews, and Armenians. It is governedby an officerof
the Beg of Julamerik,and is tributaryto the Pasha of Van.
At one partof the valleyof the Zab somerockyridgesof yellow
limestonecomedownclose to the river'sedge, whichtheyshutup
in a narrowglen. Thereareno less than three differentcast]es,
squarecourts with towersat the angles, commandingthis pass.
Two are in ruins,but one, Kala'hKarani,is still in good repair.
Ourguidesthis morninghad been a good c3ealdisturbedby the
appearanceof six armedKurds,whofollowedus for threeor four
hours, always keeping, however, out of shot. This was an
advantageous place for an attackon our smallparty,for our three
Chaldeanshadleft us at Julamerik,andleen replacedby a peace-
ful, talkativepriest, but nothing was attempted. Keeping still
up the valleyof the Zab ve came to an ancient Armenianmo-
nastery,well built, withslopingroof, and bell-towers,containing
two bells, regularly rung at service. It is curious that the
Armenians,who are dependent,shouldhavepreservedthiscustom,
while the Chaldeans,who are independent,haveno bells in their
churches.
At this pointthe Zab is dividedinto two streams,one of which
comesfromthe southerndeclivitiesof the Erdish Tagh, in the
districtof Albak; the otherfromKIniyeh,Karasun,and Kashen
where three differentspringsare markedin ColonelMonteith's
map, evidentlyfromactualrecognisance;andthe elevationgiven
is 7500 feet I do not knowhowdetermined,but coineidingwith
whatlnightbe expectedfiom the oleservedelevationof the Zab
 58 Mr.AINSWORTH
s Visitto the(Shaldeans.
in the present uplandvalley, so nearits sources,and whereit is
a merebrook,6300 feet at Meilawa, 6800 feet at KandaKilissa.
The sourcesgiven themby Colonel Monteithare correct,what-
evermaybe the case withthe courseand tributariesof the river,
as delineatedin the samemap. They rise betweenthe territory
of SalamastandKotur, in the Sar al Bagh, from the sides of
whichthe watersflow in three opposite directionsto the lake of
Urumiyahto the Caspianand to the PersianGulf.
KandaKilissa is, as before said, a very old Armenianmo-
nastery. It is inhabitedby a bishop and priest; the formerof
whom,an intelligentman, assignedto it an age of 1600 years.
The cloor-way wasa handsomespecimenof Saracenicarchitecture,
thoughdefacedby a colossalbas-reliefof the Almighty,a mon-
strousproduction,resemblinga greatitlol. Aroundthe archwere
also other figures, w-ithlarge heads of hair. On the bodies of
these were someantiquecarvings,amongwhichweresomeletters
resenlblingthose which had leen identifiedas Armenianat A1
H;ldhr. I may mention here, that,with the exception of the
Armeniancharacters,the sculpturedsigns on the stones of A1
Hadhrare correctlyrectilinear,and not variouslycontortedas in
the specimensprintedby the Society. The cllurch of Kandais
defendedby a rampartand bastions,and has two outer courts
with defences. On a height above is a moderncastle, with a
guar(lof about forty Kurds from Bash Kala'h: for this is the
frontierof the country.
Tuesday,June 25th.- This morningwe left the valleyof the
last tributariesto tlle Zab, and enteredupon a hilly country,with
occasionalravinesin limestone. It was so cold before sunrise
thatwe wereglad to walk to keep ourselveswarm. In one of
these ravineswas a block of limestonewith a semi-cyllndrical
hollow,to whichis attacheda traditionthat a princeof Salamast*
was formerlyconvertedto Christianity,andwas in consequence
pursuedto the mountains;that he attemptedto secretehimself
in this hollow,but was slainthereby his enemies. This locality
of an antiquemartyrdom was treated with greatrespect by the
Chaldeansin our company,who kissedit and then rubbedthem-
selstesin the hollow. The stoneis well polishedby these absurd
observances.
Trachyticrocks and basalts break forthamidthese limestone
rocks, and constitutea group of hills,-Tura Khani Sar, or
Akronal, whichrise abovea fine pasturingvalley, with a lake in
one partof it, andwhichwasnow ocoupiedby an encampmentof
PersianKurds. It takesits namefronza ruined karavansera; in
* This is the orthographyinsisted upon by Mr. Rassam. It is generallywritten
Selmas, or Salmas. MajorRawlinsons map, 1 fitld, marksit correctlyas a district,
and IlOt a town, as in all othermaps.
 KandsiKitissa Khosrowa ScllamGlst. 59

