YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY JOURNEY THROUGH ASIA MINOR, ARMENIA, KOORDISTAN. Printed by C. Uoworth, Dell-Yard, Temple-Bar, London. JOURNEY THROUOH ASIA MINOR, ARMENIA, KOORDISTAN, IN THE YEARS 1813 AND 1814; WITH REMARKS ON THE MARCHES OF ALEXANDER, AND RETREAT OF THE TEN THOUSAND. BY JOHN MACDONALD KINNEIR, tfAPTAIN IN THE SERVICE OF THE HONOURABLE EAST INDIA COMPANIj TOWN MAJOR OF FORT ST. GEORGEJ AND POLITICAL AGENT AT THE DURBAR OF IlIS HIGHNESS THE NABOB OF THE CARNATIC. LONDON: JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE-STREET. 1818. CONTENTS. Introduction vii Vienna, through Hungary, to Constantinople . . 1 Journey from Constantinople to Angora, by Eski Shehr and Yerma 22 Angora: to Ooscat and Cassarea 78 Departure from Caesarea, with Remarks on the Marches of Alexander and the Battle of Issus . . 107 Arrival at Latakia, and Description of that City . . 162 Quit Latakia, and set sail for Cyprus 176 Arrival in Caramania, and Journey from Kelendri to Iconium 198 Description of and Departure from Iconium . . . 217 Journey from Constantinople to Costamboul . . . 252 From Costamboul to Samsoon 285 Journey from Samsoon to Trebisond 308 Departure from Trebisond, and Arrival at Erzeroom 343 Description of Erzeroom, and Arrival at Betlis . . 365 Description of Betlis, and Journey to Sert .... 393 Description of Sert, and Journey to M erdin . . . 408 Departure from Merdin, and Arrival at Mosul . . 436 Death of Mr. Chavasse 464 Voyage down the Tigris 469 Remarks on the Retreat of the Ten Thousand . . 476 Voyage from Bagdad to Bussora, with Remarks on the Date Tree and Arabian Horse 498 Dissertation on the Invasion of India 512 a Vi CONTENTS. Pag« Appendix. Inscriptions 540 List of Journies performed by John Macdonald Kin- neir, from the Year 1808 to 1814, through Persia and Asia Minor 552 Itineraries. — Route from Merdin to Constantinople, by Sivas and Tocat, by the Author, in the Winter of 1810 .554-. Route from Aleppo to Angora, and thence to Con stantinople. By Mr. M. Bruce 558 The Situation and Appearance of Eight Islands on the Southern Side of the Persian Gulf, seen from his Majesty's Ship Favorite, the Honourable James Ashley Maude, Captain, on the 13th, 14th, and I5th of July, 1816 566 Astronomical Calculations of the Latitudes of Tere- boli, &c. . . ; 569 Results • 597 Bearings of the River Tigris from Mosul to Bagdad 60O INTRODUCTION. The only object 1 have in view in offering this desultory book of Travels to the public is to contribute as much as lies in my power towards the general stock of geographical knowledge, and I presume to hope thai an account of my re searches may not prove altogether uninteresting. I embarked at Harwich for Gottenburg, at the commencement of the year 1813, in com pany with Sir Neil (then Colonel) Campbell, intending to proceed through Sweden and Russia to Constantinople. But the disastrous retreat of Napoleon from Moscow having in the mean time opened a more direct road, I joined the head quarters of his Majesty the Emperor Alex ander, then in pursuit of the French, and from Dresden resumed my journey to Turkey by Vienna. a 2 It Tiii INTRODUCTION. It was my determination, on quitting England, to visit all the countries through which a Eu ropean army might attempt the invasion of India, and, in prosecution of this plan, to explore the north-eastern parts of Persia, and the vast plains which stretch beyond the Oxus towards the con fines of the Russian empire. But successive attacks of severe indisposition, and my unex pected recal to Madras, compelled me to desist from this undertaking. The late publication of Mr. Mountstewart Elphinstone is replete with valuable information regarding Cabul and our north-western frontier; but it were doubtless to be wished that we possessed some personal knowledge of the state and resources of so large and populous a kingdom as Bockhara, which from its situation must ever be considered as a most important barrier to the encroachments of Russia towards our oriental possessions. This work was completed after my return to Madras, during the few leisure moments which could be spared from the laborious duties of my official situations, and would have been much more perfect had I not lost many valuable notes taken by INTRODUCTION. IX by the pirates with my baggage in the Persian gulf. I have preserved its original shape of a journal, as being more simple, and at the same time better calculated to afford a just idea of the customs of the people and the mode of travel ling in this part of the world. I am indebted to Mr. Arrowsmith for the pro jection and general outlines of the Map, as well as for all those parts not visited by myself or friends; and I feel gratified in availing myself of this opportunity to express my obligations to that excellent geographer for the assistance I have invariably received from him. The coun tries embraced and described in my journal are laid down from manuscript documents in my possession, and from astronomical observations taken by myself and Mr. Chavasse, corrected and compared by the road distances. The journies of each day were regularly entered in a book, (first by myself, and afterwards by my lamented companion Mr. Chavasse,) which exhibited the directions ofthe roads, the situations of villages, the courses of rivers and mountains, and the bearings and distances of great natural features. The X INTRODUCTION. The eastern part of the Map is taken from that which I published with my Persian Memoir in 1813, but it contains many alterations and correc tions from additional information obtained in my late expedition. The routes of my friends are marked in blue, and those performed by myself on this occasion, as well as formerly, when I accom panied Sir John Malcolm's mission to Persia, are noted in red. ' These routes will' be found to occupy a considerable space on the surface of the Map, and many of them, I had almost said the majority, lead through countries never before traversed by any. European since the days of? Alexander the Great. The latitudes of Angora, Ofium Kara Hissar, Ooscat, Caesarea, Iconium, Adana, and Antioch have been fixed from my own meridional obser vations, which almost constantly correspond with the road distance. Their longitudes I had no means of ascertaining with nicety, and I have therefore adopted those assigned by Mr. Arrow- smith, corrected by my own bearings and cross. routes. Th* INTRODUCTION. Xl The position of Costamboul was established, in point of latitude, by the mean of a series of meridional altitudes, and we endeavoured to settle the longitude by observations for time, but the watch varied so much, that I fear little or no reliance can be placed on the results. The coast of the Black Sea, from Samsoon to Trebisond, was surveyed with great exactness by Mr. Cha vasse, and determined by astronomical observa tions at Tereboli, Unieh, and Trebisond. The latitudes of Byaboot, Erzeroom, Lees, Betlis, and Merdin were ascertained with tolerable accuracy, and enabled us to lay down our route from Trebisond to Merdin. In this latter journey we had not only ascertained, in a great measure, the courses of the principal rivers which contri bute towards the formation of the Euphrates and Tigris, but discovered the lakes of Nazook and Shello, not mentioned by any modern author, and described that of Van, of which some had begun to doubt the existence. The bearings of the Tigris from Mosul to Bagdad have been laid down, and the ruins on its banks marked with care and attention. 1 ha\ e Xii INTRODUCTION. I have given the ancient names, because many of them are alluded to in my Itinerary, and have endeavoured to illustrate, from the respective historians, the expeditions of Xenophon, Alex ander, (as far as the limits of the Map will admit,) Julian, ancl Heraclius. The former may, I think, be traced with tolerable exactness, but the long and varied marches of Heraclius can only be followed with extreme difficulty. I gladly embrace the present occasion to ac knowledge my debt of gratitude to my friend Mr. Rich, the resident of Bagdad, to Dr. Hine the first assistant, and to Mr. Colquhoun, the acting resident of Bussora, for their remarks and communications, as well as to Lieutenant Swan- ston of the Madras establishment, for his advice in the construction of the Map, and to Robert Anderson, Esq. of the Madras civil service, and J. Crawford, Esq. for their assistance in the revi sion of the work. JOURNEY, $c. Sec. VIENNA, THROUGH HUNGARY, TO CONSTANTINOPLE. On the 10th of April, A. D. 1813, I quitted the head-quarters of His Majesty the Emperor Alex ander, ancl on the 1 st of May reached the Austrian metropolis, where the dismantled walls seen from the windows of the imperial palace only tended to nurse that lively feeling of resentment against the French which then pervaded the best classes of society at Vienna. I enjoyed but fifteen days the pleasures of this capital, and, quitting it with ex treme reluctance oh the morning ofthe 16th, pur sued my journey along the right bank of the Danube, which flows majestically through a beautiful country, and amidst mafly a wooded island. The river is bounded on the south by the mountains of Hungary; castles, convents, and flourishing villages studded the plain, and the ro mantic town of Hainburgh, with its ancient chateau, has since become remarkable as the retire- b ment 2- VIENNA, THROUGH HUNGARY, ment of Madame Murat, the sister of Napoleon and ex-Queen of Naples. 1 was stepped about half way between Hainburgjh and Kitsee to shew my passport at the barrier on the Austrian frontier, and perceived, on the brow of an eminence on the left hand, the palaces of Presburgh looking down upon the wide and sandy plains of Hungary. We were driven with great spied; fifiy-four miles, through a flat and sandy conntHjy affording good pasture and interspersed with wood, to the straggling town of Raab; this town stands on a- river ofthe same name, and was the scene of a bloody action between the French and Austrians in the* war of 1W9- Fi;om Raab to Goeng the road) ran on. the borders of the Danube, here about fous hwadfed; yards wjdp, a»4 whipb i* navigated by* vessels similar to. those, on the Bocca Tigris in China, It was two sieges from Gjoeng if) GomQiin> a. forlafiedi town., and thence to Nessm-ul -.eleven miies> sfciU ajpng the banks, of the. Danube. The houses andi villages, are clean and> neatly built, and, for the. mo&t part dijstinguishedf Q^er, the, plain by the. spikes off tljeir. ch,u rches, Th§ territory between, Nesssnul and Buda, a distance qf fprt;y-seven, miles, ar%s cohered w,ith flocl^j a«4 became; hjjly,- as we anpfflaqhed tbe- ancient capital of Hungary. This, cijjy, o<$ii#ie$vaf navrowy-beJ$ #bqut tjw^Q miles andv ^ half iji le^jgth^ andj extends partly oo^e summit, and/parl^y on the declivity ofi ^ridge-oft hills:w/hich;liag.t4he.rigjit ba#k of tbe Danube. The houses are Q}d-; a^id j almost* dpgpgtgd. & but TO CONSTANTINOPLE. 5 but the palace where Prince Joseph of Austria, the Palatine of Hungary, resides, is a handsome structure, on an eminence, commanding a prospect of the windings of the river and the commercial town of Peste immediately opposite. The latter is one of the best built, most opulent, and most active cities in the emperor's dominions ; it con tains many handsome private edifices and extensive warehouses, and is remarkable for the magnificence of its theatre, which opens behind upon the Da nube, and exhibits the boats on that river to the view ofthe audience. Buda and Peste together are' said to contain sixty thousand inhabitants, of which number twenty thousand are Greeks and ten thousand Jews engaged iii an extensive trade with Turkey and the ports of the Adriatic. I measured the Danube at the bridge of boats which divides' the two towns and reckoned its breadth at about fbur hundred yards: it Was deep and rapid, and covered with small vessels which can sail from Ratisbon to the Euxine. My first stage from Buda was Saraksoor, a town consisting of a single street, about three quarters of a mile in length and two hundred yards in breadth; the houses, with a few exceptions, are of the same size and built longitudinally, present ing the gable end to the street, and separated from each other by small gardens planted with shrubs and trees. It. was seventeen miles hence to Inones, a solitary1 mansion iii a low swampy tract b 2 covered 4 VIENNA, THROUGH HUNGARY, Covered with a coarse kind of grass. We changed horses twice between Inones and Ketchemet, a small town containing two churches and a con vent: and hence to Chophosa, a distance of nine teen miles, we passed over a sandy country in an improved state of culture, where abundance and cleanliness were every where conspicuous. . Segedin, thirty-nine miles still more in advance, owes, as well as Ketchemet, its name to the Turks, and is a small town famous for the cultivation of tobacco. I was surprized to hear the people in the yard of the auberge talking Latin, but found on in quiry that it is a language in common use amongst the peasants, who claim their descent from the Romans, and who have a bolder and more martial air than their brethren in the northern parts of the kingdom. The lower orders of the peasantry have a sheep skin thrown over their left shoulder instead of a pelisse ; their locks, long and disheveled, hang over their ears and forehead, and they wear a lambskin cap similar to that of the Tatars and Persians* We left Segedin at the close of the evening, and having travelled twenty- nine miles in the course of the night, were ferried across the great river Arauga, and reached at eight in the morning the village of Mokrin in the pro vince of Banat. We rapidly passed the three re- * Boots are iQvariably worn even by the women in Hungary, a custom common to the pastoral tribes of the east maining TO CONSTANTINOPLE. 5 niaining stages to Temiswar, through the rich and fertile plain of Banat, crowded with villages, churches, and cultivated lands. On the evening of my* arrival I was honoured by a visit from a Hungarian nobleman who had been on terms of intimacy with Mr. B. Bathurst, and was anxious to discover whether any thing had yet come to light regarding his melancholy disappearance. I replied, that the fate of his friend was still veiled in mystery, but that it was generally imagined he had perished by the hand of an assassin. Temiswar, the capital of the province of Banat, is supposed by D'Anville to occupy the site of Tibisus in Dacia, where Ovid was banished, ancl which the arms of Trajan subdued. The natives boast of being descended from the Roman soldiers; but the use of seven or eight different languages indicates that their blood has not remained unpol luted by the many barbarous nations who overran this country at different times after the decline of the empire. The fortress was built by the Turks, from whom it was taken by Prince Eugene ; and although the works have been suffered to fall into decay they might easily be repaired and put into a respectable state of defence. The inhabitants, who are said to amount to six or seven thousand souls, have a theatre, and are otherwise very gay ; some of the houses are handsome, and the arsenal contains abundance of ammunition and many fine pieces of ordnance. » 3 May g VIENJfA, THROUGH HUNGARY, Jfajf 2 1 rf. I had previously determined to tak? the route of Qrschova in preference to the niore direct one of Hermanstadt, because I wished to visit spme Roman baths and the. ruins of Trajan's bridge said to be in the vicinity qf the former. At three in the afternoon I set out for Recus, a village twelye miles distant, where J was. surprized with the singular appearance of the women, who, both in complexion and dress, have a striking re semblance to the Hindoos. The evening was delightful, and during our journey to the post of Kesito, the deciding sun shed a fine tint oyer the rich and flourishing district through which we passed; the numerous villages were embosomed in orchards, of fruit trees, and the view was bounded by a range of mountains which encircle, the plains towards the S.E. The cottages were, however, neither so clean nor so well built as those on the Other side o,f Temiswar, — but the road was excel lent, and the horses, alth.ou.gh miserable looking little animals, carried us at the rate of eight mites an hour. From Kesj,to to Logos, a small town, standing on the banks of a, river, the road led through a, con tinued succession of villages, and gardens ; it was late before I arrived, and} the postmaster,, who. kept an inn„ refused to give me horses before the morn ing, — wishing me no doubt to, reajiftain, &\\ n%ht,. But not feeling inclined, to do^ so, I immediately went in search of the commander of the place, from <" TO CONSTANTINOPLE. 7 frOtn whom I received an order which could not bfe disobeyed. The mah, however, Was determined to have his revenge, and ordered the postilion to take the route of Hermalistadt, instead of Orschova; nor Was it until I reached the post that I discovered the mistake. Provoked at this treatment, I re turned to Logs and lodged a formal complaint against him, having fortunately" with me a courier passport signed by the chancellor of state £t Vienna. I once more quitted this place, and after a drive of thirteen miles through ft grove of willow trees planted for the purpose of protecting travellers from the rays ofthe sun, reached thfc small Village of Rakool, where I changed horses, and continued my route to Caralishebech, an ancient Roman station in Dacia, situated at the foot of a ridge of mountains. We were stopped at the entrance of the village by the gHard, who had Orders to con duct us to the commanding officer to have Our pass ports examined— It is impossible to be more strict than the Austfians are in this rCspect, especially towards the frontier. Our seventh post Was Statins, a village built in a fine valley washed by a small river near the entrance of a defile, and covered wfth flocks and herds. We soon after entered the pass of Terogova, a narrow defile between six and seven miles in length; the mountains rise perpendicular to a pro digious height on either side; the rOad Was so nar row as hardly to* admit of a single carriage, and as VJ- b 4 there ¦£ VIEN'NA, THROUGH HUNGARY, •there was no parapet, the slightest incorrect -move ment might have precipitated us into the gulf and 'liver below. It was half-past ten at night before we reached the station of Terogova, a village in the mountains, where the postmaster, who had -sent all the horses to Orschova on a private affair, replaced them with four oxen which carried us to Carnis, a distance of twelve miles, in two hours and a half. May Q3d. The next stage was eleven miles to Mehadia, once a Roman station but now a ruined village situated near a torrent, and in a deep glen, surrounded on all sides by hjgh mountains. Hence to Orschova it was eleven miles along the brink of the stream, and through a defile of the mountains. About half way and nearly a mile off the road on the left hand, are the baths, which are the resort of the inhabitants of the neighbouring towns, who come for the purpose of drinking the mineral waters in their vicinity. On the right hand are the -remains of an aqueduct hewn out of the rock, and intended to convey water to Orschova, where we arrived at the close of the day. There being no hotel or tavern in the. town, I drove to the house of Messrs. Tucker and Co. merchant§,4;o whom I had been recommended from "Vienna ; and in the morn ing I accompanied Mr. Tucker .to the Turkish .Orschova, (a fortress on an island in the Danube, about two miles from the small town in possession of the Austrians,) to consult the Mutesellim re specting , TO CONSTANTINOPLE. <) specting the best mode of proceeding to Constan tinople. We embarked in a small boat, and having landed on the island after a quarter of an hour's sail, entered into the fortress through an opening in a curtain of the wall, and were conducted into the governor's mansion, a filthy wooden house erected on one of the bastions. We had an officer from the quarantine office with us to take care that we did not touch any Turk, and therefore chairs were placed for us at some distance from the spot where the Aga was seated. He recommended me to go by water as far as Rutchuck, but as there was no boat to be had at the time, and he demanded no less a sum than three thousand piastres, I deter mined to take the direct road through Wallachia to Buckharest. We afterwards crossed the river into Servia, in order to see an extraordinary Roman way hewn out of the rock. The Danube at this place pierces .a lofty range of mountains rising perpendicular from the water on the Servian side, which rendered it necessary to cut a road in order to enable the natives to track the vessels against the force of the stream. This work was undertaken and finished by Trajan, as appears from an inscription on the face of the hill ; and the path, which is about four feet wide, may, I am informed, be traced twelve leagues farther up the river. The inscription is in Latin, and occupies a polished surface about seven feet in length and four in breadth; and considering its great* 10 VIENNA, THROUGH HUNGARY j great age, is in an admirable state of preservation. This part of Servia is exceedingly mountainous, but it also contains much arable land, and a popu lation of one millionof souls. It was governed by George Petronitch, commonly called Zerni George, or Black George, a name derived, say his enemies, from the atrocity of his deeds. He was once a Ser jeant in the Austrian service, but by birth a Ser vian ; he retired to live in his native village near Belgrade, where, indignant at the manner in which the Turks oppressed his countrymen, he conceived -the idea of throwing off their yoke. He at first assembled a small body of desperate men with whom he retreated into the recesses of the forests, whence issuing in the night, he plundered the Turkish caravans; and his adherents- continuing gradually to increase, he found himself, aftef the expiration of a few years, in a condition openly to take the field. He beat the Sultan's troops irt every engagement, succeeded in finally expelling them froiptt his country; and at the time to which I al lude, was the acknowledged chief of the Servians, •and in the possession of unlimited power and autho rity over his subjects. He did not, however, as sume the title erf prince, nor could he be distin guished by bis dress from the meanest of his sol- .dam; he zesiiclled in a -small house in his native village, and never visited Belgrade except upon business. He took gjreat pride m his guards, and all the men capable of beating aims in his territo ries TO CONSTANTINOPLE. 