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Photogravure by Annan & Swan
W. Manuele
• Maxwell, Williams John Leigh =
L
LETTERS OF AN ENGINEER
WHILE ON SERVICE
IN SYRIA
In connection with the proposed Euphrates Valley
Railway and the Beyrout Waterworks

TRAMPOS
MW
& Co
fattare into Malaj-

LINPARV
London:
MARCUS WARD & CO., LIMITED
ORIEL HOUSE, FARRINGDON STREET, E.C.
AND ROYAL ULSTER WORKS, BELFAST
Transportation
Library
TA
140
M46
A3
A.
7W
7-23-54
Low
4-10-39
Transport.

INTRODUCTION
WILLIAM JOHN LEIGH MAXWELL, Member of the
Institute of Civil Engineers, was born at Belfast, Ireland,
on the 24th of May, 1838. In 1861, he entered the office of
Sir John Macneill, at Dundalk, and proved his ability so rapidly
that, in the year following his entrance there, he was appointed
by Sir John to be Resident Engineer on the Portadown Junction
Works, in which capacity the designing and erection of a new
railway station, on a large scale, devolved upon him.
A year
later (in 1863), he was transferred to the same position on the
Athboy branch of the Dublin and Meath Railway, then
being carried out by Sir John Macneill. This branch was
completed in 1864, and in the same year Sir John proposed to
entrust him with an important enterprise (which, unfortunately,
fell through). The following extract from a letter regarding
it shows the confidence he reposed in a pupil of but three years'
standing :-
66
"I expect in a few days to be able to send you out to Pales-
tine, to lay out a line of road from Jaffa to Jerusalem, and to
make the surveys for bringing water into the town, and also
plans of warehouses, stores, and a landing-pier at Jaffa.
I will give you letters of introduction to friends in Jerusalem
and Jaffa."
Another Eastern scheme arising directly after, Sir John sent
him to Turkey, where he was employed on the survey of a line
of railway from Salonica to Monastir, a distance of 90 miles ;
and here his experience of life in the East began.
Returning from Turkey, in 1865, he accepted an engagement
from Mr. John Killeen, of Manchester, a contractor on an
extensive scale. While residing in Manchester, his time was
iv.
Introduction.
largely taken up, during four years, in preparing tenders for
public works, the total value of which amounted to over a mil-
lion and a-half for contractor's work alone. In addition to these
duties he had the superintendence of the Medlock River Im-
provements, then being carried out for the Manchester Corpora-
tion by Mr. Killeen, whose death occurred before the completion
of the contract. Mr. Maxwell finished the contract, for Mr.
Killeen's executors; and, in 1870, was sent by Mr. Telford
Macneill to make surveys for the Euphrates Valley Railway
Scheme, during the progress of which the "Letters" covering
the "First Period" of his residence in Syria were written.
The "Fell" Railway, over Mont Cenis, was then running,
and Mr. Maxwell had to inspect the working of it, en route, in
order that he might survey the Beilan Pass, with a view to
working a similar mountain railway over it, to join the port of
Alexandretta with the Euphrates valley. Mr. Maxwell had been
chosen because the task was difficult, requiring tact and judg-
ment as well as energy; but the "powers" obtained from the
Turkish Government were declared to be insufficient by Pashas
on the spot, who could not move an inch to help forward a
work so much to the interest of their country; and, eventually,
it turned out that what Mr. Maxwell had been sent to
accomplish was impossible. Delay had been feared from the
first, as the following extract from a letter to Mr. Maxwell from
Mr. Macneill shows:-
"I hope you have arrived safely, and keep in good health, and
find the climate such that you can work by judiciously choosing
your hours. You will see that you are to act in a double capacity.
I have no fear but you will do what is right.
This war will cause delay, but, I hope, nothing more.
""
But, whether from the disturbance to financial schemes caused
by the Franco-German War alone, or from the difficulty of over-
coming the inertia of Governments unwilling to be convinced,
or from both causes, precious time was wasted, and hopes de-
ferred. Chafing under all this, Mr. Maxwell managed to make
a survey without the instruments he was forbidden to use, and,
when suddenly recalled, he had already accumulated-by means
Introduction.
of marching at a measuring pace, and taking elevations with his
pocket aneroid-sufficient facts to enable him to make a map of
the entire country he traversed.
On his return to London, the promoters of the Euphrates
Valley Scheme, having a witness so fresh from the spot and
prepared with the fullest information, succeeded in getting the
project inquired into by a Select Committee of the House of
Commons, before which evidence was given by such distin-
guished men as Sir Henry Rawlinson, General Chesney, and Sir
John Macneill; Mr. Maxwell being the last and most important
witness. But the solving of the problem of railway communi-
cation with India was not to be, as yet, and the Euphrates
scheme had to be abandoned.
V.
Mr. Maxwell's Eastern experience pointed him out, shortly
after, as the man to carry out another public work in Syria;
and, in 1871, he was sent to Beyrout, where we find him
struggling between conflicting professional views, and fighting
for a plan which he believed to be the only reliable one,
although differing in detail from the letter of the Firman.
Fresh powers have to be obtained from the Turkish Govern-
ment, Mr. Maxwell has to return to London, and more than a
year has passed before he is again in Beyrout, now in the
heat of summer, but with sole responsibility, and prosecut-
ing the work day and night, determined to make up for lost
time. Regardless of his own health, which up till then had
been excellent, we find him frequently exposing himself to the
broiling sun while pushing on the work-inspiriting the native
workmen by his example, forgetful that the intense heat, which
they were used to, was dangerous for Englishmen even so strong
and powerful as himself. But the work had to be done quickly,
and so devoted to their chief were his colleagues, that all vied
with each other in carrying out his orders to the letter; the best
spirit pervaded the workmen, down to the humblest, and in a
remarkably short space of time from the real commencement,
the people of Beyrout were in the enjoyment of that unlimited
water-supply to their town which the Water Company had pro-
mised them. The work was brought to a successful completion
vi.
Introduction.
without a single serious accident, and it must be remembered
that the workmen were almost all raw natives, who had to be
taught their duties.
While in Syria, Mr. Maxwell enjoyed the respect and con-
fidence of high and low. The supreme authority of the Lebanon,
the intelligent and cultured Rustem Pasha,* personally inspected
the works, and throughout their progress was on friendly terms
with Mr. Maxwell. So well were the Company's Directors
satisfied with his conduct of affairs, that although, strictly
speaking, he had represented the contractors rather than the
Company until the completion of the contract, he was sent again
to Beyrout, in 1876 (this time as the delegate of the Beyrout
Waterworks Company), "for the purpose of investigating the
affairs of the Company, and reporting generally upon all points
likely to promote its interests and future development." On his
return from Beyrout, his Report was handed in, and a resolution,
passed by the Board of Directors regarding his services, was sent
to him.
The resolution runs thus:
"That a cordial vote of thanks be conveyed to Mr. W. J.
Maxwell for his services in connection with his recent visit to
Beyrout, as the delegate of the Board, to inquire into and report
on the Company's affairs, and for his exhaustive and able report
on the subject."
The Secretary of the Company, in forwarding the resolution,
wrote to Mr. Maxwell thus:-
"I feel sure you have put us on the right tack for our future
welfare, and I shall only add that I have been under much
obligation to you for the pleasant manner in which all official
and personal communications have passed between us."
Soon after his return from the East, in 1875, he was sent to
Germany, to report on a proposed railway and harbour at Cux-
haven; and, later, on a proposed water-supply for the city of
Antwerp. But his sixth visit to the East, in 1876, proved to
be his last important mission. On his return home, engineering
* Now Turkish Ambassador to England.
Introduction.
vii.
enterprise was much depressed, and he found considerable leisure
time on his hands. But, whether owing to the change from an
open-air life, or the exposure he had sustained in it in Syria, or
the want of continual activity and responsibility, or whether all
these together operated adversely on his constitution, his health
shortly began to show signs of failing. Frequent headaches, of
distressing intensity, gave proof of the sunstroke which it was
suspected he had sustained in Syria, working under pressure
beneath the blazing sun on the Nahr-el-Kelb. But his in-
domitable courage buoyed up his spirit, and enabled him to
enjoy the society of his relatives and of many sympathising
friends, until, in 1878, the incurability of the injury to his brain
was shown by an attack of paralysis, from which he only par-
tially recovered. After a time, he went to Australia to visit a
near relative, hoping that the voyage might be of use to his
health; but, not finding real benefit from the change, he longed
to be home again, feeling, most likely, that his life could not
last very long Accordingly, in July, 1880, he sailed from
Adelaide for London, and bore the voyage well, as far as Naples,
where the steamer touched. But, on the 22nd of August, the
second day after leaving there, he was seized with another (the
third) attack of paralysis, which proved fatal in a few hours.
He had no old friend aboard the vessel, and, in accordance
with custom, his body was committed to the deep the same
evening. The vessel, on leaving Naples, had sailed direct for
London, where his only brother went to meet him at the due
time, there to receive the blunt intimation of his death and
burial at sea.
When the shock attending this sad news had passed, there
was a widely-felt desire among his friends to possess some
memento of his life and labours. The idea of printing his letters
from the East, for private circulation, occurred first to his sister,
as the most satisfactory means of meeting that desire; and the
present Editor, as one of Mr. Maxwell's most intimate friends,
and a companion from youth to manhood, was requested to
undertake the work. But the pressure of an engrossing busi-
ness delayed the preparation of the Letters for the press; and
viii.
Introduction.
the Editor would have relinquished the task to another, had
there been anyone else available, with the necessary experience,
who had known Mr. Maxwell as thoroughly. The Letters had
been written to his nearest relatives, without any idea of
eventual publication, and, naturally, contained personalities, bits
of harmless gossip, and some incidents more or less trivial,
which, however entertaining in a private letter, might appear
unimportant, if not frivolous, in print, to the eye of a stranger
into whose hands the book might fall. But in the opinion of
the Editor, the book would be found to contain such an
exhibition of all the qualities that go to the formation of true
manliness of character, that its publication in private form
only would have been almost selfish. It is for this reason
that these Letters are issued publicly; and if the years that
have passed should appear to give staleness to some of the
events-if many of the scenes and places described have been
frequently dwelt on by more experienced writers-it will be
remembered, on the other hand, that lapse of time removes
objections regarding personal allusions which could not have
been deleted without spoiling the freshness and realism of the
Letters; and that places like Jerusalem, Baalbec, and the Nile,
described freshly, will always have an interest to some readers,
even by contrast with the writings of men of literary fame.
In reading this book, a feeling of sadness, if not of regret,
will pervade the minds of many, that so much of the time of so
capable an engineer as Mr. Maxwell should have been occupied
with "labour in vain.” But if his survey for the Turkish
railroad came to nothing, at least he gained that experience with
Eastern life which was so valuable afterwards; and if his weary
marches in the country between the Mediterranean and the
Euphrates have as yet borne no fruit, the path has been
enlightened, and will one day surely bear its iron rails, and
carry its freighted trains of humanity and merchandise between
the empires of the East and of the West.
In estimating, from these private letters, the character of a
man who did his full share of the world's work within a few
years, and died while other men of his age, less exposed in
Introduction.
ix.
their labour, were still in their prime, an example will be found
which youth may well follow. Absolutely free from selfishness,
his courage and pertinacity came to the front in every diffi-
culty he met with. Honesty and thoroughness were evident
in all his acts. While always endeavouring to "love his
neighbour as himself," a strict sense of duty was pre-eminent
in all his actions. Combined with his firmness and in-
domitable energy, there was a humility and a kindliness
which made all who knew him love him, and an interest in
the young and deserving which evoked, on their part, the
desire to emulate his manliness. While nine out of ten men,
in similar circumstances, would have abandoned the survey he
was sent to make-finding the foreign authorities so openly
hostile as to forbid a single observation with the theodolite, or
a single measurement with the surveying-chain-Maxwell, true
to those that sent him, stuck to his ground; and even when his
employers, unable to overcome the apathy and indifference at
Constantinople, recalled him, he, divining the situation, and
temporarily disregarding the summons, made that dash for the
Euphrates, before returning home, which enabled him to bring,
in his note-book and his head, important facts which made
him complete master of all the difficulties that would have to
be surmounted.
To his friends, the loss of such a man, at so early an age, is
irreparable; and the world can ill spare such powerful and
conscientious labourers. But all must bow to that Providence
in which few have had more trust than the subject of this
short memoir.
The Letters terminate abruptly, shortly after Mr. Maxwell's
explorations into the inner caverns which, till then, hid the
true source of the Dog River. The description of the
discovery of these wonderful stalactite grottoes will make those
who love adventure, and all who travel to enjoy the wonders
of nature, desire to see them; but their remoteness from the
traveller's path, and comparative inaccessibility, even in these
days of "personally-conducted tours" to the ends of the earth,
will keep them in their solitude, at least till the future
X.
Introduction.
Euphrates Valley Railway makes Beyrout a desirable halting-
place by the way. Then, doubtless, some entrepreneur will
carve a safe path to "Maxwell's Pillar," and some new daring
spirit will pursue to their inmost limits the wonders beyond
Huxley and Brigstocke's Rapids," as yet unexplored.*
66
It seems necessary to account for the abrupt termination of
the Letters now printed, seeing that Mr. Maxwell's residence
in Syria was prolonged until June, 1875. After his return
home, Mr. Maxwell himself collected the originals, and had
them bound, with blank paper added, on which he doubtless
intended to bring up the record to the completion of the works.
But after his death no letter could be found of later date than
those printed. Paralysis took away the power of the right
hand, and writing with the left was so tedious and difficult that
his evident intentions were never carried out.
Just before going to press, it was considered desirable to
apply to Mr. Maxwell's former colleague, Mr. Huxley, for any
information regarding the completion of the Beyrout works that
he could afford; and, in printing the following extract from
his letter, the Editor is pleased to be able to give Mr. Huxley's
testimony to the character of his former chief :-
"DEAR SIR,
"Dune Waterworks-Vecht Supply.
"Engineer's Office, Weesper-Carspel,
"Weesp, near Amsterdam,
"26th February, 1886.
Nothing would give me greater
pleasure, but I am sorry to say that I am so situated that I
cannot get at my diaries, to refresh my memory relative to any
matters of interest. I can say, however, that Mr. Maxwell left
Beyrout at the end of June, 1875 (the cholera was then getting
bad); and, although he wanted to stay, he yielded to my wishes.
I remained to finish everything up, and left in August of the same
year. In April previous to this, Mr. Maxwell went to Damascus
(C
* An illustrated article on Mr. Maxwell's explorations in the Grottoes of
the Nahr-el-Kelb appeared in Good Words of November, 1875.
Introduction.
xi.
and other places for his health, which was not then at all good.
He was at intervals a great sufferer from very severe headache ;
nevertheless, cheerful and hopeful, always. To all he was most
just; kindness and consideration characterised all his acts; and
when I say that as many as 1,500 men of different nationalities
-Turks, Egyptians, Druses, Maronites, Arabs, Maltese, Greeks,
Italians, French, and English-were employed daily, and
worked without clashing, notwithstanding their different
religions, it must certainly be said that he exhibited, combined
with the above, unusual tact. Though a religious man
himself, he was not bigoted, but respected the faith of others.
Notwithstanding the magnitude of the work he directed, and
the many anxieties it entailed, he always thought for others,
and studied their wants.
"To me he was more than a friend-never did I meet his like
before, and I doubt if it is possible, in one's short span, to meet
his like again.
"It might be mentioned, as a curious coincidence, that at the
time of his death I was staying in Barcelona, and he was
lowered into his last resting-place as the ship passed that
longitude; so that he was comparatively near to me when he
died.
"I regret extremely that it is not in my power to extend
this information, and I feel that, after all, I have said very little
of what might be said of such an exceptional man and dear
friend.
"I am, dear sir,
"Yours faithfully,
"H. GEORGE HUXLEY."
There remains nothing more to add to this short Introduction,
except the anonymous lines on the following page (selected by
Mr. Maxwell's sister from the pages of a magazine), which apply
with peculiar fitness to her brother's death and burial at sea.
W. H. W.
CHISLEHURST, April, 1886.
There is a spot the All-seeing only knoweth,
Deep in the limitless and watery waste;
A bed His sleepless eye alone beholdeth,
Where one of His dear family doth rest.
High overhead the storm oft fiercely sweepeth,
And petrels scream amid the billowy foam;
But not the faintest falling sound ere reacheth
The hushed retirement of that last, long home.
All, all is peaceful where his dear head resteth,
Serenely still, as it is wide and free;
Sacred and calm, eternal silence reigneth
Down in those chambers of the great deep sea.
No human eye hath seen the wondrous beauties
Of that far, fairy ground beneath the deep-
The pearly caves, the ferny fronds, the flowers
That line the beds where ocean's slumberers sleep.
No earthy grave is there the dear one's pillow,
No clods of clay are heaped upon his head,
But feathery forms, strewed by the rolling billow,
Lie, light as gossamer, about his bed.
And there alone decay's rough hand is holden,
No mouldering influence corrupteth there;
The briny deep preserveth all things mortal
Committed to its depths, unchanged and fair.
The sea effaceth not those cherished features;
Those lineaments heloved their likeness keep,
Until the day when Christ His own shall gather,
Alike from sea and land, from death and sleep.
The sea shall yield its dead; and, reunited,
Our vanished ones we shall behold once more,
When, death o'erthrown, and its cold waves divided,
We clasp their hands on the celestial shore.
←
LETTERS OF AN ENGINEER.
FIRST PERIOD.
[EDITOR'S NOTE.-On the 19th of July, 1870, Mr. Maxwell
left London for Syria, under instructions from Mr. Telford
Macneill, to make a survey of a proposed line of railway
through the valley of the Euphrates for the promoters of that
scheme. Mr. Maxwell's letters to his friends at home describe
his journey from London and Paris, whence he travelled
through France by the most direct route to Brindisi, crossing
over Mont Cenis by Mr. Fell's wonderful mountain railroad.
The Letters contain little worth putting in print up to this
point, as in these days everybody goes to Paris, and most
people are familiar with a still wider radius from home; but
Mr. Maxwell's experience of the journey over the Cenis on the
locomotive seems worthy of being printed, as that triumph of
engineering adventure-so soon superseded by the more laborious
work of tunnelling right through the mountain-is already
forgotten. This will account for the abrupt commencement of
the Letters. Writing from Brindisi, where an enforced delay
took place, Mr. Maxwell gave a more detailed account of his
experiences en route and his surroundings than he might
otherwise have done. The real interest of the Letters lies in
the description of Eastern places, people, and customs, and of
the writer's experience in regions but little known to Europeans;
but it has been thought well to print the narrative as connectedly
as possible from the point where it is taken up.]
Brindisi, July 26th, 1870.
The special
feature in the railway over Mont Cenis is what is called the
6
Letters of an Engineer.
central rail. On steep parts of the railway, the central wheels
grip the central rail laterally, and, as it were, climb up by it,
as a boy would climb a tree. This also keeps the train from
getting off the bearing rails, as these wheels are fixed in front
of all the carriages, as well as to the engine. This is absolutely
necessary for rounding the sharp curves, and for descending the
steep inclines.
Riding on the engine during the ascent was rough work; but
the descent was beyond all description. In passing from the
straight to the curved portion of the road, there is a lurch to
such an extent that, if you have not hold of something, woe for
you! My bones and muscles are sore yet from that ride, three
mornings ago. In seventeen miles the railway descends 3,400
feet, so it is a continual down, down, down; swinging to one side,
lurching to the other. Part of the way I found that, when
approaching a sharp curve, it was easiest to grip the roof over
the locomotive, and swing by my arms while passing on to the
curve. The speed is close upon eight miles an hour. Dangerous
as this system is, the old mode of travelling by diligence is
still more so. I remember, crossing the Alps in deep snow, in
January, 1865, on a sleigh, having felt much more frightened
than on the Mont Cenis engine. Words fail to convey any
idea of the grandeur and sublimity of the view; but to be on
such a conveyance, with the scorching heat of the sun, as well
as the furnace-fire, is not the best way to enjoy such a glorious
prospect. The scenery on the Italian side is finer than on the
French. On this side is also to be seen the wonderful industry
of the natives. The little bits of cultivation on some of the
hillsides could not be better described than by saying they look
like a patchwork quilt.
Descending the steep incline, dashing across the carriage road,
then re-crossing it in a few seconds, and looking upwards at the
part of the railway on which the train had been a minute before,
made one feel that there was wonderful daring in the man who first
made the common road, and, again, that there was quite as much
in introducing the steam horse to do the work of 150 mules.
It is really a pity that the line has not been a pecuniary success;
Susa-Turin.
but it has demonstrated a principle, and it is to be hoped that
some future lines will be laid down which will pay the promoters
of this; for when the tunnel through the Alps is made, of course
this railway will be broken up.
7
For most of the way to Turin, the railway runs in a valley,
which at Susa is very narrow. For fertility, I never saw such
a place. The natives have every means of irrigation, and
the vegetation shows how attentive the husbandmen must
be. The mountains are grand; houses are built on such
elevations that they can only be reached occasionally, as it
would be the work of hours to get up to them. In the valley
the villages are numerous. Most of the houses are covered with
rough, thin stones, put on without any squaring. How a water-
tight roof can be made with them surprises me. Each
village has its chapel, with a rectangular clock-tower, many of
which have mustard-pot-cover tops, made of sheets of bright tin,
which, strange to say, does not get rusty. On some of the crags
are ruins of castles; one, in particular, I call the key of the
valley, although it stands in solitary grandeur on a mountain
considerably lower than many on each side of it. On looking
back at it when ten miles away, the sun was just tipping the
hills to the right, and throwing a lurid glare behind the valley.
The ruins stood out in bold relief: I never saw a more beautiful
scene.
From Susa to Turin is about thirty-seven miles. Close to
the latter, the country becomes comparatively flat, and upon a
clear day, no doubt, a good view of the Alps is to be had; the
heat, however, now gave a hazy look to everything. The station
at Turin is the most elegant I ever saw. I think it is new since
I was there in 1865, else I must have remembered it. The
building is more like an exhibition palace than a station; much
stained glass has been used, and the effect is charming. Turin
is quite a new city, and is therefore laid out symmetrically. The
total length of the great colonnades extends to miles; in these
there are very fine shops, but I had some little trouble in getting
a bottle of chlorodyne and another of citrate of magnesia. The
purchase of these, and a few photographs of the Mont Cenis
8
Letters of an Engineer.
Railway, occupied a considerable time, and gave me much
amusement, as I am sure it did to the vendors. A franc's worth
of cigars-sixteen in number, and of very good quality—was
another bargain, made with a fair maiden. There were some
charming-looking ladies walking about in the colonnades, their
dresses not differing much from home costumes, except that
thin white tarlatan was all that covered the bust. High-
heeled boots are fashionable here for men as well as women,
and it is really pitiable to see the gingerly walk of some of the
little fellows with heels two inches high.
I learnt at the hotel, from the landlord, that if I proceeded
by the 8.40 train next morning, I could catch the boat to Corfu
at 1.30 p.m. on Monday. This meant twenty-seven hours in a
train !-but, feeling that I ought to do it, I did it; and here I
am at Brindisi, with every prospect of waiting till next Friday;
and consequently I am disgusted.
Out of Turin the scenery is pretty. Far away on the right
can be seen the "Key of the Valley," with the great mountains
of the Alps; and at the left are prettily-wooded hills, with neat
villas peeping out between the trees. The vegetation, however,
seems poor, and very different from that of the Susa and Mont
Cenis valleys.
In the day's ride from Turin to Ancona there is very little
variety. The Apennines are on the right, at a distance of
perhaps twenty miles. Just coming from the Alps, they, of
course, look tame; but, nevertheless, some are very fine, and
the contour is prettily broken. We pass many interesting
towns, many of them walled in and strongly fortified, the brick-
work batteries topped with earthworks. Astri has an immense
number of the levers for raising water, so often represented
in Scriptural illustrations of the mode of irrigation used in the
East. Some of the wells have no less than three over them.
These are in the midst of fertile gardens, where the villagers
may be seen in the cool of the evening watering the ground.
There is but one monotonous kind of scenery from Turin to
Fumini on each side of the line. The ground is divided by trees, in
rows, about twenty-five yards apart. The vines twine round these
Bologna-Ancona.
trees, and are carried across in festoons from one to the other.
In the spaces between, ordinary crops, but principally Indian
corn, are grown. Stubble in other parts shows where wheat
and oats had been. There is no pasture land, or at least very
little. The few animals that are to be seen look all legs. The
cattle are like deer, and the sheep like goats, with great long
tails.
At Fumini, the blue waters of the Adriatic come into view,
and nothing can be more uninteresting than the run along the
shore, which continues until nightfall with very little variety.
Ancona is a seaport of some importance, at which most of the
Adriatic steamers call. I saw a group of Italian women here,
the first attractive lot I had seen. They were ranged in a row
along the railway fence, watching a trainful of soldiers depart.
With black lace shawls on their heads, most of them looked like
Spaniards; but here and there was a damsel in white, down to
her very gloves and fan-I suppose as a sort of studied contrast.
For four hours more we ran along the coast, with occasionally a
piece of high land intervening, on which a strong castle was to
be seen.
The public road runs close to the railway; there is
no fence, but here and there grow a few thorns, which, doubt-
less, are meant to take its place. On looking out at daylight,
we had left the coast, and were running inland: a more unin-
teresting country could not, I suppose, be imagined. There were
but few vines, and they looked stunted; and miles upon miles
of figs and olives.
At Ancona, a military captain got in, with his wife, two
children, and nurse. They had neat little pillows and sheets
to put the children to bed; this they proceeded to do, and the
babies slept soundly. On their getting out, the signora wished
me "Bon voyage, signor," when I said, “The same to you,
madam." She turned round on leaving the carriage, and said,
"Thank you; I speak var little English; good-bye."
Towards the end of the journey, prickly pears and cacti, for-
midable-looking things, came into view, in growths of immense
size. The leaves would pierce a man like a sword. These
plants only flourish in great heat, and I never saw them before
B
10
Letters of an Engineer.
#
in the open, except at Athens. The houses here have nearly
all flat roofs, so that I felt I was really getting into the
East. The stone is all chalky, of a glaring whiteness, mixed
with what looks like pumice. There were several navvies
putting stone into wagons for ballasting the railway. The
shovels used by these men were of most peculiar construction :
I really do not know how they manage to fill wagons with such
implements. The shovel is fixed on front of the shaft, just like
a pickaxe; and this is the implement used for digging, or rather
grubbing up the soil. It is wonderful to see how the natives
work in the heat of the sun. The farm labourers have bare
legs, their trousers only reaching to the knee.
At Brindisi, I drove to the hotel, a fine building, erected by
the South Italian Railway in the hope of making the town as
important as it once was, by turning it into the port for
departure to the East, instead of Marseilles. From here to
Alexandria is seventy-four hours by steamer; and, by putting on
finer boats, they hope to reduce this time by twelve or fourteen
hours. At present, I believe, a large portion of the English
mails go this way. The hotel is not yet fitted up sumptuously,
though no doubt it will soon be. A few words of Italian,
picked out of Bradshaw, enabled me to get on all right; and
here I am, waiting for my steamer, soon to leave the civilisation
of Europe for the semi-barbarism of the East-that East which
was, nevertheless, the birthplace of civilisation, and, what is
more, of Christianity itself. I regret the delay here, but cannot
help it; and perhaps it is all the better for my health to reach
the warmer regions of Syria by easy gradations.
I should have mentioned the system of irrigation in the
country just traversed from daylight until my arrival here. It
is by horse, mule, or donkey power. There is a large wheel,
over which works a string of buckets; and as this string ascends,
the water is brought up, and deposited in tanks. From thence
it flows over the ground by rills.
Wednesday.—I had a very pleasant row across the harbour
last evening, with a boatman who had sailed in English
ships for a long time, and could speak a little English, but very
Brindisi.
little, although he had a card, "Giuseppe Carlano, Seedsman
and English Interpreter"! We visited quarries where three
hundred men were at work, quarrying stones for a great break-
water, to prevent the northern winds from dashing the ships
ashore in the harbour. Very little gunpowder is employed here,
but a sort of pick is used, which must require a great deal of
practice to handle. With its long thin blade deep cuts are made
in the stone, and thus it is quarried into blocks. The quarry-
men commence work at daybreak, and leave off at sundown—a
long day; as my boatman expressed it, "Men work-sun come
up-sun go down-two francs-ver hard work-much sweat.'
The Italians are so expressive in their conversation, using
gestures to every word: the boatman almost put himself into a
perspiration every time he told me anything, swinging his arms
about and shrugging his shoulders.
Big as the quarried stones are, they are not large enough to
withstand the tremendous seas that come against them. Great
artificial blocks of concrete, 10ft. long by 6ft. square, are used
in addition; many of these being made in situ, others at a
distance. They are thrown into the sea to find their own bed.
The material used for the concrete is broken stone, ordinary
lime, and a peculiar sort of lime from Naples, which is good for
water-work.
11
""
The sailor was to have called for me at five o'clock this
morning, but he did not come. I rose at 4.30, to have a walk
before the sun was too hot, and strolled out round the town,
along by the sea. There is very little tide in the Mediterranean;
here it seems to rise about two feet, and on the narrow slope at
low tide all sorts of nasty things are to be met with, giving forth
various objectionable odours. The beautiful clear water, in
which fish can be seen sporting in myriads, has a horrid scum
of filth for a considerable distance from the quay wall.
There are numerous ruins of old fortifications, archways, and
walls in this place, and a strong-looking old castle inhabited by
soldiers. Gangs of prisoners were at work building the small
quay-walls. They wear a distinctive uniform, and a chain
attaching the leg to the waist. Other gangs of prisoners were
12
Letters of an Engineer.
sweeping the narrow streets, raising clouds of dust. Over each
of these groups was an Italian soldier with fixed bayonet.
Judging from the low-lying position of Brindisi, it must be
liable to fever; a large proportion of the people look very yellow
and bilious, and, owing to the glare, many suffer from weakness
of the eyes.
By the shore I saw the great cactus-plant in
rich luxuriance; also reeds of immense size, ripe blackberries,
and a thick undergrowth of all sorts of plants. Lizards con-
stantly cross one's path, and there is a continuous rustling in
the grass and undergrowth from the movements of these little
reptiles.
The great long-legged donkeys and mules are made to carry
wonderful burdens; their pack-saddles have sides like a chair,
projecting somewhat. This morning I saw one of these unfor-
tunate animals with a woman on each side, and a girl on the top!
Looking back at it, it struck me that the idea of the Irish car
might have been taken from it!
Thursday.-Last evening, at the table d'hôte, three Eng-
lishmen, an Anglo-Frenchman, an Italian, and myself formed
the party.
It is seldom that anyone stays at this hotel
for the length of time that I have done. It is, in fact,
a mere point of call and departure for people arriving from
the steamboats or intending to proceed by them. As to
visiting the place for its own sake, few do so, and yet
there are some very interesting ruins. I have seen columns
in many styles of architecture, but there is one here different
from any I have ever seen. It is of white marble, a good deal
battered; the capital is formed of human figures, and the design
is well worked out. I visited several chapels in town: there
were a few worshippers, principally women. We went round
the old fortifications. Close to the citadel there is a deep dry
moat, now converted into a very nice garden, which a number
of prisoners (with the usual chains) were engaged in watering.
I saw some huge cacti and prickly pear, one plant of the latter
as big as a hay-cock. The fig-trees are in full verdure. The
waiter here says that the figs are preserved in this way: they
are taken off the trees, pricked with a pin, and then put into
Brindisi.
13
oil, and, after remaining in it for a time, they are taken out and
dried. Melons are plentiful here, but one requires to be careful
as to what he eats or drinks, owing to the intense heat of the
sun.
I do not really wonder at plagues breaking out in cities in
the south of Italy. This place is very filthy; disgusting smells
meet one at every breath. Fortunately, the hotel looks out on
the uninteresting harbour. There is a width of water of about
400 yards, then low land destitute of scenery.
Friday Morning.-The Austrian Lloyd's steamer has arrived,
and is a right welcome sight, for soon I shall be on
the move again-I am tired of Brindisi. At the table d'hôte
last evening, a band of juvenile performers played some
good operatic music, and I had the pleasure of meeting two
Englishmen, and an Italian friar who could speak English.
I have had a good deal of amusement here with the boatman
that I picked up. I have also done some work in the way of
making a section of the Mont Cenis railway, putting notes upon
it for my own use.
Sunday Evening.—I write now, at the island and port of
Zante, on board the "Archduchess Corlatta," a very good paddle-
wheel steamship.
I came on board on Friday at two o'clock, and, on presenting
my billet premiere classe, there was much hesitation on the
steward's part in allotting me a berth. He indicated to me that
I could sleep on the cushions at the stern.
I would not agree
to this, and went rambling about through the cabins. Finding
one bed unoccupied in a cabin of two, I at once claimed it by
putting some baggage upon it, the steward talking very civilly
all the time in Italian. He soon after fetched a tall, fine,
cheerful-looking, bald-headed old man, who said, "I am travelling
for my health, and am sometimes seriously and disagreeably
indisposed. I think you would find it unpleasant to be in
my company." "Thank you," said I, "for your consideration;
but really I feel that a bed at night is an indispensable necessity,
and I must put up with an inconvenience to gain a greater
convenience." He then asked the steward what else he could
14
Letters of an Engineer.
do for me, and on the steward's offering to make up a bed for
me on the saloon cushions, I consented to leave the old man his
cabin. When I did so, he said, "I have not the honour of
knowing the name of so obliging a gentleman." "My name is
Maxwell," I growled. Then says he, "I know several Maxwells
-Sir William Maxwell, (Some-other-body) Maxwell, and the
Duke of Buckingham." I thought by all this that the fellow
must be a retired courier, but he informed me that he was Count
M- ——————, and handed me his card. I returned the compliment,
and we became great friends. Before the boat started, two
ladies and two gentlemen came on board; the Count rushed up
to them, and, one by one, kissed and hugged them all. After
this operation, he came up to me, and said, "Mr. Manxwell, I
have such a pleasure for you. Two of my nieces have come on
board quite unexpectedly, one with her husband (an Englishman)
and a brother. I will introduce you to them all—they all speak
English." Accordingly, he introduced me to one lady, the
Countess M-
and to Mr. and Mrs. S -. The Count
is quite a jolly fellow : a great talker, and as full of compliments
and sentiments as Joseph Surface in the School for Scandal.
He formerly belonged to the British Embassy in Constantinople,
then turned agent, or something of that sort, and is now a mer-
chant at Zante. He married in the Ionian Islands, and has
four children. He knew my friends the Calverts, which was a
link between us.
2
We arrived at Corfu, the most important island of the Ionian
group, early on Saturday morning. I believe the town of Corfu
is the largest in the islands. The scenery is very mountainous,
with vines on the lower parts, and patches of land from which
the corn has been reaped. As it is only eight years since they
were part of the British nation, there is a semi-English appear-
ance about the people. I am ashamed to say that all I know of
Corfu is from what I could see from the ship, as my sea-sickness
prevented my going on shore. The English, when they gave up
the islands, destroyed the fortifications that they had raised
there at so much expense. The principal fortifications for the
town of Corfu were on a rock opposite to the town, at the side
Corfu-Zephalonia-Zante.
15
of the harbour, and the great ruins of these are to be seen. The
citadel in the town was not destroyed, but the guns were
removed.
Many people left the steamer at Corfu. I had only taken my
ticket so far; but, on learning that the "Archduchess" pursued
her course on to Syria, and would be there ten hours before the
fast boat that left Corfu thirty hours later, I determined to stick
by my ship. The old Count bade me an affectionate farewell.
There are quite a number of priests on board. One, the
Archbishop of Tenos, who speaks a little English, is a great
man, seldom condescending to speak to his greasy-looking
Eastern co-religionists, of whom there are six, with their attend-
ants. They are all a petticoated set. Some of their dresses
differ much in make and colour. Black, with mauve buttons
and sash, and a hat-band of green and gold, are the Archbishop's
colours; another priest wears scarlet; another purple, with
red stockings. The attendants generally have all black gar-
ments: the variety of hats, however, is most striking.
At 8.30 this morning (Sunday), we arrived at Argostoli, the
port of Zephalonia. The little harbour is most peculiarly locked
in. Surrounded as it is by such lofty hills, one would think
the wind would never find it out; but a few years ago fourteen
ships were driven ashore in its harbour. Three and a-half hours'
sail brought us to the town of Zante, in the island of that name.
It is decidedly the prettiest of the three towns already passed.
The mountains on these islands are very high, particularly
the Black Mountains of Zephalonia. You can have no idea
how striking the contrast is between the great, arid-looking
masses of dark, clay-coloured rock, with hardly a break-here
and there a few scattered trees, but nothing else worth mentioning
—and the cobalt blue of the water and the lighter blue of the
sky. Several small caves appear at the water's edge, under the
Black Mountains. In talking about them to a resident of
the islands, whom I met on board, he told me that in Zante
there are several wonderful caves, some of them with an
opening so small that only a row-boat can enter, but, once
•
16
Letters of an Engineer.
1
inside, it appears as if a man-of-war vessel might anchor
there, if it could only get in. From the roof hang immense
stalactites of a greasy stuff like tallow. When the water
is very calm, the percolating fluid falling upon it causes a
disagreeable smell. I was also told that trials have been
made in the island for petroleum, which has been obtained,
but only in small quantities, not sufficient to pay for working it.
Immediately behind Zante, my informant told me, there are
some lofty hills of "pipe-clay." The appearance of these is
astonishing, owing to the heavy rains washing down the clay,
not by a rapid waste, but slowly wearing it away. The whole
hillside is worn into little ravines and heights, each summit
looking as sharp as possible. This wearing away must be of
comparatively recent date, for on the top of one of these hills a
castle is built. The walls of one corner are now upon the edge
of one of these much-worn ravines. When the castle was built,
the hill could not have been worn to the same extent that it is
now, or the foundations would surely have been carried deeper.
The whole thing is most peculiar.
The captain of the vessel speaks English, and is the only link
I have now.
He tells me he has heard the French troops are
to evacuate Rome. He hopes it is the case ! He has found out
for me that several of the priests on board are going to Antioch,
so I am sure of company of some sort. I spoke a few words of
Turkish to a few of them, when four commenced all at once
upon me. I collapsed!-in fact, I was "nowhere" among
them.
The food on board this steamer is good, but the time of
distribution is peculiar. For instance, breakfast, consisting of
coffee and biscuit, is from six to seven a.m. For dejeuner, at
ten a.m., we have poached eggs, ham in oil, sardines, fish of
other kinds, cutlets, chicken, salad, peaches, apricots, plums,
grapes, pears, and wine. Dinner, at five o'clock, is the same as
dejeuner, with the addition of soup. At 8.30 p.m. we have tea,
with or without brandy, and sea-biscuit. The wine is very weak;
a quart bottle is put between two persons, who generally get
Cerigo.
17
through it, even when the two are ladies. They must take it,
or else eat their food without liquid. It is amusing to see the
Easterns eat with knives and forks; and when sitting on the
high seats, they frequently get their legs up under them. Our
next stopping-place will be Cerigo, then Syra.
Monday, four o'clock-Sundays, when travelling on the Con-
tinent, are just like any other day. No difference is made:
there is the same service of trains and steamers, the same
trafficking, the same amusements. It is sad to see it, but
a pleasant thought for Englishmen that their Sunday at home
is different. I have had plenty of talking with the priests, by
aid of my Turkish vocabulary, with which, and a map, I have
found out where they are going to. They are all bound for
home-some to the coasts of the Black Sea, others to Syria.
One young priest got into a scrape with his bishop for com-
mencing to smoke a cigar I gave him. He had to give it up.
Cerigo is a very rocky, barren-looking island; the town is
immediately under a great and peculiar block of rock, somewhat
like the High City, or Acropolis, of Athens. So it was with
most of the towns and capitals of the different divisions of
Ancient Greece. Each had its acropolis, or high rock, where
the treasures of the place were kept: which was, in fact, the
citadel. The same is to be seen in these islands: the spots chosen
for towns were in such a position that an elevated place could
easily be made the citadel. Cerigo, doubtless, had its citadel,
900 feet above the sea, and the town is only a little beneath it.
The island is very picturesque, but barren and sterile-looking,
and there is not a tree amongst the white houses. Of course,
there is vegetation in hollows and hill-slopes, where olives and
currants are cultivated. The latter fruit is really a small grape,
which in its dried state forms the "currants" of our grocers
shops. We had some of these little grapes for dessert last
evening.
At Cerigo the steamer did not anchor, but simply paddled
about, while several passengers came on board-quite a number
of young maidens among them. One, a pretty girl with classic
features, had a parasol and a silky-looking dress; the others all
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Letters of an Engineer.
wore cotton dresses, the general head-dress being a white hand-
kerchief, or common sort of lace handkerchief.
It is very hot here-90° in the shaded part of the vessel.
I am in a wonderful state of heat, but I am glad to say every-
body else seems in the same condition-" mopping" is the order
of the day. I expect we shall reach Syra about four o'clock to-
morrow (Tuesday) morning. I do not know yet whether I shall
stick by this boat, or get into the French one for Smyrna.
I feel that I might "go farther and fare worse❞—the sailors are
civil fellows, but only the captain and engineer can speak
English.
Syra, Tuesday.-Syra looks very large, and wonderfully
pretty from the sea, and certainly is the most peculiarly-placed
town I have ever seen. Its population is about 40,000,
and as every house in it can be seen from the vessel's deck,
you can easily believe the town looks large. Syra is, as
it were, the junction station of the different steamers: no less
than five came in last night; one from Marseilles, one from
Trieste, one from Candia, one from Salonica, and one from
the Piræus. None of the steamers stay longer than to ex-
change passengers and cargo: some stay only one hour, others
twenty hours. We are making a longer stay-something like
thirty-six hours-but as my boat does not start from Smyrna
until the 6th, I expect to have two days there, and we shall, if
all be well, arrive in time for breakfast to-morrow morning.
A French engineer has lately commenced improving the town,
by laying down new flagged streets. Some parts of it are very
good, for an Eastern town. Nearly every house has a balcony
and a flat roof, but in the cool of the evening the house-top is
the pleasantest place. All the windows have lattice blinds,
painted green, and the walls of the houses are of all the colours
of the rainbow. Looking from the sea, the hill-side has the
appearance of a wall pasted over with coloured placards.
I went ashore yesterday about six o'clock to post my letters
and to see the sights, but I made a very short visit indeed. The
sun seemed to shine expressly down upon me with all his might;
Syra.
19
His
so, after posting the letters, I hastened back to the steamer, to
get under its grateful awning, where I spent the remainder of
the day, reading and looking out on the town, boats, steamers,
&c., until dinner-time. After dinner, I asked the doctor
of the vessel, through the captain, to come on shore.
English vocabulary consists in, "Var good--hot-plenty
hot-sick—var well;" and my knowledge of Italian is equally
extensive! However, I found a boatman who could speak
Italian, English, and Greek, as well as Turkish-a little of each
-80 we set out. Being always eager for climbing, I proposed
that the doctor should go with me to a church on the most ele-
vated part of the town. When this was suggested to the doctor,
he said he would sit in the square until my return. I said, “If
doctor sits in square, I sit in square;" so the poor old doctor
changed his mind, and we proceeded up towards the church.
We got up very well for the first couple of hundred feet in
height; then the narrow street, without a breath of air, became sọ
hot that we had to carry our hats under our arms. Onions and
garlic pervaded the atmosphere. When half-way up, we met girls,
boys, and women carrying down great jars of water from a well.
The street was now simply great flights of steps, each having a
quarter of a yard of rise, with a flat breadth between of about
three-quarters of a yard. The well is about 600 feet above the sea-
level, and our guide informed us that the water is not only
carried down to the town-level from this height, but, in
some cases, for a mile and a-half further. Just fancy the labour
that this must be! We met fully 150 people carrying the
water. It is about the most laborious employment, I think,
that could be.
1
"Hot-
The poor old doctor used his vocabulary to the utmost, but
his most fluent expression was,
-var-var hot!" When
we were about three-quarters of the way up I wanted him to
turn, but he said he had not been there before, and would
go on now. At length we reached the top, and mounted a
number of marble steps, the "risers" of which, and the walls
of the chapel to which they led, were so white with lime-wash
that nothing could be seen for the white glare. When we
20
Letters of an Engineer.
reached the platform of the chapel, the padre, or priest, was just
coming out. He fetched a ladder for us, which enabled us to
mount to the top of the tower, from whence we had the whole
town beneath our feet.
My ambition being satisfied, we descended as best we could,
and sat down at one of the tables in the new square. Having
ordered some lemonade and lighted our cigars, we watched the
Syrans, indeed I might say sirens, for there were some very
beautiful and attractive girls among them, and so well dressed as
to put Paris itself in the shade. I was indeed surprised at all I
saw, and felt how small was my geographical and topographical
knowledge, to be in ignorance of such an important place as Syra.
After drinking two glasses of lemonade, and two of the far-
fetched water, we repaired on board, and had our tea-the first
with milk for five days. The doctor retired to his hammock,
but I got a pillow and went on deck, where I lay and enjoyed
such a staring at the heavens as I had never had before. I do
not think I ever felt such a delicious evening. The air was of
a most pleasant temperature, without a puff of wind; the sky
as clear a blue as could be, each individual star defined clearly,
and the "milky way" a distinct track. The crescent moon gave
me a little of her company for a time, then sank behind the
hills. I gazed at this lovely sight for two hours, and felt nearly
inclined to spend the night on deck. There was not the slightest
dew, but at length I was conscious that the boards of the deck
were rather too hard a bed. I had dropped half asleep, but
was roused from my reverie by the shrill whistle of an in-
coming steamer, which, with its demon-like blue and red lights,
was a discordant note in the "soft harmony of nature" around.
I retired to my hammock, but not to sleep-it was too warm
down below, although the window was wide open. Soon I was
roused by the sound of a flageolet and a guitar; the former in-
strument being played as if the player's life depended on the
number of notes he could sound; and as regards music-it
sounded as if the tune was being played backwards. I looked
out, and saw that the music came from a passing boat. The
few odd thrums of the guitar, and the plashing oars, which could
Syra―Smyrna.
be heard when the flageolet-player was forced to take breath,
sounded sweetly enough. The town, lighted up from the sea to
the sky, looked just as such things do when represented in
panorama, and, excepting Constantinople, I never saw a prettier
effect.
21
We have lost several of the priests-there are now but four
left; one is the Bishop of Antioch, another the Bishop of Aleppo.
We have some new passengers; one, a Trieste lady, resident in
Smyrna, is a very nice-looking woman. She is married, but so
vain that she tries to draw everyone's eyes upon her, even the
unfortunate priests! She has a parasol, which acts as a walking-
stick, the first of the kind I ever saw; and she possesses a row
of teeth which would make the fortune of any dentist if he had
them in his show-case.
A Frenchman, lately from London, has just come on board;
he speaks a little English, and complains dreadfully of the heat
-he says he would not live here at all! It must be very
hot, judging by the way the old Syrian priests keep mopping
themselves. If it is no hotter in Syria, I don't think it will
disagree with me; although it is too hot to be what I consider
pleasant,
Should I not find any letters at Alexandretta to make me alter
my present intention, I shall proceed to Aleppo, and there see
the English Consul, who will no doubt give me enough informa-
tion to enable me to proceed satisfactorily. Then on to my
work on the sides of dear old Lebanon! Who would have
thought that I should be seeking to give the sides of Lebanon a
railway!
Smyrna, Thursday Morning, 4th August.—I have arrived at,
perhaps, the second city of importance in the Turkish Empire.
On the arrival of the steamer at nine a.m. this morning, it was
boarded by a number of fellows, who almost seized hold of the
passengers by main force, whether they said yes or no. Then
there was the crowd of boats and rowers, which always swarms
like flies about a steamer on its arrival. The fellows look know-
ing, and pretend to feel that you have engaged them. Then
one says to another, "I am the man." Another says, "No,
22
Letters of an Engineer.
I am the man.” I had to push my way with my fists through
about fifteen of the rough men who boarded the vessel. Finally I
came under the protection of a Jew, and seeing a quiet-looking
boatman, I touched him and said I would take his boat to go
on shore. I arranged to go first to purchase my ticket for
Alexandretta, then to have my baggage removed to the French
vessel "Commandre.” Before going ashore, a Turkish Cus-
toms officer boarded the boat, to examine the contents. of my
courier bag. Then, before I could pass into the town, I
had to go through a turnstile, where the passports were ex-
amined, and here my passport was retained till I should leave
the place. What a horrible, "stick-in-the-mud" sort of people
the Turks are!
The shore and quays of Smyrna have a confused, disorderly
appearance. Cafè-gardens, offices of the different steam-ships,
stores, shops, &c., are built right into the sea on timber-piles,
and present such an uncommon appearance, that it is impossible
for a "Frank," used to Western quays and wharves, to know
which is the place for business, where the private houses are,
where the gardens, &c. The streets are much like Constanti-
nople: so narrow, that if you meet a hamaul (porter) carrying a
bundle of faggots, you can hardly pass by him; and when you
encounter camels laden with bales of cotton, you have, in most
of the streets, to turn sideways and keep close to the wall.
Having obtained a ticket for my next trip, I went back to
the steamer, to say good-bye to the captain and the good old
doctor, and to fetch my baggage. I then proceeded to the French
steamer, and, having secured my berth on board, I was
rowed back to the shore, when the boatman claimed (only!) a
Napoleon for his trouble. I offered him five francs, and finally
gave him ten francs. I then came to this Locanda-the
Hotel de l'Europe-a clean house, certainly, but more like a
great country inn than the hotel of a big town. The French-
man who travelled with me on the steamer, and who speaks
English, came here afterwards, so I suppose we shall fraternise,
although he is a wild, half-witted sort of fellow. I had a good
breakfast of cafè au lait. As the waiter would insist on my
Smyrna.
23
taking some wine, he must have felt that coffee was not the
proper drink for breakfast!
After breakfast, I paid a visit to the Consul. He invited me
to lunch with him to-morrow, when he is to have a man to see
me, who, he thinks, should suit me as a courier. I wish I could
speak Italian or French; if I could, I would not take anyone
until I arrived at my destination. However, considering my
ignorance, and that the district I am going to is not even as
civilised as this place, I think I must take some person from
here.
A man travelling about like me, being in one country to-day,
in another to-morrow, cannot help wondering why God made so
many tongues, and so much variety in the human race. Travel-
ling from England the way I came, one is not struck by any
great difference in the people until one gets out of Italy. Once
away from there, and touching the Greek islands, the difference
of costume and the great difference of language are most marked.
At Syra in particular, which I have already spoken of as the
"junction station," the deck of a steamer would form a rare
study for an artist, if only in heads and head-dresses. We had a
great many passengers from Syra, and they occupied the whole
deck. There were many women on board, some of them pretty,
and mostly covered with jewellery, their bracelets being of im-
mense size.
The Greek and other women on board seemed very fond of
their children. I observed a mother make a most comfortable
seat for her child. She sat down, and, keeping one leg flat on
the deck for the child to sit upon, drew up the knee of the
other for him to rest his head upon. All over the deck, people
were lying in various attitudes. All carry their beds with
them.
I expect to write next from Rhodes, where I should be on
Sunday, under the legs of the great Colossus, or at least where
they used to be.
Smyrna, 4th August, 1870.-There was such a wonderful thing
told me by Mr. W-
of Zante, that I wonder I forgot to
"
note it down at the proper time. In Zephalonia, the sea runs
24
Letters of an Engineer.
into a fissure in the island, in a stream so strong that two mills
are worked by the water: where it goes to, no one knows. He
says the English tried to find this out, but did not succeed.
Talking of mills, there are a great number of windmills on the
island. They are of uniform pattern, and all very small—about
12ft. or 13ft. in diameter-the wind-wheel sails being about 12ft.
across.
There was a rumour at Syra, yesterday, that an earthquake
had occurred in the Gulf of Lepanto, near Corinth. You will
have heard of it, doubtless. As for me, the only news I have
heard is of the war, to the effect that the French have taken a
village from the Prussians. The further I go East, the less news
I shall hear, of course.
Rhodes, Sunday.—I arrived in Smyrna last Thursday morning.
The bay is much inland, the island of Scio being almost in a
line with its headlands. The length of the bay is about three
hours' sailing; so that, having been to Scio on my way to
Smyrna, if I could have got a steamer from it to Rhodes direct,
I should have had six hours' less sailing.
Before going further, I should describe Smyrna from the sea.
The sides of the bay are very mountainous, with low land close
to the sea, and some few valleys. The mountains are close
upon 3,000 feet high, I should say. Running up a con-
siderable distance into the mountains, there is a valley of great
width-perhaps two miles at its widest part. It is most
fertile, and in it is the village or town of Bournabat, a suburb
of Smyrna, with a railway to it, which, however, cannot be
seen from the sea. From the same station there starts this
suburban railway, also a railway to Cessaba, in the direction
of Constantinople, and a railway to Ephesus. Immediately
behind the town is a hill 700 feet high, and crowning this are
the ruins of a very large fortress. The town has not an elevated
site beginning at the level of the sea, and sloping up gradually
towards the hills, it has not the imposing appearance of Con-
stantinople or Syra, but its situation is well suited for commerce.
The pavement of the streets is execrable, sloping down from the
doors on each side to the centre; yet it is better than at Con-
Smyrna.
25
stantinople. The loads that are carried on men's backs are
wonderful, and at times very awkward for passers-by. While
lounging in the bazaar, if you attempt to take a look at some
curiosities, you may get a blow on the ear from a long bundle
that one of these hamauls (porters) is carrying; again, you will
get poked by a bundle of branches of trees; another time, one
of a group of donkeys with panniers will catch you from behind,
and cause you to make a "right-about-face" by main force; and
when an occasional carriage passes, it certainly "stops the way."
After early dinner at the hotel, I went to visit the ruins of
the Castle, accompanied by a Frenchman, and the Jew who
owned the donkeys we rode. Thus mounted, we passed
through many streets and round many corners; and, as each
had but one rein with which to guide his donkey, there
was some difficulty in steering. At length we reached the
top of the Castle hill, just as the sun was setting, and had a
magnificent view of the bay, the town beneath us, and the sur-
rounding country, as well as an uninterrupted prospect inland
for about three miles up the open plains. We went round the
walls of the old fortress as far as we could, examined the
breaches that the Turks had made, and thought of the dreadful
havoc, and the rivers of blood that must have flowed before the
Moslem gained the citadel. Here we encountered a whole
caravan of camels, trying to browse on an odd sort of thistle that
grows here. They were resting before making a fresh start
for the interior.
I should have said that, in the suburbs of the town, on
our way to the Castle, we passed through the Armenian quarter,
where there were some very pretty houses. The halls of the
Armenian houses are large-about fifteen feet wide, and the
full depth of the house, perhaps thirty or forty feet-and it
is the custom for the ladies of the house to sit in the hall in
their gay attire. The floor of this great hall is composed of
highly-polished marble, and along the walls chairs and divans
are arranged. At the end furthest from the street, the hall
usually opens into a garden, from which it is separated by a
stained-glass partition. Where there is no garden, a representa-
с
26
Letters of an Engineer.
tion of one, or a pretty landscape, is painted on the wall. In
many of the gardens, fountains are to be seen playing-indeed
I saw one in an interior. With such charming backgrounds,
and the still more charming foreground of pretty girls brightly
dressed, I could not help thinking that the Smyrna houses were
very attractive indeed.
On our return homewards, we passed through the Jewish
quarter. The evening was extremely hot, and this, I suppose,
accounted for the Jewish women standing in their doorways
attired in a loose linen garment and a pair of slippers! After sur-
rendering our donkeys to the keeper, we went off to one of the
cafès on the water-side, where there were tables and chairs under
the trees. There was some music-an orchestra composed of
girls, some of whom played the violin, others the guitar; in
addition to these, there were Tyrolese singers.
A concourse of Smyrniotes presents, perhaps, as strange a
mixture of people as could be seen in any civilised place; and I
suppose that in no place but Smyrna could such a polyglot col-
lection of people be found. They speak three, four, five, or six
languages; and money from any part of the civilised world is
accepted freely at the cafès. Greeks, Armenians, Jews, Turks,
and natives form the population-perhaps an equal number of
each. We stayed out till 11.30, and then went to bed. I don't
think I ever felt so hot in bed in my life. I had only a sheet
of fine calico over me, and yet the heat was unbearable.
The
mosquito-curtains were very fine, and I do not think they
allowed a free current of air; but they were effective in keeping
out the enemy. The mosquitoes are so annoying, that I do not
wonder at the Smyrniotes spending the evenings in their airy
halls, or at the cafès, which are on the water's edge-in fact,
carried out over the water on wooden piers.
The next morning, having summoned my friend Moses with
his donkeys, I went to see the burial-place of the soldiers who
died in the Smyrna hospital at the time of the Crimean War.
When travelling in a foreign country where English soldiers
have fought and died, it is no more than a man's duty to go and
see the graves of his countrymen. Sad it is, that to pay such
Smyrna.
visits should seldom give one even the melancholy satisfaction
of finding the graves. Doubtless the graves here had once
borne head-stones; the space allotted had certainly been enclosed,
and there had evidently been a gate to the enclosure. Now, it
has not any protection whatever: one half of the wall is broken
down, the other half is following; the tomb-stones have all
been stolen, and even the obelisk is falling, or rather crumbling
to pieces. Upon one face of it is still inscribed :-
M
ERECTED, BY VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTIONS,
TO THE MEMORY OF
THE BRITISH SOLDIERS WHO DIED IN THE CIVIL HOSPITAL
OF SMYRNA,
AND OF CIVILIANS WHO MET THEIR DEATH
IN ATTENDANCE UPON THE SICK.
1856.
27
There are the names of 154 soldiers of the British army on
one side, and of 31 soldiers of the British Swiss Legion on
another. The place might now be called a yard for camels.
Sad, sad spectacle! One would think the country in whose
defence these poor fellows lost their lives would at least pre-
serve their dust. The Consul told me he had had the wall
repaired several times, at a cost of £30, but that, unless a guard
were stationed permanently in the place, it could never be kept
sacred.
I lunched with the Consul, and saw his wife and two children.
After lunch, I saw two candidates for my service: one of them
was an ordinary courier or valet-de-place, the other—the son of a
merchant—had been connected with the railways made from
Smyrna, and had also been for some time with the Consul at
Aleppo. I at once arranged with the latter to accompany me,
so you may expect to hear occasionally of Mr. Stano. He is
a Greek; speaks good English, and, in addition Turkish, Greek,
French, Italian, a little German, and a little Arabic! An accom-
plished individual, truly. I shall be forced to make a companion
28
Letters of an Engineer.
of him; but I think, from what I now know of him after two
days' acquaintance, that I shall find him a good fellow.
After making this arrangement, I bade the Consul and his
family good-bye, and went off to the bazaars. I had to buy a
big umbrella to keep the sun off, a light pair of boots, and
sundry other things. The bazaars of Smyrna, from the wonder-
ful variety of wares exhibited, are almost as interesting as those
of Constantinople. The buildings are all of wood, and the
streets are roofed over with the same. It is so peculiar to see
the ordinary street traffic carried on beneath this sort of con-
tinuous shed. Strings of camels go past frequently, led by a
dark-skinned driver of huge proportions riding on a donkey of
diminutive size, which he urges on by pricking it with a sharp
iron goad. Some shops have nothing for sale but antique arms,
and at one of these, owned by a portly, noble-looking old Turk,
I stopped to look at some weapons.
I had told my Jew, at
starting, that I was not going to spend a single piastre; but he
said, “Never mind—you look.” The old Turk presented several
weapons for my inspection; one was the scimitar of a defunct
pasha—a frightfully sharp weapon-and the mode of presenta-
tion was most peculiar. With a great flourish, he swung the
weapon around his head, and then offered its handle to me, with
the point touching his own body. It was a most graceful, but
a most alarming movement, and the possibility of decapitation
came immediately into my head. The Jew urged me to buy,
notwithstanding my resolve; but I did not want a Turkish
scimitar, nor yet a yataghan.
The next morning was Saturday, and at 10.30 I went on
board the "Scamandre," with Stano, my courier-companion;
the only other cabin passengers being some Syrian priests. The
voyage from Smyrna to Rhodes is about as pleasant a trip as
could be. The steamer never loses sight of land, and, owing to
the immense number of islands in this part of the Mediterranean,
frequently has land within half-a-mile on both sides.
The scenery of the mainland and the islands is much the
same—mountain after mountain, ravine after ravine, and little
fertile bits here and there, with vines (looking very like our cur-
Rhodes.
rant bushes at home) and olive trees. Picturesque villages are
seen sometimes in the large ravines-sometimes on the sea;
while others, perched up hundreds of feet, were no doubt built
in the days when pirates were plentiful on the coast. Close to
the water, there are at some places magnificent cliffs; at others,
nothing but sand and gravel. The peculiar upheaval of the
stratification shows that volcanic action has been at work.
29
We passed Samos just at dusk, and when I went to bed we
were close to the mainland. When I peeped out of my window
this morning, the sun was just rising from behind a low hill, so
I followed a good example by rising too, and then read in the
Acts about St. Paul's journeyings in these parts. Early on
Tuesday the ship is expected to reach Mersini, which is close to
Tarsus, where St. Paul was born.
At ten o'clock we reached Rhodes, the island of the great
Colossus, and the town of the famous Knights of St. John.
The town looks very pretty from the sea: a long sandbank runs
out from the land, and on this the Rhodians have built fifteen
little windmills—it being, of course, a very breezy situation. As
the vessel moves into the roadstead, the immense extent of the
fortifications comes into view; but, great as they are on the sea
front, they are much more extensive on the land side. Having
procured a boat, we went on shore, and passed through a fine
old gateway, flanked by round, castellated towers. From this
we went through another fine archway into a splendid court-
yard, with a range of beautifully-arched Gothic cloisters, which
reminded me of Chester Cathedral. This place was used as the
barracks of the Knights, and is now put to a similar use by the
Moslem.
We thence passed to the Street of the Knights, the houses in
which are Gothic in character, and have an ecclesiastical look
about them. On the front of each house, and carved in marble,
may still be seen the coat-of-arms of the knight who inhabited
it-truly a most interesting sight. The houses have a rather
dilapidated appearance; some of them are occupied, but all have
been disfigured by balconies of very rude construction thrown
out here and there. Passing through the Street of the Knights,
30
Letters of an Engineer.
you come upon a part of the town once blown up by the Turks.
The Templars had a magazine underground, which was made use
of by the Moslem. Some trees took fire, and, a spark having
reached the magazine, the explosion demolished some noble
buildings, judging by the ruins. Close by, a gate with a draw-
bridge still remains, which is shut up at night; and here is by
far the strongest part of the fortifications. The Turks still keep
cannon planted here, but for what use or purpose I suppose they
know! We next went through a modern street of shops-oh,
degenerate man! what a contrast !—and then visited the sup-
posed site of the Colossus, which disappoints one's ideas of
colossal proportions-such ideas as boyhood conjured up.
The opening to the supposed port, reputed to have been strided
by the Colossus, was thirty-six feet, and formed the end of
the Street of the Knights, so that, I suppose, they could look
down and see their caravels almost at their doors. Some
authorities throw doubt upon this having been the site, and
point out another, which, in my opinion, is too improbable
to be entertained. Not only are there many fine specimens
of architecture in the City of the Knights, but the streets
are well formed, and have side-paths. The paving was well
done with small stones, those in the street being the size of
moderate potatoes, while those in the footpaths are about the
size of beans, and laid mosaic fashion-i.e., bedded in hard
cement. In many places, cannon-balls of granite, two feet in
diameter, are to be seen, which were used by the defenders of
the place. This exceeds the calibre of any gun we now have,
the modern elongated form of cannon-ball being quite as effec-
tive from a gun nine inches in diameter.
The site of the Colossus is now used as part of the quay. Two
square towers flanked the entrance, and in front of them the
Colossus may have stood, or he may have had a foot on each of
the tops of the towers, or-he may have been somewhere else,
or he may never have existed at all! Certainly, there must
have been an opening at one time between the towers, for the
manner of building up is different to the general work about.
In the centre of the arch there is a large cannon-ball, embedded
Rhodes.
31
in the wall; and the same may be seen in some of the modern
buildings in Rhodes. There is a mosque, which was once a
church of the Knights, with a beautiful carved marble doorway
into it, which has not been much damaged.
The people of Rhodes are a mixture of Turks and Greeks-
mostly of the latter, I think—and there is little to be seen
which is different from other towns already described, as far as
modern customs are concerned.
Mersini (about ten miles from Tarsus), Tuesday Morning, 9th
August, 1870.-I have not said anything of the passengers, who
cover the deck of the vessel: if I were to describe them as
I ought, it would take many sheets of paper, and tire me, and
your patience as well. They must be seen to be appreciated.
There are about 300 Turkish soldiers bound for Beyrout: at
night the deck is covered with their rugs or beds; and their
officers also sleep on deck. There are a few civilian passengers,
with their wives and children. The whole lot-men, women,
and children-sleep together, I may almost say. Some of the
men are most devout Moslems-one in particular, who, five
times a-day, does not forget his adoration of Allah and the
Prophet. There is at all times a certain solemnity in seeing
anyone at his prayers, be he Christian, Jew, or Infidel; but
in the Moslem there is so much outward sign that the act is
always interesting to the observer.
We left Rhodes about five o'clock on Sunday, and could see
land on the left until past bed-time. The setting sun was
splendid, and, as the ship was going due East, we had the
full benefit of the rays down the whole length of the vessel.
Of course, there is an awning over the whole deck, else in
the middle of the day it would be a case of frying! The
next morning no land was visible, and the horizon appeared to
be all water around us, and looked to be only about five miles
distant. As the ship cut through the water, flying-fish would
start out from the course, and fly off sideways. These fish,
about which we have all heard so much, are about the size of
mackerel; they rise about two yards above the water, and fly
about fifty yards. As to their being found on the decks of large
32
Letters of an Engineer.
ships, as we have been told, I question it very much indeed,
except the wind caught them, and so carried them aboard.
We sighted land about mid-day-such a magnificent coast!
The scenery is really wonderfully grand !-very lofty mountains,
deep ravines, little fertile plains, and small, dilapidated-looking
villages, with here and there some remains of old aqueducts.
The mountains are covered with brushwood, and have lofty
trees on their summits.
(Halloa! they have just caught a big turtle. I must go and
see it.
The turtle was a big one-about three feet
long and two feet wide, with a head as large as a sheep's. If I
were going on to Alexandria, I should no doubt have some
turtle soup-leaving the ship to-morrow, I sha'n't share the
good thing.)
Land continued in full sight until bed-time. At 4.30, as the
sun was just rising, we were getting into Mersini, which is the
port for a very large district. In addition to four or five steamers
in the fortnight, some sailing-ships call to take in cotton, figs,
grapes, tannin (for curriers), &c. Here I first saw the Arabs,
as well as many other races-Turcomans, Tartars, and Arabs
of the desert--some wearing the ordinary fez, some the turban,
and others a coil of camel-hair rope twisted round the head.
The Arabs, with their great swarthy features and fine manly
bearing, in their peculiar cloaks, have a very fierce and warlike
look. The Tartars wear a sort of fez, made of straw and coils
of cloth twisted like rope. Some of the Arabs wear the kefia,
a small shawl of silk, with which they envelope their heads
in a most picturesque manner.
Wednesday, August 10th, '70.-Here we are in Alexandretta!
It is hot, but in the shade one can exist, smoking cigars and
drinking coffee; as to work, that must be done at night and early
in the morning. We came ashore at five o'clock this morning, and
now I begin to realise the great good fortune I have had in meeting
with Stano. He is known here, and, instead of the usual amount
of trouble with the authorities, I found our luggage had passed
through the Custom-house and been sent to the English Consul's
without being examined, while we were quietly sitting amongst
Alexandretta-Beilan.
33
a lot of big Turks, drinking coffee out of cups which had been
handed around in silver filagree stands, by a soldier dressed in
white cloth and wearing a big sword. After this, a black man
handed cigars around, and was followed by a black boy with a
bit of live charcoal to light them.
This piece of ceremony being concluded, we went off with the
representative of the English Consul, a German. We found all
our baggage at the Consulate, where we were treated to more
coffee and cigars. A quinine sort of wine, much used here to
ward off fevers, was also served, and, soon after, a slight break-
fast.
This evening I start for the interior, but shall be back here in
about a week, when I hope to write further.
"*
"The Han on the River (Afrinn) by the Weeping Willows,"
Sunday, 14th August, 1870.—-Just when we were ready to start
on our journey from Alexandretta, we called on the Kaimakham,
or chief man of the place, who received us on his divan, and was
good enough to wish every prosperity to the work we have in
view. Shortly before five in the evening we started for Beilan.
The first few miles were on low ground, then the mountains com-
menced. It was quite dark before we got up to the village, but
not too dark for me to form the opinion that Beilan is the
queerest village I ever experienced. Of all the break-neck places
I have ever seen, it is the worst. The village is built in a ravine,
the sides of which are most precipitous. The houses have flat
roofs chiefly, and frequently one might mistake the roof of a house
for a continuation of the road. From my previous journeys in
Turkey, I was prepared for strange places; but Beilan certainly
did astonish me.
The acting Vice-Consul invited us to stay to dinner with him,
and, after a good deal of demurring (not wishing to give trouble),
we consented. Entering a gate (like one which might lead to a
stable at home), we walked up a ricketty ladder, at the top of
which we entered a room, where we were received by the official's
wife. The room had a front somewhat like a bird-cage-not a
Literal translation of the name of the place from which I write.
34
Letters of an Engineer.
bit of glass in it. It was large, with a few divans placed about,
the cooking being all done at the further end of the apartment.
We were soon settled down, and, as the lady could not speak
English, I was unable to join in the animated conversation
which was carried on. It was eleven o'clock before we retired
to our "han," which had some slight pretensions to furni-
ture. Our beds were dignified by being raised up off the floor
by a couple of boxes, but they were not comfortable-in fact, my
pillow was a corn-bag. The windows were simply holes with
shutters; but, notwithstanding all this, we slept pretty well.
I think I was three times waked up by the fleas, which I have
not yet got used to.
Beilan appeared quite as astonishing by daylight as by night,
and I very soon perceived that the work I had to do was much
more difficult than I had expected. We were on our horses at
five, and, after a ride of an hour, reached the summit of the pass,
where a number of workmen, principally Armenians, were form-
ing the new road. The easy portions of the road are very
nicely made, but the difficult parts are not made at all; the
workmen having nothing but wooden shovels, it is surprising to
see the work that is done. Another half-hour's ride brought us
to a guard-house, where there were a number of soldiers.
we had pipes and coffee, and a long talk with the soldiers.
Here
The plain of Antioch now lay before us. In the middle of it
there is a fine lake, through which several rivers flow. At the
guard-house the roads branch off, one for Aleppo, another for
Antioch. We took the Antioch road, and a few hours' ride
brought us down to the plain, close by the ruins of an immense
han.* It had been well built, and must have been a strong place,
intended, no doubt, for two purposes-a fortress and a caravan-
serai. It was now getting very hot, and several of the poorer
travellers were resting under the shade of the walls of the han.
There were camels, asses, horses, and mules; and many of the
people looked as black as negroes, from exposure to the sun, and
from never living in houses and having nothing but the rudest
Presumably the Karamut han, referred to later on.—ED.
Antioch.
35
of tents, such as are to be seen scattered over the plain. The
sheep, goats, and cattle belonging to these people graze about
during the day; then, as night comes on, they all gather home,
each flock before its own tent; for, although I said scattered over
the plain, they are scattered in groups or villages, each group
having a sheik, who settles all disputes. I little thought, as I
looked at these wretched habitations, that I should have to spend
a night in one;—but of that I shall tell at the proper time.
Close to the ruins of the big han there was a sort of shed,
made of reeds: here a charcoal fire was burning, and we had rugs
laid down, and rested amongst the most motley lot I ever saw.
They were Arabs, but there were some Turcoman soldiers and a
couple of black fellows among them. After a refreshment of
coffee and narghili pipes, we proceeded for an hour and a-half on
our way towards Antioch, and then availed ourselves of the wel-
come shelter of some trees. The heat, even here in the shade, was
intense, and this notwithstanding that a strong wind was blowing
up the Orontes valley from the sea, which frequently carried off
our hats. Five hours' ride from this point brought us to our des-
tination. Antioch lies under a range of lofty hills of rugged and
bare limestone, or rather marble. Right on the top of these can
be seen the remains of immense fortifications, which extend for
at least three times the length of the present town of Antioch,
then drop down the hill-side, and join into a wall which runs
along by the Orontes, fronting the town. The river is crossed
by a fine bridge, built in the olden times, with a gate at the
end, made use of by the Customs officers. Along the river are
to be seen very lofty water-wheels, used to lift water from the
river for irrigation and for the supply of the town. Spouts of
rough construction are carried along the house-sides, at an eleva-
tion of fifteen feet above the streets, and branch-spouts from
these supply the houses. As leakage from these spouts is very
common, passers-by have frequently to "run the gauntlet" of
dripping water.
The streets are, without doubt, the worst I have seen in any
Turkish town, although they are paved with marble! A big
trench is left in the middle of the street, to carry off the water
36
Letters of an Engineer.
¿
to the river when there is rain; and this makes a filthy mess for
horses to walk in, as these trenches form receptacles for all sorts
of abominable refuse thrown out of the shops. Passing through
the town, we stopped at a doorway, Stano saying, "This is the
residence of the Vice-Consul: we must call upon him." I was
so tired as to be in no mood for doing the agreeable, so I said,
"Let our visit be a very short one." Presently the door was
opened by a Jew, and I was astonished at the contrast between
the scene disclosed by the open door and the lane we had just
come through. We entered a large square, paved with square
marble blocks, in the centre of which were orange, lemon, and
fig trees, and at one side a marble fountain, the water rising some
distance in the air, and falling into the basin below with a cool,
refreshing sound.
Close to the fountain was a divan, on which four women
were reclining, all smoking the narghili. On our entering,
they rose up and shuffled their feet into a peculiar kind
of sandals, which raise the body about six inches from the
ground. Then they advanced a step or two, touching their
pretty turbans of coloured muslin, and saying, "Salemma,
salemma!" to us both; after which they shuffled towards Stano,
and welcomed him more warmly. I shook hands with them all,
and "hoped I saw them well." Having taken off our boots, we
sat upon the divan, and had a narghili handed to each of us.
As I could not talk to the ladies, I sat quiet and made my
observations. The eldest of the party was one of the most
repulsive-looking women I ever saw, and yet she had her hair
done up in the most fantastic way; her dress was blue, with an
enormously big flower pattern on it, and worn very low in front.
She was the senior wife of the Vice-Consul. The best-looking
of the party was his other wife-the Hebrews permitting two,
under certain circumstances. The other two women were
visitors. The eyebrows of all four were so glued down that
they looked like leeches on their foreheads. Under their eyes
there was some sort of dark tint, and their finger-nails were dyed
a sort of reddish-brown colour with henna.
Several men visitors soon dropped in, and, as is the custom
D
Antioch.
37
when a visitor enters or leaves, all rose to their feet. This is
rather a nuisance. Stano entered into a long conversation with
these men as to where we were to lodge, and there appeared to
be some difficulty about the matter, for presently Stano said to
me, "We will stay where we are! Where should an English-
man go in a difficulty except under the protection of his flag?
So we remain here, and so I shall tell the younger Madame ;"
which he accordingly proceeded to do. The Vice-Consul had
gone to Aleppo, but no difficulty was raised, and a room was at
once allotted to us. Perhaps I should describe the house
more particularly, as I was struck with the comfort of the
place and its suitability to the climate; for I suppose they have
ten months of summer in the year.
The house seems to be an old one, and was evidently built by
a Turk; but I believe it is a not uncommon sort of house in
Antioch. There is plenty of room, and to some of the apartments
there are stairs. All the apartments are lofty, and chiefly extend
right up to the roof. The architecture of the building is Sara-
cenic-a great feature in such being the peculiar ornaments of
the capitals of pillars, cornices, &c., which remind one of the
stalactitic formation in caverns. One of the apartments is in
the shade until about five in the evening; consequently, it is
the principal one. Its floor, of coloured marble, is raised about
twenty inches above the courtyard. Comfortable cushions
extend around the apartment, and over the floor is spread a
luxurious carpet. When the ladies get up on the divan, they
drop their sandals (which are very ornamental affairs, some of
them mounted with silver beautifully worked). Gentlemen take
off their boots if they wish to put their feet on the seats a la
Turque. The walls of the buildings present peculiar devices in
their openings, all different in design. The windows are filled
with stained glass, giving a charming effect from the inside, or
from the outside when the house is lighted up within.
After sitting for an hour with the women, we retired to our
room for a wash. In the bedrooms there is the same arrange-
ment of a low part and a raised part: on the raised part are the
beds, and the low part I supposed at first to be the place for
38
Letters of an Engineer.
washing; but I believe that most of the people wash at the foun-
tain. I should have liked a bath in it myself, but that was not
practicable. We had a good dinner four hours after our arrival,
followed by the usual smoking, after which we retired to rest.
Our beds were laid out in No. 2, a magnificent apartment. There
were no bedsteads, but simply cushions laid down, with very nice
linen. The beds were as comfortable as they looked, and we
enjoyed them; for when one has not been accustomed to riding
for some time, eight or ten hours a-day is very distressing at
first, and particularly so when the saddle is uncomfortable, as
mine was.
During the night the Vice-Consul arrived home, and he gave
us a hearty welcome in the morning. Unfortunately (for us on
this occasion), on the arrival of anyone from a journey, it is the
custom for friends to call and congratulate him on his safe return.
The number of persons who called between seven and eleven in the
forenoon was wonderful; I was sick of them at last, and begged
leave to retire to write some letters. But I should tell you that
the visitors made a great deal of me, and every man to whom I
addressed a few remarks seemed to think himself honoured.
They all seem to take great interest in the prospect of a railway,
and wish it well.
After some little time, I went out to see more of the town.
The bazaars are very interesting, the people being engaged in
making the wares they sell in their shops. It is something
wonderful to see carpenters, weapon-makers, tinsmiths,
saddlers, &c., at work seated, and making almost as much use of
their toes as of their fingers. There are the ruins of splendid
barracks, built by Ibrahim Pasha when Egypt held the country.
When new buildings are erected, they are built from the ruins
of the fortifications, the front (squared) stones being first taken.