the valley. A Kur(l joined us fromthis encampmentwith his

horseandgun, an(lbehavedso outrageouslyto us, that had he
continuedtill out of sightof his friends,we should certainlyhave
given him a good beating;but he was too wise to exposehimself.
We crosse(lovera ri(lgeof trachytesand descendedby Khani
Berin, re-ascendingamidhills of congloinerate an(ligneousrocks,
fromwllencewe obtained our first view of the fertile plain of
Salamastbearingdue magnetic E., with the lake of Urllmiyah
beyond. There are momentswhichneverslip from a traveller's
memory, when, aftera long journeyon a heated or monotonous
plain, a rangeof mountainswiththeiranticipatioIls of cool waters
and refreshingbreezes come into sight,or when, fatiguedwith
mountain-toiland travel, a plain, smiling with gardens and
villages,andfull of promisesof deliciousrepose,presentsitself to
his delightedvision.
Our descent to the plain from hence occupied us, however
3 long hours, whenwe reachedsome basalticcliSs, whieh led
directlyto the cultivatedplain. On one of them werethe foun-
dationsof a castle constructedof stones of large dimensions:to
the S. was also a looldrock of limestone,whichprotrudedout of
the plain,bearingthe ruinsof Karnawior Maran(loscastle; and
beforeus rose a srnallhill, the last of the basalticknolls, with a
small Christianchurch. Pits weredug in the bed of a riverclose
to us to obtaingtavel,-whichis sifted, and then sprinkledoverthe
land,to adaptit for growingwater-melons.Two morehoursamid
villagesand gardensbroughtus to the Chaldeanvillageof Khos-
rowa,the place of Khosroes* (the Khusrueof MonteithXs map),
wherewe had an introduction to a relativeof Mar Shim'on,and
werewell receivedand hospitablyentertained.
The district of Salamastis coveredwith villages, as maybe
seen by a glanceat ColonelMonteith'smap, which appears,in
whatregardsthis districtanalthat of Urumiyah,to be founded
upon actualsurvey. These numerousvillages have, as in many
partsof the E., a commonmarket,whereis also the residenceof
the governor,and the wholeis inclosedlike a fort. This placeis
designatedsometimesSalamast,sometimesDilman, but is gene-
rally knownin ordinaryparlanceas Shahr, " the town,' simply.
It is the same with the districtof Urumiyah. In all this partof
Persiaa badTurkishis the languagegenerallyspoken: the better
classesalone are acquaintedwith Persian. The Christiansall
look to the Russiansas their protectors;but the Persianshave
imbibeda notionthat Mohammed'Ali, or ratherIbrahimPasha,
is destinedto be the great bulwarkof Islamism, and the con-
querorof the Christianfoe; and MajorRawlinsonalso remarks
the samething of Solduz.
* The Khosroes,or Chosroes,of historians,is KhosraGwith the Persians.
60 Mr.AI?VSWORTH
s Visitto theChaldeans.
lFriday,June2Gth.-We rode by U'la, where the American
missionarieshave a school, and Turmel, to the hills which ad-
vance in bold rocks, bearingtwo castles over the lake of Uru-
miyah, and which are designatedKara Bash, or Black Head.
But they have a culminatingpoint westward,which had still a
few patchesof snowon its hoaryhead, and which,risingabouta
thousandfeet abovethe level of thelake,is calledZendashtTagh,
or Tur Zendashtby the Chaldeans. These hills gave xnemuch
hardwork, for theirstructurewas veryvaried; the results,how-
ever, may be given in a few words: the furldamental rock was
large-grainedgranularhornblendeand feldspar,and the same
mineral small grainedpassing into basalt. This rock became
large-grainedlamellaras in gneiss, or small-graine(lschistoseas
in certainchloriteschists. Superimposed vverea brecciaof lime-
stone with fragmentsof hornblenderocks and limestonerocks
often saccharoi(lal. A secondseriesof rocks presentedfeldspar
and black mica, large grained and lamellar,passinginto l;)lack
mica schists,andcommonmica schistsmuchwavedan(lcontorted,
and these intoclayschistsof variouscolours,red, green,andgray.
Associatedwiththesewas a thir(lseries,consistingof quartzrocks,
generallywith a waxylustre,and passingintojade. We crossed
this range of hills and stopped in the gardensof the Chaldean
village of Gawalan,to the N. of whichis a largerChristianvil-
lage called Jemalawahby the Chaldeanresidents,but Jelalabad
by the Persians.
Saturday,June27th. Our road lay along the banks of the
lake,but at somedistancefromthe water,andovera dry,gravelly,
or sandyplain, coveredwith a speciesof ononisand mesembryan-
themum,amidwhich,when the soil was slightlysaline,predomi-
nated a species of salsola when very saline, a salicornia when
scarcel-at all salt, Nigella damascena,Capparisspinosaand C.
ovata. Thus, at an elevationof 4300 feet, we had at once the
negetationof Mesopotamiaandof BabyloniaJthe nigella espe-
ciallyremindingone of Mosul, the mesembryanthema of Hillah,
but vegetationwas moredense; and the perpetualartemisiaeof
the lower plains were a good deal replacedby Astragalusverus
and A. tragacanthoides.Amid these were numerousvagabond
floweringplants,whichdid not, however,aSectthe mainfeatures
of the vegetation. Springs of waterwere frequentat the foot of
the hills, the waters being generallybrackish. They must be-
comeso in passingthroughthe lacustrineallusTium; for the form-
ations,at leaston the W. side of the lake, are not such as contain
saliferousdeposits. I have not seen enough yet of the lake of
Urumiyahto give an opinionupon the origin of its saltness,but
it is eviclentthat it has diminishedin size and left behinda con-
s;(lerablelacustrine lleposit characterisedby its saline plants.
 Utla - GawalanR Uruma'yah. 61

MajorRawlinsonis inclinedto take an oppositeview of the sub-

ject, andto considerthe lake as encroachinguponthe land. This
may very well be occasionallythe case, as in differentseasonsof
the yearwhenthe suppliesfromthe riversare greateror less, and
againat certaintimeswhenwholeriversare absorbedin irrigation
or are allowedfree courseto the lake, as is related by Major
Rawlinsonof the Jaghatuand the Tatau: but theseare accidental
phenomena,while the great extent of lacustrinealluvium,which
has evidentlybeen depositedby the watersof the lake, leavesno
doubtof the generalchange produeedin a greatperiod of time,
notwithstanding the irregulartemporaryvariationin the level of
the svaters.
The districtof Urumiyahpresentsan extraordinary scene to a
personaccustomedto the treelessmonotonyof the plainsof Meso-
potamia; a more fertiledistric$can scarcelybe imagined. One
vast estent of grovesyorchards,vineyards,gardens,rice-groundss
andvillages,sometimeswith a villagecommon. It muchresem-
bletl the best part of Lombardy,betweenMilan and the Lago
Maggiore. Five American missionaries,with their wives and
families, are nowstationedin the tosvnof Urumiyah,wherethey
pursuetheir benevolentwork of educatingthe youngChaldeans,
in a delightfulclimateaboundingin all the luxuriesof life. May
they long enjoythem andcontinuetheir trulyusefulandvaluable
labours!
S?lnday,June 28tA.- LeavingUrumlyahwe crossedthe river
of SuhurlJya bridgeof five arches,and crossinga low rangeof
hills entere(lupon a veryfertilelow rice country,whichextended
nearlyto the loanksof the lake, and to the S. graduallybecamea
marsh,whichmust be unpassableat certainseasonsof. the year.
We had soinedifficultyin fordingthe Burranduz,also a goodly
stream,beyondwhichwe stoppedfor the nighton the marshnear
the fortifiedfarmof U'1adi. This plainwaseverywherecovered
with large herds of horses and cattle,and -lSocksof sheep and
goats. There were also manyvillages, and everyappearanceof
the same prosperityandfertilitymet withall alongthe E. side of
the same mountains,which on the westernside are, generally
speaking,so sterileandunproductiv&.
Monday, June 29th.- Passirlt, the villages of Thomator
(christian)and that of Char, each with its mud fort, we en-
tereciupon the hills which now separatedus from the plain of
Ushnei, or Shino as it is generally called. We entered by a
ravine,about 11 mile up whichwe found the village of Kasinli,
the hills around rising barely 800 feet above the valley. At
mid-day, having travelled 6 hours, we came to an upland of
sienitic rocks., llaving traversedwhich we descended upon the
62 Mr. AINSWORTH
S Vasitto the Chaldeans.
plain of Ushnei, and passingthe Christianvillage of Chaln, we
rode throughUshnei withoutstopping,and bivouackedin a field
beyondthe town. The plain of Ushnei is traversedin its centre
by the river Gader, and maybe estimatedat 8 to 9 miles in
length by 2 to 3 in svizlth. It containseight villages besidesthe
residenceof the governoranfl market-place(Ushnei) and two
forts, both near the river. This diSers muchfrom the account
givenby MajorRawlinson,but I think the varianceis owing to
his havingincludedin his estimatepartof the lowervalleyof the
Ga(ler,whichfromthe directionby whichhe approachedUshnei
may havemorethe appearanceof constitutingpartof the upper
plain. This plain is at an elevation,loy boiling-pointthermo-
meter,of 4619 feet, whichappearsfrom the short course of the
Gaderto be correct. Salamastplain, nearlyon the samelevel as
the lake, has an elevationof 4379 feet, Gawalan455;3feet (pro-
loably150 feet too much), Urumiyah4518 feet, a good appro2i-
mation,leavingto the lake an approximateelevationof 4300 feet.
The mountainsof Keli-Shin rise from 1000 to 1500 feet above
the plhin,or about(;000 feet abovethe level of the sea; and they
presented a nearlycontinuousextent of snow, descending500
feet down their easterndeclivitiesto the zone of fennel. The
plain itself appearsto have been once a lake, which svas gra-
duallyfilled up by depositsof gravelbroughtdownby the Gader,
and which at the upE)erend of the plain attaina depth of up-
wardsof 1()0feet. A mudfortof no great antiquity,2 miles S.
34 W. of Ushnei,has lzeenraisedfromits previousinsignificance
by the learningand researchof MajorRanvlinson, and provedto
be the villageof Saragana,wherethe armyof Narses effectedits
junctionwith the Arnieniancontingent. It derives,however,still
more importancefrom its corroboratingthe ancient existence
of a greatthoroughfareacrossthe mountainsby Herfr,Rowan(liz
and Sidek.
We suSered some inconveniencefroin the picturesquere(l-
turbanedKurdsof Ushnei, whoheld variousdebatesconcerning
the appropriation of our goods; also fromthe fearsof the more
tranquilblack-cappedgentlemen,who urged us in the strongest
mannerpossible not to ventureinto the mountains,nor even to
sleep outsideof the town. Their strongrepresentations, I)acked
by the manyprivateconversations of portionsof the crowd,so in-
fluenced some of our party that only four remainedto breathe
freshair in the fields, the remainderbetakingthemselvesto the
tolvn, althoughwe had frequentlyhad throughoutour journey
(and even the night lefore) the verysamerepresentations made
to us, withoutany otherresultthanleavingme and my servantto
sleep alonein the mountains. Findingthis wantof confidence,
 Ushnea-Sinkar Keli-Sha'n. 63