1 1 ries Mere regularly disciplined in the Austrian manner. I saw four or five hundred of them at drill ; they marched about in line and in column, and upon the whole performed their exercise with tolerable exactness. He is said to have ordered his own brother, who had maltreated a female, to be hanged, and to have caused a priest to be buried alive for refusing to inter a corpse without a remu neration of fifty piastres from the son of the de ceased. 25th. I took my leave of Orschova this day, and after a drive of about four miles reached the barrier, a small railing of lattice work, which di vides the Austrian states from the dominions of the Turks. We passed through a gate into an open meadow containing a hut and from twenty to thirty horses at grass ; four were selected and in stantly bound to the carriage by a few slender cords instead of harness. I received for the trifling sum of fifty piastres* an order for horses as far as Craiova, and the postilion having mounted, we resumed our journey at full gallop, a rate which he kept to the end of the stage. The road th© greater part of the way to Cernitz, a distance of fifteen miles, ran along the bank of the Danube; it was so narrow that our carriage was within a few feet of the precipice^ and the side next the * £Z : 10*.— The piastre being about the tame value as a shining- mountain ]2 VIENNA, THROUGH HUNGARY, mountain being much more elevated than that towards the river, I was in momentary dread of being thrown into the water. We had. just quit ted the bank, and were descending at full speed a declivity which leads into the town of Cernitz, when a stone in the middle of the road caught the wheel of the carriage, and hurled us in an instant over the side of the hill. The shock was so great that the forewheels of the carriage separated from the body, and the horses continued their career, whilst we were turned topsy turvy several times, until the vehicle was arrested by a clump of bushes. Rivoir (my valet de chambre) was hurt severely in the leg, and I received a contusion on my arm, but we fortunately escaped without further injury, and the carriage, although considerably damaged, was soon put in a state to carry us to Buckharest. We walked to the village, where I was entertained by the governor of the town, a Greek, who ordered me an apartment in his house for the night, and was in other respects very civil. He said that the road to Craiova was infested by thieves, and earnestly pressed me to take a guard, but as I knew that this would expose me to considerable expense, and at the same time occasion delay, I was deter mined to run all hazards. The town of Cernitz was a Roman station called Termes, and there are still to be seen in its vicinity the remnants of two bridges thrown .across the Danube; the first by Trajan, and the last by .Sep timus TO CONSTANTINOPLE. 15 timus Severus, a mile farther down the river. Many of the piers of these bridges are discernible when the water is low, and a great part of the cas tles which defended that of Trajan, and which were rebuilt by Justinian, is still in existence on each bank ofthe river, which is here eight hundred yards wide. On the morning of the 26th I bade adieu to Cer nitz, and, travelling with the same velocity as the preceding day, passed through a hilly country, covered with stunted oak and Avild pear trees, many of which were loaded with fruit, to a wooden hovel erected in an open part of the forest, where forty or fifty horses, or rather ponies, were at grass. Hence to Craiova it was sixty-six miles through the same woody and desolate territory; when within five miles of the town we crossed the river Sehuil upon a boat, having travelled the whole of this journey at the rate of ten or eleven miles an hour, — an extraordinary circumstance con sidering the miserable appearance of the horses, which are seldom or never allowed to taste a grain of corn. 27 th. I drove without ceremony to the house of the Governor of Craiova, where a room was imme diately assigned to me, and coffee and biscuit served up as a refreshment by orders of his son, to whom I had brought a letter of introduction. This young gentleman, a Wallachian noble, had a hand some wife, of whom he was exceedingly jealous. From 14 VIENNA, THROUGH HUNGARY, From such a host I could not expect much hospH tality, and he accordingly treated me with such coldness and neglect that I quitted his habitation and went to reside with the governor of the town, a well informed Greek, who spoke both French and English. Before! quitted the house, however,; I was introduced to the lady, a very beautiful and fascinating woman. She was dressed in an ermine pelisse richly embroidered; her beautiful hair" flowed in ringlets down her neck and shoulders, and a fine scadet shawl was thrown carelessly over' a* rising bosom', which it scarcely concealed. . 30th. Craiova, which ranks amongst the chief towns in Wallachia, was partly burnt some years' ago by Paswan Oglu, the rebellious Pasha of Widin, and is a large straggling village, built of wood, in the midst of a wilderness, a description' applicable to- the far greater portion of this unhap*-- py province. It is governed by a Greek of a Con stant} nopolitan family, who, on the morning of my- departure, pres'ented we with several medals which1'- had been dug' up from the ruins' of some ancient buildings at a place called Karaval towards the Danube. The order for my horses from this place to Buckharest cost me seventy piastres, Or 31. 10s., and the postmasters insisted' upon putting six of them to my carriage, although it? Was so light that it could have been drawn by one. They were, as usual, bound with ropes instead of harness, and myJ three postilions had'- neither shoes nor1 stockins-s their TO CONSTANTINOPLE. IS their only garments being a white linen shirt, a pair of breeches, and a lambskin cap. We quitted Craiova at seven in the: morning, and at a quarter before ten reached the Altun su, or golden stream, (the ancient Aluta,) so named from the golden par ticles sometimes found in its bed, and which are said to be washed from the mountains of Transyl vania. The distance was thirty-three miles, and we galloped for the greater part of the way over a fine sod, (there being no regular road,)- partly through a forest, and partly through a rich open country overgrown with hawthorn, rose, and pear bushes, intermingled with wild vines and a variety of flowers. The post-houses were small woodenf hovels in the forest, where a certain number of horses were maintained at noi expense, as they/ fed on the luxuriant pasture with which the country a.bounded. From the banks of the Altun su we travelled with the same rapidity twenty-seven miles, to a wooden village called Statina, situated ia a plain extending from Craiova to Buckharest and the Danube, and which, although every where well adapted for the growth- of corn, is for the most part waste and uninhabited: the wars ofthe- Turks and Russians have contributed i»! this; dfeso-. lation. It was about ninety miles from Statina to Buckharestj through the same solitary wilds* until within six or seven miles; of the city, when the> spiies, cupolas, and' minarets, rising above the gar dens, gaye* it thei appearance of a Persian town.- We 16 VIENNA, THROUGH HUNGARY, We entered this capital at eight in the mornings and as neither my servant nor myself understood the Wallachian language I proceeded to deliver a letter of recommendation, which I had fortunately brought to a French merchant. We procured a lodging in the house of an Austrian officer, wrherey; shortly after my arrival, the Russian consul paid me a visit, accompanied by Mr. Gordon, an old friend- whom I had encountered two years before in a simi lar manner at a village near Magnesia in Asia Minor. We dined with the consul, and in the even ing accompanied him and his lady to the prado of Buckharest, a large and open field, where I beheld a vast concourse of grotesque figures alight from fheir carriages, enveloped in volumes of dust, to drink coffee or to walk on the banks of a stagnant pool of water. Some of the vehicles looked more wretched than the worst of our hackney coaches, whilst others were gilded all over and resemble the state equipages in the time of Louis XIV. The greater part of the Wallachian nobility, who are, I am informed, a degenerate and profligate race, sel dom follow any profession, but live upon the reve nues of their estates, some of which amount to up wards of a hundred thousand piastres a year. They detest the Russians, who deprived them of many privileges which the Turks permit them to enjoy, and consequently dress in the Greek costume, leaving their women to follow the fashions of the French. .. J3y the constitutions of Wallachia they cannot TO CONSTANTINOPLE. 17 cannot be governed either by one of their own body or a Turk, and therefore the Prince or Hospi- dar is selected by the Grand Seignior from the Greek families at Constantinople; this governor, after a reign of a few years, is not unfrequently either beheaded or sent into banishment. The soil of Wallachia, part of the Roman Dacia, is prolific, but the province is thinly peopled, and altogether in a most deplorable condition : this state of things the natives attribute in a great measure to the con tributions levied by the Russians, and their com plaints are, perhaps, not wholly destitute of foun dation. Buckharest, the capital, is a large city situated in an immense plain, and said to contain one hundred thousand inhabitants; the houses are built of wood and plaster, with a court or garden, according to the oriental custom; the streets are laid with planks like those in the towns of Russia. The inhabitants are composed of a mixture of all nations and religions, who have distinct places of worship, and, under the government of the sultan, enjoy a degree of toleration unknown in many of the more civilized states of Europe. I remained for some days at Buckharest, and as my carriage was of no further use I gave it to Mr. Gordon in exchange for his saddles, bridles, &c; and, accompanied by the Tatar whom he had brought from Constanti nople, I began my journey on the evening of the 6th June. The Wallachian carts, on which I was conveyed c as 18 VIENNA, THROUGH HUNGARY, as far as Georjova, on the banks of the Danube, were made entirely of wood, neither iron nor lea ther being used in their construction ; they were about three feet in length, and two in breadth ; the diameter of the wheels, which were four in num ber, not exceeding two feet and a half. With three of these carts, each drawn by four horses, I took my departure at three in the afternoon, and at a few minutes after eight reached Georjova, a dis tance of between fifty and sixty miles over a fine green turf the whole of the way. We halted all night in a dirty coffee-house at Georjova, a small village situated on an inflection of the Danube, which is here about three quarters of a mile in breadth, and in the morning crossed to Rutchuckj a fortified town in Bulgaria, burnt by Kutusof in the last war. From this place to the foot of the Balkan we traversed a fine country, but almost uninhabited, and laid waste by the Russians, who seem to have carried havock and desolation over the greatest part of Bulgaria. 1.1 th. We this morning prepared to pass the Balkan, a lofty range of mountains formerly called Haemus, which separates Bulgaria from Romilia. We took horse in the morning, and after a journey of six hours, across a mountainous tract, passed the river and romantic village of Cosan, and began tb ascend the defiles, which became so steep, that, after we had travelled four hours, our horses were unable to proceed farther, and we therefore deter mined TO CONSTANTINOPLE. 19 mined to sleep at a Greek village in the recesses of the mountains. A hospitable shepherd gave us his house, which was small but clean, ancl erected in the hollow of a deep and sequestered valley, washed by a torrent of the clearest water. The mountains rose to an awful height on either side, and the rich foliage of the stately beeches with which their summits were crowned waved gently over our heads; the beams of a setting sun pierced through the more open parts of the forest, while the songs of the nightingale, re-echoed from the rocks and precipices, formed altogether an enchant ing contrast to the smoke and filth of a Turkish post-house. If liberty and independence were offered to the Greeks, and an effort made to re lease them from the ignominious bondage which has broken down their spirit, how easily might the Turkish empire be subverted ! But I may probably be induced to enlarge upon this subject hereafter. 12/ h. We descended from the Balkan to the little town of Stenar, situated in the plain of Ro- milia at the foot of the mountains, and inhabited partly by Turks and partly by Greeks. The next post was Yamboul, four hours from Stenar, over a flat country better cultivated than any we had hitherto seen. We crossed two rivers during the journey ; the first almost half way, and the other close to the town of Yamboul, which contains some ancient buildings. Hence to Adrianople it was ten hours, half of which we travelled at night, and the c 2 remainder 20 VIENNA, THROUGH HUNGARY, remainder on the forenoon ofthe 1 3th. I putup at the house of the French consul, a wealthy merchant, who seemed to care little about the politics of the continent, and was only anxious to know whether theports of Germany were open to English ships, the commerce of this part of the world, in a great measure, depending upon that circumstance. The arbitrary decrees of Berlin and Milan, having prohi bited the introduction of British manufactures and colonial produce into the ports of the continent, en riched the merchants of Salonika and Enos, whence those articles were transported up the river Marissa, to Adrianople, and then into Germany, at a heavy expense. Adrianople, called Ederna by the Turks, was founded by Hadrian the Roman emperor, and was long the principal city in Thrace, now denominated Romilia or Romania. It is situated on a rising ground, at the confluence of the Morissa and Adra, and remarkable in history as the scene of a memora ble battle between Constantine and Licinius, and as the capital of Amurah before the conquest of Constantinople. Part of the palace of that monarch still remains; but the great ornament of Adriano ple is the mosque of Selim I., a magnificent edifice adorned with a lofty dome supported by noble columns of porphyry, the spoils, perhaps, of some Roman temple. I pursued my journey on the 15th of June at eight o'clock in the morning, and at the same hour next TO CONSTANTINOPLE. 21 next day entered Pena, having rid about a hun dred and sixty miles in twenty-four hours. From Adrianople to Papasoli, where we first came in sight of the Propontis, the great plain of Romilia is for the most part a dreary flat, without wood or cultivation ; we passed through several small towns, and in some places I saw the remains of the Roman road, which has been repaired by the Turks. From Papasoli, which is a town on the Propontis, I pro ceeded to Silivria, the ancient Sylymbria, where there are the remains of a fortress built by John Cantacuzene, who for some time resided at this place. Hence to Anat was four hours, and from the latter to Constantinople seven hours. Before en tering Anat I crossed a long and extraordinary bridge, built by Justinian across the sea. c 3 CON- ( 22 ) CONSTANTINOPLE TO ANGORA, BY ESKI SHEHR AND YERMA. I was so much gratified during my former journey from Bagdad to Constantinople, through Asia Minor, that I then formed a resolution to revisit this interesting country, and to explore some of the less known and unfrequented parts of it. I remained about three months at the Turkish capi tal in order to avoid the heats of summer, and re cover from a recent and severe attack of a fever which I caught in passing through the city of Seringapatam in 1807, and to which I have been subject at intervals ever since. On the 2cl of Sep tember I bade adieu to the hospitable mansion of Mr. Liston, our venerable and respected ambassador at the Porte, and, accompanied by a Greek servant, and my old Tatar Ibrahim, crossed the Bosphorus and took horse at Scutari. Our first stage was Gebsa, the ancient Lybissa, a small and dirty town, but remarkable for a tumulus supposed to be the tomb of Hannibal, who swallowed poison at this place to free himself from the unmanly perse cutions of the Romans. Early CONSTANTINOPLE TO ANGORA. 23 Early on the morning of the 3d we crossed the Gulf of Nicomedia, a few miles from Gebsa, and travelling eight Turkish hours up a wooded valley, reached the village of Gustorjeck, where I passed a wretched night in a ruinous cottage. 4th. We departed at sunrise, and at the end of the fourth hour* gained the summit of the chain which borders the Lake Ascanius on the north. We had a noble view of this romantic sheet of water, shaded on all sides by dark forests and lofty mountains, excepting towards the east, where a plain about eight or ten miles in breadth extends along the foot of the hills to the city of Nice, which is situated on the south east extremity of the lake. We descended from the mountains and continued to travel along the margin of the lake, which rippled against a pebbly shore until we en tered the city by a gate said to have been built by Theodore Lascaris. Instead of bustling and crowd ed streets we were conducted through vineyards and fields of tobacco to the residence of the Mutesellim,t a large Turkish house erected amidstmasses * The Turks reckon distances by the number of hours which a caravan takes to perform the journey, and this varies of course ac cording to the nature of the country. t The provinces of Turkey are governed by Pashas of three, and sometimes of two tails, according to the size and importance of the governments. These are sometimes styled Viziers, and others Begler Beg, or Lord of Lords; but the latter is a little more common amongst the Persians than the Turks. Next in c 4 rank 24 CONSTANTINOPLE TO ANGORA. masses of decayed buildings. Ibrahim having re ported our arrival, and shewn the Governor our fermaun, he sent one of his people to the Despot of the Greeks, who is held, in a great degree, re sponsible for their conduct and the payment of the taxes. We found him standing at the door of his house with a pitcher in his hand, and when the Chokadar intimated to him the orders of his master he eyed us with great dissatisfaction, and could scarcely conceal his vexation. He protested that he had no place to give us, all his people being then in the fields, and their houses consequently locked up; but when my Greek servant spoke to him in his own language, and assured him that we should pay handsomely for any thing we required, all the difficulties he had just stated seemed to vanish, and we were shewn into a house where clean linen, beds, cushions, &c. were brought for our accommodation, as well as abundance of fruit, wine and provisions. My attendant soon became intimate with the people of the house, and they caroused together at my expense during the two days I remained at Nice. My bill at my de- rank to the Pashas are the Mutesellims and Weiwodes, or heads of Sanjacs (.districts); then come the Agas or Governors of towns; and afterwards the. Agans or Ekhtiars (old men) of the villages. The title of Bey is generally applied throughout Asia Minor to the chiefs of the pastoral tribes ; and the word Kia is applied to the Deputy or Lieutenant of the Pasha. parture, CONSTANTINOPLE TO ANGORA. 