The road towards Aleppo passes along the river line of these
fortifications. It will give you a better idea of a Turkish road
than any other way of describing it, when I tell you that the
men who knock down these stone walls throw the rubbish, pell-
mell, upon the road. If, in quarrying to find good stones
below the surface, they make a hole on the line of the road,
Leaving Antioch.
39
they leave it so, and let the horses, camels, and asses make a
new road for themselves!
About four o'clock we were prepared for a ride of four hours
to the bridge over the Orontes. The Vice-Consul had a couple
of fowls cooked and packed up for us, and a bottle of wine
containing two quarts. A Greek sea-captain, who had called on
me, and was very friendly, finding that I had not got a scarf (or
girdle to lap round the loins—a very wise and universal practice
here), gave me his, on my leaving. We bade adieu, and, with
many repetitions of "Salemma," we departed from Antioch.
When leaving Alexandretta, I had only intended going to
Antioch and back; so I had merely arranged to take what
baggage would fit into a couple of saddle-bags, which our cavass
(or guard) carried on his horse. This fellow was a fine, hand-
some Arab, armed with a couple of pistols and a yataghan.
Stano had his double-barrelled gun, and I had my revolver; then
there were a couple of Arab footmen, who owned the horses
(how these fellows can tramp it astonishes me). At Antioch
we secured the services of an additional guard, a Christian—but
as warlike-looking a Christian as I ever saw. When he came to
hire with us, he was dressed in a light blue and white suit,
beautifully embroidered. Stano, who had received very favour-
able accounts of him from the Italian Consul at Antioch, advised
me to engage him; but, as this fellow looked such a tremendous
"swell," I told Stano that we wanted a man to work, as well
as to act the soldier if necessary, and that he looked altogether
too grand for us. The fellow explained that it was a holy-day,
and that was the reason of his dress: he said he was not above
doing anything that he was bid to do; so we settled that he
should accompany us, and receive at the rate of 5s. per day, to
include the hire of his Arab steed.
On leaving Antioch, we had our Arab cavass in front, and
this additional guard, armed with a double-barrelled gun, two
pistols and a yataghan in his girdle, and a blunderbuss over his
shoulder. He looked (like Bob Acres in The Rivals) "guns,
swords, and pistols." Mustapha, our other armed servant,
followed us; and the two footmen did the best they could,
40
Letters of an Engineer.
being sometimes before and sometimes behind. It was an hour
after sundown when we reached the han. The ride was most
uninteresting—bare rocks on one side, a plain without a tree on
the other. The travellers met are, of course, a source of
interest, particularly so when those of one group have suspicions
of every other group they meet. Most people travel armed;
some of them, however, might as well not be armed, owing to
the antiquated implements they carry. We fared very well
at the han, owing to our provisions from Antioch. Very soon
"Blunderbuss" and Mustapha had prepared some boiled rice,
which dish, when I speak of it in future, I will call by its
proper name, pilaf. We had a room here with beds, as at Beilan.
A very pleasant Turk came in, to whom the crowds of people
about showed great respect. We found out that this man was
the owner of the village, and of much land about. We asked
him to share our dinner, which, however, he only did to the
extent of eating a bit of bread and some grapes. When we had
dined, we went with him to see his garden, by moonlight, at a
place called Jeshur Hadid, or "The Iron Bridge," where he
resides occasionally. This fine garden on the river-side, with
its kiosk, which stands in a cistern of water, is most picturesque.
When all the shutters of the kiosk were open, the agreeable
coolness of the place was very refreshing. We had coffee and
cigarettes, comfortable seats on the divans, and a long talk. This
Turk is most anxious for the railway to be made, and was very
communicative. Stano speaks English so well, that I find a
pleasure even in carrying on a conversation through him as in-
terpreter.
We did not sleep well at the han, the fleas being very trouble-
some, the mosquitoes as much so; I have not seen any larger
pests yet, but I have been bitten by them. The flies, in the day-
time, are very troublesome, especially to the poor horses, who
sometimes become almost mad, owing to them. We were off
the next morning at 4.45, and rode until 10.15, when we
arrived at the little village of Yennishar, where the big stones
lying about showed that it must have been an important place
at one time. It was very hot here, indeed. Rugs and mat-
Yennishar-Lausareen.
tresses having been laid under a tree, we had breakfast, consist-
ing of an omelette, bread, coffee, and some fresh figs. Stano
afterwards brought in six sparrows and a fish, which helped
to make our dinner later on.
41
We left Yennishar at 3.30, and at 5.30 reached Lausareen,
a Bedouin-Arab village, ten miles from Dana, where we found
the tents placed, in part, on the ruins of what must once
have been a fine town, judging again from the great stones
lying around. Arriving here, I looked about for a house, but
nothing of the kind presented itself to view, excepting huts
rudely built of the stones, and covered with reeds; and
besides these, the Arabs' tents. At the highest part of
the encampment was the sheik's tent, before which we pre-
sented ourselves. The sheik was not at home, but two
women of his, and some neighbours, brought out cushions
and mats, upon which we were soon reclining in front of the
tent. Directly after we were settled, the sheik returned, and
ordered the tent to be cleared out. Our rugs and cushions were
then put into it, and the sheik seemed ever so much pleased to
see us and make us comfortable. In the meantime, the pot was
on the fire in another tent, stewing wheat and butter, while the
fish and the unfortunate sparrows were also being cooked for us
elsewhere. As darkness came on, the flocks and herds gathered
homewards, and the music of goat-bells and the shepherds' pipes
was quite romantic. After a while, we went to see how the
dinner was progressing; but, as these rustic children of the wil-
derness have no lamps or lights of any kind, the difficulty was
to see what was going on—in fact, the sense of sight had to be
replaced by feeling!-but one gets accustomed to anything.
Very soon our dinner was served; two tin dishes, a brass bowl
and a pewter one, and two wooden spoons as big as soup ladles
completed the list of utensils which, supplemented by our
penknives, formed the whole service for our meals for three
days. For dessert we had peaches, figs, and grapes from
Antioch; and after the fruit, hot goat's-milk, and finally, coffee.
Dinner being over, we reclined on our cushions, and admired
the scene.
The "silvery moon" arose from behind the rugged
D
42
Letters of an Engineer.
mountains, and, seen from our tent, the assemblage of flocks
and herds, horses, donkeys, and dogs; Arab men, women, and
children, formed a picture not soon to be forgotten. At such
times, one feels the want of an artist's hand to pourtray such a
scene; not so much for oneself-for, having seen it, the
picture remains-but to convey a better idea of it all to friends
at home.
I had not intended moving on Sunday, but the place we were
in afforded but bare necessaries; so we started off at five a.m.
for a ride of two hours, when we reached the han on the Afrinn,
from which this letter is addressed. I was still feeling so
unwell (having been very sick in the night), that down I lay as
soon as a rug was placed for me. A fowl was killed and a cup
of soup made, which did me good. In the meantime, Stano
had been looking about, and, having discovered a tent in one
corner of the han, he erected it, put cushions in, and soon had
me comfortably fixed. Then he managed to get some lemonade
powders from a traveller he knew, who passed on his way to
Aleppo, and I was soon up and scribbling the first two sheets of
this letter. We retired early, and at 2.30 a.m. the indefatigable
Stano was rousing up everyone about the place. His untimely
energy set all the cocks a-crowing and the asses a-braying; but
such unexpected interference with the privileges of the darkness
frightened the frogs in the neighbouring stream into silence.
At 4.30 we were off, and two hours' ride brought us to Hamaum,
so called from its baths. There are some hot sulphur-springs
here, and a good bath. The water is 106°, similar to that at
Harrogate, but hotter, I believe.
After leaving Hamaum, and while proceeding on our course
back to Beilan, we saw a wonderful crowd of camels, with great
bales of cotton, going seaward. The caravan had been resting
at this spot for the night, and was now getting under weigh, the
camels kneeling to receive their loads. Some of them, seeming
not to like it at all, were groaning piteously. In the far distance
we saw a great crowd of moving objects approaching, and after an
hour's riding we met an Arab tribe on the move homewards to
the desert. There could not have been fewer than five hundred
11
Hamaum.
camels, horses, and asses, and much cattle—the camels carrying
the people and the whole of their tents and baggage. Some of
the men acted as drivers, and many of the women carried guns,
about 6ft. long, of the most antiquated description: I only saw
three spears in the crowd. The women simply carried the guns
for the men's convenience, I believe. The women had the
under-lip dyed a bluish colour. There was not one fine-looking
woman in the party, and but very few fine-looking men: they
must have been a very mean tribe. Many of the people
saluted us as we passed; and, as "Blunderbuss" speaks Arabic
better than anything else, he did the compliments.
In my long description of our night with the Arabs, I did not
describe the sheik's tent. It was the largest and best in the
encampment, and about six yards in length. The back and the
ends were made of reeds, woven together tastefully with black
cords; the roof was of cloth made of goat's hair. When the wind
blows at the front of the tent, they turn it round; and when the
pasture gets scarce in one place, they move to another. The
reason of the expedition of the great caravan I have described
was this: the people were real desert Arabs, who had come
down towards the sea, the past year having been one of great
drought.
43
About ten o'clock we passed a fine old bridge, and in the course
of an hour three other bridges and a long stone causeway.
These are supposed to have been built by the modern Egyptians,
and they are now in a very bad state of repair: they must have
been broken down in part to impede an enemy, the despoilers never
thinking of repairing them afterwards. At twelve o'clock we
arrived at a place of shelter formed by boughs of trees, close to
the ruins of a fine old han similar to the Karamut han, on the
way to Antioch, which I have already described. There is some
good masonry still left in this old ruin; but much of it has been
taken to repair the bridge I spoke of.
I was particularly struck with the construction of the
stabling of the old han. What is left of it shows the plan:
there are the usual piers, which are of cut marble, but the
arches on the top are of the veriest rubbish of the quarry.
·
44
Letters of an Engineer.
I don't understand why the piers should have such good work,
and the arches such common work. We loitered about the place
till 3.30, and then commenced the ascent to Beilan. It was dark
before we reached the summit, and the descent from thence to
Beilan is dangerous, owing to the road being cut out of the hill-
side; but we had every confidence in our horses, although
they had been on the road twelve hours.
In the winter,
the journey over the mountains here must be dreadful. Many
a poor camel or horse gets so exhausted, that when he
reaches the first river he is content to die there. The skeletons
of many are to be seen. Even as we passed, the dogs and vul-
tures were feeding on carrion, and the stench was disgusting.
We reached Beilan at length, in safety, and were soon enjoying
our supper of eggs and pilaf.
I have often heard it said that the Turks are but lodgers in
Europe, and feel themselves so; but from what I saw of
European Turkey, I confess it is very much better in every way
than this country. With the exception of Antioch, one village,
and an odd han or two, I do not believe there is a house on the
route I have been describing that cost £50; nor do I believe
there was one hundred tons of lime in all the buildings I saw,
with the above exceptions. As for glass windows, there are none
anywhere, Antioch excepted; and trees there are none, save only
on the high mountains. I never before was in such a wretched
country; but what it might be made is shown at rare intervals,
where man has made use of the materials beside him, and used
irrigation. Such spots are veritable oases in the desert.
I have not yet received from the Consul at Aleppo the permit
which I require before beginning to use my surveying instru-
ments: I had a letter from him, hoping to see me at Aleppo.
There is a rumour here that two English engineers, who were
surveying a route over the desert from Beyrout, have been mur-
dered by Arabs; and this will likely get into the papers,
and meet your eye.
The common mode of travelling with a
small following of soldiers may have caused the unfortunate
occurrence reported—if such has actually occurred; but I hope
it is mere idle rumour. I mention it because I have been
-
}
Beilan: a Disturbed Night.
45
writing about Arabs, but not the warlike sort of Arabs that fly
about in the desert "seeking what they may devour." Now I
beg of you all not to think that I am in any danger. My
position is entirely different; and I believe what Stano says is
true, that it is unsafe to travel with a small band of soldiers as
a guard-better to have none; for the soldiers are hated, and
there are tribes of Arabs only too glad to have a fight with the
Turkish soldiers at any time.
I must tell you of a funny incident which occurred last night.
Our room since we came to Beilan has been over a stable ;
there are openings in our floor large enough for potatoes to
drop through, and at night, when the windows are closed,
there is a nasty, oppressive smell. So we took advantage of
the roof of the house being flat, and had our beds made
outside. The night was glorious, magnificent sheet lightning
continually lighting up the whole heavens. After admiring the
display for a time, we went to sleep; but about 11.30 I was
wakened by rain and tremendous thunder. Directly after, Stano
awoke too; and the rain came down in earnest. We had
to make a precipitate flight, rolling up our beds and shoving
them through one of the openings into the room: we rather
enjoyed the fun of it. When we were comfortably settled in-
doors, the old handjee (landlord) and his wife rushed up, thinking
we were still outside.
As everyone wears his clothes at night
here-a custom which I hate, but cannot help following-we
were not so badly off as we should otherwise have been when
we were surprised by the storm.
•
Having had enough of the stable, we have been fortunate in
getting into a house with some pretensions to being furnished,
belonging to a Turkish widow who resides here with her daughter.
The landlady is one of seven wives of a defunct Turk. Her
daughter has been married twice: the first husband is dead, and
she was divorced from the second. The house is on a greatly-
elevated part of Beilan, from which the sea is visible. I now
write sitting on a divan, with a chair for a table. I have sent
to a French house here to borrow a table, which I hope we may
get. You have no idea what a comfort it is to get possession of
46
Letters of an Engineer.
our wardrobes once more-in fact, I feel so comfortable that I
think of taking a day's "office work,” having a number of ob-
servations to record from notes taken during the past week.
A day indoors might be useful otherwise, for I have a very sore
lip, and an irritation on the skin of my face which is excessively
painful in the sun; but it is, comparatively speaking, cool up
here compared with the dreadful heat of the plains. One day
in the plains, another in the mountains, change of diet, want of
sleep-owing to vermin-all conduce to irritation; and it is no
wonder that it works through the skin. All taken together,
I have had an uneasy time of it since I left England.
The past three days I have spent chiefly in defining a route
between Beilan and the sea, and I think I have hit upon a novel
and practicable idea. Beilan is situated, as I have before described,
on the sides of a ravine, with a stream-bed in the hollow, which
during heavy rains is filled by a rushing torrent. I am thinking
of covering over this bed, and making the railway on the top;
and it is with a view to this that I have explored the stream-bed.
During the exploration, I was much amused at both Stano and
Blunderbuss. The former had on bright yellow boots, the latter
red shoes, turned up at the toes; and, as I pursued the way for-
ward through the stream-bed, at each difficult place we came to,
one or other of the two men proposed going round it. There
was only one way of doing it properly, so I dragged myself and
them right through-much to their satisfaction when they had
accomplished it, but much to the detriment of their foot-gear.
I had on my riding boots, and fared better. There was some
dreadfully stiff climbing on the mountain side in another part,
where I was left alone, as they would not follow.
Yesterday, we visited the Governor of this place. We entered
through the usual sort of stable-yard, mounted a ricketty ladder,
passed several soldiers, stands of arms, &c., and were ushered
into a plain apartment covered with rugs, and with a divan
around the room. Huddled up in a corner was the Governor,
who received us with the customary salute of touching his heart
and his head. I did the same in a clumsy sort of way, followed
Beilan: Visit to the Governor.
47
by the rest of the party. We then proceeded to tell him about our
business to his district, and he wished us every success. Indeed he
became quite confidential with Stano, and said, "I wish to Allah
the English would set to at once, for every great man who passes
here comes to me as a matter of course, and makes himself at
home, wherever he may be going to. The slaughter of my sheep
and my fowls, and the eating of my bread, makes me so poor that
I may have to sell my coat by-and-by! But if the railway were
made, I would say 'Good-bye' and 'Ourilla' (God-speed) on the
railway platform !!" If all the authorities were only of the
same mind as this Governor, what a blessing it would be!
Blunderbuss being a Christian, we find it necessary to have a
Mahometan as well, for, when passing through a Turkish garden,
if Christians only are in the company, the women and children
set up a howl of discord. On our arrival at Beilan from Antioch,
we paid off the Arab cavass we had from Alexandretta, for he
proved to be above his business. He wanted to have a horse to
ride, to be paid 2s. 8d. a-day, and be given his food.
But we
are very well off with our Turk, Mustapha, to whom we pay
1s. 9d. per day, and who is content, in case of need, with the
mode of conveyance Nature has provided.
While we were out yesterday, we rested at a han near a village.
This han was a mere arbour of reeds and canes, with boughs of
trees for a roof. In addition to its being a resting-place, it is
also a guard-house, for there are three soldiers stationed there-
I think they have permission to keep the place open as a help
to pay their wages. These warriors were a dingy-looking trio,
and their guns certainly bore the honour of age-old flint-locks,
that must have been made some hundred years ago.
While we were quietly passing a few hours here during the heat
of the day, a strange company encamped under some trees in the
front of the "arbour." A more motley crew I have not yet seen
or described. I thought at first that they were gipsies, and so did
Stano. I never saw more travel-stain nor more nakedness ex-
hibited by travellers. They were Mecca pilgrims-men, women,
48
Letters of an Engineer.
7
and children. They had worked their way from Afghanistan, and
had been a year and a-half on the journey: now they were going
to Alexandretta, hoping to earn as much money there as would pay
their passage by steamer to Jaffa. Arrived there, they will work
again for a time, and then take the steamer to Suez; and so on,
until they reach the shrine of the Moslem's devotion-the tomb
of Mahomet. We learned all this from the chief of the troupe, a
fine old man, with a long grey beard. We gave coffee to him
and a few others of the party, who strolled over to the han.
While we were still resting, they packed up, and loaded their
asses with their beds, rugs, and young children. Many a woman
of the party carried a baby, and some luggage besides; and most
of them bore a large pot or tin, either on the head or back.
،،
The whole party gave us a
Salemma" at parting, and I could
not help wishing them God-speed. They show an enthusiasm
and devotion worthy to be imitated in a better cause by those
who have the light.
Although I have been over the way to Antioch, it was but a
cursory glance that I had, so the next day or two will be spent
in defining the line to be surveyed. To-morrow morning we
start at 3.30 a.m.
Beilan, 28th August, 1870.-Part of the Sunday on which I last
wrote was spent by Stano and myself in reading in the Bible of
St. Paul's doings in Antioch: it was a great place in those days,
truly. Thank God, from my heart, for Sunday! That blessed
day of rest has again come round, and I embrace its gracious
leisure hours to write home again, after reading many chapters of
the Bible, and thinking of home friends. Just as I sat down to
write, a crowd of young fellows passed on their way to join the
army. They are all Turks (there are only two Christian regi-
ments in the Turkish army), and they have to serve in the army
under conscription regulations, as is the custom in Turkey, as
well as in so many other countries. They were marching along
with a scarlet flag borne at their head, while a crowd of mothers,
wives, and sisters were standing on a rock a little way outside the
town, wrapped in their scarlet cloaks, watching, rigid as statues.
An Insurmountable Difficulty.
49
There was not a perceptible movement among the people as the
men passed, but no doubt many of the poor women had sore
hearts. Women amongst the Turks-and, indeed, amongst the
Christians, too, in this part of the world-are great drudges: the
woman is always hard at work, while the husband, perhaps, is
sitting smoking his pipe and gossiping with his neighbours.
On Monday last we went off exploring, my companions being
Stano and the Turk, Mustapha. We had to leave the horses at a
certain point, and take to our legs. Having had much difficulty
in getting through the brush on former occasions, when wearing
ordinary clothing, I had to-day put on a heavy pair of trousers
and my riding-boots. We had gone about two and a-half miles,
and I was getting along all right with my heavy harness on,
when we came to a ravine it was impossible to carry a railway
across by any economical work; so I was forced to abandon the
idea of a line in that direction. Mustapha, leading the other
horses, had managed to stick to his own, and had got on in advance
to a height of about 1,500 feet. Stano and I had the prospect of
this ascent with the sun striking almost vertically on our backs.
We had no water and no shade, and the perspiration was actually
oozing out through our coats. As ill-luck would have it, we had
made but a poor breakfast of bad bread and milk; so we were
not in good form for the ascent. I felt so exhausted that I had
to sit down a great many times, and at last, when we were within
200 feet of the height of the point where the horses were, I had
to confess myself completely "done up." I never felt so ashamed,
having to give in to a Turk; but exhausted nature could no
longer stand it. We made for one of the guard-houses, which
are at intervals of every three miles, and generally three or four
soldiers are stationed in each of these places.
We were very
glad of the hospitable shade, and a repast of bread, cheese, and
melons with which we were soon refreshed. The soldiers
who inhabit these places are armed with cast-off guns of the
English army, or old flint-locks. They are most ragged-looking,
and live on bread and fruit, very seldom seeing flesh-meat. They
are good-humoured, hearty fellows, always glad of any news.
They are most obliging to travellers-at least we found them so,
50
Letters of an Engineer.
and we have taken shelter on many occasions in their holes, par-
taking of their water and smoking their tobacco.
The next day, I felt so thoroughly fatigued that I remained
working in the house, and the rest was very grateful, not only
to me, but to the other men.
In engineering a line of railway at home, the maps are so per-
fect that one can almost lay out the intended line on paper,
without reference to the ground. It is very different in this
country; for, before deciding on levelling over the course for a
railway which seems to the eye the best one, it is necessary to
measure the whole distance first, to see if the line can be made
without too steep inclines. The hill-sides, when not in vine-
yards or gardens, are covered with small trees-wild holly, laurel,
box, and fierce thorns which tear the trousers and even make
holes in the flesh! These encumbrances greatly increase the
difficulty of surveying. In taking the measurement, the survey-
ing chain should be used; but, as my men never worked at the
like before, I thought it better to use a rope on this preliminary
measurement, instead of loading them with chains. My duty
was to pole ahead, and Stano's to hold one end of the rope,
while he directed the Turk at the other end regarding the posi-
tion of the poles. Having to keep the lead myself necessitated
my breaking the way; and I can assure you that bursting
through a thicket, and being caught by a tough, unfriendly,
cruel briar, is very trying to the temper. On many occasions
I was tripped up, and sent rolling down amongst other
unfriendly plants. I started partridges frequently, and then
Stano would let fly his gun at them, and occasionally succeeded
in bringing down a bird, which was very acceptable at dinner
time. It was only with much difficulty I could get the poor
Turk to follow me, for his calico nether garment was soon in
tatters, and his poor bare legs were scratched terribly. We
have since made somewhat of a Christian of him, by getting
him a pair of strong trousers.
The hills are freely cut up by deep ravines, which have very
precipitous sides. Sometimes it is necessary to cut foot-holes in
How Turkish Roads are made.
51
order to clamber up or get down again; at other times, one must
do the juvenile, by sitting down and sliding to the bottom,
which is rather severe on the clothing. After we had been over
three and a-half of the five miles I had determined on for the
day's work, we saw some tents below us, belonging to the gangers
and guards employed on the new road the Turks are making.
We determined to descend here, and see if we could get some
water and a little rest in the shade. We were received very
civilly; I was placed on a raised portion of the floor of the tent,
which was soon crowded with men sitting Turk fashion, eager
to hear about demur yoles (railways). Around the tent, with
much trouble, a stream of water had been brought, which tended
to keep the place nice and cool.
There are a great many overseers employed on the new road,
and the poor "rank-and-file," who are taken from the villages and
towns of the surrounding districts to do the work, are sorely im-
posed upon.
Each man has to make a certain length of road,
more or less, according to the difficulties: they get neither money
nor other remuneration, and have to carry their bread with them,
and sleep on the ground. But this is not all,—the overseers are
parasites upon them, and when the poor men come and say,
"Where is our work?" it is not pointed out to them except
they give some money to the gangers. It follows that the poor
fellows who cannot fee these sharks are kept working perhaps
twice as long as those who bring a few piastres with them.
The next day, as we were much fatigued, we only went over
two more miles of our survey. We now began to hear rumours
that the Turkish engineer of the new road had reported that
our arrival had caused such a state of excitement among
the men that it was almost impossible to get them to work,
as the men said all their work would go for nothing now
the railway was to be made. Stano was in great excitement,
and wanted me to telegraph to the Consul at Aleppo, and to
Lord Hobart at Constantinople; but I took it very quietly, and
said it was time enough to telegraph when we were prevented
from working. The next day we turned out at five a.m.
had tacked small flags to our poles, and we commenced work
We
52
Letters of an Engineer.
right through and below the town. Crowds of people were
soon perched on the housetops and other elevated positions.
I assumed this prompt action would bring to an issue the ques-
tion of stopping us, if such were intended. After we had been
at work two hours, a messenger arrived, desiring that the inter-
preter, Stano, should go to the Governor. I said, "No; we are
out for a day's work at heavy expense-Mr. Stano will wait on
the Governor to-morrow morning." Stano was in such a rage all
day, that I could hardly get him to attend to his work. About
four hours after the summons, five horse-soldiers came careering
along towards us, and Stano said, "Now, here they come-we
are prisoners." "All right," I replied; "they have treated us
with much respect by sending such a force for us;" but the force
passed by without meddling with us. On emerging from the
shrubby and perplexing part of the day's work, I took the lead
of the rope, and walked over three miles in the midst of all the
heat. I went with such speed as called forth the admiration of
Mustapha, who stood staring at me, while the perspiration
streamed down his beard. I was thus revenged for my being so
thoroughly beaten the other day, when I had no breakfast, no
drink, and was harnessed as described.
The next morning I said to Stano, "Now go to the Kaima-
kham, and tell him you wait for his orders." He consented to
do so; but was much disinclined to go. "Tell the Governor in
addition,” said I, "that I will cease working, and consider myself
a prisoner; but that, as I am sent here at a great expense, some-
one will be held responsible for the obstruction to my work.
And if he has any doubts as to my good faith in working for a
projected line of railway, he can telegraph to the Ottoman Bank,
Constantinople, and I will pay for the message." Stano went,
and was met with a very different reception to what his fancy
had conjured up. The Governor said he had no orders, but
he had telegraphed to Aleppo for them. An inquiry regarding us
had evidently been made at the British Consulate, for while
Stano was with the Governor, the Consul's representative, Mr.
L————, rushed in, without a collar, and with his shirt un-
buttoned. Learning that the work had been stopped, he had
Official Interference-Cost of Food.
53
hurried to see the Governor, without waiting to complete his
toilette, and almost terrified him regarding the consequences
of his act. So the excitement, I expect, has ended, for so far,
in smoke.
Yesterday our horses had a hard day, for we went exploring
again, and rode through the brushwood, the poor horses having
to stand severe prickings. We rested at a village called Jackal-
kye-the Village of Jackals. These animals are very plentiful
about here. There are plenty of eagles too: I discovered the
nest of one the other day, started the eagle, and clambered
up to its eyrie, formed on a flat ledge of rock, under a tree.
Within were the remains of a young lamb, the bones of some
birds, the skeleton of a snake-picked as clean as could be—and
the shells of several tortoises: there were two young eagles in
the nest. I caught a young chameleon yesterday, in the hope
of preserving it alive: I put it into the holster on my saddle,
but it escaped! It was a pretty little thing, with wonderfully
bright eyes, and the famous power of changing its colour. We
saw immense clouds of storks, high up in the air: the noise of
their wings was like a strong wind in a forest.
We have a fellow to cook for us-a Christian without a
nose-who makes wonderfully good stews, although he came
direct from the work of lime-burning to the culinary department.
Fowl and flesh-meat must be eaten while newly killed, as neither
will "keep ;" so we never have tender meat. The bread is not
good at Beilan it is as thin as pancakes, or thinner, and so tough
that it is useful for rolling up a fowl in occasionally! Fancy
asking for "a few leaves of bread," or "half a sheet" more!
Meat is cheap-21d. to 4d. a-pound, according to its nature;
mutton being cheaper than lamb or kid. Wine is about 3½d. a
bottle; and one can get enough tobacco for three weeks' smoking
for one shilling. The hire of a man is 1s. 8d., of a horse
2s. 8d. per day. Melons are from 1d. to 4d. each. A bunch
of grapes the size of one's head costs 21d; figs of equal bulk,
3d. Cheese is comparatively dear-about 8d. a pound—and
such queer cheese !
54
Letters of an Engineer.
I had a Turkish bath the other day; and one comfort in this
climate is that one has not to remain long in the bath to be in a
great perspiration. In other respects the operation does not
differ much from the English imitation. In a second apartment,
where there is a stream of tepid water running, the bather sits
down on a sheet on the marble floor; then he is soaped and
scrubbed all over, and his bones pulled until the joints crack ;
after which he is deluged with tepid water. A towel is now
wound around his body, and another around his head, and he
is led off by the hand over the slippery marble pavement,
and spread out to dry in the cool apartment, on cushions having
a sheet spread over them. When we reached this stage of the
proceedings, we had coffee and the narghili, and enjoyed both
immensely. The feeling directly after the bath was delightful,
although two hours later it was relaxing-not at all bracing.
I wish I had brought a sponge-bath with me: the Turkish
mode of washing, which Mustapha endeavours to get me to
adopt, is too stinted for me. There is a large basin, and a vessel
somewhat like a coffee-pot, from which a meagre supply of
water is poured on the hands, the washer carrying them to his
face.
I insist on my supply being put into the basin, and have
my wash in English style.
During the coming week, we shall have to sleep in a tent for
a few nights, walking or riding to or from our work causing too
much time to be wasted. We shall pitch our tent on the out-
skirts of the village of Sheikerry, where several civil Turks
have houses.
When writing of the village of Jackal-kye, I forgot to men-
tion a fine, portly old Turkish woman, with a masculine profile
and gait, who gave us a great pot of buttermilk, which was most
acceptable. These women of the villages do not cover their
faces. They wear a most peculiar, drum-shaped head-dress,
ornamented with beads, and gold and silver coins, a white cloth
being put over all. They all wear trousers and dresses some-
what like the men, with this difference—the men wear a sort of
petticoat which the women do not. During our journey the
other day, we met an old Turk on his travels. He had five
The Survey stopped by the Porte.
55
young women in his party, who looked like ladies and wore the
yashmec, or cloth over the face, which is so common for Turkish
women in Europe, and, I believe, in the rich towns of Asia.
But these cloths were so transparent that the whole of the face
could be seen. The ladies looked hard at us, and their faces
were decidedly pretty.
Letters here are quite an event. News is very meagre; but
I hear that the Prussians are carrying all before them, and even
talk of making the French change their flag: this would be a
dreadful indignity. Somehow, most of the Christian population
here seem pleased at the French reverses. For my part, I have
not taken a side yet; but no doubt, at home, circumstances have
occurred which have caused sides to be taken.
In my last letter I gave some idea of the roads of the country,
as at Antioch. There are two roads to the plain of Antioch for
a certain distance in the Aleppo direction, from the summit
above Beilan—the camel road and the horse road. The horse
road is short, and goes up and down the sides of the intervening
ravines. The camel road—if road it can be called—skirts the
base of the mountains, and goes round the ravines. These
mountains consist of marble, and the stones forming the road
are flat-bedded, on worn ledges of rock, the whole of the surface
of the stones being polished as smooth as a marble chimney-
piece by the spongy feet of the camels of centuries. There are
many "ups and downs" in this camel road-steps of half-a-yard
not being uncommon.
August 31st, 1870.—We have actually been stopped in our
work, until the mighty Government of the Sublime Porte sends
permission for me to proceed! We are employing our time
riding about, learning more of the district, and examining the
rocks and facilities for getting materials. I hope the permission
will soon arrive. What a set of idiotic, lunatic, fanatic, disgust-
ing, confounding, humbugging, bamboozling, intriguing asses
they are about here!
I have received a budget of letters and a supply of news-
56
Letters of an Engineer.
papers. The latter are particularly acceptable, not only for the
news, but also for the paper, as that is such a scarce commodity
here. We cannot get enough to wrap up a bit of cheese.
I had better tell you now, in reply to your questions, that I
am well.
The country and food seem to agree with me wonder-
fully; and as to the heat, I am the only one of the five of us
who can go through much fatigue in the middle of the day-the
hottest part. In fact, I have frequently to give up, as the other
men crawl under a tree, for there is not much to be done
"single-handed."
Yesterday we took a ride around the marshes which make
Alexandretta such an unhealthy place. The sea throws up great
shoals of gravel and sand, forming a bank, the water sometimes
breaking over this beach; and, strange to say, part of the land
is below the level of the sea. Springs of water flow into it, and
yet the water inside never reaches the height of the bank, owing
to the intense heat and great evaporation. When returning to
Alexandretta, we rode along a stream out of the marshes, where
I saw more tortoises than I had ever seen in my life before. They
scuttled into the water as we rode past, making such a noise
that our horses were frightened. Close to this marsh there is a
guard-house, where the soldiers seem all to be married, judging
by the number of women, children, and babies in the party we
found assembled under the shade of a great tree. When we rode
up to the collection, the head, or sergeant, saluted us with a
homely "Osh gelden" ("You are welcome"), had the beds
hauled out of the hut and spread for us; had a melon cut up,
and had our boots pulled off. The wife of one of the soldiers
was washing his feet, quite in the old Scriptural style. There
were two babies in little hammocks hanging from the tree, the
usual cradle in these parts; and the soldiers' accoutrements were
also suspended from the branches. The sergeant had served
with General Williams at Kars, had been taken prisoner by the
Russians and detained nine months, during which time he
gained some knowledge of Russian. These men were the best
Turkish soldiers we had met.
Sunday, 4th September, 1870.-It was only at ten o'clock
A Turkish Soldier engaged.
When
this morning that we discovered to-day was Sunday.
we found it out, we changed our tactics, put off some business
we were engaged upon, re-dressed ourselves by putting on clean
white shirts (no starch in these parts), and, having got our room
swept out, we sat down in a more proper frame of mind. On
Sundays we always read the Bible for a time, and then begin
our letter-writing.
It was on Monday last that we were stopped in our work: on
Tuesday the letters arrived, which gave us some excitement;
the next day we finished up some letters, and made arrange-
ments for a trip to explore two other mountain passes, of which
we had heard great things. I determined to go, not so much
expecting to find an easier route than that of Beilan for the
railway, as to pass the time doing something, and trying to find
out if timber could be conveniently procured in the country for
sleepers for the railway. The reason given to us why these
passes were not now used was that they had the reputation of
being infested by robbers. Before starting on our expedition,
we secured the services of the sergeant of the soldiers mentioned
in the beginning of this letter-not indeed that he would
have been of much service had we had any fighting to
do, his gun being an old flint-lock, and his sword, to judge
by the scabbard (two pieces of thin wood held together by
hoops of tin), a poor affair. Having procured a horse for
our soldier, we started from Alexandretta at ten o'clock on
Thursday. After a ride of three-quarters of an hour we reached
a village, where a Turk whom Stano knew of would insist on our
resting for a time. Blunderbuss, who interferes to too great
an extent at times, was so anxious for the rest, that I determined
his lazy bones should not be gratified; so we went on.
57
At Ascarbayleh we began the mountain ascent, and an hour's
stiff riding brought us to the village of Cowcomtkye, 1,200
feet above the sea. It was very hot here; so we determined
to rest till the sun had lowered a little, and would no longer
strike us almost vertically, as he does at mid-day.
The Turkish women in the mountains do not cover up their
faces as they do in the central, thickly populated places; so that -
E
58
Letters of an Engineer.
if there are any charms to be seen, there is no yashmec to hide
them. One woman here had, I should think, a pound weight of
coins on each side of her head-dress: indeed, coins seem to be
the women's only ornaments, except rings and earrings. They
wear coins in the form of bands on their foreheads, also round
their drum-like head-dresses, and on their belts; and they attach
coins to the ends of a white cloth which they throw over their
heads, and which passes down below the waist. The maidens
all wear their back hair plaited, and to the ends of the plaits
coins are sewn, of value according to the riches of the wearer.
I have before mentioned how much more the women labour here
than the men; when the men are sitting idling, the women are
always doing something. The principal crop around the village
of Cowcomtkye was tobacco, and as we passed some of the
houses the whole family were engaged gathering the leaves,
stitching them together, and then spreading them on the house-
tops to dry. Tobacco is a handsome plant in the field, and a good
paying crop, I believe. Our soldier got a quantity of the leaves,
and prepared for himself as much tobacco as he would smoke
in a fortnight. We reclined on our rugs here for a few hours,
and had a fine basket of excellent figs, some bread and cheese,
and water from springs which flow out of the rocks close by,
At three o'clock we were again on our way, and as we
ascended the mountain, we were surprised to see the whole sur-
face of some of the hillsides were black, owing, as we found, to
the brushwood having been burnt down. Higher up on the
mountains, large trees were in flames. Some of the great trunks
stood up, charred all over, and yet not consumed; many of them
seemed to be in good condition for burning, being dry and of a
very resinous nature, yet they were very slow to burn. This
burning is carried on wholesale on the mountains to serve
several purposes: it is alleged that it clears the ground for grain,
disperses the wild animals, and, in thus clearing the ground,
clears away robbers, who cannot afterwards find lurking-places.
We went up the face of a mountain whose trees were still
untouched: it was quite like Irish wood and mountain scenery.
The ascent was so steep that we could not ride our horses, so had
A Graveyard on a Mountain-top.
59
to lead them. I saw one snake, the first live reptile of the
kind I have seen since I came here, so they are very scarce.
From what I see of the slow progress of fire in these forests, I
receive with some "salt" the stories of burning American
forests, from which, as alleged, horses at full gallop cannot get
away; but a strong wind might help the conflagration, of
course.
For some months in the year snow is thick on the higher
ground, and during winter the people who now live on the moun-
tains go lower down. Their summer houses are made, without
much expense, of rude wicker-work. After a wearisome ascent
we reached the summit, more than 4,000 feet above the sea.
There were a number of graves here-mere heaps of stones
shaped like the familiar grassed grave at home, with a large un-
hewn stone at the head and another at the foot, without any
inscription. This, indeed, is quite the common mode in these
parts, the people being too poor to have cut-stone monuments.
The Easterns have often been much lauded for the care they
take of their graveyards; but however true this may be of some
of the larger towns, it is not so here. The parcels of ground
allotted for the purpose are not fenced off, and if near to a bridle
road and on the same level, there is soon very little distinction
left. From the top of the mountain a splendid view was
obtained; there was not a breath of wind sufficient to stir the
flame of a candle. The descent was very steep indeed, and
over loose stones. The horses made such objections to being
dragged down at the pace we bipeds desired, that we put a rope
round each horse's neck, and drove them down before us. At
six o'clock we reached the village of Curclow.
When I think of what we understand at home by the word
village, I laugh at the idea of a village here in comparison.
You must understand that the houses in a village here are not
placed with any degree of order in the way of streets, but are
just planted here and there anyhow. On our arrival at Curclow
we found most of its men under a tree, smoking their pipes, and
gossiping. Turks are so proud that they will seldom show any
concern, however strongly the spirit of inquisitiveness may be
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Letters of an Engineer.
upon them. They received us just as if it were the most common
event, although, I daresay, the oldest inhabitant had not seen
three arrivals of a trio like ourselves. We saw clearly,
from the look of the place, that we must sleep outside, and
also that we should have to wait a long time for anything
to eat. Our rugs were spread in front of one of the wicker
houses, on the top of the several cushions contributed by the
villagers, and, with the aid of our air-cushions (the filling of
which greatly amused the natives), we were soon tolerably
comfortable. On enquiring what we could have for dinner, the
whole village went in pursuit of a fowl, but only succeeded in
the capture of a "rooster" which must have crowed for several
summers. We unanimously voted him a "tough one," and
Stano, taking down his gun, offered to shoot a hen! Amid the
consternation of the women, and my sneering at the bold
sportsman, the villagers offered to kill a kid! This proposal
having found favour, a poor kid was brought up for us to
ascertain that it was fat, and to agree about the price, eight
piastres (or ls. 5d.). The price being agreed to, the kid was
killed under our very eyes, and was soon boiling away in a big
pot. I confess I felt so disgusted with the whole operation,
that I contented myself with the soup, and felt glad I was not
a butcher.
There was a little Turkish maiden here, who appeared to do
all the family work. It was quite a pleasure to see how cheer-
fully she bustled about; while her mother, father, and brother
sat looking on. She was baking bread, carrying water, milking
cows and goats, looking after the cooking, and many other
things-it really was astonishing. After food, it was soon
time to go to sleep, but for me that was next to an impossibility.
Bad as it is to be attacked by the nightly enemy in the ordinary
way, it is much worse when a man has to sleep with his clothes
on; for the fleas have it all their own way. I rolled about
from one side to another, at times sitting up, sometimes changing
my head to where my feet had been. I could have got up
and kicked the fellows around me, who were aggravatingly
enjoying their slumbers, regardless of the attacks of the enemy.
Curclow-Delibekery.
61
When I did succeed in getting a few winks, I was rudely dis-
turbed by two dogs commencing to fight, almost on my head.
I awoke in a wonderful fright, and thought my head was the
bone of contention, as to which dog should have it. It is easy
to laugh at it now, but I assure you to be awaked from a
troubled sleep in such a way is no joke. I was glad when
morning broke.
Proceeding on our way again, we found the descent was still
very laborious. After keeping at it for an hour and a-half, we
had the variety of turning off to pass over the other mountain
ascent and return to Alexandretta. The lowest pass is that of
Beilan (2,100 feet), the next in height being the one I have
just described, which is, as I make it, about 4,000 feet above
sea-level. I had great hopes of finding the third pass somewhat
better.
The general feature of the mountains here is one great range,
in a tolerably straight line. From this great central mountain
range run ridges of lesser mountains, separated by deep ravines;
and taking a cross-cut as we did, is going up one mountain,
over it, and down into the next ravine; and so on.
In many
of these ravines or valleys there is much water, and consequently
much growth. Our next resting-place was the village of
Delibekery, the most beautiful place I have seen since I came
here. It consists of about thirty houses on the ravine sides,
regularly embosomed in vines, pomegranates, and fig trees;
while in the stream-bed, the wild shrubs, myrtle, laurel, and
box-tree, make the whole place one rich green. The background
is magnificent: vast and hoary limestone cliffs rise up in
majesty, two of them as perpendicular in outline as if they had
been sawn into shape by some mighty Titanic force. Next
to Vodena, on my former trip, Delibekery will remain in my
memory as the prettiest spot I have seen in the East. Having
rested an hour, we pursued our journey through forests
of pine-trees, which will afford excellent sleepers for the
railway, if it be made; and I felt that this discovery alone
would prevent my journey being a vain one.
Stano shot an
eagle here, and we saved some of its finest feathers. Stano is a
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Letters of an Engineer.
wonderfully good shot: he quite amuses me when he says-
"Mr. Maxwell, there is a nice bird; would you like it?”—and
in a few minutes the poor bird is at my feet. He has shot
some pretty birds, but not having any arsenic he says it is im-
possible to preserve the feathers. Blunderbuss shot a little
bulbul (nightingale) a few days ago. Those who have not lived
out of Ireland will not know this little bird: it is dark in
colour, and not larger than a lark.
At the entrance to this third pass there are two fine castles,
one of which, at the Antioch plain, we saw from the spur of the
hill. We soon arrived at another village, Jiglongee, where there
were some magnificent trees. Here we bought some very good
pears and walnuts, and rested for some hours. About an hour
after leaving this village, we reached the summit of this famous
third pass, and found it about 3,400 feet above sea-level, so that
Beilan has the advantage over both the others.* We found the
summit of this pass very different from the last: there is a regular
plain on the top, extending for nearly a mile and a-half; at the
sides of the plain, and below this level, springs are frequent and
give a wonderful fertility in their vicinity. There were many
huts on the top, and threshing was being carried on vigorously.
I do not think I have described the peculiar method of threshing
generally adopted in this country. A sort of small sleigh is
drawn by two oxen; the driver sits on the sleigh, which is drawn
over the corn. This vehicle is about five feet long and a yard wide.
At this particular place flat stones are let into the under-surface
of the sleigh, and these beat or squeeze out the grain.
Half-an-hour after leaving the plain, and after riding between
great trunks of partially-burnt trees, numerous in all directions,
we reached a village called Sarysakillynin Haimetinary (which
Stano says means "the village of the town of Haimetinary," the
* At Suediah (the ancient Seleucia), where the river Orontes enters the
sea, there is a valley which separates the Lebanon mountain range from
the Mount Amanus or Taurus, and through this pass the railway was
surveyed by Mr. Telford Macneill and Captain Howe in 1855 and 1856.
The port, however, is so bad, and the coast so unsheltered, that Alexan-
dretta has been selected in preference.-W. J. M.
Haimetinary-Penderlik.
63
town being down in the hollow, and occupied only during the
winter). All the ground about this village was covered
with green, which was very grateful to my eyes, as I had
not seen such verdure since the spring of this year. We
expected to spend the night here; we had put our cushions in
position, and I had just lighted my pipe, when a difficulty
arose about barley for the horses; so we had to bundle up, and
go on to Penderlik, a village an hour further on. As
we passed on, we were charmed with the picturesqueness of
the scene-fantastic mountain-tops, beautifully wooded moun-
tain-sides, fires here and there amid the trees sending up
blue smoke, and deep ravines with houses and verdant fields
in the valleys below. Right on the top of an isolated moun-
tain summit there stood a castle, which no doubt was once
used to watch the pass. It looked more like an eagle's
nest than a human edifice, and put me much in mind of the
well-known castle and rock in the Piedmontese valley, near
Turin, which I remember being very enthusiastic about. Pen-
derlik is a great place for woodcutters; there are several sawpits,
and donkeys laden with timber are continually passing through
it. The woodcutters bring the loads to the village, and children,
often but eight years old, drive the donkeys to the coast.
Arriving at Penderlik, we went up to the head-man's house,
but as his wife was ill we could not be accommodated there; so
went to the next best house, where we spent the night as before,
sleeping on the ground in front. Just as day was breaking,
there arose a most dismal wailing in the adjoining house.
The sick woman of whom I spoke had died in the night, and,
as is the custom, the women of the village were mourning over
the deceased, crying aloud, and at the same time singing of the
good actions of the departed. As each woman arrives and sees
the dead body, she commences her wail, and descants on the
merits of her former friend. If the newest arrival strikes a
chord which vibrates in some of the other women, they cry in
concert, making a tremendous row. They only keep their dead
for a very short time, and when they bury them, stretch the body
upon a board, and tie it up in cloth, and so put it in the grave.
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Letters of an Engineer.
An hour's ride brought us to Haimetinary, the now deserted
winter-town of the woodcutters: not a soul was to be seen in
the place. We had now descended to within 1,200 feet of the
level of the sea, and could see the old castle at the foot of the
pass, on the sea side. When we reached it shortly after, we
found it had stood several batterings, to judge by the frequent
repairs it had received. The doorway showed it to be of Sara-
cenic architecture-a fine Gothic arch, filled in with solid work
carried by a flat arch, with the stones peculiarly formed as to
their joints-thus forming a square-topped doorway. Close
to this, and just over the sea, are the remains of an arch-
way, consisting of two pillars, faced with a very crumbling
marble. These pillars go by the name of the Gates of Cilicia,
and not far from this is the plain of Issus, where Alexander
fought a great battle. On the English chart the pillars are
called Jonah's Pillars. Jonah must have passed close by them,
when on his way from Tarshish to Nineveh. After leaving
these ruins, we rode along the plain towards Alexandretta,
which place we reached about ten. This day was decidedly
the hottest we had experienced since our arrival, so we were
glad of the shade of a comfortable house.
Sunday, 11th September, 1870.-More than a week has
elapsed since finishing my last letter, and here we are, still idle
as far as the actual work is concerned. I am much distressed
about it, but cannot do more than I have done. I have telegraphed
twice and written once to Lord Hobart, of the Ottoman Bank
at Constantinople, who is interested in this scheme. I have
done the same to the Consul at Aleppo, and I have telegraphed
and written to London, and am still without reply of any kind.
I endeavoured to spend the first few days of last week in walk-
ing about the place, reading, and writing, but I found I could not
stand it any longer. The exercise of the preceding three weeks
was so different to this sedentary life, that I found it did not agree
with me, so I determined on an expedition to Arsus, on the site of
the ancient Rhosus, to the south, on the coast from Alexandretta.
We started half-an-hour before sunrise on Friday morning.
The ride of two hours to a village called Nargislik was charming,
C
Nargislik.
65
along hill-sides covered with wild shrubs, myrtle, laurel, &c., and
here and there gardens with fig-trees and pomegranates. When
in the village, we called at the summer residence of the Italian
Vice-Consul of Alexandretta. He was not there, but we were
hospitably received by a friend of his. We had raki, coffee,
and the inevitable narghili. The village is principally inhabited
by Alexandretta business people, who have their summer houses
here. It is in a better situation than Beilan as regards climate,
for the nights there are frequently very damp, clouds cover the
place, and in the morning bright iron things are found rusted
somewhat, and linen damp. There is a road (a footpath we
should call it at home) by the sea coast from Alexandretta to
Arsus, and one fellow told us we ought to go down to this from
Nargislik, while another advised us to keep crossing the hills
and avoiding the coast for seven or eight miles. As I intended
to be at Alexandretta early next day for the post, I wanted to
take the easiest way, which I assumed would be the coast road,
but being advised to avoid it as much as possible, we kept to the
inland road. We soon had some terrible places to get through,
such as might try the tempers of the best natured of horses and
the most amiable of men. Blunderbuss hates to have to dash
through a dense growth of holly, thorns, briars, &c., which rise
frequently to a height of about nine feet. So, when we met
such obstacles, I had to go first, or else it would have been a
case of walking round and losing time.
We entered a fine open valley about eleven o'clock, and felt
that we must at last take to the coast road, so we headed for
the sea, passing a village with innumerable fig-trees. The
women were busy taking the skins off the figs, and spreading
out a paste, composed of the insides, to be dried in the sun.
They use this for eating with bread in winter. As there were
no men about, we assumed they were up in the woods cutting
timber, but on questioning one of the women, she informed us
that we should find the men a little lower down the valley.
Seeing us armed, and of such different appearance to travellers
usually seen in the place, no doubt she had some apprehensions,
and so told a lie about the men, pardonable under the circum-
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stances. Lower down, we found a poor family of Turks living
under a tree. There was an old grandfather among them, a
pleasant sort of fellow, whose daughter and son-in-law were
both lying ill with fever; and there was a little boy, who
astonished me by alternately eating a hard bit of bread and
drinking from his mother's breast. They were all Turks, and yet
there was no shyness on the part of the women. Their shelter
was of thick foliage, of a sort common about here and on the
coast to Arsus, but I have not seen it on high ground: it is the
carob tree, which bears a fruit resembling a bean, but at this
season the tree has neither blossom nor fruit. Hanging on the
branches of the tree were pots and several other things, also a
cross-bow, with which the old grandfather told us he frequently
brought down a bird. We had some excellent figs here, and
after giving some cream of tartar to the fever patients, we
departed, keeping to the sea-shore. The sea was charming, the
waves rolling up the pebbles, and again hauling them back to
throw them up again, making a great rattling noise. In very
calm weather the nautilus, I am told, is wafted on these shores
a wreck, of course. I have seen one of the shells: it is a
most charming thing, almost as fragile as a cobweb, of
pearly appearance, and exquisite form. The coast is most
interesting, geologically; there are, in some places, great cliffs
of conglomerate rock, a mixture (as its name implies) of gravel,
sand, and lime. At one place in particular, certain winds lift
the fine sand from the shore, and carry it against the face of the
hills, covering the whole surface, until, after a time, the original
hill-face is buried up, and the whole hill seems to be a sandhill.
You have no idea of the beauty of these hills, as regards
form, surface, and colour. Their surface is broken by curving
lines corresponding with what is called the ripple-mark along
the sand on the sea-shore. A pretty creeping plant, having a white
lily-shaped flower, covers the low portions near the shore.
We passed many ruins along the coast, or, to use a paradox,
the ruins of ruins, for only that which was worth nothing has
been left, all the squared stones having been taken away, leaving
nothing but the rough backing. I could not make out any dis-
By the Coast to Arsus.
67
tinct shapes in the masses of building to be seen here and there,
as the sand has so covered the place. Fragments of white
marble lie about: the only worked fragment that I saw must
have formed a marble vase of some kind. The day was very
warm-there was not a breeze. A small ship, with all sails
set, had got so becalmed under the shelter of the land, that
the sails flapped against the masts. The crew were work-
ing away with a huge oar, and after labouring hard for two
hours, the wind filled the ship's sails, and off she went
along the coast. From Alexandretta to Arsus there is not
a single port, but small vessels anchor here and there, taking
on board timber, bark, and tiles. To see the natives, almost
naked, and in a broiling sun, carrying great loads through the
surf to the small boat which conveys them to the ship, made
me wish I could endure heat as well as they. However, I am
thankful for being able to stand the climate as well as I do; in
fact, many people here say I look better than when I came.
About three o'clock Arsus came in view, and I was much
pleased to see it, and so, I am sure, was my horse, for travelling
in the heat of the day is no joke. At four o'clock we were
there, after a ride of eight hours. Blunderbuss informed us he
was well acquainted with the head-man of the place, and he
was sure we should be welcome. Knowing the vegetable diet
of these people, Stano had managed to shoot a few small birds,
and also purchased some fish, which turned out to be a very wise
precaution. We had to ford a river taking our horses up to
their girths, as the village was on the other side.
It is a
Christian village of about forty houses, all built of stone and
covered with tiles, and therefore very different to Beilan. The
great stones to be seen in the corners of the houses, and lying
about in all directions, show that a greater town than Arsus
once stood there. We rode up to the head-man's house, the
largest by far of any in the place. Blunderbuss entered, and
soon returned, inviting us to enter.
maid" stood at the portal, and pointed out the stairway to us,
which having ascended, we entered a spacious apartment, where
the woman of the house was seated, nursing her baby. Her
A fine-looking "Araby
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Letters of an Engineer.
""
husband was there also, and two sons, the younger of whom
had been to college in Beyrout, and could speak a little French.
Stano cannot speak much Arabic, but with the young fellow's
French, and Blunderbuss as interpreter between Stano and the
people, we were able to converse. The "Araby maid soon
appeared with narghilis and lemonade, and shortly after brought
small cups of coffee. Now, such light refreshment after four
hours' riding in the burning sun, over a burning road, was not
the thing to stiffen one's backbone, so I suggested to Stano that
a piece of bread would be acceptable. Accordingly we had some
bread, and, as it now wanted two hours to sundown, and we
had to be up and off with the sun in the morning, I went out
to explore the old ruins.
Of the few remains to be seen of the former great city of
Rhosus, two large granite pillars are the most important. The
largest one is about thirty inches in diameter, of red granite,
well cut and polished, and lies close to the sea. It had been
rolled there, no doubt, with the object of transporting it some-
where, but the transporters grew tired and gave it up; so there
it lies, with eight feet of the length of it out of the earth.
There is another column as well, of the same marble as the
Pillars of Jonah. These are the principal great stones of the
place. The ancient walls can be traced, but all or nearly all
of the stones have been removed, and taken away by boat to
different places for building. It must have been a pretty strong
place, not only on account of the walls, but the elevated site of
the citadel, or acropolis. Judging by one fragment of cornice,
of fine design and workmanship, I conclude that a Grecian
temple once crowned the summit of the hill. The town walls
extended considerably into the sea, forming a small but safe har-
bour. The outer wall, which formed a breakwater in the direction
of the prevailing winds, has been also taken away for the stone it
contained; just sufficient of it remains to show what an impor-
tant work it was, and how useful it would have been for the
modern Arsus, which is a rising place. The site of the ancient
town is strewn with fragments of tiles, much superior in design
and material to the present tiling. It was quite dark when I
d.
Ancient Rhosus.
69
reached the house after my explorations. Stano had been off
with Blunderbuss, in the hope of getting some partridges; and
as I arrived, they were about to set out in search of me.
I found a table laid out in the courtyard, as if we were going to
have a sumptuous repast. You can understand from our intro-
duction by Blunderbuss that he would, of course, sit at table
with us; and so he did, as well as the three masculine members
of the family alluded to. Our dinner consisted of two great
dishes of pilaf, the butter being odiously bad, just as if the
stuff had been stirred with a "dip" candle. On the top of the
rice in one dish was the rind of onion, and tomatoes on the other.
These dishes were flanked by our birds and fishes, and this
formed the feast of the great man!
Stano was very indignant,
and I was not pleased.
:
After this repast, we retired to the verandah of the house,
built over the river, and narghilis were brought the chief men
of the village dropped in to have their usual gossip, and, I
suppose, to see us. The moon rising over the great mountains
of the place was grand, and the lightning, too, was very fine.
We were left to ourselves about 8.30, and I lay down upon a
seat and watched the lightning, the like of which I had never
before seen.
It really was magnificent: the heavens seemed to
open, and send forth fire, which split up into forked lightning,
indicating that thunder accompanied it; but I heard none.
Three beds were laid out on the floor of a large apartment,
having a window on each of three sides. We were soon tucked
in, and I looked forward to a really good night's sleep. At
half-past ten I awoke, actually frightened by the storm-the
thunder and lightning were terrific, and the rain was coming
down in torrents. But what alarmed me still more, was to see
some unwelcome company walking about my pillow, and more
still when I threw down the bed-clothes. I was disgusted, and I
am sure I disgust you in the telling of it. I was soon dressed,
and sitting up looking for the enemy. I fell asleep again at
last, and awoke with about thirty bites on each arm, which
remain to this present time.
Stano took care that we should have our usual breakfast of
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Letters of an Engineer.
three eggs each, coffee and milk, after partaking of which we
said good-bye to Arsus. I was all impatience to reach Alexan-
dretta and get my letters, but eight full hours' ride had to be
accomplished, so it was nearly two o'clock when we reached
that place.
I was disappointed, as I did not find a single
home letter. However, I suppose I must attribute it to the
confusion in the French postal department. I have placed my
establishment on half-pay, and sincerely hope that I shall have
news soon; if not, I may as well "cut my stick" and go home
again, as I am not getting anything done here.
Beilan, Alexandretta, Syria, 13th September, 1870.-I have
no news yet, and am just sending off a telegram to the Consul
at Aleppo. When I hear from him, if there be still no news, I
intend going off on another trip, and that will give me some-
thing to write about. If I don't go, I must begin to tell you
about the weather and the crops. If the telegram should say,
"You may proceed to work," my work will be on the ground
already gone over, and in that case I shall not find very much
material for letters.
What a task it must be to write a book, and with what
mixed feelings must the author see the criticisms of the press
and the public upon it. But there is unalloyed pleasure in
writing to one's own relations, for they are charitable in their
criticisms, and glad to know the every hour life of the absent
one; so, knowing this, I confess the writing of my long letters
gives me the greater pleasure.
Garden on the Kitcuk-Karatchi, Sunday, 18th September, 1870.
-I have such a lot to put into my letter that I feel almost tired
before I begin to write, thinking of what I have to go through.
This morning, at six o'clock, we left the house of Mr. Nicholas
Giatro, the dragoman or sub-vice-consul at Suediah, the same
man who received a telescope from the British Government for
bravery in saving the crew of the ship Pelican.
In the first part of this letter I mentioned that I had tele-
graphed to the Consul at Aleppo for news. He replied that the
Porte had prohibited the survey; so there was nothing left for
me to do but to wait events. I could not bear waiting in the
Groves of Daphne.
71
house any longer, and so determined on Tuesday to start the next
day, and made our arrangements accordingly. On Wednesday
morning, when the horses came up, and we had all packed for
the start, the owners of the horses grumbled about the price,
and wanted 5d. a day extra for each horse. I objected to this,
but the owners were obstinate, and it ended in my ordering the
baggage to be brought into the house again, and not going at all.
An hour afterwards the fellows gave in, but I would not accept
the horses then; so we did not go that day.
The next morning we started, and reached Antioch about five
p.m. We left soon after, and rode to a village in the groves of
Daphne, near to a famous cascade of water called Beit-el-ma, the
Arabic for "the house of the water." We spent part of the
next day among the ruins of a temple to Apollo, and other ruins
which abound here; then we went on to Suediah, on purpose to
see the country. Yesterday we visited the ruins of Selucia, and
to-day being Sunday, I thought it better to move away from
the house of Mr. Giatro, who is a Greek, than to spend Sunday
smoking and idling on his divan: so I arranged to ride half-way
to Antioch, get into some house, and spend a few hours writing.
Here we are certainly under a roof, but such a place, and I find
writing such hard work, that I fear I shall have to give it up.
Sitting on a pile of rugs, clothes, &c., and writing on the end of
my portmanteau, is not at all an easy position.
Before sitting down to write, I shaved myself under a tree,
then went down to the river and had a good wash, a luxury I
had not enjoyed for three mornings. There is no such thing as
privacy in the houses here. We had to wash in the front of
the Greek's house, with many people looking at us, so that we
could not take off our shirts.
You can understand how much I
enjoyed a bath in the river.
We are now on the way to Antioch, where we shall sleep,
and in the morning we shall be off towards Beilan. The next
day we shall reach Alexandretta, where I hope to get a budget
of letters, and news of all kinds, particularly about my work.
Your question in a recent letter about a Protestant church
72
Letters of an Engineer.
amused me. In Beilan there is not an English-speaking indi-
vidual except Stano and myself. There are two gentlemen who
speak, as they say, "plenty-little" (and plenty-painfully), and a
Greek who lives six miles out of Beilan speaks English,
and there is Mr. Giatro also, of whom I shall speak further.
Now you could hardly expect to find a Protestant church for
these-indeed, I am the only Protestant! The Americans, I
hear, are about to start a mission at Beilan to the Armenians,
and have applied for ground to erect schools, &c. I hope the
report is true. The Americans seem to make the mission to the
Armenians a special effort of theirs. The Armenians are
numerous in Syria, and their country is the cradle of the human
If the Americans erect their mission building, it may be
called a Protestant church.
race.
Wednesday, 21st September, 1870.—I again take up my letter,
with a better prospect of getting it completed than when I before
took my pen in hand. We are back in our konah (house), and,
as far as creature-comforts are concerned, have nothing to com-
plain of. I must now go back to the beginning of our trip, and
go through with the account of it: what I have said of it in the
preceding pages was merely so much by way of introduction.
On Thursday morning we started off towards Antioch, not
having been for nearly three weeks over the "summit" behind
Beilan, to the place where the road-makers are at work. These
men were quite astonished to see us. They had heard that we
were simply adventurers, and one story told to them was that I
had not come here about a railway, but had come in the hope
of getting employment on the new road! Another story told
to them was that the Government would not permit a railway to
be made unless the company would purchase from the Govern-
ment the road now being made, and with that money something
else good for the community would be done. As we rode along
the works the astonishment was great. They saluted us with
"Osh gelden," but many remarks were made, such as "The
English Engineer Effendi has not gone yet."
Three hours' ride over ground already described brought us
once more to the Karamut han, or rather the ruin of it—the pre-
Eastern Fountains-Gourds.
73
sent resting-place is but an arbour made of reeds and the leaves
of trees. The old black handjee was glad to see us. At this
place there is always a motley assemblage; for the tribes that
wander about the plains are sometimes Arabs, sometimes Turco-
mans, and some of these people "drop in" there. Then there
are always some soldiers and some Christian travellers, so that
there is something to study in each group. Our seat in this
place now is always at the back of a fountain, which is in front
of the arbour.
Fountains are very common in Turkey, and in the East
generally; for it is considered the greatest benefit a man can
confer on the community, to build a fountain where there was
no water before. These are nearly always of one type or pattern.
The water enters in a small stream through a hole in the back ;
over this is a recess for the drinking vessel, generally formed
from a gourd (a great broad-leaved plant, the fruit of which
is used, when dried, exclusively for water-vessels).
The shape
of this fruit shows that Providence intended it for such a purpose.
The plant is generally found growing over some poles stuck in the
ground, so as to form a shade from the sun. I have seen a place
used for sleeping which was shaded by this plant, and the great
fruit—or rather water-vessels-hung from the top in beautiful
festoons, the sun lighting up the leaves and giving a charming
effect. These natural water-vessels vary in capacity from a pint
to a gallon, and last for a long time. The growth of one year
will serve until the next, without decaying; but of course they
must not be ill-used. One of these, with a slice cut off the
globular part to turn it into a drinking-cup, is generally to be
found at a fountain, and each traveller, after drinking, places the
vessel back in the recess. Frequently a great plane-tree shades
the fountain, and in some places, as at Karamut, an arbour or cafè
is erected, where the luxury of coffee or a melon is to be had.
The coffee is pounded in a wooden mortar, as I have already men-
tioned. A pleasing sound is made by the pounding of the pestle,
and the fragrant smell of fresh coffee is diffused. The coffee is
boiled in a little vessel containing about an ordinary home tea-
cupful, or breakfast-cupful, as the case may be-whether two
F
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Letters of an Engineer.
cups or four cups are required. In many places no sugar is to
be had, but at Karamut sugar is available. The sugar and
coffee, in paper parcels, are shut up in an old fig-box when not
in demand. The fire consists of some sticks lighted in a fire-
place formed of a few stones placed in the middle of the floor;
so there is not any great style in these cafès. The coffee-cups
are extremely small, and are handed in little brass stands like
egg-cups. The stands are to prevent the fingers from coming
into too close contact with the heat. When served to distin-
guished people (like us!), the bearer hands the coffee-cup most
deferentially with his left hand, and places the right, at the
same moment, over his heart. He waits while you sip it, and
then takes the empty cup most solemnly with both hands, as if
he were going to bless it.
As we sat here having our coffee and pipes, the horse of a tra-
veller took ill, and seemed to be dying. A most strange and
barbarous cure was tried. A poor young kid was seized; the
horse was held down and his mouth forced open; then the kid
was held over it and its throat cut, so that the fresh blood of the
kid might flow down the throat of the horse. It was a disgust-
ing sight. The horse was walked up and down a little after
this, but he soon lay down again. I suggested giving him a
bottle of raki (spirit made from the grape after the wine is
expressed). This was poured down the horse's throat; but we
had to leave before knowing the result.
We were soon in our saddles again, and on the way to
Antioch, at four miles an hour. One horse was loaded with my
bed and other things, and Mustapha on the top. Blunderbuss
was travelling as usual, but minus the patronymic weapon,
which was most fortunate; for if he had had the blunderbuss,
it is hard to say what would not have happened.
We were
going gaily along, but my horse (a thing rather unusual) would
keep first.
Now this is not considered proper in travelling
in the East, for your protector is supposed to go before, so
as to meet any danger. Hadjee (Blunderbuss) having spurred
his gallant old mare rather suddenly, she gave a great spring,
tripped in a furze-bush, and down she went, with Hadjee
A Fishing Weir.
underneath. While horse and man were in the act of meeting
the dust, off went Hadjee's whole magazine-the two barrels
of his rifle and the ball from his pistol. One charge (of
shot) from his rifle entered the neck of his mare; the two
bullets went I don't know where, but we were heartily thankful
that they did not enter into any of us. Now, although Hadjee
had his face to the ground, and the mare right on top of him,
he was not hurt. We picked them both up, but the poor mare
could hardly stand, as she had suffered severely-a whole charge
of shot having lodged in her neck. We had to cut this out;
then we poured brandy into the wound, which was so large that
three fingers would lie in it.
75
We walked along slowly for the next four miles, when we
came to some trees and a spring. Here we rested for a little
time, but the sun found his way through the shade, and we
felt that it would be no hotter to be moving; so off we went.
Hadjee now mounted the mare, which seemed to have been more
frightened than hurt, and we rode quietly for another five miles,
when we reached a village on the river Kara-Soo, where the in-
habitants live by fishing. There is a weir placed across the
river for the purpose of catching the fish as they are brought
down by the winter floods, and there is a large building in con-
nection with it. The weir is a most primitive arrangement, but
seems to serve the purpose very well. Stakes are driven into
the river, in a row across it, about a foot apart; eight feet back
from these there is another row. These stakes are bound
together by pieces of wood running along the heads of them,
and crossways by pieces from one post to another: the space
between is filled up with stones, and behind the weir are placed
bundles of boxwood (like garden edging, but larger). The
water behind the weir is thus forced to pass through side-
channels where nets are placed, and the fish that do not fight
their way up stream are borne down to the snares of the fisher-
men. As the Government receive a large tithe or rent for this,
there is a Turkish official from Constantinople to watch the
business. What a change he must find it, from the capital to
this dismal village, where the houses-sides, ends, and roofs-
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Letters of an Engineer.
are all made of reeds. At this time of the year, when the water
is low, but few fish are brought down, and the villagers are
wretchedly poor. I never saw more miserable abodes, and
with so many children. The Turkish official and three servants
live in the fishery house. We were received there most
hospitably by the Turk, who went out in his boat with two
men, and cast the nets in our honour. They were fortunate
enough to bring up a few fish, which were soon cooked, and
formed a pleasant addition to our cold mutton. The Effendi
shared our repast, and hoped that our work would lead us
round his way again. One of the men had such a jolly little
son, a fellow about Harry's age,* with fine curly hair: a bit of
bread and preserve soon made the little Arab and me good
friends. It was now four o'clock: three hours more, and it
would be night.
We had two hours more to ride before reaching Antioch, so
I did my best to expedite our departure; but as Hadjee had to
see after his mare and provide himself with a fresh mount, we
determined to wait for him at the cafè outside the town. This
cafè is charmingly situated on the side of the river, and at
the gate of the town where all travellers from the North must
enter Antioch. There is a raised portion neatly flagged, and
another part lower, where there are divans. Great plane-trees
shade the whole, and along the river are festoons of climbing
plants. There is a well in the area, from which nice cool
water is brought up by a little windlass. The great water-
wheels of which I have already spoken keep up a tremendous
creaking noise, groaning and straining under the power
which, night and day, impels them to move on. They do
not work without purpose either, for the glad running water
they cause to flow over the ground brings up a charming
verdure which, compared with the arid soil "where no water is,"
shows the good they do. These wheels are from 15ft. to 40ft.
in diameter, and not more than from 18in. to 30in. in width.
They revolve slowly; to each blade of the wheel is attached a
* The author's only child.
Water-Wheels.
77
little bucket, which, as it is immersed in the water, is filled, and
carried up and around until it empties itself into the spout or
conduit which carries the water to the houses or the gardens.
As much of the water leaks out on its way, splendid growths of
ferns are to be seen where masonry supports the conduit.
But I have digressed wofully. We took our seats at the cafè,
and our arrival was soon noised about. The British Consul
arrived shortly, and soon after came the Italian Consul, also
several others. We had narghilis, coffee, and melons, and sat
watching the life of the street. It was six o'clock, or three-
quarters of an hour before darkness, when we left the place, and
then we had to leave without Hadjee. His son came with
us on foot, as the father could not get a horse. Our ride, as long
as the light lasted, was close to the river, with charming garden
scenery. A number of young girls, Turkish and Christian, passed
They were workers in a thread factory on the river, where
there were also a few English workers; but I had not time to
go to see the place.
us.
As darkness set in, we turned into the hills, and were soon in
lanes lined with splendid hedges. The road was dreadful—a
soft sort of rock, which during rains yields to the torrent which
finds its way down the lanes. This process, and the wear and
tear of travellers for ages, without any repairs, leaves the road
in a dreadful state. Of course we could not ride, and I blamed
Stano for not having started earlier: however, even night has
its pleasures.
We were now in the famous Groves of Daphne-the olive
groves so famous in Roman history-and here I saw a new sight.
On each side of the road the hedges were full of glow-worms,
these little sublunary stars vying with their lofty compeers in
the heavens. I tried to catch some, but was unsuccessful.
After an hour's work groping our way over this dark, bad
road, we turned off into a more open lane: from this we entered
a grove of mulberry trees, and, after crossing several water-
courses, we arrived at the village of Harpe, and halted in front
of an untenanted house. The junior Blunderbuss quickly got a
key, and soon we had our baggage up and beds erected. Stano
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gave orders for a fire to be lighted, but I grumbled at the
delay, and argued, "Why cannot some of the villagers boil us
a few eggs and some water for tea?" About half-an-hour after
our arrival, when I expected to see the eggs boiled and the water
ready, a clay dish was brought up to light a fire in! Stano
went off to see what could be done.
There were several men of the village about, all Arabs, in their
dress looking like Turks, but with a marked difference in their
manners, which were rustic, simple, and kindly. There are
Christian Arabs, Mussulman Arabs, and Arabs called Ansariah,
or sun-worshippers! I do not know what worship the people
in this village followed, but they were open-countenanced, fine
fellows. The fire was lighted under some trees. Under other
trees near were several women, lying on their beds, who were
nearly bursting with smothered laughter watching Stano poach
the eggs.
After the eggs we had some boiled milk, and
thoroughly enjoyed our repast.
We slept well in the village of Harpe, and were up with the
sun-before him, in fact-for the most enjoyable time of the
day, during the hot season here, is the half-hour between day-
break and sunrise. We had the scene of last night over again,
preparing breakfast, except that this time the women helped us.
When our milk was warmed, one woman begged a little of it for
a young scamp about three years old, a son of hers, who had not
yet been weaned. It seems to be the custom in these parts to
keep children at the breast to a much later age than in Western
civilisation: it must be very distressing to the poor mother.
You will naturally ask, How do these people cook? During
the summer they do not cook anything but bread, and this is
baked in a small oven built of fragments of tiles picked up off
the ground-doubtless the remains from some great city, as
broken tiles and bits of marble may be picked up everywhere
around. The oven is covered with clay, firewood is put in, and
when the interior is thoroughly heated the fire is removed, and
the bread put in. As it is made very thin, a few minutes bakes
it. It is eaten with onions and fruit, and is the daily summer
food of most of the people in these parts.
¡
Harpe-Beit-el-Ma.
79
After breakfast, we went off to see the famous cascade of
Beit-el-Ma, or the House of the Water. The waterfall is
pretty, but not grand-not to be compared with the Devil's
Glen in Wicklow, for example. But then, in hot countries,
an ample supply of water is more prized than in countries where
it is plentiful, and hence at Beit-el-Ma there was at one time a
magnificent temple to Apollo. There were olive groves, doubt-
less with the water ornamentally arranged in ponds and all sorts
of ways; magnificent temples, and marble halls,-all combining
to make the attractions of the voluptuous Grove of Daphné,
where so many veterans of war sank into effeminacy.
Few stones are to be found "one upon another" here, for
the hewn stone and marble have from time to time been
removed for meaner building purposes, or for burning into
lime. Here at the spring, as well as over the wide plateau
which lies almost under it, there was, no doubt, once a splendid
place. A few Egyptian pillars of granite lie about. Now, con-
sidering the immense difficulty there must have been in bringing
these pillars here, and the excellence of the marble which
abounds about this place, it must have been more for the glory
of the achievement that the granite pillars were brought, than
for the effect the material would produce. One base of a pillar
of red granite which I saw was so inferior in design and work-
manship as to disgrace any building in which it may have been
erected. These pillars are about two feet in diameter, and how
they were brought to the place I cannot imagine.
When a few stones are wanted for a modern building here, an
excavation is made, and when an ancient wall is reached, and
sufficient stone has been raised, there is no further excavation
done. A second Layard will, no doubt, bring some fine ruins
to light here some day.
Where the principal spring issues out of the hill-side, there is
a charming little grotto. The water charged with lime has formed
stalagmites, ferns grow all about, as well as fig-trees, myrtles,
and many other shrubs unknown to me. Not far from the
spring, the water drives several small mills where corn is
ground. I had with me a hammer with a small point, and not
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far from one solitary name, "Lupi," I cut "God save the
Queen," which, I suppose, will be there when the Queen and
all her race have passed away. It is considered by many
to be a sort of crime to write names on places when travellers
visit them, and our countrymen have the credit of being
the people who do it. I suppose this is because they are the
greatest travellers, and more of them visit places of interest
abroad than of any other nation: consequently it is a vulgar
thing to do.
Before we left the village, Hadjee arrived on a
new charger, and we set off for Suediah-on-the-Sea (close to
Selucia, built by a Syrian monarch of that name), crossing the
Orontes by a ferry. The road to Suediah is in many places very
pretty-through lanes having a water-course at the side, and
with hedges of many shrubs. Pomegranate-trees and vines hang
right over the lane, while in some places the road is simply the
water-course. What makes the whole country so different from
civilised countries is the want of good roads, and the absence
of wheeled vehicles and good houses. Except in the towns and
villages, in all my travels about, I have only seen two good
detached houses.
We had again a hearty English-spoken welcome from Mr.
Giatro, the sub-vice-consul at Suediah, of whom I have before
spoken. The British flag was hoisted on the house in my
honour; but of what use is all this if you are hungry? There
is a most abominable custom in these parts, if you arrive not at
a meal-time. People never think of asking you if you are
hungry, but give you a drink of water and sugar, and a bit of
lemon; a tiny cup of coffee and a narghili-while all the time
you are longing for something to fill up the yawning chasm that
lies below. But such is the custom.
We sat down at length to a really good dinner of fish and
roast fowl, some splendid grapes, and wine. Then we had
strong green tea-from a shipwreck-made in a copper kettle
which had been taken by pirates from an English vessel forty
years ago.
I have been to several Christian houses here. The women
never sit down to table, and never take that matronly place
Suediah-Selucia.
81
which an English home would not be home without; and
although I said above we had a hearty English welcome, it
wanted the good-wife as well as the good-man.
We were up with the sun, and off to Selucia. The winds
that blow along this coast are dreadful.
For half of the year
the sea is blown against the shore with great force. This is
shown by the fragments of wreck which strew the shore like the
skeletons of camels. The ruins of ancient Selucia are most in-
teresting here, the most extensive being the remains of a once
great harbour.
The estimates of the population of ancient
Selucia are various-some say 600,000. The basin, according
to books, is in extent forty-seven acres: this is large enough to
have contained several hundred ships of the size that existed in
old times, and if now cleared out and restored, it would give a
space large enough to harbour thirty or forty of our largest
steamers.
It is curious to read the ideas of some people writing about
things they never saw, and writing from the ideas of people who
had not seen the place, but had talked with people who in their
turn had talked with people who had seen the places. Only in
this way could such things be written as have been written about
Selucia. Well, one engineer-not an Englishman, but a Turk,
I am glad to say-estimates the entire restoration of this har-
bour at £31,000. This sum would not pay for the construction
of one of the walls which served as a breakwater. Ten times
the amount of his estimate would do a great deal; but, even if
the harbour were restored, it would cost an immense sum yearly
to keep it open, for the sand is dashed up with such volume
that it would soon choke the entrance. The same writer speaks
of stones in the breakwater 25ft. in length-I do not believe
there is one so much as nine feet long in it. This writer also
mentions a long tunnel cut through the solid rock, nearly a mile
in length along the heights, "to carry the water to the sea
(sic); while another writer (French) gives the tunnel as half this
length, and calls it an ancient road!"