applicationfor a guard was made next day to the governorof

Ushnei, whichled to much disappointment.Ushnei is, by meri-
dianaltitudeof Saturn,in N. lat. 36? 55' 29".
HXednesday, Juty 1st. Waitingfor the guard,we di(l not get
of till afternoon,when,fordingthe Ga(ler,we passed by Sinkar,
and then,insteadof proceedingdirectto the pass of Keli-Shin,we
turned to the W., to the summerquartersof the Seruji Kurds,
whereour Zerzagusrdshad to transferus into the handsof the
KurdBeg. By thismovementI was deprivedof the pleasureof
examiningan inscriptionI was most anxiousto see, and wllichI
had firstheard of fromthe RomanCatholicChaldeanbishopof
Mosul, who is a native of Salamast. My regret has however
been lessenedby readingMajorRavvlinson's accountof the same
stone and writing,which, if engravedon the compactblue slate
or schist of the neighbourintmountains,as appearsfrom that
gentleman'sdescriptionto le the case, must be irrecoverably
illegible. It is satisfactorilydetermined,however,to be a cunei-
forminscription. I neverheardanythingof a secondinscription,
as mentionedby MajorRawlinson. The secondrange,which
overlooksSldek, is the peak of Rowandiz; and it mayhavebeen
lost by leavingthe greatroadto ascendthat mountain.
Thvrsday,July 2nd.-We started at an early hour for the
ascent of the Keli-Shin, which was performedon foot; but we
weredelayedby the non-arrivalof the Kurdswho were to act as
guar(ls,and without whom the muleteerswould not proceed;
whenthey came up, only two were armed, and these began,in
the mosthaughtyand insolent manner,to ask for pipes, which
nobodyseemed inclined to give them. We then proceededon
our journey, and crossingthe firstrange, gaineda countrywith
less snowand more woc)d,and with many flocks of sheep and
goatsfeedingon the mountainsides. We soon,however,cameto
anotherran,,e, with glaciers, the slope of which createdsome
anxiety. We passed three of these, however,in safety; it was
morefearfulto look at anotherpassingoverthem thanto venture
oneself; a single slip would infalliblyhavehurrieda personto a
vast-depth.9When we gainedthe next crest,the peak of Rowan
diz wasonly distantfrom us two more summitsand crests,and
was easily attainable. I had gone behintla rock to takea few
bearingswithout attractingattention,when I heard a quarrel,
anduponmyreturnfoundRassamandDavudagitatedwithalarm
The Kurds had insisted on being pai(l accordings to their un-
limiteddemands,and uponthe l:rsountain wherewe were. I was
glad of this, as there was now an opportunityof repayingthem
for their previousinsolence,whichhad indeed been intolerable
all the way. They were now alone on the mountain,and the
Greek and myself were infinitelybetter armed than they, and
64 s Visitto theChaldeasts.
M1. AINSWORTH
our armsin better condition,so we told them to go about their
business,they should IlOt have a farthing. Mr. Rassam,how-
ever,who was for pacificmeasures,promisedone of the guidesto
payhim at Rowandiz. Findingthat they couldget nothingfrom
us here the two ruffianswent oS, which was an agreeablerid-
dance.
We now continuedour ascentof the mountain. Vast piles of
snow,accumulatedby the driftwindsto a depthof manyhundred
feet, wereonly larokenthroughby bol(l and sharp rockypinna-
cles of grey and green quartz,or broke off abruptlyover dark
precipicesof brown and blue schists, shiveringaway in silvery
leaflets,and shakingin the breezemorelike fragmentsof the ice-
heap thanof the mountain. The Aretia alpina, and here and
therea saxifrage,were the only remainingspecimensof vegeta-
tion; on some shelteredmoistspotsgrew,in one mass,Polytri-
chum septentrionale. Proceedingover the first mountain,we
had a (lescentto make througha ravine filled with snow,then
anotherascentsteep and rocky,and anotherglacier,till hope de-
ferredmade the heart sick. At lengthwe cameto a precipice
formedlty a vastdyke of sienites,whichcrossedthe whole crest,
andconstitutedthe summitof the peak of Rowandiz,or Sheikh-
iwa, as it is calledby the Kurds. We werenowol)ligedto climb,
but perseverancesoon broughtus to the top, from whencewe
enjoyeda view of almostall NorthernKurdistan,favouredas we
were by an uncommonlycleal and fine day; nothing but the
haze producedby the intenseheat of the plainpreventedour see-
ing Mosul. Indeed it was well that beforemy departureI had
takenseveralbearingsfromMosul to this mountain,for since the
greatheatsha^recomeon it has been no longervisible. It bears
fromNIosul N. 81?.5 E.; mag. var. 8? W. Its elevation,by
boiling-pointtller.? l0,568 feet. :EJut,
although remarkableby
its position,there is no doubt that some of the summitsof the
Jellu mountains,which are peaks rising on a sea of peaks,or
mountainssuperposedon a groupof mountains,exceedit in ele-
vation; as also do probaluly, thoughto a small extent, the Ma-
rananmountains;indeed,all the loftiestAlps occurtowardsthe
headsof the tributariesof the Great Zab, a(lheringto the narrow
line of the graniticasis; and lowertowardsthe head watersof
the LittleZab. At the sametime I doubtif thereare any moun-
tains in Kurdistanwhich attain an elevationof 15,000 feet, as
markedon Colonel Monteith'smap; the highest summitsof
tlaeJellu or JawurTagh, viewed in comparisonwith Sheikhiwa,
not appearingto attaina greaterelevationthan 12,000 or 13,000
feet.
On lookingaroundI wasparticularlydelightedby the number
of old friendswhich I coulddistinguish;first, andmostpromi-
 Sllqnmzt
of Rotvandiz. 65