15 parture, including presents to servants, amounted to forty piastres, or about 21. Nice * was founded by Antigonus, and had at first the name of Antigonia, but Lysimachus, who afterwards enlarged and beautified the city, changed it to Nicea, in honour of his wife. It must have been a town of some consequence in the time of Trajan, since Pliny the younger, when praetor of Bithynia, mentions its theatre and gymnasium, the walls of which, although twenty-two feet in thick ness, were deficient in point of solidity. Nice subsequently became an apostolic see, and is fa mous for two councils held here to define the orthodox faith, — the first under Constantine in 325, and the last in the reign of Irene, 787. It was for a short time the metropolis of Bithynia, and on the decline of the lower empire fell into the possession of Solyman, sultan of Roum, from whom it was taken by the Crusaders in 1097, after a siege of seven weeks. When the French had made themselves masters of Constantinople in 1204, * Turn Nicaea, primaria Bithynia; urbs, ad Ascaniam paludem: quas urbs ambitur campo magno, et admodum fcecundo, sed per aestatem non admodum salubri. Hanc Antigonus primum condi- dit, Philippi filius, et Antigoniam nominavit: deinde Lysima chus, qui earn ab uxore Nica°am appellavit : ea Antipatri fuit filia. Urbs ipsa quadrata est, ambitu stadiorum sedecim. Habet etiam gymnasium in campo quatuor portisapertum, etad angulos rectos ita vici sunt constituti, ut qui in medio lapide gymnasii con sists, is portas quatuor omnes videat. — Strabo, Vol. ii. p. 807. Theodore 26 CONSTANTINOPLE TO ANGORA. Theodore Lascaris seized upon Nice, which he made the capital of an empire that extended from the Meander to the Bosphorus. He rebuilt the walls, and otherwise improved the city, which be came his usual place of residence ; but after his death and the expulsion of the Franks from Con stantinople, it again fell under the dominion of the Greek emperors, and now acknowledges the sove reignty of the Turk. About three in the afternoon the Despot called upon us, and we accompanied him to look at the remains of the ancient city. He conducted us first to the church, which is a small and very old building, ornamented with a pavement in mosaic of different coloured marbles, a beautiful sarco phagus of transparent white marble, and with three figures upon the wall, done also in mosaic, with small pieces of gilded glass, common in many of the Greek and Armenian churches. There were some Greek inscriptions under these figures, as well as on a tombstone near the door, but they related to nothing worthy the trouble of transcrip tion. Our guide then led us across some tobacco fields to a ruin which he called the palace of Theo dore, situated on an eminence, and commanding a fine view of the Lake, from which it is distant about three hundred yards. A small part of the wall and nearly the whole of the foundation of this stupendous mass of masonry have acquired the firmness and consistency of rock, and remain a lasting CONSTANTINOPLE TO ANGORA. 27 lasting monument of the solidity of the Roman buildings. I counted twelve subterraneous apart ments built in a circle, each vault having a gradual declination to the middle of the edifice, which from its form appeared to me to have been rather an amphitheatre than a palace. These subterra neous chambers were probably intended for the accommodation of the wild beasts, and are con nected with each other by narrow apertures of about two feet and a half in diameter. As far as I could observe, no cement had been used in the construction ofthe arches, the weight ofthe stones, which are from ten to fourteen feet in length,* rendering this unnecessary. The greater part of the vaults was choaked up with rubbish, but by the aid of a torch I entered three of them, each leading successively into the other; and in the most remote we discovered the bones of a human being who had probably perished in these loath some dungeons.t From the top of what appeared to have been the gate of this edifice, the western extremity of the Lake bore W. by N. distant about ten miles, a promontory on the right hand N.W. by N. distant one mile and a half, and a lofty mountain on the left W. by S. five miles off. — From the palace of * These stones are in general marked with the Greek letters LAK : AIK. t These caverns are filled with nitre, with which the Turks make gunpowder. Theodore 28 CONSTANTINOPLE TO ANGORA. Theodore we proceeded to that part of the wall which runs parallel with the Lake, and here I ascended a lofty tower that commanded a complete view- of the city. The ancient walls, about four miles in circumference, are surrounded on the S. and E. by the mountains, (from which they are distant about a mile at the nearest part,) and on the N. by the plain; on the W. they run nearly a mile along the margin of the Lake, and close to the water's edge. They are constructed of stone and lime, with layers of bricks at regular intervals, and are about twentyrfive feet in height, and nine in breadth at the top* The towers are either round or elliptical, have two floors below the battlements, and many of them embrasures in the second story. Almost the whole area within the walls Avas co vered with gardens of pomegranate trees, and fields of tobacco, the present town consisting of about one hundred wretched hovels built of mud and wood. We walked along the foot of the wall to the north gate, by which we had entered the city in the morning; and not far from hence I saw the name of Theodore Lascaris in Greek characters on the top of a tower, the letters being formed of different coloured bricks inserted in the wall. Thence I was conducted to several mosques, em bellished with columns of marble and granite that * Near the foundation I should guess it to be fourteen feet thick. appear CONSTANTINOPLE TO ANGORA. 29 appear to have arisen from the destruction of other buildings, the sites of which are marked by vast uud shapeless heaps of rubbish scattered over the surface of the ground. — We returned to our quar ter in the dusk of the evening ; and I observed in the walls which divided the vineyards through which we passed, numerous fragments of archi traves, broken marble columns, and capitals of pillars. 1th. I rose early in the morning, and accom panied the bishop to the gate of Syria, which was built of massy hewn stone, and consisted of three arches, a large one in the centre, and one of smaller dimensions on each side. There are two Greek inscriptions on this gate, one on the outside and the other within ; but they were so much effaced that I could only copy part of them. These inscriptions seem to have been intentionally de stroyed, and the outer arch has been broken down. On each side is a large pedestal of a pillar, and on the right are two basso relievos so much ob literated as to make it difficult to distinguish the subjects. One of them appears to represent a pro cession of eight Roman warriors, and the other, which is less perfect, has three figures in flowing robes on one side, and immediately opposite a ball and three goats with a diadem above. Close to this gate is an old aqueduct which still supplies the town with water from the mountains. I after wards walked along the top of the ramparts, which are 30 CONSTANTINOPLE TO ANGORA". are here formed of immense blocks of carved stone of a slate colour; and in one spot I counted no less than eighteen marble pedestals placed in their pre sent situation by the Turks. I copied a short in scription from a fragment of white marble fixed in the wall ; and after walking about a mile reached the gate of Boursa, which is on the south face of the town. To all appearance this must have been originally composed of the same massy materials as that which we had just quitted, but the arch of the inner part had fallen down ; I took an in scription from a large stone about eight feet above the ground.* The outer port is apparently the work of a later age than the other, and consists of three blocks of white marble finely carved, which in all probability belonged to some temple or church, since the ground is strewed with similar materials. The heat of the sun compelled me to retire, the ther mometer being up to 84° of Fahrenheit ; and I did not again venture abroad until four in the evening, when I went to examine the gate of Constanti nople which is on the northern face of the works.-^- It is divided into three ports built of stone. " The inner port, which is nearly fallen to decay, is deco rated with two Colossal heads of Medusa; the centre portcullis is entire, consisting of a handsome * For a copy of this and other Inscriptions, the reader is referred to the Appendix. See, in the present instance, No. 1. arch CONSTANTINOPLE TO ANGORA. 31 arch and two ornamented doors ; and the lentil at the outer port, which is of a square form, rests on two beautiful columns of verd antique.* There are two basso relievos, one on either side of this port, nearly as much effaced as those on the gates of Syria : that on the right hand as you enter is about five feet long and three wide, presenting a group of nine small figures tolerably well execu ted ; and that on the opposite side, two mutilated figures of a man and a woman. — Nice contained many other ancient monuments besides those I have mentioned ; and were it under a liberal govern ment, the beauties and advantages of its situation could not but render it a flourishing town and an agreeable residence. 8th. As I had purchased at the Porte an order to be furnished with eight of the government post horses whenever I should require them, I was supplied with that number; and after making a present to the postmaster and the attendants of the Despot, I departed for Lowka, a distance of twenty- two miles. Immediately on quitting Nice, we entered a narrow and uncultivated valley, through which we continued to travel E. by S. for about ten miles, gradually ascending. At the third mile is the village of Khoristan, half a mile from the road * This port appears also to have been constructed by the Turks, from the materials of one more ancient. For an inscription copied at this place see No. 2, Appendix. on 32 CONSTANTINOPLE TO ANGORA. on the right hand ; at the eighth, that of Karadin bore directly N. half a mile ; and at the tenth, the Casaban of Yila bore N. distant two miles. The road then ran over a range of mountains until within three miles of Lowka, when we descended into a valley, and having crossed a stream which soon after loses itself in a larger river flowing on our left hand to the N.W. travelled the remainder of the way on an old Roman road about twenty feet wide, constructed of large flags, brought at some remote period from the hills at no little trou ble and expense. Our horses, which were misera ble, half-starved creatures, were exhausted before we had performed half of the journey, and Ibra him had therefore seized upon others belonging to a Greek merchant whom we met on the road, a sort of privilege granted by the government to the Tatars as messengers of the public. Lowka is a small town situate on the river Gallus, which flows through a narrow valley between two ranges of mountains. Here we remained until three in the afternoon, in order to avoid the heat of the day, and then found it difficult to get away from the inhabitants, who individually considered them selves as entitled to buckshish, (a present,) which they demanded with that blustering air so peculiar to the Turks. Our course for the first two hours was S. by E. and the road led over a barren tract of moun tainous country as far as the seventh mile, when we CONSTANTINOPLE TO ANGORA. 33 we passed the village Byukakol at our descent into a romantic and highly cultivated valley, fertilized by the river Gallus; it was in many places not more than five hundred yards wide, and filled with gardens of peach, apricot, walnut, plum and pear trees loaded with fruit. The direction of the road for the last seven miles, S.S.E. At the fifteenth mile we passed through the village of Vizir Khan, situated at the head of the valley, where we crossed the river on a bridge, and saw on the right hand the ruins of an aqueduct*intended to convey water to that place, which occupies the situation of the ancient Agrilium. — Quitting Vizir Khan, we again ascended the hills and continued our journey in a S. E. by S. direction, over a barren and bleak tract of territory intersected by deep winding vallies, until at the thirty-fifth or thirty-sixth mile we entered Sugat, a small town on the banks of the Sangar, and famous as the residence of Othman the founder of the Turkish empire. I hired a dirty and unfurnished apartment, but could procure no refreshment ; and hungry as I might be, was fain to go to rest without my supper. I had provided myself at Constantinople with a small carpet, a pillow, and a counterpane, so that I was always independent, and never used the beds or cushions of the natives, which invariably abound with all sorts of vermin. In my travels in Turkey I have therefore always carefully avoided the post-houses, where you are shewn into a filthy coffee-room, n divided 34 CONSTANTINOPLE TO ANGORA* divided into small boxes separated, by. railings, and frequented by all the rabble in the place./. The posts throughout the Turkish empire are supported by the government; that is to say, a certain por-1 tion of land, or in many, places a sum of money, is granted for that. purpose in the spring of every year; and those of the different towns along the great roads (for in byroads there are no posts) are Jet to the person who will take them on the most teoderate terms, the horses being transferred at a valuation. In a road which is much frequented the /postmasters often maintain upwards of a hundred horses, and they are not only obliged to supply the Tatars with cattle, but also with foodj for which the latter pay but a few paras to the ser vants on going away. This is, however, a privi lege granted solely to those who are the bearers of letters; or messages ; for as it is also customary with the; Tatars to transport .quantities of. naerehaimdaise from one place to another, the postmasters are not required to provide them! with carriage, gratis* on suchoccasions. The horses are small and are mueh abused, the stages long, and the roads in general bad,, notwithstanding which the Tatars put these poor, little animals to their utmost speedy and when tjhey are so completely fatigued as tobe-un* able to proceed; their tails, and sometimes thesis ears, are cut off, and thus disfigaired they are tuaaaed loose into the woodfe. The Tatars are there* fore in general furnished with spare horses, which. ! arc CONSTANTINOPLE TO ANGORA. S5 are led by the soorajees* tied to the tails of each other, but if not, they seize the horse of the first traveller they happen to meet. 9th. I halted this day at Sugat. It is supposed to occupy the position of the ancient Tottaium, and the houses, like most of those in the Turkish towns, are built of wood and mud, in general two stories high, with projecting verandas, and roofed with a common red tile which almost always ad mits the rain. It is included in the Pashalick of Brusa, and remarkable for the tomb of Ali Osman, a monument described by former travellers. At eight o'clock in the morning of the 10th we quitted Sugat for Eski Shehr, a distance of nine hours, or, according to my estimation, about thirty-four miles. For the first five miles the road lay Over a chain of rocky hills interspersed with dwarf oak and fir trees; at the sixth mile we en tered a defile and crossed a small river; at the ninth mile we baited for a few minutes at a coffee house in the wood; at the twelfth issued from the pass into a bleak and open country; and at the eighteenth descended by gentle slopes into the great plain of Eski Shehr, where Godfrey of Bouillon defeated the Seljuckian Sultan Soliman. It had, like all the other great plains of Anatolia at this season of the year, a dry and parched appear- * The postilion or person who always accompanies the Tatar in the charge ofthe post horses. r> 2 ance, 36 CONSTANTINOPLE TO ANGORA. ance,' which was rendered more striking by the absence of wood; for although the oak and pine grow spontaneously on the sides and summits of the mountains, they do not flourish in the open country. But these plains, however sterile in ap pearance, are far from being unproductive, and only lie waste from deficiency in population. At the nineteenth mile we discerned the minarets of Eski Shehr, which bore S. E., distant about ele ven or twelve miles horizontally; and during our descent into the plain one of the baggage horses fell, being so much exhausted that he was unable to proceed. We were fortunately, however, over taken at this critical moment by an old man driv ing several horses before him, which Ibrahim im mediately resolved to appropriate to our use ; but the owner, refusing to consent, seemed determined to resist until I put an end to the dispute by pre senting him with a couple of rubas, a small gold coin worth about half a crown. We reached the town at five in the evening, worn out with fatigue,* and went directly to the residence of the Mutesellim, in order to shew my fermaun and de-; mand a private quarter. After waiting for about half an hour in the yard, we were conducted through the ruins of a number of mud hovels to a place, which on entering I discovered to be little better than a stable, and therefore sent my servant * At noon the thermometer was 94° under the shade of a tree. a second CONSTANTINOPLE TO ANGORA. 37 a second time to the Mutesellim, who replied that the town of Eski Shehr could afford no better lodging than that which had been given me. On passing the mountains which bound the plain of Eski Shehr to the north, we had quitted Bithynia and entered Phrygia, the most consider able of the provinces of Asia Minor. It derived its name, according to Strabo, from the Bryges, or Phryges,* a people of Thrace who settled towards the sources of the Sangar, and subsequently ex tended themselves over the adjacent country. It contained many free and opulent cities now fallen to decay, and its inhabitants were said to be effe minate and voluptuous, When Antiochus the Great had been overthrown at the battle of Mag nesia by the Romans, they compelled him to cede Phrygia to their ally Eumenes, king of Pergamus, making an exception in favour of such cities as had not taken arms against them. At the death of Attalus, the last king of Pergamus, it again fell under their dominion; and Ave find that when Cicero was governor of Cilicia, the eastern part of Phrygia was then included in that government. It was afterwards divided into two provinces, named Pacationa and Salutaris ; the first contained thirty-nine towns, of which Laodicea on the Lycus was the capital, and the usual residence of the * Josephus asserts that the Phrygians were the descendants of Phragramma the brother of Raphath, the ancestor ofthe Paphla- gonians. o 3 Roman 38 CONSTANTINOPLE ?0 ANGORA, Roman governors. The latter* had Synnadaf for its metropolis, and could boast of twenty-three cities, amongst which was Dorylaium, now Eski Shehr, celebrated for its warm baths, 1 1/^. I rose early in the morning to look at the town, which is divided into two parts, the upper and the lower, both composed of miserable mud houses, half of which are in ruins. It is situated on two rivers, the most considerable of which, called the Poursac, the ancient Thymbrius, rises in the mountains S. of Kutiah, and enters the Sangar a short distance to the N, E. of Eski Shehr. The second, which is much smaller, comes from the hills above the town, and forms a junction with the Poursac, a little to the east of it. I first proceeded to the baths, which are four in number and situated in the lower town not far from the Thymbrius, where the mineral springs are very abundant, and, for their salutary effects, in high repute aniongst the Turks. The principal bath, an ancient structure crowned with a dome sup ported by columns of jasper, was so hot that I found it impossible to remain in it longer than a few minutes; but having unluckily forgotten my * At Epicteti Phrygian sunt Azapi, Nacojeia^, Cqtyseium, Mi- dajum, Pqrylajqm urj?^, e.t Cadi : quam Mysja? alii adscribunt. — Strabo, vol. ii. p. 833. + I made many inquiries both here and at Yerma respecting the cities flf S.ynnada and Airiorium, hut could gain no informaT tion regarding either. thermometer CONSTANTINOPLE TO ANGORA. 39 thermometer \ could not try the temperature, which I should conjecture to have been near 100° of Fahrenheit. Hence I was conducted to a stone bridge over the river Poursac, where I was shewn a block of white marble, about four feet in length ancl two and a half in breadth, with the inscription No. 3* Whilst copying the inscription an immense crowd of men and boys assembled around me, but they were all extremely eivil, and one of them per ceiving that I wanted a piece of paper, sent for some and gave it to me. This man also informed me that he knew a place where there was a stone containing a talisman, and accordingly took me to a house where 1 found a woman washing linen on a handsome block of ash coloured marble, with an eagle in alto relievo admirably executed at the top, and under it the inscription No. 4. I next visited the chief mosque, thinking I might there discover something curious; but I only saw a few capitals of pillars not worth de scription, and on an elevated spot some heaps of stones and rubbish, indicating the former existence of a building. Eski Shehr is upon the whole a most wretched place, situated at the '-foot of a range of hills which bound to the south a plain about fourteen miles in breadth, but of indefinite length. The roads from Constantinople to this place were * Appendix. d 4 tolerably 40 CONSTANTINOPLE TO ANGORAv tolerably good, and at a trifling expense might be rendered passable for cannon, ammunition-waggOns* &c. Forage is every where extremely scarce, as the ground is parched and the grass entirely burnt up, In Turkey the cattle are fed on barley and chop, ped straw, and as the produce in this part of Ana tolia is barely sufficient to satisfy the wants of th§ inhabitants, no great quantity could he collected for the supply of an army. Tired with walking I returned to my lodgings, and had just sat down to breakfast, when I was alarmed by a loud knocking at the court gate. It was im? mediately afterwards burst open, and one of those Dervishes called Delhi, or madmen, entered the apartment, and in the most outrageous manner struck me with the shaft of a long lance which he held in his hand, at the same time abusing my peo ple for having allowed an infidel to enter the habi tation of. a holy man, since (as it afterwards turned out) thehouse belonged to him. I was so incensed at the conduct ^of this intruder, that J instantly seized one of my pistols, which were lying by my side, and should have shot him on the spot, regard less of the consequences, had I not been withheld by the Tatar and those around me. The Dervish was in. a moment hurled neck and heels outof the door, and I went in person to the Aga to complain of the outrage. I found him sitting in a loft or garret, a place somewhat dangerous to approach on account of the rotten ; condition of the ladder which CONSTANTINOPLE TO ANGORA. 