The former compares
"Thames tunnel, the only parallel to it
But it is as unlike the Thames tunnel as
"
the work to the
in modern times."
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it could possibly be. No doubt, this work is a great one, but
nothing like many of the great works of the ancients. I believe
it was made to convey the winter torrents-carrying with
them, as they do, immense quantities of débris and great
stones-past the old basin. I think the tunnel was used both
for a road and a water-course, although its present floor-
ing is by no means like a road: the tunnel, too, is 20ft. in
height, while the floods only rise about four feet in it. The
ancients preferred working in the height, for, when they found
difficulty in tunnelling, they cut from the top: of course they
did not cut it down from the top the full width, but only a
narrow passage, which was widened out below, at the proper
depth. All the water that was running in the tunnel when I
passed through was carried in a lttle conduit, cut in the side
and carried to a little mill.
Where the road started to Syria and the countries of the
Euphrates valley, from the basin, there were no doubt, at one
time, several temples. Many fragments of pillars lie about, and
fragments of marble capitals and basements-mere fragments,
however. There is also a marble statue with one arm and half
of the head away, and with the marks of a charge of shot in the
breast. The figure is sitting, with the arm resting on a pitcher
at its left side. Several people have written their names upon
the statue, in Arabic, in Greek, and (a few) in English. I came
upon it unexpectedly, and, seeing its back first, concluded some
colossal Arab, with white drapery upon him, was resting majes-
tically there.
I have the most interesting part of the place yet to describe.
Between the sea and the rocky hills there is a space of from
500 to 800 yards, where mulberry, orange, melon, citron,
and many other trees abound. The houses are detached, and
all of poor construction. The people are mixed-Arabs and
Armenians. Copious springs of water issue from the rocks,
which are of soft limestone; and all along their face, grottoes,
caverns, houses, catacombs, or what you will, are carved out.
I believe they were houses originally. They are of different sizes
and different designs, and are so close together that in some
Selucia.
83
places not more than four inches of rock exists between one
house and another. Generally each house consists of three com-
partments-the porch or archway, with a couple of seats; the
next apartment with a recess in the wall; the inner one with a
recess on each of three sides, as if used for sleeping in. These
rock-dwellings extend all along the faces of the hills, and where
ravines occur they are also on the sides of the ravines.
If the town itself was not all on the heights, the great build-
ings of the town were; and where the hills recede from the sea
for two or three miles, the most important ruins remain, and the
caverned houses are most crowded. On an elevation of about
300 feet above the sea, there are remains of temples—or fortifica-
tions-not of any great merit, either as regards construction or
design. There are no pillars to be seen, but they may be buried
in the débris. Immediately under the principal ruins, and on
the hill-side, is an immense sarcophagus, 10ft. in length and 4ft.
in width-the largest, but only one of many, on this hill-side.
The fact of these burial-places being contiguous to the cavern-
houses gives a strong argument as to all the caverns having been
places for the dead. Still, the caverns are in places where they
look most convenient for residences, and perhaps the best con-
clusion to arrive at is that some were used by the living, and
some for the dead.
The great sarcophagus I have mentioned is of a firm, bold
design. The side is carved with the busts of women, and with
ox-heads or ram-heads connected by wreaths festooned between ;
while the end has a solitary cross of Maltese shape. Whether
this was the tomb of a Christian or not, I do not know; but
seeing the cross upon it makes one wonder somewhat. The lids
of all these stone coffins have been moved or totally displaced,
in the search for hidden treasure. The lid of the great one lay
upon it, but just sufficiently moved to let a small boy inside.
There was nothing in it when I looked in.
We rode back along the sands to the river Orontes, having
before us a magnificent mountain, 5,318 feet in height, rising
high above the lofty range. There are many mountains, of course,
much higher; but you will form a better idea of this one when
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I say that it is two and a-half times the height of the Sugar
Loaf in Wicklow, or twice that of Slieve Donard, of the Mourne
chain, and has a top as sharp as either of those two.
When an
hour on our way, we came to one of those little white buildings,
of which there are many scattered over the country. They are
all kept pure white by continual whitewashing, and are for the
worship of the sun, or for some form of religion not precisely
known to the uninitiated. Our guide, Mr. Giatro, calls them
"the idolatrous." This day chanced to be the day dedicated to
the bath, and there could not have been less than two hundred
people about the little place. These people came from the moun-
tains about some of them six days' journey. The men and
women, after or before the worship, bathed in the sea. The
smoke of incense issued in volumes out of the windows and
doors of the little building, which with twenty people in it would
be crowded, it is so small. Close to all these little sanctuaries,
temples, or whatever they may be called, are houses, so that pil-
grimages may be made to them. There are two houses and a
well at this temple on the coast. Be their worship what it
may, they looked a quiet sort of people. Some of the women
drew water from the well for us as we passed, while a Turkish
officer came forward and shook hands with us. I do not know
whether he was a worshipper or not.
We arrived at the Vice-Consulate just as the sun was setting.
The sun's rising and setting are both fine sights in this country,
and I always try to see them. Of course, when
Of course, when up in the moun-
tains, as at Beilan, it is impossible to see the sun both rising and
setting: you may see the one or the other, but cannot see both,
except you are on a mountain-top.
We were up before the sun the next morning, and on our way
to Antioch, as I have already mentioned in the beginning of this
letter. On our way, we met Christians (Greek or Roman
Catholic) going to church; and saw others ploughing, others
hunting for quails. This latter occupation is followed in a
peculiar way. A man in a hairy or dark-coloured coat, with
wide sleeves, sets some nets on the ground; then he passes a
couple of sticks through the wide sleeves of the coat, and expands
Antioch.
He
them so as to look like a great bird of the eagle species.
stands as if flapping his wings, and when a quail sees him it
runs along the ground. If in the direction of the nets, the man
runs after it, moving his sham wings like a bird of prey. The
poor quail rushes into the net, and the disguised hunter soon
secures it.
85
We reached Antioch about five o'clock, and arranged to spend
the night at Blunderbuss's house there. We called on the Vice-
Consul, who was greatly vexed that we did not stay at his house.
Blunderbuss's house is nearly as large as the Vice-Consul's. His
daughter had a necklace of gold coins which must have been
worth £50, and his wife was a fine buxom dame. We saw the
women, but they did not eat with us.
I arranged for a good morning's walk-to go round the walls
of Antioch. I was told it would be two hours' walk, but it
proved to be three hours, and it was very hard work getting over
the ground for two-thirds of the distance. The Consul sent the
cavass, or armed man of the Consulate, to attend us; and at 5.30
on Monday morning we started.
Antioch is twelve miles from the sea, in a straight line from
its walls. We passed a cafè where a crowd of Turks were smok-
ing and sipping coffee, though so early. How they laughed at
the idea of our giving ourselves the trouble of going all round
the walls! Fortunately, the sun was on the other side of the
mountain, and the ascent, in the shade, was not so difficult as it
would otherwise have been. The whole river-wall of Antioch
is destroyed, the stones having been, no doubt, used in modern
buildings, although much of the stone of ancient Antioch must
lie buried below. Not only is the river-wall gone, but much of
the end walls. The first portion of wall that is standing is
about a mile from the river, and at a height of 500 feet
above the river-level. There was once a large tower at this
part, and close by is an old bridge with four arches, carrying a
road over a stream-bed. Perhaps the bridge served as an
aqueduct to carry the water into Antioch, and the road may have
been carried on the top of the aqueduct,-I cannot say, and it
did not strike me to examine it at the time.
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Letters of an Engineer.
At the height of 600 feet by the aneroid, we came to a very
perfect piece of wall, eight and a-half feet thick, the top widened
to ten feet, and divided into steps. The soldiers are supposed
to have walked along the top to and from their different posts.
The lower part of the wall is of moderately large stones,
while the upper part is of small stones. We found the
character of the work very different in the wall as we got up to
the higher parts. The mortar is in parts so bad, that much
has never hardened; so everyone who walks on it causes a
portion to fall.
One writer ascribes 400 towers to the walls of Antioch. I went
round two-thirds of the existing walls, but did not see a dozen
towers altogether. Some of these towers are formed of cut-
stone blocks, others partly of stone and partly of brick and
mortar. The bricks are about two inches thick, and the mortar
of similar thickness. The highest tower on the walls, which is
on the highest part of the mountain, is principally of this
character of work: it is nearly 1,500 feet above the river, so
you may imagine what a difficult place this was to fortify and
defend. From this point, going towards the East-i.e., away from
the sea-the stones in the wall are much smaller than in the other
part. A regular castle is built near this spot, the walls of which
have round bastions, hollow inside, and so small that they cannot
have been intended for strength. In the neighbourhood of this,
there is a large circular basin, of Roman construction, 130ft. in
diameter. There are also some remains of buildings, including
a church, having the peculiar pointed arches of the Gothic
style. The work in these is rude, nor is there any great bold-
ness of design, except in the magnitude of the arches. One arch
has a span of 36ft., and another 21ft. These buildings are all
in a cluster, on the edge of a ravine that divides the range of
hills behind Antioch. Although at such a high elevation, this
must have been considered an important part of the defence—at
least by the Romans who built the castle, and by the Crusaders
who built the church. I have, perhaps, gone into too much
detail about these walls; but by closely studying such things one
is able to form an opinion on the history of the buildings. One
87
pictures the Syrians here, the Romans there, the Crusaders in
their church; and all this adds greatly to the pleasure of the
walk upon these celebrated walls.
Antioch.
Having reached the edge of the ravine I have spoken of, we
had to make the descent of its steep side, and certainly that was
a going-down. I took a way of my own, as I was considerably
ahead of Stano, the cavass from the Consulate, and Blunderbuss,
junior. The descent was a thousand feet; and, the ground being
covered with all sorts of prickly shrubs, it was very trying to the
skin. The Turk's cotton trousers came to grief in many places.
Across this ravine a magnificent piece of masonry is carried, much
of which is now in ruins; and on the other side the walls are
continued.
We were too tired and hungry to go farther, and, with the
prospect of six hours' ride before us, we abandoned the com-
pletion of our task, and made our way down the ravine to
breakfast. We halted to get a drink at a fountain where there
was a mere thread of water flowing, and about twelve Turkish
girls and women waiting to fill their pitchers. A pretty little
girl, who had possession of the spout when we came up, filled a
vessel for us.
3 a.m., Thursday Morning, 22nd September, 1870.-There has
been such a downpour of rain for the last hour that I have been
unable to sleep, so have risen, hoping to feel sleepy again soon.
The rain is accompanied by thunder and lightning, which, with
the roar of the stream beneath, are very grand. The temperature
is considerably lower: though still 70° here, I feel it very cool,
while at home it would be "close" in such a temperature.
We had a pleasant ride of four hours across the plain from
Antioch to the Karamut han. We always took five hours to it;
but the flies were less troublesome to the horses, and the heat
less oppressive, than on former occasions, so both horses and men
felt it pleasant to get along faster than usual. We passed some
of the largest camels I have yet seen: they came from Adana,
about sixty miles from Alexandretta, and are for winter work,
the desert camels not being able to stand the severe cold of the
mountain-passes in winter. As we passed one train, a couple of
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Letters of an Engineer.
Arabs broke out into one of their melodies, which had quite a
stirring strain.
Arriving at Karamut, we discovered the carcase of the unfor-
tunate horse we had left there ill. Dogs were devouring it; so
the poor kid's blood and the raki had been of no avail.
Three-quarters of an hour from Karamut there is "a pic-
turesque old castle called Bagras"-this is all that books say of
it. As it looked interesting when I passed it before, I arranged
this time to spend a night at the village near it. We reached
the village about an hour before sundown, and, after consider-
able consultation, we determined to lodge on a house-top. Our
baggage was soon conveyed thither, and our beds put in position.
As the putting up of my little folding bed always gives much
amusement and interest to the people, we had soon about twenty
Turks around us on the house-top, watching the operation. The
beauty of the reflection of the sunset on the opposite clouds,
the old castle on its isolated rock, with the great mountains
around and the valley beneath, combined with the comfort of a
bed after a hard day's work, made the scene very enjoyable.
Just as we thought everything was pretty comfortable for the
night, the rain came pattering down, and we had to gather up
our belongings and move into a wretched house.
The ceiling
was several inches too low to allow of my standing upright, the
floor had holes that I could have fallen through, and below was
a stable.
We did not spend our night as pleasantly as we had
anticipated.
Before daybreak we were on our way up to the old castle,
which stands on an eminence about 360 feet above the plateau
beneath. We gazed from this high position on a most charm-
ing sunrise. I never saw any so beautiful-but who can
describe a sunrise or sunset?
I do not know what to make of this old castle. It is a peculiar
old place, almost entirely consisting of dungeons, with the excep-
tion of two large buildings, one of which seems to have been a
church. It might have been built by the Crusaders. The church
-for I cannot imagine what else it can have been-is over sixty
feet in length, twenty-six feet in width, and all of stone. The
The Plain of Antioch.
height from the ground to the apex of the roof is about twenty-
seven to thirty feet. There is an iron ring in the roof, from
which, no doubt, a candelabrum was suspended. The workman-
ship of the entire place is rough, and it appears to have been
built as cheaply as possible; yet there it still stands, a stately
old ruin.
89
A mountainous ride brought us back to Beilan, after having
enjoyed our five days' trip immensely.
Beilan, Syria, 22nd September, 1870.-I have not yet received
permission to proceed with my work; nor have I had any answer
to my telegrams-one to London, and two to Constantinople.
If I do not have news within two days, I shall be off to Aleppo.
If so, I shall have much to put in this letter; but I hope it will
not reach the length of the last.
Village of Inar Beida, or White Spring, September 25th, 1870.—
I am now on the way to Aleppo, not having received any later
news than 20th August, by letter from Mr. Macneill, who ex-
pected me back in London to-morrow, with all the information
I came here to get! Even if I had been ready to return on its
receipt, his letter necessitates a fortnight's further exploration.
The posts must be all astray, else I should have received some of
the letters you no doubt send me regularly. I hope there is
not the same disappointment caused in the arrival, or rather non-
arrival, of my letters.
We made a good start yesterday morning, and we are now rest-
ing, and spending the Sunday as well and as quietly as we can.
I must now tell you something more of the great plain of Antioch,
of which I have said so much in former letters. It has an im-
mense extent of pasturage in the spring and summer, but for
five months in the year the lake extends, and covers close upon
200 square miles of pasture-land. It is proposed to carry the
railway line for part of the way right through this swamp: my
exploration yesterday was to find out if the land was firm
enough to carry the embankment, also if trenches could be cut
through the land so as to form the embankment from the material
so taken out. It is sometimes very difficult to obtain any reli-
able information as to the nature of places: people say they
G
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know all about it, give certain information, and then it turns
out to be all wrong.
،،
Before actually entering upon the swamps, we tried to get
information at a Turcoman village as to what distance the river
that enters the lake was from the village: some said two hours,
others said one hour. I arranged that one of the men who said
one hour" should accompany us to the river-side. He mounted
a horse, and off we started. Half-an-hour's riding brought us to
the margin of the reeds. Up to this, I had been riding in a
straight course towards a mountain-top; but on entering the
reeds, nothing could be seen beyond them, as they rose to a
height of from ten to fourteen, and in some places twenty feet.
Fancy getting through such a meadow! It is no joke, I assure
you. Tracks made by wild boars were frequent, and along these
our horses forced their way-such a crashing and smashing,
twisting and bending, I never experienced. After a quarter of
an hour of this, we reached a place where the reeds had been
thoroughly burnt, and there were ashes over the ground more than
a foot in depth. Our horses sank to their knees at every step;
and the dust kicked up was almost stifling. In places where
the reeds were only charred, the great black stalks, bending and
twisting about us, soon made us look like sweeps. Stano made
an attempt to get out of it sideways, and he was rewarded as he
deserved, by getting even more blackened than a sweep. I per-
severed until horse and man both-for I had to dismount-sank
to the knees; and at length, fearing it would take us over our
heads if we continued, we beat a sudden retreat, leaving the
margin of the river to be explored by some other means.
Not being able to cross the plain in the straight course I had
hoped, we altered our direction, and for the next two hours had
nothing but a bare plain under a burning sun. We then reached
the river, which we forded safely, although the water was nearly
four feet in depth-our horses being accustomed to this sort of
thing. In crossing a small swampy stream, soon after this,
Mustapha the Turk, who was on the top of the baggage on the
pack-horse, came to grief. The horse made a false step, which
caused Mustapha to nearly make a summersault over the horse's
ĭ
The Plain of Antioch.
91
tail into the mud and water behind. He held on well; but the
recoil sent poor Mustapha over the horse's head on to the dry
bank, and set us roaring with laughter.
Birds were wonderfully plentiful here, and Stano shot several
plover. While he was off after a pretty sort of bird like a lap-
wing, I saw a peculiar water-bird on a branch of a tree over a
stream; so, taking young Blunderbuss's gun, I shot it. It was
a very graceful-looking bird: we kept the skin, but to-day find
it smells so disagreeably that we must throw it away. In trying
to cross the plain in a straight line, we went so wofully out of
the way that, while the sun was within but one hour and
a-half of disappearing behind the horizon of mountains, we found
ourselves still three hours' journey from the place we had intended
spending the night at. We felt we must abandon the idea of a
ride of one hour and a-half in the dark; so we looked about for
a village. As we rode towards one, we saw a great flock of birds
which we thought were geese; but they proved to be pelicans.
Stano shot at one, but only wounded it. I jumped across a
nasty ditch which lay between him and the bird, and rushed up
to it; but met with such a reception that I retreated as rapidly as
I went. The animal opened its cavernous fish-receiver, and seemed
to intend to engulph me bodily, or to turn himself inside out in
the attempt. This pelican was larger than any I had seen before,
and the whole flock-about two hundred-appeared alike. I was
going to put a shot in him with my revolver, and carry off his
head and wings; but, on second thoughts, I left him, giving
him a chance of recovery. Soon after this, a great crane, quite
a yard and a-half high, came stalking along, carrying a fish.
We could not see any place where we felt we could put up for
Sunday with any degree of comfort; so we determined to push
on to Inar Beida, as originally intended. We reached this village
long after the sun had gone down; but, fortunately, without
mishap. As the place is a "station" on the road to Aleppo,
many travellers rest here for the night. We entered the cafè of
the place, and found about fifteen travellers there, the most
interesting of whom were women. There were two old women,
who were making their way to Aintab from Smyrna. (It is seven
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days' ride from Alexandretta to Aintab.) Two young women,
who were journeying from Beyrout to Aleppo, were rather
tastefully dressed. There did not seem to be men with any of
these women, except the guard who accompanies all travellers
of any note, and the fellow who owns the horses. A number
of men were sleeping on the floor, and a couple of candles,
brought by the travellers, doubtless, were burning, secured to
the benches by a little of the grease. The travellers carry their
own cushions, and, of course, make their own beds. We had
some coffee here; and our man came to say he had found a
good house for us, to which we presently made our way.
There is not a single window, or an attempt at one, in the place.
A couple of holes, made by cats, let in the light which enables
me to write this letter. The front and back walls of the house
are made of stone, the ends and roof of reeds.
It is a queer
place. The mosquitoes last night were very troublesome indeed;
so we look forward to a similar ordeal to-night.
Arab Village of Khan Tuman, 27th September, 1870.—The
mosquitoes proved even worse at Inar Beida than we expected.
They were not mosquitoes proper, but sand-flies, and almost in-
visible, being nearly white. They certainly made themselves
felt. They hurt just like a deep prick from a very fine needle;
and when they operate on one's eyelids, this feels pretty sharp,
I can tell you. My wrists and forehead were quite covered
with little pimples from the bites. I am sure I make myself
very disgusting, describing so minutely the doings of these
plagues ; but they affect my existence so much that I cannot help
writing about them.
Yesterday's ride, during the early portion of the day, was most
uninteresting, being principally over the plain. There is so little
to be seen to talk about: the heat is intense, and the poor horses
kicking, first on one side then on the other, to get rid of the flies,
make the riders extremely cross and snappish. Stano and I fell
out with each other several times, but it was entirely owing to
these circumstances.
At one o'clock we reached the Arab village of Lausareen, where
Lausareen-Dana.
93
We
some time since I spent the night in the Arab sheik's tent.
did not find him now, as he had gone into winter quarters some-
where. The whole village was changed, and most of the villagers
had left the few that remained were preparing for the winter,
rolling up big stones, and building rough walls which they cover
with reeds. The way they make the roof is ingenious. The
whole roof is of reeds-there is not a bit of wood except the
centre-piece or ridge. After the whole thing has been made on
the ground, it is hoisted up. We wanted a man who was roof-
making very industriously to act as our guide, but he refused.
Stano wanted to beat him to make him come, and was quite
annoyed because I would not permit it.
Arabs are of many kinds. Some are miserable wretches, who
have always been knocked about by the Turks, and have lost all
spirit these poor fellows will do anything if they are com-
pelled, but they are so lazy they will do nothing without
compulsion. These generally go about the plains with their
flocks. Almost a similar class are the camel-drivers, but, being
travellers, they are more intelligent and more cheerful, and
some of them are warlike-looking fellows. As they walk along
by their great camels, they frequently sing what is to them a
melody, I suppose; but, if one hears it close by, there is little
melody in it. If a few Arabs are with the caravans on horse-
back, armed with spears, they seem to think they are great fellows.
Their spears are by no means neatly-made weapons; still, a prod
with one going at nearly thirty miles an hour would seriously
interfere with the prodded one's comfort. Then there are the
Arabs in the villages (amongst which class we are at present), who
never seem to be "at home"-at least, this is my impression of
them.
We spent last night at Dana, one of those villages con-
structed on the ruins of former towns, of which there are very
many between the plain of Antioch and the plain of Terrib.
A writer, speaking of these, says they are "all of the Lower
Empire, and very uninteresting." I think this opinion was
formed after a weary ride on an empty stomach. After spend-
ing a little time in one, I can say I was much interested in it.
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The ancient buildings are not without architectural merit, and I
hope to read something about them: at present I know nothing
of their builders. The awful desolation that reigns around-
nothing, absolutely nothing but bare rocks of a grey colour,
and these villages bleakly standing up amidst ruins, like monu-
ments in an immense stone-yard-this may have conduced to
influence the writer I have spoken of.
Aleppo, 28th September, 1870.-I write in one of the finest
houses in Aleppo, although now rented at £30 a year. It is
owned by a man Stano knows, so here we are lodged for a day
or two, and I am enjoying the luxury of writing on a table once
more.
Is it not provoking ?-Sitting behind me on the divan is a
pleasant-looking young girl who speaks French, and I cannot say
a word! A less attractive sister is sitting in front. I am not
on the divan, but on a chair. Now do not think, from what I
have said, that we are in a house with magnificent carpetings,
luxurious divans, and all sorts of nice things. One side of the
drawing-room contains a great ark or bin for barley and corn; in
another corner is a heap of firewood; while in another is the whole
of the bedding for a family of ten. Around the walls are hung
some old guns and pistols !
But to revert to the old ruins, which seem so mysterious in
their gloomy solitude. One building looks like a church, and is
different in style from any building I have seen. I have been told
to-day that they were built by Antioch Christians. No one seems
to know when they were abandoned, but a date, 518 A.D., carved
on one of the old buildings, has been discovered by the Consul
here, Mr. Skene. In addition to the ruins above ground, there
are also great caves beneath: from the top they look like wells,
but, on looking down, they widen out. I would have gone down
into one to explore, but had not a rope. There is a difference of
opinion about these caves: some say they were cisterns, others
that they were habitations (for such are found frequently in
Syria). At one of these places I discovered a little channel,
which no doubt conveyed a stream of water gathered from the
surface-rains, so that one must certainly have been a reservoir.
Dana.
95
The present village of Dana is built in the midst and out of the
ruins of such a town as I have described; and it is strange to see
the wonderful metamorphosis which has been made of some of the
old ruins. One old square tower has been turned into a minaret
for another old building converted into a mosque. Four pillars,
picked up somewhere, were mounted on the top and surmounted
by a crescent, and from this the Muezzin is daily proclaimed.
The house we were lodged in at Dana (the sheik's, for Dana
is an Arab village) consisted of three distinct apartments-one
might be called the reception-room, another was the kitchen, and
the third the sleeping apartment for the junior members of the
family and the servants. The sheik and his wife sleep in the
reception-room.
At this place we had to submit to some inconvenience, for the
poor horses could not get a drop of water. There has been a
wonderful drought this year, and the people are nearly ruined.
The water has to be brought in skins, a distance of two hours'
journey by donkeys and horses. There is very little barley, very
little of anything, and the water failing too,—these poor people
are almost desperate. We were received by the sheik with many
"salemmas;" but had to sleep with our men, as well as two of
the sheik's retainers, all in the same apartment--the whole floor
being covered over with the six of us. These Arabs are Moslems,
but the women do not cover their faces. The wife of the sheik,
a fine buxom woman, cooked our food and looked after our wel-
fare, while many Arab women came in to look at us, several of
them having some pretensions to beauty. But nothing in
human form could be more hideous-looking than many of these
Arabs of the plains (tent-dwellers); while the way they can
scold would far outstrip Dan O'Connell, who, I believe, scolded
to silence the greatest termagant in Dublin by only using
Euclid: that phraseology, however, would have little effect on
an Arab woman when she begins.
We left Dana at an early hour, and soon passed through the
Pass of Terrib-in some parts very rocky and very barren. In
this pass, red and grey are the only colours, the red being the
soil, the grey the rocks. Passing into the plain of Terrib, the
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whole scene changes-not a rock is to be seen, but a horizon of
mountains and hills bounding it. Here we saw a beautiful
mirage, apparently a great lake with islands, and at one time a
steamer seemed to be sailing on it. Studded here and there over
the immense plain were indistinct roughnesses or excrescences,
which, when examined with the glass, proved to be villages.
There were also tumuli, some of them of huge size. Authorities
differ as to the origin of these mounds: those in Syria are much
larger than any in Macedonia, but generally the shape is the same.
What surprises me most is, that no hollow from which material
could have been removed to form them is to be seen in the neigh-
bourhood of these vast tumuli. They stand a wonder and monu-
ment of human industry.
The first village we reached was Terrib, just under a big
tumulus, the sides of which the villagers have gored considerably
to get clay for their huts. On the way here, we met troops of
donkeys carrying great skins of water to the villages on the
heights. As we came near to the well, how the poor horses did
rush! The scene around this well was remarkable. The water
was forty feet below the surface. There is a broad stone base to
the well, and some stone cisterns for watering cattle.
Six men
and women were hauling up water in skin buckets, and filling
great skins, or great iron vessels; and many others were waiting
their turn. Our poor horses eyed jealously the precious streams
from the skin buckets all going into other vessels than the cis-
terns; and one of them expostulated on the subject by seizing a
bucket with his teeth. An Arab woman had pity on him, and
gave him a drink. Our Turk asked an Arab to fill the cisterns
for the horses after he had filled his skins. The Arab went
skulking off, but was pursued by Stano, who made him draw the
water. When drawn up, the water was so muddy we could not
drink it; but it became clear when allowed to stand a short time.
The Arabs crowded around us, and were altogether a disagreeable
lot. One fellow took a little stone-hammer out of my saddle-bag.
I thought he simply wanted to look at it, but Mustapha said he
meant to steal it; so the Turk lorded it over the Arab, and
ordered him to give it up.
Han Tuman.
97
Nothing could be more miserable, next to sand-plain deserts,
than our route from Terrib to Han Tuman, a ride of five hours.
We passed the ruins of a town similar to that last described, and
also two ruinous villages of huts, caves, &c. Close to one village
was a well two hundred feet in depth, at which a number of
shepherds were watering their flocks. There was a rough pulley
over the well, and two men walked along a well-beaten path,
pulling the rope. We wanted to give our horses water here,
but the Arabs told us that often the well went dry, and then
they had to take their sheep and goats to another well two hours
further off, and, as we would find water there, we might as well
go that far.
As we were now within four hours' distance of Aleppo, I
determined to stay for the night at Han Tuman, on the river
Challis. Here are the ruins of a very fine han, from which the
village is named. We went to the sheik's house, but he was
from home. Stano represented that we wanted to stay for the
night; but, as the sheik was not there, they would not take
us in.
Stano blustered and talked, but at last he said to me,
"Mr. Maxwell, it's an impossibility-we cannot stay here."
Inside the house, a tremendous row was made by two women.
I thought it was because the men wished to let us remain and
the women objected. But, as it was absolutely necessary that I
should stay to look about the neighbourhood somewhat, Stano
went in again, and said he would complain to the Pasha if we
were not accommodated, and that, in short, stay we must. So out
the people bundled, and in our baggage was tumbled. The
sheik arrived soon after, gave us a cordial reception, and
apologised for his people having refused us admission at first.
But we found these people greedy, and they charged us double
prices for everything.
I have just received a telegram in reply to my third to Con-
stantinople, and it is almost as unsatisfactory as if I were a
complete stranger to those to whom I understood I was to apply
in case of difficulty. To-morrow I must send off another.
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Leaving Han Tuman, we went along the valley of the river
Challis. The Egyptians, when in possession of the country,
showed that they could do something with it. They built
several mills on the stream, and, as there is a considerable width
of comparatively level ground in the valley, the means adopted
for raising the water for the mills also enabled the land to be
irrigated. The consequence is that the valley is an oasis in the
otherwise at this time of year-red-hot plain. It is hardly a
plain, however, as there are low, undulating hills, very flat on
the top; but, seen from a distance, the whole area enclosed by
the mountains appears one level plain. After travelling for
thirty miles without seeing a bit of green, it was pleasant to ride
up such a valley as this. You may say, "But surely wherever
there are flocks there must be pasture." Well, there may be;
but if so, only the animals can see it, for on all this wide plain,
except close to the Challis, I only saw scarce tufts of weeds, and
occasional thistles, all withered. There was nothing to relieve
the monotonous reddish-brown of the soil.
One mile from Han Tuman there is a village of eighteen
dome-top houses, called Garassee; two miles farther on, a similar
one of thirty-seven houses, called Whazee, and at this place
there was a sight worth seeing. Some repairs were actually
being done to a road-bridge-so there is hope for Turkey
yet! A man and a woman were mending the pavement of the
bridge.
In the whole valley the Arabs were very busy ploughing, wash-
ing wheat, and collecting and drying fuel for the winter. These
poor people must be badly off in the winter, as they have
nothing but the manure of the oxen and camels for fuel. When
we were at Lausareen, a mungall, or brazier, of this stuff was
brought, alight, to boil our coffee. After partaking of the coffee,
I was lighting my pipe, but the match went out, when an
officious Arab took a bit of this fire and put it on my tobacco.
It did not improve the flavour.
Half-way to Aleppo we came to a village of sixty houses,
called Deighey, and here the tops of the minarets of Aleppo
came in sight.
Aleppo.
After passing over a number of undulating hills, we reached
the olive-yards, fig-tree orchards, and gardens of Aleppo. We
passed through the cemeteries to one of the dingy old gates of
the town. Some Moslem towns are remarkable for their ceme-
teries; but at Aleppo they are the most desolate-looking places
imaginable: just a forest of stone stumps placed in the ground,
some fallen, some broken. Roads run through the ground, and
no attempt is made at fencing in. Passing through a dilapidated
gateway, and between a couple of soldiers posted on either side,
with their bayonets fixed, we entered the Eastern city.
99
I found the streets better paved than in any other Turkish
town I have been in. In most of the streets it is possible to
walk without first seeing that you place your foot so that your
ankle will not be dislocated; it is also possible to keep step
when walking in company. The streets are not made for car-
riage traffic, although I have seen one, and I believe there are a
few others, wide enough. The bazaars are darker, and I think
narrower, than those of Constantinople, but finer than those of
Smyrna. There is much building going on in the place now;
and, seeing how narrow the streets are, one wonders how pedes-
trians escape getting knocked on the head by a stone, or crushed
under foot by the huge camels employed in carrying stone,
which pursue the even tenour of their way regardless of
humanity in these narrow, dark, crowded thoroughfares. But
I fear I am giving my second day's impressions before my first,
so I must begin again.
We had sent Mustapha on before us from Han Tuman, bear-
ing a letter from Stano to a friend of his in the town, requesting
that quarters might be assigned to us and luncheon made ready
against our arrival at mid-day. The first thing that struck me
on arriving at the house was that the door had a knocker, a rare
thing in the East, but not uncommon in Aleppo. The street
our house stands in is only seven feet in width. The door was
opened by a homely-looking woman, and disclosed to view a
Jerusalem donkey, saddled, and held by an Armenian servant.
The master of the house was just about to start for his place of
business. Under the leafy branches and pendant fruit of an
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Letters of an Engineer.
orange tree and a magnificent vine, a fine open court appeared,
with a couple of young and ugly girls in it. We entered; a
charming fountain was disclosed, and a magnificent divaned re-
cess to the right, very lofty, and with much gilding about it.
Around the marble fountain pots of flowers were arranged. The
floor of the court was paved with marble, the part in front of
the divan being of many colours and elegant design. In front
of the doors of the principal apartments opening on the court-
yard there was also inlaid marble.
Being received as friends, we had Western hand-shaking all
round, as well as the Eastern "Salemma;" the master, the mis-
tress, the misses, and the young masters all receiving us quite
warmly. The whole family speak three, some of them four lan-
guages, but the only English word they appeared to know was
"good."
Our Turk, Mustapha—and Turks seldom show any
surprise—seemed a little bewildered when he saw Stano giving
his orders as if the house with all its gilding were his own. But
Stano had lodged in the house for a month previously, conse-
quently he knew the place and the people. We were shown into
a room off the divan, where there was also much gilding and
painting, and the Western luxuries of an iron bedstead, a wash-
ing-stand, table, mirror, and chairs. We enjoyed a wash im-
mensely, and were soon afterwards sitting down to a comfortable
meal at a table! Since leaving Beilan we had had to eat sitting
on the floor, a towel for our table-cloth, and without plates, a
few tin dishes being the only things to be had en route. As soon
as we were seated at table, the little fountain commenced play-
ing—and, at last, here was the realisation of all that I had ima-
gined Eastern houses to be.
In the afternoon we visited the Consul, Mr. Skene, a fine old
man, who received us most hospitably.
His wife died some
months ago, and not only has he lost the solace of his life, but
everyone in Aleppo a friend. I am told that between twenty
and thirty thousand people gathered at the funeral. She is sadly
missed.
Chatting over our narghilis and coffee, the Consul told me
that he had done all he could to obtain the permission for me
"The Finest House in Aleppo."
101
to make the survey, but the application was refused by the
Porte; and that really nothing could be done except on the spot
at Constantinople. He strongly advised me to survey another
route which he indicated for the railway, between here and the
plain of Antioch; and, from what he says, I should think several
miles would be saved and a better line of railway obtained.
After leaving the Consulate, Stano said, "Now I am going to
show you perhaps the finest house in Aleppo." We went up a
gloomy little passage, knocked at a mean little door, and entered.
Fine as is the house we are lodged in, this one far excels it. The
plan is almost similar, but with less gilding and more marble.
Around the fountain were splendid marble vases filled with
beautiful flowers. On the divan sat an old Allepine, wearing
a seamless cap made from the fine fur of a black lamb killed
before its birth. Soon the lady of the house appeared, and
gave us both a warm welcome; then several young women be-
came visible, and did likewise. From their not appearing in
the divan, I suppose it was not calling-time, and they were not
dressed for visitors. We then went up to the old man, who
·looked about a hundred years old, and he saluted us in the style
of the country-touching the tips of his fingers, and then carry-
ing the salute to the head. The old lady seated herself, and we
sat down also. The fountain was started, and as soon as the
basin was well wetted, a number of birds came down out of the
orange-trees and vines and commenced bathing, actually rolling
themselves on the marble in their energetic ablutions.
We were
offered narghilis, but declined them, and had some lemonade,
always grateful in the heat of the day. The newer part of the
house is 130 years old, and yet it looks as fresh as if it was only
twenty years. The other and larger part is three hundred years
old.
After this we went to visit my quondam acquaintance, the
Armenian Bishop. We found him at service in his gorgeous
church, which apparently had within it all the usual ornaments
of the Romish faith. There were several priests, and some
choir-boys chanting the responses. One solitary man was wor-
shipping on his knees, and at the back of the church there were
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C
about six women in white. We waited until the service was
over; and, although I endeavour in any house of worship to
avoid showing my feelings, it was as much as I could do to keep
my countenance when, during the service, a quarrel occurred
between two of the small boys. They were not careful to sup-
press their voices, and their altercation, which sounded very
like Billingsgate or Whitechapel, was kept up until the ser-
vice was over. The old bishop gave me a hearty shake-hands,
and escorted us to his divan, where we had cigarettes and coffee,
in company with some of his clergy. After a quarter of an
hour we said good-bye, and left, hoping to meet again.
We next went for a stroll through the bazaars and a walk to
the telegraph office, where I sent off my telegram to the Otto-
man Bank, Constantinople, and to-day received the unsatisfactory
answer I have alluded to. It was getting dark as we returned,
and the shops were nearly all closed. A few miserable little oil
cup-lamps were hung up in the arched passages with which the
place abounds. The dogs were going about in dozens, snarling
and snapping, getting more kicks than anything to eat. On
arriving at our konak, we found dinner laid in the divan for the
two of us. Several members of the family were sitting about
on the cushions. Two very plain girls in white jackets were
among the flowers on the sides of the fountain. If they had
only been English-speaking girls-not only speaking English,
but the genuine article-there would have been a real charm in
the situation. Lamps suspended by chains were glowing, and
the whole scene was highly picturesque.
Having retired to rest, we slept well; and when we had
finished breakfast, our horses were waiting to take us a ride
round the town. Almost our whole way lay through cemeteries.
The Turks here do not adopt the Turkish custom of carving a
fez or turban on their tomb-stones. They have a wild-looking
ornament instead, somewhat like a plant of the thistle kind.
There are two stones to each grave, one at the head, the other at
the foot. From the rude way in which these monuments are
erected, they easily fall; many of them lie flat-some out upon
the roads, while some are wedged up with pieces of wood. Only
Aleppo: The Caverns.
a very few graves have any attempt at a railing. Moribund
horses, camels, and asses appear to go out voluntarily to die
amongst the tombs of the faithful, and it is a sickening sight to
see the carcases of these brutes being devoured by dogs. We
saw some of these dogs lying gorged, panting in the sun.
Byron, in his "Siege of Corinth," well describes the dogs de-
vouring the dead: it would apply here, only it was human bodies
that were being devoured there :—
“And he saw the lean dogs beneath the wall
Hold o'er the dead their carnival
;
Gorging and growling o'er carcase and limb,
They were too busy to bark at him!"
103
The town of Aleppo is built on soft chalk, and there are great
excavations underneath-for what purpose I cannot tell: but,
from inspection, I believe that it was in quarrying for stone
that these cuttings assumed their present appearance. There is
one fine cutting that looks like a huge tunnel for a railway, or
like one of the rock-hewn temples in the island of Elephanta,
Bombay, of which I have seen pictures. The main cutting or
long tunnel here is 100 yards in length, about 16ft. high, and
16ft. in width; and there are side cuttings. The long tunnel is
used by a number of industrious rope-makers, just as is the
entrance to the Peak Cavern in Derbyshire. We went into this
long cutting, and watched the people at work. The foreman
having offered to get lights if we wished to go further in, we had
these, and went in for nearly a quarter of a mile, sometimes
crawling through tortuous places.
After leaving the caverns, we went to a mosque to see the
dervishes. Stano had obtained permission, but there was some
trouble about it. We were accompanied by a cavass from
the Consulate and an officer from the Pasha. Having entered
the yard or garden which surrounds the mosque, we saw that the
doors were not yet open, so we went to the retiring-room of the
priests. Here we found the head priest of the mosque, a fine
and aristocratic-looking old man, seated on a lamb-skin cushion,
dyed crimson, smoking a chibouque. He wore a great hat or
fez, made of white felt about an inch thick, with a sort of hoop
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of felt around it for a brim, and round and round the lower
part of this strange head-gear was wound green ribbon. Several
other priests were moving about, wearing hats of the same make,
minus the brim and the green ribbon. Having seated our-
selves on the divan, the old man saluted us with the usual
Salemma," although I do not think he felt it, for the devotees
of such a worship cannot like Christians.
There was some
doubt about there being a performance, as the dancers were not
in strong force. After waiting about half-an-hour, and partak-
ing of coffee, we observed a stir among them. The old man
rose and went to the mosque, and soon we heard a sort of sing-
ing going on. In addition to the divan in the apartment,
there was further sitting accommodation in the shape of half-a-
dozen chairs. (I wondered that such Western inventions were
admitted.) Four of these chairs were carried into the mosque,
and presently a messenger came to summon us there. I should
mention that we were obliged to wear the Turkish fez upon
this visit.
((
The building is very different from most churches. The
audience sit around a square railed-in space, and there are gal-
leries overhead for the women, screened off from the gaze of the
vulgar. As we entered the mosque, the old priest was kneeling
on his rug in the corner opposite to us. About thirty dervishes,
wearing the great hats already described, and cloaks of different
colours, were kneeling in rows upon the stage, as I may call it,
and so spread out as to cover it. In a gallery above there was
a chanter, some singers, and some musicians with instruments,
and a low chanting was proceeding. At some parts of the ser-
vice, the dervishes would suddenly bend forward and kiss the
floor. The chanting ceased, and the whole party rose as one
man, and retired outside the stage. The old priest, kneeling
on his cushion, with his hands in a supplicating attitude, made
some prayers, the general audience kneeling, and sometimes
kissing the floor. Then the praying ceased, and a weird sort of
music was struck up, a wind instrument of some kind being
used, with an obligato from a sort of banjo, and, I think, a
drum. The dervishes now commenced walking around within
Aleppo: the Dervishes.
105
the railed-in space, and each made a bow when he came to the
rug on which the old priest had been kneeling, then spun round
once and bowed the other way, and so on for two or three times
round. This over, they again retired to the sides of the enclosure,
while the old priest prayed a little longer. He then rose, and,
while some chanting was going on, did a little bit of their waltz,
rather cautiously, and then sat down. Now the time for joint
movement appeared to have arrived, for twenty of the dervishes
donned their cloaks and prepared for action.
The dress is of white, a long skirt reaching the ankles, and of
ample width, wider than any lady's dress, even in the days of
crinoline. The dancers are ranged in a row; the first advances
and makes a low bow in front of the old priest, in order to kiss
his girdle. Then the dancer fixes his arms across his chest,
clasping each shoulder, and commences to spin round, a few
turns expanding the petticoat. Number one is followed by
number two, and so on, until they are all started. They swing
round until they all get into position, then stretch out their arms
and spin round like teetotums. They kept at this for four
minutes, which may seem a short time; but to the poor devotees
it must have been long, for some of them make over sixty revo-
lutions in a minute. There was one old man kept walking in
and out between them all the time, seeing that they performed
vigorously. After a rest of about a minute, they went at it
again for three minutes; then, after a little further rest, a few
more joined in, and there was a grand finale, in which the old
man's son performed. He wore a jacket of yellow silk, and a
hat with one band of green ribbon. Amongst the dancers was
a boy not more than seven or eight years of age. After the
last dance, there was a prayer for those in authority, and then
it was all over.
What a sad thing it is to think of the ignorance which ad-
mits of such a performance: and yet these men did the whole
thing with the greatest gravity. Poor fellows! they looked as
if it did not agree with them: it must be dreadfully fatiguing.
After this, we went to see lime-kilns and stone-quarries, and
then to the bazaars, where we had a peculiar drink-a syrup of
H
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sugar, with stiff lumps of gelatine floating in it. Finally, we
viewed the town from the tower of the ancient citadel,
Arab Village of Nay-bull, 30th September, 1870.-Stano is
asleep, and, as I have no one to talk to, I intend writing a little,
although it is under rather difficult circumstances. It is not
easy to write by the light of a bad candle, sitting on the floor,
without table or chair, especially when one's legs are too long for
this sort of attitude. I see some strange phases of life in my
travels, and if I could only commit them to paper at the time,
my description would be more vivid than after the lapse of
some days, when successive scenes have somewhat effaced the
former. As I write, two Arab women are cooking a couple of
fowls over a charcoal fire close by, in a clay dish, while an Arab
man blows the fire occasionally. Our two men are finishing, for
their dinner, what we left of a fowl and a large melon.
Turcoman Village of Marat, Sunday, 2nd October, 1870.-
Of all the strange places we have yet visited, this is the most
remarkable for inquisitive people. Stano has gone to try to
shoot some partridges for our dinner, and I have stayed behind
to read and write. He has been gone two hours, but I have
only now got started, as every article I have with me has been
thoroughly scanned and examined by a lot of fellows. The
Turcomans, in appearance, are very independent and warlike.
Nearly every man is armed with either gun or pistol. It is
rather novel to have coffee handed to you by a fellow with a
pistol in his girdle, while a similarly armed man cooks the eggs.
In their inquisitiveness, they differ from the Turks, who are
too proud to display their ignorance. Inwardly the Turks like
to know about everything, but they will not show what they
feel. Not so these people. My air-cushions offer an abundant
fund of amusement: they never seem to tire of filling and then
emptying them. I have a map of Europe, and I had to point
out Prussia and France. Seeing the small spot England is,
compared with Russia, they felt Russia was an immense world
in comparison. To show them it was not so, I drew a little
circle and a big circle; then took some sand, the grains of
which I made them understand were to represent men. I covered
Aleppo: the Castle.
107
the little circle with the sand, and then spread the same
sand over the larger circle, and they understood at once what
I meant.
We arrived at this place half-an-hour after sundown, and
found it better than we expected. There is a sort of cafè for
travellers—one large room, well built, and the neatest thing of
the kind I have seen anywhere in these parts. In front of the
building are two round carvings on the wall, and inserted in
the ornaments are a couple of earthenware plates, in blue
colour. They form rather a pretty addition to the appearance
of the front. On our arrival we found about twenty men in
the room. The head-man of the place is ill, but a competent
deputy filled his place, and proved as intelligent as he was in-
quisitive. We soon had fifteen eggs frying in some butter, and,
with these and a box of sardines, we were not starved by any
means. This morning for breakfast we had some birds.
I am sick of all the enforced company, and long for quiet.
There is no such thing as being alone for a minute travelling in
this country. One cannot even change his shirt, without having
a dozen men, if not the whole village, watching.
But it is full time I returned to the castle of Aleppo. It
stands almost in the centre of Aleppo, upon a great artificial hill,
made of the materials excavated from the moat which surrounds
the elevation. I do not know the date when this great work
was accomplished, but I have four arrows, from a great store of
those found when some excavations were being made. These
arrows are said to have been made in the ninth century, con-
sequently they are about a thousand years old. The Consul
here, who has written books on the country, assures me the
arrows are bona fide, and of the age I mention. In many parts
of the walls, which are built of soft stone, the points of arrows,
which had been discharged at but missed the portholes, can
still be seen stuck in the stone-work. I confess that if I had
not seen this I should have been as unbelieving as Thomas. An
earthquake occurred here-in 1852, I think-and all that
part of the town on the high elevation of Aleppo, as well
as the fortifications and much of the rest of the town, was
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thrown down. Many thousands of people lost their lives, and
many very beautiful buildings were laid in ruins.
I explained in a former letter the construction of some Sara-
cenic arches that I have seen here. These arches abound in
Aleppo-in fact, Aleppo may be said to be Saracenic, although
it has had many masters. The place is in ruins, yet there are
many buildings not so utterly ruined as to have fallen down
bodily. The walls are wonderfully perfect, and there are still
some very old cannons in the place, left by successive conquerors
and defenders. There is one which is very peculiar in the
principle of its construction, and, strange to say, of a design for
which a patent was taken out by an American engineer some
years ago. In fact, it combines in its construction the idea of
the American and that of our famous gunmaker, Sir William
Armstrong. First, there are immense staves of iron welded
together, and over this-coiled, no doubt, when red-hot-a
spiral of iron; and over all this, ring after ring, one pressed
down on the top of another. The inner system is similar to the
Armstrong construction, while the outer rings, which were put
on red-hot, contracted when cooling, thus tightening the inner
iron-work. So there is nothing new under the sun! The
arches, I believe, are constructed -oh, bother! I have had to
explain to the Turcoman sitting beside me the little sketch of
the gun-construction which I made on my letter. He is watch-
ing every stroke of my pen as I write. If I send you an outline
of the peculiar arches, I shall have to explain that too, and it
taxes my ingenuity to such an extent that I must just leave a
blank, and fill it afterwards. The Turcomans are Mohammedan
in religion, so of course their Sunday is Friday; and if this were
their Sunday, they would only be here in greater crowds. For-
tunately my watcher is now going: he is as tall as I, and quite
a fine-looking man. He wants to go with me on my travels.
Now I have put the arches in, and you will readily under-
stand that, with their peculiar "broken-joint" or step construc-
tion, in the event of a shock from earthquake, such arches would
not so readily give way as if made in the ordinary manner.
I have seen both kinds of arch in a shaken state-I mean the
Aleppo: Saracenic Arches.
109
ordinary and the peculiar kind I describe-and there can be no
doubt that to the peculiar mode of joining the stones of the
Saracenic arch may be ascribed the fact that so many of these
arches still remain intact.
To return once more to the castle. A cavass from the Consul
came for us about an hour before sundown, and soon we were
traversing the very fine entrance to the citadel across the moat,
a strong work of bold Saracenic construction. An officer waited
for us at the door, and, as we entered, the guard presented arms,
we, of course, returning the salute. There is but little to de-
scribe in the interior: it is a mass of ruins and rubbish. A
barrack has been built for the few soldiers who reside inside the
walls. There is a well about 200 feet deep, and a horse was
working industriously in hauling up water. There is a tower
about seventy feet high, which has been turned into a minaret.
This we ascended to see the setting sun, and to have a good
view. The whole town, the sites of the graveyards, and the
heaps of rubbish left by the earthquake, all looked white.
On the north of the town is the Challis, a small river, but the
very life of Aleppo. In its valley a grateful green colour is
visible, while on the south there are olive, fig, and pistachio-
nut trees. This green, when it occurs, is a charming relief, and
divides the glistening or rather glaring white of the town from
the unlimited expanse of reddish-brown hills and plains which,
except for a few mountains to the south (Lebanon), bound the
whole horizon.
We are at present exploring a route to the north—the line
adopted by Sir John Macneill was to the south-but I would
not have gone on this exploration now if I had had anything
better to do, for I have not found out, so far, a better line, or
one as good, on the whole, as Sir John's; and what I have
found," I have no doubt Mr. Telford Macneill was over also.
Still, it is the opinion of many that the line to Aleppo should
take a northerly, not a southerly direction, so as to join other
future lines.
(C
The plains traversed from Aleppo on this northerly route, for
ten hours' distance from the town, are much better, more fer-
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tile, and more populous than in the Terrib direction. Still,
there are not ten trees on the route, and water is not to be seen,
except by looking down into deep wells. On our four hours'
ride on Friday, the only people we met were three men, one
woman, and two boys; and the only other living things, a flock
of gazelles, at one of which Stano fired, but the shot only kicked
up the dust in front of it What a scamper of the pretty little
creatures there was! They have very beautiful eyes, but are
extremely shy. I have seen a tame one here. When the sun
was down we made for a village, but could not get into a house.
There was no barley for the horses, and no water to spare; so
we were rather rudely told to go farther. We bargained with a
man to guide us to another village, forty minutes distant, as it
was nearly dark. We passed the graveyard of the village. No
stately monuments stand where these poor Arabs lie.
A grave
is made, and a few stones are placed in an oval to mark the
spot. Seeing many little groups of stones in circular form, I
presumed they marked burial-places of children. Moslems do
not bury more than one body in each grave.
When we arrived within sight of the village of Nimbull, our
guide pointed it out, and was about to leave us. We were not
in the most amiable of tempers, so young Blunderbuss caught
the fellow by the back of the neck, while Stano and I rode
behind, and thus compelled him to take us to the house of the
sheik. He said his reason for not wishing to go the whole way
with us was, that our having gone to his village first, and his
people having sent us on to another, that other would take it as
an insult. Once at the sheik's house, he left us like a shot, and
we advanced to a party of Arabs sitting smoking.
Not one
rose, and they returned our salute very drily, seeming to wish us
to pass on. This we could not do, and, after a long parley, we
went into the house, where the fowls were cooked as I have
already described. The men here were not generally tall or
lanky, but the strongest-looking fellows I have seen.
Next day we rested under a cluster of fine old mulberry-trees,
each some six feet in diameter: a spring of water flowing under
them made the shade very grateful. A Turcoman woman most
Kaffir Saffery.
111
obligingly gave us bread and some cushions, and here we rested
for nearly two hours. An hour's ride afterwards brought us
to the head of a valley. This was the part I feared would
prove the difficulty of this route, and it was so, the descent to
the river being too steep. The valley of the Afrinn is not
wide, nor yet a ravine; there is but a small stream in it now,
but in winter there is a mighty torrent, as can be seen by the
havoc it causes. Across such rivers in these parts there are no
bridges; so, in time of flood, people who desire to cross must
wait until the water subsides.
Village of Kaffir Saffery, Sunday Night.-This is a queer
place-another Turcoman village. We are in a very large apart-
ment, long and narrow. There seem to be three mothers in the
place, and three babies in one swinging cradle, common to the
lot. We have a fire-place at our end of the room, and they
have another at theirs. The whole scene is highly picturesque.
Nearly all the men of the village are at our end, and I think most
of the women and children are at the other. I wish I could
represent many of the scenes in colour, or even in a good pen-
and-ink sketch, for they would form fine subjects for pictures.
Kafir Saffery, Morning.-There is so much delay here in
getting a few eggs boiled, the barley for the horses, &c., that I
have my bed rolled up and am waiting for breakfast. Having
nothing to do, I sit down to scribble. On this expedition from
Aleppo, I determined to take as little baggage as possible, so
left my bedstead at Aleppo. Stano, in the cookery department,
was too sparing of requisites. Just fancy, last night we had
to make the tea in an empty preserve tin, unwashed, the preserve
still sticking to the sides! There is not a candlestick in the
place, so the candle is stuck in the neck of a bottle of brandy
or raki, as the case may be. Last night the candle burnt down,
and finally dropped into the liquor: such flavours are by no
means uncommon here.
The people of the country have no earthenware, a few iron or
copper vessels generally serving the whole food requirements of
the family. For boiling bulgor (wheat, butter, and milk) there
is a big pot, and there is generally in the family property a copper
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In the best houses there are
With
jug, often of most elegant shape.
wooden spoons; but generally the fingers have to serve.
all the vessels at our disposal, we sometimes find a little difficulty
in making good tea. We usually carry with us spoons, knives
and forks, our beds, a few books, and a change of clothing; and
all our luggage, with the exception of saddle-bags, goes on our pack-
horse, with Mustapha on the top: that horse has a good load!
Travelling is all regulated by the "pack-horse hour," which
averages three miles. I arrange matters so that our pack-horse
shall be always moving forward, by which means we measure our
distances. Frequently I have to stop to make some observations,
and, after taking these, we have an inspiriting race to catch up
to the "regulator." In this district we take a Turcoman with
us, in addition to young Blunderbuss. The Turcoman has a
very swift mare, and to see the four of us dashing along at the
rate of thirty miles an hour, the clothes of the two natives
flying about, and the guns first in one position then in another,
is grand. I give an odd Irish whoop occasionally, which seems
to rouse horses and men into wonderful excitement: sometimes
I stay behind, watching the three men ride off, till they are
soon lost to sight in a cloud of dust.
I am very hungry, and I did not sleep well. What with dogs
barking, children erying, and an occasional rocking of the cradle,
it was no easy matter to sleep. The whole floor, big as it is, was
covered over with the beds of all in the house—about twenty
people.
At last-Breakfast is up! The "quire" of bread has arrived.
Speaking of bread, I have already told you it is made in sheets
almost as thin as paper. I have since reckoned there are thirty-
two sheets of bread in one inch of thickness. Three women
make and bake in an hour about eighty of these sheets, which,
if pressed together, would make a solid cake about two and
a-half inches thick. This is the modus operandi:—One woman
mixes the dough in an eighteen-inch dish, and, after kneading
it well, makes it into little balls. Three women then sit down
at the fire, upon which is a sort of "griddle" about thirty inches
in diameter. Two of the women have baking-boards upon their
I
Skin Water-Vessels.
113
laps, and little rollers with which they roll the leaves, while the
third manipulates the baking upon the griddle. She works
with two little sticks, and it is quite interesting to watch the
dexterous way in which she turns the thin leaves over and over.
The day we left Kaffir Saffery, we pursued our way over a
mountain until two o'clock, when we rested at a village where
there was a fine spring of water. About a hundred people-
men and women, Turcomans and Arabs-were washing their
clothes or themselves at the spring. Flocks and herds were
being watered too, and two men stationed at the spring kept fill-
ing skins and other water-vessels as fast as they were brought to
them. Many women were waiting with donkeys to carry the
water.
The best sort of skin vessel for water is that which fits on the
animal like a saddle, and is filled upon the horse, donkey, or
camel; but the most common kind is the same as the water
"bottles" mentioned in Scripture-the entire skin of an animal,
with the openings at the legs, &c., sewn up. These vessels,
when filled, look like headless animals. They are filled at the
well or spring, then tied-one, two, or three, according to
weight-upon a pack-saddle. In seasons of great drought, like
the present, water is carried in this way for many miles.
Passing over the mountain through a narrow gorge, we saw
many shepherds with their flocks. It was pitiful to see the
scant supply of water: the bottom of the gorge was made into
little basins, so as to catch every drop that issued from the
rocks. People at home do not feel the full force of the allusions
in the Bible to "springs of water in dry places," nor of the passage
which describes the prophet Elisha at the brook which dried
up; but travelling here under a scorching sun, the eyes pained
with the white, burnt-up earth, the tongue parched with the dry
air, the full force of such allusions comes to the mind.
At 3.30 p.m. we came to a copious spring in a fine open valley,
very fertile: a number of villages were to be seen along the heights.
About the spring were many women washing their clothes.
Several of the women were bathing, while others emptied pitchers
of water over them. They were but a few yards from the well,
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and our arrival did not seem to disconcert them so much as to
cause them to cease their ablutions. Here our Turcoman guide
wished to leave us, as he said the valley was now open, and the
river running through it, so that we could not go astray. At
4.30 he took his departure, telling us we had about five hours' ride
before us.
This would make the time of our arrival at our lodg-
ing 9.30-three and a-half hours after nightfall; but there was
moonlight, and as we had, thanks to some partridges, a good meal,
we felt we should enjoy the ride But until my dying day I shall
remember that ride. At seven o'clock (one hour after sundown),
we arrived at the river. Believing that by riding down for
about ten minutes we should find a road along the river which
would cut off two hours of the distance, we rode down, down-
at one time over great boulder-stones, at another through groves
of wild laurel; now in the river-bed, now on its banks. We
relied upon the instinct of our horses to find out paths, which
were successively abandoned when we found they led away from
the course of the river.
On again along the stony river-bed! Fortunately, there
was only about a foot in depth of water. Travelling by night
being considered dangerous, we carried our firearms in our
hands. After we had ridden for an hour, we saw a light,
and made for it. The light came from a bivouac of camels, with
their drivers. As we dashed up boldly, we almost frightened the
poor Arabs, who told us we were quite close to the road. We
went on for another hour, and came upon a road, which Stano
was certain was the road; but I was in such doubt about it that
I insisted on going farther. Then we went on for another half-
hour, and found ourselves getting into a regular labyrinth of
corn-fields, groves, and occasional rocks. We heard voices in a
corn-field, and hailed the talkers. Insisting that some of the
men should come to us, one obeyed reluctantly, and told us we
had passed the road (so Stano was right), and that we were still
five hours distant from our destination. Our difficulty now was
that I had sent off the pack-horse, to save him a round of two
hours. If we had had our beds and clothing, we would have
lain down anywhere when it came to be nine o'clock. Five
An Eighteen Hours' Riae.
115
hours' ride at 9.30 p.m. was a thing not to be thought of, so we
asked about the prospects of finding a village. The man told
us there was one twenty minutes off; so we arranged for him
to guide us to it. While passing over the threshing-floor of the
village, where there was a quantity of the chaff from the grain,
my horse was so thin, I suppose from an empty stomach and
fright, that the saddle slipped right under him, and I with it:
luckily the chaff gave me an easy fall. The village was one
similar to the tents of Lausareen. We were met by the village
troop of dogs, and, although these brutes bayed loud and deep,
and made sufficient noise to shake the tents, our guide had to
bawl loudly before anyone answered. At last, two of the
"tent-holders" turned out, demanding the cause of the row.
We described ourselves as poor benighted travellers, desperately
hard up for bread and rest, and our horses for barley. But
there was no bread in the village, and no barley, so we had to
pass on.
We were recommended to another village; but, not
seeing any light, we determined to ride and walk to the
rendezvous, where, no doubt, Mustapha would have hot coffee,
and perhaps a couple of roasted fowls ready. The sequel will
show how our hopes were realised.
At this time, we must have been at least fifteen English
miles from our destination, not a village on the way, and the
road simply a number of tracks like footpaths in a field—that
is as regards their breadth, for there were no contrasts of colour
to clearly mark the road. Sometimes we were led off the right
track by another leading to a village, and, discovering our error,
we would have to find our way back. At other times, the
whole ground would be as white as chalk, and no track what-
ever could be discovered: the half-moon, too, which dimly
lighted our slow progress, became obscured by a cloud. Having
at length observed objects approaching, we stood to our arms
abreast, and ordered the coming party to stop, according to
Stano's custom (he will get into trouble for it one day, or I am
greatly mistaken). The travellers, who proved to be a man and
woman, were frightened out of their wits—and no wonder,
for they were fugitives. I shall tell about them farther on.
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Three o'clock in the morning found us still wandering. As
I had not slept much the night before, I sometimes fell asleep
on my horse for a few seconds, a false step of the horse rousing
me.
Another half-hour on, and we came to some shepherds,
frightening them also; but, when they recovered their senses,
they told us the joyful tidings that we were within half-an-hour
of our destination! Hurrah! The very horses seemed to hear
the good news. But three-quarters of an hour passed, and still
no sign of our refuge. We plodded on for another quarter of
an hour, and then met a team of laden camels, whose drivers,
though armed with clubs, were alarmed. too, and "closed up,"
awaiting the attack. We learnt from them that we were close
upon the village of Hamaun, and forty minutes' ride past our
destination. Even this intimation was comforting, for now we
knew where we were; and, turning our horses' heads, we gave
a little cheer. Thus encouraged, the horses pricked up their
ears the good, hardy, patient brutes-and off we went as fast
as the wretched roads and the darkness would permit. On
coming in sight of the han, we called "Mustapha! Mustapha !”
expecting to hear "Osh gelden!" but there was no reply.
Mustapha had not turned up. After loudly knocking at the
door, we entered this miserable but most grateful shelter, and
the poor sleepy handjee was soon blowing up a charcoal fire,
assisted by a solitary traveller, who good-naturedly rose to help
to refresh us. It was now 4.30 a.m., and we had been in our
saddles—with the exception of two hours' rest-since 7.35 a.m.
the morning before-over eighteen hours in all. Until we had
some eggs and plenty of coffee, we were very cold, not having
clothing upon us suitable for such a cold ride: our linen suits
were very well for the noon-day heat, but not for the night air.
Luckily we found some old cushions and a few cloaks about,
and on these we slept until ten o'clock in the morning. After
breakfast, we went out with cushions and narghilis, and sat under
a tree, on the look-out for Mustapha.
Presently a grand Turk, en route to Constantinople with his
family, drew up in great state in the grounds of the han. Two of
A Grand Turk "en route."
his wives were in a tachterawan, or litter, borne by two mules;
two other women were in a similar structure on one mule;
while two sons, the servants, and the potent man himself, rode
on gaily-caparisoned steeds; the baggage being carried by about
twenty mules. They rested for a short time, then went on. It
takes three days for the journey of between eighty and ninety
miles from Aleppo to Alexandretta; so this will give you an
idea of the mode and comfort (?) of travelling in these parts, and
the great necessity there is for a railway. While the caval-
cade was fording the river going, we discovered the renowned
Mustapha coming. He had found the road so bad that he could
not come on in the dark, so he put up at a village where the
people were in much excitement, one of the village girls having
eloped with some admirer (no doubt, the same "fugitives" we
met). In their excitement, the people very nearly hauled off
Mustapha and his pack-horse to the governor of the district,
five miles away, for having stolen the luggage!
The horses are too much done-up for any work to-day, hence
you have this long story of our night's exploits: to-morrow we
return to Aleppo. No doubt there are letters waiting for me
at Alexandretta, but we shall not be there for a week.
Aleppo, 6th October, 1870.—We arrived here at five o'clock
to-day. I have been to the Consulate for news, but the Consul
was not there; so I do not know whether there has been any
telegram for me during my absence. Yesterday morning we left
the han on the river Afrinn. Just as we were starting, a large
party arrived-about seven women (some of them ladies, one a
nun) and two or three gentlemen. One of the latter had gone
to Beyrout to get married, and the "happy pair" were now on
their way to Aleppo. The lady was a fine specimen of her sex,
and the man a puny-looking creature-as, indeed, most of the
Christian population are in this part of the world.
This may
be accounted for in many ways: through never serving in the
army, and having been trodden upon for generations, they seem
to have become dwarfed by the inferiority of their position.
On our way to Terrib we paid a flying visit to Lausareen, but
did not wait, riding on for three hours through a rocky ravine,
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a most barren-looking place. We passed through the plain of
Dana, where we had been some days before. In the pass of
Terrib we came upon the remains-about a mile in length—of a
great and ancient road, eight yards wide. It must have taken
days to get into position some of the great stones which pave it,
although they were cut from the rock in the hill-side: some of
them would weigh close upon two tons. This style of road
could only have existed over the pass; the ruins of the road
through the plain can still be traced, but the stones, scattered
about in heaps, are of small size. Close to this gigantic chariot-
road (of the Romans, as I suppose), a rough-paved road may in
some places be traced-the great flat surfaces of the big stones
probably having proved too slippery for horses in a later period.
At the summit of the pass is an Arab village, constructed on
the ruins of an ancient one. Its name is Tel-ak-Bareen: there
is a tel (or tumulus) close by, hence its first name. We sat down
here to refresh ourselves with a bottle of water and a couple of
fowls, under the shade of a house. Soon a number of Arabs
were around us, and others on the house-top over us. One fine
old fellow was very curious about the railway, and wanted a
description of it: he said he did not believe there was as much
iron in England as would lay a railway-or "iron road," as they
call it-between Scanderoon and Aleppo. When I told him
there were railways in England three hundred times longer than
the one proposed, how he did stare! At Dana we could not
get water for the horses; it has all to be brought from Terrib,
so at this latter place we spent last night.
We found a very
good house, but the people were very inquisitive. The whole
house was filled with Arabs, who occupied themselves in watch-
ing us. Like the Turcomans, they are wonderfully curious, but
hardly so impudent. Stano went to bed, leaving them watching;
but I determined to sit them out. I raised their curiosity to
the highest pitch by having my bed made most carefully,
smoothing down every ruffle in the sheets; they must have
thought it was part of my religion. Having completed this,
doubtless they expected me to "turn in ;" but I lit my pipe, and
commenced reading. I read for a whole hour; when about half
The Plain of Terrib.
119
had passed, an old man, a great big fellow, asked me when I was
going to bed. I replied, "In one hour," whereupon he departed,
and soon they all followed his example.
Every evening and every morning I endeavour to see the sun-
set and sunrise; these are charming scenes, particularly in the
morning. Half-an-hour before the sun actually shows himself,
the whole western part of the sky is a bright roseate hue, and
from every side over the plain are seen the poor women trudging
along to the well with their great pitchers. At the well there
is no end of shouting, and noise of flocks and herds, donkeys
and horses, men and women contending, even as they did
when Jacob helped Laban's daughters. While travelling in
this country, passages from the Bible continually come up in
the mind-as, for instance, when observing the "neighbour's
landmarks," simply a few stones here and there-no fences or
ditches.
The roofs of the houses in the plain of Terrib (and I believe
from Terrib eastwards) are principally of the half-spherical,
dome shape to which I have before alluded.
There are some,
however, similar to those of Beilan, formed thus :—A number of
spars of timber are laid across, from wall to wall; upon these are
deposited branches of shrubs, small twigs, &c. ; then a layer of
clay mixed with straw, well trodden, beaten, and rolled: the
sun soon turns all this into a good hard cake.
The plains around here, which look so stony in some places,
have in others soft mould so dry as to leave cracks one could
creep into.
These plains are now pictures of desolation, but in
the spring, I understand, they are clad with verdure. There is
a charming little flower of the crocus species which, notwith-
standing the dreary barrenness, comes up here and there; it has
no leaves, and from its fragile nature is of short duration. After
a nine hours' ride through such scenery as described, you may be
sure we were glad to arrive at the gardens of Aleppo.
Before retiring to rest, I have been up a long flight of stone
steps covered with vines, leading to the roof, from whence there
is a good view of the town. To-morrow being the Turkish
Sunday, three of the tallest minarets have lamps hung out. In
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the bright moonlight, the view of the white town beneath, with
these minarets against the clear sky, is very charming, and, in
the silence which prevails, most impressive.
At this time of year, at night, the climate of Aleppo is all
that could be desired. The pavilion, the fountain, the marble
pavement, the orange trees and vines, the soft shadows from the
moonlight, all combine to lend a charm to this place, and
render it a veritable oasis in the desert. I could not wish for a
pleasanter night than this; but some of the Syrian days are too
hot for me-much too hot.
Friday Night.-The Consul informed me to-day that he has
heard something is at last being done at Constantinople to get
liberty for me to make my survey.
We called to-day on an Italian, a doctor of twenty-five years'
residence here, who has collected quite a number of old curiosities.
His house is very comfortable, furnished in a combination of
European and Eastern styles, and he has made many additions
and embellishments to a house already charming before he had it.
Perhaps I speak too favourably of Aleppo houses; but one
expects so little from the appearance of the entrance from the
street, that the interior surprises the beholder.
This being Friday, the Turks were about in fine feathers. Fancy
a man who would touch his head most reverentially for five
shillings, and whose boots are badly wanting repair, wearing a
turban round his fez value £5, and a jacket worth £7 ! The
fellow I refer to is a cavass of the Consulate.
After dinner, we went to visit some people who had called
upon us. There was an old man— -the head of the house, his wife
and daughter, son, and son's wife. I hear the young wife can
speak English, but she is not permitted to do so, as it would make
her more brilliant than the daughter, whose sister is married to
a French Count! I pitied the young wife, for in speaking a
few words of English, sometimes to a cat, sometimes to Stano,
I could see that she understood. Italian, French, and Arabic
were being spoken, and when I said I could speak nothing but
English, they seemed to pity me; but I smoked my narghili
with British imperturbability.
Almshouses for Cats.
121
I had read of an almshouse for cats in Aleppo, and, on in-
quiry about it, was told there are several now, principally con-
nected with the mosques. In one place to-day I saw twenty-
three cats, all at a railed door, some of them coming out and
looking up and down the street: dogs and people were passing,
but the cats seemed not to heed them. It is said by the Moslems
that on one occasion, when the Prophet was asleep, a cat chose his
sleeve as a cradle for her kittens. When Mahomet awoke, he
ordered his sleeve to be cut off, that the cat might have it for a bed,
undisturbed; from which time cats have had good friends in the
Turks. Pigeons, too, seem to be great pets with them, but more
so with the Arabs. Almost every house in an Arab village has
holes in its walls for pigeons. At Nimbull there is a building,
said to be one of many such, built exclusively for pigeons. I can
hardly believe this to be so; still this house is large, and the
only door or window in the place is a small opening about 18
inches square.
I could spend months here studying Saracenic architecture.
There are some charming bits of delicate work, and others of
bold, fine design; but all that is fine and beautiful is old, the
new is tawdry.
To-day I visited a Roman Catholic chapel which is being
built here. It will be a fine building, if it stands when the roof
is on-the walls look very light for the height of it.
We intend having a ride of three hours eastwards to-morrow :
that will be further East than I may ever be again—who knows?
Good-night!
Saturday, 8th October, 1870.-We started this morning for
the Eastward trip. We went nearly eleven miles on the way to
the Euphrates-about a fourth of the entire distance. Ahead
there was nothing to be seen but mirage-a great, bright, glassy
sea, camels looking like great trees on the verge of it, and Arabs
ploughing seeming like distant steamers on its surface. As far as
we went, we found well-cultivated ground-I should hardly say
well cultivated, as the ploughing is a most primitive and scratchy
operation. A horse and an ox are yoked abreast, and draw two
things which, for want of a better word, must be called ploughs.
I
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As one donkey is able to carry two of them, you can comprehend
they are not very strong or heavy implements. All the houses
in the villages on our way had the dome-top roof. Not a tree
or green thing is to be seen; but of course it is not spring-time,
and this season has been one of almost unprecedented drought.
I was much pleased, on passing one large village some distance
from the road, to see two large jars by the roadside, kept filled
with water for travellers by the villagers. These jars, built
round with clay, are rough-looking structures, but very welcome
to the thirsty traveller. In and about Aleppo there are many
similar watering-places, said to have been constructed and kept
supplied with water by money left in legacies for the purpose.
When the present Pasha came here a short time ago, he deter-
mined to distinguish himself by amplifying the river of the
town from another river many miles to the North. The
engineer (?) of the new road, who was asked to report upon
the scheme, did so, and made such a favourable report that the
work was ordered to be done: money was levied by the Pasha,
and the work commenced. All went on well, and such great
progress was made, that all which remained to be done, about a
fortnight ago, to allow the precious stream to flow in and combine
with its tiny neighbour, and so give gladness to the thirsty souls.
of Aleppo, was the cutting away of a small bank of earth.
The Pasha went out with a great retinue to see this grand work
inaugurated. Sheiks of Arab tribes were there to offer up sheep
in grateful thankfulness for the glorious work. Guns were to
be fired, and no end of demonstrations made. The bank was cut,
and lo!—the little river flowed into the larger one, and the
water which was to flow into Aleppo flowed on in its original
course, carrying off with it the poor little Aleppo stream, away
to join the Euphrates. Such is the story told me by the Consul,
who says the Pasha is likely to lose his post on account of it;
and he certainly does not deserve much better for levying money
to spend in such culpable blundering.
Aleppo, Sunday, October 9th, 1870.-I have just returned
from a walk, and from attending service in the Greek Church,
and visiting one of the Maronite churches: there is all the cere-
The Costume of Women.
123
monial of the Roman Catholic Church, if not more, while the
motley crowd of worshippers is a study. The Christians in
these parts imitate the Moslems as to the manner of treating
their women.
The Christian women here go about much like
the Turkish, except that the latter wear over the face a complete
mask of an ugly printed muslin, while the Christians paint their
faces, and look very brazen in consequence. Every woman is
shrouded in a white sheet, and the appearance a crowd of these
presents is most remarkable. I have been wonderfully stared
at by them, I do not know why-whether from the "cut" of
my garments, my unusual height, or my peculiar colour, or
what; but every woman I meet stares at me. Some of the
women are good-looking, but with little expression: the dark
eyes look well in the white dress. The Jewish women are
known by their pasted eyebrows and great crinolines, while
some of the Jewish children are "perfect frights"-dressed like
little women, with great crinolines, showy-coloured gauze
dresses, and a quantity of jewellery, the entire little figure being
sheltered under a parasol. The Christian men who have adopted
European costume seem to be clothed with garments exported
from some "ready-made" clothing establishment at the time
when the "peg-top" trousers went out of fashion suddenly,
leaving a quantity of that cut of garment in stock. The colours
vary from sky-blue to dark-brown; while the feet are invariably
covered with highly-ornamented patent-leather shoes. This
applies to the majority of the Europeanised Christians; but
there are some who clothe themselves exactly like High-Church
parsons, with the single difference of head-dress, which is always
a fez.
I am such a different-looking Christian to these fellows,
that I need hardly wonder at being stared at. In the churches
the women are secluded exactly as they are in the mosques,
behind close lattice-work screens.
On our entering the Greek Church, a grand procession was
going round, with a large cross, big candles, and the host (as
I suppose) borne in a box by a priest. The odour of incense
filled the church; and a lot of ceremonial followed, too tedious
to describe. On a pillar at the entrance to the church was
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a picture of the Virgin and Child—a horrid daub, enclosed
within a glass case. The glass was religiously kissed by all
the men and boys as they entered the church. On the other
side was a stand with some sacred books, which they also
kissed. At the door, a great fat fellow sold small candles,
about eight inches in length, and of the thickness of straws.
Most of the people, as they went in, bought a couple of these,
lighted them, and stuck them up on a stand for the purpose,
in remembrance of the dead. No less than four collections were
made while I was there, during one service. I was amused
to see some of the contributors taking change off the salver.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, when most of the men
had left the church, the women came flocking down from
the latticed galleries and other cages, and approached the altar,
where a priest was sitting with a plate of sacramental bread.
They received this in a scrambling sort of way, kissing the
priest's hand and then eating the bread. When we left the
church, we repaired to the house of the Bishop, who is now in
Constantinople. Many of the men from the church had
assembled, and were sitting on the divan, four priests among
them. As we entered they all rose, as is the custom: we sat
amongst them for a time, and had cigarettes and coffee. Many
questions were asked as to the "Engineer Effendi's" health,
and how he liked the country; and compliments were paid me.
I bowed when told to do so by Stano.
I do not think I have mentioned that the Muezzin, or
"call-
to-prayer" from the mosque, is here different from any other
Turkish town I have been in: some attempt at keeping time is
made, the various muezzin-men taking the time from one of
their number, and singing in unison. The effect is very fine.
There is so little noise in the place that the singing from the
twenty minarets can be heard over the whole city, although I
believe it is six or seven miles' circuit.
I have not yet mentioned a peculiar ulcer common at Aleppo
—so common as to be called the "Aleppo button." It is called
button from its presenting an appearance somewhat like a button
or small tumulus. Stano and I called upon the American mis-
Mules and Camels.
125
sionary to the Armenians here to-day: a poor little child of his
had one of these ulcers on his lip, while another child, a little
girl about ten years of age, had no less than thirty-seven of
these protuberances upon her.
her. Mrs. N- -, the missionary's
wife, had the mark of one on her face. What is most peculiar
is that transient residents here may escape this disagreeable thing
during the time, but it has been known to break out on a man
некрест
ten years after leaving the country.