nent, were the Jellu mountains,fromwhich1 was separatedby

whatmighttrulybe calleda tremendouscountryof awfulchasms
and steep precipices; although,when one comes to face these
diEculties, sucha pigmyis mancompare(lwith surrounding na-
ture, thatthey are merelysteep slopes which he maytread,just
as an ant findsa firmhold upon whatto us appearsthe smooth
surfaceof a stone. The southerlypeak of Jellu evidentlysur-
passed the peak of Rowandizin height. Advancingfromthe
Sellu uponthe valleyof the Zab, whichhereandthere displayed
itself, glitteringo-utfrom the woodedvale below like a minute
silver threa(l,was the bolel but less lofty mountainof Linitka:
beyondwas the chain of Matinen; and nearer,that of Ghara
T6bi an(lRash Raim,whichterminatedwiththeir ruggedsum-
mitsthe prospectto the N.W. It is the abruptterminationof
these chains,andthe openingthat extendsbetweenthemandthe
Zobarcountryand mountains,whichallowsof the Sheikhiwabe-
ing seen from Mosul. Tc}the W. wasfirstthe bold an(lwooded
mountainof Sar-i-Burd,with the beauteousvale of Sldaka,or
Si(lek,at its base; and beyondthis the giantprecipicesot lime-
stonewhichguardRowandiz,andwhichopen their rockvbreast
to allow the waters of four rivers to mingle together. To the
S.W. the countrywas lower, aet I recognisedsomewell-known
pointsnear Koi Sanjak; lvhilethe lofty summitsof the KandilAn
mountainslimited the prospectto the S. To the E. was the
noble expanse of lake Urumiyah, and the comparativelylow
countryof Lahijanand Solduz,backedby the hills of Sarelusht
and Mikri,and extendingin the E. till lost in the hazeof a mid-
daysun. I omitted to mention,although I had previouslyno-
ticed it from the Keli-Shin, that the river Ga(ler forms three
smalllakes beforelosing itself in the lakeof Urumiyah. But, as
these lakes were not noticedby MajorRawlinson,it may be in-
ferredthattheyare only temporary.
It was witll regretthatwe tore ourselvesfromthis magnificent
prospect;addedto which,the mountainitself had a charmwhich
was deeply felt by all. It perhapsmoreparticularlyoriginated
in the deep silencewhich reigned upon this lofty summit,and
whichappearedas if for everunbrokenon the spot whichthus
rose up to the regionof the cloudsso perfectlyalone,so purein
its canopyof white,and withan atmosphereso substantially deep
and blue that it seemeda cloudof itself; and the spectatorshu(l-
lered to thinkhimselfuponits bosom!
It has been trulyremarkedthat
" Not vainlydidtheearlyPersianmake
His altarthehighplacesandthepeak
Of earth-o'ergazing
mountains."
Coleridge, if I may be allowed one more quotationfrom a
VOL. XI. F
66 v Vistt to the Chaldeans.
Mr. AINSWORTH
remembrance of home, beautifullyexpressesthe sentimentawak-
ened by such situations:-
" O dreadandsilentmount! I gazeduponthee,
Till thou,sti]lpresentto thebodilysense,
Didstvanishfrommythought;entranced in pra7er
I worshipped the Invisiblealone."*
After half-running,half-sliding,we foundourselvesin an hour
comfortablyseatedjust below the inferiorlimits of snow,wherea
fire had been kindled, and breakfastwaspreparedto rewardliS
for our toil. There were also ahost of Kurdishshepherdswho
had gatheredround to wonder*showerethe madmen for they
werepolite enoughto deem us such who had cometo run,as if
in derision,overtheir snow-cladmountains.
A large caravanpassed alongthe road in the courseof the
morning,an(l indeed, notwithstandingthe ba(l habits of the
Kurds,this is in summer-timeone of the mostfrequentedpasses
in this partof the country,the samemerchantshavingrecoursein
severer seasonsto the road by Rowandizto So-uj Bolak; but in
winter all roads are equallyimpassablfe.The elevationof our
halting-placewas 8568 feet.
On leavingthis, we kept roundingthe declivitiesof the moun-
tain,whichpresenteddiallagerocks, talc schists,red and l)rown
schists,and conglomerates. The first rivuletwe met with came
froma small lake at the south-westside of the mountain,which
has apparently,but a few yearsago, broken its boun(laries,and
scatteredoverthe valleya vast accumulationof rocks,boulders,
and pebbles. We next passeda torrent12 feet by 2 in depth,a
little furtherone of 11 feet by 12, andthen another14 feetby 12.
All theselarge streamsflow fromonly one side of the mountain,
and unite in a woode(lvale below,whereis the villageof Berk-
amma. We continued to (lescendrapidly till we reachedthe
* If MajorRawlinsorlbe correctin supposingthat the mountainof Asnaven(l,which
bore one of the three original sacredfires-that of Azer-Geshesp-was at or near the
famous Keli-Shin,this high and remarkablemountairlwas the most likely to be chosen
as the site of the temple, but it may be objectedboth to theSheikhiwaand to theKeli-
Shin, that they arerenderedalmostinaccessibleby snow and glaciers,and I am much
more inclined to seek for the site of Asnavendat the peak of Atash Tagh, or fire-rock,
beforenoticed,andwhich is a commandingyet accessibleeminence,and betteradapted
to the descriptiongiven ill the Zend-Avesta (tom. iii. pp. 2328), where Mount
Asnavendis mentionedas betweenVar Khosrau,or lake of Van, and Var Tekhesht,or
lake of Urumiyah: the Atash l agh, near Arfflhi,or Arja, which was also by name
and by traditionthe seat of a fire temple, and answersbest to the geographicalposition
given in Anquetil de Perron's,Zend-Avesta,being 18 hoursfrom eitherlake. Major
Rawlinson's argument is mainly founded upon the possible derivation of the word
Asnavendfrom Ushnei-the Otshllohor Ashnokhof the Syrians. The positionof the
mountain of Asnavenddoes IlOtaffectthe discussionof the same travellerregardingthe
originalseat of worshipat Shiz-the AtropatenianEcbatana-for it was afterthe defeat
of Azdewjar(Astyages)by Kei Khosrau(Cyrus) that the fire was takerlto the mount.
The peak of Zendasht, or lake Urumlyah,may also be noticed as a mourltainremark-
able in pOsitiOll,and to which traditionhas attacheda fire-temple.
 2