41 which led to the only entrance. I ordered the Tatar to read the fermaun, and, representing the circumstance, desired that the Delhi might be punished. He said that he would chastise him the moment I was gone; but as he was a holy man, and I an infidel, the inhabitants of the town would not at present allow him to be touched. Finding that there was no hope of redress, I returned to my lodgings, determined to depart as soon as the heat of the day would permit me. But scarcely had I arrived when the Delhi, accompanied by three or four of his friends, again entered the room and sat down at some distance from me on the floor. The former remained quiet, but his companions were continually urging him to take possession of my seat, which was more elevated than the others. On his declining to do this, two of them, unable to controul their rage, rose up, ancl, spitting on the ground as a mark of contempt, mounted up, and pulling my carpet from under me sat down upon it without the smallest ceremony. My poor Tatar, afraid of interfering, advised me to quit the apartment, which fortunately I did; had I acted otherwise, the Dervish might have irritated the whole town against us, and in that case my teme rity might have been fatal to us both. My object in coming to Eski Shehr was to acquire some in formation concerning, and, if possible, to visit the remains of Amorium, Synnada, ancl the souices of the Sangar;' but my inquiries were ineffectual, and 42 CONSTANTINOPLE TO ANGORA. and I was advised to go to Sever Hissar, where it was likely I might receive some intelligence re specting the. objects of my search. From Eski Shehr to Syed Guz it is nine Turkish houis,or, according to my leckoning, thirty-one miles, a distance which we performed in five hours.* For the first seven miles the .direction of the road was S. by E. ; for four miles S. E. by E. ; and the remaining part of the way nearly S. S. E. We passed over a great plain, or rather table land, ©f a wild and desolate appearance, being destitute of trees, and- without any traces of inhabitants. The soil was poor androGky, although in some of the hollow places it afforded tolerable pasturage to droves of ; mares. At the fourth hour we halted at a fountain^ near which I observed several blocks of marble, and from one of them I copied the in scription No. $. It was nightf before we reached Syed Guz, where I was accommodated with a small hole (for it did not . deserve the name of chamber) in the post-house, and I slept soundly until day light in the morning. , This is an inconsiderable town half in ruins, with an old castle on a hill, near the tomb of Syed Guz, from which it takes its name, and may probably represent Prymnesia. I saw frag- * The Tatars, who have no baggage, travel at the rate of eight or nine rhiles* an hour. t The temperature at noon this day was 92°; at threep. m. 89°; and at five in. the evening 80°. ments CONSTANTINOPLE TO ANGORA. 43 ments of columns, and other pieces of marble, which are seldom to be found in towns that owe their origin to the Turks. We quitted Syed Guz early in the morning, and travelled five miles, E. by N., across a chain of rocky hills with a valley on the left hand. At the fifth mile are the ruins of a town, where I observed two handsome columns, and other marble frag-r ments, in a burying ground, the place where such monuments are usually found in this part of the world. At the ninth mile we entered a vast and desolate plain running nearly east and west, bound ed on the north and south by ranges of hills, and in the centre varied by gentle swells, over which we bent our course to the east by certain marks known to our guides. At the seventeenth mile I saw the town, or rather village, of Kymak, bearing due E. and distant about ten miles: at the nineteenth mile a rivulet flowing N. and on its banks the ruins of a town, attested by fragments of columns and heaps of rubbish. Here I copied the inscription No. 6. At the twenty-fourth mile another stream, and the ruins of a town similar to that just described, where I found the inscription No. 7- We got to Kymak about noon, much oppressed by the heat, which was at 94° of Fahrenheit in the shade. This is a solitary village in the plain situ ated near a stream of excellent water which after wards joins the Sangar. The houses consist of ©ne story, half under ancl half above ground, built of 44 CONSTANTINOPLE TO ANGORA. of loose stones without cement, flat roofed, covered with a mixture of mud and straw, or reeds, if they can be procured, and divided in the interior by a low partition intended to separate the cattle from the family. We had a welcome reception from the Kia, or Aga, of the village, who invited us into his own hut, and entertained us with bread, milk, and boiled mutton. We had still seven hours, or about twenty-three miles, to go to Sever Hissar, so that when we had dined and fed our horses, we pursued our route along the foot of a ridge of rocky moun tains, which bordered the great plain on the north.' I observed no change either in the nature or ap pearance of the country ; all was wild and solitary : the road was excellent in consequence of the dry ness ofthe season, and our course continued nearly due E. It was eleven o'clock before we reached Sever Hissar; but the lateness of the hour was of little importance, as it was the month of Ramzon, or the Mahomedan Lent, during which the Turks sit up all night, though, indeed, they seldom, at any time, go to rest before midnight. We halted at the Aga's, who sent his Kia, or deputy, with us to one of the inhabitants, whom he ordered to give us the best room in his house, which was done, although unwillingly; and he afterwards directed his servants to bring us what refreshment we might require. I ordered my carpet and pillows to be spread, and, being much fatigued, slept soundly until eight o'clock •hi . CONSTANTINOPLE TO ANGORA. 45 o'clock the following day, when I got up to look at the town. 14th. The thermometer at eight in the morn ing 72; at noon 89; and at three p. ju. 89. Sever Hissar is a casaban, containing fifteen hundred Turks ancl four hundred Christians, built on the side of a range of craggy rocks, and opening towards the south on the great plain before men tioned, the houses for the most part resembling those at Lowka. There is an Armenian church, a small but ancient edifice, and a castle, upon the point of one ofthe cliffs, lately repaired by the prej sent Aga, who is the hereditary Lord* of Sever Hissar. * Such petty lords are scattered all over the Turkish empire, and, although they hold their estates directly from the Sultan, are compelled to submit to the capricious and exorbitant extortions ofthe more powerful chiefs. They are frequently driven into re bellion, and some few of them have succeeded in establishing their independence. The greater proportion of the landed proprietors, under the de nomination of Zume, ( DEPARTURE FROM CESAREA. 131 cia.* The modern town is, according to a me ridional observation which I took, situated in 37° N. lat. on the right bank of the Sehoun, (a river somewhat larger than the Cydnus.) and on a gen tle declivity, surrounded on all sides by groves of fruit treesf and vineyards. It is large, better built than Tarsus, ancl the population, which is chiefly composed of Turks and Turkmans, is nearly equal to that of the latter. There is a bridge over the Sehoun said to have been built by Justinian; part of the ancient Avails remain, ancl a noble gateway in the middle of the bazar forms a lively contrast Avith the grovelling architecture of the Turks. The castle, which has been erected on the bank of the river, and not far from the bridge, consists of a high stone Avail, flanked Avith towers, about a quar ter of a mile in circuit, and to all appearance the work of the Mahomedans. The people here seem to be under little subjec tion to the Porte, and although the Pasha kissed the fermaun as a matter of ceremony, he Avould not condescend to read it. I requested his per mission to take the route of Mallos,J (noAV a de cayed village near the mouth of the Gehoun,) as being that followed by Alexander; but he ob- * It appears to have been called Megornes in the time of Alex ander, who here sacrificed to Minerva. f The peach, apricot, mulberry, fig, and olive. J The inhabitants of Mallos were, as we are told by Arrian, a colony from Argos. k 9 jected "132 DEPARTURE FllOM C^ESAREA. jected to this proposal because there were neither horses nor accommodation to be procured on the road, and said that I should go by Messis, where I might cross the Gehoun on a bridge. It was in vain to argue Avith this boisterous character, \vho thought that it was not ofthe smallest consequence what route I took, ancl avIio regarded me as a mad man for preferring a long and dangerous journey over land to the easy passage of a few hours by sea. He added, that I ran every risk of being plundered; that the road had not for many years been frequented by either Tatars or caravans; and that the Chief of Pias was a robber by profession. If, hoAvever, I Avas determined not to follow his advice in going by sea from Tarsus, he would give me a strong guard to Messis, and an order to the Aga of that place to see me safe beyond the bounds of his jurisdiction. I returned him thanks, and in the morning prepared for my departure, accompanied by ten Avell armed horsemen. Issuing from the town we crossed the Sehoun, a river which is denominated the Pharus in the march of Cyrus, and which Xenophon says was three hun dred feet Avide. It did not seem to me to be much above half that breadth ; but the width of a river is seldom the same at two different places, and varies according to the nature of the country* and soil through Avhich it flows. From the bridge we di- * The thermometer at noon was at 94°. rected DEPARTURE FROM C.ESAREA. 133 rected our course S. E. through the plain; at the seventh mile, crossed a range of hills running N. E., ancl, at the end of the eighth mile, de scended into another plain equally fertile with that of Adana, but desolate and uncultivated. At the twelfth mile we passed a small stream, and continued to travel through this plain for six miles more, when, at the nineteenth mile, Ave arrived at Messis, a large village on the right bank of the Gehoun, the ancient Pyramus, and called a stadium in breadth by Xenophon. Messis, the Mopsuestia* of Strabo, was formerly a place of consideration, but is now a village of mud houses erected on hil locks of sand and rubbish, the ruins of the ancient town. It is in the hands of a band of Turkmans, who pay tribute to the Pasha of Adana; but who are in fact a gang of depredators, and who, had the Aga not been made responsible for my safety to the Pasha, Avould, in all probability, have plun dered me, since this road for many years has ceased to be frequented in consequence of the repeated robberies ancl murders committed by these people. The Aga, a humorous old man, placed me next him, under a Pandal, on the top ,of the house where he was sitting, and pestered me almost to death by the number and absurdity of his ques- * Mopsuestia stood a long siege against John Zimisccs and Nfcephorus Phocas, who took the city and sent its gates as a trophy of their victory to Constantinople. K 3 tions, 134 DEPARTURE FROM C^ESAREA. tions, all of which displayed his simplicity and ignorance. In the evening a repast for between twenty and thirty people was placed before us; it consisted of pillaws of wheat, boiled mutton, and milk prepared in different Avays, which they de voured like so many vultures in the short space of five minutes. I slept on the top of the house, as is usual in these countries during the heats, and at day-light in the morning began my journey to Kastanla?, accompanied by eight cavaliers admira bly mounted. They appeared to be quite cheerful and happy, and amused themselves in singing and playing the jerid the greater part of the way. We passed the Gehoun, Avhich is still larger than the Sehoun, on a handsome stone bridge; and I learnt from my escort that these two rivers, forming a junction, enter the sea near Mallos, a statement I Avas, and still am, inclined to disbelieve. At the end of the third mile Ave quitted the plain and entered a range of mountains, through the gorges of which Ave travelled for about six miles over a narrow ancl rocky path, and then descended into a fruitful, but deserted, valley, surrounded on all sides by brown and arid hills. The soil Avas a rich broAvn, and, although it Avas at the season of the year Avhen the country is parched Avith drought, the Aveeds and grass grew with great luxuriance. At the eighteenth mile Ave again ascended the hills, ancl at the twentieth reached the ruined toAvn of Kastanlze, inhabited by four or five families of Turkmans,, DEPARTURE FROM CESAREA. 135 Turkmans, the only human beings we had seen since Ave left Messis. This place seems to occupy the position of the ancient Castabala, ancl bears, according to my computation, nearly clue E. of Messis. Thence Ave directed our course, for the first three miles, over a sort of table land abounding in partridges, hares, ancl antelopes, when ay e entered a narrow valley, or rather defile, clothed with thick copse wood and evergreens. At the eighth mile the rocks on either side approached each other, and Ave passed under an arch of an old gateAvay, built of black granite, and called Kara Cape, or the black gate. This building Avas once, without doubt, much more extensive than it now is; it is evidently intended to defend the entrance into the defile, and I should guess it to have been con structed at a period antecedent to the conquests of the Turks. The pass expanded immediately Avhen Ave had quitted the gate, and after a gentle descent of about a mile Ave entered a narrow belt, having the Gulf of Scanderoon close on our right hand, and at the foot of .the hills, near the shore, the ruined town of Ayass. This belt was bounded on the west and north by a low range of hills, on the south by the bay of Issus, and on the east by an extensive morass; the length of it did not exceed two miles at the utmost, it ran nearly east ancl west, and Avas not above three quarters of a mile in breadth from the foot of the hills to the sea. I have been thus minute, because D'Anville and k 4 many 136 DEPARTURE FROM C.ESAREA. ' many others are of opinion that this is the spot on which the celebrated battle of Issus was fought; but I am disposed to think differently, and will hereafter state my reasons for doing so. Having passed the flat, Ave turned to the south round the east end of the bay, and travelled along a sandy beach, with the swamp before mentioned extend ing a great Avay inland on the left, and the Me diterranean on the right: the hills had disappeared, ' and towards the east mounds of sand, intermingled Avith the long reeds Avhich grew in the morass,' met the eye. At the eighteenth mile we crossed ' a small river flowing through the marsh, and some time afterwards four other streamlets. — Our direc tion S. E. by S. At the twenty-sixth mile Ave turned to the W. round the bay, and, quitting the beach, pursued our journey over some elevated ground to Pias, a ruinous toAvn situated on a slope' about a quarter of a mile from the sea, ancl a mile from the foot of Mount Amanus, a lofty range- Avhich separated Cilicia from Syria. We entered the town at the close of the evening, ancl rode through a handsome Besistein, built of burnt bricks and arched at the top ; but it seemed to be entirely forsaken, and like the whole country through which I had travelled from Adana, pre sented a melancholy picture ofthe baneful effects of misrule and oppression. We knocked at a gate leading from the bazar, and were admitted into the court of a handsome Madressa, or college, in the middle DEPARTURE FROM CESAREA. 137 middle of Avhich stood a fine fountain of water, gilt and lettered in the oriental fashion. The Madressa had been abandoned by the Dervises, ancl the chief had here taken up his residence as the only habitable place in the town. He was sitting in a small ancl dismal chamber under the piazza or veranda, where he received me Avith ap parent cordiality, but afterwards almost poisoned me ancl my people by some ingredient which his servants had mixed in our rice. Pias, Avhich, in my opinion, represents the ancient Issus, stands on a gentle slope at the S. E. corner of a bay, and about a quarter of a mile from the sea, Avhere a castle has been erected to defend a small harbour. It Avas, not many years ago, a Avealthy and populous town,' the residence of a powerful chief, Avho rebelled against the Grand Seignior, plundered the caravans ofthe merchants of Aleppo, and laid the neighbouring districts un der contribution, until the Porte, irritated at his piracies ancl depredations, fitted out an expedition against him, Avhich took Pias ancl reduced it to a mass of ruins. In the morning before my departure I received a visit from the Kia, who intimated that I must either give him a handsome present or he would not permit me to quit the town, a request, or rather demand, I did not deem it prudent to refuse, since the Dutch Consul of Aleppo had formerly been imprisoned for several months at this very place, and 138 DEPARTURE FROM CJESAREA. and compelled to pay a ransom of thirty thousand piastres before he could gain his liberty. He after wards escorted us half Avay to Scanderoon, a dis tance of about sixteen miles. On leaving Pias, we passed the dry bed of a torrent which comes from an opening in the mountains, and directed our course over an uneven ground clothed with copse wood and evergreens, having the sea on our right hand, and the lofty range of Amanus on the left ; the ground was in some parts level, and in others intersected with ravines and low hills. The base of the mountains Avas in general between one and a half and three miles from the sea, although in some places it approached within three quarters of a mile of the shore, and at the four teenth mile formed a deep curve, terminating in a promontory the gulf of Scanderoon. At the ninth mile are the ruins of a castle, romantically situated at the foot of the mountains which here approxi mate the sea, and near it, on a projecting point of land, the remains of a sort of obelisk, apparently ancient. At the twelfth mile a small but rapid river Avith steep and high banks, answering the description given by Arrian of the Pinarus, and, about half a mile farther, the fragments of massy walls jutting into the sea. At the fifteenth mile. we began to turn round the gulf, ancl at the six teenth entered the town. I had. been so much indisposed all the morning, from the effects of the poisonous ingredient administered to me at Pias, that DEPARTURE FROM C^ESAREA. 139 that by the time of my arrival I felt exceedingly ill; fortunately, however, I met an Armenian priest in the streets, Avho, understanding that I Avas a Frank, introduced himself to me, ancl in sisted upon my lodging in his house during my stay at Scanderoon. This request Avas urged Avith so much earnestness and such seeming cordiality, that I immediately accepted his offer, and followed him to one of the best houses in the toAvn, Avhere we were supplied Avith every accommodation and refreshment we could require. But I soon after- Avards learnt that the good priest Avas mad, and that, instead of his own, he had brought us to the house of a rich merchant his acquaintance. 1 It is the opinion of D'Anville, that the city of Issus, celebrated for a great victory gained in its vicinity by Alexander the Great over Darius,* is represented by Ayass a town ihoav in ruins, and Avhich I have already mentioned as being on our right hand ancl close to the shore, Avhen Ave first descended from the hills upon the gulf. But if those Avho are of this opinion had possessed an opportunity of personally examining and com paring the nature and extent of the ground in the * Post JEgxas Issus est oppidulum cum statione, et flumen Pindus. Ibi Alexander cum Dario pugnavit : hinc sinui Issico nomen, in quo est urbs Rhosus, turn Myriandrus, alia urbs, et Alexandria, ac Nicopolis, et Mopsu hestia, (quasi lares Mopsi diceres,) et quo? Pylse, seu Porta;, dicuntur, limes Cilicia?, atque Syriae. — Strabo, vol. ii. p. 36±. neigh- 140 DEPARTURE FROM C.ESAREA.- neighbourhood of Ayass, Avith the description which Arrian and the other historians of Alexan der* have given us of the field of battle, they would probably have rather agreed Avith me that this celebrated action Avas fought on the plain be-, t ween Pias and Scanderoon. Xenophon says that Issus Avas the last town in Cilicia, and fifteen para sangs beyond the river Pyramus, (Gehoun,) Avhich Avill be found to correspond Avith the situation of Pias, ancl consequently not with that of Ayass. Arrian informs us " that Alexander, being told that Darius lay encamped at Sochos, a plain on the other side of Mount Amanus, quitted his position at Mallos, and, having passed the Syrian Gates,. pitched his camp at Myriandros, a seaport toAvn. Darius in the mean time broke up his camp, crossed the defiles of Mount Amanus, and directed his march towards Issus, not knoAving that his rival was behind him. The day after, however, he pro ceeded to the river Pinarus, ancl encamped his army, on the right bank of that stream. On the news of Darius's approach Alexander returned from Myri andros, and having seized upon the Straits, Avhich, he Avas obliged to pass, as soon as the dawn ap-, peared he began to descend from the mountains, having contracted his front on account of the nar- * Xenophon. says that Issus was situated near the sea, and that, it was a large, rich, and well inhabited city, If so it must have occupied the greater part of the. space between the hills and the sea. rawness DEPARTURE FROM C.ESAREA. 