Beilan, Friday Night, 14th October, 1870.—We arrived here
on Wednesday night, at ten o'clock, from our interesting excur-
sion into the interior. I may say that I have now been over close
upon 4,000 square miles of the country. I was most impatient
for the morning, that I might ride into Alexandretta and get
the budget of letters I expected.
On arriving at Alexandretta the next morning, we found our
letters had gone to Aleppo. We fared well at the house of some
friends, and an hour before sundown we set out to return to
Beilan, in a terrible rain. Night came on as we entered the
mountains. For three hours it rained upon us; and some por-
tions of the road are so bad, it is astonishing that travellers
attempt it at night. We did not meet a soul until we arrived
at a most dangerous part of the road, where a number of mules
were struggling with loads of petroleum for Aleppo. Poor
brutes! they had a weary task. One of them had tumbled (but
fortunately not over the precipice), and in the heavy rain and
darkness it was hard work to get him up again. These mules
frequently have bells round their necks, bells round their collars,
and smaller bells all over their harness.
·
Camels sometimes have chains of bells fastened to their knees,
but only famous camels are so distinguished. Camel-fights,
I understand, are an institution in some parts of Asia Minor ;
and those who have seen such say the camels fight most
wickedly. The more I see of these brutes, the less I like them.
When a camel takes a notion not to go on, it requires an
immense amount of beating to alter his determination; and
their groaning is sometimes piteous. Camels are, however,
wonderful animals. They carry loads of about seven hundred
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pounds, and, if they are not swift, they are sure.
A horse or
mule will frequently stumble with his load, sometimes lie down
with it, but a camel very seldom. There are some roads so
bad that camels cannot travel over them; and even here at
Beilan, and from this to Aleppo, the camels which are used
during the summer cannot work in the cold of winter—a stronger
kind are brought from Asia Minor for the wet season.
On our arrival at Beilan, we hoped to find something hot
ready for us, but all the fellows had gone to bed: when the rain
came on, they gave up expecting us. I feel very cold to-day;
and when I tell you the thermometer is at 62°, you will no
doubt be surprised.
Beilan, 18th October, 1870.-To-day, at an early hour, a
message came to us from Jackal-kye, proposing that we should
go to see the dancing at a Turcoman wedding, which would
be going on for three days. We could not start for an hour
or so, as we have changed our house, and taken up our
quarters in a part of the telegraphic establishment used by the
telegraph people in summer. Now, as at this time of year Beilan
is frequently in the clouds, the people and all the summer birds
of Beilan have gone to Alexandretta. We started at last, and
after an hour's walking reached the village of the jackals.
Several people (Turcomans) were wending their way in the same
direction, and soon we heard the sound of a drum--the per-
formers belabouring the unfortunate instrument unmercifully.
The village consists of about twelve or fifteen houses; but many
people had gathered there, and more were arriving.
As we approached, a flag was seen over the hill-top, and the
firing of guns was heard: the people of Bagras village were com-
ing to the festivities. Two drummers and a man with a bagpipe
(or some sort of pipe), escorted by the men of the village with their
guns, went to meet the Bagras contingent. It was a most pic-
turesque sight to see the party coming over the hill. A stalwart
fellow carried a flag, a maiden led a young sheep, and two old
women were mounted on horses with large panniers filled with
bread and other good things to help the feast. As soon
as the party entered the village, the guns were fired, making
A Turcoman Wedding
127
much noise, the drummers beat the drums as if their lives
depended on it, and the blower blew till he was almost—I was
going to say "black in the face," but as he was naturally so, the
description would hardly apply.
I have mentioned before that Turcoman women do not wear
face-coverings, but a head-dress with coins, &c. These women
were at Jackal-kye in great force. The married ones wear
white only on their heads, the virgins wear the red fez-
some covered with gold embroidery, others with silver, others
with dark netting. Men and women wore flowers on the
head, generally a sweet-smelling yellow flower, like our mari-
gold. When the salutations were finished, the women who were
inclined for dancing got together, and, to the number of about
twenty-five, "fell in" in one row. The music as described
struck up rather a doleful "lilt," not a tune--it consisted of
about six notes played over and over again. One of the
drummers, a horrid-looking ruffian, was master of the cere-
monies. The married women stand at the top of the row,
the spinsters-I suppose according to their ages-next, until
finally the end of the row is composed of girls about ten
years of age. The dance is peculiar, and very difficult to
describe; the general features of it, however, consist in
slight movements backward and forward and from side to
side. At each bar of the music a little movement forward is
made, and at about five minutes after the commencement a circle
is formed, the drummer beating away on his instrument, which
he keeps moving up and down to direct the feet of the dancers.
After a little, musicians and dancers become more animated,
the women hold white handkerchiefs in one hand, different
coloured ones in the other, and the arms are now waved back-
ward and forward, up and down, with the dance. The whole
thing is very graceful, and done with much dignity. Largesse
is claimed by the musicians from the woman who leads the
dance, the head of the drum serving to receive the piastres
bestowed.
The men now made a thundering row on their instruments
of torture, and appealed to the male bystanders for contri-
/
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Letters of an Engineer.
butions. I gave a silver coin, which so excited the musicians
that they commenced one of the most tremendous batterings ever
heard. They then rested after their exertions, and one of the
youths borrowed a drum. Several of the men came on the
house-top where we were sitting one of them beating on a
drum with his fingers, and several others singing, induced a boy
to get up and dance rather gracefully. Afterwards, a man rose
and put himself through the most extraordinary contortions pos-
sible. His dancing stimulated the other men to dance, and about
twelve young fellows "fell into line as the girls had done, and
commenced dancing in much the same way. Each man fired
off a pistol as he wheeled round. Presently some of the women
joined in the dance, and the scene became more animated
and picturesque, owing to their more graceful dancing and gayer
dresses.
In addition to the white turban, the wives differ from the
maidens in wearing a sort of cloak of thin cloth, with sleeves
very wide and short. Two holes in this, which I thought were
pockets, proved to be for tucking up the cloak and passing the
corner through them, so keeping it well up. Under this cloak
there is the usual dress common to married and single-a loose
garment something like the cloak, but confined to the body by
the great girdle which is universally worn by man and woman
in this country. The feet are encased in boots roomy enough for
the foot with a small shoe upon it: the women generally wear
such small shoes. The women wear trousers, which are very loose
except at the ankle. Most of the women to-day had on aprons, but
these are not always worn. Many of the maidens' dresses were
of satin, crimson or scarlet, with a white stripe; and one maiden
had in her nostril a ring about two inches in diameter, with
some stones in it. Most of the women had a hole through the
nostril for this hideous ornament. The girl who had this ring
had two great silver plates on her belt, almost as big as saucers.
This belt ornamentation, as well as the coins about the head, is
common to most parts of Turkey. The hair is hardly seen in
front when the head-dress is on. I chanced to see one of these
women having her toilet made: the hair is parted in front as
Eastern Looms.
129
our grandmothers used to do it, and at the back is put
into about twenty little plaits, to the ends of which coins are
sometimes tied, while others have great bundles of black cord
attached, extending to the feet. It was when I went to see the
process of weaving coarse woollen cloth that I observed the
toilet being made. It was an old woman who was weaving;
other women were spinning with the distaff; and, as all worked
out of doors, they could see everything that was going on.
I have seen many looms, both in Syria and Turkey, of very
primitive construction. There is a “reed" to keep the threads
of the warp apart—not made of reed, but of woollen thread; no
shuttle is used, the thread, rolled on a long stick, being passed
through and through the warp by the hand. The process is a
slow one; but cloth made in these villages is practically in-
destructible.
On the second day of the wedding festivities the sports are
similar to the first; on the third day the bride is brought home
(she did not appear on the festive scene to-day), there is a great
shooting-match, and the marksmen try their skill in shooting at
an onion stuck on a tall reed, which bends with the slightest
breath of wind.
The village of Jackal-kye is close to the summit of the pass,
2,000 feet above the sea; towering mountains are all round, ex-
cept towards the plain of Antioch, where, in the great expanse,
the lake is seen beneath in all its beauty-the chain of hills
bounding it, and shutting it out from the dry, burning plains of
Dana and Terrib. The only opening in these hills is the valley
of the Orontes, which takes its rise at the ruins of Baalbec.
Beilan, 26th October, 1870.-The French post to this place
has been discontinued. This, I suppose, is only one of the
many grand things which Imperial France had instituted, and
which, under the new order of things, must be abolished.
Splendid steamers, subsidised by the Imperial Treasury, kept up
a regular service all along the coast of Syria three times a
month; but now, as the grant has been withdrawn, the steam
service ceases.
I received two telegrams yesterday-one from London to say
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that money had been placed at the banker's to my credit, which
was in good time; for, although I had enough to keep up the
establishment (not including hiring of horses) for the next three
months, I had not enough to complete the survey, or to take me
home when it is completed. It is quite possible I may go home
by Alexandria when I return-at present I have no idea when
that will be, for I have not yet received permission to commence
my survey. In 1864, I ate my plum-pudding on Christmas-day
at Messina; and it is quite possible that this year Stano and I
will compound that favourite mixture in this mountainous
region.
I had one telegram to say that something was being done
in London about the required permission. Another telegram,
from the Ottoman Bank, Constantinople, says nothing can be
done until I forward a letter to the Minister of Public Works,
Sublime Porte ! I have written to "His Excellency," at his
sublime office, and hope the sublimites will, in their sublime con-
descension, inform this sublunary mortal whether he may proceed
with his work, without any more nonsense.
The deserted summer office of the telegraphic department, to
which we have migrated, is a great barrack of a place, and might
be a stable for thirty horses, with spacious hay-lofts.
On the new road here there is a good-natured little Greek,
and his superior, a Turk who is second in command: these two
reside in the house of the head-man of the village of Jackal-kye.
We dined with the Turk from whose den we saw the wedding
amusements. Stano had brought our knives and forks with him,
so the dinner was only a la Turque so far as the Turk was con-
cerned. After this polite attention to us, I returned the compli-
ment, expecting our guests to come at sundown. At two o'clock
(eight o'clock, Turkish time), Stano and I were on our way for
a walk, when we met the Effendi coming in, and had, of course,
to turn back. He brought with him the head-man of the
village, a Turcoman. I think I have already remarked that
Turks drink nothing stronger than water. Further acquaintance
with them, I am sorry to say, compels me to alter this opinion.
Wine—that is, the juice of the grape-is forbidden in the
A Little Dinner.
131
Koran. Raki-which is distilled from the grapes after the wine
has been expressed-is an invention of a period since the days of
Mahomet; consequently, raki is not forbidden in the Osmanli
Bible. Christians and Turks have many ways of easing their
consciences-this is a notable one of the believers in the Prophet.
I do not mean to say that all Turks hold this view about raki,
but certainly a great many do. It is not unusual to see a Turk
with the green turban, which is the sacred colour of the mosque,
sitting on a horse with a couple of jars of this liquid; not that
he is going to drink it all, but he will sell it.
The three men I invited came, and soon clouds of smoke from
narghilis, chibouques, and cigarettes filled the air. Coffee and
raki were occasionally handed round in tiny cups. After a little,
the Turk actually asked for the raki bottle, and of course Stano
could not say No. Unfortunately the bottle was nearly full;
but the Turk had a stronger head and a stronger stomach than
the Greek or Turcoman, for when dinner was announced, the
Greek tottered in, and the Turcoman had to be helped in.
I write this with no pleasure, I assure you, but merely to show
you the manners of the people. The Turk being a "great"
man, the others felt compelled to follow his example. Having
but four knives and as many forks, a spoon was placed for
the Turcoman. We have only two chairs, so a lot of cushions
were placed on the divan for the Turk, and a box brought in
for the other two. When the Turcoman came in, he stepped
up on top of the box, then settled down Turkish fashion, leaving
no room for the Greek. He was asked to "make way" a little,
which he did; but this brought him so near the edge of the
box, that I thought it a wise precaution to station Mustapha as
a prop, in case he should lose his centre of gravity. We had
pilaf and a dish of tomatoes for the first course, also a pot of
yaourt (milk a couple of days old, or fresh milk with a little
sour added, which gives a thick consistency to the whole).
I never saw such a scramble as ensued. What with the Turk
helping himself, the Turcoman helping his neighbour, and the
little Greek explaining to the Turcoman that this was eating
66
a la Franghi”—while the Turk plied the others with raki,
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shoved his knife and his spoon first into a dish of the onioned
food, then into the tomatoes, then into the milk, then into the
pilaf again,-it was a disgusting exhibition.
The Turk soon became rampant over the whole table. A dish
of fowls and another of cutlets came up: he seized the fowls,
and tore the legs from the breasts like a dog. He then secured
the cutlets on their dish, scooped the meat off the bones with
his fork, until he had filled it to the head, and then swallowed
the half-dozen pieces so obtained !
After dinner, the Turk grew very complimentary about the
English, saying an Englishman's little finger was worth an im-
pudent Frenchman's whole body-that the English did a good
turn to a stranger without expecting recompense, but the French
never! I reminded him of the French blood shed in the Crimea
for the Turks. He admitted that; but said the French have
ever since shown how much they expect from the Turks in
return. I was not sorry when the party retired; the Turk
promising to get up a boar-hunt for us. I hope he will: I
have often heard of these hunts, and should dearly like to join
in one.
Early on Sunday morning-about half-past three-a rat was
making such a scratching and scraping, that I rose and lighted
a candle. Although still dark, it was a lovely morning, all was
so serene and quiet-looking in Beilan. I was awake an hour
later, when Stano, in tremendous excitement, exclaimed, “Mr.
Maxwell, Mr. Maxwell, get up, get up! there's fire, fire! quick!”
We looked about the room, and could see nothing; but the
smoke was soon filling the room, making it quite suffocating.
My first thoughts were for my survey books; so, opening my
big portmanteau, I tumbled the books, instruments, and other
things in, pell-mell, strapped it up, and rushed out and down.
the stairs with it. By this time the populace was roused, and
great flames shot up immediately behind our house, which
seemed to have taken fire. I rushed round to make observations,
and, seeing that our house had not taken fire, I made another
rush in. Mustapha was coming down with a load of things,
and I, in the smoke, was putting on my watch and a warm coat,
A Fire at Beilan.
133
when I heard Stano calling, "Haste, haste! there is gunpowder !"
This did hasten me a little. After getting the next load out, I
made another reconnoitre, and saw that the jars of water (which
were being carried by women) were being poured along the
eaves of our house by several really courageous fellows, who
braved fire and smoke. We succeeded in getting everything out,
and in bringing all to windward of the fire. Mustapha the Turk
behaved like a Trojan. A number of women were sitting on
their household effects, keeping up a doleful wail like that which
they are used to chant over the dead.
Other women were
busily engaged in carrying water from the fountain, and in
throwing clay upon the fire. Their exertions were crowned
with success, as the fire was confined to the house in which it
originated. I shall never forget the whole scene-the column
of smoke towering up, now whirled by the wind along with the
flames, which for a moment were threatening to swallow up our
house, and blinding the gallant fellows who were working to
get the mastery. Crowds of men were looking on, and on every
house-top were women huddled up in their cloaks watching the
fire.
Amidst all this wild commotion, the old priest of the mosque
chanted the Muezzin-" Allah, il Allah, Mohamoud resoul
Allah!" ("There is no God but God, and Mahomet is his
Prophet.") I have taken quite a liking for the old man of the
principal mosque, who five times a-day, as regularly as the sun
(more regular than the clocks and watches, which are regulated
by his appearance), appears and calls the people to remember
their duty.
Strange to say, of all the Mohammedan places I
have visited, Beilan seems to be the most Prophet-less. I have
never seen a Turk at his prayers, except a few in the summer
evenings on the top of the second mosque, which does not boast
a minaret. Whether they are better or worse for this non-
observance, I cannot tell it is a quiet place, Christian and Turk
living peaceably together. Near to the sea-coast and ports, this
laxity is always observable: the farther inland, the greater the
devotion, or the fanaticism.
An hour after the fire, a collection was made for the sufferers,
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and about £30 raised—a large sum for this place—it would go
a long way towards restoring the house.
A funny thing—and an incident which does not go far to
prove the noted honesty for which the Turk is proverbial—hap-
pened to-day. Our landlord, who is of a villainous cast of
countenance, came in, and asked us to write a letter for him to
the governor, stating how energetic he had been in assisting to
subdue the conflagration; while the fact is he was not in Beilan
at all at the time !
To-morrow we go towards Antioch for a little reconnoitre.
I am taking some observations to enable me to complete roughly
a map of the place. I do this in a surreptitious sort of way, as
I do not know whether my movements are not watched. It is
quite likely that the police have an eye on us, though they seem
very fond of us-and no wonder, for when we pass their huts,
in return for three-farthings' worth of coffee, they generally
receive a shilling. So they like to see us drop in, and always
give us "Osh gelden!"
28th October, 1870.-We went to Antioch plain (five hours
distant from Antioch), as I wanted to get some information
from the handjee, or owner of the arbour there. He was absent
at a festivity in the next village. We heard drumming as we
went down, and thought it was a wedding; it proved to be a
Turkish baptism-a very old and peculiar rite followed by the
Jews and Osmans. Not being altogether on duty, we turned
into the village to see the fun. When, we came in sight of the
people, there was a regular cheer, and a number of the men of
the village and people about, headed by the musicians, advanced
to meet us. There were four drums, and three reed-clarionet
players. The principal of the gang was the Jackal-kye wedding
performer; he knew us, and came with his band to escort us
into the village. We had quite a triumphal entry. I assure
you, I was never more astonished in my life. There was much
commotion at the principal house of the village; cushions were
brought out, and we were invited to join in the eating. The
viands consisted of bread (the thin cakes I have often spoken
of) and grated cheese. About thirty people were sitting round
A Turkish Baptism.
135
a few dishes of this food, which constituted the feast. Raki
must have been flowing, for several of the men were nearly
drunk.
There were some soldiers present, who made a good deal of
me, as all the men who served in the Crimea do; they liked the
English officers, and like English generally-my notion is, be-
cause the English spend more money than other folk. When
we sat down on the cushions, one of them would have my boots
off, so that I might be comfortable! I had on a pair of flannel
breeches that day, buttoning round the leg, but which, from being
washed repeatedly, had shrunk so much that I could no longer
fasten them round the leg, and they were only just long enough
to reach well into my riding boots. So if my boots had been
pulled off, I should have been a regular "show." Next, a black
soldier would have me sit in Turkish fashion, cross-legged, which
is my abomination, for my legs will not bend in this peculiar
way.
}
There was the same dancing and some of the same dancers
as at the wedding. One great game was putting a man into a
rug, and tossing him up, as if shaking a carpet. Another was
played by two men with short goat-hair ropes, about a yard and
a-half long. The game is for one man to strike the other on the
legs, while this other holds out his rope to break the force of
the blow, lifting his legs off the ground at the moment he sees
the blow coming. Retaliation follows, and sometimes there is
very hard hitting. Another game was throwing the jereed (lance).
A number of men on horseback stand round in a wide ring.
They have reeds to represent lances, and one of the riders ad-
vances full tilt towards another. When near enough, he flings
the jereed, striving to strike his opponent.
If the reed passes
over the head of the challenged, the latter spurs his horse, and
endeavours to strike the aggressor before the goal is reached; if
he succeeds, he becomes the challenger, and so on.
exciting game.
It is a very
Beilan, 6th November, 1870.-I have just poured out the
evening tea. Mustapha, our Turk (who is on half-pay until the
survey commences), always gets a tumblerful.
As we have no
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cups here, our tumblers serve for coffee and milk in the morning,
for wine or water at dinner, and also for tea. Stano does not
take tea, as he says it keeps him from sleeping; but I don't
think all the tea he could swallow would keep him from that
blessing.
Our cook (commonly called "Nosey") does not sleep in the
house. His father keeps goats; and we find it suits better that
he should sleep with the goats, and so arrive with the milk early
in the morning.
I have nicknames for everybody-I find it easier than the
names of the country; and, as the one nicknamed does not
understand the ridicule, it causes a little harmless amusement.
"Blunderbuss" will always stick to Hadjee Henna, and
"Rooster" to a fellow who sits cross-legged on a corner of the
roof of his house to watch our proceedings-night, noon, and
morning.
We dined at Alexandretta on Wednesday, and had a romantic
ride home in the moonlight. When about half-way, a soldier
dressed in white (the summer dress of the Turkish Syrian sol-
diers) overtook us; and, not having heard him until he was
close by us, he looked quite spectral at first sight.
We
passed a caravan encamped for the night—always a picturesque
sight. The bales and boxes are generally all put down some
time before daylight is ended, and, when the camels have fed (if
the halt be in a place where they can get anything to eat), they
are brought to the camp, and form a sort of ring round their
loads, all kneeling. The keepers or drivers make their fire under
shelter of the bales, and while some sleep, one is on the watch.
Wild and uncouth-looking creatures as these Arabs generally
are-encamping in the loneliest places-they are entrusted with
merchandise of immense value; and yet there is not an in-
stance of their purloining the loads entrusted to them. We have
had some fine walks over and through the hills about Beilan.
Of all things, we enjoy the sunsets. Among painters, Turner
alone could do justice to them.
The mountains of the great Karamanian or Taurus range, covered
with snow, form a never-ending scene of beauty. These moun-
The Turkish Bath.
137
tains are very lofty, some of them rising over 10,000 feet. At
sunset, the mountains close to us become a deep purple, of such
depth that, if truly represented in a picture, it would at once be
said by anyone at home that the artist had been drawing on his
fancy. The bit of sea to be seen from Beilan appears as a broad
lake embosomed in the mountain ranges. The large lake is also
apparently surrounded by great mountains close around it,
although there are seven miles between our standpoint and the
water. This will give you some idea of the magnificent scenery
we revel in.
Yesterday we went to the Turkish bath. Here they have not
separate baths for the men and women. From twelve until five,
the bath is given up to women; before twelve and after five o'clock
the men have it to themselves. We went yesterday about half-past
eleven; and, although a great many women were in the outer
apartment, we were admitted, and actually shown to a part of
the divan close to the women. I did not half like the idea of
undressing in that place; so I proposed to go away, and return
another time. We were then shown into another apartment,
partly heated, where we had privacy.
When we turned out of the bath to dress, the women and
children waiting to enter it were keeping up an endless chatter.
We dressed hurriedly; and, to my astonishment, the women-
perhaps fifty, and as many children-seated all round the divan,
did not trouble to veil their faces, as they hasten to do when
met in the street. I am sorry that, when I had the opportunity,
I did not take a better look round. The fact is, I was some-
what abashed at the novel sight; but I confess that, in the
running-the-gauntlet sort of glance which I had of them, I did
not see a Venus among them.
Saturday Night, 12th November, 1870.—We have returned
safe and sound from a five days' trip. We started on Tuesday
morning, believing a boat would be waiting for us on the Antioch
Lake. But it is one thing making arrangements in this
country, and quite another thing to carry them out—for some-
thing or other always will interfere. When we reached the
place where the boat was to be, there was no boat there; so we
K
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((
went on to a village an hour farther away, where "it was sure
to be." It was not there either; but we were sure to find it
at the next.” On entering this village, two Arabs armed with
guns and one with a hatchet came rushing out in our direction.
Just then Stano was close to a tree, on which an immense vul-
ture was perched, watching with great relish the chickens of the
village I suggested to Stano to bring the bird down; so down
it came, much to the delight of the villagers. The men had
come out, armed as I have described, to destroy the bird.
Stano had saved them the trouble; but the bird, though
severely wounded, was not dead, and showed fight. A good
blow from the butt end of a gun quieted him, and he was
dragged into the village in triumph. At this village we
were within half-a-mile of the lake; but we were told that
the boats were still farther on. We came to the boat-
house at last a neat structure of reeds, quite open in front,
looking out upon the lake, which was as smooth as a sheet of
glass. There were four boats drawn up on the beach; so we
congratulated ourselves on at last being all right. Several men
were in the reed-shed or arbour, and we were welcomed—some
of them coming out and carrying our saddle-bags, arms, &c.
Cushions were placed for us, and we had coffee and pipes. It
was now four o'clock, and as it would get dark at five, and we
saw there was no prospect of the boat, we went off shooting.
I had borrowed a gun which was five and a-half feet in length-
an old flint-lock! We beat through the reeds and brushwood
until dark, but all we bagged was a hare and a couple of quails.
We had for dinner some excellent fish, and bulgor, and very
good bread and honey.
Our dinner was over soon after sundown, and then the moon
appeared over the hills at the other end of the lake-what we
would call at home a harvest-moon. It was a glorious sight:
first there was the reflection on the lake, like a great bar of gold,
and gradually a "soft silvery light" illumined the whole surface
of the lake.
A large fire was lighted inside the arbour, and eighteen men
-Turcomans and Arabs—seated themselves in front of us, the
A Night in an Arbour.
fire illuminating their faces. Some of the men were very good-
looking, and all had beautiful small white teeth.
There was a
good deal of singing and no end of smoking going on; and now
and then men dropped out to say their prayers. When I com-
menced making my bed, much curiosity was evinced, particularly
at the number of coverings-they were counted one by one, and
then came the exclamation "Mashallah!" (wonderful!)
We learned that all the boats except one were to go to a village
on the other side of the lake, with corn, at midnight, and that
the boat which would remain was not worth taking; so here we
were, without a boat!
139
:
I particularly wanted the boat to sound the depth of the lake,
and to know something of the marsh, where the railway must
cross it. You have no idea of the difficulty there is in these
marshes the reeds are sometimes twenty feet in height, and,
when you once get among them, it is impossible to see one way
or the other. I believed if I could get up or down the river in
a boat, I could get into the reeds a little from the river sides.
As only the one ricketty boat would be available, we were
baffled; but I found out where the boats went to, and, as I
could not get into the river from the lake, I determined to get
into the lake from the river.
We slept very well, having pinned our rugs round the sides
of the reeds of the arbour. I awoke about an hour before sun-
rise, feeling very cold; for the arbour being quite open in front
towards the lake, there was not the slightest shelter. Dawn was
just beginning, and if the rising moon was glorious, the rising
The lake was a greenish-blue; the
reflection of the reeds in the water and the mirror-like surface
sun was even more so.
enhanced a charming scene. I awoke Stano to gaze upon it—
he enjoys good scenery; but I question whether he was obliged
to me for awakening him. Our sleeping companions-about
ten-were soon stirring; and a fire being lighted, coffee was
roasted in a little iron pan, then ground (or rather beaten) in a
mortar—in which way we always get fresh coffee.
We retraced our steps of the day before, and rode over ground
already described. We saw an immense number of vultures and
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Letters of an Engineer.
eagles, in company with a dog, tearing asunder the carcase of a
poor ox which had died. It was a ghastly sight. A big vul-
ture is an ugly brute; but to see over sixty of them tugging at
the carcase of an unfortunate ox-four or five of them dragging
at one leg is hideous in the extreme. There was a herd of
oxen, perhaps three hundred, all watching the feast. Stano had
such a headache he could not shoot; so I rode up to within
range, and tried to fire my old flint-lock, but it was no good.
I then rode closer, and started the whole flock. What a flapping
there was! They flew some distance; but when we rode on,
they returned to their quarry.
We passed through villages which are only used in the winter.
The villagers had now gathered into them, and were making
themselves snug: those who had houses built of sun-dried bricks
were seeing to the roofs, while those who had houses of wicker-
work were plastering them over with the manure of oxen.
Many others were covering the sides of their reed-roofed wig-
wams with the branches of the box-shrub, which grows very
plentifully in the plains.
We arrived at sundown at the village of Kumberlye, where
great preparations for winter were going on, similar to those I
have described. The villagers live in the summer in the “ reedy
arbours ;" and in the whole village of about fifty houses, there
are only two clay-built. We had had enough of the cold the
night before; so we determined to get into one of the huts.
The first we tried had not much look of comfort about it:
branches of trees were stuck in the holes which represented
doors and windows. In the second, the door was wanting, and
the window-holes were blocked with clay. One end of the place
was given up to us. The floor, being new, was quite damp,
which, to say the least of it, was not pleasant. A wood fire was
lighted in the middle of the floor; so, with this and the fire at our
end, and the fire for the family in the other end, we soon had con-
siderable smoke. Several of the villagers gathered in to see us,
and I got much information about the winter floods. The man
in whose house we lodged promised to get us a boat in the
morning. During the conversation which went on, the good-
A Hyæna Hunt.
141
wife was busy making the bread at the other end. It was not
exactly like the thin bread I have before described-it was thicker,
and no roller was used in making it. The mother's attention was
also engaged in rocking the baby's cradle, and in soothing other
children, as there was much squalling occasionally.
While sitting at breakfast next morning-for which nothing
but bread and milk was to be had-there was great crying,
shouting, and barking of dogs. Stano rushed out to see the
stir. I thought there was a row, and did not care to go; but
he called me out. The villagers and dogs were in pursuit of a
hyæna. It was splendid to see the race over the plain, the dogs
looking as if they were doing their best, which they probably
were. If they had been able to get up to the animal, I do not
think they would have "collared" him; for, big as the dogs
were, the hyæna was bigger, and all know what a savage brute
he is. I forgot to mention that during yesterday's ride we saw
a large otter.
A ride of half-an-hour brought us to a little lake, almost at
the head of the Ain-el-Semmac river. As we approached the
village of Guiol Bashi, the sound of the drum and pipe was heard.
There were some boats here, and of course we thought that at
last we should get one. A boatman informed us that there was
a wedding in the village, that all the people had given them-
selves up to amusements, and that we could not get a boat; so
we went to appeal to the sheik-the village being an Arab one.
He received us very kindly, cushions were spread, and bread,
milk, and butter, fresh from the churn, were produced for us.
The churn here is simply a goat-skin suspended in a tripod, with
a couple of sticks forming handles attached to the skin of the
legs of the animal. The milk is put inside, and two women
swing the thing backward and forward by jerking movements,
which churns the milk on precisely the same principle as our
churn-staff—and it seems to me a much simpler method. The
butter was not good, though better than I had tasted for some
time. The pasture the cattle pick up on the plains in this part
of the world is very different from that of our own green land.
The sheik told us that there was so much fun going on, he
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Letters of an Engineer.
1
really could not get us a boatman that day. It was too bad.
There were the boats, and any number of hardy-looking fellows
to man them; so I said that surely it was only a matter of
money, and, as we had come two days looking for a boat, I must
have one, or I would make the whole village suffer for its in-
civility.
While the men were talking the thing over, we went forward
to see the fun.
Dancing was going on, with the same weird
music I have before described, but the figure of the dance was
quite different. The leader of the dancers carried a white flag;
and the figure consisted in joining hands, advancing to the
centre, then retiring at full stretch; then round and round in a
ring, and so on. The bride was a huge creature, dressed in
reddish calico trousers, aprons of white before and behind, and
a scarlet cloth jacket. Her hair was in plaits, lengthened by
black cords; and a great turban sort of head-dress, covered
with a veil spangled with glittering bits of brass, &c., surmounted
the edifice.
At length we entered our boat—a long, narrow craft. Stano
sat at the prow with his gun, I was a little further down in the
boat, and the boatmen were at the other end. One of the boat-
men was a black, and had an awfully hang-dog look; the other
man, a Turk, had lost a bit out of his nose-in fact, they were two
as ill-looking fellows as you could meet anywhere. One poled
along while the other rested, and so on. The river is the most
crooked bit of water I ever was on. We started at ten o'clock, and
did not reach the lake until seven; so you can fancy what a time
we had. At 12.30 we reached a bit of high land. Up to this
point, the river sides are marshy, but the ground is pretty firm,
allowing cattle (buffaloes) to graze. After passing this island,
the sides get very swampy, and the reeds very high: the river,
too, is so crooked that a bend occurs each minute, and sometimes
oftener. Having to take observations as we went along, I got
thoroughly sick of these bends. The number of birds upon that
river was legion on the top of legion. I saw two of the largest
cranes I have ever seen-they must have stood five feet high.
Stano wounded one; but it escaped amongst the reeds.
Cor-
A Tortuous River.
143
morants were in thousands, ducks in crowds, water-hens were
many, and solitary pelicans appeared several times during
our journey. Stano shot several water-hens which the boatmen
coveted. As Turks never eat anything from which the blood
has not flowed, they immediately cut the throat of any bird or
animal they shoot. As Stano shot these birds, he passed them
to me; I handed them on to the boatman who was resting at
the moment; and he soon despatched them. There were
numbers of tortoises along the banks, dropping into the water
in shoals as we passed, and rustling continually among the reeds.
We saw one jackal; and I have no doubt there were many boars,
but they did not show themselves. A water-snake wriggled its
way across the river on the surface. The boatman made such
a lunge at him with his pole that I thought we should be cap-
sized. We enjoyed the scenery, limited as it was, each turn
showing some new life-fish jumping in all directions, and an
endless variety of birds, some of them gobbling up the fish they
had just caught. After the first four hours, sitting in the bottom
of a boat without any support for the back, we began to get a
little jaded. As we proceeded, we encountered beds of water-
lilies so dense that it was quite impossible to push the boat
through; so we had to back out, and try another way. Dark-
ness came on, our tobacco was all consumed, and what with
fatigue and the peculiarity of the situation, queer, suspicious
thoughts would come into one's head, only to be dismissed as
rapidly; for in travelling here I have seldom felt any fear-not
the slightest, in fact, after the first week. But the solitary boat,
the dark river, and the bottomless swamps on each side of us,
created some little nervous excitement.
At last, after nine hours' sailing, or rather poling, we reached the
lake. The moon was just rising, and a very fine view presented
itself. Our horses were to meet us at the lake, opposite the
Karamout han; so, when we entered the lake, I fired my re-
volver as a signal for the horses. Our boatmen, however, carried
us away to the village near to where we spent the night in the
open arbour.
On hauling up on the beach, we found we had a
lot of things to carry. My share of the load was two guns—one
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Letters of an Engineer.
over each shoulder; while Stano had his gun and a bag of game.
A cormorant I had taken, hoping to preserve his skin, was left
behind on the beach; neither of the boatmen would carry it :
they consider it unclean.
We marched towards the village-the boatmen carrying their
poles, &c., and I bringing up the rear with the guns.
On our
approaching the village, a regular sortie of dogs was made upon
us; and I think our appearance somewhat startled the villagers
(the sun-worshippers of the village of Karamout). However,
our boatmen explained to some of the men of the village that
we were great men; and we were shown into a low structure,
one half of which was devoted to stabling and granary, the other
half being used as a dwelling. A large fire of wood was blazing.
As the "biggest" man always enters a house first, I entered,
and considerably surprised two young Arab women and their
mother, who were sitting over the fire. We were soon seated
on comfortable cushions, and a carpet was brought to us, which,
when opened out, proved to contain several cakes of bread and a
dish of cold rice. These and a dish of stuffed vegetables were
placed before us, with four wooden spoons, which showed that
we were to feed together with our boatmen ; so at it we went,
the black, greasy-looking Arab sitting close to my side, and
putting in his spoon alternately with mine. A lot of people
gathered in to see the new arrivals. When a man is hungry, he
will take with thankfulness what he can get. There is an old
saying, "Every man must eat a peck of dirt in his life;" and
I certainly think I am getting my peck, and good measure, at the
present time. We were soon satisfied, and then smoking began.
Mustapha, with the horses and beds, was still two hours dis-
tant; but we sent a messenger to meet and reassure him. As it
was now nine o'clock, it was impossible to have our own beds for
the night, but I had a very good set of cushions instead, placed
close by the fire. An Eastern bed consists of a cushion about
five feet in length and three and a-half in width, to lie upon;
another for the head, about twice the size of a home bolster ;
and one wadded covering. The fire was almost out; I thought
all the folks had gone to rest, and was just turning over to
At Karamout Village.
145
settle down as comfortably as circumstances would permit, when
there was a sudden stir and bustle. The two young women
roused up one of the young men, and sent him for firewood.
They then made up a big fire, put on it a large pot full of milk,
and sat down just opposite to where I was reclining. The faces
of these two young Arab women certainly looked well in the
firelight. One of them, as her hair and dress showed, was
married. She had hair down to her waist, two immense plaits
had been brought round to the front and opened out, two little
ends of hair being carried to the eyebrows and pasted into them.
From that across the forehead the hair was cut short, covering
the forehead, and some locks dropped down the sides of the
face. Each of the women had blue dots in the centre of the
forehead, and the maiden had three marks on her chin. The
black boatman began snoring, and when I acted as if I was
going to throw a bowl of water over him, the pair of beauties,
by their gestures, encouraged me to do so.
But to return to the pot.—When the milk had reached a cer-
tain degree of heat, the maiden lifted off the pot, and from the
surface skimmed off the scum. This is the usual Arab way of
making butter; but the result is very inferior to that made in
the skin by jerking it backward and forward. Some bread was
made after this, and then the fire went out. The women now re-
tired, and the rest tried to sleep. All slept soon, except
myself, several fleas having pounced upon me; and, although I
think that in a former letter I promised not to mention the sub-
ject again, I cannot resist saying that I found in the morning
seventy-odd marks between my wrist and elbow! About two
hours after the women had retired, our messenger returned, with
another man; so the fire was made up again for another hour.
Two hours after this, the horses were taken out of the house,
and this made another disturbing commotion. Owing to the
noises and the fleas, I did not sleep well. A man who
accompanied our messenger came from the Karamout han, and
brought the news that the governor, Dervish Pasha, with his
suite, had arrived at Beilan, and that great work was to be
done in carrying on the new road: the stone of the old han of
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Letters of an Engineer.
Karamout was to be taken down to build the bridge on the
road, and many houses in Beilan were to be pulled down also.
In the morning our journey lay homewards, but we did not
take the most direct route. On the road from Antioch to the
foot of the hills leading up to the pass of Beilan a very open-
looking valley is seen, and its appearance promised an easy way
of getting to Alexandretta; so I determined to try it.
We
started at 8.40, and for the first hour found an easy valley, with
great streams of water and beautifully wooded hill-sides. Along
the streams were groves of myrtle, box, and pistachio-nut shrubs.
After the first hour, the ascent became very laborious for the poor
horses. At one o'clock, we reached a summit nearly 2,500 feet
above the sea; then we made a precipitous descent into a valley,
600 feet lower. Climbing up again, nearly 400 feet, we reached a
picturesquely situated Turkish village, called Kumur Chukerry.
Some of the villagers looked as much astonished to see us as if
we had dropped down from the clouds. I have not met in my
travels any Turks so obliging as in this village. They brought
corn for our horses, and the priest of the mosque asked us into
his house, entertaining us with bread, grapes, syrup, and eggs,
also nuts, with which he filled our saddle-bags.
After leaving this village, we dropped down into another ravine,
and climbing the opposite side, we reached a summit 2,700 feet
above the plain, and more than 3,000 feet above the sea-level.
Here the Ak Chinar valley opened out in all its beauty-a valley
of vineyards and fig-tree orchards, with the Beilan mountains
beyond, Beilan itself being hidden by a low range of hills.
Through this valley the lanes were only wide enough for a pack-
horse, and the free space in height, in many places, was not
enough to allow a man on a full-sized horse to ride without
stooping. While pushing my way through, I met with a
loaded donkey, and the animal had to be backed a little way to
let me pass.
Darkness came on while we were still threading
our way through this maze; but at 5.30, after an hour and
a-half of continual descent, we reached the stream, 1,100 feet
below the last summit. We were now at the foot of the last
range, and an hour and a-half more brought us to our house in
-
A Visit to Dervish Pasha.
147
By the ordinary route we should
Beilan-nine hours' ride.
have done it in four!
When the Pasha arrived, he ordered the telegraph office to be
fitted up for his use, and sent an instrument, with a man to
work it, in one of our rooms. Our man said he could not let
the room be opened, as we were from home; so the instrument
was put up in another house. I learnt that Mr. H—
H, the
English engineer, was with the suite, so in the morning I sent
my card over, and very soon he turned up. I asked him to try
and intercede with the Pasha to permit me to go to work; so he
suggested that I should pay the Pasha a visit. Accordingly,
and in compliance with etiquette, I sent a messenger to know if
the Pasha would receive me. He was gracious enough to say
he would do so at four o'clock; so at four o'clock we went-
"passed the guard, the gate, the wall," and stood in the sublime
presence of his Excellency, Dervish Pasha. He gave me a cordial
welcome: cigarettes, and coffee in china cups with silver stands,
were served; and after a long chat, he told me he would be much
pleased to give me a guard, with permission to go about anywhere,
to break stones so as to examine the geology of a district, but
not to use instruments for a survey. I thanked him, and told him
that, having seen his Excellency, I now knew I must wait till
permission came from Constantinople. He sent a message after-
wards to say he would be pleased if I would accompany him to
Alexandretta on Monday (to-morrow), to look over the marshes ;
which I intend to do; for the next day there is some talk of a
boar-hunt. Mr. H, the engineer, is a very good fellow,
and has given me a deal of information. He dined with us last
night, and is spending to-day with us.
Beilan, 21st November, 1870.-I have not yet received per-
mission to begin my work, and do not know when I shall. I had
some hope of the Pasha, when he was here, making all things
right; but, as my last letter stated, he could not give me the de-
sired permission. Indeed, I am beginning now to "take it
easy;" nothing I can do can further matters, and, until the
weather renders going about impossible, I shall alternate between
a week in the house, and then a week out somewhere or other.
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Letters of an Engineer.
The experiences of the past week have not been altogether
pleasant-still, they are amusing to look back upon.
On Monday last, we joined the Pasha's cavalcade, to visit the
marshes and Alexandretta. The visit, as far as he was concerned,
consisted in riding up a hill and viewing the scene from afar, in
scolding all the young Turks about him for not being as far
advanced in education and progress as the English, who, he
said, “had actually made the map he saw before him," and why
Turks could not do it he did not understand. (He alluded to a
map made by the British Government—a chart of the coast,
with some of the features of the shore, including the marshes,
marked upon it.)
As the English engineer before mentioned
was with him, as well as a "sub," I did not appear in the con-
versation; if I had, the Pasha, who speaks English, might
have put some such absurd question to me as he did to
Mr. H- "Could you take all the levels necessary for your
report to-day?"-a work that would require almost a month.
After this great inspection, "his Excellency" went to lunch
with the Governor of Alexandretta, while Mr. H— went
with me for a ride in the marshes, with two horse soldiers to
attend us.
The next day I proposed an excursion to get some information
about the Antioch lake, on the opposite side to that I had
already visited; and, as Mr. H was returning to Aleppo, he
went with us. We found the Pasha had made a great disturbance
about the backward state of the road, and instituted a regular
raid on the men of the country. Not less than a thousand men
were at work when we passed by, and popping in and out among
the ill-arranged squads was the mufti, or head-priest of the
Moslems of Aleppo, urging the men to work hard and be done
with it.
If I were asked to make a road between the Lisburn Road
and the Cave Hill,* and if I began the work half-way up the
Cave Hill, such a proceeding would be a parallel to the way
these lunatic Turks go to work. They make the middle first,
* Belfast.
Turkish Road-making.
149
which cannot be used till the ends are done if they were to
begin at each end simultaneously, part of the road might
be put to some use directly. In laying out the road, they
have very stupidly taken the wrong route-so evidently the
wrong one that any man "with half an eye" could see it.
(Well-so much the better for the railway!) The workmen, poor
fellows, are dragged away from their homes in hundreds: many
of them are without cloaks, and have to sleep up there in the
mountains, without the least covering. They have nothing to
eat but what they bring with them-dry bread. Many of
them have to work with wooden shovels, wooden crowbars, and
with only baskets to carry earth in! When the railway com-
mences, it will be somewhat different.
There is a great deal of talk about my movements in the
country now-the people cannot understand my going about, as
they know I have not the permission; but, as I am only prohi-
bited from "using instruments," I may go about as much as I
please. But I always carry my pocket instruments, and use
warily some little instruments which enable me to make a map
of the route I go over.
As Mr. H said he had not tasted the francolin except
at our house, and that Mrs. H- had never tasted it, we shot
ten of these birds when we reached the plain, and they made a
nice little present for the lady. Mr. H is most anxious
"Buckalum !"—as
that I should go to Aleppo for Christmas.
the Turks say: we shall see.
Neither H
Our sleeping-place at the end of this day was one of the
reed cottages I have frequently described.
nor I slept much. Now and then I would say, "H
you sleeping?" and he would hail me in this fashion, "Maxwell,
Maxwell, are you awake? Isn't it awful? I am being literally
chewed up!" Poor fellow! he was in a sort of fever in the
morning from want of rest, owing to the vermin; and a swollen
finger, caused, he thought, by the bite of a scorpion-the latter
thing being quite a small reprobate, not anything like what I
thought it was.
The next morning, H—— and I rode for two hours together,
are
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and then parted company. Meeting him was a pleasant little
episode in my life at Beilan. After an hour's ride, we were
among the reeds. Riding through reeds is not an amusing pas-
time, and, as the horse goes forward crashing them down, many
come smack across the face, which is by no means pleasant.
After half-an-hour of it, we turned outward, and determined to
make for a hill six or seven miles ahead. When within a mile
of it, we got into marsh again, which necessitated either ploughing
our way through it, or going round. I urged going ahead, as I hate
"going round" anything; so, by dismounting, and by dint of
pulling and driving, horse and man got through, though not
without a good bespattering of mud.
On emerging from the marsh, we saw three Arab women at a
threshing-floor, so we rode towards them to get some chopped
corn for the horses. Before we reached them, off they scampered
to their village, a wretched-looking concern. We followed them,
in the hope of getting something for ourselves as well as our
horses; but they had nothing to give us.
Three hours' further ride brought us once more to that desirable
spot, the han on the Afrinn, which I have often mentioned. There
we spent a comfortable night, lulled to sleep by the bells of the
caravan mules. The next morning we turned towards Antioch,
passing over the plain in a different direction to that we had
taken before, and went through many villages of Koords. The
only apparent difference between the Koords, as seen in these
parts, and the Turcomans, is that the Koordmen wear their hair
almost as long as the women, and have a wild, daring look about
them they would no doubt be disagreeable people if they
meant mischief.
The Turkish Government are certainly good at one thing, and
that is putting down brigandage. When anything of that kind
occurs, a Pasha is sent with troops, and a regular massacre takes
place. If any opposition is offered, and if the fugitives take to
the mountains, the villages from which they have flown are
burned, and guards are billeted on the people of the neighbour-
hood. A terrible example is thus set up before others.
There is no love lost between Arabs and Turks. In the Arab
Origin of Tumuli.
151
villages, the Turks appoint a head-man, the sheik, who is held
accountable for the misdeeds of his community. Thus the
different tribes of Arabs in this part of the kingdom are kept in
check; while in the desert they have everything pretty much
their own way.
I believe the Turks find the best way to act
towards these "children of the desert" is to pay some of the
great sheiks so much a-year to keep them in good order; for
even among such lawless tribes the sheik holds rule. As for the
Arabs I have met, I can only speak well of them. I have slept
comfortably under their goat-hair tents, eaten of their bread and
drank of their milk, in peace and security; nevertheless, when
one meets wild-looking Koords and fierce-looking Arabs of ex-
cessively low type of features, it is impossible to overcome
entirely the prejudice we Westerns have toward these races, ac-
quired from books of travel we have read. But there are good
and bad amongst all classes and all races; and no doubt these
people have their share of both.
We passed many tumuli on our ride to-day, and what interested
me much in some of them was the observation of the hollow
whence the mound had been excavated, which could be
plainly seen. I have often heard it said that it was not known
how the ancients formed these great mounds; and indeed until
now I had some difficulty in speculating whence the material
for them was obtained. But observing the hollow beside some
that were situated in damp places, I saw that there had probably
been similar hollows originally in the immediate vicinity of them
all, whence, no doubt, the material had been taken. The wind
blowing over the dry ground carried fine dry earth into the ad-
jacent hollows, filling them up, until they were in time made
level with the surface of the ground; but where springs of
water made the ground damp, there was no such effect-the
earth did not yield to the action of the wind; hence the hollows
are there still to be seen. It is interesting to find a solution
for a difficulty of this kind.
The object of our ride was to discover the effect of the rise of
the lake-water in winter. Strange as it appears, the waters of
the lake are rising now, although there has been no rain. The
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1
cause of this is that there is now less evaporation by the rays of
the sun, and the rivers flowing into the lake are not drunk up
by the great heat, as at other times; though, in all conscience,
the heat in the day-time is still very great, while the nights are
very cold-so much so, that when I sleep with two shirts on,
a vest, three coats, and a rug over all, I am not warm!
By night we reached a village of ten Turcoman houses, called
Kara Soolay Moulay, on the edge of the lake, and put up at the
dwelling of a Turkish widow, a reedy arbour, cold like the others.
There was a married son on a visit, and also a Turkish tax-gatherer
—the latter a good sort of fellow, who played a little on a sort of
guitar. The son commenced on the instrument, accompanying
it vocally; and, having sung as many verses as the 119th Psalm
contains, he laid aside his instrument, washed his face, arms,
legs, and feet, and then spread out his mat, and said his prayers
with all the peculiar bowings and bendings of the Moslems.
Certainly the devotion of these people, so called "the Faithful,"
is an example to those who think they know better. After
his devotions, he commenced his musical exercises again, and
went on till I was fast asleep.
We got a Koord horseman to guide us over the shores of the
lake the next day. I found this side-the southern end-very
different from the opposite side. There were great banks of
sand, with millions of small shells, many of them very pretty.
We passed through an Arab village, where a lot of rough-looking
men were making gunpowder. They had the saltpetre in a large
stone basin, and a heavy rammer to pound it. It was a rude
but ingenious apparatus. When a man trod upon a beam, the
rammer, by leverage, rose out of the basin, then fell down,
crushing the saltpetre. The Arabs are uncommonly skilful;
even in their winter reed-tents they show more skill, in some
cases, than the Turcomans, for the Arabs often make the ends of
their tents semi-circular, which evidently gives them greater
strength.
On our return journey to the village where we had spent the
previous night, a great flock of bustards was seen in the plain.
This bird is not unlike the wild turkey; but there are two
Gunpowder-making-Bustards.
kinds of bustards-small birds about the size of ordinary
fowls, and others as large as any turkey. The large bustards in
these parts are seen generally in threes and fours, while the
smaller are in flocks of thousands. We tried to approach a flock,
but could not get within range: we watched where they alighted,
and then all three of us separated, so that our chances might be
greater. I was lucky enough to bring down the only bird shot,
although no less than five barrels were fired into the flock. The
flesh is excellent, and proved a very acceptable dinner for us.
This evening we had less music than on the preceding night;
but many men and women gathered to see the strangers.
The filling of my air-cushions gave, as usual, much amusement.
We had a big fire of reeds continually blazing in the centre of
the house; and, as the smoke escaped through the walls as well
as the roof, it was not very objectionable. I held a great “court”
the next morning, getting the opinion of "the oldest inhabitant"
as to the greatest rise of the lake. This was the only place on
the lake where I found it possible to get the height, owing to
the banks being high here. The manner in which I took the level
interested them much. I could not obtain in the village two
sticks of any kind nine feet long, so you can fancy what sort of a
place it was. On leaving, we had “Ourilla” (God be with you)
freely bestowed on us, and numerous little services proffered,
such as holding of stirrups, &c. Our visit was something quite
out of the common to these villagers, and interested them
accordingly.
153
We rode for four hours over the plain, fording one river-our
horses going gaily through four feet of water. They are so
accustomed to this sort of thing, that they go willingly
wherever they are directed. At length we arrived at the
han of Inar Beida, where we had coffee and narghilis, and
learned that the Pasha and suite had passed by an hour before.
"They all had coffee," said the handjee, "but they did not
give a para-not a para!"* Darkness came on before we
reached the high road again, and walking over rocks in the
* A para is the th of 21d.
L
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Letters of an Engineer.
night is by no means enjoyable. We asked an old Turk
how far it was to a village-Kumberlye. "Too far," said he;
"the shades of night are now on the plain." Poetical! but
by no means gratifying to us. Just as darkness came on, we
started a pack of jackals. What a din those little brutes can
make! It was not until two hours after nightfall that we reached
a village of about twelve houses, called Kekeylin Oglouasoon.
We rode up to the best-looking house, but they would not take us
in; then to another, where two women sat at a mill grinding the
wheat for bulgor, but they would have nothing to do with us either
-one of them being most noisy in her objections. Arriving, as
we did, in the darkness, of course they could not get a good look
at us, so they hesitated, naturally enough, to take us in.
But we
could not go forward, as there were rivers to ford-and to go
back is never pleasant; so we kept on entreating until a very
asthmatic old man came out of the house, gave the most talkative
woman two great whacks on the back with a stick, and addressed
the usual salutations to us. He showed us into his wigwam,
which was of the usual reed structure. A hot fire of buffalo-
manure burned in the middle of the floor. Very soon, bread,
grape-syrup, and milk were placed before us.
The two women
who received us so badly were the old man's wives: the wife
who had been beaten was very attentive to our wants. His first
wife, now dead, had given him two little sons, who shared our
roof, as did also two kids and a young buffalo; while the old
man, his two wives, and the other children went somewhere else
for the night. It could be plainly seen that the poor little
children of the first wife were badly treated. When they turned
into their bed beside the young buffalo, I tucked the covering
round them, and the act made me remember how pleased I used
to feel when my dear mother did the same for me when I was a
youngster.
a
Six hours' ride lay before us to Beilan: this is more than "
Sabbath-day's journey," but it could not be helped. How different
the Sunday here is from a home Sunday: the men were working
away on the road, and, as we rode along, camels were slowly
wending their way, with all their varied merchandise. On
The Ramazan.
one I saw a big box, directed to "The Rev. Mr. B
Marash❞—no doubt, a consignment of Bibles or other books
for the missionary. May they do good!
November 23rd, 1870.-Beilan looks well to-night. There
are many lights about the Turkish houses, and the minaret is
gaily illuminated, in honour of the great Ramazan fast.
Immediately in front of the governor's house, there is a space of
ground which forms the roof of the principal bath-house, and
here a small cannon was posted. Some soldiers were placed to
give the signal when the sun sank; then the cannon was fired,
announcing that the Ramazan had commenced. For the next
twenty-eight days Turks will not eat or drink until the sun goes
down.
155
now.
25th November, 1870.-Coughs are the order of the day here
I believe they are infectious. Mustapha was the first
affected, then Stano-now it is my turn. Poor Mustapha looked
very ill to-day; from before daylight until dark this evening he
did not even taste water, but when the evening gun was fired, he
immediately drank a glass of water and lighted his cigarette.
He usually does not dine until we have finished; but to-day we
made him take some soup before our dinner was over.
I have written to Alexandria for some books: I cannot go off
on another trip until the remittances arrive, and spending all one's
time doing nothing, and having nothing to read, is dreadful.
27th November, 1870.-We had an invitation to dine at
Alexandretta to-day, so rode in after breakfast. I have arranged
to start on another expedition to-morrow: inactivity does not
suit me, and, as I said, not having books to read, I think I may
as well try to do something which may be useful—i.e., to explore
a great district which, at the time the map-makers were in the
country, was too dangerous to go into, owing to brigands. Now, I
believe, all is quiet; still, we have made preparation in the gunnery
line, ample supply of bullets and powder being among our stores.
I hope by the next mail to tell you of our reception at Marash.
Very likely we shall spend nine hours in the saddle to-morrow,
and after that have but little rest. To-day has been wintry, a
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Letters of an Engineer.
nasty, piercing wind-not cold, but sirocco-like, headachy, and
somewhat sickening.
Marash, 1st December, 1870.—This town lies in the moun-
tains, about 100 miles N.E. of Beilan. We left Beilan on
Monday morning. Mustapha had a horse to himself for this
trip, and, in honour of the event, was armed in the manner of
the country-gun and pistol in his girdle, and yataghan at his
side-and a fierce-looking rogue he appeared. Stano and I
had our rifles slung over our shoulders and revolvers in
our belts-for on this trip we thought, from all we had heard,
it would be well to present a formidable appearance; but I find
it very difficult to take my observations with watch, compass,
and aneroid, every five minutes, having a rifle slung on my
shoulder, and so have generally objected to carrying arms; but
on this trip we considered it necessary.
The road to Marash is by the back of the mountains-i.e.,
the Beilan pass is crossed, and the new road goes along the back.
Formerly, the road passed by the sea, close to the plains of Issus.
The new road passes through a country inhabited by wild Tur-
comans and wilder Koords. Up to within the last two years,
these tribes were as troublesome to the Turks as the Circassians
in their mountain fortresses were to the Russians, but, at the
cost of much blood, they were at last subdued by the Turks,
and made to pay tribute. Great efforts have been made-in the
Turks' small way-to push a road through this country. I have
seen many attempts at road-making in other parts of Turkey,
but the road from Beilan to Marash beats them all.
The first few hours of our ride was over ground already tra-
velled. After leaving this, we entered upon a country new
to us-meeting very few people and passing but few vil-
lages. The people were principally shepherds, and single indi-
viduals going about fowling; the villages were wretched-looking
-only winter habitations, which, as I have said, are deserted in
summer for the light and airy reed structures. We had some
rain during the day, and, as the shades of night came on, we
entered a thin oak-wood. After a mile of this, we turned off the
road, and entered a sort of ruined village that had looked “great
On the Road to Marash.
157
things" from the distant view we first had of it. It had been
built some years before for the soldiers who were engaged in
subduing the lawless Koords and Turcomans. Many of the
houses were going to ruin, many had already so gone, and the
few that were inhabited did not look particularly inviting.
There was one whitewashed house, which we rode up to, but we
found it was full of saptiehs (soldier-police). They pointed out
a likely house for us, to which we immediately rode.
I have before now described some peculiar "cribs," but I
think this one was the most peculiar I have ever come across ;
and I hope I shall never be so much pinched for room again.
There were two houses together-one was a shop, and it
was to this one that we were directed by the police. The
shop was about eleven feet square, and divided in two by a
raised platform. On this level, a window or opening discovered
the wares to the passers-by-Manchester cottons, home-made
cottons, woollen clothes, shepherds' cloaks, women's fez-caps-em-
broidered for the maidens with gold thread, while plain felt
drums for the married women were also there—and various odds
and ends, besides a sweetmeat called halva, in demand among
the Turks in the Ramazan time-pots, kettles, jars for water, &c. ;
while under the raised part there were chopped straw and barley
for the horses. The horses were divided off by a partition made
of reeds. Among all this impedimenta, the three of us and the
owner of the place had to sleep; and, in addition, there was the
proximity of the beasts-by no means pleasant. In the whole
village we could not get five eggs, so we had a good plateful of rice
boiled, which satisfied us. My rest in the shop was much dis-
turbed by the people coming to buy halva about four a.m.-for
all the eating and drinking must be done before six o'clock in
the morning. Our ride the next day lay for six hours principally
in an oak-forest, in some places very dense. In the spring, the
verdure here must be glorious-now the leaves are turning yellow,
and many have fallen. Shepherds with their flocks are met
wandering through this forest, and occasionally travellers, but
very few; also men whose apparent occupation is fowling, but
who would "wing" a human object without much compunction.
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As it rained heavily during portions of the day, we rode in our
cloaks. I had dropped mine in riding some few weeks since, so I
had borrowed Stano's waterproof, which I wore with the hood
over my head. He wore the ordinary Arab mashlack. While
we were plodding along in a drizzling rain, through a very
dense part of the forest, we heard the sharp report of a gun
near at hand, and distinctly heard a bullet whiz. I dropped my
hood at once, and the three of us were all attention. Stano
turned suddenly round, and saw a Turcoman remove his gun
from the forked branch of a tree, whence he had taken aim ;
but he, and another fellow who was with him, immediately became
lost to view. Stano was too excited to tell me this at the
moment. I had only looked on each side and ahead, and so did
not see what was behind.
We learned afterwards that, close to this spot, a fortnight pre-
viously, two Arabs, riding on a mare worth £300, and driving
a great flock of sheep to the port, were shot. The men who per-
petrated the murder took the sheep and the mare to Adana,
where they sold them.
Most people travelling here are accompanied by soldiers.
Now, in an unsettled portion of the country, I look upon it
that you must have many soldiers to be of use, for one or
two are more likely to lead the travellers into trouble than
to afford protection: the people have such a hatred of the
soldiers that one or two of them are but little safeguard. Had
I to travel with a troop, to feed them and their horses, give them
baksheish, and put up with their interference, it would entirely
prevent me from travelling about at all.
The second evening of this journey brought us to a large vil-
lage, with a distinct assemblage of dwellings which formed
the winter residence of the inhabitants. As soldiers are
always stationed in this place, there are large barracks.
A new
mosque has been built, with a wooden minaret; and there are
several shops. As we entered the place, we could see from
the soldiers about, and the sharp, inquisitive look of the
people who crowded the streets, that they were a lawless set;
so we assumed an important air, and Stano asked for the
Koords and Circassians.
159
governor. We found his deputy, who ordered a soldier to
take us to the head of the Koordish tribe, who was to provide
us with a house.
Crowds had now gathered around us, amongst them being not
a few Circassians. In the general migration of Circassians in
1863, when Russia had caused this people to succumb, many of
them came to this part of the country. They still keep to
their distinctive dress, which, however, is only observable in the
poorer people by their head-dress-in many cases, a white fez,
with some sheep-skin placed round it as a band. The better
class of Circassians wear a handsome pelisse, with cartridge
pouches on each breast, a girdle round the waist, and large
boots-a most becoming dress. We rode through the crowd,
and on to the chief's residence. We found him in the archway of
his house, making a girdle to bear his keys. A Koord, the most
repulsive object I ever saw-a man with but one eye, and a scar
on his forehead-held the rope while the chief twisted it. Three
women—the chief's wives—were also under the archway, as well
as some children. The best-looking wife (the favourite, as I
suppose) stood close to the chief, who continued working away
as we rode up, pretending not to see us; and the crowds about
kept up a disagreeable-sounding Koordish chatter while we
waited for the great chief's decision.
We were assigned to the house of the ill-looking fellow, a
part of his house being used for the accommodation of tra-
vellers. Entering the apartment, we found several men sitting,
whose principal amusement was the teasing of a hawking
falcon, or young eagle, which was chained to a perch. After
the interference of a mild-looking old man, rugs and carpets
were placed for us, and we sat down beside a fine fire, made of
an oak-log, blazing in a too spacious fire-place-for sometimes a
downward draught would beat the smoke into the room, and
make it very disagreeable. The men acted towards us in a very
"we-must-bear-with-you" style, seeming to hate the sight of us.
We arrived about an hour before sundown, so of course some
little allowance must be made for these poor fellows not having
had either food, drink, or tobacco for ten hours.
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When the muezzin hour approached, the chief came in, and
busied himself with arranging his narghili. Stano had gone out
to look after the horses, and I was asked by the chief what time it
was. As I pretended not to understand what he said, it was re-
peated by several men; still I pretended not to know, when three
or four rushed over, seized my watch-chain, and plucked at it.
So I pulled out my watch (which I did not want to produce in
such a company), and gave them "Frank" time, which did not
seem at all to please them: the idea of any people having a
different time from theirs was not to be borne ! At last, the
muezzin sounded, and the chief and one or two others had a bit
of bread; a rough carpet-cloth was then spread out, and a number
of leaves of the thin "paper-bread," carefully folded, were placed
around it. Wooden spoons, three plates of rice, and three plates
of raisins and honey boiled together were also placed on the
rug;
and then we all sat down. The three fellows at the foot of
the cloth had no spoons, but they found their fingers quite equal
to spoons for carrying the rice to their mouths, and certainly got
quite as much as those who used spoons. I partook in com-
pany, as advised by Stano; for the repast was instituted by the
chief for travellers, gratis, and not to partake of it would be an
insult. A little of it went a long way with us, and as soon as
the chief left the festive cloth, we also retired, and after a while
had our own dinner. When the general repast was over, several
of the men moved, as if by military order, to the side next the
south, and said their prayers: the mild old man mentioned
above, and another, had said their prayers before eating. I read
before going to sleep-every movement we made and everything
we had being stared at, of course; but I confess these wild
people improved on acquaintance, and we received some little
information from them. About ten men slept in the same apart-
ment with us, and we slept well and safely.
The next day our course for a couple of hours lay through
rocky and "lumpy" ground, covered over with volcanic, cindery-
looking stones, but relieved by a sparse growth of oaks. We
passed through this into an open plain, with mountains on each
side. Three hours brought us to the end of this; and then the
Jayjelee-A Wedding.
plains of Marash lay before us. We could not see Marash-
only the open ground where it was; the mountains, unfortunately,
were everywhere covered with clouds. Immediately in front
was a great marsh, somewhat like that at Antioch—or, rather,
two marshes, with many reeds; but in the winter the two join
and form one large lake. We still skirted the mountain base-
as, indeed, our road from Beilan did from its commencement (i.e.,
after reaching the Antioch plain). Towards evening, and when
within half-an-hour of our destination, we passed through en-
campments of some of the desert Arab tribes. There were many
men with spears, some with clubs like drum-sticks, but made of
iron; others with small weapons like hatchets. Hundreds of
camels and thousands of sheep and goats were grazing. About
this place we met two travellers, accompanied by a soldier-the
first merchant travellers we had seen since leaving our own dis-
trict. (Since arriving at Marash, I have learnt that we were
the first Europeans who had come through the forests unaccom-
panied by an escort. I may here say we did this, not for bravado,
but for the reasons I have already stated.)
161
In the darkness, with the rain pouring upon us, we arrived at a
mud-built village called Jayjelee. The sound of a drum told us
that some gaiety was going on, and we found we were in time for
a wedding; so, though there seemed to be only twenty houses in
the village, we looked forward to a good night's entertainment.
On applying to the head-man for a place to lodge, he told us it
was impossible—the whole village was crowded, and no house
could accommodate us, all being full. We coaxed; but at last,
seeing coaxing would not do, Stano became savage, stated that I
was an English engineer, sent by the head Pasha into the
country, and that on our arrival in Aleppo we would report the
inhospitality of the place, and see if the next travellers would be
so treated. After this speech, a man volunteered to get us a
house; so we followed him for nearly half-a-mile over a track
on the side of a steep clayey hill, which the rain had made as
slippery as ice. A house was found, but the horses were in such
close proximity to us that it was simply abominable. Never-
theless, we slept well; but before mentioning that, I should
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say that the only thing in the way of flesh-meat we could
get was a bit of camel-flesh. We got some milk, and
set it on to warm, and then put in some rice. While it was
simmering, a most insipid-looking young Koord woman got
some of the camel's flesh, held it in her dirty hands over the
rice, was salting it, and preparing to drop it into our sugared
rice, when Mustapha caught sight of her. He uttered an ex-
clamation of horror, in Turkish; whereupon the woman dropped
the flesh into the fire, under the pot, and when it was grilled,
she pulled it to pieces and ate it herself, as we declined it.
The man who brought us to the house, when he saw us sit
down to eat, begged to be excused from waiting further upon us,
as he wished to join in the festivities. Of course we excused
him, and told him that, if he would come for us in an hour, we
should also join in the merry-making.
In due time he re-
turned, carrying a pine torch. We followed the torch-bearer
over the slippery hill-side to the scene of the festivities. It was
raining very heavily, but this did not interfere with the merry-
making, which was going on under a roof. In a house of one
apartment, about twelve yards by five, there were seated
some eighty Koordish men and women. A wild, weird sort
of music was going on-proceeding from two instruments
differing in some ways from any I had seen in the country
before. The first was played as a guitar, the second as a violin.
A peculiarity in them was that the bass strings were placed in
the middle, the others being placed one at each side of the bass.
The player of what I may call the guitar was a great burly
black, but withal a good-humoured, funny rogue.
In the open
space, an effeminate-looking young man was dancing the dance
of the East—a most peculiar, indescribable sort of movement;
he twisted and wriggled until the perspiration dropped off him,
while all the time he kept sounding castanets to the time of the
music. When the dance had lasted about twenty minutes, both
the music and the dancer went mad; and, finishing with a grand
flourish, the dancer came over and sat beside me, put his arm
round my neck, and played his castanets in this position until I
paid him to go.
Koord Music and Dancing.
163
After this, a fine, manly-looking fellow danced a nice, mild,
maidenly dance, gracefully waving the coloured handkerchiefs I
have already mentioned. He did not go through any of the
wriggling process, and his little effort did not appear to afford
much gratification. Next came a part-song by the two musicians,
accompanied on their instruments. The black and funny rogue did
everything in his power to make the performance "telling." At
times he bawled out like thunder, and at other times dropped his
voice to a cadence, moving his body and waving his instrument as
gracefully as a girl could have done, and showing his white teeth
to perfection. Then his little companion would chime in, shutting
his eyes, and apparently acting the maiden whom the other man
was supposed to be wooing. At the conclusion of the singing,
there was some drumming-an awful din-and then, for a
change, the big man said he would tell a story. He certainly
told it well, and made it provokingly interesting to his hearers.
He commenced each sentence at the top of his voice, always
ending in a low tone. Between each sentence he would either
cough or take a few whiffs of his pipe-which to the impatient
ones gave much dissatisfaction, but it seemed to me as if it must
increase the interest.
The story was about the son of a defunct Pasha. He had
been left very poor, and the Sultan put him into some post,
where he soon made money. The Sultan grew jealous of the
respect the people showed the young man, and dismissed him.
After his dismissal, he set up a cafè, and gave coffee and water-
melons to travellers, and would not take any money in return.
This made him a still greater favourite with the people, and en-
raged the Sultan so much that he determined to cut off the poor
man's head; but, not wishing to do it openly, he sent a message
to the young man, ordering him to play a game of chess with
him. The Sultan was a "crack" player, and if he won, the
young man was to forfeit his head. As it turned out, the young
man won the game; and, as the Sultan could not have his head,
he ordered him to leave the country. To prepare him for the
journey, the Sultan ordered him fine clothing and the best arms
of Damascus. The young man proceeded on his way, and, after
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a few hours' journey, met a band of Christian robbers, forty in
number. He fell upon these men, and slew so many of them
that the few who were left cried for quarter, and surrendered.
The banished man returned with his prisoners to the Sultan,
who could not but reward such bravery; so he ordered the fairest
of his daughters to marry the hero, and at the Sultan's death, the
brave fellow was to succeed him.
This was the story; but the telling of it occupied half-an-hour.
When it was over, we retired to our den, and soon got to bed.
We had rather a restless night: the horses would not agree,
kicking and snapping at each other; while Mustapha kept
cursing their fathers and all their breed. (This, and cursing the
creed and faith of ancestors, is a common method of using strong
language with the Moslems.) The drumming commenced again
before the sun was up, these "wild children” seeming to devote
the days to merry-making. We were also early astir, and when
we were ready to start, a large congregation of women and
children were on the housetop to look at us. When Stano
appeared in his hat, they roared-held their sides with laughing;
while I, in my broad peaked cap, got off without any comment.
As we rode through the village, three sets of musicians turned
out, and made a most tremendous din, shouting and blowing
their pipes till their eyes seemed to be starting from their heads.
A few piastres quieted them, and we left the scene of gaiety amid
repetitions of "Osh gelden."
Our ride of five and a-half hours to Marash was not so
monotonous as the three previous days, people on their way to or
from the big town being met with. Within two hours of Marash,
the great chain of mountains, which, with the exception of the
Orontes valley, is a continuation of the Lebanon range, seems to
end; and a plain, crossed during the rains by some large torrents,
leads to Marash, which is on the hill-side. Like all Turkish
towns, it looks well at a distance: it has several whitewashed
minarets, the ruins of an old castle (resembling in the distance
that at Aleppo), many trees, and much of the mountain-side
covered with well-cultivated farms and vineyards. Unfor-
tunately, the great Taurus range, which separates Asia Minor
12
Marash.
165
from Syria, was topped with clouds, and the noble peaks, some
10,000 feet in height, could not be seen. In an Eastern town
which has no gates, travellers must go to the bazaar for informa-
tion; so on our arrival we went there and inquired for a certain
man-a friend of a friend of Stano's. We soon found him, and
he received us gladly, and sent a messenger with us to his house,
with the injunction that we were to be well cared for. We met
with a hearty reception from his daughter-in-law, and were given
the best room; our horses were also lodged, and of course Mus-
tapha as well. After a little rest and refreshment, we proceeded
to deliver our letter of introduction to the Rev. Mr. M—, who
received us very gladly, but was distressed at our not going
direct to his house. He said, "So few English people come
here, it is such a treat for us, that we look upon such a visit as
an important event." Very shortly we saw Mrs. M- and
the little ones, and I soon felt quite at home. Being now five
o'clock, tea was prepared; we sat round the festive board, and I
was soon talking away as if I had not spoken for six months.
It was arranged that we should ride about the place that day,
and return to the missionary's the next day for dinner.
The hospitable man at whose house we put up is one of
the wealthiest Christians in Marash. His house is large, and
has a magnificent vine trained over a sort of verandah : clusters
of grapes, tied up in bags, were still hanging on the vine, and a
fountain was plashing in a little garden. The family consists of
the head-man, his son and son's wife, and their five children. The
Christians in the East copy the Moslems as regards their treat-
ment of women, who never eat with the men when there is
company, and seldom appear at all. Here, however, the mistress
did join us after dinner, and had her little say, while coffee was
served in beautiful cups, with stands of filagree silver work.
Marash is like many other Turkish towns-in fact, it is more
like a big village, for nearly all the houses are built of rough
lumps of clay, dried in the sun. The American houses are the
best in the place. There are some pretty lanes about the town.
The next morning we started for Aintab, and had a very un-
interesting ride, passing over low hills and small plains, with
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but few villages. Within an hour of nightfall, we approached
a range of lofty hills, but we had an hour and a-half of climbing
before we reached our destination for the night-Karabuyaklee.
Being Turks, the people received us kindly, and gave us all
that the village could produce. On searching our saddle-bags,
we discovered a bag of raisins, several black puddings, bread
and cheese, which our hostess of the night before had put up
for us; and we had also a great treat in two good loaves of
bread, which Mrs. M had kindly sent us in the morning.
The village did not boast of a mosque; and, from a paper
hanging in the room, we found we were in the building used as
the mosque. After we had been some time in the place, an old
man with a green turban gave the word, and sixteen true
believers laid down their cloaks and said their prayers, headed
by the old priest.
Next day our ride lay over mountains the whole day from
8.0 a.m., the scenery not being particularly interesting. We
met a group of Arabs, awfully wild and poor-looking wretches.
They eyed the baggage wistfully, and we could not help feeling
how easy it would have been for them to have pricked us from
behind with their long lances. Arabs have hardly ever been
seen in these parts before; but the season has been so dry that
the desert was even greater desert than usual, and they could get
absolutely nothing upon it for man or beast-hence their appear-
ance in the northern regions. Even among these wild children
of the desert there is great affection shown for the children.
We saw a poor little cripple on a donkey: what a weary life it
must have, and what a charge it must be to the parents in their
life of never-ceasing changing about. The mother of the little
cripple was by its side, cheering and comforting it when being
shaken in going down a rocky steep.
At 2.15 we were overlooking Aintab, at a height of over 3,000
feet above the sea; and even at this high level we found well-
planted vineyards. Aintab lay 600 feet below. We entered
the town at 3.40, and were stared at even more than usual. The
Turks at this place looked more uncivil towards strangers than
anywhere else I had been, Aintab is really an isolated place,
Aintab.
167
""
and but few Europeans visit it; so our advent naturally created
no little stir. I had a friend living here, Mr. M and after
a good deal of walking about, we discovered his house-unfor-
tunately, only to hear of his being at Orfa, on the other side of
the Euphrates. His wife was greatly distressed that she could
not take us in and lodge us. Fortunately, Stano (the wonderful
Stano!) recollected a man here also, who was known to a friend
of his; so we went to the house, and there found Stano's friend
himself! We had a kind reception, and were soon seated in an
elegant apartment, fitted around with divans covered with Per-
sian carpets. We were summoned to dinner at last. Stano's
friend, knowing European customs, begged me to excuse the
Turkish customs as to eating. A plated circular tray, about five
feet in diameter, was placed on a stool. Around the tray plates
were ranged, with napkins, and at the side of each plate was a
dish of grapes.
The food was placed in the centre of the tray,
and each man helped himself. The lady of the house and her
daughter and three servants waited upon us. I was the especial
care of the lady, and the moment I had finished eating off a
plate, it was pounced upon and another placed.
The only
strange dish we had here was stewed truffles. Our landlord ate
with his fingers. This I did not mind so long as he helped his
plate out of the main dish with a spoon; but he finally lapsed
into eating direct out of the central plate with his fingers!
There was much ceremony of washing of hands after dinner, and
of course much smoking. I was not sorry when all had retired
to rest, and I had a quiet "read."
The next day we did some marketing in the bazaars, which
are very fine here: many of the shops are as good as those at
Aleppo, and the concourse of people is as great and as varied.
There were many Persians going about, the only striking
peculiarities in their dress being the head-dress, a plain drab-
coloured felt fez, fitting the head tight (no turban); a pelisse form
of coat, heavily braided; and shoes thicker-soled than the natives
wear, and more turned up at the toes. Stano is a wonderful
bargainer. Christian and Moslem, Jew and all, try to get two
prices for everything. For instance :--I wanted to get a cloak—
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a Bagdad mashlack. After trying it on in a stable-yard (where
the stores were), and arguing over the subject a full quarter of
an hour-going away, then walking back, &c.—we got the gar-
ment for two-thirds of the price originally asked.
"
At three o'clock, we started to pay a visit to Mrs. M
and
on the way our guide took us to the schools, where I expected
we should find the lady; but did not know that two lady mis-
sionaries, Miss P——— and Miss H- resided there. When
asked to walk in, I found these two strange ladies. Miss P
presumed I spoke English. I assured her I spoke no other lan-
guage. I apologised for the intrusion, and said I hoped I might
be permitted to see the schools. Miss P- told me she had
the adult girls' school, and that Miss H
had the junior
girls' school. She said she was just about closing the school
when we called, but we were in time to see it
I am very
easily made to laugh, but I question if any fellow could help it
on being ushered into a room where from twenty to thirty girls
were seated, who all rose by one consent and curtseyed. Of
course I bowed, but could scarcely keep my countenance, and I
was not much relieved by the giving out of a hymn, which was
very well sung in Turkish. I tried to look solemn; but, had it
not been for the studying of astronomy on a celestial map, and
geography, ancient and modern, on other maps hung round the
room, I should certainly have laughed outright. But, joking aside,
I really rejoiced greatly to see, in the midst of dark superstition,
the light shining. The grand efforts being made by our American
brothers and sisters make me feel that England and America have
a glorious mission, and opportunity for emulation as to which
shall do most for the great cause. I do not say this in a sancti-
monious spirit, for I do not care to talk much about religion;
but in these dark places one cannot help feeling that it is true
religion indeed which causes the missionary, man or woman, to
come here, and leave home comforts, friends, and much more that
is dear, for the love of fellow-mortals possessing fewer advantages
than themselves.