Vatleyof Sidek Jefuli. 67

region of oak, jasmine, small honeysuckle(Loniceraalpigena),

acacia,and Cercissiliquastrum.Our descent,howearer, continued
5 hoursfromthe halting-place,at a fairpace. When we gained
the valleyof SidakEor Sidek,vverestedat the villageof JeSuli,
at an altitudeof only3742 feet, so that,withoutcrossinganyinter-
vening ranges, we had descended directly from the peak of
Rowindizto a considerably lowerlevel thanthe plainsof Azer-
bijan and the lake of Urumiyah The changein the tempera-
ture andvegetationwas, as may be imagined,very great. We
were in the midstof rice andmeloncultivation,and surroun(led
by grovesof mullerry. Severallittle villageswerescatteredalong
the side of the riverof Sidaka,or uponthe declivitiesof thehills.
The valleyis, strictlyspeaking,a ravineat the base of the Sheikh-
tawi; it and the surroun(lingcountrystill remain under the
governmentof the Beg of Rowandiz. The tribedwellingin this
vale called themselvesPir 'Astini.
Th?crsday, July2nd. We continuedour roadalong the valley
of Sidaka,as it is calledby the Kurds,and by the PersiansSidek.
We l)asseda river from the S.E., 10 yardswideby 1 in depth,
and crossed it by a bridge; immediatelybeyond which was a
brookand ravine,and this latterisolatesa boldprojectionof rock,
whichis washedon the oppositeside by the riverof SitlakAand
the last-mentioned ri+rer
united. On this projectionis the fort of
Sidaka,a squarecourtwith four roundtowersat the angles; but
havingalso in frontanothercurtainand gatewaydefendedby two
more towers. Before the castle is the village, which contains
about100 houses. Althoughthe presentcastleis a comparatively
modern building,the rock on which it stands appearsto have
been chiselled on its face at a veryremotedate, for the waters
have since thatperiodwroughtchangeswhich are easily distin-
guishablefromwhatwas donein ancienttimesto renderthe rock
mole difficultof approach. There is everyreason to believe,
fromthe peculiaritiesof its positionas well as from its antique
appearance,that it was a stationor fort at the time whenthis was
the greatroadfrom Ninevehto Ecbatana. A woodedopenvalley
uniteswiththe Sidekvalefromthe S.E., andthe unitedwatersflow
intothe comparatively opencountrybetweenSar LinitkaandSari-
Burd. I had but a shorttimeallowe(lme for the examinationof
this curiousplace, andsearchfor inscriptions,which, as I chiefly
soughtthem on the face of the rock, 1 mayprobablyhaveover-
looked,if they be upon a pillar, as mentionedby MajorRaw-
linson'sinformant. Tlle soldierscameout of the castle, insisting
uponan examinationof our papers and baggage,as this was the
Rowandizcustom-house. At last I was obliged to yield to the
generaldesireto hastenon.
ImmediatelybeyondSidaka we commencedthe ascent of the
68 Mr. AI 1N'SWORTH.S Visit to fhe 6'haldeans.
Sari-Burd,a mountainof brovvn,blue, and green schists,and
coveredwithoaks,inclualinga large proportionof valonia. This
country,as far as to the mountainsW. of Rowandizand to the
Zobar due W., is but a continuationof the 'Amadiyahdistrict,
and, like it, is the true districtof valonia and gall-nuts. We
were 5 hours accomplishingnearlythe semicircuitof Sari-Burd,
whichwe had to do to gain the valleyof Rowandiz,whereit is
washedby the river of SidakS, which falls into the river of
Rowandiz(Rubari RowEndiz)a little belowthe town,an(lon the
E. side of tElelimestonerange, incorrectly- called by Dr. Ross
Beni Hindevln. In these mountainsthere are people of four
nationsand four languages,viz., Kurds,Chaldeans,Turks, and
Persians. MajorRawlinson,being conversantwith the Persian
languageandtravellingonly in Persian Kurdistan,has uniformly
a(loptedPersiannames, as Sidek for Sidaka,Ushnei for Shino,
&c. A mountain,in KurdishChi, in TurkishTagh, in Chal-
deanTur, in PersianSar,varies in its othernamesalso, accord-
ing to the language of thosewhom you ad(lress. I invariably
adheredto the namesusedbs-the Kurd shepherdswhen I could
obtainthem; but Dr. Ross, though an obserxring travellerand a
good Orientalist,has been evidentlyilnposedupon by his Arab
companionSayaedHindi, who has furnishedhim with Arabic
names, as Beni Hindevin, Beni Karak,Beni Havirah,&c., the
sons of Hin(levinn&c., whichhave no existencein thesemoun-
tains. Indeed I have found fromlong experiencesthatthe best
guides and atten(lants,when fatigued by travel,will sometimes
coin a namemerelyto savethe troubleof inquiry.
The latterpartof the descent of lthe Sari-Burd for 2t miles
is carriedalong a shelving declivityof schists, and cannotbe
riddenoveron mules. I need not add that it is quiteimpracti-
cable for artillery,and constitutesthe secondof the difficultiesof
this road,whichare three in number,viz., the snowsof the pass
of Keli-Shin, the descenton slates at the foot of the Sari-Burd,
and the vastlimestoneprecipicesW. of Rowan(liz.I herebecame
acquaintedwitha fact of the utmostinterestto me, althoughmy
spacewill not allow me to enterinto the (letailsof the inquiry.
All alongthe valleyof Rown(liz and at the westernfootof the
Sari-Burd,tertiarybrownsandstcone, withostracitesand sandstone
conglomeratesof the same perio(lan(l unaltere(l,unelerliethe
schistsof Sari-Burd,lvhich exactly resemble in mineralogical
charactersthoseof the peak of Rowandizandof the KarasiTiyfiri.
I hadlong suspected,from a varietyo? circumstances, thatthese
schistsweremerelyalteredtertiaryrocks,but I wasnot prepare(l
to affirmso bold a conclusion,till the evi(lencethus presented
left no (loul)tin my min(l, and I have brollghtawaywith me
specimensillustrativeof the changesby which a commoncoarse
 TheSari-Burd Dyana-Rownindiz. 69