141 rawness ofthe defile, and as the country opened a little he gradually drew up his men in order of bat tle, the right wing extending to the mountains, and the left to the sea shore." " The right wing of Darius's army was next the sea, and the left next the mountains. When certi fied of Alexander's approach he ordered thirty thousand horse, and twenty thousand foot, to cross the river Pinarus, that the rest might draw up the more commodiously; and first he ranged all the Greek mercenary troops, and on each side of them stood sixty thousand ofthe Carduchi in the form of wings, for the mountains being so near would not allow more troops to stand ranged in front. On the left, towards the mountains and opposite Alex ander's right Aving, he placed twenty thousand men, and some of those extended even to the backs of the Macedonians; for the hills under which the army Avas draAvn up, stretching a great way in- Avard, formed a kind of bay, or hollow part, and then Avinding forwards, Avas the cause that those Avho Avere posted at the foot thereof beheld the backs of Alexander's right Aving. Darius after- Avards recalled the horse which he had ordered to cross the river, and sent these to support his right -wing next the sea, the Pinarus separating the two armies. Alexander attacked the enemy by pass ing the river, the banks of Avhich were so steep and rugged that the phalanx could scarcely pre serve their order of battle.'' According: 142 DEPARTURE FROM C^ESAREA. According to Plutarch, " Darius set out for Cilicia, and Alexander was making the best of his way to Syria in quest of him. But happening to miss each other in the night, they both turned back, Alexander rejoicing in his good fortune to meet Darius in the Straits, whilst Darius endea voured to disentangle himself ancl recover his for mer camp ; for by this time he Avas sensible of his error in throwing himself into ground hemmed "n by the sea on one side, and the mountains on the other ; and at the same time intersected by the river Pinarus, so that it was impracticable for cavalry, and even the infantry could only act in -small and broken bodies." Calisthenes reports " that the position occupied by Darius was not more than fourteen stadia, or somewhat less than two miles, broad between the mountains and the sea, and that the field of battle Was uneven, and intersected by the oblique course of the river, by small hills and beds of torrents." Nothing can agree better with the above de scriptions of the field on which the battle of Issus Avas fought than the flat between Pias and Scan deroon. On the one side it is bounded by a lofty range of mountains, and on the other by the sea; it is uneven, full of ravines and rising grounds, in tersected by a small river with steep and rugged banks; and there is to the east of Scanderoon, as I have already observed, a curve, formed by the mountains, exactly similar to that described by Arrian. DEPARTURE FROM C.ESAREA. 143 Arrian. In the ground near Ayass there is not sufficient room for the evolutions of two such mighty armies,* being only about two miles in length, and three quarters of a mile in breadth ;f its boundary is a range of Ioav hills easily accessi ble to an army, and not a chain of lofty mountains, Avhich, as we are told, skirted the field of Issus on one side. M. D'Anville places the Portas Syria; close to Pias, and on the road to Scanderoon; but this appears to me quite erroneous, in as much as there is no defile or mountain to pass between Ayass and Scanderoon that I could perceive or hear of. But to the south and east of the latter Ave have two defiles, Avhich, in my opinion, are those alluded to under the designation of the GatesJ of Syria and Straits of Amanus. The first, on account of the ruinous and deserted state of the towns along the coast, is seldom or never in use, and leads over a range of hills immediately behind * The host of Darius is said to have amounted to six hundred thousand men. t I state its utmost magnitude. I The Gates of Syria, according to Xenophon, were five para sangs from Issus. " These," he says, " were two fortresses, of which the inner was next to Cilicia, and the outer next to Syria. Between these two fortresses ran a river, called Kersus, one hun dred feet in breadth. The interval between them was three stadia in the whole, through which it was not possible to force a way ; the pass being narrow, the fortresses reaching down to the sea, and above, were inaccessible rocks. In both these fortesses stood the Gates."* Scan- 144 DEPARTURE FROM C/ESAREA. Scanderoon. The other is called the pass of Bailaii, and conducts to Antioch, Aleppo, and the plains on the east side of Mount Amanus, Avhere Darius had his camp. Alexander returning from the south,* descended from the mountain on the morning of the battle, Avhich could not haAe been the case had the action been fought in the neigh bourhood of Ayass. There is, besides, no river to the north of Pias, but that which I have, men tioned as flowing through a flat morass, and in no , one particular coinciding with the account given us of the Pinarus. I am confirmed in my opinion by the observations of Plutarch, who says that , Darius and Alexander, having accidentally passed each other during the night, they both turned .back; for the Persian king, having passed by the Strait of Amanus, (or Bailan,) marched upon Issus, where he heard that his rival was behind him. He therefore retraced his steps, and in one day marched to the banks of the Pinarus, (twelve .miles,) where he encamped his army.f Scande roon, called Alexandria colla Isson, Avas founded by the conqueror in honour of his victory, and Ave are therefore justified in supposing, both from its name and the occasion of its origin, that it was situated near the scene of action, since it is not at * He came from Myriandros on the sea shore. -(¦.The gujf of Scanderoon is divided into two sandy bays by the small and elevated promontory on which the town of Pias is situ ated. * all DEPARTURE FROM CESAREA. 14.5 all probable that Alexander would found a city to commemorate a battle fought (according to M. D'Anville's position of the Porta; Syria?) on the opposite side of a range of mountains, Avhich divi ded the tAvo kingdoms. Ptolemy placed Alexan dria sixteen miles south of Issus, which exactly ansAvers the distance of Scanderoon from Pias, and, in my opinion, confirms the positions of both. This place, which a feAV years ago Avas the em porium of a considerable trade, and the resort of the merchants of the Levant, has noAV dwindled into a fishing tOAvn, containing about ninety fami lies, of Avhich sixty are Greeks, ancl thirty Turks. The expedition to Egypt, at Avhich time all the Franks were expelled, and the depreciation of the Turkish currency, have ruined the commerce of Scanderoon, the trade being noAV confined to a feAV boat loads of rice and salt from Damietta. The tOAvn is situated on a projecting point of land, forming on the north side a bay, Avhich is pro tected from the south ancl easterly Avinds by the mountains. I took a meridional observation, by which I made the latitude 36° 36' N. I could perceive no monument of antiquity at this place, where the exhalations arising from a morass on the S. E. side render the climate unhealthy in the summer. I bade adieu to my good old friend the priest on the morning of the 20th, and at four in the even ing reached Antioch, a distance, according to my e estimation, 146 DEPARTURE FROM CESAREA. estimation, of thirty-four miles, although the Turks made it thirteen hours. I travelled it in seven hours, and certainly never exceeded the rate of five miles an hour. The truth is, that the natives do not reckon the hours agreeably to distance, but to the time which a caravan usually takes in per forming the journey, and consequently, if the country be mountainous, and the roads bad, a longer period will be required than if it Avere flat and the roads good. Between two and three miles from Scanderoon we began to ascend the moun tains, and following a narrow path, amidst rocks and Avoods, reached, at the tenth mile, the town of Bailan, romantically situated near the summit of the mountains. It bore about S. E. by S. of Scanderoon, and is a flourishing little tOAvn, go verned by a chief in rebellion against the Porte. The houses are built along the cliffs and precipices, which overhang, on each side, a deep abyss, doAvn the centre of which clashes a furious torrent (pro bably the Kerstis of Xenophon) in a succession of cataracts. Streamlets of water tumble through the streets, ancl each particular house appears to be supplied with a separate fountain, on the borders of which, ancl under bowers formed by vines and fruit trees, the natives smoke their pipes, drink their coffee, and seldom feel the in convenience of a Syrian summer. The chief, who was particularly attentive, entertained me at break fast in his garden, supplied me with excellent horse* DEPARTURE FROM CESAREA. 147 horses to convey me to Antioch, and said that he Avas in daily expectation of a visit from the Pasha of Aleppo, who designed to attack him. On quit ting Bailan Ave ascended, with difficulty, a narroAV pass, and soon gained the top of the mountains, through the Avindings of Avhich avc bent our course in a southerly direction, ancl at the end of the seventh descended into the plain of Antioch, the lake Ufrenus opening by degrees upon the A'ieAV. Here, at the entrance into the gorges of the moun tains, I observed an ancient castle, called Pagros. in excellent preservation; it Avas a large and mag nificent chateau, but I Avas at too great a distance from it to examine it accurately. We took a S. S. W. course, and travelled fourteen miles through a fertile, but uncultiArated plain, Avith the lake, and subsequently the river Orontes, on our left hand, and the mountains on our right. When within six or seven miles of Antioch Ave descried the gardens that surround the city, together with a part of the walls, which are carried OA'er the summit of a mountain* to the east; and as I con tinued to approach I was struck Avith the advan tages of its situation, in a territory unrivalled for * Procopiussays that when Germanus, the nephew of Justinian, was sent by his uncle to prevent Antioch from being taken by Chosroes Nushirvan, the city was inclosed between the Orontes and a steep, rugged, and unapproachable mountain. The cow ardly Germanus retired to Tarsus, abandoning the wealthy capital of the east, which was plundered by the Persians. l 2 richness, 148 DEPARTURE FROM C^ESAREA. richness, beauty, and variety of feature. On en tering the town we "crossed the Orontes, the valley of Avhich, on the right, was clothed with verdure, plantations of mulberry ancl flowering shrubs, a scene that could not but recal to one's fancy the animated description of a spot once famous as the abode of love and pleasure, but iioav of fear and misery. I waited on the Aga, Avho Avas also in rebellion, and Avho gave me a Konak on the house of a Christian merchant, one of the richest men in Antioch, but a mean and niggardly fellow, un willing to exercise the rites of hospitality. This man was incapable of the smallest exertion, and during the five clays I remained in his house, he passed the Avhole of his time either in sleeping on his sopha, or in smoking under the shade of a tree". He Avas called Abul Huck, and lived in a hand some house elegantly furnished; but he was either so indolent or avaricious, that he denied himself the common necessaries of life. At night, after my return from riding or walking, my carpets and cushions Avere placed on the top of the house, or on a sort of raised platform in the court, Avhere I slept. I seldom enjoyed the society of my gloomy host, but used to receive visitors led either by idleness or curiosity to see me. Amongst others, a venerable old Greek, Avith a Avhite beard, came often to wait upon me. Being a relation of Abul Huck's their houses Avere close to each other, and connected by a small door, about three feet in height, through which DEPARTURE FROM CJ5SAREA. 149 a\ hich the females of the respective families avcic passing all day, and, I believe, all night. He Avas a communicative old man, and possessed consider able information regarding the present condition of Syria, over the greater part of Avhich he had tra velled at different times. Antioch,* founded by Seleucus Nicator, ancl named after his father Antiochus, Avas the resi dence of the kings of Syria, ancl, from its size and magnificence, termed the Queen of the East. " Antioch ancl Alexandria," says Gibbon, "looked down Avith disdain on a croAvd of dependant cities, and yielded Avith reluctance to the majesty of Rome itself."'(" The population, at one time, is said * The ancient Antioch was composed of four quarters, built by four different kings of Syria, to afford accommodation and defence to an increasing population. t Urbs haec caput Syria; est, et qui regioni imperant, hie regiam habent : potentid quidem et magnitudine non muito a Seleucia superatur quae ad Tigrim est, et ab Alexandria! jEgypti. Hue Nicator eos traduxit, qui de genere erant Triptolemi de quo paulo ante fecimus mentionem : idcirco Antiochenses eum ut heroem colunt, et in Casio monte apud Seleuciam festuin ei diem agunt. Tradunt eum ad inquirendum Io ab Argivis missum, cum ilia apud Tyrum primo conspectui esset subtractu, per Cili- ciam errasse : et Argivos quosdam qui cum eo erant, fecta disces- sione ibi Tarsum condidisse. Caeteros vero secutos in reliquam oram, pervestigatione desperate, apud Orontem flumen cum eo remansisse. Gordym Triptolemi filium cum quosdam de patris comitibus secum haberet, eos in Gordyaeam colonos deduxisse. Reliquorum posteros cum Antiochensibus habitasse. Ulterius est Daphne ad stadia quadraginta mediocris vicus, et lucus ingens et l3 opacus, 150 DEPARTURE FROM C2ESAREA. said to have amounted to nearly half a million of souls; in the reign of Theodosius it contained one hundred thousand Christians alone, and was sur- named Theopolis, or the Divine City, when Christianity became the 'favourite religion of the Romans. The natives abandoned themselves to voluptuousness and luxury; they were at once re markable for their wit and effeminacy, and whilst the softness of the climate disposed the mind to sensuality and indolence, it rendered it unfit for the manly pursuits of war and politics. Antioch Avas the customary residence of the Roman governors of Syria, and the place where the em perors generally assembled their armies in their Avars against the Parthians; it was surprized by Sapor, King of Persia, after the defeat of Valerian, almost entirely destroyed by an earthquake in the reign of Justin,* and rebuilt and beautified by his nepheAV Justinian. But it was shortly afterwards taken by Chosroes Nushirvan, who set fire to the city ancl massacred many of the inhabitants. It Avas twice pillaged in the reign of Heraclius, first by Chosroes Purviz, the grandson of Nushirvan, and then by the Saracens. Recovered by Nice- phorus Phocas, it was subsequently betrayed into opacus, fontanij aquis irriguus, in cujus medio est fanum Apolr linis, ac Dianas et asylum. Eo Antiochenses aliique finitimi ad festa celebranda de more conveniunt. — Strabo, vol. ii. p. 1066. * Two hundred and fifty thousand souls are said to have perished by this earthquake. 1 the DEPARTURE FROM CESAREA. 151 the hands of Soliman Sultan of Roum, of the family of Seljuck; and fourteen years afterwards, in the year 1097, Bohemond, Prince of Tarento, established his authority at Antioch, Avhich, in 1268, Avas finally destroyed by Bandocdur, Sultan of Egypt* Exposed, therefore, in rapid suc cession, to the sa\age inroads of the Persians, and the desolating arm of the Arabs, the glory of the Syrian capital has long since sunk into the dust, and all traces of its theatre, its circus, and its baths, have irretrievably perished. It occupies a long and narroAV slip betAveen the base of a steep mountain ancl the river Orontes, Avhich defends it on the N. W. The space within the walls is about three miles in length, and the bread th,t from the foot of the mountain to the river, about a mile, ancl probably in some places a mile and a half. The fortifications, howeA^er, from the nature of the ground on Avhich they have been contracted, embrace a circumference of nearly ten or twelve miles. The modern tOAvn does not, I think, occupy more than a sixth part of the space within the Avails, the remainder being covered with plantations of mulberry, apricot, olive, and pomegranate trees; the houses are in the Turkish fashion, small but neatly built of heAvn stone, in ' * It surrendered to Selim I. after the battle of Aleppo, which proved fatal to the Mamelukes. t This agrees with the accounts which we have of the size of the city even during its greatest splendour. l 4 general 152 DEPARTURE FROM C^ESAREA. general consisting of two stories, with a, square in the centre, and lighted by small arched windows. Along the heights, on the S. E. side of the city, the walls and toAvers are almost entire; they ap pear to be about forty feet in height, and six or seA^en in thickness. They are formed of stone and lime, with layers of brick, and crusted with fine cut granite flags, which gradually diminish in size as they approach the top. The toAvers are more lofty than the Avails ; they are of a quadrangular form, divided into three floors, one upon the ground and two above, the latter being filled Avith loop holes, and sometimes small embrasures. Near the bridge of the Orontes, Avhich is supported by three moderate sized arches, I observed the remains of an extensive structure, probably meant to defend the passage of the river, while the substructions of other buildings are seen to extend. a considerable way up the face ofthe mountain behind the town. The rocks in this quarter are full of catacombs, and in one part there is an aqueduct of three arches heAvn out of the solid rock. The walls leading up the steep sides of the mountains have steps upon them in order to facilitate the ascent ; and in one of the three peaks Avhich croAvn the summit, I per ceived the shattered towers of the citadel* looking down upon a IioIIoav basin, or tank, intended, I * This castle was defended for some time by the Saracens after the city had fallen into- the hands of the Crusaders. should DEPARTURE FROM CESAREA. 153 should suppose, to collect the rain water falling from the slopes of the hills. There are in various parts of the tOAvn ancl neighbourhood, the remains of many churches and aqueducts, but none of them appeared to me deserving of any attention. Antioch, although delightfully situated, could neA er, in my opinion, haAe been a place of strength, since it is commanded on tAvo sides by the heights. Rising in a gentle slope from the shehing bank of the Orontes to the foot of the mountains, the city OAeiiooks a territory at once picturesque and pro lific,* enriched Avith groAes of bays ancl olives, verdant meadoAVS and arable land. The soil, natu rally fertile, is moistened and refreshed by a thousand rivulets issuing from the hills and run ning into the Orontes, which Aoavs majestically, in a S. W. course, along the foot of the decayed Avails, Avhen it disappears amidst the cliffs and Avoods of a romantic Aalley. To the north, the plain, about six miles in breadth, is bounded by the range of Bailan, fringed with green shrubs, and terminating at the sea near the ruins of Seleu- cia. To the N. E. the lake Ufrenus,'|" ancl an im- * There are few situations, within my knowledge, more to be admired than that of the capital of Syria. f The lake is about thirty-six miles in circumference, and the water is most excellent; there are several islands in it, which are said to contain the ruins of many temples and castles ; but I could not approach them for the want of a boat. mense 154 DEPARTURE FROM C^SAREA. mense plain,* capable, if cultivated, of supplying all Syria Avith corn, opened to the vieAV ; and on the S. E. and S. the city and valley of the Orontes are bordered by a chain of wooded hills, emerging into the brown and stormy peak of Mount Casius, from which, according to Pliny, the morning dawn, and evening twilight, maybe observed at the same time. .. The imports of Antioch are but trifling, and chiefly confined to coffee, salt, and sugar from Damietta and Alexandria, and cotton from Tarsus and Smyrna. But the productions of the country are considerable, in consequence of the mild and equi table government of the Aga, who, since he threw off the yoke of the Pasha of Aleppo, has discovered that the true method of enriching himself is that of improving the condition of his subjects. The inhabitants of Antioch, who speak the Arabic, Turkish, Greek, and Armenian languages, do not exceed nine or ten thousand souls, and are chiefly employed in the cultivation of silk, which yields a great profit, and is exported both as a raAV material and manufacture. The climate I thought mild and agreeable, neither too hot nor too cold, and at least fifteen degrees cooler than Tarsus or Adana, a difference for which it is not easy to account, * This plain is of great extent and exuberant fecundity ; but it is possessed by a horde of Turkmans, who regard it as their pro perty, and will not allow of its being cultivated. unless DEPARTURE FROM CdESAREA. 