Miss P― proposed that we should go and see the largest of
the two American Protestant churches. I was greatly surprised
American Mission Work.
169
to find a building capable of holding a thousand people, and to
hear that it was usually filled at services, and that the second
church was generally pretty well filled also.
The next morning we were off towards Kellis. The morning
looked very "dirty," as the sailors say; and we had not gone
more than four miles when it came on to rain "cats and dogs."
Very soon our mashlacks were soaked through; not long after, the
water came through our boots; and when we were so wet that
we thought we could not get wetter, we took it indifferently,
and let the rain pour away upon us. We determined, however,
to make a shorter day of it, and, after a ride of twelve miles,
halted at a village called Cahris. We found the Koord vil-
lagers here by no means a gentle lot, and Stano had to do much
bullying before we effected an entrance into the han. The
whole building was large enough to stall thirty horses and
twenty oxen, but there was not a single window. One portion,
set apart for men, was raised about three feet above the rest.
Very soon our clothes were hanging about to dry. It was only
one o'clock, the rain was descending in torrents, and there was
no light to read by; so we determined to try and get up a
good dinner. We said we wanted three fowls-and what a
scrimmage" there was to catch those poor birds. Rather an
amusing thing occurred here, which I would not have missed,
but which Stano, who is a little "thin-skinned" on matters of
dignity, was in doubt about telling me. Desirous of making
sure of our dinner, Stano told the head-man we must have the
fowls cooked at the fire of the han, where we were. At this
moment, I went over to the fire to light my cigarette, and the
chief man, pointing to me, replied to Stano, "Let him, the boy,
go into the next house, and cook them." Stano is five years
my junior; but a bit of beard goes a long way in these parts.
He insisted that the fowls should be cooked before our eyes, to
which the man replied, Well, well; of course you must have
what you want-you are well armed!"
(6
The dinner (which proved a very good one) was not ready
until the day had closed. Stano gave the time of the close of
the day, for there was no sun, owing to the rain-clouds. These
M
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faithful Moslems were most particular not to call the muezzin a
minute too soon; and the moment the call was over, in came
the carpet, the bread, and the wooden spoons, and the head-man
summoned us to join. What a noble hospitality it is, having
these evening meals in a place open to travellers! The chief
men of the villages always dine so, and travellers are welcome to
the board (or cloth, rather). Moslems, of course, are more wel-
come than Christians; but the Christian is now becoming an
object to be feared by the once mighty Moslem, for they feel
that the Franks can do what they please.
The next morning we were early on the move; and we had
five hours of the most abominable roads and scenery we have
yet met with. Huge black boulder-stones lay scattered over the
ground for miles, presenting the appearance of a dark, stony
desert—the road in some places being a track between the close-
lying stones, just wide enough to let a horse's legs through.
There is no man able to order the stones to be rolled out of the
way, or to have more of them put together so as to make a good
solid road. When within an hour and a-half of Kellis, we
entered a charming valley: olive, fig, walnut, and almond-trees,
with vineyards, were in abundance. A little farther on, we
reached the summit of a hill, which enabled us to have a most
extensive view of the great plain, with low hills, stretching away
to Aleppo, and, I believe, from there to the Persian Gulf.
Beneath us lay regularly-planted olive-trees, extending for miles
—the pleasantest field of green we had seen for days. A flock
of gazelles stood staring at us with their great lustrous eyes, and
then away they ran like an express train-pretty, foolish little
animals that they are. When alarmed, they run for some dis-
tance, then turn to look-thus enabling the dogs, when in pur-
suit, to come up with them; otherwise no dog could approach
them in swiftness. As we entered Kellis, we passed a new
Armenian Roman Catholic church, with many crosses upon it.
This is the first building I have seen in this country with such
a display of that emblem, so hated by the Moslems.
Kellis has a population of about 17,000, and, like all other
Turkish towns, smells of dirt-having open sewers running
Kellis-A Strange Story.
down the middle of the streets. Stones are placed in these
sewers to stop the solid refuse, which, when sufficient has col-
lected, is removed in buckets to the gardens. I think Kellis is
worse than Aintab, though Aintab is abominable.
171
At Kellis, we went to the house of a Christian named Biram
Oglu (the son of Biram). He was from home; but we were
shown into the apartment for strangers, a place entirely isolated
from the house. The owner soon arrived, with his son, and
gave us a warm welcome. While walking through a bazaar
here, a little man came up to me, and said, "Good-bye, sir!
I see you are Englishmen. Thinking you are looking for a place
to sleep, it will give me much pleasure to offer you my home: I
am a Greek, and medical doctor here." Of course, I thanked
him, and Stano launched off in Greek to him. But we were
housed already, so did not avail ourselves of his hospitality.
Our dinner was served on a round iron tray, such as I have
already described: it was not a yard in diameter, but on it 1
counted fourteen plates, dishes, and bowls. It was a fast-day
with our hosts, and they had only vegetable fare, while we had
soup with some sort of meat-balls in it, fish, fowl, and cutlets.
We had a long, dreary talk after dinner; but I must not omit
one good story which was told by our host.
A Turk collected three boxes of jewellery to sell in England.
Arrived in London, he put up at a hotel, and gave the boxes in
charge to the hotel owner. A week afterwards, when asked for the
boxes, the proprietor denied ever having received them. The
Turk went to law, but lost the case; he then took the hotel
owner before another court, and again was unsuccessful. This
so disgusted him, that he returned homewards. On his way, he
met an Englishman, who advised him to go back, and appeal to
the Queen. He returned to London, and petitioned her Majesty,
who directed the Lord Chancellor to see to the matter. The
Lord Chancellor gave the Turk an audience, and, after hearing
his story, sent for the hotel-keeper, whom he questioned. He
then ordered the two men to be shown into separate rooms, and,
going to the hotel-owner, said to him, "I am persuaded you have
this Turk's boxes. Now, there is pen, ink, and paper: write as I
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dictate :-' My dear wife,-Send at once the three boxes. Let
there be no delay.-Your husband, &c.'" The wife was playing
chess when she received this message; she sent the boxes; the
Chancellor received them, gave them to the Turk, and sent the
landlord to prison. "And now," says Biram Oglu, "could such
a thing occur anywhere but in England?" This is the sort of
trash foreigners are stuffed with !
We were off early the next morning, and for some hours our
route lay along the foot of the low hills overlooking the plain.
The cultivation of the land was infinitely better in this district
than anywhere else we had been. The land had been ploughed
over twice (there are no such things as harrows in this country).
On this journey, we passed several graves of saints.
These are
generally under olive-trees, and consist of little heaps of stones,
piled one on top of another over a large surface-thousands of
rags being tied to the adjacent bushes. The rags are from the
garments of afflicted people-the popular belief being that tying
a scrap
in this way, close to the holy ground, will do some good to
the afflicted owner of the garment from which it is taken.
After four hours' ride, we entered our own district—that is, the
country we had been over so many times before-and two hours
before nightfall we were crossing the river Afrinn, at the place
we crossed on the memorable day when we reached our beds
at 4.30 a.m. From this point we took a new route through
the Koord hills, and at nightfall we reached a picturesquely-
situated village called Cokunna, where, in the house for
travellers, we found the men anxiously waiting the close of
the day. A fine-looking but stern old man, the head of the vil-
lage, ordered the muezzin to be called; but Stano told him he
was ten minutes too soon. Immediately the call was postponed,
and the old man said, <<
May God forgive us if we close
the day too soon during this cloudy weather.
We have no
clock, and we try to do our best." Stano and I took the two
upper seats: from this circumstance, from the service rendered
regarding the time of day, or from the real goodness of the
people, we were treated more deferentially in this place than any-
where else we had been.
Christmas at Beilan.
173
The next day we rode through little dales and valleys, and
over wooded hills, passing some fresh-looking, thriving little vil-
lages. The people complained greatly of the past season: there
had been but little grain, and the locusts had eaten up all the
crops in the neighbourhood. When we reached the Antioch
plain at two o'clock, we found a great change, the rain having
made the whole of the tracks as sticky as wax. The traffic is
carried on here by means of a strong breed called the Turcoman
camel the feebler desert camels do not come to this region now.
We passed a string of these strong animals, 157 in number, all
walking in line: it was a fine sight.
Beilan, 27th December, 1870.—" Christmas comes but once
a-year; but when it comes, it brings good cheer." So it
does in the eating way generally. Even we had a goose for
dinner on Christmas Day, and a plum-pudding with plums in
it! The fact is, I had given Stano my idea of a plum-
pudding, and he went into Alexandretta to get some things
on board one of the steamers. The mate of an English steamer,
seeing Stano did not understand plum-puddings, prevailed upon
him that in a plum-pudding there must of course be plums,—and
plums we had.
On Thursday, the 15th instant, we went to Alexandretta to
post letters, also to receive some. We were not disappointed.
I was rather unwell when starting in the morning, and when I
arrived at Alexandretta I did not feel any better, although the
climate there is mild compared with the atmosphere of Beilan.
On our arrival, we found the flags of the different Consulates
half-mast high, and learned that the Italian Consul was dead,
and was to be buried at three o'clock that day. Stano wished
to attend the ceremony, so I said I would go too-for the
Christians in these parts are so few, it is as little as each of them
can do to attend the funeral of another. The long stand during
the ceremony, bareheaded, in a draught, and the ride home in
the night air, did not improve my state of health; so after
dinner I took to bed, and during the night found that I was in
for another bad sore throat.
The weather changed on Sunday, and Monday was one of the
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most dreadful days I ever heard. It thundered, it lightened, it
rained, and it blew. It blew down through our chimney, it blew
up through our floor, it blew in the shutters and windows-such as
they were. A water-course was torn up, and the water made a
new one against our wall, at the back of the fire, and soon came
through, putting out the fire. The rain came through the house-
top in big drops here and there. Poor Stano was at his wits
end; and Mustapha, in the midst of all the rain, was out rolling
the roof with a stone roller, like to shake the house down, and
also seeing to the inundation. I was in my twenty-seven-inch-
wide bed, sometimes sitting, sometimes lying, and suffering
sorely, with the skin off my throat from mustard plasters outside
and much inflammation inside; so that Monday was a day to
remember. Fortunately, we had recently bought a bottle of
mustard-the first we have had since we came here; we had
also acquired three china breakfast cups, which were quite a
luxury. It was not till Thursday evening that my throat reached
the climax; and I certainly had a sore night and day of it. But
"when things come to the worst, they mend;" so after that
Thursday I began to recover. Now in illnesses of the same kind
heretofore, I was so much starved by the doctors that the treat-
ment brought me down to be as weak as a cat! It was not so this
time, for though I could only take spoon-diet, I had the broth
of a chicken every day; so when the relief came, and I could
swallow, I got well in very little time. After being unable to
speak on Thursday evening, I was eating a fair dinner on Satur-
day evening (thank God heartily for it !) and sitting up, reading
in the Bible about this glorious time. Into such a state of fer-
vour did I get, that I sat up until midnight, then muffled myself
well, and went out upon the verandah to look at those same stars
which guided the shepherds to the place where the Saviour lay
a place no farther from where I was then than London is
from Belfast! How I longed for wings to fly and spend the
night in Bethlehem !
Doubtless this exposure was very foolish, and very risky, but
I could not help it; and here I am, a few days after it, having
done good work on the Christmas dinner. The pudding came
The "Bairam" Feast.
175
""
up in fairly good form, with hardly a fracture in it, which,
considering the many accidents that befall such things even
in "the best-regulated families," was creditable to Stano and
“Eliza,” our cook-whose real name, I should say, is Bedross.
He is not at all unlike a woman, so I call him she-it sounds
comfortable-like, just as if we had a woman to look after us
Dear me how I did long for a "kind female to prepare
my drinks for me, and give them to me heated to a proper
degree, and without my trying to ask for them! But all
the fellows did their best, and I pulled through all right. The
most amusing incident in the whole illness was my getting a hot
bath by means of a big pot. I thought it would be good for
me, so Mustapha got a great pot-one of those I have described
as commonly used to boil "a quarter's supply" of bulgor in—
and the bath was accomplished.
It so happened this year (a very unusual thing) that the Mos-
lem feast of Bairam-or three days' holiday after the month's
day-fasting and abstinence of Ramazan-occurred at Christmas-
time, so that Christians and Moslems were glad together. Now
I have often written about the sad and neglected state of the
Moslem graveyards. Judge of my surprise, on looking out
on these places, to see them transformed into regular planta-
tions of myrtle! This is really a lovely idea, and I like the
Turks for it: they always decorate their cemeteries in this way at
Bairam.
Yesterday (Monday) was a charming day-57° in the shade-
so I ventured out for a walk; and many a welcome I received.
It was known all over the place that "Engineer Effendi" had
been ill, and the congratulations of the people around, on my
recovery, were hearty and general.
Beilan, 3rd January, 1871.-How the years roll on! It is
astonishing the changes that a year brings about. However,
I am not going to moralise, but to tell you how I spent my
"old year out and new year in." I write under charm-
ing influences: we have a companion who sings to us sweet
music every evening, and, although there is much of a same-
ness about the tunes, I confess we never tire of the music
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Letters of an Engineer.
I allude to a big black kettle, which is kept continually at
boiling-point. It has proved to be one of the best purchases
Stano has made for the house. I have just made the evening
tea: it is astonishing the comfort we have had from that 3. tin
of tea I brought from England-we have had two big cups, or
tumblers, every night almost since I came, as well as many cups
for visitors.
To-morrow morning we start for a trip round the Antioch
lake and to Dana; from thence we shall go through a pass (the
camel route between here and Aleppo) named Casser-el-Bannet,
the interpretation being "The Castle of the Maiden." I believe
there are many ruins in it, so I may have something to write
about on my return-indeed, this is certain, as we return by
Antioch, and expect to be back in five days. A few days since,
Blunderbuss's son came from Antioch, with the carcase of a
wild boar his father had shot; and we are taking a tin of roasted
boar's flesh to sustain us on our way. Pigs' (and of course
wild pigs') flesh is an abomination to the Moslems as well as
to the Jews; so we may probably get kicked out of some
Moslem house when we introduce our boar. Mustapha does
not half like it, but says he must tell the people it is English
mutton!
On New Year's Day, there was no end of official visiting going
on. On our arrival at the Consulate, we found a number of
visitors: coffee, sweetmeats, cigarettes, cigars, and narghilis were
the order of the day, and there was no end of chattering, in
many languages. At one time, there were in the same room
Arabs, Turks, Jews, Greeks, Russians, the Greek priest, two
Roman Catholic priests, Italian (Stano), English (myself), and
French (Mr. L, of the Consulate).
I sneaked out with a cigar, and wandered along the sea-shore.
Alexandretta is a nasty, swampy place; but the bright blue
sea, the glorious mountains around, and the warmth (68° in
the shade), made me like it more this day than I had yet done.
A solitary walk along the sea-shore, with majestic mountain
scenery close by, is my beau-ideal of the beautiful, and creates
a desire to call to remembrance any appropriate poetry I have
New Year's Day.
177
come across in my desultory reading: these lines occurred to me
then:
"These are Thy glorious works, Parent of good,
Almighty! Thine this universal frame,
Thus wondrous fair. Thyself how wondrous then!"*
There were a few collier-ships and a small steamer in the bay.
I wondered much if ever this place would become what it might
be-one of the most important ports, if not the most important
in the Mediterranean, with through trains to Bussorah, if not to
Calcutta, and also to Mosul (the ancient Nineveh), Bagdad, and
Babylon. I hope I may live to see it!
Next day, after déjeuner, we started for home. Stano had
bought a couple of chairs, painted green, except the tips of the
legs, which were vermilion-the price of the two being 34 piastres,
or 6s. Mustapha had our baggage (two small portmanteaus and
a travelling bag), with a chair on each side of the horse, and
Stano's gun slung across his shoulder; yet, with all this, he
actually bantered us for a race! Away we went! Mustapha
won the race, but that was because his horse ran away.
To see
those chairs bobbing about, and Mustapha between them, hold-
ing on very hard, was most laughable.
Soon after we reached home, a poor fellow who worked on the
new road came, accompanied by his wife, who did our washing,
to tell us he had just come out of prison: he had been released
on bail, and they wanted to go to Aleppo; would we help them
a little?
We told "Eliza" to give them something to eat, and
we should see what we could do further for them. While they
were eating, the "surety" came rushing in, and laid hold of his
man. He had been looking for him for an hour, he said; the
governor had changed his mind, and would not take the bail—
the man must therefore return to prison; so the prisoner was
carried off. Mustapha followed to see the end of it. At our
gate were a number of police who were afraid to enter our pre-
cincts, thinking we had in some way taken the man under our
protection. The fact is, the authorities here do not quite know
* Milton-Paradise Lost, book
V.,
line 153.
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Letters of an Engineer.
what to make of us: our long residence here, and our relations
with the Pasha, cause us to be feared.
Beilan, Wednesday, 11th January, 1871.-Home again!
I arrived with Mustapha last evening, while Stano remained at
the Antioch lake, in the hope of securing some game. We had
rather a pleasant trip; but we are generally glad to get home-
and then, after a few days of "inglorious rest," glad to be off
again. I was anxious to see the wet districts on the proposed
route for the railway, after the late rains-that was the object of
our trip.
We started, fully expecting to have a wet day. The pass was
full of clouds, and when we reached the Antioch side of the
summit the clouds were all about us; but, getting clear of them
as we ascended, we had hopes of a fine day-and we were not
disappointed. On our way down, we met a great cavalcade :
many horse-soldiers conducting the son of the Pasha of Bagdad
—a great swell, judging by his retinue and the dresses of many
of the party. There were three ladies-one luxuriating in a
tachterawan (the carriage or sedan carried by mules), the others
riding. There had been much rain in the night, and yet these
people had slept in tents, there being no houses good enough for
such great folk.
Among the grandee Turkish ladies, the yashmec, showing the
nose and eyes, is universal-how those eyes seem to stare at the
passer-by! But the poor or working-class of Turkish women
here cover up the face entirely when observed, either by drawing
their thin, ugly, brick-red checked cloak over the face, or by
wearing over the face a horrid thin printed muslin. In the
Pasha's cavalcade there was a mule carrying two dog-houses, in
each of which was a fine sleek sporting dog, which looked well
fed, and seemed quite happy.
Except during excessive rains, when dreadful torrents rush
down, most of the water-courses in this country remain almost
dry. We had no idea that we could cross the river by the
fords; but, meeting the postman, he told us that he had crossed,
so we crossed also, and thus saved a two hours' ride we should
have had going round by the bridge. I was astonished to see
The Afrinn-Dana.
179
the wonderfully spring-like appearance the grass presented; and
in many places whole gardens of white crocuses-similar, except
in colour, to the desert mauve-coloured flowers I have described
before. As we passed under the hills near Hamaum (where the
sulphur baths are which I mentioned in writing of my first trip
round the lake), the effects of the late rains were clearly to be
seen: over parts of the new road immense masses of large-sized
stones were deposited, and the water had torn up the ground in
courses eight feet in depth in some places, carrying the débris
further down, and so covering fields of wheat with stones and
silt several inches deep. We reached the Afrinn at dusk, and
put up at "The Han of the Weeping Willows," where, as Stano
says, "there is always a little bit of comfort." He speaks of
"little bits" indiscriminately, as, for instance, "Will you have
a little bit of water?"
There are many discomforts at all times in travelling in this
country. In the winter-time the weather is cool, and vermin of
the common kind less plentiful; but the nights are so long-
darkness sets in at half-past four, and from then until bed-time
is a long interval.
On this trip, to save taking an extra horse, the baggage was
reduced to our beds and changes of clothes. I did not take my
bedstead with me, and suffered much from fleas, and also from
a species of small locust-odious-looking things, of a yellowish
colour, with immense hind legs. I killed many before turning
into bed; but it was long before they let me go to sleep.
I slept at last, but was awaked in the middle of the night by
the arrival of travellers-a young married couple and their
guard. I dropped asleep again while they were waiting for some
coffee, and awoke to find something soft at my feet, which turned
out to be the young woman, and, beyond her, the husband.
I could not help thinking of Boaz and Ruth! Truly, travelling
in the East is "roughing it;" for men it is bad enough, but for
women it is simply abominable-but then, in this country any-
thing is considered good enough for women, so they must put
up with it.
Five hours' ride brought us once more to Dana, my first visit
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""
to which I always remember, owing to the great dearth of water,
and the queen-like beauty of the Arab women there. On our
way, we had the pleasure of getting a couple of shots at a flock of
wild turkeys. As they flew off, one of them broke away from the
flock, and flew in an erratic way which suggested that his brain was
affected; and after a little we had the savage satisfaction of see-
ing the huge bird come down "with a run.' What a bird that
was! It is a usual way of describing a bird to give his mea-
surement. When his wings were extended, this fellow measured,
from tip to tip, 6ft. 6in., and he was as heavy as any turkey-
cock I have seen. On arriving at Dana, we were on our way to
the sheik's house, when a man living on the outskirts of the
place offered us his. We went there, and found it a larger
house than the sheik's; but unfortunately, it was half-full of
children! The place was soon crowded with people, to see us,
and to pull feathers out of the wonderful bird: soon half of the
villagers had feathers in their caps.
We found here the remains of what at one time must have
been a very pretty little church-now simply the yard to a
house. Moslems take a delight in destroying any remains of
Christian buildings; so that it is a wonder to find the place
even as perfect as it is. The plan is like our own churches:
the nave and the transepts, the carving of the pillars, and the
arches over them, show really good workmanship; while the
features of construction show a solidity which we are seldom
extravagant enough to imitate. From many inscriptions, of
which there are fragments about these Christian villages, it is to
be presumed they are of Greek-Christian origin; but the style of
the architecture approaches more to the Roman, although there
are mixtures of both styles. In the style of the Christian vil-
lages, however, there is a peculiar feature-many of the arches
include more than half a circle, partaking of what is termed the
"horse-shoe" arch. In the Grecian style of architecture, there
is a limit to height, as certain proportions must be observed-
pillars must be only so many diameters high, &c. In the
Roman, or semicircular-arch style, great heights can be obtained
-as, for instance, St. Peter's at Rome; but there is a heaviness
A Dance at Dana.
about it. The Gothic alone seems to admit of that harmonious,
yet heaven-soaring height, which makes it a suitable architecture
for our churches. The builders of the old Christian churches
must have had this lofty feeling: not knowing the Gothic arch,
they added to the height of one they did know.
181
Dinner turned up at dark, and by that time we had over
twenty Arabs, small and great, in the house. I proposed to
Stano that we should have some music to while away the hours,
so, after promises of baksheish, a one-headed drum was produced;
and, after some drumming upon this instrument, a shepherd-boy
produced a whistle, and played upon it wonderfully. Then
there was some singing, of the usual howling description; and,
finally, dancing commenced. More Arabs gathered in, and there
were now over thirty. Some very pretty, modest-looking "Araby
maids” were over in the background-they did not hide their
faces, and indeed they had no need to be ashamed of them.
These Arab girls wore handkerchiefs on their heads, with many
coins for ornaments, which seemed to be of silver-gold, I pre-
sume, is too precious for ornaments in the village of Dana.
I may as well mention here that all the women of the country,
no matter how poor, wear bracelets-frequently of twisted brass
wire; and all the men wear signet rings, with their names upon
them, with which they stamp any papers by way of signature.
To return to the merry-making.-After one man had finished
his turn of dancing, he passed to another the handkerchief which
he had so gracefully waved as he danced, and thus the dancing
was kept up. While it proceeded, a metal dish, and a couple of
spoons as drum-sticks, were introduced to assist the music. After
a little, Stano was the performer upon this instrument; and when
one of the natives had finished his dance, he dropped the hand-
kerchief into Stano's lap-so Stano was obliged to get up. After
much pressing, and all in the room calling out "Howwadjee,"
he got up, and handed me the dish and the spoon. (I wished
the dish had run away with the spoon.) But there was no
getting out of it—I had to drum. Stano then
surly-looking old Arab to join him in the fling.
man warmed to the work, he danced mightily.
pulled up a very
When the old
Stano soon
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Letters of an Engineer.
declared himself "done up;" but the old Arab kept him at it
until the perspiration was streaming down his cheeks, and I
had rattled on the dish till my wrists were aching. Considering
that the dancing was all by men, it was wonderfully graceful,
owing to the flowing garments. We treated the party to 41d.
worth of tobacco and a pint jug of coffee. The jug had to
be borrowed from the sheik, there being no other vessel in the
house but pots, and a little coffee-pot to hold two egg-cupfuls.
We also treated the ladies to hot sugar-and-water.
It has sometimes occurred to me that it is owing to the
scarcity of water in the summer that people here get into the
habit of never washing. Men do wash, however, as their
religion compels them-if such ablutions as they perform can
be called washing. They think our way of washing disgusting.
They say we "soil the water, then carry the soiled water over
our skin again."
On leaving Dana, a few hours' ride brought us to the entrance
of the pass, and to the ruins of a fine town: doorways, arches,
&c., had been formed of ponderous stones, the whole so strong,
that I assume, from the position of the town, it must have been
a fighting place in its day, every house being a sort of castle.
There are many fragments of ruins scattered along the rocky
sides of the pass, and in one place a fine cistern cut out of the
solid rock and covered over with great stones. The builders of
these Christian villages, in all their works, seem to have built
for eternity.
•
We stood watching some gazelles fleeting past, when an
enormous wolf started out from a water-course, and scampered
off towards the hills. We had only shot in our guns, so the
chance of getting his skin was lost. This was the first wolf I
had seen; but, now that the winter has set in, no doubt we shall
see more.
Four hours of a nasty, muddy, sticky ride brought us to the
eastern gate of Antioch, which still stands, a fine piece of
masonry. As I may have already mentioned, the river walls
and much of both end walls of the city have been removed,
and the stones used up in Moslem buildings; but the stones in
Turkish Engineering.
183
this gate were too large for the spoilers, and there it stands.
Many a grand pageant has entered this gateway in days gone by.
A long straight road leads for over a mile to the town. It must
be a charming walk in summer, but now it is quite a bog from
one end to the other, the horses having worn the road into deep
holes-now full of water, of course—and each step the horse
takes sends up great jets of muddy water. I think it is prob-
able that in old times this street extended right through to the
western gate, forming a road over two miles in length.
A lunatic of a Pasha, riding out through the eastern gate one
day, saw a fine spring of water, and said to the heads of the
city, "Make a cut along the road, and carry that water into
Antioch." The inhabitants, forced to go to work, sank over a
mile of trench, casting the stuff from the trench into the road.
There is an incline up the road, so they had to make their
trench deeper as they proceeded. They sank down, down, down,
until they were afraid to sink lower; but the water would not
run up-hill! The works were suspended; then the sides of the
trench fell in. Another Pasha (the one I visited in Beilan),
visiting Antioch and seeing the trench, asked what it was. On
being informed, he asked, "What did Antioch want with more
water? Had they not the whole river Orontes ?" So he ordered
the trench to be filled up again; but, between the cutting and
the filling, the road was destroyed, and left a regular quagmire.
In parts of the trench, not quite filled up, many fragments of
walls, pillars, &c., are to be seen. I shall not be surprised if, at
some future time, great excavations are made, and the ancient
buildings of Antioch close to the hills brought to light—as two
thousand years must have covered up much.
We went to the house of the Consul, Mr. D———————, a Jew. His
wife had gone to Beyrout; but we had a hearty welcome from
the master and the children, and the eldest girl showed herself
a wonderful little housewife. Our big bird was much admired.
Mr. D————— said that neither he nor his family could partake of
it, but that there was no reason why we should not have it
cooked there; so cooked it was, and up it came for dinner.
We thought of sending it to the American missionary we met
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Letters of an Engineer.
at Beilan with his daughter, but, on making inquiries, we
found they had left a few days ago for Casaub, a mountain vil-
lage on Mount Cassinis. What a bird! We dined heartily off
one side of its breast.
Not having had my clothes off for three nights, it was a relief
to spend a night in a good bed. We boated up the river two
hours the next morning, then entered the lake; an hour's poling
bringing us to the place where we had the romantic night in the
arbour by the lake. Our horses awaited us here; so we set
off towards Beilan, a ride of five hours. As we rode through
scrub-wood, a francolin started; we saw it alight, and Stano and
I went after it at a gallop. When we rode into the place where we
saw the bird alight, off it started again; but Stano's gun brought
it down-he is a splendid shot! At the village of Karamout
(where in a former letter I described the Arab girls making
butter while I lay in bed watching them), there was much talk
of wild boars having been seen; so Stano determined on staying
for the night and having some sport. Mustapha and I rode on
to Beilan.
It rained for four hours and a-half, but, thanks to the waterproof
sheet from my bed, I was almost untouched when I reached home.
We did not meet a soul during the two hours' ride up the An-
tioch side of the pass. Heavy clouds hung about us, the trees
stood out in straggling array in the fog, while the water ran
down the road in streams, and the poor horses had a weary job
of it. At the very summit of the pass, a caravan of camels were
browsing on the shrubs, and a little distance off were their loads.
To see the way in which merchandise is treated on these
journeys in wet weather, not to speak of the sufferings of the
poor drivers, is deplorable. Bales of valuable merchandise are
dropped on the ground, and a sort of barricade made of them to
keep the wind and rain from the men. Sometimes they have a
tent to put over themselves and some of the bales, but often
they have only their felt mashlacks to lie down in. Of course
the bales are protected by oil-cloths; but the custom-house
authorities open the ends of all the bales, and so the covering
(put on at home) is destroyed, leaving one end almost open.
Disappointment.
185
Arriving at home, we found dinner was made ready, though
"Eliza" did not expect us; very soon some logs were burning
in the fire-place, my bed was in position, and in half-an-hour
the soup was up.
Now for some news of a very disappointing nature. The
Minister of Public Works has refused to receive my application,
because it was not written in French, and because his Excel-
lency was not mentioned by name ! Doubtless there are other
reasons, but these have been given me as important objections
to the favourable consideration of my petition by the mighty
humbug! Worse still, a letter has come from Mr. Macneill
to say that, if I should not have received the permission on
receipt of his letter, to arrange at once to return. This in-
struction is very disagreeable to me, for many reasons. First,
because it looks as if the scheme were "all up" for the
present; second, I seem like a fool, having come so far, waited
so long, exerted myself much, and still the end is not achieved;
thirdly, the satisfaction it will be to many who plotted my
troubles in this matter; and, lastly, the national humiliation it
is, that an Englishman coming out to this country should have
to return without fulfilling his mission. However, this much
may be said the permission should have been waiting for me,
and I question if any Turk could have gone about in England
with less annoyance than I have done here, and with so much of
the good-will of the people.
i-
Beilan, 30th January, 1871.-I have nothing striking to
record in this letter, for we have not been out on the road of
late; however, what little there is to tell may prove interesting.
Since writing up the last details of my experiences, I have been
occupied in a minute examination of my notes of the route I
had selected for the proposed railway, so as to form an estimate
of the cost for construction, without the actual spirit-level sec-
tion. Fortunately, with my pocket instruments, which any
traveller might carry without permission, I have been able to
fix a good many points, both as to levels and geography—so
that I hope to make a pretty good map of the district. The
weather has been very favourable for the examination, but
N
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Letters of an Engineer.
to-day is wet, and we may have many such days now. When
in conversation one begins to talk about the weather, or when
in writing letters one refers to it, it is evident that there is no
other subject available. I almost feel so at present; but still I
think that in duty to those at home I ought to have a letter
"in hand," and must trust to the future for matter to fill it.
:
One day not long since, we went up a very high mountain—
5,301 feet above sea-level, nearly twice as high as Slieve Donard!*
We rode to the pass already mentioned, just over the village of
Curclow (where we bought the kid for 1s. 5d., and where the active
little Turcoman maiden attended to our wants). From this pass
we made the ascent of 1,400 feet on foot-indeed I may say on
all fours. The pass was covered with snow, and on getting
to the top of it the wind was tremendous, not only in its force,
but in its coldness. We noticed many tracks in the snow,
amongst them the footprints of a great bear-unmistakable
footmarks of "Master Bruin." We had our guns loaded with
bullets, so we followed in the track as far as the snow ex-
tended if we had had dogs, we should have gone farther,
but without the snow or the dogs it would likely have been a
weary chase without result. Master Bruin might have taken
us in the rear, and this might have proved serious, as from his
tracks he must have been a full-grown "grizzly." The cold
winds on the north-eastern sides of the mountains drive the wild
animals over to the sheltered side. We saw marks of wolves or
hyænas, also of hares and wild goats; but the only animal we
caught sight of was a large hare. I have had some little ex-
perience in mild mountain climbing, but I confess I never felt
so much difficulty in any mountain ascent as in that 1,400 feet.
The snow lay in drift-some places two feet in depth-frozen
on the surface, the foot sinking in it at every step-that was
bad enough; but the atmosphere was so rare that it seemed
quite impossible to get enough of it into the lungs. I confess
I had to sit down exhausted half-a-dozen times-however, the
top was reached at last. What a wind, but what a glorious
*
County Down, Ireland.
The Grisel Dagh.
prospect! Now just fancy getting up a mountain at Belfast,
and seeing Dublin to the south, Derry to the north, and Sligo
to the west, with the naked eye-this will give you some idea of
the clearness of the atmosphere, as regards distances; but there
are no such modern places to be seen from the Grisel Dagh, as
the German maps have it (the Lovely Mountain). To the north,
and almost at our feet, lie the plains of Issus; and a little to
the west, Alexandretta (vile place that it is-yet Alexander the
Great named it, and encamped in the plains about it before
crossing the range to carry all before him in Assyria and Persia,
and even into India); to the south-west, Antioch; then to the
south, in the far distance, the mountains of the Holy Land ;
while, eastward, Aleppo (seventy miles off) was clearly seen. If
I had been fortunate enough to have had my glass with me, I
might have seen the Euphrates, of which I need not now speak,
nor of the future way along its valley to India, which is always
uppermost in my mind.
From the mountain could also be seen the ground over which
Assyrians and Chaldeans from Nineveh and Babylon marched
to their attacks on the Holy City; the road over which the
Israelites were carried away captive to Babylon; and the same
ground by which they returned to build up again, through many
difficulties, the walls of their dear city. It is little wonder that
the Jews weep by the walls of Jerusalem, when they read of all
the glories that once existed there, of the many valiant exploits
of their forefathers, of the mighty battles they fought, of their
victories and their defeats, of their captivity in Babylon, and
their return again. They weep for those days gone by; but
they cannot sing for joy as we do, and feel that the Saviour trod
the streets of their sacred city, nor do they believe that "with
wicked hands they slew Him." I wander away from my subject,
but so I wandered in imagination on that mountain-top. I was
brought to myself by Stano howling in my ear, while I lay on
my rug in the snow, Take your observations quickly; this is
a bad place to stay long." I had been so rapt in contemplation
that I could not help being rather uncivil to him, telling him
he might go down, for I could find my own way. He generally
(6
187
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Letters of an Engineer.
writes down the observations that I take with the compass: on
this occasion I had to shout them into his ear, the wind was so
strong.
We had taken a bottle of whisky-and-water for this "Arctic"
expedition. Before ascending the snow-covered part of the
mountain, we sat down, ate our luncheon, and drank some of
the liquor. On the top, we drank to the health of whoever
should find the bottle, inside of which we placed a paper, sus-
pended from the cork by a bit of string, with this inscription :
"Here's to the health of the finder! He is to drink to W.
Maxwell, C.E., and F. Stano. Hooray!"-also a translation in
Italian. I had this written before going up: if I had left it
until we got to the top, I fear it would not have been written,
for it was so cold. I built the bottle-still one-third full of
whisky-and-water-into a small cairn of stones we found there,
raised, I have heard, by some Royal Navy officers who had
been up making observations in 1864. How the man who
finds the liquor will chuckle!
While resting at the guard-house a few days ago—the place
where we saw the Hindostanee Moslems on their way to Mecca
-three poor Arab Christians came up (an old man and his wife,
and their son, a poor decrepit fellow). They had been on foot
to Jerusalem, on a pilgrimage, had almost starved on their way,
and had managed to get from Jaffa (Joppa) by steamer. They
looked so miserable that we at once gave them the coffee we
were drinking, for which the poor old woman kissed my hand.
We had another Turkish bath the other day. I got such a
scrubbing on the former occasion, that when I was in the bath,
with a towel round my body, I told Stano-with most violent
gesticulations-that, if I was scrubbed in such a way this time,
I would pound both him and the bath-men. It is remarkable
what effect seeing a fellow put himself into a boxing attitude
has on these people, who are not accustomed to boxing: they
have a profound horror of an Englishman's fist, as they have
heard that frequently, when men are boxing, one is killed.
There is great activity now among the farmers and the vine-
yard owners-all are hard at work, men doing the ploughing,
Floods at Smyrna.
189
women the planting. It is a strange sight to see these women,
with faces covered up, bending over their work in the fields.
Very many Arabs are now on the move homewards to the
desert. Perhaps the truth of the saying that "there is no place
like home" could not be more forcibly pourtrayed than by these
children of Ishmael going home to arid deserts from plains of
comparative pasture. But they have glorious freedom in the
boundless desert, and freedom is, naturally, preferred by them
to being watched and suspected in the plains.
Beilan, February 10th, 1871.—During the two days I was
out lately, I met two men most peculiarly armed-one had a
sword of the crooked Turkish shape, and a shield of leather,
about the size of a dinner-plate, studded over with round bits of
brass, slung over his shoulder; the other man had a long gun, a
sword, and a hammer with a round block of wood in addition
to the hammer-head. I presume the latter was to throw at an
enemy. It seems to me that a man with three such weapons
would be in such a state of bewilderment to know which to use
first, that he would be overpowered by a better-armed adversary
before he had made up his mind.
Sunday, the 29th of last month, was a very wet day, and I
see by a paper which Stano has just received from Smyrna, that
the floods there were dreadful—the people having to go about
the streets in boats. £30,000 represents the damage done to
the railway. A bridge was broken down, and a train precipi-
tated into the river, the drivers being mortally wounded. In
these countries the floods come down with great fury; but al-
though there was so much rain on Sunday, and a damp day on
Monday, Wednesday was a regular summer day. Being com-
pletely tired of the house, we started on an exploring expedition
to examine a mountain pass at Payass, about twelve miles north-
east of Alexandretta. We had been half the distance to Payass
on a former occasion, when returning from the mountain expe-
dition. When writing about that, I mentioned an old castle
with a remarkable doorway. A little further on there is a
marsh, and here two fellows had just killed an immense wild
boar, and were loading it on a horse to take to Alexandretta, the
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Letters of an Engineer.
only place where they would find a market for the carcase, as
only there do any number of boar-eaters reside! I had my gun
loaded for wild boar; but we were not so fortunate as to meet
with a live one. Stano had loaded with shot for birds.
We started for this expedition without beds, carrying only
our cloaks, and a change of garments in case of our getting wet,
either by rain, snow, or the fording of rivers. The whole way
to Payass is along the foot of the mountains, the sea being on
one side-consequently there are many rivers finding their way
to the sea. The road runs principally along the shore-on sand
or gravel, as the case may be; and, as there are no bridges, the
rivers have to be forded-not a difficult matter, except in floods.
We found some of them over two feet in depth, big stones at
the bottom, and the water rushing rapidly-all snow-water from
the high mountain-tops; a drink of it would be worth its weight
in silver in summer, but now it is really too much for the teeth.
The day was beautifully clear, with a hot sun, but a cool breeze
from the snowy Taurus mountains. On our right were the
wooded mountains, with their snow-clad tops; on the left, the
sea, lashing up its waters close to our track; the land of
the opposite side of the bay was clearly visible, backed by the
snowy peaks of the mighty Taurus range ;-the scenery was very
fine indeed. Looking back at Alexandretta, we saw a couple of
French steamers in the port, and three colliers.
After a ride of two and a-half hours from Alexandretta, we
came in sight of Payass. According to the English charts, this
place was once called Baiæ, and, judging from the ruins about,
it must have been once a very important place indeed. Very
extensive graveyards are observed before reaching the town:
fine olive-trees stand in them, and, from the nature of the tombs,
the dead must have belonged to rich and great people. There
are also many fine clumps of the prickly pear. Each leaf of this
monster plant is, when full-sized, larger than a tennis-racquet, of
similar shape, and about an inch in thickness. We call this
plant the prickly pear, but I think fig would give a better idea
of the fruit.
Payass has an old castle, now used as a prison; and I am
Payass.
191
sorry to say the house was full of guests. There is a moat of
well-built masonry around the building; the doorway is entirely
of Saracenic work. Adjoining this castle is a fine old mosque,
with a minaret; but much of the beauty of the ruins is de-
stroyed by an execrable coat of whitewash over the mosque and
the castle. This is a common practice with the Turks, as from
a distance the whitewash renders buildings conspicuous. Adjoin-
ing these ruins are the remains of a magnificent bazaar or market,
and a han or caravanserai. A few miserable shops exist in the
bazaar, and a few horses are stalled in the ruined han. The
street of the bazaar is spanned by Gothic arching, and there is a
regular colonnade with Gothic arches round the han, giving it
quite the appearance of the cloisters of a cathedral. The street
of the bazaar is close upon ten yards wide, and at its centre is a
lofty dome, supported on very fine Gothic arches.
There is a peculiarity in the Saracenic arch, two stones
forming what is equivalent to our keystone. Then at the
springing of the arch, there is the peculiarity to which I
referred in writing about the old church at Dana. At Payass,
the reason for giving the arch extra height (bringing the curve
below the "springing") may have been to get a little projecting
moulding under the arch. The Saracens got wonderful effect
in their architecture by small projections, which take away from
the dead appearance of flat surface, and also give decided
shadow in the strong sun of the country.
But I am running away into "the reason why" of little
things that may not interest, so I must return to the old build-
ings, which stand about half-a-mile from the sea, where there
are some signs of an old harbour. The stones which composed
the quays have been removed for buildings along the coast, just
as at Arsus. At the sea, there is a very good fort, built to resist
cannon, and bearing evidence of severe cannonading—the marks
of cannon-balls about five inches in diameter can be seen in the
stones, and the breach through which the besiegers entered and
took possession. This fort is also of the Saracenic order of
architecture; and it would seem that the builders did not
occupy it very long, for over the doorway is a marble tablet,
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Letters of an Engineer.
similar to that over the entrance to the mosque grounds, and on
neither of these were there any inscriptions. We wandered
through the old fort-it is used as a sheep-cote at times; there
was no living thing inside.
We viewed all these things before sundown, and then repaired
to the sheds of an Armenian Christian known to Mustapha :
unfortunately for us, an Armenian priest was on a visit, and he
was the centre of attraction. The evening was very cold; the
smoke from the wood fire in the middle of the apartment, as we
entered it, was rising abundantly to find its way out through the
tiles. We had a dinner of boiled rice, with butter, and some bread
and cheese, after which we smoked, and conversed on Turkish
affairs with some Christians who gathered in. When we retired
to rest, not having brought our beds, we discovered there was
but one wadded quilt for the two of us. As I object to a bed-
fellow, I rolled myself in my cloak, and sought repose. It was
a very cold night, but still we managed to get some sleep.
Next morning we had a frugal breakfast, and then were off for
the mountain pass.
We had heard numerous and contradictory
accounts of it—some saying that the pass was very easy, others
calling it very difficult, and prophesying that we should find
much snow.
At Payass, the mountains are nearly two miles
from the sea, and, as there is a village close to the mountains,
we determined to get a guide from the village for the exploration.
We reached the gardens of the village, and went through one
garden after another-there being no regular paths, we had to
stoop to avoid the branches of the trees. On making inquiries
here, we were assured by several of the villagers that the pass
was impassable-that the snow was four feet deep. This was
quite enough for me, as, if there was snow at all, the pass
must be a lofty one, inasmuch as I knew there was no
snow at 2,000 feet above sea-level-so where the snow was of
such depth, the altitude must be much more. We had left
our cloaks and change of clothing at Payass, and now,
having given up the mountain-pass, what was to be done?
I immediately decided on going to the plains of Issus, the battle-
field of Alexander the Great and King Darius, which we
The Plains of Issus.
193
believed to be three or four hours' ride distant. Two hours'
ride, over a country covered with myrtle, brought us to a village
with an abundance of fig-trees, mulberries, orange and lemon-
trees. Forty minutes' ride further brought us to the village of
Ojacklee, and two hours further still, to the village of Arzin.
We had now ridden for four hours and forty minutes, and with-
out a sign of any ruins; so we inquired for the head-man of the
village, and found him seated with a lot of natives in front of his
dwelling, playing cards. Being received graciously, we smoked
with the party, and found out that there were some ruins two
hours distant. Concluding that these must be the Issus ruins,
we asked for a guide. As it was now three o'clock, and darkness
would set in at five, to return to Payass was impossible; so we
looked forward to a night of "roughing it," and were not
disappointed! These three villages have populations of Turks
and Christians mixed; nearly all the houses are detached, each
having a good garden. In the summer they must be charming
places, as there is abundance of water, and orange and lemon-
trees everywhere: the golden fruit still hanging on many of the
trees formed a beautiful sight. The lanes have hedgerows of
many sorts of hedge-shrubs, with pomegranate-trees as in the
Orontes valley (which I described when on the way to Selucia).
There is a busy hum of industry in these villages, much cotton
and silk being prepared in them. The implements used in
the preparation of the cotton and silk were new to me. Το
break up the husks from the cotton, the heads were put into a
basket constructed like a barrel, and this was made to revolve.
There were also wheels for winding yarn, all keeping up a busy
hum under the shade of the trees. Cotton is passed as money
in these villages-we saw several pedlars who received for their
wares payment in cotton.
We started with our guide, and after a ride of two hours we
came in sight of a black castle on the top of an isolated rocky
hill, which, in position, forcibly reminded me of Windsor; but
it was nearly dark when we arrived. There is a wretched
village under the castle, principally composed of reedy arbours
and a few black stone houses.
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Letters of an Engineer.
The castle is a large building; it would have garrisoned
perhaps a thousand men, and must have been a strong position.
From the top we viewed the plains of Issus, which extend
about twelve miles from the sea, and are surrounded by moun-
tains, except on the sea and at one other side. This one part is
the entrance into a vast plain, and is apparently surrounded by
mountains, with a few rocky hills scattered through it. We
counted five fortresses in ruins; so at one time there must have
been much fighting here. At the entrance to this great plain
there are the remains of what evidently had been a wall with
gates, and must have been a Roman work. I should have liked
to spend more time in the place. We mounted our good steeds,
and an hour's ride brought us well out upon the plains of Issus.
There are very extensive ruins on the plains—at one time
they must have formed a large town. There was a temple
of marble-the base-blocks still remain, but they have been
overthrown, no doubt with the object of getting at the metal
which bound them together. There are stumps of marble
columns, showing where vast colonnades had existed: the pillars
must have been broken down, and, I should say, principally
used for burning into lime. How execrable! There is the ruin
of a lime-kiln close by, and near to it a mutilated white marble
capital, like "a lamb brought to the slaughter." It had escaped
the fire. Stano and I managed to place it erect, so that the
next travellers will find it occupying a more dignified position.
There is also the ruin of a large aqueduct. The builders of
Issus must have had great labour, their stone being by no means
good; the local black stone is of a cindery nature, and very
hard to work. These ruins are too far from the sea for their
great stones to be taken away by boat, but gravestones are con-
tinually quarried out of the place.
In the evening we reached Payass again, and found, in the
absence of greater, that we were great men, and had (under the
circumstances) a pleasant enough evening, and, thanks to
the quilts which covered us, we were warm.
The cats were
very plentiful, and one meddling busy-body amongst them,
walking overhead, loosened the hold of a reaping-hook, in the
-
Turkish Misgovernment.
fall of which I narrowly escaped being guillotined or mutilated,
for the hook—a large reaping sickle-actually fell across my
neck!
195
We have heard much about the misgovernment of the Payass
Pashalic. For thirty years, and up to seven years ago, it had a
regular tyrant in its Pasha. He was the cause of twenty-four
Beys (a sort of Turkish noble) being beheaded; and he pillaged
the caravans, which at that time journeyed overland from Con-
stantinople, Mecca-wards (now they go most of the way by
steamer). When expeditions were sent against him, he would
take to the mountains, and generally contrived to worm himself
into the good graces of the commander of the expedition. On
one occasion he invited the seamen of an English ship to an en-
tertainment, and, when they were ashore, his men plundered the
ship, and then sank her. Another time he captured one of the
Sultan's wives, who was on a pilgrimage. This man's conduct
brought Payass to a heap of ruins: from being a place of 60,000
people, it contains now perhaps 600. The Pasha's name was
Chukuk Ali. In this country bad governors can do infinite
mischief.
Aleppo, 3rd March, 1871.-The date of my last letter
(February 10th) leaves a long interval, but not much has oc-
curred meanwhile worth writing about.
Riding in from Beilan to Alexandretta one morning lately,
we met a tribe of Arabs on their way to the desert. These
people move at a slow rate at the best of times, but when
the roads are bad after rain, the sights seen are really heart-
rending. The flocks and herds, poor famished animals, toiling
up the steep hills and through the muddy clay, suffer terribly.
Poor little lambs lie down utterly exhausted, while their mothers,
almost as bad, do their best to encourage them to keep up with
the flock. The shepherds carry as many lambs as they can, and
the broken-down sheep are placed on the backs of asses, until
the maimed and exhausted get so numerous that some must be
left behind; so their throats are cut, and their skins taken.
Poor camels, too, not fitted for the hill-traffic in winter, although
invaluable in the heat of summer, get done up on the heavy roads,
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Letters of an Engineer.
and thus you may see a weary camel carrying the tent and all the
household goods-and in addition, perhaps, a couple of babies-of
the family which follows it. By-and-by, the camel falls down
exhausted. In vain do they coax it, and lament over it, try
to push it up, and try to beat it up; the poor camel has
gone its course—no
no more will it tread the plains about
Nineveh or Babylon. It dies on the spot where it sank down ;
and the poor family are obliged to load themselves with the
burden of their faithful brute. When many cases of this kind
occur in a caravan during a day's journey, perhaps not more
than five miles are got over. The tents are then pitched,
firewood is gathered, and soon the whole tribe are in their
homes; for the Arabs of the desert carry their houses with
them-their villages are wherever they set up their encampment.
At night, the scene is very picturesque, with all the fires lighted.
Approaching the encampment on the leeward side, to see the
figures sitting round the fires, with their swarthy visages, bright
eyes, and white teeth; the flocks and herds in front, with here
and there a camel in statuesque attitude chewing the cud most
philosophically, is a curious sight to an inhabitant of the West.
A few days after the incident which suggested the above re-
marks, we were again riding into Alexandretta, and found a
part of the road strewn with carcases of sheep, goats, and
camels. The way they were torn and mangled showed what a
fierce struggle there must have been at night, when wolves,
hyænas, and jackals quarrelled over the unusually large feast
provided for them. On returning, as night came on, we observed
three wolves together, near this spot.
On Thursday last, having given up our house at Beilan, we
left Alexandretta for a journey to the Euphrates, via Aleppo.
On our way, we saw an old Arab woman with a most incon-
gruous burden.
She had a baby on her shoulders, a large gun
slung across her back, and a great scimitar fastened to her head.
On the present trip we had quite new domestic arrangements.
"Eliza" ceased to be our servant; but, as the English engineer
at Aleppo was likely to employ him, he wished to accompany
us there. Mustapha was reduced in rank, being now a simple
St. Simon Stylites.
catarjee, or horse-keeper; we trusting to meet with something
to eat at the several stopping-places, without taking much
trouble in the way of foraging. We also left our beds behind,
taking only our cloaks and a change of clothing. As our bag-
gage was but light, one horse was sufficient for it and one man
on the top; and, as Eliza" came with us, he rode part of the
time, and Mustapha the other part.
("
We found the Antioch plain much softer than when we had
gone over it on other occasions.
Fording the river was out of
the question, so we had to make long detours to the bridge.
A very fine camel lay at one of the bridges, with two of his legs
broken. The poor brute had no doubt been jostled off the
bridge, it being only eight feet wide, with no parapets. It would
have been a charity to have shot him, but he looked so con-
tented, I had not the heart to put a bullet into him.
We reached Inar Beida about an hour after dark, or rather
after sundown, and fared very well as regards sleeping, although
several other travellers, as well as the horses, were in the house
-all in the one apartment.
197
The next morning (Saturday) we were off early-not so early
as the usual morning caravan; but in an hour we overtook and
passed it, and in three hours we were resting in the han on the
Afrinn, so often mentioned before. The caravan arrived soon
after us.
Among the travellers were several Turkish soldiers,
including some officers, and the wife of an officer. The lady
was mounted on the top of the luggage on a mule. Considering
that there were two trunks, much bedding, &c., and the lady,
the mule's burden must have been close upon 3 cwt.
We were soon off again. Our quarters for the night, at Ter-
minin, were part of a "semi-detached," long house, the partition
consisting of a little dry-stone wall, three feet in height, which
divided the place into two. The family of our division con-
sisted of a man and his wife and three children. They slept
together, the children tucking in with their parents.
The next day being Sunday, I determined to visit the famous
ruins of an old church (Kelat-Seman), where St. Simon Stylites
is reputed to have lived in the fifth century, for over thirty
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years, on a pillar. We rode for three hours over very rocky
hills, threading our way on horseback over rocks that might be
considered very dangerous even on foot, until we came in sight
of the famous ruins, and in another hour we were amongst
them. We gave up our horses, and entered the church, built
over the famous pillar, only the base of which stands now.
The exterior view of the church is very fine indeed, and
as I neared it I viewed the details with great interest; but
the great sight, which to me was overpoweringly grand, was
the noble interior-the walls, pillars, and arches that are
still erect combining with magnificent effect, while the im-
mense masses of stone that lie in the interior make the ruin
all that an artist could wish for, as far as the picturesque is con-
cerned. It is impossible for me to give a detailed description
of this glorious old pile. Although not so large as St. Paul's
Cathedral in London, that is the best comparison I know of.
"I sat me down on a pillar's base," and read some chapters of
the Bible. While I sat there, alone, an Arab woman passed
through the silent ruins, carrying a load of firewood, and soon after
a shepherd, carrying some lambs; these, with occasional lizards
creeping in and out of the crevices and lurking about in the
interstices of the carvings, were the only signs of life in what
was, doubtless, once an important church. An Arab family
have covered in an old house in the ruins, and, in addition to
their farming, pick up a few shillings a-year from people who
visit the place.
Sunday notwithstanding, I determined to ascend a mountain
in the vicinity; for, if one can neither join in the services of a
church with God's people nor spend a quiet Sunday reading and
writing, to my mind it is better, if possible, to be out commun-
ing with God in His works. How can one better see His glories
than by ascending a high mountain, and viewing the country
for many miles in a vast panorama beneath his feet?
There is a great change now over the face of the earth in these
regions: what was fiery red a month ago is now soft green, with
all the magical effects of spring. I trust this will be a year of
plenty, for last year there was very little crop. The poor people
Mirage.
199
have suffered terribly, and I fear will suffer more—for bread, I
am informed, is now six times as dear as it was two years ago.
The next day we were off early, and, after an hour's ride, took
to walking, as I wanted to measure the route as nearly as pos-
sible we could not pass over the country in the necessary
direction on horseback, and it was impossible to measure dis-
tances by circuitous routes. We sent our horses to Terrib,
where a jar of water was to be obtained, and the horses
were then to be taken to a point twenty minutes' distance
in the direction of Kaffir Aleppo, where they were to wait
until we came up to them. In an hour and a-half we
reached the spot where we expected to find the horses, and,
after waiting nearly an hour there without any signs of them,
Stano went on to the village, and bought a jar of water and
some cakes of barley and chopped straw. The bread was the
most extraordinary stuff I ever tasted: we ate and drank, how-
ever, and then continued our journey.
As we proceeded in our day's work, we were, of course, in
continual expectation of meeting with the horses. Every mile
and a-half we got over, we were compelled to sit down, owing
to the dryness of the soil, the heat, the heavy riding-boots we
wore, and the mirage before us. The walk was by no means a
pleasant one! There is nothing more perplexing than mirage,
for it is impossible to define objects. In a mirage, a camel with
a man upon it looks like a lofty tree stalking along, while a
caravan seen sideways in the distance looks like a village, and
the effect is such that there appears to be a lake in the vicinity.
Every three-quarters of an hour we lay down on the ploughed
ground, rested, had a drink out of the water jar, and scoured
the horizon for the missing horses. At length, we quite made
up our minds that they were lost for the night, and that, small
as our baggage was, we should fare worse without it: but there
was no use getting anxious over our difficulties-we should
have to get through the night somehow! When within half-an-
hour's walk of Kaffir Aleppo, we discovered, through the field-
glass, our "gallant steeds" some distance beyond the village.
By dint of shouting, and finally by firing our guns, we attracted
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attention, and soon we had our horses and useful effects.
Shortly after, we were in the house for strangers, next door to
the sheik's. The sheik of Kaffir Aleppo is a fine fellow :
generally the sheiks are quite old men, but he is about forty-five.
He was glad to receive us; and, as we had some food with us
for dinner, we soon laid it out, the sheik helping us to eat it.
As the day drew to a close, the villagers dropped in, until at
last all the men of the village must have been in the one house.
There was much coffee-drinking, and we got repeated doses it
seemed to have been flavoured with liquorice, and tasted of acid
ink. Abominable stuff! It was considered the height of polite-
ness to partake of it frequently; so we had, of course, to put a
good face on it, and swallow (without sugar) the repulsive de-
coction. These poor Arab villagers have had a very bad year,
owing to the absence of rain: so poor were they this year, that
they had to purchase their seed under almost ruinous mortgages.
The subject was debated among the party, and a very noisy dis-
cussion kept up-the sheik, at times, being almost powerless to
keep order.
The next day we had another heavy day's walking, and, after
six hours of it, our feet had so suffered, that Stano broke down
completely, and I could not get on much farther. Fortunately
the horses were close by, and, as we had gone over all the
ground I was most particular about, I was thankful to get on
my horse and let him do the travelling. On this day we passed
Han Tuman, and entered the valley of the Challis, the only
stream between the Afrinn river and Aleppo-nearly two days'
journey. How grateful it is to travel along the banks of a
stream in this dry country!
Just as the day closed, we reached Aughdigley, a large Arab
village, and found at the sheik's a very good house for strangers.
This was the best "clay-dome" house I had seen-indeed I am
inclined to think it the best in the country. It was close upon
forty feet square. From a pillar in the centre sprang arches to
the side-walls, and on these rested the clay dome. The exterior
looked very unshapely, but the interior was very neat indeed.
The sheik received us kindly: he had dined, but very soon a
Tenure of Land.
dish of bulgor, and some flesh-meat and vegetables of objectionable
flavour, came in. A number of the blackest of Arabs gathered
round, and asked us to join them, which we did; but a little
satisfied us.
Soon after this our own food came up. "Eliza "
had had particular instructions to make soup of some fresh-
water crabs we had obtained, but he boiled the crabs and threw
away the water, much to Stano's disgust!
There was considerable bustle and stir the next morning, as
it was the beginning of Bairam-a series of holidays. We
were awaked by a fine Arab maiden and her mother stepping
over us, arranging their beds and bedding on a shelf above us.
In this house I had a splendid covering of scarlet silk, unusually
clean and beautiful, with a linen lining, removable for washing
-a very unusual thing. Even in these out-of-the-way places,
the Western paraffin-lamps have been introduced-a great im-
provement on the old-fashioned classical oil-lamp, which was
universal formerly. The attendant in this house was the
blackest "black" I ever saw, and a very funny-looking rogue.
All he had to do to provoke a laugh was to roll his eyes and
grin; and his sister was just like him. I believe these two
were slaves!
The institution exists in this country, I believe ;
but it is very difficult, indeed, to get at the institutions of the
country, for in almost everything, except the conscription for
soldiers and paying of customs dues, people do very much as
they please. The land all belongs to, and is let by, the Govern-
ment. If a farm or any ground remains untilled for three years,
anyone else may take it; but as long as it is kept tilled, and
the tiller gives the proper proportion as custom every year, he
is not interfered with. The Government does not collect these
tithes, but sells them to middle-men, who take very good care
that they make money by their investment.
Half-an-hour's ride next morning brought us within sight of
Aleppo, and soon we were among the gardens. What a change
since the summer! All was green then, and in every garden
was heard the dreary creaking and groaning of the water-wheels
irrigating the gardens. Now, there is not a leaf to be seen, and
the great, gaunt, clumsy machinery is at rest. We went direct
0
201
B
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to H's house (the engineer of whom I wrote). He came
out and received me with a true welcome.
's
Oh, what a luxury! A real bed-room!!—real white sheets,
real basin-stand, real toilet-covers, soap, and a bath! Very
soon I was in the bath, and, although my wardrobe was on so
limited a scale, I was able to effect a complete transformation.
Having lived in a state of luxurious idleness in Mr. H
delightful house for nearly a week, we mounted our gallant
little steeds, and, accompanied by two horse-soldiers (a guard
from the Pasha), started this morning on our road to
the Euphrates the same road trodden by the Assyrians, the
Chaldeans, and the victorious Greeks. I feel how privileged
I am to visit such classic ground, though the country is
almost a wilderness now, and there is not a tree to be seen
in the day's journey. We thought we saw four Arab vil-
lages on the way, and met no more than twenty people all
the day long, though there appeared to be other villages
discernible here and there through the mirage. I write in
a pretty comfortable house; but, as far as I can judge, we shall
have many bed-fellows-so, of course, undressing is out of the
question.
If nothing interferes, I hope to-morrow night to be drinking
the water of the Euphrates.
Myskene (the ancient Beles), Wednesday, 8th March, 1871.—
At last, I am on the banks of the great Euphrates! We
arrived here last night a quarter of an hour after darkness had
set in. We started at seven o'clock yesterday morning from
Jaybull, an important place, from the fact that it is the last vil-
lage on the way to the Euphrates. The ride to the river must,
therefore, be made in one day, or the night must be spent in an
Arab's tent. This alternative in the summer is well enough,
but a tent now would be a dreadfully cold situation, not to
speak of the company of the desert Arabs, who have not a good
name.
People form their own ideas about deserts, the general one
being that of a vast plain, with nothing but burning sand, in
which the camels' feet sink at every step. The North Syrian
Myskene-The Euphrates.
203
desert is not like that. It may be said to begin at Jaybull. In
some places there seems to be a carpet of green in the distance,
when there is any distance to be seen for mirage. Yesterday we
fully believed we saw a lake ahead, with many ducks on the
margin. As we approached, the water was nowhere, and what
we had taken for ducks proved to be camels! When leaving
Jaybull, one of our saptiehs was hugged and kissed most
warmly by a brother-soldier, which so disgusted Mustapha
that, if he could have found his way back with the slightest
degree of honour, he would have turned tail-for the Turks hate
the Arabs, and the Arabs detest the Turks. Mustapha has on
so many occasions shown his dislike to these people, that we
could see he was by no means at ease upon entering their
country. Poor fellows! they should not be interfered with, for
no other human beings could make a home amidst such desola-
tion. During the entire ride of ten hours, there is but one
stream of water (which only runs for a few months in the year),
one good spring, and a couple of brackish springs; not a thing
grows more than about an inch in height—all is barren. Owing
to the extreme dryness of the soil, and a porous substratum, I
think it would be impossible for cultivation to be carried on
at any great distance from a river's banks.
Aleppo, 11th March, 1871.-I wrote my last by the side of
the Euphrates: now, I am thankful to say, I am safely back in
Aleppo. After visiting that wonderful river, we had a very
kind reception from the soldiers in the barracks at Myskene.
These buildings are erected from bricks taken out of the heaps
of ruins of ancient Beles, the usual Roman mode of building
having been adopted-that is, with thin, tile-like bricks, and
mortar of the same thickness. We expressed to the officer in
charge of the barracks our wish to cross the Euphrates the next
day, so he kindly undertook to have a raft prepared-such a raft
I never put to sea upon before; but of this hereafter.
We were up early, and had a walk over the old ruined heaps
of Beles, and ascended the old minaret, probably left there by
Timour the Tartar. We walked round what remains of the old
Roman castle, and then went to an encampment of the Ansireh
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tribe of Arabs, close by the river. This tribe, the strongest in
the desert, has never been subjected to the Porte: at present
it is on friendly terms, but not subject. We sat down in the
chief's tent while the raft was being prepared. The tent was a
large one, with many cords from it, but only one pole to keep it
up. The cords, as in all chiefs' tents, were much longer than in
the others. When any wrong has been committed by one Arab
towards another, and the offender is pursued by the avenger, if
the pursued gets hold of the cords of a chief's tent, he must be
tried by the chief, the pursuer not being permitted to take per-
sonal revenge.
There is similarity between this custom and the
city of refuge of the Bible.
We sat down beside a little fire of sticks, and several old
Arabs came about the fire, and produced their pipes. We sup-
plied them with tobacco, which was received very graciously.
While we smoked our pipes with the old men, the young ones
were inflating skins for the raft. Many children and some
women came to look at us, most of the latter wearing a dark blue
yashmec made in a peculiar way; and I may here remark that
the head-dresses of this tribe of Arabs are of a dark colour,
sometimes of a black and dark blue printed cloth-there was
but one exception here, one old fellow having a bright blue
head-dress.
After a couple of pipes had been smoked, the raft—a rude
structure, with the inflated skins attached to buoy it up—was
ready, and borne away upon the shoulders of four men, one of
them carrying a spare skin. We reached the river-side--that
river which flows through lands so interesting, and passes on its
way the sand-covered ruins of Nineveh, the once mighty home
of the Assyrians. A few hundred miles further on, its waters
wash the banks of ancient Babylon, the home of the Chaldeans,
and to which the Israelites were led away captive. What a power
Assyria was in Bible times, when Sennacherib encamped around
Jerusalem, and 185,000 of his mighty host were slain by the
angel of the Lord! Babylon seems to have been used still
oftener as an instrument in God's hand to punish Israel. View-
ing this mighty river, I could not help thinking of the lament
A Remarkable Raft.
205
of the children of Israel in the Psalms-"By the rivers of
Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered
Zion. We hanged our harps on the willows in the midst
thereof." Then I thought of the coming forth out of Babylon
again; and again of Babylon humbled-" Come down and sit
in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon, sit on the ground:
there is no throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans." How truly
this has come to pass ! These mighty cities are covered up in
dust; but still that magnificent stream flows on, only requiring
its waters to be lifted up und spread over the land, to make that
land bring forth abundantly. Only the few towns which exist
along the mighty river really benefit by it; but if small villages
were to be founded here and there in the now uninhabited places,
with a view to the cultivation of the land, the crops would be
stolen by the Arabs, who are always prowling about in great
numbers. These Arabs of the desert will not cultivate for them-
selves, and when they have opportunity they steal.
We crossed the river on the raft, the mode of propulsion
astonishing me immensely. This was accomplished by several
of the Arabs bestriding inflated skins, and taking to the
water. Thus mounted, half-floating, half-swimming, they piloted
the raft along. After drifting down with the current for
about three-quarters of a mile, we arrived in Mesopotamia,
and spread out to see what we could shoot. We pursued a host
of ducks of a most peculiar plumage-they are not fit for eating,
but are really beautiful to see. We endeavoured to take them
in the flank, and in every other way; but it seemed they were
not accustomed to white hats, for, although Stano and I
wandered about three miles after them, we could not get
within range. We had to give it up at last, and leave the
strange land" without so much as securing a feather. On
getting back to the Syrian side, we deployed, in the hope of
starting a wild boar. There are thickets of undergrowth and
bramble, well suited for sheltering wild animals; but we did
not succeed in starting anything, and returned to the barracks
with a small hedgehog as our only quarry.
What a privilege I have had in visiting this neighbourhood!
(C
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Letters of an Engineer.
Not only on account of its Bible reminiscences has it interested
me, but also because of my being in some sense a pioneer in
the region. I believe I am the first engineer who has passed
over the ground I have traversed, taking notes for the purpose
of estimating the cost of a railway. Other surveyors have been
over the route I took in going, for a map of it exists, but not a
trace appears on the map, nor on the ground either, of the route
we took in returning.
We travelled for two hours through sandy desert, of quite fine
sand, of the "hour-glass" sort. Talking of hour-glasses, I may
mention that the miserable Turkish sentries who keep guard at
the barracks at Myskene are not changed, as in the Western
manner, by the officer and the patrol. Each sentry keeps guard
for an hour at a time, the period being indicated by a sand-
glass, which is watched so very carefully by the sentinels that
some of them have got an idea that they are placed to watch the
sand-glass, and nothing else!
It is but fifty miles from Aleppo to the Euphrates—it has
been estimated at sixty, but I am certain that is too much. By
walking alongside a horse and counting the steps, I have come
to the conclusion that an average of three miles an hour may
be
reckoned upon, the horse being just kept up to his walk. Fifty
miles may seem nothing to one accustomed to the home modes
of travelling, but it becomes a very different sort of thing when
the distance has to be got over at walking pace, over desert, with
no scenery whatever. I have no desire to visit the Euphrates
again, except on the actual construction of the railway: upon
that business I would gladly begin to-morrow, although a trip
home first would certainly gladden me.
Jaybull, the last village eastwards, is a miserable place. I have
already described the houses, with their dome-top roofs, which
are, I believe, of Tartar origin. They are all plastered over
with clay, mixed with chopped straw. Camels' bones are used
in the building of them—the shoulder-blade to throw the water
out from the walls, and the shin-bone as an ornament to the top,
of the clay dome. The first night I spent in one of these Jay-
bull houses I shall never forget, from the discomfort experienced.
Return from the Euphrates.
207
I did not sleep for the entire night, through being obliged to
keep up a continual warfare with "the enemy." On sleeping in
the same place on the return journey, I contented myself with
folding my towels round my waist, and, lapping myself in this
way, with my cloak about me, I slept well, and had only a few
marauders." We came in for a good wetting of three hours'
duration on the first day of our return trip, and three hours more
on the second day-making but three thorough wettings in all
during my entire travels in this country!
We start on Monday for a circuitous trip homeward, and ex-
pect to reach Alexandretta in about sixteen days, passing through
a country inhabited principally by "fellahs," or agricultural
Arabs—a very good sort of folk, with good villages usually. In
about five days, I understand, we reach Hamah, then Homs;
and in two days more I hope to see the ruins of the peerless
Baalbec, where the stones are the largest of any building in the
world. When I have returned, as I propose, through the valley
of the Orontes, I shall have acquired a greater experience of the
country than most travellers, for I have taken very copious
notes, compass-bearings, and levels, which will enable me to
make a map of some worth. Whether my trip to the Euphrates
will be appreciated by my paymaster remains to be seen; but,
if not, I hope to make good use of it in some way or other.
18th March, 1871.-On Monday we again bade adieu to
our good friends at Aleppo, after having rested there quite long
enough after the Euphrates trip. The morning was gloomy and
raw, and, leaving such good quarters and such kind hosts, to
enter into comparative desert in such depressing weather, made
us feel somewhat dull. However, we braced up our nerves,
reined our steeds, and were soon on our way. When we reached
Han Tuman, on the Challis, rain came on, and continued for
several hours. Thanks to my good friends, who insisted on my
taking a waterproof coat, I kept dry. Up to within two hours
of nightfall, we passed only two miserable villages, and we
were going along a road where the map-makers (preparing for a
guide-book, seven years ago) could not penetrate, owing to the
Bedaween Arabs. The drizzling rain continued, the sky was every-
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Letters of an Engineer.
where of a leaden colour, it was within an hour of sundown, and
not a village was in sight. Before night had quite closed in,
we discerned, from the top of a low hill, a friendly-looking clay
dome; so we cheered up, and looked forward to some comfort.
It is at such a time that one really feels the blessing of having
a shelter, be it ever so lowly. Arriving at Sheir-Ahmet, an Arab
family turned out of their little dwelling to accommodate us,
and turned in with the sheep. This house was the smallest we
had yet spent a night in; but, as we did not carry beds on this
trip, relying upon our cloaks for covering, a small space sufficed.
We soon had some bulgor, mixed with dandelion as a vegetable,
and some cold mutton which Mrs. H- had packed for us.
After the soothing influence of the food and a narghili, we were
as happy as the circumstances would permit.
A few hours' ride the next morning brought us to Serakim.
The sheik of this village is a wonderfully clever player of whist
-few men can beat him. We met the old fellow, and he enter-
tained us with coffee and pipes, in the general house for strangers.
There were two Arabs playing chess there, with curiously-shaped
blocks for chess-men: some of their moves were wonderful.
When the pieces were placed for the game, the players moved
forward several of their pieces about as quickly as file-firing!
When a player succeeded in removing his enemy's piece off the
board, he actually knocked it off, bringing down his victorious
piece on the head of the other one.
The sheik gave us an old man as guide to the ruins of
Rouhegha, at the same time telling us to keep a sharp look-out,
as there were robbers about. He regretted he could not send a
horseman with us, but there was not a horse in the village able
for a journey, as, owing to the dearth of corn, they could only
just keep the horses alive. Mustapha took the road in advance,
and threatened to frighten any robbers he might meet with a blue
gingham umbrella which Stano had bought for me. It rained
heavily before we reached the ruins, which are considerably to
the right of the road, and four hours' ride from the village. The
ruins occupy rocky hills, and are similar to all those I have
already described, though with some distinctive features. There
прости
Rouhegha-Khan-Shahoon.
209
are two little temples, almost perfect (in one of which was a
broken sarcophagus), similar in size, but inferior in design and
workmanship, to two little temples at the entrance to the
Acropolis in Athens. Those at Athens are not roofed, while
those at Rouhegha have roofs of stone slabs, ten feet in length
and a foot thick.
The way from these ruins to Marah lies for two hours over
dreadfully rocky hills, with the exception of one short piece of
plain-a charming little bit of landscape. There are many ruins
in this little plain, not the least peculiar being a sort of roofed
monument. This building, sitting in a green cornfield, with
groups of olive-trees about, was wonderfully like a bit of home
scenery—as far as a house, green field, and trees combined could
make it; but the form of the house, the olive trees, and the sur-
rounding ruins were, of course, very different from home. There
are many very fine bits of building at Marah, and of elegant
design-one in particular, a minaret.
Four hours' ride the next morning brought us to Khan-
Shahoon, a village of the usual clay-dome houses, but boasting
of an old han and a pretty minaret. Owing to the rains, the
han was in such a state of mud and filth that, after riding into
the yard, we rode out again, and determined to smoke and have
our coffee at the side of two fine basins, which, after rain, afford
abundance of water for washing. These basins are close upon
sixty yards square, and are divided by a thick wall. Here we
sat down, and soon a great crowd of Arabs were about us, most
of them having that ugly, stilt-like foot-gear which I have before
described as being worn by the women of Antioch. How men can
bear to go shuffling about with such awkward things on their feet I
cannot make out. We soon had coffee, leban, and the ubiquitous
narghilis. Soon a lot of old, grey-headed Arabs spread out their
mashlacks, removed their foot-gear, and said their prayers to
Allah and the Prophet. When we sat down, a number of Arab
women, close by, were washing clothing, others were cleansing
a sort of weed, of which they had gathered basketfuls for food.
Other women were carrying water away in great buckets on
their heads. The whole scene was most picturesque. We arrived
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at the village of Tyæby before sunset, and found a very good
house for strangers. After the villagers' evening meal-time had
passed, they commenced dropping in, as usual. The house was
so large that thirty Arabs could sit round, leaning against the
walls, in addition to the space we occupied. They had a rare
treat in watching us eating, and the exclamations as we forked
the food were amusing.
These men have very polite customs: when one enters, he
says, "Ma salemma," and those sitting reply in chorus, with
the same words. After the new arrival has dropped his slippers
at the door and taken his seat, a volley of the usual words
of welcome, “Maher-haber," is discharged at him, to which he
replies with the same. About two hours after sunset, these
thirty men spread out their cloaks, formed into three rows, and
said their prayers again. They were greatly interested in an
illustrated catalogue of ploughs, carts, steam engines, &c., that
I had with me, and showed much sharpness in understanding
the drawings. A drawing of an English dray-horse interested
them very much.
A ride of three hours from this village brought us to Hamah.
On the way, we met a regiment of cavalry, with all their bag-
gage, going to Aleppo. I have seen many regiments en route,
but only in the East could such a sight as this be seen. There
were mules with tachterawans—the sort of sedan which I have
before described-with ladies or children in them; and there
were camels similarly laden. Many of these vehicles were simply
boxes covered over with an awning. Ladies who preferred horse-
back to the tachterawan were mounted on good steeds. There
were hundreds of camels loaded with soldiers and their effects.
The great body of the soldiers moved independent of the bag-
gage, but not in the regular form common to our soldiers.
Many of the officers were enjoying long chibouques, and some of
the soldiers smoked narghilis. The bing bashi (or colonel) was
a most conceited-looking individual. He had the impertinence,
too, to signal us to stop until his "high mightiness" should
pass; but, instead of halting, we contented ourselves with salut-
ing him. Immense numbers of townspeople were out to see
Hamah-Homs.
the soldiers a little on their way; hundreds of gaily-wrapped,
veiled, and yellow-booted women on foot, and numbers of
cavaliers on white asses. The whole formed a scene peculiarly
Eastern, and not often to be seen.
211
Having seen one large Turkish town, one may say he has seen
all, so far as its bazaars are concerned ; but Hamah has distinctive
features which make it remarkable. The river Orontes flows
through the town, and the peculiarly undulating site, the flat-
roofed houses of black and yellow stone, as well as clay houses,
combine to produce a characteristic effect. But the great feature
of the place is found in the immense irrigating water-wheels,
which also lift water for the town-fountain supply. There is
one of these seventy feet high. Antioch has the Orontes too,
and the big wheels as well, but Antioch is only built on one side
of the river, and it is not half the size of Hamah. The dreadful
creaking and groaning of these water-wheels is almost unbearable
when one is near them, but they are most picturesque. Many
of the Hamah streets are continuous manure-heaps. I never saw
anything so disgusting—they have not been cleaned for ages, I
should think. Some attempt at scavenging is now being made,
but the work is such a Herculean labour, that I question if the
scavengers will be kept at it.