brown sandstone becomes a beautiful schistose rock. We halted

a short time at the Christianvillage of Dyana, and then rode along
the plain to Rowan(liz.
I was preparedto meet with much to interest me in the position
of this town; but the reality exceedeel my expectations. We were
almost at its portals before it became visible; but it was easy to
see, from the distributionof the numerous ranJines, with their per-
pendicular walls of limestone rock, whereaboutsthe town would
be. At length, coming over a gentle hill, we saw a mount with
one of the usual square castles with round towers upon its summit;
but this was not yet Rowandiz. WVetravelled on, and tower after
tower displayed itself in succession, till, upon a naked plain of
limestone, higher up, a few gardens made their appearance, and
at length the town itself burst upon our view: the houses, built in
rows, one above the other, and descen(ling in successive tiers,
along a tongue of limestone, which has a cleep ravine to the E.,
and another to the N., the latter containing the river of Rowan-
diz. We descended into the ravine, and found a bridge thrown
across the precipice where the river is only 10 yards wide and
aloout 1 yareldeep, and rolling about 20 feet loelowus.
The town of Rowandiz has been estimated at 2000 houses,
I)ut I couId not count more than lOOO. As I may, however,
have left some out, let it be allowe(:laltogether 1300; but most
of them contain from two to three families, none so few as one,
and many more. Indeed I never saw such a crowded population,
nor so strange a scene: the roofs of the houses have no walls as
in other eastern towns, an(l the moment the sun sets the dinner is
taken, and the bed made upon the roof; for the pent-llp valleys
of Rowandiz and 'AmadiyaX are more oppressive even than the
plains of Mesopotamia. There were more than 500 persons to
see us eat; and so great was the population that at night I ob-
served thele was not room enough on the roofs, and that hundreds
of people, men, women, and children, lav in the streets. XIany
had entwined a few branches rollnd their couches; some had
erected little scaSoldings of wood and brallches, on which slept
the family, dogs, and fowls. The only symptom of modesty e
hibited was a great outcry amongst the fair sex that Mr. RassAm
wore spectacles to gratify an improper curiosity, and he was
obliged to take them oS. Altogether there was less refinement
here than I have yet witnessed in the East. The town is defended
on the land side by a wall with round towers; and the Beg has
several guns. There were also several round towers outside the
town: on the opposite side of the E. ravine there are two; be-
tween the castle, to the 1N1-.,
and the ravine of the river, there are
two more, and two in advance of the walls on the land sides
70 Visit to the Chaldeans.
Mr. AINSWORTH'S
There is also a largertowerin the townon the higherpartof the
rock. The Beg has as usualthe best house, and a verypleasant
summer-house,coveredwith branchesof trees, where he spent
the day while we werethere. The presentBeg is brotherto the
late chieftain,celebratedfor his extreme ambition,and whose
fate is somewhatinvolvedin orientalmystery. It is well known
that he was alluredand not beatenfrom his fastness; for 'Ali
Pasha onlybroughthis guns to the hills of Herfr, which, as far
as regardsthe difficultiesof the country,was no nearerthan
Baghdad. The Beg went to Constantinopleto pleadhis cause,
and certainof the foreignembassiesinterestedthemselvesin his
fate, althoughhe appearsto havebeen a sad lawless mountain-
bandit. However he was re-appointed,with the title of Mo-
hammedPashE,after swearingallegianceto the Porte, and was
shippedoff to Samsun,but disappearedat Amasiyeh,owing to
illness, it was studiouslyreported;but from inquirieswe made
at Amasiyehitself, a fewyearsback, we learnedthat he was there
overtakenby a messengerfrom Constantinoplewith the bow-
string. The peoplestill askedus abouttheirold chief,whomthey
lookeduponas a sortof Tamerlane.
Dr. Ross,and,on his authority,MajorRawlinson,havewritten
of the riverof Rowandizas if it were i(lenticalwith the Great
Zab, whichis not the case, as the riverof Rowandizcomes from
the W. slopeof the Kandilanmountains;andup its fine andopen
valleyis the roadto So-uj Bolak: nearRowandizit entersinto a
ravineof limestone,andreceivesat the town a streamfrom the
St The beds of limestonedip at an angle of 10? to the E., or
towards the waters; and thus the ravInekeeps increasingin
height to the W. Not far below the Roa1vandiz is a gap in
these cliSs to the S., through whichflow the winter-torrents from
a high mountain,towering over these ravines, and called Sar
Hasan Beg. Further on, and about 1 mile below Rowandiz,
the riverof that townis joined by a muchlargerstream,formed
by the unionof the three great streamsdescribedabove, with
manyminorones,whichflowfromthe SheikhllvEand the riverof
Sidaka. The unitedstreamsthen flowonwards,till about1 mile
furtherthey receiveanotherriverfromthe S.W.- a river which
presentsthe verygreatpeculiarityofhavingits originoutsideof or
to the W. of the limestonechain of Sar Hasan Beg, which it
entersfromthe W., passing throughdeep ravinesand secluded
dells till it falls into the river of Rowandiz,to flolNout of the
same mountainsback again to the W.; and very little beyond
thisjunction,the united streamsof Sidaka,Rowandiz,and the
last-mentionedstream,flow into the Great Zab. The union
occursamid stupendousprecipicesof limestone,which rise per-
 Beg Pir .Hasan.
Sar .Hasan 71