155 unless it be occasioned by the perpetual verdure of the earth, preserved by the numberless springs in the neighbourhood of this city. The third day after my arrival I went to visit a most delightful spot, on the declivity of the moun tains, ancl about seven miles from the city. It is called Babylse, and exhibits the vestiges of many buildings, bathed by a number of fountains which boil up from amongst the rocks, and flowing in different channels through a meadow shaded Avith luxuriant bays,* Avalnut trees, ancl groves of myr tle, soon afteiAvards unite and form a small river called the Kersa su, Avhich enters the Orontes about half Avay betAveen Antioch and Suedia. The sin gular beauty of this place, combined with the name of Babylas, Avould have led me to suppose it the spot on Avhich the famous Temple of Daphne, and aftenvards the Church of St. Babylas, formerly stood, had not D'Anville, and others, fixed upon Beit ul Mei, (the House of Water,) another agree able situation, five or six miles south of the city, as that seat of debauchery ancl Aroluptuousness. . An accomplished historian has given us the folloAving elegant description of this celebrated retirement ; a place, Avhich the Roman soldiers were forbidden to approach. * This is the only species of laurel I saw in the vicinity of Antioch. These trees grow to a prodigious size, and under a luxuriant foliage afford a delightful retreat. "At 156 DEPARTURE FROM CJ^ESAREA. " At the distance of five miles from Antioch the Macedonian kings of Syria had consecrated to Apollo one of the most elegant places of deA'otion in the pagan Avorld. A magnificent temple rose in honour of trie God of Light; ancl his colossal figure almost filled the capacious sanctuary, Avhich was enriched with gold ancl gems, and adorned by the skill of the Grecian artists. The deity was repre sented in a bending attitude, with a golden cup in his hand, pouring out a libation on the earth, as if he supplicated the venerable mother to give to his arms the cold and beauteous Daphne ; for the spot was ennobled by fiction, ancl the fancy of the Syrian poets had transplanted the amorous tale from the banks of the Peneus to those of the Orontes. The ancient rites of Greece Avere imi tated by the royal colony of Antioch. A stream of prophecy, Avhich rivalled the truth and reputa tion of the Delphic oracle, flowed from the Casta- lian fountain of Daphne. In the adjacent fields a stadium was built by a special privilege Avhich had been purchased from Elis; the Olympic games were celebrated at the expense of the city; and a revenue of thirty thousand pounds sterling Avas an nually applied to the public pleasures. The per petual resort of pilgrims ancl spectators insensibly formed, in the neighbourhood of the temple, the stately and populous village of Daphne, Avhich emulated the splendour, Avithout acquiring the title of a provincial city. The temple and the village DEPARTURE FROM C/ESAREA. 157 village Avcre deeply bosomed in a thick grove of laurels ancl cypresses, Avhich reached as far as a cir cumference of ten miles, and formed in the most sultry summers a cool and impenetrable shade. A thousand streams of the purest Avater issuing from every hill, preserved the verdure of the earth ancl the temperature of the air; the senses Avere grati fied Avith harmonious sounds ancl aromatic odours; ancl the peaceful groA-e Avas consecrated to health ancl joy, to luxury ancl love. " The vigorous youth pursued, like Apollo, the object of his desires, and the blushing maid Avas Avarned by the fate of Daphne, to shun the folly of unseasonable coyness. The soldiers and the philo sophers Avisely avoided the temptation of this sen sual paradise, where pleasure, assuming the charac ter of religion, imperceptibly dissolved the firmness of manly virtue. But the groves of Daphne con tinued for many ages to enjoy the A'eneration of natives and strangers; the privileges of the holy ground were enlarged by the munificence of suc ceeding emperors ; and eA*ery generation added neAV ornaments to the splendour of the temple." Beit ul Mei, the supposed site of the Temple of Apollo ancl fountain of Daphne, is five miles from Antioch on the road to Latakia.* In my visit to this place I travelled along the foot of the * The Jerusalem Itinerary says that Daphne was five miles from Antioch, on the road to Laodicea. mountains 155 DEPARTURE FROM CESAREA. mountains through groves of myrtle and mulberry trees, ancl at the sixth mile reached this spot, so famous in the history of Syria. It is a small natu ral amphitheatre on the declivity of the moun tains, where the springs burst with a loud noise from the earth, and, running in a variety of direc tions for the distance of about two hundred yards, terminate in two beautiful cascades, about thirty feet in height, falling into the valley of the Orontes. Instead of a magnificent temple, surrounded with stately groves of laurels and cypresses,* I saw three or four wretched water-mills built of mud, and a feAV dwarf myrtle bushes intermingled Avith bram bles. The largest of the fountains rises from un der a vertical rock, forming a small abyss, or con cavity, on the top and sides of which the massy remnants of an ancient edifice, perhaps those ofthe Temple of Apollo, attracted my attention. A considerable portion of the water of this spring is conveyed for nearly two miles through an artificial subterraneous aqueduct, which I was told had been traced to the vicinity of Antioch. I per ceived the ruins of another building at the foot of an adjoining mountain, but it did not strike me as meriting an attentive examination; ancl being; upon the whole as much disappointed with Beit ul Mei as I had been gratified with Babyte, I de- * Procopius says that it was unlawful to cut down the cypress groves of Daphne. scended DEPARTURE FROM CA2SAREA. 159 sccncled through some ploughed fields and mul berry plantations into the sequestered vale of the Orontes. I had directed Ibrahim, my Tatar, Avho for some days past had been indisposed, to take the direct route and meet me at Suedia, a small port near the mouth of the river, Avhich I forded, about four miles below Beit ul Mei, at a place Avhere its breadth diminished* its depth. I then directed my course over a hilly country clothed with myrtle bushes, and in the vicinity of cottages Avith gar dens of mulberry, pomegranate, fig, and olive trees. I passed the Kersa su, and another stream of the same magnitude, which, although nearly dry at this season of the year, become formidable torrents in the Avintry seasons. At the eighth mile from the ford of the Orontes, I came in sight of the Mediterranean, and descended from the heights into a plain bounded on the north by Mount Pierius, and on the south by Mount Casius, having the Orontes meandering through it to the sea. Journeying between six and seven miles over this plain we reached Suedia, a misera ble hamlet on the right bank of the river, and about one mile and a half from the sea; it takes its name from the ancient city of Seleucia, and con sists of a small house belonging to the Aga, and four or five poor hovels used as store-houses for * The Orontes is about the same size as the Gehoun. mer 160 DEPARTURE FROM CJESAREA. merchandize. There Avere three boats of about thirty tons each in the river, nor can a vessel of a greater burthen pass the bar, even at flood tides. I found Ibrahim sitting at the door of one of- the huts quarrelling Avith a custom-house officer, who refused to give him up the Aga 's house for my ac commodation, all the remaining huts being already filled with cotton, dried fruits, and other goods. The Turk was obstinate, we were therefore obliged to spread our carpets on the ground, under the lee •of a Avail, to protect me from the dust ancl winds. My sefvanthad luckily brought some bread Avith him from the city;* for we must otherwise have been destitute : the place Avas so poor that we could not even procure an egg or a little milk. I had hired a boat to convey me to Latakia, but the wind bleAV so fresh that the people were frightened and re fused to put to sea. I passed the remainder of the day and the Avhole of the ensuing night in this disagreeable situation, and, as soon as the sun had arisen, Avent to visit the ruins of Seleucia, a city founded by Seleucus Nicator, and which long gave the name of Seleucis to the adjacent territory. The ruins are situated close to the sea, at the foot of Mount Pierius, and consist of an artificial port, now almost choaked up with. sand, around which the houses would ap- * Antioch is twenty-four hours from Latakia, and the same distance from Aleppo. pear DEPARTURE FROM CJESAREA. l6l pear to have been built. A part of the Avails re mains, by Avhich the shape and size of the city may be traced; but the area Avithin the Avorks did not appear capable of containing more than seventy or eighty thousand inhabitants. Polybius says " that the city stood very near the sea, at the foot of a mountain of uncommon height, called Coryphaeus, and that it Avas surrounded by broken rocks and precipices. It Avas inclosed by walls of great strength and beauty, and adorned with temples and other sumptuous edifices. The suburbs lay on the plain towards the mouth of the Orontes, and between the sea and the city, which could only be approached by a flight of steps cut close and deep into the rocks." Traces of those steps are still discernible, but the palaces and sumptu ous edifices have for ever disappeared. n AR- ( 162 ) ARRIVAL AT LATAKIA, AND DESCRIP TION OF THAT CITY. I returned to the vessel, and as the Avind had subsided towards evening, persuaded the boatmen to drop down the stream to the mouth of the river, that we might be in readiness to pass the bar with the morning's tide ; but, notAvithstanding the felucca was perfectly light, we grounded seve ral times before Ave reached the mouth, and as it still bleAV fresh in the morning, I could, with diffi culty, prevail upon the mariners to venture out. We passed under Mount Casius with a fair wind, and in five hours from the time of our departure anchored in the harbour of Latakia, Avhere I was received by Mr. Barker, the British resident of Aleppo, who had come to this place for the benefit of his health. Lady Hester Stanhope, and her physician, Mr. Merion, whose attention to me dur ing my illuess will never be forgotten, Avere then also residing at Latakia : my friend, Mr. Brace, had only a few days before set out on his return to Europe. In the amiable family of Mr. Barker I was treated with the utmost kindness and hospita lity; ARRIVAL AT LATAKIA. 163 lity ; and I shall ever look back Avith pleasure and satisfaction to the time of my residing at Latakia as having afforded me an opportunity of cultivating the acquaintance of a gentleman Avhom I shall always be proud to number amongst my friends. A few days after my arrival, my Tatar, my ser vant, and myself were seized Avith a malignant fever, Avhich had recently proved fatal to Mr. Barker's eldest children, twTo beautiful ancl accom plished young ladies. By the skill of Mr. Merion and the attention of Mr. B. and his family I re covered my strength, although subject to attacks at intervals ; but poor Ibrahim, who preferred Turkish remedies to bark, was Avasted to a skeleton, and soon afterwards fell a victim to the distemper. This fit of indisposition overturned the project I had formed of visiting Palmyra, Racca, Kirkesia and the other towns on the Syrian side of the Euphrates. I resolved to return to Constantinople through Caramania, and was advised to go to Cyprus for the benefit of my health. Latakia, under the name of Ramitha,* Avas famous for a temple of Minerva, at Avhose altar the nati\es are said to have annually sacrificed a virgin. It was afterwards embellished by Seleu- cus Nicator, who named it Laodicea,f in honour of his * See a memoir in the Academie des Inscriptions. f Sequitur Laodicea, ad mare sita, urbs optime exstructa, et portu praedita, agrum habens, praeter caeterara frugum ubertatem, m 2 vini 164 ARRIVAL AT LATAKIA. his mother, and Avas a town of consideration before the conquest of Syria by the Romans. Laodicea was visited by Julius Cassar Avhen on his Avay from Egypt to Pontus ; he granted the inhabitants their liberty, and wre find that the city AVas styled Juliopolis on some of its medals. During the civil wars, Dolabella, with his fleet and army, were here shut up by Cassius ; the fleet was laid up in the port and the army encamped on the promontory ; but both were compelled to surrender, and the general fell upon his own sword. It became a bishop's see and was still possessed by the Chris tians when the crusaders invaded Syria ; it was in cluded in the empire of Saladin, conquered by Sultan Selim, and nearly destroyed by an earth quake. The population, which, according to Mr. Barker, amounted to ten thousand souls not longer than twelve years ago, is now, in consequence of the badness of the government and decline of the trade, reduced to four thousand. The town is situated on the north side of a pro montory forming two bays, the one to the S. the other to the N. ; and along a chain of heights, on one of which the citadel appears to have stood amidst extensive groves of fig and olive trees. The harbour, defended by a dilapidated castle, is vini feracissimum, unde maximam vini partem Alexandrinis prabet, cum totum supra se montem habeat viueis plenum usque ad vertices fere. — Strabo, vol. ii. p. 106*8. a small ARRIVAL AT LATAKIA. 165 a small cave, Avith a narroAV entrance, where vessels of a hundred tons burthen may ride Avith safety. The houses are constructed of cut stone, flat roofed, in general two stories high, Avith an inner court ; and, as each particular habitation is supplied with a cistern or reservoir of water, collected during the rains, a toAvn like Latakia might bid defiance to an army destitute of cannon. Such habitations, although ill adapted for the heat of the climate, are rendered necessary Avhere the Aveak, uncertain and distracted state of the government renders it either unfit or unable to protect the property of the subject. The greatest ornament of Latakia is a triumphal arched structure, of a square plan, be tween thirty and forty feet in height, and encircled near the top with a handsome entablature; the arches, four in number, are in the Roman style of architecture, and, as the general appearance of the building denotes great antiquity, it was probably erected in honour of Cassar, the patron of the city.* The corners are adorned with handsome pilasters of the Corinthian order, and one of its fronts ex • hibits a basso relievo Avith arms and martial instru ments. There is, at no great distance from it, a mosque built from the ruins of another ancient * Or, perhaps, Germanicus, who died at Daphne, and who was much beloved by the Syrians. He passed through Laodicea on hi* return from Egypt. m 3 edifice, 166 ARRIVAL AT LATAKIA. edifice, of Avhich several Corinthian columns of a portico still stand : and amidst the rocks and crags along the sea shore, to the north of the toAvn, I observed a prodigious number of small catacombs, in no way to be compared with those of Dara. The trade of Latakia is very trifling, notwithstand ing it has become the port of Aleppo ; sugar, salt and rice are brought from Egypt, wine from Cyprus, oranges from Tripoli and a few bales of woollen cloth from Smyrna. The commerce of Aleppo has, within these few years past, been entirely ruined in consequence of the depreciation of the currency, and enhanced price of European commodities ; the people have no longer the means of purchasing them ; and for a hundred bales of cloth formerly imported into Aleppo and distri buted amongst the neighbouring cities, not a tenth part of that quantity is now consumed. The population arid agriculture of the country are fast declining; the cities, falling to decay, lie half buried in their own ruins, and the oppressed and distracted peasantry either fly for safety into the mountains or look forward with a languid hope to a change of their condition. The revolution which took place at Aleppo, during my residence at Latakia, is a deplorable, though faithful, picture ofthe present ¦state of Syria. The janissaries of Aleppo had, for fourteen years, usurped the whole ofthe authority ; they had con verted ARRIVAL AT LATAKIA. 167 verted to their own use the revenues of the city, and had rendered abortive every effort of the Porte and its ministers to reduce them to obedience. The pashas of Aleppo therefore lived in obscurity and indigence, possessing neither influence nor dignity amongst the people whom they Avere appointed to govern. Many of the chiefs of the janissaries had acquired great wealth, principally by monopolizing the supply of corn and all other provisions required for the consumption of the in habitants. They either farmed the gardens and orchards in the vicinity of the city, or purchased, by compulsion, the produce from the cultivator, and sold it in the bazar for a considerable profit. Several of these chiefs had, in this manner, accu mulated fortunes to the amount of many millions of piastres, all of which Avas vested in money, rich merchandize or precious stones, deposited in many strong boxes or cases, and either placed in secure situations or buried under ground. Such was the situation of affairs when Mahomed, the eldest son of Chapwan Oglu, was appointed, a few weeks before my arrival at Latakia, to the Pashalic of Aleppo. He had purchased, upon speculation, the government of the city and its dependant districts, and, Avith the assistance of his father, Avho had sent him a body of horse, Avas resolved to subdue and enrich himself Avith the spoils of the rebellious janissaries. He commenced his operations by attacking the towns of Recha and Jesr Shoal (the m 4 chiefs 168 ARRIVAL AT LATAKIA. chiefs of which fled for protection to the Pasha, of Egypt*), slaughtered many of the inhabitants,, re duced the towns to ashes, and laid waste with fire and sword the whole of the adjoining districts. From such a mode of proceeding, one might have imagined that the territory he was ravaging be longed to an enemy instead of composing a part of his own, province ; had he acted with policy and moderation, it was capable of yielding him a considerable revenue; but the truth is, that on such occasions the commander, however humane and well inclined, is unable to restrain the violence or satisfy the rapacity of his troops. Flushed with success he returned to his en trenched camp before Aleppo, Avhere, by threaten ing some of his janissaries and bribing others, he prevailed upon them to deliver up their principal leader, persuading them that he was the only per son the Porte intended to punish, and that all the others would be permitted to enjoy the property they had acquired. This unfortunate man was, for nearly a week, daily put to the most cruel tor tures in order to compel him to disclose where he had secreted his wealth, and when the greater part of it had been delivered up, his head was ordered to be struck off. A few days afterwards the Pasha invited the remaining janissaries to a banquet in * This continually occurs. The enemies of one Pasha are pro tected by another. • his ARRIVAL AT LATAKIA. 169 his camp, ancl they, relying upon the most solemn oaths and promises, Avere so unwise as to accept his invitation. The result Avas such as might easily have been foreseen. They were seized, tortured and put to death,* and their heads, preserved in Avax, Avere dispatched to Constantinople. Maho med, by this act, became possessed of immense Avealth, and restored the authority of the Porte or rather fixed his oavii over the city of Aleppo, to the joy, I believe, of most of the inhabitants, who naturally preferred one. to a multitude of tyrants. At the time I left Syria he Avas preparing to attack the chiefs of Antioch ancl Bailan, ancl, in all proba bility, those two flourishing districts were soon afterwards the scene of tumult and bloodshed. The land in the immediate vicinity of Latakia is not unfertile, although suffered to lie waste; it abounds in wild boars, antelopes, wild cats, foxes, hares, ]black partridges or francolins, quails, wood cocks and a delicious little kind of bird called beccafica, resembling the ortolan. Excellent fish are caught in a small but deep river, about two miles to the S. of the town, so that the sportsman, for many months in the year, may find abundance of amusement. About tAvelve or fourteen miles * It appears perfectly astonishing that they should have ac cepted the invitation, which experience ought to bave informed them was only a snare laid for their destruction ; but the belief in predestination renders the Turks blind to those precautions which they might otherwise adopt. from 170 ARRIVAL AT LATAKIA. from the sea, a Ioav range of mountains branching from- Mount Casius and running parallel with the coast, is chiefly peopled by an extraordinary race of men called Ancyras. Their religion, like that of the Druses, is unknown, nor can their doctrines be easily discovered, as they admit of no proselytes and answer mysteriously when questioned on the subject. They are industrious husbandmen, have priests whom they style Shecks, speak the Arabic language and pay tribute to the Pasha of Acre. They have many prejudices, and, amongst others, look upon hanging as the most disgraceful of all deaths ; they prefer being impaled, and state, as a reason, that if hanged the soul issues from behind, but if impaled, it ascends out of the mouth. The fortitude they display under the agony of this dreadful punishment is perfectly astonishing, since they have been known to live twenty-four hours without uttering a groan, ancl even to smoke a nargil whilst writhing on the stake. I had several conversations with Mr. Barker regarding the Druses, with whom he avrs Well acquainted, having resided two years amongst them. It is impossible to imagine the extreme barrenness of the rugged territory which they in habit. It is a lofty chain of desolate hills hanging over the Mediterranean without a plain, a valley, or even a blade of grass or vegetation, excepting what has been industriously reared by the hand of man ; and as there is hardly a particle of soil upon ARRIVAL AT LATAKIA. 