There is at Hamah a very large tel, which must have been the
citadel in the time of the Greeks. These great tumuli and the
nnumerable smaller ones in this country seem to me to be even
greater works collectively than the Pyramids. When not in-
terfered with by man (many of them are cut into to build clay
houses), they are quite as enduring as the rocks. We left
Hamah early on Friday morning. The road goes in a pretty
direct line towards Homs, crossing the river Orontes at four
hours' distance. The valley is of great depth-nearly 300 feet-
its steep sides being chalk cliffs, which fall from an almost level
plain on both sides. The heat, even at this time of year, was
intense; and what must it be in the hot season? In the valley
there are the remains of a fine old han, and a great bridge of ten
large arches and a little one.
Homs is situated a mile and a-quarter from the river, and
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about 200 feet above its level. There is a continual carrying of
water from the river to the town by camels, horses, and asses,
with leathern vessels. Hundreds of asses are employed carrying
stones to the town from quarries a quarter of a mile on the other
side of the river. A donkey-load of stones delivered in the
town costs about 5d.; half of this is for the carriage, so that a
donkey and driver go three miles for 2d. Much building is
going on outside the town, which may be said to be walled in.
The ancient gates still stand, though battered a good deal; but
a great portion of the wall is simply of sun-dried bricks. The
population of Homs is about 35,000, one-third of this number
being Christians.
Outside the walls is a mosque, where a saint of the Moslems
is buried. We determined, if possible, to visit this mosque, but,
knowing that the people are somewhat fanatical, the only way
to do it was through the kaimakam (governor). Accordingly,
we went to the serai, and, passing through a courtyard sur-
rounded by buildings, at every window of which prisoners were
crowded like birds in cages, we ascended a flight of steps, and
were at the door of the governor's state-room. Stano had met
the governor at Aleppo, and, when we were ushered into his
presence, he rose from his divan, together with his assistants,
and received us graciously. He was in Turkish costume, and
wore a cloak with much gold braiding, and some coral and gold
mountings. He spoke in French; and when we were seated,
he dropped into a sort of audience chair. He is a very good-
looking man, and seemed to me to be about as intelligent a Turk
as I have met with. As Stano knew that he spoke Greek, he
addressed him in that language. After a number of compliments
had passed, I told Stano to ask boldly for permission to enter
the mosque.
When the governor heard what we wanted, he
turned to the cadi (the magistrate under him), and said that he
would grant the permission. The cadi objected—“it was
against all rules;" but the kaimakam replied that formerly it
was so, but things were changing-"for," said he, “was not I
kaimakam at Jerusalem when the Emperor of Austria visited
our most holy place there? So, surely an Englishman may
A Turkish Holy Place.
213
visit our mosque here." Two saptiehs were then called, and we
were handed over to them, to be conducted to the sacred place.
Arriving at the mosque enclosure, we found a number of
devout Moslems washing their legs, arms, and faces in the foun-
tain-one man washing his mouth where he had washed his
feet! A lot of the mosque-followers gathered about, and, after
taking off our shoes, we walked into the mosque. It was a poor
sort of building, the roof being of clay, or bricks covered with
clay. There were necessarily many pillars-these were all of
stone, plastered over; there was no sort of style about the archi-
tecture. In little side-buildings off the mosque there were
tombs of great Moslems. We were pointed out many daubs of
pictures representing "holy things" at Mecca, also a “bird's-eye
view" of Mecca, which would have shocked any bird with
an eye for perspective. Many colours were introduced to
give effect to the representation-vermilion, sky blue, bright
green, and yellow. We came to a door of carved wood panels,
the lock and framing of the door being plated with silver. We
asked permission to enter, but there were many head-shakings
and liftings up of hands at the thought of such desecration.
Stano talked to them "like a father," and promised extra bak-
sheish if the door was opened. The key was with one of the
priests more than a mile off; a messenger was despatched, and,
while waiting, we went out into the courtyard.
Seats were
brought for us, and coffee. There was a school, in the enclosure.
Next to the school was a kitchen, where every evening bread is
baked for the very poor.
The Moslem Arabs seem to me to be
much more devout than the Turks themselves: many of them
were washing, and many were praying.
The key came at last, hung on a silver ring. The bearer,
before opening the door, wanted to know if he would get bak-
sheish, and it was promised to him. Several men crowded to
the door, the key was put in the lock, the devotees putting their
hands to their ears and uttering some exclamation—and then the
door was opened. The apartment, which was about 20 feet
square, contained two tombs, fenced or railed in.
There were
strings of ostrich eggs all round, and tassels hanging from them;
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there were also some gaudily-coloured lamps, and many Turkish
names were on the walls. When we came out, about ten fellows
clamoured for baksheish, amid a crowd of three times that
number. Stano gave 3s. 6d. to the whole lot, and I am sure we
were voted a stingy party. But I do not think many, if any,
English people ever visited the place before; so we shall not
suffer by comparison.
After leaving the mosque, we went into a cook-shop to dine-
a wretched hole about the size of a horse's stall. Close to the
street was a bench containing hundreds of cakes, which the
owner was vending, as well as sugared water, and a sort of butter
called kimak. Behind the vendor was a man making the cakes,
which were, in fact, little pancakes, not much larger than a
crown-piece. He worked with great dexterity, turning out a
dozen of these cakes every two minutes. We had some sausages
brought into this "crib," some leban, some kimak, and some of
the sugared water. We fared sumptuously, and so did the two
saptiehs, the cost for the whole being only 1s. 5d. We then
retired to an archway, where we had narghilis and cups of
coffee, were stared at by all the passers-by, and saw all the life
of the street. After this, we went up one of the great tumuli,
to see the ruins of the ancient citadel. There were but few
fragments of architectural note, but the remains of the walls
showed traces of hasty repairs after some bombardment. I took
a number of "bearings" from this point-the desert to the east,
anti-Lebanon to the south, and a little towards the south-east
the Lebanon-both ranges towering up to 10,000 feet above sea-
level, and capped with glistening snow. We then visited an-
other mosque, where there was no difficulty about the entrance.
This was a much larger place, and, judging from the old ruins
about it, must have been a great temple at one time. There
were granite columns from Egypt, 18 feet high, some of which
were built into the walls: one had a Greek inscription upon it.
While up in the old citadel, a man accosted me in English,
inquiring if I was an Englishman. We talked a little time
together, and he told me he was from Beyrout; but, as my time
was rather limited, I bade him good-bye. In the evening, he
To Baalbec
215
turned up again for a further talk, when it transpired that he
came here to visit the nucleus of what he hopes will become a
large Protestant community. He is connected with the American
missions, and seemed to be a really good Christian.
Baalbec, 23rd March, 1871.-On Sunday morning we left
Homs, and took a route towards Tripoli (called by the Arabs
Trablous), which is not the direct way to Baalbec, but, as I
wanted to go over the entire route from the Orontes to the
sea, I could not take the direct road, but had to go round
by a place called Wady Halet. We crossed the Orontes at a
point about three miles from Homs. The river is wide and
somewhat marshy there, and along the sides and on little islets
hundreds of storks were solemnly stalking about. Although
they are common enough in Syria, I have not seen these migratory
birds before. After travelling some distance, we came to a large
plain, and here we discovered that we had taken a wrong road.
We had thus spent about two hours in useless riding, and had
still an hour and a-half more of it to accomplish before we could
reach Wady Halet. We made a new start, riding through a
valley where there was a fine stream of water and hundreds of
Arab tents. Arriving at the village, we expected to meet
with some little comfort, but were doomed to disappointment.
There were a few stone huts—I could not, even in this miserable
country, call them houses-and some Arab tents. To arrive in
this strange and inhospitable place half-an-hour after dark, and
have to wander about looking for a hole to put our heads in,
was no agreeable experience; and matters are not improved in
such places by the hostility of the numerous dogs to all strangers.
The inhabitants of the miserable huts refused to take us in,
making many and loud excuses, and recommending us to go to
the Arabs. So to the Arabs we went; and although tent life
at this time of year is not particularly pleasant, still we were
very glad to get even a tent over our heads. There were several
Arabs in the chief's tent, and soon we were sitting amongst
them, nearly roasted by the fire, our horses being with us in the
same tabernacle, and, in addition, two camels, chewing the cud
of contentment. In about an hour, some food was served on
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pewter dishes. Hunger needs little sauce, so we partook of our
humble repast in our humble habitation with thankful hearts.
After several awakenings, morning dawned, and heartily
glad was I to get out and have a wash in the running stream
close by. Believing we had a good road to go over that day,
we arranged to take one of the camels, and a driver as guide;
but one day was quite enough of the "slow and sure" camel.
We travelled at a miserable pace, over a very uninteresting
country. The ground was very stony, there were but few vil-
lages, and we met very few people. The few we did meet were
Arabs-and some Arab Christians-all civil people, who were
pleased to receive our Maher haber," and to return the same.
((
An hour before sundown we reached Hermil, a very fine vil-
lage, with a much larger house for strangers (also the residence
of the sheik) than any we have yet visited. We rode up to the
house, inquired for the sheik, and were received by his son (who
welcomed us in Turkish), in the absence of the father who ap-
peared soon after. In the meantime, a considerable crowd had
gathered in, and when the sheik learned that I was an English-
man, he expressed himself much pleased-he "felt honoured
when an Englishman visited his house," and "hoped that I
would consider it as my own." Orientals are very complimentary
in their speech, but they have at least as great an eye to the
money that may turn up as to the actual hospitality.
Very soon water was brought for us in a pewter basin, and
we washed, sitting on the divan; a drink of orange-flower syrup
followed, and then the never-failing narghilis were produced.
The sheik's son liked to "draw the long bow." He told us that
his father could get 35,000 men under arms, and had as many
at one time against the Turks; that the cause of his liking for
the English was on account of English interference when the
Maronites and Druses were fighting some years ago.
He went
on to tell us how some Englishmen had corne to buy horses of
his father they offered 50,000 piastres (or close upon £500)
for a mare, but the money was refused. They replied that
they wanted the mare for the English Government, when
the chief replied, "If you assure me of that, I will present
The "Metuali" Moslems.
217
the Government with my mare, but I will not sell my mare for
money."
Our dinner came up at last-four dishes of rice, four basins
of cold water with bits of fowl in them, a basin of leban, a jar
of honey, and bread. Several men attended close upon us while
we ate, and about forty were looking on. After dinner, the
sheik prepared a narghili for me with his own hands—a very
unusual distinction-and when I had smoked, I passed it to
him, still alight, and he continued the smoking of it.
I cannot say that my experience of the people is that the
Arab Moslems show much disinterested hospitality towards
Christians, for the Arab Moslems are more fanatical than the
Turks themselves. In this particular region, too, a different and
more particular sect of Moslems are met with, called the Metuali.
Their prophet is not Mahomet, but some other who is buried in
Bagdad, and who is also the patron saint of the Persians. These
Moslems are so particular, that if a Christian has used any dish or
vessel of theirs, they will not use it again until it is thoroughly
cleansed.
Fairly good beds were provided for us, and in the morning we
were up at sunrise. We were now between the two Lebanons-
the range which is next the sea, and extending the entire length of
Palestine, being the Lebanon. That behind-the anti-Lebanon
does not extend so far south as the main chain, or rather the
continuation of it. To the south is the famous Mount Hermon.
We did not take the camel the next day. Mustapha walked
for two hours, then Stano gave him half-an-hour's ride, then I
gave him the same- -so that the baggage-horse was not burdened
with Mustapha in addition. Much of the day's ride lay through
the valley of the Orontes, and through small plains with streams,
the sources of the river. The Arabs have shown much ability
in using this water for irrigation. Near nightfall, we arrived at
a village of a few houses, called Shat. After a good deal of bar-
gaining about barley for the horses, we decided to remain for
the night, in a place which was part house, part stable. We
had as joint occupants four horses and six cows: such com-
panionship is not agreeable.
P
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Three hours' ride the next day brought us in sight of the
wonderful ruins of Baalbec, which I shall not now attempt to
describe, nor can I do justice to them. I have seen many ruins—
those of Greece, Rome, Pompeii, and Herculaneum, and many
others—but those of Baalbec stand out pre-eminent among them
all. I could not stay away from them-I saw them at sun-
rise, at mid-day, at sunset, and in the hazy morning light, the
varying effects producing pictures that I shall never forget.
Baalbec is visited by travellers from all countries: it is estimated
that twenty thousand people visit the ruins yearly. I was not
prepared to find such a large village: there must be close upon
5,000 inhabitants, many of them being Christians, but of a base
sort, I fear.
We arrived at about eleven o'clock at night, and when pass-
ing through the streets many of the people said, "Good morn-
ing, sir;" others, "Bon soir, monsieur;" but far more cried out,
"Baksheish-baksheish!" We were informed that we were the
first arrivals of the season, and were taken into the house of
a Christian-a dwelling of one apartment. Besides the parents
and ourselves, there were three children-one two years and
four months old, another sixteen months, and another unfor-
tunate little urchin four months old-all in the one apartment.
The cooking was done over a fire in the middle of the floor.
The children and everything in the place were as dirty as
possible it was simply disgusting.
Baalbec is generally approached from the south. A French
company, many years ago, made a road from Beyrout to
Damascus, and it is six hours from a station upon this road to
Baalbec; so tourists are carried from Beyrout by diligence, and
then by horses to Baalbec. We learned that a large party were
expected on the morrow. On the morrow, the large party
hove in sight about mid-day. I think they were all English-
about twenty-five in number, half of them ladies. Some tall
hats were visible-phenomena to me now-and certainly they
looked odd here. These people had tents with them, which
were put up in the ruins. They started early next morning, so
they had not much of Baalbec.
f
Latakia.
219
We stayed at Baalbec a day and a-half, and carried away with
us a quantity of food, not only for ourselves, but a day's supply
of barley for our horses. Our pack-horse is a little lame, so we
save him all that we can, our riding-horses carrying part of his
burden. Our next halt was at a little mill, the floor of which
was extremely uneven, and we could only get a small corner of it.
The mill worked away, grinding Indian corn, all night through.
We had four Arabs as company; but, notwithstanding, we slept
all right.
The next night we were in an Arab's tent, but the
camels were put out, and, the tent having just been moved to a
new site, there was less inconvenience than usual from vermin.
[There have been interruptions to the writing of this letter.
It is now the 26th of March, and we are at Khan Jedid, on the
sea coast, about ten miles from Tripoli, which we expect to reach
to-morrow, and there to post our letters.] To-night we have got
into a small room, just on the sea: the waves are roaring, and
the sight is a fine one. In nine days more we hope to reach
Alexandretta, after a trip of much fatigue, but of much satisfac-
tion; and I hope it will prove of use to me in many ways.
On board the French steamer " Delta," between Latakia and
Alexandretta, 1st April, 1871.-Last night we arrived at
Latakia, the place famous for cigarette tobacco. Its ancient
name was Laodicea-not the Laodicea of Bible note, but founded
by the Selucidæ. Having telegraphed from Tripoli to Alexan-
dretta, I found letters and a telegram awaiting me there, the
reading of which called me back again from the other side of
civilisation to the sweets of something like home comforts.
I hope to leave Alexandretta about Thursday next, by a coast-
ing steamer, for Jaffa, and from thence to visit Jerusalem. While
I write this, with difficulty I realise the probability of actually
visiting it, but, health permitting, there will now be no difficulty
about it. I shall see what my heart has desired most ardently
-Jerusalem, and the hills about her. I hope to "walk about
Zion," and there realise what I have so often read of; yet I do
not expect to enjoy the prospect fully at the time-it is after
visiting such places, with the consciousness of having actually
seen them, that the real feeling of enjoyment wells up.
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Alexandretta, April 3rd, 1871.-I now take my pen in hand
to say something of Baalbec—a subject upon which too much
could scarcely be said. When on the spot, the majesty of the
mighty ruins overpowered me; but no writing of mine could do
justice to it. I do not, however, intend to write all that I
might about it, but only so much as may induce the readers of
this to search able works of Eastern travel in which Baalbec is
adequately described.
Dr. Thompson, the writer of "The Land and the Book,"
believes that Baalbec is the Baal-gad of the Bible. He has had
a residence of twenty-five years in Palestine, and knows the
country perhaps better than any man living. There can be no
question that Baalbec is in the vicinity where Baal-gad might be
looked for, as in the 11th of Joshua, 17th verse, Baal-gad is de-
scribed as being in the valley of the Lebanon, and under Mount
Hermon. Now Baalbec is in the valley-not under Mount Her-
mon, but under a range which is a continuation, or almost so, of
Mount Hermon—so that, in the absence of any other ruins of
note exactly under Mount Hermon, Dr. Thompson takes Baalbec
to be Baal-gad; and I believe him to be right. Certainly the
ruins might belong to any age of antiquity-that is, the stone
platform or foundation on which the ruins rest. That which
gives the picturesqueness to the ruins is not of so old a date,
but belonged to the Greeks, to the Romans, and to the Saracens.
The oldest parts, which strike beholders with the greatest won-
der, are two rows of huge stones. There is no word to express
their magnitude; for, as we generally judge of such things by
comparison with kindred objects, huge would only imply, for
instance, the largest stones one had ever seen. But Baalbec
may certainly boast of the largest stones ever placed by the hand
of man.
There are four stones (three of them in the great platform),
which many people have measured, I amongst the rest. Even
in the record of such a simple matter there are discrepancies;
but, as I actually took a tape-line with me for the measurement,
and gave myself some little trouble to get at the truth, I can
rely on the following dimensions of these great stones.
On top
Baalbec
221
of these the Saracenic work begins, and here these iconoclasts of
art have built fragments of cornices, and in one place a great
pillar's base, into the walls. The thickness of these three stones
cannot be directly ascertained, but the dimensions of a similar
block left in the quarry a mile from the ruins leave no doubt that
it was to have formed a fourth, when, for some reason not known,
building in such a Cyclopean manner was abandoned. The
stone in the quarry measures exactly 68 feet and 4 inches in
length, and 13 feet 10 inches in height, by 14 feet 3 inches in
thickness. It may be presumed that the three in the wall are
of the same thickness, the other dimensions being about the
same. Roughly speaking, each of these stones is a thousand
tons in weight, and what is worthy of remark, those in the wall
are joined together so closely that I could not press my penknife-
blade between them! Such stones fill a practical beholder with
amazement, and set him thinking, scheming, and wondering
how they were ever got into position !
The most picturesque part of these ruins-all that remains
of the great Temple of the Sun-consists of six majestic
columns, of the Corinthian style of architecture, supporting
a cornice, in all over 70 feet in height. Of the many world-
renowned ruins I have seen, in none is the extreme beauty
and majesty of these pillars excelled. Looking at them in bright
sunlight, with a deep-blue sky as background, the stone is of a
straw colour, tinged on the northern side with a warm tint of
a ruddy shade, no doubt caused by the wind blowing up fine
dust into the carvings, which in rains is washed down over the
columns. The columns are about seven feet in diameter at the
base, and consist each of three stones. I could not measure a
complete pillar, for, although there are many prostrate columns,
there are none perfect. The lowest lengths of the fallen pillars
have been broken, but the two upper lengths measure 17 feet
5 inches and 12 feet, respectively; and probably the lower
length of each was over 20 feet. To conceive a stone cylinder
over 20 feet in length and 7 feet in diameter seems almost
impossible.
The Temple of Jupiter, smaller than that of the Sun, is, com-
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paratively speaking, perfect. I believe it has the most perfect
interior of any similar temple in existence: the richness of the
ornamental carving is something wonderful. The doorway into
the temple is striking, from the huge stones used in its construc-
tion, and the elaborate and intricate carving around it. It has
suffered severely from shocks of earthquake, and is in such a state
that the next shock will most likely cause it to tumble down.
I need not attempt a further description of these temples, for
they are chronicled in books by men who spent months of care-
ful study in collecting information to describe and illustrate
them. The Romans made many additions during their occu-
pancy, as may be seen from bases of pillars with pedestals, many
of them having Latin inscriptions. The pedestals only of these
are now to be seen, the pillars themselves (as I believe) having
been taken by the Saracens to build a mosque, which is also in
ruins. These columns were of Egyptian granite, finely polished.
The whole place has been Saracenised-even the top of the
Temple of Jupiter has battlements and loopholes, whence, no
doubt, the arrows flew thick and fast on the besiegers; and all
round the enclosure similar work is to be seen. Baalbec is not
on a height like the Acropolis at Athens, so that from a distance
it has not the same imposing appearance; but for the magnitude
of its stones, Baalbec, I am sure, stands without a rival. The
ruins of Athens, unrivalled for beauty of design and excellence
of material and workmanship, are not composed of blocks of
stone at all comparable in size with those in the temples of
Baalbec. The only ruins in Greece which may compare with
Baalbec in this respect are the stones in the pillars of the Temple
of Corinth, and the lintel over the doorway of the tomb of
Agamemnon; but the four great stones at Baalbec which I
have described are absolutely unique.
We approached Baalbec quite in a different way to the regular
tourists-by "the entering in of Hamath," the northern border
of Israel's possessions, as described in Numbers xxxiv. 8-
passing close to the north-eastern border on our way to Homs,
the road being within three miles of the extreme north-eastern
edge of the possessions, which were to be bounded by Ziphron,
Tripoli.
223
also mentioned in the above chapter. When returning from Baal-
bec, we skirted Mount Hor, and came by the base of Lebanon to
Tripoli. The time will no doubt come when these regions can
be visited in a more expeditious way than at a rate of two and
a-half miles an hour; but I question if, after all, such a slow
rate of progress is not more suitable for visiting these lands.
I intend to walk from Jaffa to Jerusalem, and shall go
about
there on foot as much as possible. I do not intend to spend
much time in going any distance from Jerusalem: it will be
enough for me to feel that I am on the Mount of Olives-that
I am on Calvary.
Tripoli is a good Turkish town, approached through groves of
olive-trees. The principal sights of the place are the views of
the river, which passes through the town, and a great castle
of the Crusaders-a plain building, but on a commanding site.
The river flows through a gorge at the back of it, and, looking
up the river towards the snow-capped Lebanon, a charming
view is obtained. Over a doorway into a bath I saw a fantastic
bit of carving in stone, representing a chain suspended from two
of the keystones. The town of Tripoli is about a mile and
a-half from the port, or the mena, as it is called. Many donkeys
are waiting for hire at the gates, ready to carry passengers to
the mena for half-a-piastre each (not quite 11d.). Three of
these animals were brought out for us and a Greek who acted
as our guide; but I confess that, when I looked at my small
animal, I was ashamed to get on the top of him, and preferred
walking. The weather was showery, and when we started on
our walk it commenced to rain tremendously; so we got
thoroughly wet, but did not mind it. The entire walk was
through gardens of orange-trees in full blossom. The port is a
shabby-looking place, though thriving. There are several small
castles along the shore, built by the Crusaders.
At Tripoli we stayed at the house of the Greek-Catholic priest.
When there in the morning, the room allotted to us had a sort of
temporary saw-pit arranged in it, and three sawyers were engaged
sawing up timber for an addition to the house. It was the first
time I ever saw three sawyers at work together-one on top,
1
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2
and two pulling the saw down. When we arrived the night be-
fore, wet through, it was but poor comfort to have some charcoal
ashes in an iron brazier of peculiar shape brought in. Fortunately
we had changes of clothing; still, a pair of linen trousers, shrunk
up by repeated washings to a skin-fit, with a white flannel coat,
was a peculiar costume to "go out to tea" in ; and we had been
invited to the house of Mr. J. the American missionary.
We had a really good Irish stew for dinner, made by a young
and amiable-looking Aunt Chloe, as black a young woman as I
ever saw. It was Lent, and of course the priest could not join
us: indeed Arabs do not like to eat with Europeans, for knives
and forks come extremely awkward to them; they only keep
such for European visitors, and they never think of cleaning
them—never ! Mr. and Mrs. J— were glad to see us when
we went to their house in the evening, and we thoroughly en-
joyed their hospitality.
Mr. J—————— believes that the religion of the Gospel is making
great way in his district. He informed me that the entire popu-
lation of two mountain villages had embraced Christianity. I
have found the acquaintance of these American missionaries
very pleasant indeed, and they seem to have been much gratified
at my "hunting them up" whenever I was in their locality.
All that I have met cordially endorse the sentiment, “May
America and England never be rivals, except in the spread
of religion and civilisation.”
It rained all night, and was raining at daybreak next morning,
so we had to give up the idea of a ten hours' ride on that day. We
started about ten, and, when three-quarters of an hour on the
way, visited a little basin connected with a mosque, where hun-
dreds of fish were disporting themselves: these are sacred fish,
and are fed by the priests of the mosque.
Four hours' ride brought us to a han where we had stayed
when entering Tripoli. Next day we had a ride over fine
grass-land and corn-fields. We were now approaching Tor-
toise, a small place, where our journey for the day would end.
From its being closed in by a massive loopholed wall, and
having in its centre the remains of a citadel, one would judge
The Ansireh Arabs.
225
that it must have been once a place of importance. Outside the
walls there is a ruined Christian church. The Moslems at one
time, and not so very long since, used it as a mosque—indeed,
on great occasions, it might be so used now, as the Moslem's
canopied pulpit still exists. Excepting that of Kelat-Seman,
the interior of this church is the finest of its period that I have
The pillars are bold in design, and the capitals are taste-
fully and variously carved. Stano was charmed with it, as it
was the first Christian church of the Gothic style he had seen.
seen.
Opposite to Tortoise, about three miles out, is an island, with
a good-sized town called Aradus, now but little known, as
steamers do not call there. It was the Arpad of Scripture, and
once in the province of Tyre, and was a place of importance in
the time of the Crusaders. The gardens of Aradus are hedged
by the prickly pear, forming chevaux-de-frise that would with-
stand a charge of cavalry.
We are now amongst the Ansireh people-the sun-worshippers.
I find it very difficult to get any information as to these people :
they have neither mosques nor churches, but pay considerable
respect to certain tombs (small white buildings, generally on
high places), to which they occasionally resort, and there hold
worship. The place of meeting is generally in the open air:
they have outposts stationed that they may be warned of any
observers, and at all times before their service commences each
member has to give certain passwords. They believe in Moses,
and class our Lord as a great being like unto Moses. In fact,
their religion, according to some, embraces portions of the Chris-
tian, the Jewish, the Moslem, and the Persian.
Hawking, or rather falconry, is greatly practised along this
coast. The hunter, carrying one of the trained birds on his
gloved hand, walks through the corn-fields, and when a bird
rises, the falcon immediately flies off in pursuit, and generally
strikes his prey. The hunter follows the bird, and has to reach
the spot before the "quarry" is devoured.
On the way to Latakia, which we are now following, the
track is seldom more than a mile from the shore. The moun-
tains, some miles on the right, are not very lofty-3,000 to
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4,000 feet high. These mountains have populous villages,
nearly all inhabited by the peculiar Ansireh people. It is now
well into spring-a charming time of year to travel in these
parts, as it is to travel in most countries. The crops are much
more advanced near the sea than at higher elevations-barley is
in the ear, wheat two feet high, and there are a few hawthorn-
trees in blossom, which give quite a refreshing home scent to
the air. Some ploughing is still going on, and, rude as the
ploughing is in other districts, here it is still more aboriginal.
No attempt is made to keep the furrows straight-in fact, the effort
would appear to be to make them as crooked as possible. The
farmers here are very careful about weeding, at which as many
as a dozen women may be seen in one small field. The dress of
the women in these parts is generally of a light colour, with the
exception of the trousers, which are of a madder hue. They are
not very particular about covering their faces, and they wear
jewellery-bracelets, rings, and generally a broad silver clasp
fastening the dress at the bosom. Most of the well-dressed men
wear baggy trousers of very fine cloth, jacket of sky-blue colour
braided with silver, and white turbans. Their language is
Arabic, and they were always pleased to return our salute,
"Maher haber.”
There is a very fine black fortress of the Crusaders, called
Markhab Castle, on a lofty mountain two miles from the coast.
It is said that this castle so inspired Saladin with the power of
the Crusaders, that he exclaimed that the devil must have
helped to build it! The rocks on the coast under the castle
present the most peculiar appearance of any rocks that I ever
saw. They are of conglomerate, and have the appearance of
hardened yellow clay stuck full of black cindery stones. The
violence of the waves has worn cavities in these rocks of most
fantastic shapes, in some places overhanging four yards.
Having reached a place called Barnias, a little bay or creek
where coasting vessels take in firewood, we put up there for the
night, in a salt store. We observed a marble slab lying here,
which must have belonged to a monument erected by Antiochus
to one of his generals, as the Greek inscription on it showed.
Gebalec-Latakia.
227
We were off early the next morning, and after a three hours'
good ride reached a coast village called Gebalec. The entrance
to the village from the land side is by a small door like the
back-door of a house; yet this place has a garrison of 300 sol-
diers, their duty being to keep in subjection the lawless moun-
taineers. Two years ago, there was much fighting in these parts,
whole villages were demolished, and many of the inhabitants
shot: now, all is quiet.
During the summer, Gebalec is the harbour for the Greek
boats engaged in the sponge fishery. The sponge grows on
coral rocks, and divers have to go down from boats to detach it.
The power of endurance of the men accustomed to this work
is astonishing-it is said that they can retain their breath for
from one and a-half to three minutes. The divers do not use
any diving appliance whatever. At this place there are the re-
mains of an ancient amphitheatre, fast being demolished, as it
forms a quarry for the town builders.
While we were smoking a narghili under the shelter of some
branches of trees and matting, a little German from Westphalia
joined us. He had walked the whole way from Constantinople,
and had been eighty days on the road. He was employed at this
place fitting up some cotton-cleaning machines, and intended,
as soon as he had saved a few pounds, to go on to Jerusalem.
We reached Latakia late in the evening. It is a town of
about 16,000 inhabitants, one-third of them Christians. The
shops are somewhat larger than in the towns of the interior, and
display more European wares. The only ruins of any note
are four pillars of Corinthian architecture, popularly called a
triumphal arch," but they seem to have belonged to a temple.
The port, situated half-a-mile from the town, is one of the old
style, made for small ships. The Arabs had two effective forts
at its entrance at one time, literally standing on a platform of
granite columns, hundreds of them having been torn from their
original position to form a foundation. One fort only stands
now, and a fragment of the second. As this port, like all such
ancient ones, is of no use for steamers, they have to anchor a
mile or two from the shore.
((
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It is four days' ride from Latakia to Alexandretta; but I found
I could make better time than that. The French steamer was in
harbour for Alexandretta, so I gave up the horses, and took our
passage on board the steamer, leaving Latakia at eleven o'clock.
The steamer passes close to the coast. Suediah (already described
on our visit by land) lies between an immense mountain called
Cassius, nearly 6,000 feet high, and another called Ras-el-Hansar
("Wild Boar's Head"). These mountains drop down so pre-
cipitously to the coast, that one wonders to see a few houses in
little nooks on their sides.
The anchor was dropped in the roadstead of Alexandretta soon
after eight o'clock, when the chorus of millions of frogs could
be clearly heard, although we were two miles from their pools.
It is not permitted to land passengers at night, so we had to
sleep on board. Early the next morning we landed, much to
the surprise of our Alexandretta acquaintances. We shall go up
to Beilan, to say good-bye, to-morrow, and shall leave this port
for Jaffa on Thursday.
Good Friday night, on board the Russian Steamer, between
Tripoli and Beyrout.-As I intend to post this letter in Beyrout
to-morrow, I must bring it to a close. We hope to reach Jaffa
on Sunday evening, and to sleep in Jerusalem on Tuesday night.
To be in Jerusalem for Easter is considered the great thing; but
I felt I should hate all the spectacular shows exhibited at that
time-representations of the Holy Fire, the Resurrection, and
such-like-for I desire to take everything there in a quiet and
serene frame of mind. My next letter will give some impressions
of the famous city.
Easter Sunday, opposite Cæsarea.-Notwithstanding the irri-
tating vibration of the screw, I feel that I must write up my
record now, for after reaching Jerusalem, I shall be too much
fatigued in going about there to write with any degree of
pleasure to myself, or profit to anyone else. We went up to
Beilan, to see it for the last time, to say good-bye to the little
priest, and to get a pair of boots of the Beilan manufacture.
The priest was so delighted to see us, that, patriarch-like,
he fell on my neck and (actually) kissed me! and what is
Beyrout.
229
stranger to remark, I did not feel particularly shocked. I be-
lieve he is a very good-hearted little fellow. We bade good-bye
to all our friends in Alexandretta on Thursday evening, and at
eight o'clock we started south. When day broke, we were
again in the harbour of Latakia, where we stopped for a few
hours; then off to Tripoli, where we made another short stay,
leaving at eight o'clock.
The next morning (Saturday) we were at Beyrout, the most
important town in the Levant. It is a very unsheltered place :
the waves run very high for small boats, and at times there is
much difficulty in landing. There is no attempt at modern
quays or breakwaters here, nor in any port in the Mediterranean,
or elsewhere, belonging to the Turks. The ruins of old ports
exist at most places on the coast, constructed for ships of the
olden time, perhaps drawing but eight feet of water; but they are
now partly filled up with sand, and only serve as a shelter for
the small coasting craft. Beyrout has grown a great place since
the establishment of regular steam communication.
It is quite
equal to the best parts of Constantinople, and only second to it,
as a whole, in general appearance. We saw the daily stream of
merchandise coming in from Damascus in long, narrow, four-
wheeled waggons, drawn by three mules. It was quite delightful
to see signs of civilisation once more, not having seen the like
for nearly nine months.
We walked some distance out on the Damascus road, where
there are immense pine woods, planted to prevent the sand con-
tinually blown up from the sea from entirely covering a large
tract of fine country behind Beyrout. The trees seem to grow out
of a bed of sand, and have served their purpose, I believe. We
called at the American mission-house here, and found a very
neat church, a college, and a printing house, where the Bible is
printed in Arabic and Turkish.
We left Beyrout at eight o'clock, and this morning at daybreak
the anchor was dropped opposite St. Jean d'Acre, a place famous
even in modern times.
Ancona, Italy, 27th April, 1871.—I take up my letter where
I left off, at St. Jean d'Acre, which, as everybody knows, re-
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ceived the prefix to its name from the Crusaders.
This was, I
believe, the last point held by them, and when they gave this
up, they had no other holding in Palestine. Here it was, too,
that the great Napoleon suffered such a decisive blow to his
Eastern schemes. It is said that, when he was before Acre, he
remarked to one of his generals, "The fate of the East depends
upon yonder petty town." During the siege, the British assisted
the defenders, and, in a sortie made upon the French, two
British officers were killed. Their tombs are to be seen, but
are now much broken, having been made of many pieces of
stone, which have become disjointed. But in this country, no
regard is shown for the resting-places of the dead; and as the
graves of these two officers are in the public street, they could
scarcely escape destruction. Acre is still a strongly enclosed
place, but now-a-days it could not be called strongly fortified.
The English battered it in 1840, and the marks of the cannon-
balls, and remains of demolished forts, still show the results of
that bombardment.
I rose early,
It was on Easter Sunday that we were at Acre.
and was surprised at the life on board the ship. The cabin was
laid out with a most substantial breakfast, and soon the whole
of the crew were being regaled with such a meal as I suppose
they only get once or twice a-year. After they had fed, the
tables were cleared, and a still more sumptuous breakfast was
laid for the officers, to which all the passengers who were
stirring (myself the only cabin passenger) were invited. There
was roast turkey, a whole little pig, ham, lamb, wines of four
kinds, and no end of other good things. The captain, who
spoke a little English, was very attentive to me; there was
much toasting and congratulating, and kissing each other all
round was general among the men (myself excepted).
Near Acre there are places which have intimate Bible associa-
tions. Into the Bay of Acre flows that ancient river, the Kishon,
which swept away the hosts of Sisera, and where the martial
Deborah so distinguished herself. But there is a holier place
still, on Mount Carmel, which forms the opposite side to the
Bay of Acre; and while sitting on the deck, looking around on
Acre-Jaffa.
231
the wonderful sights of this locality, I opened my Bible, and
read with a new feeling the thrilling story of Elijah's vindica-
tion of the greatness of the God of Israel.
There is a fine monastery on Mount Carmel, but as it is three
hours' distance from Acre, of course I could not visit it. Under
the monastery is a pretty town called Kaifa, and, close to the
latter, a settlement of Germans. Whether or not these people
have come here from religious motives I cannot tell, but they
have built many fine houses, and are farming much ground.
We went ashore at Acre with the captain, and had a walk
through the town, visiting a mosque, the court or enclosure
of which had fountains and rows of magnificent palm-trees.
The mosque itself was a pretty, well-lighted building. In its
construction were some marble pillars with bronze capitals,
which pillars, the captain informed me, were on their way from
Russia to Jerusalem, when the Turks captured the ship, and
put the columns up at Acre, instead of at the Holy Sepulchre-
for which they were destined.
A few hours after leaving Acre we were passing Cæsarea
(where Paul was sent for safety by night). While looking
across at its crumbling ruins, I felt a great veneration for the
place where the great Apostle made such a defence as must have
rung at that time through the whole land, and which has since
given many a Christian courage in trying times.
The sun was setting as we dropped anchor opposite Jaffa.
This is the most difficult landing-place on the whole coast,
owing to almost continual heavy seas and sunken rocks. It is
really a most unpleasant affair getting into the small boats, and
requires a good deal of courage; but, as many old ladies
succeed in effecting a landing, of course I should not complain.
The entrance into the small and ancient harbour (where Solomon
landed the cedars) is so narrow that the oars strike the rocks on
each side much care has to be taken when the sea is rough-
in fact, at such times the boat must go in on the top of a wave.
On reaching the landing-place, the crowd of Arab ragamuffins is
something awful-almost as bad as going into a menagerie
would be if all the animals were loose. Not only were we seized
:
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ourselves, but every article of our baggage was laid hold of, so
that we had to fight for it. These Arabs never think of return-
ing a blow-you may knock one down, and he will wait to be
kicked. We managed to get ourselves free and our baggage
into shape, a civil Customs official marked it as all right, and
soon we were passing through the "city of Simon the tanner,"
and on to the German settlement-for here these people have
another small town, with a little hotel where English and
Americans who ask no questions are permitted to pay fifteen
francs a-day, while other visitors pay only ten francs.
There is a rustic charm about the German settlement, and a
clean, sweet odour in the plain hotel; while at this time of year
(May) the perfume of the orange-blossoms at Jaffa is as fragrant
as the hawthorn at home-the air is laden with the sweet per-
fume. We were soon sitting at dinner, and on looking down
the wine list, found the names
"Jerusalem," "Bethlehem "
mixed up with "Medoc" and "Champagne."
We were out early the next morning, and, while sitting under
the shade of a huge cactus, gazing on the town and bay, we
were struck by the strains of "God Save the Queen," played by
the band of a ship as the Union Jack was being hoisted. It
was H.M.S. "Trafalgar," which was lying in the roadstead.
We had much difficulty in getting horses, owing to no less
than 125 having been engaged by the sailors for the trip to
Jerusalem. When at last we succeeded, they were rather re-
markable animals that we got. Mine was a fine-looking horse,
but, a few minutes before I should have mounted him, he broke
away from the fellow holding him, and played such pranks as
would have gained any amount of applause in a circus. As it
was, it rather made me feel that my ride to Jerusalem would
not be quite the sort of quiet meander that I desired. We
started about three o'clock, and for over two miles our way lay
through the orange-groves, and for some miles further through a
fine, open, well-cultivated country. Much of this is, I believe,
farmed by the Germans, but I did not see any of them at work.
We met several strong, healthy-looking German girls riding on
asses in the Arab manner-astride.
Ramleh.
233
Ramleh is three hours' ride (ten miles) from Jaffa, and on the
way there we met hundreds of people travelling in all sorts of
ways, except in vehicles-sometimes three women on one camel,
sometimes two men, while riders on donkeys and mules were in
dozens. There was baggage going in heaps, and great tin cases
from four to seven feet in length. We asked what was in the
cases, and the reply was “Jerusalem ”—meaning, of course,
pictures of the place. We found Ramleh quite an Arab town,
with the exception of the Russian and Latin monasteries. Mis-
taking the Russian monastery for an inn or caravansary, we
went boldly to it and entered, with our horses. No sooner had
I got off mine, than he commenced to dance such a polka that
for a considerable time there was a general panic in the place:
when it subsided, we discovered our mistake, and beat a retreat.
We then went to the Latin monastery, where travellers are
received, and many had already put up for the night. The
monks are principally Italians and Spaniards. There is a dining-
room for travellers, and two monks serve at table. Among the
strangers were several American ladies, and they had rooms
outside the enclosures of the monastery. We had share of a
dormitory with two Poles. In the morning, when we were
starting, crowds of loathsome beggars were at the gate, many of
them lepers these did not mix with the others, but kept
following us, holding out their deformed, handless stumps, and
importuning us in a most beseeching way. I never heard such
pitiful whining of "Baksheish, howadjee," and I never felt so
hardened against giving it.
:
Ramleh is generally believed to be the Arimathea of Scripture.
In the monastery two chapels are shown, which are said to have
been the house of Nicodemus. The ruins of a village (or, as
some say, a monastery), Latroon by name, are passed in a half-
hour's ride from Ramleh. Not far from this is Emmaus,
and also "the valley of Ajalon." The vale of Sharon ends
here: we leave the possessions of Dan, and enter those of
Benjamin. The road winds through a valley, and over very
hilly ground in some places; regular zigzags have to be made
up some of the hills, their faces being too steep for a direct road.
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All along the road are watch-towers: sometimes these are seen
many miles ahead, and the traveller is tempted to believe, as he
reaches a hill-top, that he already sees the famous city. The
ride to Jerusalem is a weary one for both man and horse, par-
ticularly for the latter. The city is not seen until the pilgrim
is close to its walls, and even then the sight does not burst upon
him: he sees first the Tower of David, and the domes of the
mosques and the Holy Sepulchre; then, passing through the
buildings erected by the Russians outside the city, he comes to
the gates at last―" even thy gates, O Jerusalem.”
Cold indeed would be the heart of a Christian traveller, which
did not feel a thrill of emotion under such circumstances. As
he passes into the city, his mind is filled with Scriptural allu-
sions which crowd upon him. The Turkish soldier is on guard,
with his gun and bayonet; and, the moment the Moslem is
observed, the words, "O God, the heathen are come into Thine、
inheritance," rise to the lips.
We went to the hotel on the hill of Zion, and were soon
enjoying the comforts of the place. After our many months of
Eastern travel, with all its discomforts, there was some pleasure
certainly in getting into a comfortable room, with the prospect
of a few days' possession, and without having to "pack up and
walk" next morning. Several people-English and Americans—
were staying at the hotel, so that the table d'hôte was quite a
pleasant affair. Notwithstanding the lonely lives we had been
living, and the Eastern modes of life we had been forced to
adopt, we did not find it strange to get into civilised life again.
We found some of the sailors we had seen starting from Jaffa
were already at Jerusalem, and I became "chummy" with two
very nice fellows amongst them. I left the crowd with these
two, and we retired to the housetop, from whence we contem-
plated the Pool of Hezekiah beneath us, the Tower of David to
one side, and the Mount of Olives in the distance. We had a
long chat, comparing the Jerusalem of our childhood's imagination
with Jerusalem as it is, and such was our enthusiasm, that one
of my companions (Lieutenant R) and I stayed up until
past midnight.
Jerusalem.
The next morning we procured a guide, named Esa Madook,
and sallied forth to see some of the sights. I think I shall first
enumerate them in a sort of catalogue of the first day, and after-
wards I may go more into details.
1st. We visited the "Castle of David." Some part of the
base of the tower may be of ancient work, but the upper part
and all the buildings of the fortress are apparently of Saracenic
or Crusaders' workmanship. There were several old bronze
cannon about.
235
2nd.—The Armenian Church of St. James. A spot under the
altar in a little side chapel is marked by a ring, to show where
the saint's head is buried. In this place there are three stones-
one from Mount Sinai, one from Mount Tabor, and one from
Gerizim. Pilgrims kiss these stones, and then say that they
have kissed the rocks of those famous hills.
3rd.—The house of Annas the Chief Priest.
a tree, to which they say Jesus was tied to be scourged.
4th. The leper quarter. We did not see any lepers at home
in their miserable hovels, but there are always many about the
gates of the city.
5th. The house of Caiaphas, where the Armenians have a
chapel, with, as they state, the stone of the Sepulchre as an
altar. There is a small hole shown here, said to be the cell
where the Saviour was imprisoned. A point is shown in the
yard, where the cock crew when Peter denied that he was one
of the disciples; the spot where a pillar stood, where Jesus was
bound (the pillar was broken in two-half of it is in the Church
of the Sepulchre, the other half at Rome).
6th. We passed out of the Zion Gate to see the “Upper
Room," where the Last Supper was partaken of, and where the
Holy Ghost came at Pentecost. The Roman Catholics hold
a yearly service here. Below this room there is a Turkish
mosque, and the tomb of David adjoining, which Christians are
not permitted to visit.
Sp
Here is shown
7th.-We passed through the Dung Gate, and here I was
forcibly reminded of Nehemiah's ride out at night to view the
fallen walls of the city.
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Letters of an Engineer.
8th.-The Horse Gate, through which the Crusaders entered
into the city.
9th. The Golden Gate, which led into the Temple enclosure,
now built up. From here, across the valley of Kedron, the garden
enclosed by the Latin monks, and believed by them to be Geth-
semane, can be seen.
10th.-The Pool of Bethesda, now partly filled with rubbish
-no water in it—a very deep and large cistern, by many
believed to be a moat.
11th.-Walked up the Via Dolorosa.
12th. Entrance to Hall of Judgment. (The pillars from this
spot were taken to Rome.) Opposite to the Judgment Hall
there is a great space carved out of the wall, and the ingenious
have concluded that the Virgin Mary leaned against this when
Jesus was borne into the Judgment Hall.
13th.-Chapel of the Nuns, said to have been the house of
Pontius Pilate. Some old fragments remain of walls and arches,
tastefully built round in the construction of the chapel.
14th. The "Street of the Column," through the gate of
which the Saviour went to be judged.
15th. The house where the Saviour washed the feet of the
apostles.
•
16th.—A stone built into a new wall, where our Saviour
rested when carrying the cross. A mark in the stone is said to
have been made by his elbow.
17th. The house of Dives, now a Turkish hospital.
18th.-A pillar lying at a street corner, where our Saviour
fell the second time with the cross.
19th. We had a general view of the city from the city gate,
and made the half circuit of the walls towards the Jaffa gate.
After seeing all the above, we went to the Holy Sepulchre.
We reached the door, passing over the area in front with
difficulty, owing to the crowd of vendors of all sorts of beads,
crosses, chains, carved shells, and cups-some of them pretty
enough, and displaying much skill. We went all over the
church, visiting countless spots of interest. I shall not attempt
to give a detailed description of the buildings around the site of
Jerusalem.
237
the Sepulchre, for all this has been frequently described by
more experienced writers.
Pilgrims of the Catholic and Greek Churches, of many
nationalities, visit these places. One man in the church (a
Copt or Abyssinian) particularly struck me. He was leaning
against the wall, a drab sheet or cloak wound round him, and
he was reading, doubtless, of the events in the life of the Saviour.
His attitude, his dress, his demeanour-all were so striking; I
never saw a figure which became so impressed upon my memory.
Fresh from the scenes around the Holy Sepulchre, if one
could only feel the dust of Calvary; but Calvary is all covered
over now with gay marbles, silver, gold, and gems. It is sad to
see the Turk keep the doors; yet in some respects it is a good
arrangement, for if one sect of Christians had the charge, they
would bar out other sects.
Jerusalem has been so often battered down, and so often built
up again, that what was once outside the city may now be inside,
and vice versa. Many people dispute the site of Calvary, but
there is little doubt that it was outside the city-" nigh unto the
city." Calvary and the Sepulchre are shown under the same
roof, and within the city as it is now.
On our second day here, having procured an order from the
Consul, we visited the Mosque of Omar and the Mosque el Aska.
These two mosques stand in the old Temple enclosure, and it is
generally believed that a great piece of rock under the dome of
the Mosque of Omar is the site of the Temple altar itself. The
Moslem has here his wonderful sites also. Under the great
rock, occupying nearly a third of the area of the whole mosque
(which is an eight-sided figure), there is a grotto or cavern, and
through the top of the rock there is a hole communicating with
the cavern. The Moslems say that Mahomet ascended to
heaven through this hole, and further maintain that this
rock is suspended between heaven and earth. The second
mosque, clearly, was once a Christian church, from the style
of its building. Many sites of Biblical story are pointed
out in it also, and the vaults beneath it are wonderful-
including some huge pillars, enormous stones, and heavy arch-
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ings, which many people believe are of the age of Solomon.
The enclosure around these mosques is of great extent, the
buildings not covering one-fiftieth part of the space. There are
many things pointed out in the enclosure, which on two sides is
bounded by the city wall. A pillar projects out of the wall at
one point, and here, the Moslems say, Mahomet will take his
seat to judge the people in the valley of Jehoshaphat.
Having passed out of the city gates, and walked over the
brook Kedron (now dry), we passed the reputed site of Geth-
semane, and so went up to the Mount of Olives by an easy
ascent. How much that walk brings up to the Christian's mind !
How often did the Saviour wander out from the turbulent city,
to converse here with his disciples, and how dear to every
Christian is the sermon delivered on that mount!
From the minaret of a ruined mosque on the summit a very
fine view of the whole country can be seen-Jerusalem and the
hills around her, the Dead Sea and the banks of the Jordan,
the mountains of Moab, with Pisgah; also those of Gilead.
From this eminence we meandered down to Bethany, and then
went round by the road to Jerusalem again, passing on the way
the place where, no doubt, Christ uttered those memorable
words, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the
prophets," &c. We visited many tombs in the valley of
Jehoshaphat, including Absalom's, St. James's, and Zechariah's.
The Jews, in their burials, show their preference for the latter,
as many tombs cluster around it, while Absalom's reputed last
resting-place is struck with stones continually by passers-by, and
heaps upon heaps of stones lie about it. We next visited the
ruined Pool of Siloam, and then "Aceldama,” and went back
much better pleased with the quiet walk of that day than with
the marvellous sites pointed out on the previous one, and so
much out of keeping with the simple Gospel story.
The next day we rode to Bethlehem, about six miles, passing
on the way the tomb of Rachel, which seems to have been
revered by Moslem, Jew, and Christian. It formerly belonged
to the Turks, but was by them handed over to the Jews, who
now have the care of it, and show it to strangers. Bethlehem
Port Said.
239
is a fine village, and its people are reputed for beauty.
Interest in the many fine-looking men and women amongst
them is lessened by the way they worry people to buy their
carved shells. The very manger is pointed out at Bethlehem.
Certainly the stables in those days must have been very incon-
venient and very small, for the manger can only be reached by
going down many steps of a narrow and tortuous stairway!
A Turkish soldier was on guard with fixed bayonet, and half-a-
dozen soldiers were barracked in the church adjoining. A ride
of an hour from Bethlehem brought us to the Pools of Solomon,
which at one time supplied Jerusalem, but now the water only
reaches Bethlehem, as the conduit between it and the city is
broken down. On our way back to Jerusalem, many things
were pointed out to us-the Wells of David, something of
interest in connection with Elijah, and—most audacious of all-
the tree on which Judas Iscariot hanged himself!
On reaching the city, we went to see the wailing-place of the
Jews. Here were about twenty women and half-a-dozen men,
many of them reading aloud, or keeping up a low, moaning,
piteous noise, and swaying the body to and fro. It was a touch-
ing sight.
I have given but a poor account of my few days in Jerusalem;
but nothing could be written that has not been so often and
better described before, that it would be useless to attempt more
than a mere summary.
We had a pleasant ride back to Ramleh, in company with
many of the sailors: when a lot of horses are together, they get
along gaily. We reached Ramleh an hour before sundown, and
had a splendid view from the summit of an old tower nearly a
hundred feet in height. We reached Jaffa early the next morning,
and the following day we left by a French steamer for Port Said.
At 10.30 on Tuesday morning we reached the new and famous
harbour of Port Said, the head or end of that riband of blue
which ties the seas together, and makes Africa an island. We
were too late to catch the steamer for Ismailia for that day, so
we rested quietly at the hotel. Some war-ships lie at Port Said,
and many coaling ships. The town is quite of mushroom
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growth, many of the houses being of wood, but there is quite an
air of civilisation about the place, as well as many things very
different from what we had been accustomed to in the quiet
Turkish towns. The great breakwaters, projecting for some two
miles into the sea, are formed, as all the world knows, by great
blocks of concrete. A railway has been laid down, which, I
believe, extends nine miles to some stone quarries. The port is
to be fortified.
Next morning we started up the canal in a very small steamer,
capable of carrying about forty people. Although the canal
passes through a shallow lake for over twenty miles after leaving
Port Said, the lake is not seen, as the stuff dredged from the
channel has been thrown up at the sides, and shuts out the view
of the lake. The first station reached is Kantura, where there
are some gay refreshment booths or sheds. The desert road from
Cairo to Palestine passes here, and there is a sort of boat-bridge
for the few camels which now pass over this route. Tradition
affirms that Joseph and Mary, with the Child, passed here on
their flight to Egypt. We passed many steamers on their way
through the canal, one of them a French troop-ship. We passed
through some very deep cuttings. Taking the depth of the
canal into consideration, the deepest must have been close upon
a hundred feet, and this through sand and clay; but, from the
continual drifting of sand, all seems to be sand now. Where
the waves break upon the shore, there is a flattening of the
slope and a washing in of the sand, so that stone "pitching"
will likely have to be added. Dredges are at work in many
places, and no doubt a large yearly outlay will be always neces-
sary to keep the cutting clear of the showers of sand perpetually
falling into it. Some sharp curves must be straightened, extra
width must be given too, before the canal can be said to be what
it ought to be. But, take it as it is, it is an achievement of
which not only any nation, but any age might be proud.
A grand kiosk and balcony is passed, where the poor Empress
Eugenie, two short years ago, was such an idol, when she was
the sun of the inauguration of the canal. Ismailia, situated on
Lake Ismah, is about midway across.
The lake was formerly a
241
small marsh in a desert of sand; now it is a large salt-water lake,
with a fine town, though of recent growth, on its margin.
A grand display of the Viceroy's extravagance is to be seen in a
magnificent house built for one single ball! There are many
villas here too, the most noticeable being that of M. de Lesseps.
Ismailia-Suez.
The waters of the Nile are brought to Ismailia, and from thence
direct to Suez. Great talk was made about the magnificent
gardens at Ismailia at the time of the inauguration, but these
gardens consisted chiefly of palm-trees cut off and stuck in the
ground, and many other shrubs in pots! There is, however,
some growth about the town, but I fear it will never be a
flourishing place, for it has no surroundings but sand, and at
best the canal traffic can only be a passing one. We spent a few
hours at Ismailia, and then set off for Suez. With the exception
of the margins of the canal, where osiers, long reeds, grasses, and
such like grow, there is nothing-nothing whatever-between
Ismailia and Suez but sand and rocky hills. The sides of the
great canal cannot always be seen, owing to the vast lake through
which it passes-the depressed "Bitter Lake," which existed
previously, but is now filled up by the waters of the ocean.
Suez is not a charming place. The railway runs out on a wide
bank, carrying three lines of rails for two miles into the Red
Sea. At the end of this bank there are fine docks and the rail-
way station for overland passengers. We arrived in Suez at
dark, and we left it at 8 a.m. the following morning, so that I
cannot pretend to give much of an account of the place. There
was nothing new on the return journey to Ismailia, where we
took the railway for Alexandria. For an hour after leaving
Ismailia we saw nothing but sand. We then entered upon
the watered portions of the Nile, and had our first view
of fertile Egypt-palm-trees everywhere, crops ripening or
ripe, crops cut down, fellahs raising water, bullocks raising
water, camels, horses, and donkeys moving about, carrying
the produce of a rich district. At the stations, Arab
women appeared, carrying about for sale to the passengers
all sorts of green stuff and bread; and there were young,
industrious Arab children carrying water.
1
LETTERS OF AN ENGINEER.
SECOND PERIOD.
[EDITOR'S NOTE.-After the few days spent in Egypt on his way
homewards, Mr. Maxwell returned to London rapidly. The
difficulties with the Turkish Government were not surmounted,
and the survey which was intended was never carried out. But
efforts to interest the British Government in the Euphrates
Valley Railway scheme were made, and a Select Committee of
the House of Commons, appointed to consider it, held five meet-
ings in London, in July, 1871. Mr. Maxwell gave evidence
before this Committee, and, from his fresh experience of the
country, and the preliminary survey he had managed to make,
was perhaps the most important witness. His labour, under
such difficulties as he met with in Turkish territory, was there-
fore not altogether in vain; as his evidence is on record, and
will be available, and valuable, when the important subject of
more rapid communication with India next comes up. The
spirit of enterprise was in the air in 1871, and although inter-
national projects were then, as ever, difficult of accomplishment,
private undertakings in foreign lands were freely entered upon.
The predominance of French influence with the Porte at that
time had enabled some Frenchmen to obtain the "concession" for
carrying out a plan to provide the town of Beyrout with a water
supply. But English engineers had the practical responsibility
of the undertaking, and Mr. Maxwell's experience in Syria
pointed him out as the very man to carry out the work for the
Messrs. Macneill, and the English financial firm associated with
them in the enterprise. The Sultan's Firman having been
obtained, and other arrangements concluded, Mr. Maxwell left
London, on the 1st of December, 1871, with instructions to join,
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at Brindisi, the representative of the French members of the
Beyrout Water Company, and with him to proceed to Syria as
quickly as possible. Travelling express, by the Brenner route,
Mr. Maxwell arrived at Brindisi, and found there, not Monsieur
T——, but a telegram from him to say that he had missed his
communications and been obliged to take the route by Genoa,
from whence he expected to arrive, by steamer, at Alexandria,
on the 13th of December. Mr. Maxwell therefore determined
to proceed to Egypt at once, and fill up his time with a glance
at the Pyramids and other scenes of interest within easy reach
of the next rendezvous. Again his letters to his relatives at
home describe everything en route, but they do not contain any-
thing worthy of wider interest until he reaches Cairo, at which
point what may be called the Second Period of the "Letters "
commences.]
Hotel du Nil, Cairo, 13th December, 1871.-I concluded my
last letter just before going to bed at Alexandria. I never heard
anything like the dogs during the night-I believe I was awaked
by them every half-hour. I got up an hour before daylight to
catch the 8.0 a.m. train to Cairo.
The country looks familiar-not unlike what it did when I
passed over it last, in our spring-time, then harvest-time in
Egypt. But they seem to have several harvests here in a year.
Ploughing is going on in many places, and there are some parts
where nothing but green is to be seen. Irrigation is going on
as before; and the Arab women are as busy as ever, now pick-
ing the Indian-corn from its husk. Palm-trees are seen here
and there in fine groups. Although remarkable for its won-
derful fertility, Egypt of the Delta (or Lower Egypt) is not very
interesting to travel through, there being no high ground, and
towns being scanty, while the villages of the Arabs are beyond
description for wretchedness.
The distance from Alexandria to Cairo is 130 miles. Although
there is so much that is French in Egypt, still there is some-
thing English: the railways have been made by English
engineers, and the measurements are in miles. Allowing time
Cairo.
245
for stops, we got over the 130 miles in 3h. 11m.—about forty
miles an hour-not bad for Egypt !
For some time before reaching Cairo, the Pyramids of Gizeh
are clearly seen. Of the group of four, two are very large, the
largest being that of Cheops. Cairo, with its many minarets
and domes, has a fine effect. Omnibuses and carriages, and hun-
dreds of donkeys, wait for passengers at the station. While on
the way to the hotel, I saw that the city is being metamorphosed
-streets being widened, new fronts being given to old houses,
new streets being laid out, and water-pipes being laid down.
The Hotel du Nil is close to the principal street of semi-Eastern
shops, where you can get all the wares of Europe, and most of
the merchandise of Arabia. The entrance to the hotel is mean;
but, once within its neat garden, and having dined at the amply-
supplied table, and made a slight acquaintance with the landlord,
he would indeed be an epicure who would desire greater comfort
and attention. The other hotels are much better situated, but
they are also more expensive-one, a magnificent building, was
erected by the P. and O. Steamship Company, for the convenience
of their passengers visiting Cairo, en route to the East or West.
My first evening was spent in a walk through the street of mon-
grel shops to which I have alluded, and which is called the
Mouski. It is indeed a wonderful scene of animation—it would
be impossible to describe it. There are no pathways, no pave-
ments, nor even stones laid down. As there is very little rain
in Egypt, mud in Cairo is unknown, except when too much
water has been poured on the street. Carriages, whether private
or for hire, are really excellent; there being no stone on the
streets, they roll along without making any noise. In these
streets without side-paths, and so crowded by people of all garbs
and many nations, every carriage has to be preceded by a
runner, and these men seem to run without ever feeling tired.
Each runner carries a long rod, and, as he runs, calls out,
"Ordye" (Take care). The carriages of the Pasha are preceded
by two runners.
،،
The donkeys of Cairo are, I suppose, the finest that could be
found—their gait is easy, and for those who do not require a
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capacious seat in the saddle, it is a very comfortable means of
locomotion. For my part, after two long donkey-rides with
Hassan Abou, the guide, I felt as if I had been beaten.
My first walk included a visit to the great Mosque of the
Citadel a magnificent building, with a very fine dome.
the mosques are open to Europeans, who need not take their
boots off, for at the doors cloth coverings, kept there for the
purpose, are tied over the boots—a concession to Western con-
venience which is a real comfort, compared with having one's
boots dragged off every time one enters a mosque. The mosque
itself is built of Egyptian alabaster. There is an enclosure at
the side of it, paved with fine flags of Italian marble. The
beautiful effect of the alabaster is better seen in the interior than
outside, as the stone does not seem suited for exterior work,
even in Cairo: in wet climates it would not answer at all.
The French are remodelling Cairo. Immediately beneath the
citadel, they are laying out grass-plots, and have erected foun-
tains—without water as yet—and soon there will be, instead of
spaces of dry dust, fresh, green grass. The streets, too, have
trees planted along the side-paths, like the boulevards of Paris.
A good view of the town and the improvements is obtained from
the citadel. The numerous minarets of highly-ornamental design
form an important and remarkable feature. In the citadel,
there is a well called Joseph's Well, the water from which is
brought up from the great depth of 260 feet, by two systems of
wheels, with ropes having jars attached, the depth being too
great for a single system. The water is lifted from the well into
a tank, by a horse working in a cave underground. From this
cistern it is again lifted, this time to the surface. The Cairo water
is only used for watering the streets and such inferior purposes,
for all water under Cairo is salt or brackish. The French are
now busy constructing great waterworks, which are partially in
operation; but the old style of carrying the water in skins is
still in vogue. All good water is carried from the Nile, and,
when filtered, it is wonderfully good.
The two groups of pyramids are clearly seen from the height.
of the citadel. Gizeh, the greatest (contiguous to which is the
Cairo.
247
Sphinx), is about seven miles distant; the other group of
pyramids, those of Memphis, which are smaller, being some
twenty miles up the river. From the citadel, the great and fer-
tile valley of the Nile, clothed with green, and the river flowing
lazily down, are fine sights.
The celebrated Nile boats, called dahabeahs, which carry
tourists up the river, are about the size of small coal-schooners,
have a most peculiar rig, and are painted in gaudy colours.
Long streamers and the English flag were flying from the
masts of three, which were ready for the start, when I looked
down on them. But there are steamers on the Nile too, and
these, it seems, have banished the crocodiles and hippopotami
further up the river into Nubia. In my ignorance, I had
fancied I might have seen an odd crocodile or two on the banks,
but such a thing is never seen now within hundreds of miles of
Cairo.
Before the Sweet-water Canal was completed, the railway from
Alexandria to Suez went by Cairo. After it was made, the line
from Cairo to Suez was taken up. I was told at Suez that
the removal was owing to the sand which blew across it, and
sometimes buried it; but here I learn that it was taken up
because of there being no water for the engines, or for the work-
people on the route. Several trains of water in tanks used to
pass over the line daily, to supply this want.
Opposite to the great hotel, there are the gardens called
"Esbekiah," which are laid out with exquisite taste. There is an
extensive rockery, with grottoes and streams of water; a rustic
pavilion, formed, or rather ornamented, with the stems of the palm-
tree; lakes, pagodas, kiosks, band-stands, and ornamental build-
ings all through the place. Then there are appliances for watering
everywhere, and the grass is kept as green as in Paris. Outside
the gardens, there is a circus and hippodrome, a theatre, and an
opera-house-so the Pasha has certainly provided ample amuse-
ment for the people. All the streets about these buildings and
gardens are wide and well-formed, well lighted with gas, and
planted with trees on both sides.
Riding through the town and out by one of the gates towards
C
-
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old Cairo, a few miles up the river, I passed a magnificent old
aqueduct, which is still used, but the water is pumped up to it by
steam now. On our way, we met the funeral procession of a
rich old Mussulman, headed by two camels carrying boxes of
bread. There was a man on each camel's back, throwing bread
to the people around, and causing regular scrambles. Then fol-
lowed the men who mourned for the dead, keeping up a dismal
wailing. The corpse was borne in a sort of litter (no coffin), then
followed about fifty women riding on donkeys.
The "Nilometer," or apparatus for measuring the yearly rise
of the Nile, is on an island called Rhoda: there is a ferry across
to it.
I got on board the ferry-boat with a lot of Arabs, men
and women. They were somewhat amused at seeing me make
the old ferry-man get out of his seat, while I took up the oars
and rowed the boat over. "God is great," said he, "and the
Englishman is strong!" The Nilometer is a rude building on
the up-stream end of the island. The water flows into it through
arches, and the daily rise is, I believe, taken by a registrar ap-
pointed for the purpose. From all I had heard of it, I expected
to find some sort of clockwork apparatus which was self-regis-
tering, but there was no such thing. There are fine mandarin
oranges growing on this island: we had quite a feast of them.
The ark of bulrushes, with Moses in it, is believed to have been
found here by Pharaoh's daughter.
Near old Cairo-a walk of about three miles from the new
town-but on the opposite side of the river, which is very wide
here, Noph or Memphis, the capital of the Pharaohs, is believed
to have stood; while the land of Goshen stretched away sea-
ward, in the Delta. To the Bible-reader, when visiting such a
vicinity, the beautiful story of Joseph's life and great deeds, of
Moses, and of the stupendous deeds wrought by God for His
people, crowd upon the memory; but there are little or no re-
mains to dwell upon-not a trace of the great city of Noph can
be found. It is believed that the stones were taken away.to
build other towns on the river—old Cairo and the present Cairo,
and other places up and down the Nile. The tombs alone re-
main (some underground), and the everlasting Pyramids.
The Pyramids.
249
"And now, Hassan Abou Deebah, get good donkeys with
comfortable saddles, and provide yourself with a candle-and to
the Pyramids we go !"
We started on Monday morning, the 11th December, 1871,
at 8.30 a.m., and bowled along at a good pace. We crossed the
Nile by a bridge of boats (there is a railway bridge higher up,
but not yet opened). We were soon upon a fine road, lined on
each side with acacia-trees, in splendid foliage. This continued
for several miles; then the trees became thin, and were mere
saplings. The whole of the road to the Pyramids, about seven
miles from Cairo, is new: the well-established trees did not
attain their growth here, for they were planted large, so my
guide told me; the road having been made for the great gather-
ing of people here at the opening of the Suez Canal. When
the young trees grow up to afford shade all the way from the
town to the Pyramids, the road will be splendid.
Almost to the very base of the Pyramids, the road is from 15
feet to 20 feet in height above the ordinary level of the land,
which, during the flooding of the Nile, is under water for many
months of each year. The road has been embanked in this way
to keep it clear of the inundations. On each side, as we rode
along, the fellaheen, or settled Arabs, were busy ploughing.
Camels in the plough were common. We saw a camel and a
small ox in the same yoke, and it looked quite ridiculous. After
the subsidence of the water, as much as a foot of mud is de-
posited, in some places, close by the river, and this soon hardens
to the richest of soil. This is when banks have been made,
with sluices to admit the water. Further inland from the river-
bed, the deposit is less-sometimes not an inch in thickness.
As soon as the soil gets dry enough, ploughing is commenced,
and the corn is sown at the same operation.
The Pyramids stand about a hundred feet in height over the
plain or valley, on the sides of low limestone hills, here and
there covered with sand. The ascent from the plain to the
Pyramids is by a curved road, walled on each side, with urns
here and there on the top, which no doubt were full of flowers
for the grand company. As we rode up this sandy slope, several
R
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i
Arabs joined us, and as we got to the base of these world-famed
hills we were in a crowd of Arabs, many of them with simply a
coarse sort of white nightshirt on the body, and a little white
cap on the head. English was universal amongst them-but
such English! So many spoke at once, that I said to Hassan
(in a temper, I confess), "Look here, Hassan, if you don't make
these fellows leave off, I'll go straight back to Cairo: You know
these things are nothing after having seen Baalbec; and if I
can't see them quietly, I'll go back!" Some of the crowd did
drop off then.
We rode first to see the Sphinx. This rocky monster is not
so near the Pyramids as pictures would lead one to believe it
is some hundred yards off, and considerably lower. It is a won-
derful head, truly, but the body is much worn by time. Why
it should be more worn than the head is a puzzle. Close by the
Sphinx there are rock-hewn tombs, with splendid granite pillars
and walls, rubbed quite smooth; and in some places huge blocks
of alabaster. Why builders who brought such huge, enduring
blocks of granite should almost mix it with the more perishable
alabaster, seems surprising. In this place, many sarcophagi of
the mummy style were found: most of them went to France,
but there are a few still remaining in the cavities.
The sheik who has charge of travellers to the Pyramids is
said to be responsible to the Government for their safety. He
is permitted to receive payment, and the generally-understood
charge is equal to 2s. for getting up the Pyramids, and 2s. for
getting inside. The sheik generally demands more; but I do
not think he often gets it. After much bargaining, 2s. for each
place was decided on, with a remark that there must be some
baksheish too! “Baksheish,” said I; "what, then, have I paid
the money for?” "For sheik," says one fellow with a shirt on.
Presently I was handed over to four shirted Arabs, and another
fellow came along with a small jar of water. Then we began
the ascent. When we got up a little distance, two of the Arabs
caught hold of my hands to drag me. I pulled away, and
shouted to Hassan (who took good care to stay below) that I
would knock the whole five fellows down if they did not let me
The Pyramids.
251
alone. Hassan pretended not to hear, and thereupon the fol-
lowing dialogue took place between myself and the four Arabs,
the principal spokesman being one who called himself "doctor,"
and spoke a little English :-
Arab: "My business take you up, sir."
W. M.: "No, it is my business to take myself up; and if
you fellows want to come, come with me; but let me alone, or
if you don't (shutting my fists), I'll break all the bones in your
bodies !"
Arab: "But see, sir, we 'sponsible; you fall, sheik cut our
heads off."
W. M.: "I wish he would !"
Arab: “Now, you good English gentleman, we take care of
you."
There appeared to be no use in protesting. Two took my
hands, and one fellow began to push behind. This was rather
too much, so I sat down, just to ponder whether I would have
patience and resign myself to them, or leave the place in disgust.
Having concluded to go on alone and let the Arabs follow, I
did so; but at the next resting-place I resigned myself to their
tender mercies, to save myself trouble. Having reached another
place of rest, the "doctor" said, "That good gentleman, you very
strong man; you climb well; you no American. Oh, no! you
Englishman. Now, you quite satisfied when you go down, you
give baksheish.”
W. M.: "I give sheik money to go up Pyramids. Why I
give sheik money, and give you money
?"
Arab: “Oh, sheik keep money—we not get money; but you
give us money if you satisfied. Now you rest a little. How
you like it?"
W. M.: “I should like it if you Arabs were up to your necks
in the Nile."
Arab: "Up to necks in Nile! Why you wish us up in
Nile? You fall and break your head."
W. M.: "Bah! Mountains England very high. English
church, English mosque very high. Climb up Monument. Do
you speak Turkish ?"
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!
Arab: "No, me no speak Turkish; me hakeem" (doctor).
W. M.: "Nice pills you would make!”
Arab: "Not for Joe; not for Joseph. Oh, no, no.
Oh, no,
Not for Joseph.
no.
Hooray!"
W. M.: "Ha, ha !-you do not say that right. You should
say-'Not if I knows it.'"
Arab: "Should say not for Joseph. Mister, you got wife?"
W. M.: "No-wife dead."
Arab: "How long dead?"
W. M.: "Four years dead.
Have you got wife?”
Arab: “Yes, I got wife, two years 'go; she twelve years old—
nice girl. He got three wife."
W. M.: "Three wives!
Mashallah!”
Arab: "I not have three wife. No, no-that make my head
swell! One wife plenty-one wife very plenty!"
The Pyramids were originally cased over with stones which
presented a smooth surface, but this surfacing has been under-
mined from time to time-so that on the largest pyramid there
is no facing whatever, and on the second there remains only a
little of this casing near the top. On the Pyramid of Cheops
(the largest, and the one always selected for ascending), the
whole of the sides present the appearance of huge steps, none of
which are so high as to require any peculiar climbing; and as
for danger in the ascent, there is much less than in climbing
over the Derbyshire hills, or any other rocky hills commonly
climbed by travellers. The immensity of this wonderful pile is
more striking when two-thirds of the way up than it is when
looking from either top or bottom. The fellows gave me but a
short rest here, and I felt that they would "take it out of me
in the last lift. I had tried to keep ahead of them all the way
up-oftener I was tugging at one of them than he was at me;
but the "doctor" was a wiry fellow. "Yallah," says the Arab,
and off we went for the last lift. It was a tough bit of work
going up that 150 feet at this rate: there is no mistake about it,
those fellows can climb. When we reached the top, the Arabs
burst into a wild "hooray;" then the "doctor" commenced to
play Arab music on a bit of iron pipe with holes in it. Judge
""
•
The Pyramids.
253
of their surprise when I gave them a few steps of a dance I
learnt in Syria. I must now give you some more of our dialogue.
Arab: "You fine man, you satisfied, you write your name.'
I pulled out a little hammer I carried, and cleft my mark,
thus-
"
Arab: "That your name? Not like English names. You
buy this fossil-two-and-sixpence ?"
W. M.: "I'll give you sixpence for it, if you keep quiet
until we go down."
Arab: "Well, here you take it."
66
W. M.: “No, I won't take it until we get down."
Arab Oh, yes, you take it.
it from me when we go down."
So I let him have his way, and took it. As we went down,
we met a slight young English fellow coming up.
He had got
very sick and faint-the Arabs had pulled him up too fast.
Entering an opening at the side of the pyramid, we went
down a long and steep incline, about three feet wide, and a
little more in height. We crept through a smaller opening at
the bottom of the incline, then clambered up some rocks, and
up another steep incline, when we reached a sarcophagus. Here
I lighted some magnesium wire (how the Arabs begged for that
wire!) Another incline led away up to another height; but I
felt it was impossible to observe with anything like satisfaction,
when I could not move a step or look at a thing without being
forestalled by those sharp, keen fellows. Still, I had got a
general idea of the plan of the pyramid-enough to enable me
to understand a detailed description. The fellows wanted me to
give them baksheish before I left the interior; but I replied in
the "doctor's" language, "Not for Joseph; not if I knows it."
Having got out at last, I felt willing to admit that going up and
into the big pyramid is a feat, and yet I know that women often
go through the ordeal. All I can say is, that I should not like
to give up any womankind of mine to four such shirted fellows
as had charge of me. I gave the four Arabs 7d. each, and the
water-boy 5d.-his service was well worth the money.
Some distance from the Pyramids, we got into a little vault.
Sheik not pleased if you take
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On the walls were peculiar hieroglyphics, apparently in red
paint. An Arab pointed out to me two figures in an attitude
resembling boxing, and said, "Old 'Gyptians-they English-
fight;" but I found that the figures had been represented as
slaying an ox. Some of the paint had been rubbed away, and
the attitude of the figures was certainly pugilistic-looking.
A stroll through the great Turkish bazaar of Cairo is as
Turkish an experience as to be in Turkey itself. We went
through the bazaar, and out of the town by one of the old gates,
crossed a miserable cemetery, and went up some dry, dusty hills,
on which stood some deserted windmills. We crossed these
hills, and went on in the direction of Suez, to a place where the
French are making extensive filtering-beds for the new water-
supply. In making a deep trench for a water-pipe, the excavators
had dug through graves and tombs of long-defunct Egyptians,
exposing gaunt skeletons, in many cases doubled up as if they
had been thrown in "any how."
Behind the citadel, the great quarries which supply the town
lie in the Mokattan Hills, on a high portion of which is a fort.
From the top of these hills there is a magnificent view of Cairo,
lying nearly 500 feet below, with its 400 mosques, and its
population of three or four hundred thousand. The sun was
setting as we stood admiring the scenery from this magnificent
point of view, the low hills which bound the plain being lit up
with lilac colour, the Pyramids standing out in bold relief.
was a scene which could be found nowhere else in the world.
It
The feast of Bairam began here yesterday. The great feature
of it is the visiting of the cemeteries, to which the people go,
carrying with them lots of provisions, palm branches, and myrtle.
They squat down by the graves of their dead relatives, laying
the palm branches and the myrtle on the rude tombs, which are
all whitewashed for the occasion, some few being gaily painted
in stripes of green and vermilion. Hired mourners are employed
to chant most doleful ditties. When the mourning and the repast
al fresco are over, the leaves are shred from the palm branches,
and deposited with the myrtle on the tombs-the palm-branches
being carried away. My guide asked me if I should like to taste
"Bairam" Customs.
255
some of "the bread of the feast." I said I should; so we went
into a wooden house in one of the cemeteries, where there were
several Arab women, as well as some children, two of which
he said were his own. Coffee was soon made, and I had some
of the cake, but it was hard work to swallow it. I was then
asked if I would eat some of "the fish of the feast" (the Arab
sardine). A dish was produced, in which I could distinguish
bits of fish, mixed with dates and raisins—all fried together!
I told my guide that I was not hungry!
Referring again to palm-trees, I should tell you that timber is
scarce in Egypt, all used for building being imported from Syria
and Asia Minor. It is astonishing how clever the Cairo people
are in making seats, bedsteads, and such like, of the stem of the
palm branches, which grow here from twelve to fifteen feet in
length. The branches are split up, and made into rude cages,
which form the seats of the cafès, and the bedsteads which are
common in the portals of all the business houses in the city-
the doorkeeper sleeping on such during the hours of repose.