pendicularlyupwardsof 1000 feet above the pigmy torrents,

thoughthese musthavel)een the maininstrumentsof this singu-
lar configurationanddistributionof rock andwater.
Friday,July3rd.- We di(l not leave Rowandiztill mid-day.
There was much commercialactivityin the kllan. They were
loadingtwo caravansat the moment with madder-root,tobacco,
andbufEalo-skins.The merchantsof Mosul bringthere English
and French goodsto exchangefor galls. I saw the skins of two
Kurd foxes, evidentlya peculiar species (canis alopex?), very
small,with no brushto the tail; the fur fine andshort,of an ash-
greycolour,exceptthe mesialline of the ltack,whichwasbrown;
the earswere short. Passingthe gardensof the tos-n, we made
a descentinto a deep valleywith a gap through the lime ridge
into the bed of the RowandisRiver; we then ascended1&hour
to the crestof the shoulderof Sar Hasan :13eg,fromwhence the
GreatZal)looreN. 48 W., and SheikhiwaN. 78 E. The rocks
of the GreatZab had becomenearlyhorizontal,I)ut soonafter-
wardswerewaved and contorted. It took us exactly 11 hourto
descend the precipicewhich now separatedus from the river.
The roa(l winds down the perpendicularface of the rock so
graduallythat it maybe riddenon mostof its length. We went
fast,for we werethirsty, and the windingsmust have been 6 or
7 miles in length.
Having gainedthe bottom,the roaddoes not followthevalley
or ravineof the Zab, but of the riverof Pir Hasan,which flows
into it. The elevationof the cliffmeasuredtrigonometrically was
1100 feet, or 1125 feet to a jutting crag. I had been informed
by Dr. Ross of a castle in this pass, called Rum Kal'ah, but I
saw nothingbut curiously-shaped rocks,whichmighteasilyobtain
that name; there were also manyspaciouscaves in these cliffs.
The riversaboundedin fish; and our road up the glen of the
Pir Hasanriverhad manycharms. In the first place the steep
precipicesshadedus fromthe hot beams of the sun; therewas
plenty of water, and the woodedcliSs presentedgreatvarietyof
scene: in somepartsvast slips hadtakenplace, and huge masses
of rockfor a time hid the riverfromsightg then we cameupona
little openspacewith a baseof sandor gravel,whileat otllertimes
the roadwas carriedwith difficultyunder overhangingcliSs. At
lengthwe cameto the open plain, where the limestonerocks at
the outskirtsof the rangewerenearlyvertical,while withinthey
became almost immediatelyhorizontal,an arrangementnot so
readilyaccountedfor ly the hypothesisof upheavingforces,as by
thatof subsidence. We bivouackedon the banks of the river,
and nearthe w-illage of Pir Hasan.
Saturda?y, July4th.-We hadnow entereduponan uninterest-
ing country the sun-l)urntplains and untlulatingdistrictwhich
72 Mr.AINSWORTH
S Visitto theChaldeans
extendsbetweenthe outlyinglow rangesof hills of the Kurdistan
mountains. Firston our roadwerethe hills of Koniatman,clad
with oaks,amongwhichappeareda modernsquarecastle called
Kala'hKin by my informants, andKala'hJulamerikby themule-
teers, whowerefromRowandiz. These hills led us to the plain
of Herir, beyondwhich is the rockyrangeof limestorlecalled
GharahSurgh. Passingby AnomE,a larges-illage,we came to
the banks of the Zab, whereis a ferryand two villages,the one
on the left bankbeing called Kasroki,that on the right Kendil.
The ferry,however,hadbeen removedlower(lown,andwhen we
reached it, as there was only a very small raft supportedby
eight skins,it took us threeJourneysof l houreachto carryover
everything:therewasno tree nigh to shelterus fromthe sun.
Much allusionhas been madeto the comparativesize of the
Great Zab and of the Tigris at Mosul, and this is not sur-
prising,since they are so nearlyequal in magnitlldethat some-
times the one has the superiority,sometimesthe other. I have
collecteda varietyof dataupon the subject,an(l the resultis that
at Nimrud, at the ferryto Arbil, and at Herfr, the Zab varies
from 150 to 200 yards in width,while the Tigris, seldom less
than200 yards,expandsoccasiollallyto 300 and even 400 yards
as at Yarumjah. In fact the Tigris variesverymuch, so thatat
the time of flood it presentsthe appearancegiven to it in Col.
Monteith'smap,whichrepresentsit as formedat Mosul of many
branches. At these seasonsit attainsin some placesa widthof
from800 to 1000 yards, and is a truly splendidsheet of water.
But the Zab is alwas much deeper; and it is probablyon this
accountthat it is so celel)ratedfor the quantityandsize of its fish.
It containedwhen we saw it a larger body of water than the
Tigris, whose tributariesare not supplie(l by so many snow-
mountainsas thoseof the Zab. Indeed the mainbranch,or that
of ArghanaM'aden,comesfrommountains(Azarah)wherethere
is no snowat this seasonof the year. The temperatureof the
watersof the Zab is also severaldegrees lowerthanthat of the
watersof the Tigristhroughoutsllmmer,andtheyareconsequentls
deliciousto drink.*
A little beyondthe ferrywe enteredupon a countryof sands
and sandstone,with the usual rivuletsclad with gaudyoleanders.
There are manyvillageson the banksof the Zab, whichis *lriven
by the GharahSurghfurtherN. thanis markedon the maps. We
stoppedat one of thesevillages,called Isa, by the side of a clear
* I halresince learned that the GreatZab is consideredas uncommonlyhigh this
season,and has thus interferedwith the caravans of camels, which can generallyford
it by the end of July. Still as the seasonsof the floodsof the Tigris are in April and
May, and those of the Zab in June and early in July, the superioritypassesin suc-
cessionfromthe oneto the other. When at theirlowest,probably,the Tigrishas a slight
pre-eminence.
 Valleyofthe Zab Nv-Kur-Duberdah Mosut. 73
spring, havinga temperatureof 69? Fahr.; the air leing 110?
Fahr. after sunset. We sllfferedmuch this night from hot
blasts,whichcamefromthe plainsof Mesopotamia, andkept the
thermometerat 110? during the night. It was impossiluleto
sleep under such circumstances;but the resultwas beneficial,
and next day the atmospherewas generallycooled and more
agreeable.
Sunday,Juty5th.-The main part of the morning'sjourney
was directedup the valleyof the Akra'River,whichis a tributary
to the Zab, and not to the Khazir,as markedin Dr. Ross'smap.
About 8 milesfromthe Zab thereare twostreams;one from N.
50 W., finds its way by a ravine throughthe limestone range
that flanks the low country,and is here called Sir-i-Sadah;the
otherfrom Akra'. This valley and the plainof Nav-Kur (the
Plain of Mud) producethe greaterpart of the rice consumedat
Mosul, as well as manycommonand water melons.* We left
the valleyby a hill called Sar Deriyeh,of no great height,but
commandinga most extensiveprospect,and from whence I got
bearintgs of all the variousoutlets of watersfrom the mountains,
witi also the inlet of P;r Hasan, the only case of the kind that I
knowin the Kurdistanhills.
Below this hill we enteredupon the extensiveplain of Nav-
Kur, studdedwithvillages,but onlyverypartiallycultivated;yet
more so than in its northernportion,wherewe had crossedit on
our departure. The river Khazirflows throughits centre, but
afterwardsapproachesclosely to the foot of Jebel Maklub,which
it washes at its south-easternbase. We travelledon till dark,
and thentc)okup our quartersin the villageof Chorek.
Monday, July6th.- The Jebel Makldb is prolongedto the
S.E. by low hills of san(lstone,on the sideof whichis the large
village of Zenganah. The Khazirforces its way throughthese
hills at the foot of Maklub,but is againturnellof by the hill in-
diSerentlynamed 'Ain al Safra, the yellow spring, or 'Xin al
Beidha, the whitespring-from two springson it so calledwhich
irrigatethe landsof the villageof Bertulliand others. The 'Ain
al $afraand Maklub appearfrom Mosul as two distinct hills,
but theyare unite(lby a low range of sandstoneand limestone,
amid which is the village and khan of Duberdah. We took
breakfastat this place, and trottedfromthenceto Mosul in four
hours,the distancebeing about 18 Britishmiles.
It now only remainsfor me to concludewith those remarks
which,as resultsof observations madethroughoutthejourneyand
not of any single observationcould not well find a place in the
narrative.
* The best and largestwater-melonsare producedby the Khozar.
74 Mr.AINSWORTH
s Visitto theChaldeans.
1st. I have omittedthe detail of the geologicalstructureof
the mountains,as occupyingtoo much space,but I have endea-
souredto expressin a brief mannerall the leadingfacts of that
structurein the sectionswhich I havedrawnup for the Society
and whichwill be also an answerto the instructionsregardingthe
searchfor coal, which searchprovedin everyrespectunsatisfac-
tory; while myjourneyto Ur (Kal'ah SherkAt)will informthe
Society of the estensive forestsoccurringon the banks of the
Tigris N. of thatremarkablesite.
2ndly. It is well knownthat the determination of the line of
perpetualcongelationis attendedwith manydifficulties. This
limit is much aSectedby the continuityof mountain-chains, and
thus we have reasonto expectthatit will be lowerin Kurdistan
evenin moresoutherlyparallelsthan in MountArarat,a compa-
rativelyisolated mountain,and where it is placed by Parrotat
upwardsof 13,Q00feet. This is confirmedby the observation
on Sheikhiwa,the summitof whichis conrere(l by a domeof more
or less perpetualsnow at little more than 10,000 feet. The
Marananhills ?resentalso at a similarheightdomesof perpetual
snow, of whichpartsalwaysremain,while the craggysummitsof
the Jellu mountainswhichrise alsovethe sameline, are so steep
as to presentonly bareandnakedrocks.
The aspect of the moulltaindoes not affectin E(urdistanthe
distributionof snowso muchas local configuration, and henceit
is of the highest importanceto distinguishsnow-driftson hill
s;eles,and accumulations in ravinesand shelteredglells, fromthe
otherindications;on a generalobser^ration, the snowlasts longer
and descendslovveron the easternside of Kurdistanthan on the
W. This is more particularlyseen on the Burdasdrmountains
W. of Urumlyah,and in the Keli-Shln W. of Ushnei. There
can be no doubtof this fact, whichis perhapsto be attributedto
the higher temperatureof the windsblowingfrom the valleyof
the Tigris and the plainsof Mesopotamiathan that of the wind
fromthe uplandsof Persia. All patchesof snownot continuous
are formed by drifts,which last a long time, in consequenceof
the quantitvof snowaccumulatedin them. These snow-patches
extendedin July as low as 6000 feet; but when protectedby
ravines,and in continuousmountaindistricts,to 5500 or even
5000 feet. When these snow-patches occur in Alpine ravinesat
greatheights,and remainthere all the year round,they still do
not indicatethe line of perpetualsnow; such are met with in
Kurdistanat an elevationof 9000 feet. As a general resultit
maybe said that thereis no chain of mountainsin the Hakkari
countrywhichcan be said to attainthe line of perpetualconge-
lation,althoughthe summitsof Tura Jellu, of Sheikhiwa,and o?
Maranan,approachverycloselyto it.
 Remarks.
Concluding 5