171 upon these dried and sun beaten rocks, the inha bitants almost entirely subsist upon the produce of the silk-worm, Avith Avhich they purchase corn. They cultiA'ate the mulberry-tree on graduated terraces, to prevent the rain from Avashing away the small quantity of earth Avhich they may have collected ; they are continually obliged to dig round these trees which are of the most diminutive size,* and are even reduced to the necessity of pounding stones, in order to afford them sufficient nourishment. They reside in hamlets consisting of four or five houses, and a fountain or rivulet is so seldom seen, that it is not uncommon for the Druses to drive their goats six or seven miles to water. They are a quiet and orderly people, have little or no knoAvledge of the religion which they profess, and place implicit faith in their Okals or priests. They will neither eat nor drink in the house of a person employed in any public situation, because they imagine that his revenues are unjustly derived from the labours of the poor; and are nominally governed by two chiefs, the Ameer Basher and Sheck Basher. The first of these stands appointed by the Grand Seignior,")" and, although nominally the head, possesses but little authority, the whole poAver being in reality vested in the latter, who is a Druse. The Ameer Basher can only be chosen from a certain number * A tree as tall as a man is said to be looked upon as a prodigy. + Or rather by the Pasha of Acre. of 172 ARRIVAL AT LATAKIA. of Turkish families resident amongst the Druses; and if he quarrels with the Sheck Basher, the latter has not only the power of displacing him, but of electing another person, although he cannot appoint himself. Mr. B. reckoned the population of the Druses, including the Christians who had settled amongst them, at about twenty thousand souls; they are tall and muscular, although they seldom or never eat animal food, and when they are enabled to procure this dainty they eat it raw from motives of economy. The Druses inhabit that mountainous tract between Tripoli and Acre, where the injured and oppressed are sure of an asylum, and are never betrayed : they generally dress in white, and look like so many spectres moving amongst the rocks and precipices. We read in sacred history of the fine cedars of Libanus, but those trees are noAV only to be found in one particular spot of this great range, and that in so scanty a number as not to exceed four or five hundred. According to Mr. Barker the whole population does not exceed a million and a half, or two million of souls; a strange and heteroge neous mixture of Catholics, Greeks, Nestorians, Armenians, Druses, Ancyras, Jcavs, Turks and Arabs, who are thinly scattered over a wide space, disunited, incapable of resistance, and who, Avith the exception, perhaps, of the Turks ancl Arabs, would hail, Avith gratitude and pleasure, the ap proach of a European deliverer. . Egypt and Syria,under ARRIVAL AT LATAKIA. 173 under the rule of an enlightened government, would soon regain their ancient Avealth and splen dour, and largely contribute, not only to their own defence and support, but to the prosperity of their protectors. The rapid and surprizing de crease of population, and the present desolate state of some of the most fruitful ancl charming districts of the earth, is principally, if not entirely, to be attributed to the internal policy, indolence and extreme ignorance of the Turks. The go vernors of the provinces are, as I haA e before had occasion to remark, perpetually changed, and as they have no fixed salary, but are expected to pay great and undefined sums to the Porte, they naturally make the best use of their time by ruining those whom they are appointed to govern. The Grand Seignior is lord of the soil,* and the Miri or Capitation tax is regularly paid into the imperial treasury. The Pashas derive their re venues from levying arbitrary contributions in money and in kind upon the merchants, citizens, * Although this is the received opinion in the Asiatic pro vinces of Turkey, 1 have frequently heard the villagers declare that they considered themselves as the lawful and hereditary proprietors of the soil. But in an empire where power is law, the Pashas or Governors of the provinces do not hesitate to grant the land to those who will promise them the largest share of its produce. In many parts of Armenia and Koordistan, the chiefs of districts and villages, invariably regard their estates as their own private property. villagers, 174 ARRIVAL AT LATAKIA. villagers, and cultivators of the land. This unjust and uncertain mode of taxation is rendered still more afflicting by the manner of collecting it ; the troops and followers of the Pasha, a licensed banditti,* disperse themselves over the country and villages, where they live at free quar ters, and for every piastre that is received by their master, at least three have been exacted from the unfortunate proprietor. Under such a system, neither agriculture, commerce, arms, arts nor sciences, can ever flourish, and it is only to be lamented that some effort has not yet been made to rescue so fine a country from the iron grasp of those who are so umvorthy to possess it. The state of agriculture is at the lowest ebb, com merce is fettered, and, indeed, nearly annihilated by a thousand restrictions and oppressive acts; their armies consist of an undisciplined and fero cious rabble, and their contempt of the arts is sufficiently apparent in the destruction of the finest monuments of antiquity. Walking, one morning, through the streets of Latakia, I saAV a number of Arabs employed in castrating a horse, and was struck with the ex treme simplicity of the operation. After the horse had been throAvn, a small piece of cotton cord was tied rather tightly round the scrotum, betAveen * The towns of Asia Minor swarm with such vagabonds, who, like the bands of Italy, are always ready to sell their services to the highest bidder. the ARRIVAL AT LATAKIA. 175 the testicles and the sheath ; a piece of felt Avas then applied to prevent the parts from being in jured, and one of the Arabs striking gently upon the felt Avith a small mallet, at the expiration of ten minutes, the operation was complete, without putting the animal apparently to any kincl of pain. It appears that the cord, Avithout offering any external injury to the skin, which is protected by the felt, cuts the small arteries, connecting the testicles Avith the other vessels of the body ; so that in the course of a short time they dry up and disappear. The operation is equally mild ancl effectual, and the horse may be rid the day it has taken place. QUIT ( 176 ) QUIT LATAKIA, AND SET SAIL FOR CYPRUS. About three weeks after my arrival at Latakia, and before I was entirely recovered from my in disposition, Mr. Barker and his family were com pelled to return to Aleppo. I then Avent to the house of M. de Guise, a young and amiable French gentleman, and the grandson of the cele brated person of that name, who so long resided amongst the Greeks. I remained some clays with him, after Avhich, as my Tatar and servant, as well as myself, were subject to continued relapses,* I hired a boat to carry us to Famagusta, in the island of Cyprus, Avere we landed on the 2d of January, after a voyage of fifteen hours. The entrance into the harbour is not, I should suppose, more than eighty, or a hundred yards Avide, de fended on one side by a bastion of the works, and on the other by a ruined tower. This port could once admit vessels of a considerable draft of Avater; but since the conquest of the Turks, sand and * Checked perspiration never failed to bring on a relapse. rubbish cvprus. 177 rubbish have been suffered to accumulate in such a degree, that none but small vessels can now enter it Avith safety. I had scarcely put my foot upon the shore, before I was beset by a tribe of Custom-house officers ancl other vagabonds, im periously demanding buckshish ; but, Avithout at tending to their clamours, 1 entered the sea-gate, and walked about a quarter of a mile through de serted streets ancl decayed churches, to a small coffee-house in the inhabited part of the town. Famagusta. which is said to have derived its name from Cape Amochostos, is situated above five miles to the S. of the ancient Salamis, now called Eski Famagusta, and is said to have been founded by a colony from Constantia, fortified by Guy of Lusignan, and afterwards embellished by the Ve netians. It stood a long and memorable siege against Sultan Selim, and appears to have been a fortress of considerable strength ;* its works, which are noAV dismantled, cover a circumference of about two miles, and consist of a rampart and bastions, defended on the land side by a broad ditch hewn out of the rock. In the centre ofthe town, Avhich is inhabited by a feAV Turkish fami lies, and Avhich, for the number of its decayed * The name of its noble defender was Brigardine. He made- an honourable capitulation; notwithstanding which, his dastardly. and ferocious enemies caused him to be flayed alive, and his skin stuffed with straw to be hung up near the post; a mqnument of their own infamy. n churches, 178 CYPRUS. churches, might be compared to old Goa, although not on so superb a scale, stand the remains of the Venetian palace near the Catheral of St. Sophia, a respectable Gothic pile, now in part converted into a mosque. As I could not procure a lodging within the walls, I hired a small room in a Greek village, about three quarters of a rnile off, and in the morning went to look at the ruins of Salamis, or rather of Constantia; for the former was entirely overwhelmed by an inundation of the sea. These ruins consist of the foundation of the ancient walls, about three or four miles in circuit ; old cisterns for collecting rain water, broken columns, and foundations of buildings, which lie scattered along the sea shore ancl near the mouth of the Peda3a, the ancient Pedseus. The country around Fama gusta, and the ruins of Constantia, is sandy, bleak and rocky, for the most part uncultivated and over spread with a small weed resembling the camel's thorn on the deserts of Arabia. 4th. I hired one horse, four mules, and a jackass, to carry myself and attendants to Larnica; but it had rained with such violence the preceding day and night, that I would not have quitted Fama gusta had I not found myself most uncomfortably situated in a miserable hut, scarcely Avater proof, and filled with fleas, bugs, and vermin of every kind. The morning Avas fine and we mounted about eleven o'clock, but had not gone a couple CYPRUS. 179 of miles before the rain again fell in torrents. It blew a furious gale from the west ; the roads Avere so deep and slippery that the cattle were stumbling at every step; and the surrounding country Avas so bare and desolate, that there aa-rs not a single object on which the eye might repose Avith plea sure. I saw neither villages nor trees, nor even shrubs, excepting the small thorn before mentioned, Avhich covered a vast and dreary flat,* over which we travelled for thirteen miles to the village of Qrmidia. It being reported to me, when Ave had gone about half way, that one of my sen-ants, Avho Avas mounted on the jackass, had disappeared ; I dispatched the muleteer in search of him, but he was no A\rhere to be found, and did not again join us until the next morning. He had lost his Avay on the heath, and as his poor beast Avas too jaded to proceed, he had been reduced to the necessity of passing the night in the fields. Thoroughly drenched to the skin, I took shelter in a Greek house in the valley of Ormidia, and as it Avas now nearly dark, and the storm continued to rage Avith increased violence, I resigned all thoughts of reach ing Larnica that night. In the house where I halted, several Greek mariners were making merry round a large fire in the middle of the hall, and, on our entering, opened their ring to afford room for * This ground was said to have been once covered by the famous forest of Idalium, where Adonis was killed by a boar, and turned by Venus into a flower. N 2 US ¦180 CYPRUS. us near the fire; but as this apartment was the only accommodation the house afforded, I inquired whe ther or not it were possible to hire a room in some other part of the village, which consisted of a number of scattered huts built along a range of heights overlooking a bay of the sea. I was in formed that there Avas at some distance, close to the sea shore, an old. house belonging to the Eng lish dragoman, where the Greek believed I might be accommodated, as it was only inhabited by a man and his wife, Avho had the care of it. I sent for this man, who said I was Avelcome to pass the night in the house, and that he would shew me the way. It was excessively dark, but after fol lowing him for about a quarter of a mile, through pools of water, and . over hedges and ditches, we entered the hall of a large and ruinous building, filled Avith broken chairs and tables, Avorm eaten couches, and shattered looking glasses. — In this uncomfortable place I settled myself for the night, and notwithstanding my carpet, as well as my clothes, was quite wet, lay down to rest, and slept soundly until break of day. 5th. In the morning Ave pursued our journey along the shore, and through a flat and marshy country, rendering the approach to Larnica difficult on this side. I saw but one village, situated close to a range of low hills, running from W. to E., and distant about four miles from the sea. I remained nine days at Larnica, at the house of M. Vande- CYPRUS. 181 siano, the British consul in Cyprus, and during that period marie several short excursions into the neighbourhood, although there Avas but little to attract admiration or call forth remark. The island is one hundred ancl forty miles in length ancl sixty-three in breadth ; at the as idest part a range of mountains intersects it from E. to W., terminating rewards the E. in a long promon tory called Cape St. AndreAV (ancient Denaretum,) and rising in a lofty peak called St. Croix, (Mount Olympus,) bearing nearly N. W. of Larnica. The soil is naturally fruitful, and although a very small proportion of the land is under cultivation, the merchants of Larnica annually export many car1 goes of excellent Avheat to Spain ancl Portugal. The population does not exceed seA^enty thousand souls, and is said to be daily decreasing; half of this number are Greeks under their archbishop, and the remainder Turks, Avith the exception of the Franks at Larnica. The evil consequences of the Turkish system of government are no Avhere more apparent than in Cyprus, Avhere the gOA^ernor, Avho is appointed yearly by the Capudan Pasha, the ex- officio proprietor of the island, has recourse to eATery method of extortion; so that the Turks Avould labour under the same grieA'ances as the Christians, Avere not the latter, in addition to the demands of the government, compelled to contri bute towards the support of a number of lazy and avaricious monks. All affairs connected Avith the x 3 Greeks 182 CYPRUS. Greeks are under the superintendance of the Arch bishop and Dragoman of Cyprus, (an officer ap~ pointed by the Porte,) who are accountable to the Mutesellim for the contributions, miri, &c. The most fertile, as well as the most agreeable parts of the island, are in the vicinities of Cerina and Baffo, the ancient Paphos,. where, according to Tacitus, Venus rising from the waves was Avafted to the shore. Here Ave find forests of oak, beech and pines, groves of olives and plantations of mulber ries. Cyprus is remarkable for the fineness of its fruits, wine, oil and silk ; the oranges are as deli cious as those of Tripoli, and the wine, which is of two kinds, red ancl white, is sent down the Levant, where it is manufactured for the English market. The silk is also of two kinds, yellow and white, but the former is preferred. The wheat is of a superior quality, and rice might be cultivated in several parts of the island, were the agriculturist permitted to accumulate a sufficient capital to enable him to clear and prepare the land ; but the Greek peasantry, who are the only industrious class, have been so' much oppressed by Turks, monks and bishops, that they are now reduced to the extremity of indigence, and avail themsel\res of every opportunity to emigrate from the island. The governor and archbishop deal more largely in corn than all the other people of the island put together; they frequently seize upon the whole yearly produce, at their own valuation, and either export Cyprus. 183 export or retail it at an advanced price; nay, it happened more than once during the Avar in Spain, that the whole of the corn Avas purchased in this manner by the merchants of Malta, and exported Avithout leaving theloAver orders a morsel of bread. The island abounds in game, such as partridges, quails, Avoodcoeks ancl snipes; there are no Avild animals excepting foxes and hares, but many kinds of serpents, and, amongst others, that of the asp, Avhich is said to have caused the death of the re nowned Cleopatra. All sorts of domestic foAvls, as well as sheep and cattle, are bred in Cyprus, Avhere it is the boast of the natives, that the produce of every land and climate will not only flourish but even attain the highest point of perfection. Larnica is situated on the site of the ancient Citium,* the native city of Zeno,f the philosopher, and at the head of a bay, constituting the best roadsted in the island. It is the second town in Cyprus, the emporium of its commerce ancl the residence of innumerable consuls from the dif- * Cimon was killed or died at the siege of Citium, which was destroyed by Ptolemy Lagus. Josephus says, that Cyprus was called Cethima, from Cethimus, the son of Javan. The Hebrew word Cethim was written Citium by the Greeks. t Inde navigatio sinuosa fere et aspera est Citium usque : urbs ea portum habet, qui claudi potest. Haec patria fuit Zenonis, Stoicorum principis, et Apollonii medici. Inde Berytum sunt atadia mille et quingenta. Citium sequitur Amathus urbs : et in medio oppidum quod Palaea dicitur, id est, vetus, et mons mamillce similis Olympus. — Strabo, vol. ii. p. 972. n 4 ferent 184 CYPRUS* ferent European powers, who parade the streets with as much self-importance as if they were ambassadors. Larnica consists of an upper and a lower town,* both together containing a popula tion of five thousand souls ; of Avhich number forty families are Franks, and the remainder Greeks and Mahomedans. The houses being built of mud are mean in the extreme, but those of the Franks are comfortable within, and most of them are adorned by a lofty flag-staff, where, on Sundays and holi days, they hoist the colours of their respective nations. The upper town contains the convent' and cathedral of St. Saviour, the residence of the bishop, and the Marino or Port; ancl the chapel of St. Lazarus, a very old structure, without beauty or magnificence, but consecrated by the Greeks, as the spot to which Lazarus fled for refuge from the rage of the Jews.'f" A stone coffin or sarcophagus, in a vault, is said to have once contained his ashes until they were carried off by the French to Mar seilles. At a short distance from the chapel of St. Lazarus stands the castle, an edifice originally erected by the Princes of the House of Lusignan, but now crumbling to ruins. The exports are wheat, barley, cotton, silk, wine and drugs; the imports rice and sugar, from Egypt, and cloth, hardware and colonial produce from Malta and * The lower town is called Marino. T He is said to have been wrecked on the coast of Cyprus. Smyrna. CYPRUS. 185 Smyrna. This traffic is carried on by Levantine ships under English colours ; there is no harbour, consequently the ships lie at a considerable distance from the shore, but the anchorage is tolerably good, and accidents seldom happen. The prevailing Avinds bloAV from the N. E. ancl S. W., the latter being in general accompanied by heavy falls of rain. An adjacent cape is still denominated Chitti, whilst the ruins of Citium are recognized in heaps of tumuli and hillocks of rubbish ; from Avhich bricks of a superior quality and medals are fre quently dug up by the natiAes. Between the upper ancl the lower tOAvn is an elevated spot, on Avhich a building appears to have been erected, and immediately at the foot of this mount is the ancient basin of the Port, the mouth of which is now blocked up Avith sand ancl gravel; so that the water becomes stagnant in the summer. Traces of the fosse as Avell as of the aqueduct may be dis covered; for Larnica has no good water in itself, ancl is still supplied from a distance by an aqueduct con structed by aTurkish emir about half a century ago. The military force of Cyprus amounts to three hundred men, immediately about the person of the governor, and four thousand janissaries, without courage, arms or discipline, dispersed over the dif ferent parts of the island.