Cotton is now in blossom and in the pod: the plant looks
somewhat like a rose-bush. I have seen it over six feet in
height. The Indian-corn is down, and the Arab women are
seen in front of the miserable mud cabins of the villages, detach-
ing it from the husk. The wheat in many places is well up
over the ground; while in lower places ploughing is going on,
the ploughs being entirely of wood. Sometimes the women are
seen sowing the corn. Sugar-canes grow luxuriantly in Egypt,
and much sugar is made.
The railway has no crossing-gates, or fences of any kind, but
on each side of the line there are trenches from which the stuff
was taken to make the embankments which carry the railway
above flood-level. These trenches are useful as conduits and
reservoirs for the irrigation of neighbouring fields.
In many
places, the railway seems a common high-road-horses, camels,
and donkeys walking upon it, not seeming to heed the trains ;
while at the towns, people cross the track-men, women, and
children--just as if the train would not hurt them even if it ran
over them.
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Letters of an Engineer.
Alexandria, Thursday Night, 14th December, 1871.-The
Italian steamer, with my French colleague on board, is outside
the bar, I hear, but she cannot get in, owing to the tremendous
The steamer which we are to join has been lying-to for
four days. How I pity the unfortunate passengers!
sea,
I went out for a stroll here this evening, and had an amusing
experience of the Alexandria donkey-boys: they well know the
face of a stranger. Soon I was followed by a youth with a
"Jerusalem."
"Ride fine donkey, sir? Sir-sir-take a ride fine donkey-
hi! sir, hi! Take this donkey, sir! See, gentleman, good
donkey. That not the right way-you follow me," &c.
Another fellow joins. "No, sir-you not take that donkey.
I show you way-that not way to the Custom-house, sir.
Hi! hi! gentleman!"
Seeing up a bye-street a number of swings, and the juveniles
enjoying themselves, I went up to have a look, hoping to escape
the donkey-boys' notice. But again, "You take donkey, sir,"
resounded from behind me. I was carrying a folded newspaper,
which I shook savagely in the boy's face, and roared, “If you
don't take yourself and your donkey away from me, I'll kick
you both." But the boy, nothing daunted, followed, shouting,
"Go on, then! go on! go on!" I walked on for a mile and
a-half, the same performance going on all the time. I turned
up another bye-street, when a black imp came up.
"You English, that not way. I show you way-dis way."
I faced round to the coast, and stood looking at the sea for
some time. When I turned, the donkey-boy was holding the
stirrup. Another young brat about eight years old joined.
"Ride good donkey, sixpence each! Hi! gentleman !-ride
good donkey to square, sixpence !--that for whole mile of road."
I thought of the majesty of the expressionless Sphinx, and I
became a sphinx. Then the three fellows made a plot that they
would get the donkey close behind me, and hit him hard, and
so knock me down. They nearly succeeded; but when I turned
round very savagely, the three fellows bolted, and the donkey
went on alone. After a while, the young imp came up again-
Alexandria.
257
"Ride donkey-sixpence each!" I shall carry a stick next
time I go out, and use it !
On board the S.S. "Urano," Alexandria Harbour, 16th
December, 1871.-According to advertisement, this steamer was
to have left Alexandria yesterday for Beyrout, but a later notice
stated twelve o'clock to-day to be the time of starting. It is now
seven o'clock in the evening, and here we are still. We may get
off to-morrow, but meantime we dare not go ashore, owing to
quarantine.
Just as I was closing my letter yesterday morning, the French-
man turned up, after having been buffeted about dreadfully by
the weather outside Alexandria. In rough weather, the depth
of water, owing to the waves, is less in the channel, and ships
exceeding a certain draught of water cannot enter. The French-
man came from Italy, and of course was not subject to quaran-
tine. He and I visited the system of waterworks for the
supply of Alexandria yesterday, and the great Mahmoudiah
Canal, which is cut from the Nile to Alexandria. Many
smaller canals are cut from the Mahmoudiah, and on the
side of one of these the great pumping apparatus to supply
Alexandria is placed. The Nile water so brought to Alexandria
is not filtered, but merely allowed to settle, in a hurried sort of
way. First, the water flows from the canal into a well under
the pumps; it is then seized hold of by the great pumps, and
thrown into the ponds. Then it is caught hold of again by
other huge pumps (made in Liverpool, though the company is
French!), and these monsters send it up, much against its own
inclination, to a height sufficiently great to give a good pressure
all over the town,
Talking of filtering, I never saw such porous jars as those in
Alexandria and Cairo. They are so porous that, when placed
on table, they are always kept sitting in bowls.
In the course
of a night, three-fourths of the contents will escape: the jars can
therefore be used for filtering or for cooling the water. The cool-
ing is, of course, accomplished by the evaporation of the water
from the pores of the clay. Some of the jars used for filters are
of huge size-nearly as high as an ordinary woman, but much
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Letters of an Engineer.
larger in the waist! All these jars are made a long way up the
Nile, above Cairo. I was told that they were floated down the
river and canals to Cairo and Alexandria, in great rafts formed
of the jars themselves, tied together; that the Nubians had tents
on the top, and lived there for weeks during the passage! Now,
how can the jars float when they are so porous? I'm puzzled!
At ten this morning, two carriages were brought up to the
hotel; our baggage was tumbled into one, and we got into the
other. We had a "dragoman,” or guide, who drove in the bag-
gage carriage. As we drove to the water and approached the
Custom-house, about ten fellows were running alongside our
carriage. "Take my boat-five shillin'." "No, no, my boat—
all baggage and you, three shillin'." "No, no, gentleman-I
speak first." The baggage was seized by about ten hamels
(porters), many of them black, as soon as the carriage stopped.
We passed through the Custom-house, our guide winking a
baksheish to the guard. Then we halted at a boat-wharf, and
here the row began, for the ten fellows who had the luggage
were informed that they would be paid by the dragoman on his
return, which did not appear to be satisfactory. We pushed off,
rowed about a mile, landed at a firewood-wharf, and entered a
dirty building, crowded with dirty people. This was some sort
of an "Office of Health." We were looked at by an official, who
demanded four shillings for what was supposed to be a sort of
medical inspection, and the money a professional fee. A soldier
was then deputed to see us on board. The fellows who rowed
us out were not allowed to touch the ship, nor were the ship-
people allowed to touch the boat. I feared that some of my bag-
gage would be dropped into the sea, but all got safely on board.
Port Said, Monday Morning, 18th December.-I do not see
much change here, except that a wall has been built round the
lighthouse, which keeps the sand off. Owing to quarantine, we
were not allowed to go ashore, nor were the boats from the shore
allowed to traffick with us. Passengers who go ashore have to
endure several days in the Lazaretto, to do quarantine. I do
not know how Europeans manage in such places.
Natives can
get along on land anywhere-if they have their cloaks, tobacco,
Beyrout.
259
But the poor
bread, and water, it is all the same to them.
creatures do suffer dreadfully on deck passages on the Syrian
steamers. We have some pilgrims with us one or two
wretchedly poor monks, and a few other poor wretches, amongst
whom are two Russian women. It must require all their zeal
to support them under their weary journeyings.
Beyrout (Hotel Belle Vue, Andrea), Wednesday Night, 20th
December, 1871.-At Beyrout once more! From Alexandria
to Port Said we had a strong breeze from the land-a steady
breeze-so that, by keeping sails set, the ship was pretty steady,
and we were able to meet at the table. After leaving Port Said,
we changed our course somewhat, and the weather became dis-
agreeable. Tremendous downpours of rain fell. How I did feel
for the poor deck passengers! God help them! they have a
bad time of it now, getting to the earthly Jerusalem. We were
to have stopped at Jaffa, but, owing to the dreadful rain and
wind, it was impossible to land the passengers, and so we passed
it. As we rounded the spur of Carmel, we hoped to have a
little rest and peace from the continual rolling and rocking of
the past fifteen hours. In my berth, in addition to my port-
manteaus rolling about and chasing my boots, a marble-topped
basin-stand broke away from its moorings, and joined the
revellers. It was awful-all in the darkness, the clanking of
chains (the helm-guides) overhead, the loud moaning of the
wind, and the constant pattering of the rain. Then there was
all the commotion of the things rolling about, while I, miserable
wretch, had got a pillow before and another behind, trying to
keep myself steady. I sit now recalling it all, as I listen to the
howling storm and the lashing of the sea on the rocks, thankful
that I am safe ashore, and prayerful for those outside.
I made a fight to get up at Kaifa: it was hard work, but still
I got up, and managed to take a little dinner. As we sat at the
table, the vessel was up on one side and down on the other;
and whenever I could bear to look up and to the opposite side,
through the saloon windows, I had dissolving views, now of a
bit of sea, then a bit of Carmel, and then a bit of sky; some-
times all sea, sometimes all sky. I ventured outside to look at
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#
Carmel, and at the plain of Kishon, and what little I could see
of Acre and the road to Sareptah; but I came to the conclusion
that, to enjoy the view of such famous old places from the sea,
it is necessary to have the mastery over one's stomach.
We left Carmel so as to reach Beyrout at daylight. I believe
we did sight it then; but the captain was not sure of it, and,
owing to the wind and pelting rain, he turned out to sea again,
and gave us good measure for our money, as he had to supply
breakfast, which we should not have had otherwise.
It was raining heavily as we were bundled over the ship's side
into the boat at Beyrout. I think we had at least three miles
to row to land. There was one boat-load of the pilgrims: poor,
miserable wretches, they looked half dead; and then, to think
of what some of them had endured! To give an instance of the
two Russian women. When they arrived at Alexandria (their
steamer not being able to disembark passengers at Jaffa), there
being no steamer then starting for the Syrian coast, they went
ashore, and were immediately taken to the Lazaretto, where
they had to spend ten days in quarantine. A few days after
getting clear of that, they came on board our steamer for Jaffa,
which could not call, owing to the weather; and now they are
at Beyrout, hoping to get to Jaffa by the steamer to-morrow.
In all likelihood, it will not be able to call at Jaffa either, and
then they will be carried back to Port Said, where they will
have to do more quarantine; and so on.
It is really frightful coasting here in the storms of winter,
there being no ports or harbours of refuge. Even when a vessel
anchors opposite a town, there is no comfort, for the rocking
and rolling go on all the same.
Work commences to-morrow, and sincerely do I hope it will
turn out as well as it is expected.
The day after Christmas.—I had my Christmas dinner with
the British Consul here-plum-pudding included, made by the
Consul himself! His wife being Russian, I suppose she does
not quite understand the operation. However, be this as it may,
it is an institution with him to make his own Christmas pudding,
and he has done so for thirteen years.
Beyrout.
261
The day after my arrival here, I paid a visit to the Pasha,
with the Frenchman, Monsieur T. We could get but little
done, however, owing to the absence of the instrument known as
a firman," or letter of the Sultan, and this was in London; so
it was a case of telegraphing, but no reply so far. Next day
Monsieur T————— found that another paper was wanted, and so
another telegram was sent.
66
I have made an arrangement with a young man here to act as
my assistant-in fact, I may call him my right-hand man. He
does the talking, and especially the interpretation. We have been
very busy indeed translating into English many documents
handed to me in London, written in French; and only on the
completion of these interpretations have I completely mastered
the details of my work here. My assistant's name is P——— ;
his mother is a widow, her sister is married to a Frenchman
here, whose people are great men in the place, and well known
to Monsieur T-
Owing to his French friends, P— - has
the confidence of Monsieur T-, and, being English, he has
the confidence of the English.
31st December, 1871.--I may as well give some idea of the posi-
tion of Beyrout. It stands on a promontory, and behind it there
is low ground extending to the base of the Lebanon Mountains.
The town is built from the level of the sea, and up the slopes of
high hills. Most of the houses (except in the streets of shops
or bazaars) are detached, and of two stories, and it is the custom
for one family to have the upper and another family the lower
story in a house, each flat having its own entrance—so that to
all intents the dwellings are separate.
On reaching the high ground, either on one side of the town
or the other, the views are charming indeed.
A bit of sea,
"calm or convulsed," on one side; and on the other, Lebanon,
dotted over with substantial-looking villages of Maronite Chris-
tians. In places, the snowy tops of that part of Lebanon called
Sunnine can be seen, and, if the view be towards the setting
sun, the face of the mountain looks most peculiar for the
shadows falling throw the deep valleys into bold prominence,
which is not observable when the sun is at the meridian.
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Letters of an Engineer.
The Protestant church is a pretty little building, although it
will not bear strict scrutiny as to its architectural details. It
belongs to the English and Americans. The service is generally
conducted by a clergyman of the Scotch mission. I was not
particularly gratified by my first Sunday at church, being unaccus-
tomed to the Presbyterian form; but one must not always judge
by first appearances. The congregation numbered about eighty
people, a few of them natives, one or two being black. These
natives understand English; for those who do not, there is a
service earlier in the day, when one of the American missionaries
officiates in Arabic.
The great "outing" for the Beyrout people is by "the
Pines," that great grove of fir-trees, planted to prevent encroach-
ment from the shifting sands, which are whirled about by every
puff of wind. The French diligence-road to Damascus passes
through, or by the side of, these groves, which are rather more
than a mile from the town. On Sundays it is the idea of the
Beyrout people to ride or drive, so the road to the Pines is
crowded by equestrians, and people in carriages.
After church, W——— and I strolled out to the high ground
on the right of the town, from whence the views were charming.
We passed down from there to the Pines, and sat watching the
stream of people on the road. A curious procession of prisoners
from Damascus passed by: many of them were black, most of
them hideous-looking wretches.
On Christmas Day, we again had Scotch service in the church,
with hymns suitable for the day. The great event of the day
was the dinner—a grand affair. There was but one lady at
the table, the Consul's wife: the men were the Consul; Mr.
M-, Vice-consul of Tripoli; Mr. D, a young Yorkshire-
man and the Pasha. The dinner was a mixture of Arab and
English cookery; but when a whole turkey was brought in, I
had to exclaim (with considerable satisfaction, too), "Ah, that
is English!" The plum-pudding afterwards was all that could
be desired, though it had been made by the Consul.
dinner, some people dropped in for tea.
After
The first ride out to the Nahr-el-Kelb, or River of the Dog, was
The Dog River.
263
exciting. I had arranged with Monsieur T———— to ride out in
company; but, his watch having stopped, he did not turn up in
time, so I and my interpreter started off together. When we
got out of the town and along by the sea, my horse ran off with
me. Helter-skelter, away we went, bursting through clusters of
reeds, dashing across shallow pools and small streams. We were
nearing a silk-spinning factory-going right at it-and at such
a pace that I had a notion there might be a spill; but my horse
turned to one side, and passed it flying. Finally we came to a
great area of fine sand, where he tired of his mad gallop.
At the rocky head on the south side of the Dog River are
many inscriptions cut on the rock. These inscriptions are of
many ages-from the time of Sennacherib, King of Assyria,
down to the time that the French occupied the Lebanon, during,
the disputes between the Druses and Maronites. The French-
man caught up to us here. After spending a little time in ex-
ploring the river, about the mouth, we bent our steps homewards.
It was nearly dark as we rode over the rocky pass, the ancient
route of the Assyrian conquerors, and, I suppose, of all great
conquering hordes before and after them. There is no road
along the sea-it is simply riding over the sands.
I have just been disturbed by a visit from the cavass of the
Consulate, bringing me copies of two reports by the Consul of
Aleppo and Mr. H, the engineer, both mentioned in my
Euphrates report. These reports have been sent to the Consul,
who sends them to me, with the request that, "as this is New
Year's eve," I will "come up before six, and eat a humble chop
with us, and we can have a chat afterwards."
At the works (which are now commenced), consisting, so far,
of trenches for the pipes in rock, much gunpowder is being used
for blasting the rock. About thirty men are employed, and they
seem to do very good work. Besides Monsieur P the
French engineer of the Damascus road, there is another French-
man here, Monsieur B—, who came with Monsieur T
and is superintendent of the works. The Frenchmen ride fine
horses, and altogether we form a goodly cavalcade. Having
reached a fine stretch of hard sand, just along the sea, the
9
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Letters of an Engineer.
Frenchmen bantered me into joining in a race. The waves were
washing in-shore, throwing up sheets of foam-the water reced-
ing, then coming up again. Away we started-away! Soon
my old charger had me in front of the party, dashing through
the spray and skirting the waves-sometimes caught by a wave,
when the water was dashed up by the horse's heels into the face
of Monsieur T―, who kept close; but finally I was away far
in front. It was a fine ride. All I required was a flowing grey
beard and a three-pronged pitchfork, and I should have made a
good representation of old Neptune himself.
Next day I arranged for riding again to the river, and making
an excursion thence to the caverns, the principal sources of the
river. They are situated at an elevation of close upon 200 feet
above the sea-level: the valley, however, is so rocky that riding
is impossible. Believing that we could not get back the same
day, I had sent on my own and my assistant's beds; so with
these and a box of sardines, we felt that we were prepared for
any emergency. As we got off our horses at the mouth of the
river, the rain came on. Monsieur B, the French superin-
tendent, was with us, and we had a guide, a funny rogue but a
capital walker-he could run over precipitous places like a cat.
He led the way at a slapping pace, and after surmounting a
difficult place, he would turn round to watch how I got over it;
but generally he found me so close to him that he had no time
for pausing. It was not so with the other two of the party,
who took it easy. The guide carried a stout pole, by the aid of
which he crossed over an arm of the river on a bough which
spanned it. His admiration was great when I crossed over with-
out any pole. "Bono Anglaise !" he exclaimed. After a good
hour's walking and climbing, we crossed the river by a rude
bridge, and sat down in front of a little house. Bread and wine
were brought to us, and I learnt here that my friend Foley had
spent five days at this place in 1864. After our refreshment, a
half-hour's walk, and then some very steep climbing, brought us
to the caverns.
As regards the stalactite and stalagmite formations, the caverns
of Nahr-el-Kelb are much finer than any I have seen elsewhere.
The Nahr-el-Kelb Caverns.
When we entered them, the guides (for we had two here) lighted
great faggots of dry reeds. As we sometimes crept and some-
times walked through the passages which led to the water, the
ground under us seemed to be cavernous, as a dull, ringing sound
could be heard at each footfall. The guides kept up a wonder-
ful amount of shouting whenever I approached the edge of any
precipitous place. At length we reached a fine view-point, near
what the guides called "the lake of the dark water," in a mag-
nificent cavern. I crept a little further beyond my companions,
and lighted a bit of magnesium wire. I suppose that never
since the caves were formed was there such a light thrown upon
the fantastic ceiling. Neither the Frenchman nor my assistant
ventured to the cliff I reached, so they did not enjoy the fine sight,
at which the guides were greatly astonished, and with which I
was delighted. I intend to try and explore these caves further,
to see if the water can be caught at a higher level than where it
flows out of the caves, for it would in that case serve much better
for the supply of the town.
Our quarters for the night were, like many of my old Syrian
resting-places, very rough: a couple of bare rooms at the top of
a mill. There was no glass in the windows, and the shutters let
in the wind; neither the roof, nor yet the walls, were water-
proof, and, as a terribly stormy night came on, we had some
difficulty in keeping clear of the drops from the roof, and the
draughts could not be "dodged." However, we had a table and
chairs, a paraffin-lamp, good English beer, an omelette prepared
by the Frenchman, and the box of sardines; so we could not
grumble much. I never saw such lightning as illumined the
heavens that night, and there was one rattle of "heaven's artil.
lery" that shook the house. After our retiring for the night,
the rain increased in fury, and I had to get up and move my bed
to a drier spot. It was disagreeable standing with bare feet on
the wet floor; but even in my own quarters at Beyrout I find
the floor of the bedroom objectionable on getting up in the
mornings, for the floors are all covered with marble slabs from
Italy. This pavement is general in the houses in Beyrout, and
costs about 10s. per square yard; so marble is cheap here.
S
265
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Letters of an Engineer.
"
Yesterday I visited Dr. Thompson, the writer of "The Land
and the Book"-a fine, sturdy-looking old man, and one that
could go through a lot of work, too. On Wednesday, I meet
the Municipal Council, but, from all that I can hear, my mission
will not be very successful. The people here all believed that
on my arrival the works would be started with a grand flourish.
I have not felt at liberty to speak of my mission fully to them,
as in my opinion there are certain matters over which there may
be much delay yet. One man says, "When may we expect the
water in Beyrout?" Another says, "Are the works under you
going on now?" A third inquires, "Can you give employment
to a very worthy man?" &c., &c. Such questions as these I
have only been able to answer conditionally; and the report has
gone abroad that the affair will fall through.
Monsieur T- when I accused him of creating doubts about
the success, assured me that reports of that kind must arise as
long as we do not go about continually together, visiting here
and there, and always talking of our affairs. He assures me
he has visited no person since he came, nor does he want to,
until all is arranged. Two vital matters in my instructions, he
says, cannot be carried. "Impossible, Monsieur Maxwell," he
says, "impossible." In reply, I tell my assistant to say to
Monsieur T, "These things are not impossible. They must
be presented in a proper manner, and we must have a hard fight
before yielding them. I will not yield one point. I will write
Monsieur T- a letter on the subject, giving him my views.
Let him meet my arguments in writing.”
I sent him such a letter, containing arguments that upset his
equanimity. It had a wonderful effect, however, and he has
changed his manner considerably. He thought Mr. Macneill
was stubborn when he was in London, but I fancy he thinks
me stubborner. In fact, he is so frightened on one point, that
he fears, if he does not fight for it, I will, and will show up
the really bad job his plan would be for the water-supply of
Beyrout.
The whole affair requires most careful handling, for upon our
negotiations with the Council depends the success of the under-
?
The Council of Beyrout.
taking, both from a pecuniary and also from an engineering
point of view.
267
On Wednesday we were to have gone to see the Council, but
they postponed the meeting for a day. We went the next day,
"passed the guard, the gate, the wall," and entered the sanctum
to meet the Council; but there was no Council there! The
French steamer had come in, and all the members were engaged.
On Monday next, we are again to present ourselves before that
august body.
The complication with which we have to contend is owing to the
town being under one governor, and the sources of water-supply
under another. They do not pull well together-what the town
approves of, the country will not agree to. According to the
Frenchman, the preliminaries were to be concluded in a fort-
night. We have been here more than a fortnight now, and
scarcely anything has been done as yet, except getting things
into such shape that the Frenchman and I at length understand
each other. We have such arguments. He always talks of
French measurements, and these I have to turn into English
during the argument, so that the work is necessarily slow. He
is a great talker, and the only way I can nail him on a nice
question is to put it down in writing, and let him answer it so.
On Monday, we had our interview with the Council of Beyrout.
We reached the council-chamber at one o'clock, and found
one of the six vice-presidents there, with the secretary,
seated on a divan. Cigarettes and coffee were brought in;
then an oval table, over which was spread a cotton cloth
of gorgeous pattern. By two o'clock, three more of the
"Supreme" Council had arrived, and the four, I suppose,
formed a quorum. I was introduced by Monsieur T— in due
form, many inquiries were made after my health, and how I
liked Beyrout, &c. Then commenced the business of the day.
One of the four supreme councillors sat bundled up in a corner
smoking a narghili, but he never spoke a word. Another, the
vice-president, said very little. The other two were Frenchified
Arabs-one being the interpreter of the Consulate, and the
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Letters of an Engineer.
other an official of some sort in the Austrian Consulate. The
conversation was carried on in French; but, as only two of the
Council understood that language, of course the other two (one
the vice-president) had to keep quiet. When the argument
between the Frenchman and the Council waxed loud and louder,
the vice-president gave an order equivalent to "Silence in the
court!" which was immediately attended to. He seemed so
pleased at hearing his own voice, and the effect it produced,
that he lighted a cigarette, and thoughtfully sent one to me, for
which I bowed my thanks.
Although I was not a party to the conversation, yet I was not
quite ignorant of what was going on: I could catch sufficient
words to know the argument, and could follow it by the gestures.
The Frenchman amused me by touching his nose occasionally,
and the Arab by his wonderful facial expressions and the power
he had of dislocating his thumbs in his gestures.
I was
frequently referred to, and gave my "Yes" or "No," looking as
wise as if I knew every word that was said, but was too "high
and mighty” to join in the conversation.
All the time, my
assistant was carefully noting down the different arguments.
At last we came to a point when I thought some resolution was
to be passed. The Arab, seeing some new light, seized the
concession document, and acted Shylock to the very letter.
His every movement expressed, "Is it so nominated in the
bond?" and as each new argument was launched by Monsieur
T-, it was simply Shylock again-"I do not find it in the
bond!"
When I saw that nothing was to be achieved, I got upon my
feet, which had the effect of bringing matters to a crisis. This
was got over by the Council concluding that we had not given
them sufficient information to enable them to make up 'their
minds. We had fondly imagined that some progress would be
made, but the results of the interview were nil.
We were likely to fall between the two stools of "the town"
and "the country." I had not called on the high functionary
who rules the country-known as Franco Pasha; and Monsieur
T— thought it would only be at least courtesy to pay him a
Interview with Franco Pasha.
269
visit—so off we went this morning at nine o'clock. We passed
through a guard with drawn swords, and were ushered into the pre-
sence of the great man. He was sitting on a divan in a semi-
European-furnished drawing-room, and when we entered he
thoughtfully got up, tendered his hand, and asked after our
health, mine in particular.
His Excellency informed us that he had received Monsieur
T -'s letter, and had communicated with the Maronite
Patriarch in the mountain; and he had to inform us that the
water could not be taken from the source. There was no hope
of it.
I must say the Frenchman has done his utmost, so far, in
giving me every facility for having certain modifications made;
but I fear there will not be much chance of having them carried
out. He is much troubled about my pressing for Consular
interference, and feels that I go too far. Still, the interest at
stake may represent a great saving in the working of the water-
supply, and, for my part, I will push it as far as I see a loophole.
It is certainly a comfort, in a foreign land, to have a Consul
like Mr. Eldridge, who will do his duty to his countrymen to the
full. I am persuaded that he will assist the undertaking as
much as he can.
We have two Consuls in Beyrout to-day-one for Damascus,
in room of Captain Burton; and Mr. Moore, the Consul for
Jerusalem, who was very civil to me when I was in the Holy
City, and was very glad to see me to-day. He told me that
Captain Stewart, of the Jerusalem and Holy Land Survey, was in
bad health, and that the doctors there recommended his return-
ing home; but that the Captain determined to try and fight it
out, and that he was somewhat better. It will be sad indeed if
his health breaks down completely, for he had been looking for-
ward with enthusiasm to the work which lay before him.
To-morrow evening there is to be a gathering at Eldridge's, on
account of the Jerusalem and Damascus Consuls. I expect we
shall have a large party.
To-morrow I intend to do some levelling, and expect to have
a crowd of young, veritable Arabs after me.
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Letters of an Engineer.
Friday, 19th July, 1872.—I left off writing the above the
day before I went out for a day's levelling. I enjoyed the day's
work immensely, but how terribly hot it was! Levelling
through the great prickly pear hedges was very disagreeable
work. There never was such a fence as the prickly pear plant
makes: it is regular chevaux-de-frise, and no mistake! We had
great crowds of people, though I was not the first who had been
out on such work in Beyrout.
Monsieur T- and I have had two or three days' discussion
over some matters for the next meeting of the Council. Owing
to the arrival of the French steamer, the meeting was put off
indefinitely; but two days later it was held. There was quite a
strong meeting-ten Notables in all, and some of them were
very funny-looking. Everything brought before them has to be
read over in French and in Arabic, and this takes up much
time. After the reading, loud talk commenced. They would
not hear of any proposition for arranging the payment for water
on the European systems, and they reiterated what they said on
the former occasion, which meant, "Britons may be slaves, but
Arabs never!" However, they passed all the amended clauses
except one! I look upon that one as rather important, but
perhaps I attach more importance to it than need be. Another
meeting will decide all matters so far as the Council are con-
cerned. They have nothing to say in the "water-from-the-source"
question, and that still lies waiting for the meeting of the
Consuls. I have been making up a strong case for that meeting,
and am anxiously waiting for it.
Beyrout, 21st January, 1872.-I have spent most of the day
with poor Captain Stewart, of the Palestine Exploration Fund.
He has come here, with the hope of getting benefit from the air
of Beyrout, as a last hope. If he fails in gaining strength here,
he returns home, to obtain in our own cold, wet clime what this
genial climate will not afford him. I sincerely sympathise with
him in his grievous disappointment. He had his heart so set
on the work, it is indeed a sore trial to him.
We have had another meeting of the Council, at which certain
rules were agreed to. These rules only refer to the town, not to
More Interviews with the Council.
271
the sources from which the water is to be taken; so we have still
before us a good deal of work-work, and yet not work-all talk
and interviews, translations and re-translations. Yet all this is
most important for the carrying out of the scheme to a successful
issue. I fear the people in London will be sorely disappointed
at the slow rate of progress, but I cannot hasten it.
I have been trying for the last four weeks to get off for a day to
see a damaged bridge, which was built by an English engineer.
He has written to me to go and have a look at it; but, although
only one day would be required, I have not been able to get
away. I had arranged to go yesterday, but the night before I
received a message that another meeting was to be held by the
Council, and that my presence would be necessary. This meeting
was a still more absurd one than the preceding meeting. It was
simply a repetition of the proceedings which had been gone
through the day before. Nothing additional was done.
It was
merely to go over again what had been done already-to "make
assurance doubly sure."
I rode off, a few evenings ago, to see the remains of an old
Roman aqueduct, which, it is said, formerly brought the water
to Beyrout. I have not been able to trace the remains of
the aqueduct, or rather conduit, which is reported to be found
near Beyrout; but, hearing of the great aqueduct across a rocky
ravine, and feeling that a little exercise would be useful, I
proposed to Monsieur T— that we should go off together, and
have an inspection. A young Italian joined the party, so that
we were four horsemen.
The carriage-road from Beyrout to Damascus passes over the
Lebanon proper, then across the plain of the Bukka, twenty
miles south of Baalbec, then over the anti-Lebanon, and so on
to Damascus. Our route lay along this carriage-road for about
four miles. The base of the mountains is reached about two and
a-half miles out of Beyrout, and the road ascends by many
windings. The incline is so steep that the diligences have to be
drawn by three horses and three mules. Carriage drives about
Beyrout are necessarily of limited extent, the Damascus road being
the only good carriage-road in the vicinity.
272
Letters of an Engineer.
I had not my aneroid with me, so that I can only guess at
the height, but I think that in two miles we must have ascended
close upon a thousand feet above the sea-level. We saw the
aqueduct about 800 feet beneath. I could not see how it was
possible for horses to get down to it; but we determined to go
as far on horseback as possible. Soon Monsieur T and I
had left the Italian and my assistant behind.
We managed to reach the river, on horseback, by an extra-
ordinarily steep path. There seemed to be a passable track
leading down to the aqueduct, on the other side; but, as there
was a torrent in the river, we could not be prevailed upon to
ride across, though a fellow beckoned us to try it. He gaily
pulled off his trousers, and entered the river boldly, to point the
way; but, as the water was up to his elbows, we declined the
passage, and left him-minus his nether garment-to hold
our horses whilst we went down and inspected the old aqueduct.
After a very rough walk of a quarter of an hour, we reached it.
It is a fine piece of masonry.
Truly the Romans did not build
for their own day alone, but for posterity. Whether by the
hand of time and flood, or by war, the part of the aqueduct
which carried the water over the stream is now broken down,
but the masonry at each side is very massive. A metal pipe, a
yard in diameter, would serve for carrying the water across the
ravine according to the present system of water-supply; but the
old builders constructed a bridge which would carry a railway
train. The water which passed through the aqueduct had been
so charged with lime that a deposit of an inch and a-half in
thickness had adhered to the sides. Part of the conduit is seen
in a tunnel on the rocky side, and, in scrambling to get into
this, I slipped, and got about fifty stone chips and thorns into
different places or parts of my body, which required a lot of
picking out." My thumb was cut so severely that I had to
use my last English postage-stamp to dress the wound!
At the base of the mountains is a charming little plain, with
quite (for Syria) a grove of palm-trees, but they are not for a
moment to be compared with the palm-trees of Egypt.
I have such good news to-day of my old friends, the Calverts.
(C
The Council-Deadlock!
273
They are to go to Naples, as Calvert has obtained the post of
Consul there. I also heard from Stano to-day, by telegram.
He has got employment in the Turkish Government Office,
but will gladly come to me when I need him. I wish I had
him now, for there are few interpreters to be found equal to
him.
January 25th, 1872.-All has been done that can be done
with the Council, but great difficulties are still in the way of
obtaining the water direct from the source. As a last hope, we
have determined, and I think wisely, to try and obtain by means
of the Consuls and public opinion what cannot be obtained by
polite asking. Whether this will succeed or not remains to be
seen. It will be a question of some time, and, until it is
arranged, no surveys can be made, except in the town—so that I
may be busily engaged about the town for some weeks.
I think it very likely that Monsieur T————— and I shall differ
very much in our views as to how the matter should be laid
before the Consuls. We have already had a meeting, and were
both agreed as to placing the advantage of the London scheme
before the Consuls, but not as to the placing of the disadvantage
of the scheme which has been sanctioned by the Government.
The Frenchman fears that by pushing that matter too strongly
we may lose all.
Yesterday I managed to get off to see the damaged bridge.
It is an iron-topped bridge, and was constructed with two spans,
in all about a hundred feet. There was a pier in the centre,
but the late floods tore away the pier from its foundations. The
girders were continuous, so they did not fall. At first, people
were afraid to cross it, but now they think it all right, and, in
fact, better than it was before.
As I approached the bridge, great droves of sheep were
advancing, and, to my surprise, the shepherd leading them
stopped the sheep at one end of the bridge until the whole top
was covered with the animals! It astonished me how the
girders carried such a load. When I was under the bridge, a
Pasha rode up to look at it. I had met him in Beyrout, so I gave
him my mind as to the carelessness of allowing the traffic to be
274
Letters of an Engineer.
carried on in such a way. I told him that, if it were not
stopped, the whole structure would tumble down some day, and
that. certain regulations should be adopted, until such time as
the bridge could be secured.
There are crowds of beggars in the town now, who are down
from the mountains. It is the custom for these people to come
here every winter, and crowds of them-women and children—
assemble in front of the hotels. They are supplemented, too, by
a few lepers, and some dreadfully deformed creatures, so that
the look-out is by no means cheerful.
The modes of fishing, as seen from the hotel windows, are
novel. There is a sort of fish which is caught by a man diving
down from a boat. It is quite interesting to see the boats being
rowed quietly about, and in the prow of each a naked fellow
sitting like a bird of prey. He gazes steadfastly down into the
water until he sees his quarry, when down he dives, and remains
under water a wonderfully long time. Another sort of fishing
is carried on at night. A boat is slowly rowed about, with a
great torch in front of the bow. A native is on the watch
with a spear, and, when he sees his fish, he spears it with great
dexterity.
Coals are sometimes landed opposite the hotel. A boat is
anchored in about four feet of water, and to see the unfortunate
fellows plunge in and out of the water, carrying great baskets of
the coal, is enough to make one hate a Government which cannot
make better arrangements for the wants of the people.
I fear that I may have to suspend my journal until I find
more interesting matters to record. My life now is rather
monotonous, and my diary may soon be nothing more than-
"Got up-washed-breakfasted-dejeunered dined-smoked
-went to bed."
Monday, 26th February, 1872.—On the 1st of this month I
visited a silk factory, where the silk is wound from the cocoons
upon wheels. The work is carried on in long buildings, with
benches running their entire length. These benches are fitted
up with many basins-the larger basins contain water almost
boiling, the smaller cold water. The work-people consist of girls,
A Trip to Cyprus.
275
men, and boys. The cocoons are placed for a short time in the
hot water. Many of the girls are very pretty indeed: all of
them have dark eyes. It is surprising to see how nimbly their
fingers sweep the cocoons out of the hot and dip them into the
cold water. The hot water loosens the silk on the cocoons. The
tiny fibre is not strong enough for a thread, so that four fibres,
and sometimes as many as eight, go to form one thread. Opposite
the girls are rows of wheels, on which the threads are wound
from the cocoons.
When the silk is taken off the wheels it is
in hanks, ready for exportation.
The Consul of Cyprus arrived lately at Beyrout, for a short
visit. He is a Scotchman-a most agreeable fellow-and has
wonderful powers of conversation. He is an immense favourite
here, and when he comes there is generally a round of parties on
his account. He invited me to go over to Cyprus for a couple
of days, and see the waterworks supply for the town of Larnaca ;
and on Monday, 12th February, I went. Unfortunately, the
sea was “contrary," and no sooner had we lifted anchor and got
out of the shelter of the Lebanons, than I had to turn into my
"bunk," only getting up when Cyprus was reached and the
anchor dropped. I looked out with horror to see a surf beating
on the shore, dreadful to behold. Small boats came up to the
steamer, their crews being deluged with spray from the breaking
waves. A large boat like a small yacht, having an enormous
sail well-filled, and the English flag flying, came out for the
Consul; so we dropped ourselves into the craft, and were soon
making for the island. After a terrible tossing about, we got
ashore all right, and were not much wet.
The Consul has quite a museum of curiosities, obtained from
excavations His workmen came upon a pot of gold coins one
day, worth an immense sum as rare coins-their weight as gold
being equal to £500. He sold them for large prices. He has
an immense number of things in the shape of urns, vases, and
figures, many of them grotesque, in pottery and stone. He gave
me a few things in pottery, of an age 500 years before Christ.
The Consul has done good work at Cyprus in establishing a
good system of water-supply, from which I got a few hints.
276
Letters of an Engineer.
We have had many more meetings of the Consuls and meet-
ings of the Pashas, and at last we have brought matters to some-
thing like shape. The question of obtaining the water from
where we want to take it is likely to be settled satisfactorily now.
A few days ago, a new bishop of the Maronite church arrived
in Beyrout. Monsieur T— and I went to pay him a visit,
and to ask him to use his influence with the monks, who own
some mills and other property on the river. When we went to
the house, he was out visiting; so we had cigarettes and coffee
in his reception-room. Crowds of natives were waiting in the
hall for his coming. Soon there was a great commotion: the
great man was coming upstairs! A silver-topped staff first
appeared, then two priests, then the bishop. He wore a very
peculiar dress of scarlet satin, with a black overall. His head-
dress was the most peculiar part. He had round his neck a
massive chain, from which was suspended a jewelled cross. His
complexion is what we would call bilious, but his expression is
sharp and shrewd. He received us graciously. Then a crowd
of people came streaming in to get his blessing. There were
about forty in all, and each one, as he approached, dropped on
one knee, seized the bishop's hand, reverently kissed it, and
touched it with his forehead-the bishop saying a few words to
each, and carrying his hand up towards his head. The whole
operation seemed to me like doing the work at so much per dozen.
3rd March, 1872.-I have returned from spending a few days
in the mountains with a person of importance there, called
Khadree. There were four of us went altogether-Monsieur
T———————, his man, myself, and my assistant. Four hours' ride
brought us to our destination, a village called Larba, at one
side of the bay. The scenery is very pretty. The bay is like a
huge amphitheatre. Houses are studded over the slopes of the
mountains, which are quite close to the sea. Seldom are two
houses together, and each house has its mulberry-garden, the
principal business being the rearing of silk-worms.
When we had rested and partaken of lunch, we went off
to visit some of the notables of the Maronite clergy-the
Patriarch, the Archbishop, and the Bishop of Damascus. After
The Maronite Archbishop.
277
some 800 feet of mountain climbing, we reached the door of a
monastic-looking institution, in parts unfinished, but in process.
of being finished, slowly. When the door was opened, there
appeared a long arched passage. A crowd of the common people
were standing in it. We made our way through them, and to
a large reception-room, with whitewashed walls, and not a vestige
of furniture or decoration, excepting the divans. Lemonade
and sweetmeats were brought to us. A little priest came in,
and spoke in French, talking with much authority. In about
a quarter of an hour we heard the sound of many steps, and the
clanking of a spiked staff on the paved floor; and we got up to
receive the Patriarch. Such a noble-looking old man! I have
seldom seen a more beautiful-indeed I may add a more noble—
face than the old Patriarch's. The Archbishop looked like an
old woman. In fact, all the priests—and, for that matter, all
the people-look more like women, as regards their dress,
than men; but the face of the Archbishop was decidedly
womanish. There was considerable embarrassment: one party
looked at the other, and vice versa, for such a length of time,
that it seemed as if we were spell-bound. At last the Patriarch
said that we were to put our hats on, as we should get cold in
our heads.
When the spell was once broken, Monsieur T
went on with the conversation. His French had to be inter-
preted into Arabic, though I believe the old man knows French.
What surprised me most during the visit was the way a whole
crowd of the "unwashed" congregated about the door, listening,
not only with the organs for that purpose, but every muscle of
the body seemed to be assisting to drink in every word that was
said. They stretched forward like cats, so as not to miss any-
thing. It would have given me a great deal of pleasure if I
could have ventured upon a general clearance of these auditors.
The old Patriarch said very little, but that little was such as
to afford no hope of carrying out our plans of obtaining the
water at the sources of the river. The Archbishop explained
that the water belonged to the mountains, and that the people
of Beyrout had no right to it. He admitted that more went to
waste than would supply Beyrout, but he maintained that if
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the water was taken to Beyrout, it would be lost to the moun-
tains. Such argument was unanswerable, except by saying that,
without the introduction of such machinery as only European
nations could introduce, the water could not be properly made
use of, and it was impossible to use it all, for there was more
water than there was land to irrigate. Finally we were told
that, if we could satisfy the proprietors that their interests
should not suffer, the Patriarch and Archbishop would give
their support; but at present they could not see their way to
recommend their people to allow the water to be taken, as in
the future they might be blamed for giving bad advice.
A miserable-looking, pinched-faced, crooked-backed, long-
legged individual, with a black cloak and hood, now hobbled
into the room, and was asked to sit down. He said, "If a
public company once get a footing in the mountains, they will
do as they please. They will take at first a small quantity of
water, then after a little they will take more, and finally they
will take the whole river!"
I said that public companies in England explained clearly
what they wanted, and received permission to carry out works
under certain conditions. If those conditions were broken-
there was the law to appeal to.
Says the old monk, "What law is there here for the
The rich man has the law.
public company obtain it!"
I explained that the company would give any reasonable.
security. Their independence existed by the influence of the
European Consuls, and the company would be liable to the
mountain-people, through the Consuls, if any injustice was done.
Then we left them, and certainly have satisfied them, to some
extent, of our good intentions.
G
poor?
How much more, then, would a
Our next visit was to the Maronite Bishop of Damascus,
whose home is in the mountains. The roads are such rugged
mountain-paths as cannot be comprehended by those who have
not travelled over similar; but I have so many times described
mountain-paths that I need not repeat the familiar details, and
will only add that we had to hold by the manes of the horses
279
The Maronite Bishop of Damascus.
I was
as we ascended the rocky steps. To my utter astonishment, the
Bishop gave me a hearty shake of the hand, and said, in
English, "I am glad to see you, sir, in our mountains.”
so taken aback that I said, giving his hand in return such an
Irish shake as he would not forget, "I am much obliged to you.
I did not expect a welcome in English in your mountains, though
I have received many in Arabic." He is an important man to
have as an ally, and Monsieur T— allowed me to do the
talking. I explained to the Bishop that, as I did not speak
French, nor yet Arabic, I could not express myself through an
interpreter so fully as I could directly, and I should feel pleasure
in stating my views to him, in a few plain English words, in
the hope that, through him, a clear understanding might be
arrived at with the people who owned property which would be
affected by the proposed works. I need not go into details of
my conversation with him. The substance of his reply was, "I
can thoroughly realise the activity and energy such a work would
cause in this district, and I will, as far as I can, explain it to
those who will be affected by it; but we cannot convince people
who will not be convinced. We do not wish to take
responsibilities upon us which in the future may lead to trouble;
but if you can by any means place the scheme before the people
in a way they can understand, we may help you." He then
suggested that, instead of saying, “We shall take so many cube
metres of water per day," we should fix upon some conduit
which now carries water, and say, "We want as much water as
runs in that conduit." This was a practical suggestion, and I
thanked him heartily for it.
The sun had gone down before we left this mountain "palace
(as we must call a bishop's residence). When the darkness
came on, I found that my horse could not grope his way. After
having my legs nearly crushed by being squeezed against stone
walls, and after being carried to the edges of ravines, I dismounted,
and led him. What walking that was! I had a long, weary
hour of it, sometimes over sharp stones and pointed rocks,
sometimes in little pools of water, sometimes being scratched by
briars and such like.
""
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On the second day of our mountain trip we went up to the
caves, the sources of the Nahr-el-Kelb, whence we wish to take
the water. It was a baking-hot day. There was a hot wind
from Sahara, not cooled by its passage over the Mediterranean.
This, with a sun far hotter than we ever have it at home, gave
me a tremendous headache, so that work in the sun was by no
means pleasant. After a frightful ride of two hours, we reached
the caves, and commenced our measurements. Three hours com-
pleted them. Then we repaired to the cave again, where our host,
Khadree, had laid out a sumptuous repast. I had brought out
from Beyrout some pots of preserved meats, jams, and sardines,
so we had a good feast. How we laughed as we ate our Italian
sardines, our "Scotch collops," and "veal stewed in its own
jelly," warranted to keep fresh in any climate. Quite true, as
far as the climate of Syria had tested it.
The food was pro-
nounced excellent by even the Frenchman. The raspberry jam
was considered delicious. It was amusing when the fragments
of the repast were handed over to the servants. They put on
wry faces, and told the master that, as it was Lent, they could
not eat the good things. "Go ahead,” said the master, "there
is no priest here, I am thankful to say!" So they did.
Next day we devoted to the examination of a "hobby" of
our hosts.
We rode about three hours' journey along the coast
northward to the river Adonis, near to the town of Gebelli, the
ancient home of the Giblites mentioned in the Book of Joshua,
whose land was to become the property of Israel. The town is
now a miserable place, but many remains of ancient greatness
lie strewn about. A beautiful ruin of a fine aqueduct, by those
famous waterworks engineers, the Romans, crosses the river
Adonis.
I had a letter of introduction to present to Emir Saad Shehab,
governor of a district of the Lebanon called Kesarawan. I had
intended paying him a visit on Saturday, but there was terrific
thunder and lightning, hail and rain, so it was out of the ques-
tion to attempt it. As we rode back to Beyrout in the evening,
we got thoroughly drenched, but since we were going to where
our wardrobes were, it did not matter.
Gazeer.
281
March 13th, 1872.-I have been endeavouring (as advised by
the Bishop) to give to the interested parties an example of
how much water we shall require from the river; but, unfor-
tunately, the water-courses are extremely irregular in their
widths and directions, and very crooked, so that it has not been
possible to arrive at a proper conclusion on any part of the
river-courses which were available. But in one place a mill-
course is carried on the top of a high aqueduct, and I determined
on selecting it as our standard. With much difficulty, we got
on the top of it-to discover that it was quite impossible to
walk along it. The sides were only about four inches wide in
places, and in others the water was retained by mere boarding.
When we reached the top, Monsieur T————— and my assistant
exclaimed “Impossible!" Being annoyed at this, after all our
trouble, I stepped right into the water, boots and trousers, much
to their astonishment, the Arab servant following me dutifully.
It was the only way of doing the work, and I got it done, with
the help of the Arab, the others going down below to talk of the
foolishness of the thing, and to smoke.
On the 9th instant, I went out to pay a formal visit to the
Deputy-Governor of the Lebanon. He is said to be a great
"swell," but has, besides, the reputation of being a very good
fellow. His residence is in a mountain village, nearly five hours'
ride from Beyrout. We went on Saturday, because I had other
appointments for the beginning of the week. My assistant went
with me, and also the vice-consul. The village, called Gazeer,
is about a mile distant from the sea, but on an elevation almost
the height of Slieve Donard,* and higher than the Sugar-Loaf
Mountain in Wicklow. It was a tremendous climb for the
horses we allowed them to carry us up, but we were forced to
walk the whole way down.
Arriving at the house of the governor, a tumble-down sort of
place, a fellow at the door informed us that "his highness" was
at home. We were handed over by the first servant to a second,
and the second handed us to a third, who led us up a broken
T
મ
* Mourne Mountains, County Down, Ireland.
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:
set of stone steps to the "reception-room." This was an apart
ment dingy indeed, with but little window-glass of the six
windows, only two had glass, and several of the panes were
broken. There was a mixture of Oriental splendour and
European discomfort the former consisting of divans covered
with flowery prints of Manchester cotton, the latter of chairs
in which the cushions were excessively lumpy, from the springs
being broken.
Soon after, the "mighty man" appeared-a
small individual, with a violent squint. He welcomed us
warmly in French, and ordered the usual unsubstantial re-
freshment of the East for weary travellers-oranges squeezed
into water, and a few lumps of "delight," a Turkish sweetmeat;
washed down by tiny cups of coffee, and followed by narghilis.
The whole affair was presented by about six full-grown but
miserable-looking men. We were strongly pressed to spend the
night there; but we knew better. As we were passing out, we
were asked to enter another apartment, to be presented to
Madame. She was a fine fat person, and got up from a cushion
on the floor, where she had been regaling herself with a silver-
topped narghili. Her dress was of green stuff, open at the
bosom; her hair falling down like a school-girl's, but bound
round her brows by a fillet of puce-coloured velvet; her trousers.
were of a sort of pink colour, and her feet were clothed with
stockings.
We arrived in the darkness of the night at our apartment,
near where the works have been begun, and here we had some
signs of French civilisation in chairs and tables, though half of
our cellar-or, better expressed, vault-being the store for the
workmen's tools, &c., was taken up with shovels and picks, and
other implements. [Perhaps I should say here that the works
have been actually commenced-not, however, under the
English company, but simply to keep within the law of the land,
and our concession, the conditions of which are that the works
should be commenced within a defined time.] A few tins of
potted meats helped to make a hearty dinner, which, after
thirteen hours' fast, we thoroughly enjoyed. Next morning
being Sunday, we reached Beyrout for breakfast.
An Argument in Arabic.
283
The Deputy-Governor of the Lebanon, whom we have been visit-
ing, has relations who are owners of property by the river from
which we want to take the water. He promised to write to
them, and ask them to receive the representatives of the English
company without suspicion of being badly treated.
The con-
sequence was that the representative of the section came to pay
me a visit.
He was a shrewd, hard-countenanced old fellow,
and could only speak Arabic. On learning that we wanted to
interfere with his rights, he got as red as a turkey-cock, and set
up his back at once. He told me that he had no doubt the
English would keep their word in whatever they undertook.
Still, there were difficulties which he felt could not be got over.
The English company would not always be in possession, and
when the works fell into the hands of the Government, there
would not then be the English protection; so that the argu-
ments which we might bring forward, were they ever so good,
could not avail, for there was the difficulty which could not be
got over. He was a very clever fellow in argument, and went
on to say, "You gentlemen, of course, have an interest in
obtaining the water from the sources. The people of Beyrout
have also an interest; but I should be glad if you would tell me
what interest the people of the mountains have in giving away
their property. It was quite useless arguing with the old chap,
and telling him he was like the dog in the manger.
He simply
said, “We are not like other people, I suppose; and before we
can see things in any other light, we must be sent to the gold-
smith's, and be made over again." Only for offending the old
fellow, I should have suggested a brickfield or a pottery as a 1
better manufactory of such blockheads.
4
On Saturday, the 16th, we go to Damascus, to pay a visit to
the greatest Pasha of the lot—the Pasha of Syria. I hear that
he has had orders from head-quarters to show us every civility,
so that something may come of our visit to him. At all events,
I shall have something to tell of the old city, and the rivers
Abana and Pharpar.
Beyrout, March 22nd, 1872.-I returned from Damascus
yesterday morning, and cannot say that I am particularly
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pleased with the place: indeed the first view of it was highly
disappointing.
I had read much of it, and I expected, on ap-
proaching the ancient city, to have a view which I could never
forget. I had better write down what I was led to expect by
the guide-book:-
"Half-an-hour from the bridge brings us to the place where
the road is hewn through a rocky coast, on the eastern brow of
the ridge. A little domed tomb stands over it on the route.
Ascending to its side, Damascus and its plain burst at once upon
our view. The change is so sudden, so unexpected, that it seems
like a glorious vision. The gorge of the Abana is at our feet,
and we see that the river is the source of all that richness and
beauty. That ravine is a real cornucopia, pouring out a peren-
nial flood of flowers and fruit upon the broad plain. We are
here about 500 feet above the city, and one and a-half miles dis-
tant from it. This distance lends enchantment to the view.
The peculiar forms of Eastern architecture do not bear close
inspection, but they look like an Arabian poet's dream when
seen from afar. Tapering minarets and swelling domes, tipped
with golden crescents, rise up in every direction from the con-
fused mass of white terraced roofs, while in some places their
glittering tops appear above the deep green foliage, like diamonds
in the midst of emeralds."
I was denied this view at my first entering in, and had a taste
of the interior before seeing the city from any distance; but
before describing the place, I had better say how we got there.
I have already mentioned that a French company have con-
structed a road between Beyrout and Damascus, upon which
they work a good service of diligences. The road is like one
of our own country roads, and the distances are marked in kilo-
metres, by stones like our mile-stones. The distance between
Beyrout and Damascus, in a straight line, is 84 kilometres (521
miles), but by the line of the road 112 kilometres (69 miles).
The diligence is constructed to carry three passengers outside,
three in the coupé, and eight in the back part, with luggage on
top. Three mules and three horses form the usual team, and to
carry fourteen people to Damascus in fourteen hours, as there
Beyrout to Damascus.
285
are ten changes of horses, sixty animals are employed. If the
road were level, or made properly, twenty-one animals would
convey the load with greater ease than the sixty animals over
the mountains of the Lebanon.
I much regretted not to have had the grand view I expected.
Formerly, the road crossed over a range of hills, and the glorious
view was seen from the hill-top.
We had places on the top of the diligence, so that we had a
fine opportunity of seeing the country. We started at four
o'clock in the morning, which was not by any means pleasant,
for it necessitated getting out of bed at three o'clock. Three
hours' drive carried us over a distance of twelve miles, and to a
height of 3,220 feet (higher than any mountain in Ireland—
almost as high as Snowdon). After five hours' drive, we
reached the summit of old Lebanon, over 5,000 feet high, and
21 miles from Beyrout. Here we saw snow on the higher
mountain-tops on both sides of us. The scenery is of course
fine; still, there is such a want of trees, that it is tame, and to
a great extent the land is rocky and barren. Villages are studded
here and there through the mountains, the sides of which are
terraced into wide steps, where corn is grown. Fig-trees, vines,
almond and apricot-trees are sparsely scattered; but as for cedars,
there are none ! At 23 miles from Beyrout, the lofty, snow-
topped Mount Hermon comes into view; but I did not look
upon it with the same rapture as when I saw it for the first
time, from Baalbec, exactly twelve months ago. Descending
now, we rattled down the zig-zag road at a good pace, reaching
Stoura, 29 miles from Beyrout, after a drive of six hours. Here
we rested to have lunch. I was amused at a Turkish Pasha
who sat down to table. A plate of a kind of “Irish stew" was
placed before him, at which he looked wistfully, smelling the
good odour; but fearing that there was pork in it, he was
afraid to touch it. Looking round, he asked if anyone could
speak Turkish. I exclaimed, in Turkish, "Dish very good-not
pig." How delighted the old fellow was, and how much obliged
to me he seemed.
Stoura is 20 miles distant from Baalbec, and 28 miles from
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Hermon. The next seven miles was over the lovely plain of
Bukah, the most fertile plain in Syria. This part of Palestine
might well be spoken of as a land flowing with milk and honey,
but it was not actually in the possession of the tribes. The
north of "the land" was bounded by Hermon, but this rich
plain was included in the country described to Joshua as
"the
entering in of Hamath."
The plain of Bukah is about seven miles in width at the point
crossed by the road. Magnificent crops, which yield enormous
revenues, are grown on the plain; but, notwithstanding this,
the few villages to be seen are the most miserable of mud huts.
At times there are bad harvests, and then the tillers of the soil
get into debt, and the men who lend money are so usurious that
many of these poor people are worse than bondmen.
Crossing the plain, we changed horses at a station at the en-
trance of the valley through the anti-Lebanon, 38 miles from
Beyrout. On looking at the map while the horses were being
changed, I discovered that the most northern tributary of the
Jordan was but four miles off, but the great sources of the
Jordan, at the base of Hermon, are 22 miles distant. Four
miles' drive brought us to the top of the anti-Lebanon, 4,580 feet
high. This stretch of country, and for twenty-three miles further,
is barren and desolate. "Milk" is indeed scarce. "Honey
may be plentiful, but flowers are few, as far as I could see. At
the tenth and last change of horses, our mules were dispensed
with, and we had six "spanking greys" harnessed to our dusty
carriage. The steady old "wheelers" (mules) had always
started the carriage, then the leading horses took kindly to the
work; but now, with all six horses, it was some time before we
effected a good start. At last we were rolling down through the
valley of the Barrada, the ancient Abana river of Damascus, and
at each turn of the road I expected to get a view of "the ancient
and the present capital of Syria "-so described in the guide-
book. The valley is very narrow for most of the way, the
Abana tearing down at a great speed, and the road running
alongside. As the valley widens a little, conduits for water from
the river to the town, and to the plain, are seen along the
""
Damascus.
287
hill-sides, tunnelled in places, and supported in others by walls
of masonry.
Soon the valley widened out, and a long stretch of the river
was seen, and, at the distance of a mile, some lofty minarets and
graceful domes. Along the banks of the river were crowds of
people, dressed in many bright colours, some smoking the
narghili; others washing, prior to their evening prayer; while
others had already turned towards Mecca, and were declaring
that there is but one God, that He is great, and that Mahomet
is His Prophet! The guard blew his horn, the whip whistled
past the ears of the dashing greys, the carriage turned sharply
round, crossed the bridge over the Abana, and we were in the
premises of the diligence company, after 14 hours' weary ride.
The single hotel in Damascus is owned by a Greek. A few
minutes' walk from the diligence-station brought us to the door
—an iron-plated gateway, with a "wicket" so small that every-
one who enters must stoop. Like all other Damascus houses of
any pretension, there is a court, with a fountain, and orange,
lemon, citron, and other fruit-trees. The house was formerly
the residence of a lordly Turk, so that living in the hotel is like
living in the house of the Turk. I have before described such
houses—one at Aleppo, one at Antioch. They were both types
of the Damascus houses, and such as are to be found throughout
Turkdom, with Beyrout as a notable exception, for many of the
houses in Beyrout are in two flats, as I have described before.
Owing to His Royal Highness the Grand Duke of Mecklen-
burg being in Damascus, we found the hotel "chock-full," so
that I had to share a double-bedded room with a German pastor,
who was to preach before the Duke on the morrow. My com-
panions got "shake-downs" in another apartment; for we
concluded that it would hardly do to put a Frenchman in the
same room with a hero so fresh from the bloody fields of France.
A Liverpool-man, who had been staying in Beyrout for ten
days, and who was a companion of mine for that time, reached
Damascus some days before me. The morning before I started
for Damascus, I had received a letter from this friend, inducing
me to join a party for Palmyra; and when I appeared at the
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hotel, I had difficulty in convincing my friend that I had come
to Damascus, not for pleasure, but on business. Indeed, the
temptation was great to throw business to the dogs, and set out
to visit the famous but difficult-to-be-reached old ruins of
"Tadmor in the wilderness;" but it could not be done.
Next day was Sunday. We went off at eleven o'clock, through
the crowded bazaars, to the church of the Irish Presbyterian
Mission, where we heard a very good sermon. At four o'clock,
there would ordinarily have been a Church of England service,
at the mission-house to the Jews. When we went there, we
found the door shut. The clergyman, we were told, was at the
German service for the Grand Duke, to which we followed, and
found the German pastor, dressed like Luther, holding forth in
German to the Duke and Duchess and their retinue. There was a
crowd of natives, principally women in white sheets, assembled to
see a baptism. A German subject, married to an Arab woman, by
presenting a petition to the Duchess, had got permission for the
child to be baptised at this Grand Ducal service, and had also
prevailed on these grand folk to act as sponsors. The whole
idea of the father, who is a drunken scamp, was to obtain
baksheish.
After this service was over, we found the English Church ser-
vice was only postponed; so we returned to the mission-house
church, and heard a very good sermon by the Church of England
missionary to the Jews, the Rev. Mr. Frautall, himself a converted
Jew.
I enjoyed the service immensely, and the congregation,
though small, caused the service to be hearty by their audible
responses.
Damascus, like all Eastern towns, has its dogs; but Damascus
differs, I suppose, from every town in the universe in one par-
ticular. I do not know how many ricketty gates are placed
across the streets in different parts of the town; but, in walking
to our hotel from the house of the friend with whom we spent
the Sunday evening (which, by the way, is in "the street called
Straight," which still exists, but not in its ancient Roman
grandeur), we had to wait for four gates in succession to be
opened. These portals are not by any means iron-plated, nor
Damascus.
289
are they constructed to bear any crush. One of them was
opened by the keeper passing his hand through a hole in it, he
being on the opposite side to us, and drawing back a wooden
bolt! These gates mark divisions of the town, and are in the
part occupied by the bazaars. As the shopkeepers do not live
in their stalls, the bazaars or markets are untenanted at night,
save by the watchmen-many of whom are blind!—and the
dogs. The latter are very numerous, and lie scattered over the
streets, seldom stirring when natives pass by, but snarling at all
who have European costume. Sometimes the snarl turns to a
growl, the growl to a bark, the bark to a chorus of barking,
which again is taken up by the dogs in the neighbouring dis-
tricts. These dogs are the veriest cowards, however, for, as
they are brought up in the streets from their birth, they are
continually trampled on, neglected, and beaten. A blow of a
stick makes one howl for a long time, and a stone thrown causes
a general stampede.
The bazaars are but dimly lighted at night by a few paraffin-
lamps, and here and there a wood fire, at which the watchman
of the district sleeps-so soundly at times that much knocking
and hard shouting are necessary before the gate can be opened,
and when it is, the watchman expects baksheish. They are
satisfied with a trifle, however: one of them asked me for "besh
para," which is equal to a farthing of our money!
When it rains at Damascus, the pavements and streets, where
not covered, are in a dreadful mess. I had the misfortune to
visit Damascus during wet weather, my business being chiefly
to pay my respects to the wali-the head Pasha of all the
country from Maara beyond Hamath to the north, to Gaza of
the Philistines, and from the sea to the Euphrates—so he is a
potent man. Had I gone to Damascus for the purpose of visit-
ing it only for its own sake, I might possibly have taken
greater pleasure in it. The weather was such that no extensive
view could be obtained of the surroundings. It is a famous old
place, however.
The guide-book says that no city in the world can lay claim
to such high antiquity as Damascus. Twice has it been the
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capital of great empires. At one time, its monarch ruled from
the Atlantic to the banks of the Indus! During the first period
of 1,450 years, it was independent. The Babylonians and Per-
sians held it for 417 years; the Greeks, 248 years; the Romans,
699 years; the Saracens, 441 years; and the Turks have held
it for 472 years—thus giving it the recorded total of 3,727 years.
To walk through an old town, built on the site of still
older settlements-the first of which was formed nearly 4,000
years ago is enough, independently of its interest in a Biblical
sense, to make one wonder and ponder.
The waters of the Abana still fertilise the plain, as they did in
the days of Naaman; and it is but little wonder that he thought
his own
"rivers of Damascus" were even more life-giving than
the Jordan, which is but a poor stream. The second river, the
Pharpar, is eight miles south of the town; but no doubt when
Naaman spoke of it with the Abana, he thought of the two rivers
watering the great area of the land in the neighbourhood.
The view of Damascus, as seen from a height near the town,
just at the time that the thousands of apricot-trees are in blossom
-before they shoot forth their leaves-is indeed beautiful. The
soft-coloured clay buildings of the town make pleasing tints, and
the many minarets rise up gracefully from their midst. Looking
at it from this elevation, the town stretches away (including the
suburbs) for nearly two miles, surrounded by fruit-trees. Beyond
was a green expanse, and, as well as could be seen in the prevailing
cloudiness, Damascus seemed to sit in a plain, encircled by low
hills. To the east lies Palmyra, about 80 miles off; to the
north-west are the bare hills of the anti-Lebanon; to the south-
west, the snowy range of Hermon; while to the south-east lie
the hills of Bashan.
Perhaps next to Mecca, the Holy City of the Moslems, there is
no other which has such a fanatical population as Damascus.
The ashes of houses of the Christians, burnt during the 1860
massacre, are still shown. No love is lost between Turk and
Christian even now. Porter (author of "The Giant Cities of
Bashan ") estimates the population at 150,000, 18,000 of whom
are Christians, and 6,000 Jews. Some of the Jews are very
Damascus.
291
rich, and have magnificent houses. Not being there on a Satur-
day, their show day, I did not visit any of their mansions, nor
did I get a peep at any of the fair inmates, who then dress ablaze
with jewels.
The houses of Damascus, as seen from the outside, are simply
the most flimsy constructions that could be thought of. The
doorways are generally built of stone, well cut; but the walls
of the best of them are of very rough stone, generally put
together with mud. Above the first story, the joists of the floor
project out over the stone walls (as in most Eastern houses),
and these ends are often supported by rough pieces of round
branches of trees.
When the door is opened, nothing of the interior can be seen;
but on entering, the change is wonderful. A large court is seen,
paved with coloured stones-sometimes with inlaid marbles
from Italy-fountains bubbling, and fruit-trees growing out of
little plots neatly enclosed. The rooms all open off this court,
so that in summer the houses are pleasant and cool, but in
winter they are by no means so pleasant, as to get from one room
to another it is necessary to pass out into the court.
Damascus is a wonderful place for the manufacture of
"pattens." Many of these are nine inches in height, and some
of them are prettily inlaid with mother-of-pearl. At some of
the bazaars, hardly anything else but this peculiar foot-gear is
made. Some of the best workers in wood make neat little
tables, and huge chests of walnut. These are also inlaid, and,
although the thoroughness of the work will not bear strict
scrutiny, yet the general effect is very fine.
The Consul here has a fine old Turkish house, which is con-
sidered one of the finest in Damascus. The little room used as
a drawing-room is simply perfect: it is not possible for me to
describe the beauty of its ornamentation. The walls are inlaid
with coloured marbles and mother-of-pearl in chaste designs,
while the ceiling is covered with coloured patterns and gilding.
The drawing-room, which is not yet furnished, is a very large
room, most elaborately decorated, the floor being considerably
raised above the level of the court. At the door there is a low
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Letters of an Engineer.
part, common to all rooms, where visitors are received. If they
are not “great,” they are not asked to "come up higher." In
this low part, a marble fountain has water always springing.
The great and everlasting waterworks which supply these foun-
tains were not laid through the town by the Turks, but by the
Romans, the pipes being made of stone. Now-a-days we pride
ourselves on our good water-supplies; but I should like to see
the modern work which, two thousand, or even two hundred
years hence, will be in working condition, without continual and
costly maintenance.
The only beautiful work in Damascus built by the Moslems
is a caravanserai, or han. This building, but especially the
door, is certainly as pretty a bit of masonry as I have seen in
any public building. The castle, a Saracenic work, must have
been a fine building in its time, and it still looks imposing, but
the interior is quite a wreck. The Turks have a number of
bronze cannon stored in the place; and it is said that here many
of the Christians were murdered when they rushed for protection
at the time of the great massacre.
The great mosque of Damascus is considered the chief sight
of the place; but to enter it, it is necessary to procure a cavass,
or body-guard, from the Consulate, and 16s. must be paid for
the admission of a party, large or small. Eleven went in our
party, so the visit was economical. The mosque is very large, but
there are few architectural details which afford much pleasure.
Once see Athens, then all other columnar architecture seems
poor, excepting Baalbec, Palmyra, and Egypt. Still, none of these
can compare with Athens in excellence of design and beauty
of workmanship and proportion. At the door of the mosque,
we had to take off our shoes; but here this practice is carried
to the height of absurdity, for after changing our foot-gear out-
side the door of the mosque enclosure, our boots were taken
inside the enclosure, and one fellow carried his in his hand-not
an unusual custom with the natives when visiting the mosque.
The whole of the floor is covered with matting, and groups of
"the faithful" were squatted about the place.
variety and number follow the visitors closely.
Beggars in great
Young boys
Return to Beyrout.
rush about, sometimes getting up a row, and using for weapons
the slippers they carry in their hands. There is much whitewash
about the building, and in one part there is a good patch
of mosaic, the work of early Christians—probably in the time of
Constantine, more than 1,500 years ago.
There is a large and very heavy gate leading from the mosque
to the town. This is covered with brass, and in one of the
panels is a representation of a cup.
It is believed to be sym-
bolical of the Sacrament, and can never have been placed there
by the Infidels, nor since they came into possession. The
Crusaders never took the city, so they could not have put it on
the door; and if, as is claimed, it was put there by Constantine,
it is very ancient indeed.
To get the view I have spoken of, from the suburbs, I rode
out twice on a donkey, in company with my assistant and the
donkey-boy. Without the latter we could not have got on well,
as the donkeys are accustomed to be whipped from behind, and
if the donkey-boy does not keep continually at his work, the
donkeys will not go. The last donkey always gets the whacking,
and the donkey which has the heaviest load is generally the
last. It is really amusing to see how the donkeys in front try
to prevent the hindmost donkey from getting to the front. If
they observe him gaining on them, they turn sideways, moving
from one side to the other, to make all the obstruction possible.
The belaboured hindmost animal makes a dart to get to the
front, but the foremost donkey is too knowing, and rushes across
the road to intercept him.
In addition to the diligence between Damascus and Beyrout,
there is an omnibus, which crosses the mountains in the night.
We returned by this conveyance. What an uncomfortable
experience that was! The carriage was so small that I was
struggling the whole night through to get my legs into some
position favourable to a few winks of sleep, but it was of no use.
We changed horses almost every hour, and altogether the ride
was about the most uncomfortable that could be imagined.
I was not by any means sorry when we reached Beyrout, and
tumbled into bed for a few hours' repose.
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I fear that my description of Damascus will prove disappoint-
ing. I have not said anything of the window from which Paul
was let down, but it was pointed out, of course; and so, too, was
the reputed place where he was struck down; but the alleged
localities of these events are, like many of the holy spots at
Jerusalem, open to grave doubts.
doubts. Still, I confess to the emotion
which the certainty of being in the vicinity of that wondrous
manifestation to Paul could not fail to arouse.
I should men-
tion that our visit to the great Pasha ended in nothing, for he
would not interfere in the matter, alleging that it was outside
his district.
Owing to the negotiations now going on with the river pro-
prietors, I do not consider it good policy to make any demonstra-
tion in the direction of commencing the surveys; so that, with
the exception of an occasional meeting with people interested,
there is very little to do but to wait.
April 21st, 1872.—We are still in the negotiation stage; but I
fear that very soon I must come to a determination to adopt the
plan which enables us to take the water at the mouth of the
river, and to give up what we have been trying to obtain for so
long. It is impossible to keep on waiting and waiting, and
getting nothing done.
I have been surveying the streets in the town during the past
week, so the townspeople believe that the works are really going
on. But there are some who still doubt, and say that they will
not believe until they see the water in the place.
Yesterday I had rather an interesting examination of the
eighteen fountains in the town. We measured the quantity of
water running in each, and thus we are enabled to say how
much water is at the disposal of the Beyrout people under the
present system.
✓ In "The Land and the Book" there is a description of great
works which once brought water to Beyrout. I have been
examining into former supplies of water to the town, and on
Saturday, the 13th, I went off, in company with Mr. Black, the
oldest English resident, to examine into the remains of the old
waterworks of the Romans. Certainly they are wonderful. The
Ancient Waterworks.
295
Romans show here, as they have shown in every place where
they governed, that they believed in good water-supplies. Many
people say that the remains of the great conduit which supplied
the town are unmistakably Roman, while others say they are
partly Phoenician.
It is rather an interesting puzzle. The
Romans, in all their aqueducts, adopted a semicircular arch;
while the works which supplied Beyrout, or rather ancient
Berytus, have many examples of pointed-arch construction.
We rode out for two hours, and then took to walking along the
side of the river of Beyrout. Nothing could exceed the beauty of
some little spots of mulberry gardens. The leaves have shot out
during the past three weeks, causing the whole face of the
country to have a lovely fresh look. The palm-trees, too, are
putting forth their great shoots, and the blossoms, or bunches of
embryo dates, were something quite new to me in vegetation.
We walked up the river over a very rough bit of country-
the side of a rocky ravine—and passed many remains of ancient
conduits cut in the sides. In some cases, where they were
formed of concrete, we observed that their constructors, the
Phoenicians (they of Tyre and Sidon), had tunnelled right
through a rocky spur, instead of going round it.
We crossed the river in a peculiar way. A fellow, riding a
mule, agreed to carry the three of us across, one at a time, sitting
behind him. The water was above the girths of the animal, and
we had to keep our feet well up out of it. It was amusing to
think, when in the deepest part, that if the mule missed his
footing, we should come to grief.
On the 8th of the month, as well as on the 5th, we had the
sirocco, or, as they are called here, the hamseen winds. These
southerly winds blow over the sandy tracts, and carry with them
vast quantities of sand, which finds its way into every nook
and cranny. The sirocco carries that sand far out to sea, where
it makes such a haze that the horizon seems but a mile off.
This wind has a very drying effect-pasteboard curls up, cigars
and tobacco get as dry as dust, and the effect of it upon animal
life is very peculiar. A long continuance of it would, I fear,
take all the moisture out of the body.
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A few days ago, I went off for a day's ride with two gentle-
men to visit an old waterwork which is said by some to have
supplied Beyrout at one time, but I do not believe it ever did.
The way lay to the north-east of the town. Four hours' ride
through a very mountainous district brought us to the top of
the mountain-ridge, and to the village of Brummana, where
there is a large population, and the residence of a Maronite
Prince. The exterior of his house is rather imposing, but there
is a decayed look about the place. An air of considerable im-
portance is given to the entrance by a couple of lions rampant,
carved in bas-relief, and painted sky-blue!
When we had reached a point about two miles from Brum-
mana, and 200 feet lower on the ridge, in the direction of
Beyrout, we came upon a wall of masonry, of roughly-squared
stones, which must have carried a line of stone pipes. We did
not find any pipe in its place, but we found a few broken ones
lying about. They were about one yard in length, the hole
through being 92 inches in diameter. There were sockets, so
these stone pipes must have fitted into one another as we fit
modern pipes. The aqueduct is sadly broken down in places, and
in some parts there is much difficulty in tracing it; in others it
cannot be traced, and is lost for a considerable distance.
It is worthy of particular remark, that in nearly all the
great Roman aqueducts and conduits the water flowed evenly in
a channel, though these channels were sometimes tunnels cut in
rocks. They never acted as our iron pipes do—that is, there
never was any pressure upon them. If a valley had to be
crossed, a lofty aqueduct was built; whereas now-a-days an iron
pipe can be used to carry the water down the one side and up
the other. As compared with the work of the ancients, we
conclude that our plan is original; but in the line of this stone
piping I found a portion where the line was carried up a hill,
rising 50 feet!
As we approached the village of Beit-Mari (House of Mary),
we could not find any trace of the stone piping. The pipes, no
doubt, had been taken for the mills, and the other stones for
the building of the houses. It was at this village that the
Maronites and Druses.
297
fighting between the Druses and the Maronites commenced in
1860. Of the two parties, the Druses are by far the more
courageous fellows; still, such a thing as a pitched battle never
took place. The fighting was carried on behind walls, trees, &c.,
and, except when the men whose village was attacked left their
houses, few of them were killed.
It is worthy of remark, that during these massacres (for when
one side was four times stronger than the other, of course there
was massacre) no women or children were killed. In the East,
war is never made on any but men-the women are always safe.
A story is told of a village having been surrounded for a whole
day, firing being kept up for all that time, but none of the vil-
lagers were killed. In some of the villages, Europeans were
staying, and men went up from Beyrout to take them away.
The approach of Europeans was always a signal for the cessation
of hostilities.
When the French army arrived and took possession of the
country, they sided with the Maronites (Christians). Many of
the Maronites followed in the wake of the French, and took the
opportunity of having such protection to enter Druse houses
and murder many men. At Damascus, where Christians
gathered for refuge, many were slaughtered by the Turks-some
say more than two thousand.
The effect of all this fighting was to cause the "Great Powers"
to interfere, and they insisted that the Turks should give a
special Government to the Lebanons; that there should be a
Christian Governor appointed; and that they (the Powers)
should have something to say in the selection. The towns of
Tripoli, Beyrout, and Sidon were left outside of this pale: they
are under Turkish rule, but all the country from a few square
miles outside these towns, and stretching into the interior to
the plains between the Lebanons, is under the special Govern-
ment.
This arrangement looks well in theory; but, as regards the
mission I have, it has worked very badly in the district from
which it is proposed to take the water. It has never worked
well, and never will work well, to entrust the bodies as well as
U
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Letters of an Engineer.
the souls of men to spiritual governors. I have already explained
something of the troubles, and the influence that the clergy
have in the affairs. The Patriarch, who is the head of the
Maronite Catholic Christians, is almost king in the country
north-east of Beyrout. What he says is law, and, unfortunately
for me, he has said, "We will not give the water from the
source of the river. What good have Europeans done to us? Of
what good to us are the European priests amongst us? What good
is a French road to us? We have to pay to go on it, and our
people are beaten if they do not go on it." This about the road
is all bosh. Where the new road crosses the old road, all have
a right to go upon it. There is no pressure put upon travellers
to use the new road-the old road is open; but when mer-
chandise is carried on camels and horses, they must go by the
old road, or pay for the new.
I question very much if the present arrangement as regards
the Lebanon Government can last much longer. One can under-
stand to some extent the mountaineers objecting to roads being
made through the mountains, when it was represented to them
that the Government wanted to make them so that the whole
district might be brought under the influence of artillery posted
on the heights; but when it comes to a matter of supplying
people with water-a necessary of life to a thirsty town-and
when the mountaineers have water running to the sea doing
nothing, truly they are to blame, and they deserve to be made
to feel that they have no right to act the "dog in the manger."
The Patriarch-this Pope of the Lebanon-has said, "I will
never give my consent-I will never sign my name. Neither
the French Consul, the Pasha, nor the Sultan himself, can
compel me." So there the matter stands. I am almost at sea
as to what to do, or rather as to the result of what I am about
to do. I have suggested a course to my people in London, and
we may lose another couple of months in trying to carry another
arrangement, and in the end be forced to lift the water by steam-
power from the mouth of the river.