3rdlv. During the present journey great care was taken to

obtain the temperatureof springs at differentelevations,and
moreparticularlyof those which might be supposedto come as
nearly as possiblefromthe line of constanttemperatureor iso-
thermalline, which Kupffer(Poggendorf'sAnnalen,1829) has
placedin thoseparallelsat a depth of 25 metres, and which in
the cellars of the observatoryat Paris, are knownto be at a
depth of from60 to 70 or 80 feet. The completediscussionof
the observationscollected on the present occasionwould carry
me farbeyondthe limits suitableto a memoir. Sufficeit to say
thatthe diminutionof temperatureobservedat variouselevations
did not exceed 1?of the centigradethermometer(whichI always
used) for 600 feet (1? Fahr. for 333 feet), whereasDe Saussure
givesfor the Alps in sumlner1?for 528 feet; Ramond,for the
Pyrenees,1? for 538 feet; Humboldt,for the Andes, in equin.
zone, 1?for 187 metres(which is what Gay Lussac obtainedin
his aeronauticaljourney); andin temp.zone, 1? for 174 metres.
KupSer,on A1 Buruz (Caucasus)found a diminutionof 1? of
Reaumurforevery740 feet,whichcomesnearestto whatis expe-
riencetlin Kurdistan. At an elevationexceeding5000 feet the
diminutionof constanttemperature.as indicatedby springs,grew
more rapid, amountingto lo for every 550 feet. The thermo-
meterin the atmospheregave nearly a similarresult,but with
currentsof air fromglaciersthis couldnot be dependedupon.
4thly andlastlyilWithrespect to zones of vegetation,too in-
terestinga sllbjectto loenet,lectedin twice crossingso remarkable
a rangeof mountaills,sveobservedone greatpeculiarity,whichis
the absenceof the coniferae indeedI did not meet with a single
fir, pine, or laurel irl the whole range of our travels: myrtleis
also wanting. The zonesof xegetationwereas follows:-
1. Fromthe plainsof Mesopotamiato the heightof 1000 feet
is the zoneof Glycyrrhiza,Robinia,Nigella damascena, wildvine,
pistachio,oleander,roses,planetree, Syringaargentea. Country
of rice, grapes,melons,maize,&c.
2. From 1000 to 4000 feet zone of oaks, Quercusvalonia,
Q. infectoria,&c. This is the cotlntryof pears, apples,plums,
&c.
3. From 4000 to 5Q00feet zone of Loniceraalpigena,jas-
mine,Amygdalusnana,Astragalusverus.
4. From 5000 to 7000 feet zone of Astragalustragacanthus,
Rhamnussaxatilis,paeony,fennel, Primulaauricula,Helleborus
hyemalis,Crocusalpestris.
5. From 7000 to 9000 feet- zone of saxifrages,Alchemilla
alpina, Gentianaasclepiades,Veronica aphy]la, and saxatilis,
Polytrichumseptentrionale.
In conclusionI mayobserve,that howevergratifyingit may be
76 Mr.AINSWORTH s Fisitto the Chaldeav.
to my feelings as well as to those of my fellow-travellerMr.
Rassam, to have assisted in restoringa Christiannationto the
noticeof the civilisedworld, I am yet fully awareof the i1nper-
fection of our labours. Much remainsto be done before the
curiosityat presentawakene(lrespectingthe geography,natural
history,andantiquitiesof KurdistAncan be thoroughlysatisfied.
Sometime mustelapse andmanyeffortsmustbe madebeforeall
the recessesof thosewikl mountainscan be fully explore(l: but
tilat they are accessibleto an inquirerusingproper cautionhas
been prove(lby this journey, whichit is hoped maytherebygive
a freshimpulseto discovery.

III. Sketcho.ftheEasternCoasfof CentraliImerica,compiled

from Fotesof Capt,ainRICHARD OWENand theOffiicersof
Her Majesty'sShip Thunder,and SchoonerLark. By
CaptainBIRDALLEN,R.N.
trHEbest esistingchartsof the coastsof Hondurasand Yucatan
being extremelydefectivean(l quite ina(lequateto the growing
commercialintercoursebetween England and the independent
States of Central America, the BritishGovernmentdirecteda
minuteexaminationto be madeof the wholeof this easterncoast
and the adjacentislands andlzanks,a brief accountof whichis
containedin the followingpages.
From Cape C:atoche, the north-easternpoint of Yucatan,the
survey was prosecutedin a southerly directionfor 370 miles
a]ongthe easternshore of this peninsula,including the shores
of SpanishYucatan and the British settlementof Honduras-
then in an easterly direction 350 miles to Cape Gracias a
Dios, comprisingpart of the coastsof Guatemalaan(llStIosquitia;
andlastly, againto the S. for 2.50miles to the riverColorado,in
lat. 10? 47' N., long. 83? 35' W., being the remainderof the
coastof Mosquitia,and 45 miles of the coastof CentralAmerica.
The latitudesand longitudeswere,whenpracticable,observed
on shore, the formergenerallyby meridianaltitudesof stursN.
and S. of the zenith,andthe latterby chronometric observations.
The chain of connexionbetween the West In(lies and England
is subjoinedfromCaptainOwen'snauticalmemoirdescriptiveof
the survey.
"We were furnishedwith eight excellent chronometers,the
Standard(No. 114, by Dent) being the watchthat gainedthe
firstprizein 1829 at the Royal Obser+Tatory, Greenwich,and was
the best watchthatat thattime haclbeenplacedtherefor trial.
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