This would be a very
expensive affair indeed in this country, considering the cost of
coal, and if we are driven to this, the whole project may be
In Tents, by the River.
299
dropped. I receive at times very full instructions from London
—a few days ago a telegram of 210 words, and during the past
fortnight no less than four telegrams; but telegrams are often
s" or
worse than useless, except for a direct "Yes"
No" reply,
and this is becoming a very general belief.
(6
The fever of this country is very disagreeable, though seldom
fatal. Last Sunday (28th April) the vice-consul came to lunch
with me.
After taking a little soup, he lay down on my divan,
and asked for tea. In two hours he drank five potfuls. The
perspiration then broke out upon him. I never saw anything
like it. When the doctor came, he had him put to bed, and
the poor fellow almost raved, his mind at times being quite
confused. He had to take quinine every six hours, in very large
doses. The fever is not infectious. Some people seem predis-
posed to it, while others have been in the country for twenty
years, and have never had it. The vice-consul has now had it
for the sixteenth time; so you can fancy what a life he has had.
This letter is lengthy, but I fear it will not be found parti-
cularly interesting. As soon as I hear from London, I shall be
able to decide on my movements-whether to leave this place in
disgust, or to take out my tents to the Dog River, and commence
the survey of what we may be able to carry out.
"The Camp," Valley of the Nahr-el-Kelb, near Beyrout,
Whit Sunday, 19th May, 1872.-In all my peregrinations, I
have never had much tent-life. Now we are settled here in a
regular encampment. It is a most delightful existence. There
is the French tent, with Monsieur T and his assistant; the
English tent, with my assistant and myself; the tent of the
cook; and the general tent, where we all breakfast together
at 6 a.m. We have luncheon at 12 o'clock, the table being
laid under an orange-tree; and for our evening meal we have
our table out in the open.
We have encamped here to make a survey for a scheme which
we think we can carry out, and which may not meet with oppo-
sition from the religious hierarchy. It is a peculiar sort of
survey-one part of it being done in French measure, and my
part of it in English feet.
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Letters of an Engineer.
It was on Tuesday last, after lunch, and a "siesta" for all but
me (I cannot sleep in the daytime), that we started off on a
reconnoitring expedition, to determine upon a course of action.
According to the terms of the concession, the water should be
taken at a point in the river near to the sea. We do not now
wish to take it from there; but having failed, so far, to persuade
the authorities that we should be allowed to make our connec-
tion at the river's source, we are now trying another plan of
getting as much as we can elsewhere-with what success time
will show.
We decided on having tents for our residence here, for there
are no houses in the valley-nothing but the most miserable
stone huts; so that, if we had not brought tents, we should
have had to walk several miles daily before commencing, and as
many more after finishing our work,
It is a cool thing to settle down on this little spot with our
belongings, and, without even saying "by your leave," to erect a
canvas village in the middle of a little farm; but it is the only
way we can get on. No man's house is his castle here, nor is any
man's ground his own. The "powers that be" do as they
please; and we, for the nonce, have to become "powers" too,
and to act as if the land were our own.
The tents were sent off in advance on Monday, the assistant
French engineer accompanying them to fix their position.
Before we reached the place appointed, we had to cross a high
range of hills.
On reaching the summit we espied our tents
below, nestled amongst orange, pomegranate and mulberry-trees,
the river rushing along close by, and high hills rising on all
sides. When we saw the situation of the tents, we cried out,
"Charming charming!" After three hours' ride in the
heat, it was a delightful feeling to reach the grateful shade of
our tents, to find our beds up, our tables, camp-stools, carpets—
almost the comforts of home under the canvas. Soon luncheon
was ready—and right good it was-served upon china with gold
borders, the gift of some extravagant English travellers to our
dragoman (or caterer).
Some nights we take down one-half of the sides of our tents,
Tent Life.
301
and allow the breezes to blow through and carry off the insects
to some extent. You can fancy the quiet spot we are in, when
we leave all our things about the tents as we would in houses
fastened by bolts and bars. The only things to plague us are
insects of many kinds. The white colour of the paper and
the light of the candle induced them to collect in crowds on my
drawing-paper last night, and I killed hundreds. I counted ten
different kinds of them. Of course, many of them were harm-
less; but the fiendish delight I felt at seeing them whiz into the
flame of the candle, or drop into the saucers of water, could only
be understood by those who suffer from such visitations. Some
people are not bitten by any kind, but my luck seems all the
other way.
We have now had four days of tent-life. In the evenings,
when the sun has gone down and the moon has risen, illumining
the scene; when dinner is over, and the musical box is doling
out its tiny notes to an accompaniment of bubbling narghilis,
the sensation is perfectly delightful, after the hot labours of the
day. “Every rose has its thorn," however. The sand-flies, or
mouskisses petites," as our French friends call them, begin to
get troublesome. My forehead and my cheeks are simply
covered with pimples from their bites. These, in addition to a
hundred-odd spots of "prickly heat," varying in size from a
threepenny to a half-crown piece, considerably mar the pleasure
of my restful moments.
In tent-life, it is very easy to make up extra sleeping-room.
Our camp-beds are stretchers with canvas covers, and mattresses
on the top. By putting a blanket on the canvas, the mattress
may be dispensed with, so that we can make eight beds out of
our four.
I had visitors the other day, who remained over
night, and this was how we accommodated them.
It seems likely that we shall be visited by many people of
many nations. Yesterday we had a gentleman and four ladies
for luncheon: these were my guests. Last night we had six
Italians, a Russian, and an American, who were the French
engineer's guests; and he had a lamb roasted whole, stuffed
with rice, &c. This excellent fare was brought to the table in
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Letters of an Engineer.
the great pan in which it had been roasted. There was a general
call for me to carve it; so, after some expostulation, I was in-
stalled with two assistants, and we soon found out the way to
dissect the animal.
I have bought a horse, which does duty for all in the camp.
Syrian horses are so accustomed to "roughing" it, that it is a
matter of indifference to them whether they are in a stable or
out in the open air; so our horse is tied under a tree at night.
I have just returned from watching for some time the trans-
mutations of colour of a chameleon. When we saw him, he was
the brightest of emerald green. He crept into a hole, and in a
moment, or rather in a few moments, he was a clay colour.
When brought into the tent, he became a rusty black. Now he
is preserved in a bottle for exportation, is again green, and this
time will remain so.
Sunday, May 26th, 1872.-Another week has passed away
since I wrote the preceding, and with it my birthday. I begin to
regret the birthdays slipping away so fast; and yet, after all,
why should one? But I must not begin a-moralising.
We have had a very hard week of it, and the heat has been
intense, but still nothing to what it will be in August.
Monsieur T's father-in-law is dead, and he has to go off
on Friday next to look after his domestic affairs. Meantime, he
is working very hard at the plans, in the big tent, so that we
may not be kept back on his account. I worked after dinner
last night until 1.30 a.m. I cannot bear the idea of working on
Sunday, except in cases of absolute necessity. I do not feel,
however, if I take time from sleep, and work for an hour or two
into Sunday morning, that it is the same as working in the
light of Sunday. Perhaps it is a "nice distinction," but still,
such are my sentiments. Except for the light and for the in-
sects, night is the time for work here in the hot weather. From
8 o'clock last night until 1.30, I did twice the amount of draw-
ing that I was able to do during the whole of the day. Mon-
sieur T- having to go off so soon, we are pressed for time,
and have to work very hard.
Summoned Home.
303
In making our surveys, we have not been disturbed by any
one, though we have been forced to walk through many patches
of corn ready for the sickle. Some of it belongs to the Church.
We have promised some little compensation. Many monks
came to us expostulating: they were of the humblest order,
many of them working as labourers. We promised to pay some-
thing to the Church, and allowed the old fellows to look through
our instruments. One rather intelligent monk asked Monsieur
T-, aside, "why he brought the English?" and was told in
reply, "Because in France money is not now plentiful." "Why,
then, did you not wait for a time?" said the monk.
I begin to see that the affair, in any shape, cannot be carried
out satisfactorily unless there be French influence in it. I know
it was intended to make the whole thing English, but that will
not do, for the English are hated by the Maronites, who are
actuated by their priests. In addition to the influence Rome
has through the native priests, there is a Jesuitical influence
always at work. The principal college for Maronite youths is
an establishment of the Jesuit Society.
The Druses, who inhabit the mountains of the Lebanon to
the south of Beyrout, are just the opposite in their feelings. By
them the French are hated, the English worshipped. Unfor-
tunately, it is with the Christians that we have to do.
Beyrout will, in another month, be quite deserted by the
European families. They go up to the mountains in summer, to
get away from the heat. I wonder where I shall be in the red
hot days. If in Beyrout, I think it might be a good plan to get
a few coats of best paint, finished with good varnish, "warranted
not to crack or blister." If not, I shall have an extraordinary
skin when I get back to the land of comforts. But, joking
apart, I have been in worse places than this as regards climate
in the summer, and I wish I may never be in a worse.
The Camp, Nahr-el-Kelb, Sunday, June 2nd, 1872.—“ Bring
the plans yourself; be here soon as possible; do not forget the
documents." Such are my orders to return home, received
yesterday by telegraph; so that, as usual, I have to finish up
quickly, and get away. By what route I shall return I have
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Letters of an Engineer.
not as yet determined-possibly by Southampton. My French
colleague having already gone homewards, we should reach
London about the same time, to advance our respective views,
and a determination will then be arrived at as to which plan
shall be carried out.
Trieste, 16th June, 1872.-The Monday before I left for
England I was very busy indeed, going generally into detail on
the geology of the survey. I was busy on Tuesday too, leaving
instructions with my assistant and the assistant of the French
engineer as to what they were to do in our absence; and at one
o'clock on that day "the tents were struck.'
"
We had but few neighbours in the little valley, and they
were poor.
Children used to come to us sometimes, offering
a flower, a bunch of young apples, a handful of apricots, a
cocoon, or a silk-worm moth. This was done, not as a love-
offering, but on the principle of "give, and you will get in
return. At first we gave half-francs, then our donations
dwindled down to pennies. There was one old woman, who
kept a "nursery of silk-worms." Her establishment was close
to our orange-tree, but she never spoke to us except on our first
settling down," when, after our first lunch, she commenced
smoking under the mulberry leaves, and was anything but civil.
Daily she sat under the tree while we ate our meal. She never
spoke, never begged; and she seemed to live on water, as she
always had a jar beside her. I named her "the nymph of the
Dog River." When I placed five francs in this old lady's hand
on leaving, she brightened up wonderfully, carrying my hand to
her lips, then to her forehead. We also gave five francs each to
various people who had complained of our walking through their
crops; and, as we rode away from our ever-to-be-remembered
camp, the neighbours seemed to regret our departure. Whether
or not I shall ever be back again, time will show. I should not
dislike it, if the people of the district liked the English. But
they do not, and never will, so long as a Jesuitical institution
remains in the mountains for teaching the youth.
Tuesday night being Mr. H's reception night, there was
""
""
Last Interview with Consul-General.
305
a pretty large gathering. Some went there on my account, and
many were the regrets expressed at my approaching departure;
but the people look upon my coming back as something certain.
Part of the next day I devoted to visiting and saying "good-
bye." What a disagreeable thing it is, saying "good-bye" to
warm-hearted friends! Still, there is a bright side, for "good-
bye" suggests a warm welcome for me amongst still dearer
friends elsewhere.
Before leaving, I went up to the Consulate, and had a long talk
with Mr. Eldridge, the Consul-General, as to a statement I wanted
from him. I might write a long story about Beyrout, and the
necessity for a water-supply, but, to put such a thing properly
before the public, it was necessary to have the Consul's guarantee
as to its correctness.
It does one good to have dealings with clever, diplomatic men.
They can suggest many ways out of a difficulty, from their
knowledge of the character of men in authority, and of human
nature in general.
The committee in London had decided on a form of certificate
as to population, statistics, and many other matters which they
inserted. I was to ask the English Consul-General to sign this,
and try to get the signatures of other Consuls. I was quite per-
suaded that he would not sign it, and when I presented it, he
said, "Impossible. I am not an agent for the Waterworks
Company. I am favourable to your cause, for three reasons.
First, there are English residents here. They suffer from want
of water, myself among them. Secondly, there are English sub-
jects desirous of forming a company to bring water to the town.
Thirdly, as a resident of the town, and having some authority, I
am anxious, for the good of the town, to see it supplied with
water. For those reasons, I would help you as far as I could,
but I cannot guarantee anything: therefore I cannot sign this
paper, and there is not a Consul in the country who would sign it.
But if you write a statement of the wants of the people as
regards water, and make out a clear, good case, I will write you
a letter to say that in my opinion what you state is correct."
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Letters of an Engineer.
I foresaw this would be the result, and had already such
a statement, which I produced; but I said to him, "There
is one objection which I see. You know me, from what
you have seen of me, as the representative of the com-
mittee. I am but carrying out the instructions of others,
though I have some latitude, and much is left to my dis-
cretion; and if you can approve of my statement without my
addressing it formally to you, or my signing it, it will be the
same as if you had prepared it yourself." This he agreed to; so
it will not seem to some people who might be jealous of me that
I desire to be the great man. I have carefully avoided the ap-
pearance of such a thing. So we parted, I thanking him for his
great kindness and courtesy to me, officially and privately; he
telling me that I had always been reasonable, that I had acted
wisely throughout the whole business, and that he hoped soon
to see me again. At the same time, he wished me to express to
the people in London his opinion that if, instead of making so
much of the clergy as Monsieur T——— had insisted on doing,
the difficulty had been taken direct to Constantinople, it would
have been better.
Next day I had a long conversation with Dr. Thompson (of
"The Land and the Book ") and Mr. B. It would be too
long a story to go into all the matters we discussed, but they
wound up by saying that, though I had been a long time in the
place, and though I might feel that I had accomplished but little,
still I must bear in mind that it is not an easy matter to accom-
plish much when dealing with Easterns, and that where there is
a mixture of authority, as in the Lebanon, the case is all the
more difficult.
One thing they felt, and they would express it
—namely, that I was quite master of the state of affairs, and
that the people in London would not have to enter into the
scheme without knowing all about it.
Still another important interview. On calling to say "good-
bye" to the bank manager, he said to me,
"There is an influen-
tial Arab banker here, who says you have taken a wrong course
throughout-that if the case had been left in his hands, the
business would have been settled two months after your arrival.”
Farewell Visits-Departure.
307
""
So I said, "I have never met the gentleman; but now,
but now, if you
will do me the favour of accompanying me, I will have a talk
with him." So we went. There was an immense amount of
bowing and politeness. I regretted that I had not done myself
the pleasure of making the acquaintance of so important a man
before, but the English had a saying, "Better late than never;
and I felt that, as I was just on the eve of starting for England
to give an account of my doings, I should be remiss in not hav-
ing this native banker's opinion. We talked for an hour and
a-quarter. I "floored" him in every statement he brought
forward; so that the manager, on coming out, said to me, "You
see with what you have to do. I never thought the man could
talk such nonsense." I should like to give the conversation, but
it would be too tiresome. It would afford a notion of the
civilised Arabs. They are as slippery as eels, and where money
is concerned, they would do anything to obtain it. As to
philanthropy, such a thing is not to be found in the Arab bosom.
It was almost indifferent to me whether I should take the
Austrian boat, leaving Beyrout on Friday morning, and calling
at Kaifa (Carmel), Jaffa, and Port Said, or whether I should go
direct to Alexandria by an English coasting steamer leaving on
Friday night. The captain of the Austrian vessel (Joss, of old
acquaintance) said to me, "Do not come with me. I have 1,500
sheep, and nearly 100 bullocks; so you can fancy what the ship
will be like. There will be sheep all round the cabin door."
Now as there was doubt about the coasting steamer arriving
at Alexandria in time for any of the weekly steamers to Europe,
and as there was almost a certainty in going with the sheep, I
took passage. When I went on board the "Fortuna,” there was
only a space round the cabin door of two square yards! There
was a parson on board, and he bivouacked on the skylight, not
venturing into the cabin. Soon after we started, a little breeze
sprang up, and the vessel, having her whole deck covered, swayed
about a good deal. I was in the back part of the ship too, and
the breeze carried with it a hot, heavy smell, which was almost
unbearable; so I took to roost, and stuck to my berth religiously
all through Saturday and Sunday-in fact, for 59 hours.
LETTERS OF AN ENGINEER.
THIRD PERIOD.
[EDITOR'S NOTE.-A lapse of more than a year now occurs in
the letters, much of which time was spent by Mr. Maxwell in
London, where his presence contributed greatly to the surmount-
ing of the various difficulties the Beyrout Water Company had
to overcome. Eventually, the negotiations with the Turkish
Government took a favourable turn, and the works on the Dog
River were to be pushed on with all rapidity possible. Mr.
Huxley, another tried engineer of Sir John Macneill's office (and
a trusted friend of Mr. Maxwell's), left London with him on the
17th of June, 1873, for Beyrout, as his second in command.
Mr. Maxwell's first letter home, on this third visit to Syria, was
dated the 6th of July; but neither it nor the second letter con-
tained anything of much interest. We pass, therefore, to the
third, which shows the works on the Nahr-el-Kelb in full swing,
and notably the tunnelling operations, begun at both ends of
the mountain simultaneously. Although the Water Company
are now represented on the spot by two engineers (Messrs.
Schaeffer and Clayton), Mr. Maxwell remains chief over the
works, and, regardless of the intense heat, day and night, instils
his own untiring energy into almost every man connected with
the enterprise. The interest of the Turkish Government in the
scheme is shown early in the letters, when an inspection of
the works is made by Rustem Pasha, Governor-General of the
Lebanon.]
The Camp, Nahr-el-Kelb, 20th July, 1873.-Another Sunday!
As the work is now going on night and day, there is no Saturday
half-holiday-no rest but Sundays. We only got in from work
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last night at 9.30. Our Sundays are therefore greatly appre-
ciated. But there are many feast-days and holidays kept by the
native workmen, which interfere with us. By paying about
sixpence for each man to the priests, the natives would be per-
mitted to work; but, as this would be troublesome, Mr. Tabet,
the local Director of the Company (an Arab himself), has under-
taken to square the matter in a wholesale way with the Patriarch.
On the 14th of this month, the English workmen rode gaily
into camp, looking right well, and most respectable—for I had
insisted on their equipping themselves for the work with outfits
of canvas and flannel. They looked so well, it was difficult to
make out any difference between masters and men. M'Greely
had his dog; but such a decided objection had the dogs of
Beyrout to the new-comer from England, that they attacked him
in flank and rear, and the poor dog was soon bloody and bat-
tered, much to M'Greely's distress, for he loves his dog as most
people love their children.
On the next day, Ibraham Pasha (the Pasha of Beyrout) came
to see the works, and honoured us with his company at luncheon.
He is a Turk, and a very intelligent man. He was most gracious,
and expressed himself very much pleased with the progress of
the work. His visit fully satisfied him, and he promised to
send a very favourable report to Constantinople.
After luncheon, the Pasha made a little speech to us, which
was interpreted by the local Director (Mr. Tabet) as follows:-
"Mr. Maxwell, Mr. Huxley, Mr. Schaeffer,-His Excellency
Ibraham Pasha desires to express his great satisfaction at seeing
the works so energetically commenced, and sincerely hopes that
they will go on as they have begun. His Excellency will be
pleased at all times to render you every assistance; and desires
me to express to you, Mr. Maxwell, how fully he appreciates
the hearty reception you have given him, and the hospitable
entertainment you have prepared for him.”
After Mr. Schaeffer, the resident engineer of the Company,
had returned thanks, in French, on behalf of the Company, I
got up, and said I was gratified that the works had met with
his Excellency's approval; that I hoped we should have frequent
Difficulty at Custom-house.
311
visits from him; and I trusted that on each visit of his Excel-
lency we should continue to merit his approval.
An account of the proceedings at the Pasha's visit appeared
in Arabic in the local papers.
The steamer from England brought a heavy freight of stores.
The Turks, when they gave the concession for the waterworks,
also agreed that the necessary material for the works should be
admitted duty free; but as the people of the Custom-house here
had not received direct orders from Constantinople, they would
not admit this consignment. So particular were they, that
every stick of our timber and every box and package were ordered
into the Custom-house-which was a great farce, for as boat-
load after boat-load arrived, the store became filled up-and
still more and more! As soon as the "Chief of the Customs"
saw how the timber quite filled up the place, and prevented the
ordinary work from being carried on, he insisted on its being
taken away again, before any of the packages would be "passed.”
Now as the packages contained our tools and such like, we gave
our assistance to have the timber removed very quickly, and six
boats were employed. The distance across the bay is five miles,
and the last boat for the day did not arrive until sundown.
What an excitement there was! The sea was a bit rough, and
the boats could not approach the rock to land. The boats, as
they came up, were anchored, and the sailors threw the timber
into the sea, and swam with it to the shore. So excited did
they become, that several of the fellows on the staff—the inter-
preters, the miner, and the smith-also stripped, and swam
about with the timber. It was highly exciting in the darkness,
with the surge of the sea, the shouts of the Arabs, and the occa-
sional chase after a plank which desired to make a voyage on
its own account.
We have had several altercations on the works with proprietors
and their caretakers. Here is a specimen :-A messenger comes to
the camp, and says,
says, "Sir, an owner of land in the river wants to
stop the work. What are we to do?" "Don't stop; go on, and
don't listen to him." Soon after, another messenger appears, and
says, “The man has his son with him, and they have sticks, and
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Letters of an Engineer.
threaten to beat the workmen." “Tell him we will not stop for
any man; but if we do any injury, we will pay for it. If he
strike any man with a stick, surround the offender, and carry
him off the ground; and tell him that we will complain of him to
the Pasha!" After this message, the obstructor begged pardon.
Here is a note from another quarter:-"Dear Mr. Maxwell,—
The Superior of Tamcish Convent has come down, and wants to
see you.
He says he will not permit stones to be quarried on
his lands, and desires the workmen to be removed." To this I
sent the following reply :-"Present my compliments to the
Superior, and say that we are working under the direction of
Mr. Tabet, and that the Superior must complain to him; that
if damage is done, we will pay ; but that the work cannot be
stopped.'
Next day came a letter from the Superior-general, begging of
me to stop the work, as it was on the grounds of a convent,
upon which we had no right to be. To this I replied with the
usual compliments, stating that "Mr. Tabet, the Director, comes
here in two days. He will arrange with the Superior of Tam-
cish. I cannot stop the workmen."
""
On Friday last, we had six monks to lunch, and amongst them
several other people who had objections to make. One of them
was a very good little fellow to whom I had written a letter.
The following is the translation of his reply :-
"To Howadjee Maxwell, Engineer of the Water.-May your
health be good, and your life long! We received your letter
concerning the clearing of the stream, though there will be a
damage on the earths for not watering them in time. We told
Mr. Butrus, your dragoman, what is enough; and because we
want everything which makes the progress of the company
which belongs to you, nothing will be dear to you.
And may
God give you a long living for ever and ever.
the amount of his claim.)-ANTOINE SHBABI."
(Here followed
The writer of the above has on two occasions brought to the
camp a half-gallon bottle of wine. He has an eye to business;
but of this more anon.
When luncheon was over on Friday, our guests all expressed
Conference with the Monks.
313
themselves very sorry that they could not converse with us;
and said that whenever they met us we had always smiling faces;
and that they were sure we should continue to be liked in the
country! But business had not yet commenced.
Soon after luncheon, we went up the river with the monks, to
see the damage that had been done by cutting off lands from
water, filling up grounds with débris, and such like. Objections
that had been made to me melted into thin air before Mr. Tabet.
He told them the work would go on independently of all opposi-
tion. “I am English, and I am Aral”—said he—" one of your-
selves. The English are doing a great work for the country; and
the representatives of the company charged with carrying out the
works are not only earnest in their own work, but are bound to
see that they wrong no one. When the work is finished, and
the damage ascertained, every man shall receive his due."
Meanwhile, it would not be permitted to stop the work on any
pretence, and any man that attempted to do so would receive
what he deserved, if the workmen threw him into the river!
Such is Mr. Tabet's mode of talking to them.
The communities of Maronite monks, which reside on every
hill-top and every high place, have large areas of land. I do
not know what rents or "royalties" they have to pay to
the Patriarch, but each community does its best to make money.
What becomes of it I don't know, for certainly it is not spent
on clothing or furniture, or in washing-bills, for such a thing as
a clean bit of linen I never saw on one of them, from the
Superior-general down to the common servants.
I have ex-
plained to most of my friends here the difficulties I have
experienced with these people; but I think we shall get along
pretty well if the Arab newspapers do not make trouble by
translating things objectionably.
At sunrise yesterday morning, Mr. Tabet and I went up to
one of the monasteries, called "Mar Yusef," or the Church of
Joseph. Here we were met by the two Superiors, the Superior-
general, and a number of the ordinary monks, in the Superior's
room-a miserable, tumble-down-looking sort of place. We had
sherbet and cigarettes. Then it was proposed that we should
X
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Letters of an Engineer.
repair to the shade of a big tree, and commence our business.
The conference lasted six hours. What a fearful loss of time!
It ended in my agreeing to a price for lime, one-fifth less than
the monks asked, but still a price one-fifth more than I thought
to have paid. A contract between the monks and myself has been
signed. It sounds strange that a religious community should
turn lime-burners.
We are building a house for ourselves, but it will not be
complete for months; still, I think we shall try to turn
into it about the 1st of September. It is the astonishment of
all the English, and indeed of all the Beyrout community, that
we are working away every day, as we are, during the great
heat-for Beyrout heat, though not greater than I see by the
papers it has been in London for a few days, has this peculiarity,
that it remains almost the same, day and night, for two months.
That is what makes it so wearing: if it were cool at night, it
would be very different.
Mr. Tabet, the local director of the waterworks, asked the
engineers to dine at his house last Sunday, and we went-
Messrs. Schaeffer and Clayton representing the company; my-
self and Huxley doing duty for the contractors. We did not
leave Mr. Tabet's big Arab mansion until nearly midnight.
The moon was up; but, nevertheless, our horses did not at
all relish the two hours' ride before them. As this is the
time of year the turtles come up to lay their eggs in the
sand, and our way lay through their haunts, Huxley was
full of the subject of turtle-soup, and the determination to have
a turtle. Watching the sands closely, he at length thought he
noticed a track, and following it up, came upon a turtle, but it
was dead. Finding another track, he followed it too, and, as a
reward for his perseverance, came upon a live monster. I had
ridden on to within three minutes of the stables, when, on turn-
ing round, I could not see my companion anywhere; so I rode
back, and found that he had succeeded in turning the turtle
over; and in that position poor turtles are powerless. While
Huxley watched the prize, I galloped to the camp for help, and
brought out Carlo the chef, and one of his men of the kitchen.
Catching a Turtle.
"How shall we get it home, Carlo ?" said I.
66
'Oh, this man will carry it on his back,” replied the chef.
On reaching the spot where the monster lay, lashing the sand
about with its flappers, we found it had succeeded in making a
hole as big as a grave before it was stopped in its excavations.
Carlo said, "One man cannot carry this turtle; we must drag
him with a rope."
315
A rope was sent for and attached to a flapper, and the two
men pulled and tugged, but found it very hard work indeed;
and we had to get a third man. Eventually, five of us were
required to pull this fine turtle up the hill into the camp. The
poor brute's back must have felt very hot indeed from the fric-
tion; but all it could do was to move its flappers, open its
mouth, and blow like a smith's bellows. Not approving of de-
capitation, it drew its head inside the shell, and showed plainly
that to kill a turtle was no easy matter. Our cook made us
excellent turtle-soup, and the flesh was exactly like beef. You
see we do not fare badly with "turtle-soup" on the card. The
turtle measured, from its nose to the extreme end of its shell,
nearly a yard and a-quarter; so you can judge it was no chicken.
Sunday, 27th July, 1873.—Another glorious, blessed Sunday!
How we do appreciate the rest and the quiet! But this par-
ticular Sunday will not be very quiet, for we expect to have at
lunch Mr. Tabet, a young American, a Frenchman, and the
Superior of the neighbouring monastery.
The engineer for the company got a fall from his horse last
week, and has been laid up ever since. He is but a poor rider.
Last Sunday evening, our horse-servant came in to say that my
horse was in want of exercise; that he was biting and kicking
at other horses; and he hoped that I would allow him to ride
him out for an hour. When brought out of the stable, he reared
and plunged, and threw the servant off twice. As he had never
done anything of the kind with me, I ordered the saddle to be
put on; but he was just the same with me-jumping and kick-
ing. I think I may say that I am kind to my horse, if he does
his work; but if he refuses, and insists on his own way,
it vexes
When I had been thrown on his neck twice, and the saddle,
me.
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Letters of an Engineer.
slipping round, had almost brought me to the ground, the ser-
vant wanted to try him again; but, as that would have been
defeat, I said No. For several minutes we fought, but finally,
when the horse felt that his punishment was worse than having
his own way, he moved in the direction I wanted; and when I
got him on the sands, I gave him the whip freely. On turning,
he again refused to do as he was ordered; but in the end I con-
quered. It was a strange Sunday evening's work, but I think
it did good, for the workmen said that "he would have his own
way, and it was better not to anger him." Perhaps they learned
a lesson too.
Yesterday evening, coming home from the works, I had a
most providential escape. It was the first time that any accident
happened to me or my horse during all my journeys in the East.
A part of the track at a narrow place gave way under the hind
hoofs of the horse, and for a moment he balanced. In that
moment I detached my feet from the stirrups, threw myself
over on one side, and the horse fell down fifteen feet to a rock
below, from that twenty feet more, and then rolled over and
over—in all about sixty feet. I thanked God for the escape,
and felt sure the horse was killed. But, with the exception of
a bruise on the shoulder, and a good shaking, I found he was all
right when I reached him; and I rode him home.
Our house is progressing, but not rapidly. There is so much
to be done in connection with the tools for the workmen, that
the carpenters' time is much taken up. I long to get into a
house again, for, though the tents are extremely comfortable,
there is no way of keeping things tidy-there are no clothes-rails
nor cupboards, and all our possessions have to be kept in boxes.
The work is proceeding, and, considering all things, I have
no reason to complain; but it requires much patience to look at
some of the "gangers" and workmen. One "ganger" (sic) re-
commended to me a man who could "take a comprehensive view
of things, and have an eye everywhere." He commenced his
comprehensive system by sitting down on a rock where four
men were at work, and he did not move out of the place for
four working-days. His name is Bokers. Says he, "If I leave
1
The Tunnel Commenced.
317
this, those four men will idle." “Tell him,” said I, “there are
four men at several places in the night and in the day. Do you
people suppose that we are going to have a Bokers' to watch
every four men ?"
Post-day, 31st July, 1873.-In a few minutes the "post-boy"
leaves for Beyrout, and so I must close this, or leave you all
without letters for another post. How I do dislike writing
now! I am sure you all say, "Then why does he write such
long letters about nothing?" The truth is, I have a notion
about these diary letters, that those of you who love me can for
a little time, while you read, feel that we are together in spirit.
This is a saint's day, and really I am glad, although the work
is not going on. Getting up every morning at 4.0 or 4.30 is
very hard: it means only five hours' sleep, for often in the heat
of the day I cannot sleep.
It was great fun starting the fellows to work at both ends of
the tunnel. To the one set I had these words interpreted, "Now,
my lads, for the River of the Dog!" At the other end, "Now
for the sea; go it, my lads!" They exclaimed, "Good! good!"
I wonder very much when they will meet.
The old monks act very differently to what they did last year.
Now, they are almost too civil. One of them came to me to beg
a shovel; another that I would make a road for him; another
came with a basket of grapes and a big bottle of wine; another
with his "apron" full of tomatoes; and they say,
"Bono
Anglaise," when all the same they wish us home again.
so far all is well-the butcher more
Long may it be so !
I am glad to say that for
in demand than the doctor.
The Camp, Nahr-el-Kelb, August 3rd, 1873.-Sunday has
come round again, and with it refreshment after a week's fatigue.
Relentlessly every morning the gong is sounded in the camp,
said gong consisting of an iron foot-bath, beaten with a large
wooden ladle. When I am in bed each night, and Carlo comes
to wish me "good-night," with kindness almost motherly in
his voice, he says,
"What time in the morning, sir?" Some-
times I say "four," sometimes "four-thirty." On the minute-
no matter who is in the camp, or what time we got to bed, or
318
Letters of an Engineer.
what sort of sleep we have had—the gong sounds. If I am in
good spirits, I turn out, and bawl as loudly as I can, "Loud
roars the dreadful thundar-r-r-r-r!"—my salutation to the fellows,
who sit up rubbing their eyes. Often they are so drowsy that
there is no response, and only a sulky determination to go back
to slumber. At five o'clock, breakfast is on the table, and at
5.30 labour begins with the sunrise. Thus you see we have an
almost military life. Yesterday the camp had quite a martial
appearance, for the place was taken possession of by a troop of
cavalry.
Having received a telegram from Mr. Eldridge on Friday, to
say that the Pasha of the Lebanon would take coffee at the tents
on the morrow, I sent the necessary official invitation to meet his
Excellency. "Taking coffee" means simply paying a visit, and
having a glass of water, or an egg-cup of coffee. In the morning
we were up early, and had made two hours' "inspection patrol,"
when we descried, three miles off, a great dust along the sands.
Ablutions and changing of garments took place in hot haste;
and in good time we were sitting at the tent door, which had
two of our surveying poles, with flags, to mark the grand
entrance. A trooper came flying along to point the way, twenty
horse followed, then the band, then the Pasha and his party.
I received the Pasha in due form, and presented my colleagues
to him. Then his Excellency said, "Permit me to present to
you my secretary, Monsieur
; my interpreter, Monsieur
; the captain of the guard," &c.
The bugle was sounded, and all the soldiers dismounted. The
Pasha ordered his grand pipe, which had been presented to him,
to be brought out. It was of splendid workmanship, with a
ring of diamonds round it. After the smoking, a slight break-
fast was on the table, and when we sat down, the band came in
front of the tents, and the Pasha ordered several tunes to be
played. During breakfast, a message came in to say that four
thousand people were waiting for the Pasha, to escort him to
the village, where he intended to encamp for the night. I had
invited him to remain for lunch, but he demurred about doing
so when he heard that so many people were waiting. However,
Visit from Rustem Pasha.
319
as he and his retinue had been four and a-half hours in the
saddle, and as the day was very hot, he said, "I will avail my-
self of your polite invitation, and go on in the cool of the day."
We had a smoke and a chat, then a stroll up to the tunnel, into
which he walked a distance of five yards-the full length
pierced. After his inspection of the works, he wished the
undertaking every success, and hoped that he would be invited
to be present at the inaugural ceremony.
On our return from the inspection, the Pasha lunched and
smoked with us, and afterwards Mr. Tabet made a speech,
flattering the Pasha, and telling him how proud he was to meet
him there, and how he should represent to his colleagues in
London the high honour his Excellency had conferred in appre-
ciating their project by his presence. To this the Pasha replied
that the compliment was altogether paid to him, and that Mr.
Maxwell's hospitality had afforded him and the members of his
staff a very pleasant break in their fatiguing journey. Consider-
ing that the whole affair had been got up by the cook in a few
hours, and that the wine (the best we had) only cost a shilling
a-bottle, it was wonderfully successful; and as the Pasha is such
a distinguished man, having been Ambassador at St. Petersburg
for the Turks (though an Italian by birth), it was a high honour
conferred on me.
When the Pasha and his retinue had left the camp, we fol
lowed them at a respectful distance to the head of the rocky
pass, over which had marched many a proud army-Egyptian,
Assyrian, Persian, Roman, and Crusading. When the cavalcade,
followed by the crowd, had reached the bank of the river, a
mob of wild natives rushed into it, waving sticks; other natives,
the police of the district, brandished their guns; horsemen
careered madly through the water; others galloped about on the
banks; and the whole mob kept up a roar like a war-cry. In
the middle of all the din, the Pasha and his staff stopped in the
river, to permit the horses to drink. The band struck up, the
banners waved, and on passed the Pasha-the most honoured
Pasha in the Sultan's dominions, for he is appointed, not only
by the Turks, but by the Great Powers.
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Letters of an Engineer.
The event of the week was the arrival of Mr. Baylis, formerly
of the Mont Cenis Railway-a fine, sturdy Britisher, who showed
me much kindness when I travelled over the mountains by the
Fell line.
I may as well say something now as to the tunnel which has
to be bored. Much doubt was expressed as to the possibility
of constructing this tunnel; and a contract was almost made
with a tunnel company who were prepared to bore with
diamond-drills. I never could agree to the wisdom of the pro-
ceeding, and great was my delight when I was told that I was
master of that work also. As a premium is to be paid to the
contractors if it be completed within a certain time, it is of course
important that everything should be done to gain the prize.
Therefore, when passing through Marseilles, I arranged with a
friend, of whom I spoke in a former letter, to write to Baylis.
I also wrote to him, and so he has come, and brought with him
an Italian miner. Now that the tunnel has been commenced, I
find it much easier than I expected; and I hardly see my way
to offer to Baylis what I had intended. For his sake, I am
sorry; but for the work's sake, and for that of my employers,
I am glad. I always argued that the rock would be too soft
for the diamond-borer, and much money will be saved through
having the work in our own hands.
Our house is not yet built, so much of the carpenters' time
has been taken up with keeping the tools in order. It is
beginning to grow, but there is so much to be done in the way
of odd carpentering jobs that I cannot get along fast with the
grand mansion. But it will certainly be ready before the rainy
season sets in. We have been getting beams of timber, like the
cedars of old, from the Lebanon. It astonished the men to see the
camels carry these big logs of timber, some of them as heavy as
seven or eight men-a tremendous load for one animal to carry
on its back. On the whole, we are all bearing the weather, so
much dreaded, very well. I insist on all the Europeans resting
for a few hours in the middle of the day.
Sunday, 10th August.-After the week's labour, and some-
times very little sleep, the rest of Sunday is indeed appreciated.
Anxieties and Disappointments.
321
I generally read for an hour to the men from "The Land and
the Book," which is highly approved. Some French people
came out from Beyrout to-day to talk business, but I told them
that I could not see them on business matters on Sunday. The
visits of the natives now are not so common, as they are getting
to know my habits.
I had a telegram from Mr. Macneill on Friday, to say that he
is coming on the 1st September-whether to arrive, or to leave
London at that time, I do not quite know. I had half-a-dozen
invitations to go up the mountains to-day, but I refused the lot,
and sent Huxley to one place instead of me. I have no doubt
he will thoroughly enjoy the little trip, for he knows so little of
the country that everything is new to him.
I have had several very hard mornings' work of late. How
it does worry one to see the stupidity of some people, and the
amount of driving it takes to put things into their heads !
I fear I never take into consideration that the people I lose
patience with receive only from one shilling to one-and-four-
pence per day. What can be expected for such wages! I have
no doubt but that in a few months we shall have to raise the
wages of the best men considerably; but when the cold weather
comes, and the people are driven down from the mountains,
there will be no difficulty in getting large numbers of the
common sort—perhaps a very common sort.
The Camp, Beyrout, September 14th, 1873.-I have indeed
been very busy and very anxious for the past three weeks, for,
now that the rains are near, we are pushing on river works, and
to be caught in them by the floods would mean something
awful for the success of the work. Material and machinery,
which I counted upon from England, have not arrived, and con-
sequently my worthy principal has received from me the follow-
ing:-"It astonishes me to see by your letters that you keep
writing about our necessaries. Somebody should see to them.
The consequence will be, either that fortune will favour us, and
we shall get the work done without them, or the work will fail
for the want of them."
October is sometimes very hot-in fact, it is looked upon as
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the worst of the year; but, as God has been so good to us up till
now, I trust we shall be carried safely through all the months,
and our work be blessed with success.
I have received little good from the services of the chief of the
tunnel, as the weather has been altogether too hot for him. He
is now up in the mountains, recruiting; and last night I had to
send the carpenter too, for a few days' change after a slight
attack of fever. Another of the European staff is knocked up,
but he has got the worst of it over.
Several other men are sick
with the native fever. It is seldom fatal, but it pulls a fellow
down immensely.
Seven carpenters are at work upon our "house," but I do not
see a prospect of having it in house-shape for months to come.
We must soon get into it, and put canvas over the window-open-
ings, for if the rains catch us in the tents, there will be a full
hospital. We had a squall on the first of this month: it came on
at midnight. I was not far in my first sleep when I awoke with
a start.
The tents were shaking, and the papers, books, and
clothes flying about in confusion. Jumping up, I tried to close
the end of the tent on the windy side, and Huxley joined in
holding it down. In groping for the box of matches, I upset
the oil-lamp, and just then the rain came down in torrents.
Huxley had as much as he could do to hold on by the ropes,
while the poles began to rise out of the ground. We heard
Carlo and his men tightening the cords, and driving in pegs out-
side. Other fellows, not in tents as good as ours, came in, half-
naked, for shelter. One of them was almost frightened out of
his wits. He stated that he had seen a snake seven feet long,
and this frightened him so much that he rushed from his tent.
He was sure his tent was blown down, and his clothing half-way
over the country to Tripoli. Before we found a refuge in our
trousers, the rain had left the ground in a slop, so that we were
walking in puddles. The squall did not last long, and in the
morning we were at our breakfast as usual, laughing in daylight
over the adventures of the night. 'Joy cometh in the morning."
""
I had arranged for a ride of two hours next day, to meet some
people who were most anxious to suggest a mode of accelerating
Monkish Opposition.
323
the progress of the tunnel, which I am sorry to say is not going
on as rapidly as I could wish. In return, I was to give them a
suggestion as to how to improve their water-supply. It ended
in the people I was to meet not turning up, they considering that
the rains would stop me.
Having learned lately that Antonius, the Superior of a monas-
tery above our upper works in the river, was going to get up a
crusade of monks and villagers, and hurl rocks down upon the
workmen, so as to prevent trespass on his garden, I had to
hasten to the scene. The old fellow is, without doubt, one
of the most repulsive old rascals that I have met in the whole
land, and that is saying a good deal. He was wringing his
hands almost in despair, for I had ordered up reinforcements,
and, instead of forty, had one hundred men at work on the
spot, and he was consequently disheartened. He almost cried at
the prospect of his garden being ruined, and did not believe the
fair promises I made that he would be paid. (Oh, it is too hot
altogether to write, and the worst will be at night, when, with-
out more covering than a sheet, the perspiration really runs off
the body.) Well, to return to the old devil, Antonius-for if a
human representation could be made to imitate his Satanic
majesty, I fancy few expressions of face could be found more
suitable than his-it was absolutely necessary to buy off his
interference.
The lime business seems to get along very well. I expected
to find some of the monks working at it with their own hands,
but they only direct. They do not like to work. The more
I know of them, the more I am persuaded that they are ignorant,
cunning, untruthful, intriguing, and two-faced. There now! It
is not often I say so much against anyone.
I should have said that the seven-foot snake turned out, like
the sea-serpent, to be an imagination: the cloth round the
youth's hat fluttered in the wind, and in the excitement of the
moment was put down as a serpent. Snakes here are, I believe,
on the whole, innocent of poisonous bites, and principally thrive
on fish, mice, and other small creatures.
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Letters of an Engineer.
Since I wrote the foregoing about the Nahr-el-Kelb demon, we
have had another display of his interference, on which occasion
I rather frightened him. It occurred in this wise :-A mes-
senger came to me, stating that the monk, Antonius, was jump-
ing about like a raving maniac, and shouting that, if we did not
stop the work immediately, he would beat the men, and play
confusion altogether. I rushed to the spot, and found
Antonius promenading under an orange-tree, reading, or pretend-
ing to read, his missal.
"Your mornings be good," said he, with a scowl on his face.
"Thank you,” said I;
"the same to you."
A. (to my interpreter): "Ask the engineer if he knows.
whose ground this is," accompanying the demand with a kick
on the ground.
Being here by authority of the Government of his country, I
had nothing to do with the ownership of the land, so I replied
accordingly.
A. (tearing his scalp): "He does not know whose ground
this is. Yet he puts men to work, he destroys my mulberry
trees, cuts down my reeds, and has the impudence to tell me he
does not even know whose ground he is working on. Is that
right?"
W. J. M. : "Mr. Tabet, who is your countryman, and also one
of us, comes here weekly. He places this man here (pointing to
a lean Arab) to take note of all you have to say, all complaints
you have to make. He is to inform Mr. Tabet. What is right
and fair will be paid when the works are done."
A.: "I won't have it. I don't believe him."
Here Antonius rushes at the men, and orders them to leave
at once.
W. J. M., jumping down to the men, in one of the most
violent passions he has indulged in here, tells them to go on like
fire, doubles the number in the disputed place, then turns round
and tells the monk that he must fight with Tabet, not with him
or his men, and that he would not stop until Tabet told him.
Antonius retires discomfited, talking to himself, and saying
that it was all very well for Tabet to sit in his office and receive
Entering the "Ark."
325
his salary, and send such messages. Were the monks and people
to be trodden down by foreigners? He would get four hundred
monks together, and drive us out of the valley by sending down
rocks from the heights!
This way of settling matters places me in a disagreeable posi-
tion. It is not right, but if any other way were taken, the work
would not be done for years, for to settle with the people in
advance would be impossible.
Later in the day, poor old Antonius sent a message to me,
saying that he was sorry he had acted so; that he hoped I
would forgive him; that the people gathered about him, and
kept telling him that the Franghi would do their work, and
then he might whistle for his money. The fact is, in this par-
ticular place we are improving the ground, and that is what
worries the old man.
Baylis left the camp to-day for France, to bring out six-
teen to twenty Italians, as we cannot possibly get the tunnel
done in time by the native workmen. Considering that they
never had work of the kind before, it is wonderful what they
can do if they have time enough; but there are men at work
on special things, which English workmen could do in one-fourth
the time.
Huxley has gone twice to the mountains for the Sunday.
I went up for one day to see Baylis, when he was ill there; but
it so happened that a sirocco was blowing (the more inland
one goes, the worse it is), so instead of my mountain trip prov-
ing a pleasure, it was quite the reverse. At Khamdoon, the
mountain village I visited, the hill-sides are covered with vines,
and tons of raisins are made, The grapes are gathered, dipped
in water, then in oil and wood ashes, and then put to dry.
Grape-molasses is also made in very large quantities. Several
English-speaking people are to be found up there. I met a young
Arab lady who spoke English very well indeed.
“The Ark,” Beyrout, Syria, Sunday, September 28th, 1873.—
We have at last got into our house, and though the rains have
not come down, they are daily expected.
On the 19th instant, the sky looked threatening, and we felt
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Letters of an Engineer.
66
that a move should be made; so, after lunch, my worthy
right-hand," Huxley, said, “We ought to make for the house
before night, for we shall have rain.” It was still very incom-
plete, without a door or a window. I suggested the putting up
of some old sail-cloth around the weather side; and then he asked
me to go off over the works, and leave the house to him for the
evening. Coming home after dark, there was a heavy shower,
which considerably damped us. (Just fancy! the second shower
of rain'since we left Paris on the 18th of June !) On arriving
at the tents, all was deserted, save the hen-roost.
The new house is intended for all the members of the staff, and
the European workmen ; but, as it is not yet finished nor divi-
sioned off, every fellow rushed in-"first come, first served"
to make himself comfortable. English, Turks, Greeks, Syrians,
were all busy nailing away, and making up beds for themselves
downstairs. The scene was quite theatrical. I had to make a
big row, upset the arrangements of some fellows, and restore
some kind of order.
There are now lodged in the house :-Downstairs-Four
Englishmen (Britishers), two Arab gentlemen, five Arab Chris-
tians, five Arab Moslems, five Italians, and two Greeks. Up-
stairs—Maxwell, Huxley, Parker, the Beyrout agent, the auditor,
and, twice a-week, the doctor; and there will be frequent visitors.
With all these fellows in one house, there is a good deal of noise
at night, and sometimes there are rows below: indeed there was
one in which knives were drawn. It is not often I have to inter-
fere, as the men, from the bottom to the top, have a wholesome
fear of me-not, perhaps, so much from my manner, which at
times is stern enough, but because of my rigid discipline.
For good conduct I give bonuses, but for bad conduct I send a
fellow "about his business" for three days. To facilitate the
"time-taking," I have established a system of labels, like medals.
Every man wears one round his neck, so that I can always
spot" a fellow, and note him for good work, or have him
dismissed. In fact, I am like a despot-my word is law, and
what I say must be done.
There is rather a good story about the "decorations." One
"6
First Exploring Expedition.
327
of the men went into chapel with his label on his breast, and
some of the people told him he must go out, as he had the mark
of the English on him.
The house is very large. The upper part has three rooms and
an office, and we all look forward to being fairly comfortable
when we get things into good shape. The house is more suited
for the summer heats than the winter storms; still I hope to
weather both in it. Sage natives say it will be burnt down,
others that it will be blown down; but it is so very unlike
thing they have ever experienced, that they all conclude it is
quite a wonder.
any-
I have been exploring. Ever since the first visit I made to
the caves of the Nahr-el-Kelb, I felt that great caverns were
probably to be found beyond the opening, and last Wednes-
day we formed a party, and went off on the grand expedition.
The party consisted of the Rev. Dr. Bliss, American; Dr.
Brigstocke, surgeon; Huxley, Clayton, M'Neely the mason, and
myself. We used rafts buoyed up by inflated skins-the same
sort that I had seen used on my trip across the Euphrates. The
skins were sent up before us, with some pieces of wood, ropes, &c.
Arriving at the entrance to the cave, we proceeded to put our
rafts together. This was an abominable operation, for the smell
of the skins-which had been used for carrying some vile sort
of oil-was enough to turn one's stomach. Yet we had to tie
up the skins, and sew one of them. In any dirty operation, the
beginning is the worst, and, though we found the first handling
of the skins was nasty, afterwards we took kindly enough to it,
and soon had two rafts constructed. These we carried down
through the cavernous passage, and launched the first on un-
known waters. I was the first man afloat, with a rope fastened
round my waist, and I found the buoyancy perfect. Being
hauled in to shore, Huxley got on behind me. We launched
out again, when, by a bit of awkwardness on Huxley's part, the
raft capsized, and we were in the water; but, as I had the rope,
we soon got to shore. Then we determined to tie the two rafts
together, and so have a wider base.
Dr. Bliss, feeling that we were having all the honour of the
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first start, plunged into the water in his reverend guise, and
swam about like a schoolboy, in a long-tailed black coat. Later
in the day, he too was capsized, and lost in the darkness for the
time.
When we had tied our rafts together, it was lunch-time.
After eating, we launched our frail craft, with a rope attached,
and three of us proceeded across the "dark sea," and landed on
a shoal of sand. The great cave we were now in looked to be
of an oval shape, and as far as we could see had no outlet; but,
having sent back the boat for the "second division,” we care-
fully made a tour round about, and found a narrow opening.
Proceeding up this by swimming and towing the raft, we came
to a rock which seemed impassable, but by carefully scrambling
up we surmounted it, and, by the dim light of a few candles,
we could see that the cavern continued a long way further, that
the rock was but narrow, and that beyond was another lake, with
steep, sloping sides. We held a council, and considered as to
the desirability of lifting the raft over the rock, and continuing
our explorations afloat, or deferring this until another day, when
we could have an additional raft. We decided on the latter
course; but, having got so far, we determined to see a little
more of the cavern. Its precipitous sides looked dangerous, but
I thought they might be traversed: by carefully holding on to
friendly stalagmites, of which thousands abounded, I found that
we could get along pretty well.
These stalagmites were the purest and clearest, the "newest-
looking" that I ever saw. Pure white forms, like stumps of trees,
of all sizes down to the thickness of walking-sticks, abounded
everywhere, and I espied one peculiar stalagmite, quite like a
cauliflower with leaves, which I looked upon as my prize. But
it was no easy matter to wrench it from its root, the hoary old
"cauliflower" having been rooting itself there perhaps since
the time of Adam, or maybe from pre-Adamite times! After
an immense amount of hammering, I broke off the cauliflower,
and had much careful climbing to do in conveying it back to
the boat or raft. We got along the sides of the cavern for over
a hundred yards, ending abruptly at a beautiful formation of
Second Day's Explorations.
329
stalagmite, which we called "The Pulpit." We then made
our way back to the shoal, but not before singing "God
Save the Queen," the echoes giving back the music like the
swell of a grand organ-ay, like ten organs. Brigstocke, Huxley,
and I were the singers, and when we had finished there was " a
round of applause" from those on the shoal. The clapping
sounded as if from a thousand people. I burned some mag-
nesium wire, and illuminated the caverns with magnificent effect.
As we made our way homewards, we all felt the pride of dis-
coverers. We had found the way, and I had named the several
places, which all admitted I had the right to do, having organised
the expedition. Such was the result of our first day's exploration.
On the second expedition, a week later, we penetrated to a`
huge pillar of stalagmite, over forty feet in height and fifty-
one feet in circumference, with a shoal of sand beneath it. We
only reached this spot after three hours' toil in preparing our raft,
and lifting it, and a boat, clear of all obstacles. The boat
belonged to Brigstocke, and was named the "Fair Edith," after
his little daughter. Having reached this remarkable point, we
felt entitled to a rest, so I suggested that we should lunch.
We had two tins of biscuits, two boxes of sardines, and a bottle of
Scotch whisky. Tumblers we had none, but, instead, a large iron
ladle used for baling out the boat. Into this we put the whisky,
adding sufficient water. How we enjoyed that lunch! When
we had finished, it was suggested that the column should be
named "Maxwell's Pillar." In vain I yelled that there should
be no personalities. The wild shout of my seven-eighths-naked
explorers drowned my feeble voice. Huxley held up the grog-
ladle high over head, and the whole troop shouted with one
voice, "Maxwell's Pillar! "Maxwell's Pillar!" My feeble
reply, "Gentlemen! gentlemen! I beg of you"-were words of
naught as the wild Indians danced their "war dance," which was
highly picturesque in the dim light, with the surrounding dark-
ness and the almost naked forms.
""
We ended our second day's exploits at a dark passage between
black, rocky walls, which we called "The Styx." At this place,
we could hear the sound of the running water, but, as it was now
Y
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Letters of an Engineer.
close upon seven o'clock, we steered our barks homewards. As
soon as we came within hail of the rock we had named "The
Screen," we heard the glad shouts of delight of our men, who
had been left waiting there for seven hours. Dread had filled
their souls, for they fancied we had fallen into some whirlpool,
and would never be seen any more. This night we slept on the
roof of a mill, as there was no possibility of reaching our dwell-
ing in the darkness.
The Ark, Sunday, October 12th, 1873.-The Pasha who
visited us at the camp, with his military band and a great retinue,
has caused a commotion amongst us, for he says the plan of the
works we are carrying out differs very materially from the plans
of the Imperial Firman, and that, so far as he knows, we have
no additional authority. His manner to us is friendly, but he
says
the laws must be obeyed.
Tabet, our local Director, who has been carrying things with a
very high hand amongst the owners and lessees of land, was on a
visit to the Pasha, and, in a conversation on the works, the Pasha
thought he "smelt a rat," and demanded to see the Firman and
Statutes. [The Firman is in London, and a copy of the Statutes
here.] During Tabet's few days' stay with the Pasha, every day
was spent in arguments about the works, and finally, on the
day of Tabet's leaving, he was handed a letter demanding that
the works should be stopped until reference could be made to
Constantinople.
This was sent on to me, and I was to act as I thought fit.
I did not stop the work, but went off with the engineer for the
Company to consult the English Consul, in the mountains. His
advice to me was :-"You have been in the affair since the
beginning. Now go off to the Pasha, and tell him the whole
story as you would tell it me. I know that Rustem Pasha
desires to help you in every way, but he feels that you are ex-
ceeding your rights, and if he permits that to go on, he will
receive blame."
Last Sunday, I accepted one of the many invitations offered
to me, and spent a quiet day at Beyrout with the doctor
of the camp (Brigstocke) and his family. Next day I rode
Visit to Rustem Pasha.
331
off to see the Pasha, a six hours' ride, accompanied by Mr.
Schaeffer, the engineer for the Company. On the way, we
passed through several villages where Beyrout folks were stay-
ing, and I paid a few visits. We arrived at the Palace of Beit-
el-din, the summer seat of the Lebanon Government, about 3.30,
and, passing through the portal and enclosure of the great castle,
reached the inner sanctum, and were received by the Pasha with
much courtesy and warmth of manner. The Pasha, who is an
Italian Count, made the acquaintance of many of the English
nobility while he was Ambassador at St. Petersburg for the
Sublime Porte, and, having been at school in England, he has
a great liking for England and Englishmen.
Long chibouques with huge amber mouthpieces, sherbet
flavoured with otto of roses, and delicious coffee were brought
for us; then we mentioned our business, and the Pasha said he
was quite prepared to argue the matter then, or to postpone it
for a little time, so that we might rest after our ride.
Our rooms
were furnished in European style.
We had determined on a plan of argument. I told Mr. Schaeffer
that it was not my business to enter into the question at all, but
that I came, on the Consul's advice, on behalf of the Company,
and that, if the matter were left with me, I should act as for
the Company pro tem. The Company's engineer begged of me
to conduct the affair as I thought wisest and best, as I knew the
whole of it better than he did.
We commenced our argument, and kept at it for two hours.
I took a wholly different line from that taken up by the
Director; and finally, as the sun went down, the Pasha said :-
"Now there are but two courses open to me, for I much regret
that I cannot see my way to allow the work to proceed without
interference. I must either telegraph to Constantinople, and
say that I find you are exceeding your rights; or I must lay the
whole subject before my Administrative Council, and take their
advice. I may say that I know the latter course will be against
you; and you may judge of what it is likely to be if I telegraph
to Constantinople that you are exceeding your Firman."
"But, your Excellency," said I, "surely you will not adopt
ܐ
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Letters of an Engineer.
either course without giving your opinion, as a man of some
knowledge in engineering matters, on the merits of the two
plans. You see that the Concession plan is bad, and that the
other is much superior; and surely, in laying the case in one
way or the other, you will speak favourably of the latter plan."
"The plan," said he, "you are carrying out is decidedly
superior for Beyrout, but it is not so for the Lebanon Govern-
ment, and Beyrout is not in the Lebanon."
Then, your Excellency," said I, "I would respectfully sug-
gest a course which is neither the one nor the other. Write to
us, and say that, from the information you have on the subject
of the works, you are of opinion that we are exceeding the rights
granted to the Company by the Imperial Firman. While not
desiring to stop the works-which, as we have represented,
would sadly interfere with them at this time of year, the floods
being so near—you must protest against our turning the water
of the river into the new conduit, until such time as you are
satisfied that we have the right to do so."
Says the Pasha, after a pause, "That will require consideration.
In the meantime, let us take a walk in the court before dinner."
We assented, of course, the Pasha chatting and talking on
improvements he had made, or was going to make. He showed
himself very intelligent on all matters, took us to see his dogs,
talked of his bear-hunting, and other things. As we sat at
dinner, the band played lively tunes. I confess I should have
much preferred quietness. A few of the grander natives spent
the evening with us, also the secretary of the Pasha, and his in-
terpreter. The apartment was soon a perfect cloud of tobacco
smoke.
Next morning we were up early, and, as it was the Sultan's
birthday, the Pasha had a reception. We sat in the apartment
while the ceremonial went on. The Pasha was in European
army dress, ablaze with gold embroidery, and with any number
of decorations on his breast.
The reception was to the different departments, and a more
miserable-looking set of representatives I never saw. They came
in, troop after troop, each department being received separately.
".
Third Exploring Expedition.
333
The head of each department approached, saluted, and was
saluted in return. When all had gone through this process, the
Pasha waved his hand, and they all sat down on the edges of
the divans-that is, with the exception of one "head," who
stood upon the cushion, and then sat down on his heels. Some
of them said something about many long years to his Majesty the
Sultan. The Pasha made a lordly bow, remarked to the nearest
“head” that, now the cool weather was approaching, they must
all move down to Beyrout, and the Government would be held
there. Cigarettes were passed round, then coffee; then the
fellows withdrew, pretending to kiss the tail of the Pasha's coat.
The reception over, the troops had to be inspected. About two
hundred men were drawn up, and went through a few evolutions
-saluting, marching past, then firing a salute of twenty-one
volleys in honour of the Sultan. After this, we went in to
lunch; and, when pipes were brought in, the Pasha told us he
had come to the determination of sending down the Council to
see the works, and give him a report. With this, our business
being ended, we said good-bye, and rode back to the village of
Shimlain, where we spent the night; and next day (Wednesday)
we arrived again at the camp.
Friday we had fixed for a third day's exploration in the caves.
It has been our third and last-at all events, for this season.
These explorations have been among the pleasantest bits of ex-
citement I have ever experienced. Without the map it is not
possible to convey any very correct idea of it. We passed
underground a distance of 1,400 yards-over three-fourths of a
mile-and when I say we gazed with admiration and awe,
repeatedly on our course, at the beauty of many of the
formations of stalactite work, and that these are finer formations
than I have seen anywhere, I do not speak without having had
some experience in such underground passages.
Our third day of exploration was the 10th of October. Being
possessed of a second boat this time, the "Miss Murphy"-
made on the works by the carpenter-we went up again
to "The Styx," and, after having lunched there, we re-
commenced our search for the running water.
Where we
334
Letters of an Engineer.
sat at lunch, the rocks were coated with a black deposit, and
they were so sharp and jagged it was impossible to find
a spot to sit on. We had to get the little paddles from our
floating craft, to form rude seats and make ourselves somewhat
comfortable. At this place, the water came out from under the
rocks, and, if it had not been for hearing it beyond, we should
have felt that we had reached the end on our second day.
After lunch, we went up exploring again. We clambered over
huge masses of stalagmite work and rough masses of common
rock and earth, crept through narrow chinks, and crawled under
rocking stones. In vain did we seek a way down. It was up,
up, until we must have got up 150 feet, and still we were not
at the roof. Huge masses of stalactite hung down, so enormous
that no crystal chandelier ever made could compare to them.
Our search for a way down was fruitless. We left candles burn-
ing at several prominent places, and tried to retrace our steps.
We followed the course of the water, which we could see in
chinks, and finally came to an open where there seemed room
for the boat; but to get the boat over promised to be the work
of an hour. It was now close upon four o'clock, and it seemed
a mad sort of proposition; but the tantalising sound of the
water fired us on, for we felt that if we stopped then, having
only made a hundred yards' progress in a day, other fellows
might come and find out a way, and so reach the water! We
determined on getting the "Fair Edith" over, and trying the
tunnel passage. The rocks we had to lift her over, and the long
strides we had to make over pools of water, did not permit of
our taking secure purchases" for lifting, and the little craft
had her end “ stove in" by an unfriendly rock.
As our second boat would only carry two, and as there were
four of us, and we had to return to the exterior world by boat,
we felt it would be madness to risk further injury to the boats,
with the sure result of being left powerless in the darkness-
and such darkness! We therefore determined on letting our-
selves down by ropes over the rocks, and thus to reach the
water somehow. We avoided the places where our candles were
still burning, as on the first examination we had voted them
Third Exploring Expedition.
335
impracticable. Brigstocke and I were placing candles in new
places, and felt that we had found a passage, when a deep, un-
earthly sound came up from the abyss, and made me grow pale,
and feel scared. Then followed Dr. Bliss's voice, “We have
found the way! Huxley goes up to show you."
Soon we were descending through an opening like a chimney,
which sorely tried our bare skins, and, reaching the bottom, we
saw, more than a hundred yards above us, a candle that we had
placed there some hours before. We crawled along the edge of
the now open water, the rocks at the side presenting most
fantastic forms, like the skeletons of huge animals, their ribs
and other bones forming excellent holding. The noise of the
water was almost deafening. We passed up the rapids, and,
amid deafening cheers from two of us, determined on calling the
place "Huxley and Brigstocke's Rapids." Pushing on for thirty
yards further, we found wider openings, which we called
"Unexplored," and felt satisfied, returning glad at heart.
The "Fair Edith" was being repaired and fitted for sea again,
when we heard voices from the "vasty deeps." Carlo, our cook,
and Marad, one of our interpreters, had made their way up by
the raft we had used on the second day. Marad felt consider-
ably frightened when they lost the light of our beacon candles
on the way, but Carlo kept up his courage, and they arrived at
"The Styx." as we were setting sail on the return voyage.
We had now, on the two boats and the raft, three paraffin lamps
and some candles, so on our return journey the additional light
threw increased brightness on new scenes. The fatigues of dis-
covery were over, and now, crowned with success, we enjoyed
the beauty and wonderment of the scene more than ever. Brig-
stocke and Huxley sang many pieces in slow time, the notes
being echoed back, and the swell of sound, ascending and
descending and reverberating, was something never to be for-
gotten. We passed the several points to which we had given
names, and, after an hour's slow paddling, reached what we
called "The Screen." There we sang
"God Save the Queen,"
and gave "three cheers, and one cheer more." Not often was
the like heard in Syria, and surely never before in those lofty
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Letters of an Engineer.
halls of Nature's handiwork. Having reached open air once
more, we put on dry garments, and then walked home.
It was close upon ten o'clock before we reached the Ark, and
we formed quite a procession coming down the valley, each man
carrying a candle. Several sleepers awoke, and demanded
what was the row; but we passed on into the darkness.
And so our excursion ended. We had tins of hot coffee, and
sundry pipes, before retiring to rest; and we all felt that, had we
been brothers, we could not have stuck closer to one another
than we did throughout our explorations. I trust we all felt
grateful and thankful to the Giver of all good for His preserva-
tion of us through the intricate and dangerous journeyings of
the day.
8th November, 1873.-Since writing the above, I have been
ill for some days. I do not know whether to attribute the ill-.
ness to the explorations or to the sun. Five days after the last
exploration, I was standing for several hours on a rock with a
surveying instrument, and that evening I felt I was going to be
ill for a little time, which has turned out quite true.
The Arab papers have most amusing accounts of the explora-
tion of the caves. One, literally translated, runs thus :-" We
heard that Mr. Maxwell, the engineer of the Beyrout waterworks
contractors, entered, with other engineers and some others, to the
place from which the water of the Dog River goes out (which is a
wide cave), with skins full of air, candles, &c. They stayed in it
a few hours, and saw fishes, and stones of beautiful forms. It is
thought that it is possible to check the passages from which the
water goes away, and so the water increases very much more than
what it is now. We hope that we shall receive the explorations
from the mentioned engineer."
Then another-the equal of which for cool lies I never read
in all my life-talks of "a plain, unvarnished tale.” I give
you an extract :-" Mr. Maxwell, the chief engineer of the
Beyrout waterworks, entered, with two others, the 'Cave Guita,'
in the Dog River, and took with them food and drink, and
started to float on vessels and woods over the waters, which
were found, on measuring, to be 100 pics deep (260 feet), or
"An Unvarnished Tale!"
337
less; while they had some weapons which they used for firing
powder at the whales (?), which might have done them injury.
They remained going on through the caves, while they were
both in fear and wonder. When they crossed the water, and
arrived to something like a great hill, which was after great
trouble surmounted, one of them, who is supposed to be the
dragoman, returned back, while the other two remained going
on further, and burning powder, until they reached a distance of
about 1,100 metres; and they did not find an end to that cave,
and it is thought by them that this cave goes under the ground
to the highest mountains, a distance which takes fifteen days to
pass it; and that they saw on its sides things of Nature's work
which surprise the seer. They brought with them many beauti-
ful shapes of the petrified water. It is said, too, that they found
the statue of a woman putting her hand on the statue of a lion,
and in front of her the statue of a man dressed like the ancients
(something like the Romans); and they found signs which show
that somebody else entered. They in turn left signs of their
entrance. They entered in the morning, and went out at five
o'clock, after sunset, so that it was thought that they had some
injury; and it is heard that the brave engineer, Mr. Maxwell,
is still intending to enter to that cave another time, with eight
or more, and try to arrive at the end of it. When they went
out, Mr. Maxwell fell sick from the struggle and fatigue, and
the fear of falling in dangers. How brave he is, who is not
hindered of the trouble to discover what is in our country of the
treasures of Nature !"
Then there is a very long description of the works, which re-
sulted from a visit of the editor and owner of the principal
Arab paper.
It is worth reading in its entirety, but it would
be too great a task to send a full translation:-"Much sayings have
been heard about the water, and about the time and the trouble
it takes to get it. Anyone who is able to see the works between
Debarye and Dog River says that the anxiety of the inhabitants
to have the water is not more than the anxiety of the engineers
to take them. Mr. Maxwell is doing the work in such a dili-
gence, for which he deserves to be praised. He has 350 labourers
*.
338
Letters of an Engineer.
working in opening tunnels and conduits on the sides of the
hills," &c., &c.
Mr. Macneill arrived on Tuesday last, just in good time to
take upon himself some responsibilities which were rather worry-
ing. The Pasha of the Lebanon still requires a letter from the
Company, guaranteeing him from all responsibility in approving
of the alterations proposed in our works.
Macneill approves
of my suggestion that the Company should agree not to turn
the water into the new course until the approval was obtained;
while Tabet, the Director, does not. Tabet will not sign any
document which may prove, &c.-firstly, then secondly, then
thirdly, and so on, everlastingly in argument. Macneill is in
a fix to know what to do. The Company's engineers can give
no help; so that Macneill's trip will not be a pleasure excursion.
On the whole, he is very well pleased with the works. Even if
he were not, it would not greatly annoy me, knowing how well
we have worked, and the anxiety we have had; but of course
it is pleasant that he sees and appreciates what we have done.
Indeed I was very anxious on many points of engineering
which I had adopted on my own responsibility, the Company's
men doing nothing in the way of laying out; and I am very
pleased to see that he cannot make any alterations to improve
on them.
The want of rain is sorely troubling the people in this district,
and, if it does not arrive within the next fortnight, their harvest
prospects for next year will be very gloomy. The island of
Cyprus, they say, is ruined. The inhabitants think there must
be a curse upon the island, for the rains are sorely wanted:
they fall in copious showers on the sea, within sight of the
island, but none on the land. At Homs and Hamah on the
north-east, they have had much rain, also at Gaza in the south,
but none at Carmel, Sarepta, Tyre, Sidon, or Beyrout.
The Ark, Beyrout, 22nd November, 1873.-We have had a
series of storms, which we stood very well until Tuesday last,
the 18th, when the thunder, the lightning, the wind, and the
rain were vying with each other which could frighten us most.
The "Ark" in a Storm.
""
The sea, too, lashed with great fury against the rocks bounding
our encampment. It was ten o'clock at night. The auditor of
the accounts was up here from Beyrout, and he and Parker
were making up their bills. Huxley was reading at the table,
and Macneill was on the other side of the curtains, reading
"Bleak House.' I had gone into the office to secure the win-
dows-all of us being on the same floor-when a tremendous
gust of wind shook the fabric, and the lightning flashed awfully.
In shutting a window I dropped my candle. I stooped, with
my hand extended, so as to be ready to lift the candle when the
next flash made darkness light. While in this position, an
awful blast came down, accompanied by a lurid glare of light,
and a near sound of, apparently, a volley of musketry. On look-
ing up, I saw the sky through a shower of spars and boards,
flying across where the roof should have been.
I rushed for the door, where I was seized by Macneill-the
storm, lightning, and rain continuing in an awful manner. We
rushed together along the verandah, and down the ladder
quicker than ever we descended before. In fact, Macneill
slipped from top to bottom. We landed in a torrent of water,
and rushed for the kitchen; then from that, which was crowded,
into the "smithy." We found its floor covered with a layer of
clay, which took us almost up to the ankles. The Frenchman,
Breffaux, who lives in a stone house close by, rushed down to
offer us the shelter of his fortress; and so six of us, with wet
garments, were soon in his "drawing-room." When the wind
abated a little, we went back to the Ark, which had now lost
two-thirds of its roof, and oh! the pitiable sight which met our
gaze! The rain was descending in torrents, and our books, our
papers, our furniture, were all being deluged with water. Our
brown holland curtains trimmed with red braid were hanging
limp, saturated with water. We got into our little cribs (which
were protected by canvas, opened our drawers, and crammed all
we could into them; forced books, papers, &c., into boxes;
gathered them all into our cribs; and were hurried out by
Macneill, who felt that to linger was positively dangerous.
The fellows below fared better at first, for they were hardly
339
!
340
Letters of an Engineer.
aware of the noise of the crash, owing to the thunder and wind;
but as soon as the floor overhead was covered with water, down
it came through many cracks and chinks. The only dry places
were under the verandah, which, being like the deck of a ship,
allowed the water to run off; at the other side, where the roof
was still on; and under the canvas which covered our cribs.
Except when the rain blew in, the fellows below, therefore, kept
pretty dry.
All the Arabs in the house, to the number of ten, immediately
the storm burst, gathered up their "traps," and left the "sinking
ship;" while the Englishmen at one end, and the Italians at the
other, began to make the best of it. The Englishmen (three of
them from Ireland) put up tents, which were stored beside
them; and the Italians placed sheets of painted canvas, which
had been blown from the roof, over their beds, and soon went
to sleep.
Before we returned to our beds, we recounted our individual
experiences. Huxley had the greatest possible difficulty in
reaching the ladder to get downstairs, owing to the strength of
the wind and rain blowing him back.
Macneill said that, when the lights went out, he felt that he
was "the last man." All the rest of us he feared had perished;
and when at last I appeared in a flash of lightning, he seized me,
with a feeling of great gladness.
Old Noah Baylis got down somehow. He did not seem at all
clear about it, but he knew that he was down. He saw several
damp spots in the ceiling of our new apartment, and, in putting
up the beds, endeavoured to steer clear of them.
It rained dreadfully through the night : it dropped down upon
us through the roof, and it blew in at the door, so that soon the
floor was covered with water. Before turning in, we went out
to look at the night, and to observe, by the lightning flashes,
how much of the roof stood. Morning came at last, and we felt
that our troubles were not yet over. We hastily concluded a
plan for the restoration, and the brave Huxley, with a large force,
went to work. A letter was sent to Beyrout for timber and iron;
and Macneill, Breffaux, and I started to go over the works.
After the Storm.
341
We found the tunnel works stopped at every place but one
(seven in all) by floods of water. We went over the hills into
the valley, where we found a flood in the river. We had not
gone very far before we heard that the weir, or dam across the
river, had been breached by the flood, and there was great
danger of the entire work—the anxious work of months-being
torn away.
This work and another-the aqueduct-we had
toiled at for months, and, considering the mishap to the house
and the probable destruction of the weir, we felt that the patience
of Job would be required in the restoration.
On our way, we passed the aqueduct, which, fortunately, was
quite uninjured; and on arriving at the river works, we found
that things were not as bad as represented. Only an embank-
ment of stone in front of the weir had been washed away.
The day was spent in repairing the wreck of the Ark, and in
getting the water out of the tunnel; but as night came on we saw
the signs of a still greater storm approaching. At midnight it
burst with terrific fury. Storm, thunder, lightning, the rain
and the ocean, all banged away. Such noise I never heard in all
my life. Next morning we went up the river again, and found
a terrific torrent rolling down, and carrying with it trees, and
timber from our works, and big stones, which we could hear
knocking on other stones at the bottom. We found that three
piers of the aqueduct had been washed away, the flood having
reached the top of them. We could only hope the foundations
were still safe (and since the river has subsided we find this is
the case).
The torrent over the weir was something terrible to
behold. A volume of water, the colour of coffee, 5ft. 2in. deep
and 112 feet wide, tore over the weir. We could see the
straight crest of the water, and concluded that the main wall
was safe, and so it has proved.
Yesterday morning, after three days' arduous work, we again
entered the Ark—and right glad we were to be in it again.
This is a day of beautiful sunshine, with the thermometer at
71°, and quite a delightful feeling of comfort. All around the
Ark the beds are out drying, and the Italians singing near us,
while we are busy writing to the old folks at home.
1
342
Letters of an Engineer.
We have been forced to make a compromise with the Pasha,
and stop a portion of the works. I always expected some
trouble in the carrying out of the work, and on the very ques-
tion now before us. I mentioned in a letter from here, eighteen
months ago, that "even if we could arrange, with the owners, for
the property required in the altered plans, we should not have
law for the change." It is this very question of law that has
caused us the trouble. Monsieur T, the Concessionaire, is
now on his way to Constantinople to settle the affair, so we look
forward to a speedy settlement, and for everything to go on
smoothly with the Pasha, who is a very superior man-a perfect
gentleman, and thoroughly Anglicised. Indeed, in this affair of
our works, if he were not so English, I do not think he would
have acted so severely; but, as he has the character of being
English in his views, he is like the father-judge, who would
punish his own son even more severely than an ordinary prisoner.
Mr. Macneill would have gone off on Thursday, but for the
storm.
26th November.-As to-morrow is post-day, I sit down to
hurriedly close this epistle. I forgot to mention that, on the
morning of the first storm, two very large logs of timber—
brought out specially from England for a bridge across a torrent,
and foolishly placed across it on too low a level, contrary to my
orders—were sailing gaily past the Ark, half-a-mile out at sea.
Two Greeks went to the rescue. They intended getting a boat
at a fishing village three miles off, but when they reached the vil-
lage, the logs had outrun them, and passed by. On they went
to the next village-a seven hours' journey. Here they bravely
launched a boat, and finished their day's work by hauling the
timber safely on shore. Next morning, when they were con-
templating towing the logs back, the sea frightened them,
and so they kept close for the day. The following morning, on
their preparing to launch, the Governor of Jebail (ancient
Biblos) sent a message to say that they must not remove the
timber until he had received an authoritative letter to show that
they were lawfully entitled to do so. So the poor fellows came
back somewhat downhearted.
Continued Bad Weather.
343
The weather is now very severe, and the poor people of the
country, who subsist on bread and onions, find it very hard to
keep up the necessary amount of warmth. I feel for them
greatly. We have been forced also to dismiss a very large
number, so that there are very many hungry, cold people about us.
Mr. Macneill intended going in to Beyrout this morning, but
as the weather has again broken, and he is such a bad sailor,
it is likely he will put off going for another week.
I was very
glad to see him, but we shall all be glad when he is gone, for
the work will go on better with undivided authority.
A poor native came from Beyrout the other day, begging me
to give him employment. I told him that it was not possible
at present, but that after a few months, when we should be
further on the way to Beyrout with the works, we might be able
to employ hundreds of Beyrout people. Said he, "Ah, perhaps
I may be dead then, so I should like to have work now."
Marcus Ward & Co., Limited, Printers, Belfast.
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