* I bade * The possession of Cyprus would give to England a prepon- 4erating influence in the Mediterranean, and place at her disposal the 186 CYPRUS, I bade adieu to Larnica, and its motley inhabit ants, without a sigh of regret, ancl on the morning' of the 14th of January set out for the capital. For the first three miles I travelled through a dreary and uncultivated plain, having the bay on my right hand, and the mountain of St. Croix, with the ridge of Olympus, to the N. W.; crossing at the fourth mile a streamlet, I entered a range of Ioav rocky hills, and at the ninth mile saw the lofty chain Avhich bounds the plain of Nicosia, on the N. This range branches from Olympus, first towards the N., and then, turning towards the E. and W;, terminates on the W. at Cape Epiphany, and on the E. at Cape St. AndreAV. At the twelfth mile descended into a noble plain, bounded on the N. by a low branch of Olympus; and at the four teenth, halted to refresh our horses at the Greek village of Atteno. If we except a few fields in the immediate vicinity of Larnica, the country, the future destinies of the Levant. Egypt and Syria would soon become her tributaries, and she would acquire an overawing po sition in respect to Asia Minor, by which the Porte might at all times be kept in check, and the encroachments of Russia, in this quarter, retarded, if not prevented. It would increase her com merce in a very considerable degree; give her the distribution of the rich wines, silks, and other produce of that fine island; the rice and sugar of Egypt, and the cotton, opium, and tobacco of Anatolia. It is of easy defence ; and under a liberal government would, in a very short space of time, amply repay the charge of its own establishment, and afford the most abundant supplies to our fleets at a trifling expense. during CYPRUS. 187 during the Avhole of the journey, was in a state of nature; the soil Avas marly, and covered Avith the Aveed so often mentioned before. After an hour's repose Ave again mounted our horses, directing our course across a plain, thickly overspread Avith large pebbles ; Avhich I Avas informed increased the fer tility of the land by preserving a certain degree of moisture, and at the same time protecting the rising grain from a blighting Avind common to this island. At the fourth mile crossed, on a stone bridge, the southern branch of the Pedio, floAving gently through a Aalley interspersed Avith groves of oHa'c trees; the first Ave have seen. From the bridge we ascended an eminence, and entered upon an extensive table land, intersected Avith Ioav hills, of a singular appearance and formation ; they are composed of a gravelty substance, some of them square ancl others round, with flat summits and vertical sides : the nature and appearance of the country, in other respects, the same as that be tween Larnica and Atteno. At the tenth mile Avas a small hamlet; and at the fourteenth, the city of Nicosia, the ancient Tamasis, broke upon the vieAV, at no greater distance than five or six hun dred yards : it made a fine appearance, and bore a striking resemblance to Shiraz in Persia, Avhen that beautiful city is first seen on issuing from the gorges of the mountains, behind the tomb of Hafiz. Like the capital of Fars, it is situated in a noble plain, bounded by lofty mountains, tipped with 188 CYPRUS. Avith snow, Avhilst its numerous spires ancl mina rets are seen to rise- in the same manner above the branches ofthe trees; but the fine cathedral of St. Sophia, towering over the heads of all the other buildings, combined with the extent and solidity of the walls and bastions, gives an air of grandeur to Nicosia Avhich Shiraz cannot emulate. I entered the city by the gate of Larnica, and Avas conducted to the episcopal palace through a number of narrow lanes, Avhere my horse was nearly buried in mud and filth. The arch bishop, dressed in a magnificent purple robe, with a long flowing beard, and a silk cap on his head, received me in the vestibule, and ordered an apartment to be prepared for me in the palace, a large and straggling building, containing up- Avards of a hundred chambers. These are all required for the accommodation of the bishops, priests, and their attendants; for the archbishop, both in power and affluence, is the second per sonage on the island. All affairs connected with the Greeks are under his immediate cognizance and management; and, consequently, when the governor is desirous of making a new arrangement regarding that class, or of levying contributions, he has recourse to the archbishop, Avho has lately usurped the whole authority, and seldom even deigns to consult the dragoman. From the hum ble situation of an obscure deacon, he raised him self, by extraordinary means, to the episcopacy: he CYPRUS. 189 he borroAved immense sums of money from the rich, Avhich he laA'ished on the poor; securing, in this manner, the votes of his creditors, that they might be repaid, and those of the others in expec tation of future reAvard. He pressed me to remain Avith him for a short time, promising, on this con dition, that he would procure the mutesellim's boat to transport me from Cerina to Kelendri; and as he Avas prepossessing in his manners, and far superior to the generality of Greek priests, I consented to postpone my departure for a couple of days. At seven o'clock supper being announced, he took me by the hand, ancl led me through a gallery into the refectory, a long ancl dirty hall, where about thirty priests and bishops sat down to table. The Avilie ancl provisions were excellent and abundant, and the bread, Avhich was white as snow, and baked with milk instead of water, was the best I remember to have tasted. During my stay at Nicosia, I visited every thing Avorthy the attention of a traveller; amongst the rest, the cathedrals of St. Sophia, St. Nicholas, St. Catharine, and St. Dominique: the former is a handsome Gothic structure, but the others are small, and do not merit any particular description. Three of them are noAV mosques ; that of St. Ni cholas is converted into the Bezistein, and that of St. Dominique contains the tombs of many princes of the house of Lusignan, Avho held their court at Nicosia. The mutesellim resides in the ancient palace 190 CYPRUS. palace of the kings of Cyprus; but it is noAV so much altered and disfigured, that it is not possible to form any idea of its original appearance : the gate is however entire^ and over the arch, in basso relievo, is the figure of a griffin, the crest, I be lieve, of Lusignan. From the palace I directed my course to the ramparts, round which I Avalked in abOut an hour and a quarter ; they are built, or probably only faced, with hewn stone, flanked with large oblong bastions: the ditch is dry and shallow, but so broad that it now yields a consider able quantity of corn; the rampart is also in some parts cultivated, and of great breadth, as all the earth and rubbish from the interior of the tOAvn appears to have been transported thither in order to add to its solidity. The batteries are en barbete, and I counted but four small pieces of artillery Avithout carriages ancl completely honeycombed, a matter however of no consequence, as this city could never stand a siege, being entirely commanded by the heights to the S. of it. Nicosia, or, as the Turks call it, Licosia, contains, according to the ac count of the archbishop, two thousand families of Mahommedans, half that number of Greeks, forty of Armenians, and twelve of Maronite Catholics; four public baths, eight mosques, (all of Avhich were once churches,) six Greek chapels, and one Catholic convent, besides the episcopal palace, and a large caravanserai now falling to decay. The remaining part of the town consists of brick and mud iCVPRUS. 191 mud huts, many of Avhich have been erected on the foundations of the old edifices. The bazar, although tolerably Avell supplied, is not even arched, but roofed Avith reeds and mats, Avhich admit the rain in all directions. The city is entered by three gates, namely, those of Larnica, Cerina, and Pa- phos, of Avhich the latter is most deserving of notice; the circumjacent plain is filled with Greek convents, ancl the Avhite peak of mount Olympus bore about S. W. by W. 16M. In the morning the dragoman paid me a visit, and in the eArening I returned it: he Avas a Greek, of a good family at Constantinople, and formerly attached to the English army in Egypt. It Avas not difficult to perceive that a jealousy sub sisted between him and the archbishop, whom he accused of avarice and ambition, and a desire of intermeddling in matters that did not concern him. On the 19th I bade adieu to Nicosia, and set out for Cerina, Avhere I intended to embark for the op posite coast of Caramania. I directed my course through the plain in a N. W. direction, and about a mile and a half beyond the city wall, crossed the northern branch of the Pedio, a small stream flow ing- to the E. At the fourth mile we entered a range of Ioav bi'OAvn hills, through Avhich we travelled until the ninth mile, when we descended into a narroAV flat, running along the foot of the lofty chain of mountains before mentioned: this flat had the appearance of great fertility, but it was neither 192 CYPRUS. neither inhabited nor cultivated. At the eleventh mile we reached the foot of the range; when changing the direction of our course to the N. E. we entered a cleft or opening in the mountains, the sides of which were clothed with myrtle, a variety of other evergreens, and sweet-scented flowers. Our route, for about three miles, led through this defile; when, on turning the point of a rock, we had a view of the distant coast of Ci licia, and the finest part of Cyprus I have yet seen : a narrow belt of land, covered with shrubs and trees, confined on one side by the sea, ancl on the other by the mountains, extended to the E. and W. as far as the eye could reach. The little town of Cerina, or, as the Turks call it, Gerinia, with its ancient chateau, Avas discerned immedi ately under us, reflected in the water; and on the right hand the stately towers of the convent of Bella Paisa rose amidst the wooded cliffs of the mountains : we were nearly an hour in descending, and at three in the afternoon reached Cerina, the whole distance being, according to my computa tion, about eighteen miles. I had so sooner arrived than I was informed by the Zabit, that the boat had sailed only a few hours before for the opposite coast, and was not expected back for two or three days;— a circum stance Avhich occasioned me some uneasiness, as I foresaw that I should be detained in a place where it was impossible to procure even a habitable apartment. CYPRUS. 193 apartment. I had brought a letter of introduc tion to Signor Loretti, the captain of the boat; but he Avas gone in command of the vessel, and I was therefore necessitated to cultivate the ac quaintance of the Zabit, Avho invited me to dinner, and regaled me with abundance of Avine ancl a Cyprian concert, consisting of tAvo blind fiddlers, accompanied by a boy Avho sang and played upon the lute. In the morning, the Signora Loretti, an old dame Avith a very long waist, entered the court of the hovel where I resided ; ancl dismount ing from her mule observed, that she Avas come to carry me to her country-house, Avhere I could remain until her husband returned from Kelendri. I accepted, Avith gratitude, her kind invitation; and promising to be at her house in the evening-, she departed, saying that she Avould go and make preparations for my reception. Ibrahim, who had never perfectly recovered from the effects of the Latakia fever, Avas once more taken ill, and in the course of a feAV days, reduced to extreme Aveakness. I left him under the care of the Zabit, and set out Avith a guide to look at the old and magnificent monastery of Bella Paisa, situated on the declivity of the mountains, about four miles S. E. of Cerina : from the tOAvn to the monastery, which was founded by a princess of the house of Lusignan, I passed under the shade of olive, myrtle, and orange trees. A Greek priest stood at the gate to shew me the 0 ruins. 194 CYPRUS. ruins. Several cows were grazing in the outer court, from which we passed into a decayed cloister, and thence into the chapel; which, for the lightness ancl elegance of its architecture, might be compared to the cathedral of Salisbury : it has six Avindows facing the north, ancl com manding a delightful prospect of the adjacent country, sea, and coast of Caramania : it is forty- three paces in length, and fourteen in breadth; but of all its ornaments a stone pulpit alone re mains. On the E. side of the cloister, the ceilings of two gothic chambers have fallen in; and im mediately above there appears to have been a hall ofthe same length as the chapel, decorated with six handsome pilasters on either side, and tAvo noble Gothic Avindows opening towards the sea: there are several other apartments in ruins ; and on the south side of the cloister, another Gothic hall has been converted into a Greek chapel. Above are the cells of the monks, and beneath the monastery is a prodigious subterraneous cavern, completely arched, and now used as a cowhouse and stable. The ground, for some distance round the monastery, is covered with the remains of other buildings, appendages no doubt to the former establishment, which has more the appearance of a prince's palace than a place of religious retirement. It is difficult to imagine a situation more conATenient or delight ful; lofty mountains and hanging cliffs, clothed Avith wood and verdure, rise immediately behind, and CYPRUS. I95 and continue to extend in successive ridges both to the E. ancl W.: a fertile plain spreads to the channel, formerly called Aulon Cilicius, which is bounded by the rocks of Mount Taurus, mantled with snoAV. I quitted this pleasing spot Avith re gret; and bending my course along the foot of the mountains, reached, at four in the evening, the habitation of Signora Loretti, a neat little cot tage, standing on an eminence about three miles to the S. W. of Cerina. The old lady Avas ready to receive me at the door, and conducted me to my apartment, Avhich Avas distinct from the other part of the cottage, and stood in the middle of the garden. Captain Loretti had purchased this estate, consisting of several hundred acres of excellent land, for twenty piastres, or about a pound ster ling, and had amused himself in improving it, by planting olive trees, Avhich yield a large profit in a short time. The toAvn, or rather village, of Cerina, the an cient Cerinia, was formerly defended by a strong wall; but the greater part of it has fallen down, and the port has been nearly filled up by the ruins. On the east side of the harbour stands the castle, a fortress erected, i"1" is said, by the Venetians: it is of a square fonr flanked at each corner with round towers, Avashed on the N. and E. by the sea, and defended on the S. and W. by a deep ditch: the walls are lofty, and built of an excellent kind of stone; it has one gate in the west face, and o 2 there 1^6 CYPRUS. there are, I believe, four small brass swivels mounted in the works. The harbour, which is small, is exposed to the north wind, and cannot admit a vessel of more than a hundred tons bur then; but the trade is inconsiderable, there not being above fifteen families in the place. 22a\. Captain Loretti arrived from Kelendri during the night, and reached his habitation early in the morning, mounted on a mule without a saddle : he was a native of Dalmatia, and appeared to be bordering on sixty years of age; tall and muscular, and dressed partly as a Turk and partly as a Frank: he pretended to much learning, but was ignorant of the most common occurrences; and although he boasted of being able to speak ten different languages, it was with exceeding difficulty you could understand him in any. He was vain, rude, and presuming; but kind, hospitable, and attentive; and altogether the strangest compound of a man I had ever met with. He wished me to spend a week with him, saying, that the boat could not sail before the treasure intended for the Capudan Pasha should arrive from Nicosia; and when I urged the necessity of my immediate de parture, he laughed so loud that he might have been heard at least a mile off, adding, that the boat should not move from her anchorage before the time specified. After a warm dispute I wrote a letter to the Zabit, who sent an order that the boat should sail whenever I thought proper. The cap tain, CYPRUS. 197 tain, upon receiving this message, broke forth into a furious torrent of invective against the poor Zabit ; but I at last assuaged his wrath by stating, that he might himself remain quietly at home, and send his mate, a Greek, to see me fairly across the channel. He liked the proposal, and said that the boat should depart with me in the morning. 0 3 ARRIVAL ( 198 ) ARRIVAL IN CARAMANIA, AND JOUR NEY FROM KELENDRI TO ICONIUM. We sailed on the evening of the 24th, and the following morning found ourselves off the pro montory of Selefkeh, where I was desirous of landing; but as it soon afterwards began to bloAV fresh from the E. we were driven, in the course of the day, considerably to the W. of Kelendri, and compelled to take shelter in a small bay about fifteen miles from Anamour.* The mountains come doAvn close to the edge of the sea; and the coun try, which is covered with fine trees, has a Avild and forsaken appearance. The captain haying- persuaded me that we must either reach Selefkeh or Kelendri in the course of eight or ten hours, I had neglected to lay in any store of provisions; and as it Avas quite uncertain how long we might be detained in this bay, I dispatched a Greek sailor to discover whether or not there were any * Supra diximus e regione Anemurii, quod est Asperae Cilicias promontorium, situm esse Cypri promontorium, quod Crommyi (id est, cepae) dicitur: intervallum est trecentorum quinquaginta stadiorum. — Strabo, vol. ii. p. 971. villages i ARRIVAL IN CARAMANIA. 199 villages in the neighbourhood: he returned after an absence of some hours, stating that he had discovered a solitary tent, from the master of which he had purchased an old cock, but could not procure a morsel of bread or cheese. 26th. The inhabitant of this tent, a Turkman shepherd, came to us in the morning, and in answer to my demand whether it were possible to procure five or six horses or mules to carry us to Anamour or Kelendri, he said he thought he could collect them in the course of a day or tAVO, pro vided I Avould give ten piastres for each : I agreed to do so, and then asked if he could procure us some provisions until the horses Avere collected; but he shook his head, and said that the nearest A'illage Avas four hours distant, and that he could not go so far. My Tatar, Ibrahim, was danger ously ill, and so much reduced from Avant of pro per nourishment, that I Avas fearful lest he should die before I could procure assistance. We Avere unable to put to sea, as the Avind bleAV from the S. E. right upon the land; ancl therefore, placing no confidence in the promises of the shepherd, I bribed a seaman to go direct to Kelendri to bring us food and horses. I dispatched the man late in the evening, and about ten o'clock in the morning ofthe 27th, I saAV him through the trees descending the mountains : he had not had occasion to go all the way to Kelendri, having succeeded in hiring four horses and three mules at a village on the road. o 4 He 200 ARRIVAL IN CARAMANIA. He also brought us some bread, milk and eggs, which, after so long a fast, were most acceptable ,v but Ibrahim Avas so much exhausted, that he could only SAvallow a feAV spoonfuls of milk, and ap peared to be fast approaching the term of his earthly career. We commenced our journey by ascending a steep hill, and then directed our course through the open ings of the hills and forest. At the third mile the country began to expand into a fine bay, the moun tains receding to the distance of three or four miles from the sea; at the fourth we crossed a small river,* and at the fifth arrived at the house, where our servants had hired the horses. It was a soli tary mansion in the middle of the bay, and the re sidence of a Turkman chief, a rude and intemperate felloAV, who, in an imperative tone, commanded the mules to be unladen, remarking that the dis tance to Kelendri rendered it necessary that Ave should remain with him until next morning. To this proposal I could not object, since Ibrahim was too Aveak to support the fatigue of so long a journey. He led me into a large and dirty hall, and placed me in a sort of gallery or elevated veranda, where he said I should remain by myself unmolested by his attendants. About eight o'clock at night, a long and filthy cloth was spread on the floor of the hall, which was lighted bya blazing * Probably the ancient Arymagdus. fire ARRIVAL IN CARAMANIA, 201 fire at one end, and dinner, consisting of two large dishes of boiled barley, (for there is no wheat in this part of the country,) Avas then brought in. The chief sat at the head of the room, and his ragged followers were ranged beloAv; they were not altogether five minutes at their meal; but, re tiring from the centre of the apartment they placed themselves with their backs to the walls, ancl con tinued smoking their pipes to a late hour, Avhen their master retiring, they lay down to sleep on the floor. I was awakened, in the middle of the night, by the intelligence that our host Avas preparing to abandon his habitation, in consequence of the arrh/al of a messenger, announcing the approach of the chief of Softa Kela, Avith a body of horse, to enforce the payment of the tribute, or rather contribution. Our host informed me, that he never condescended to pay any tribute, and that, Avhenever a party Avas sent against him, he retired Avith his people to the fastnesses of the mountains, Avhere he could not be discovered. My Tatar continued in so weak a state, that I was apprehen sive of his immediate dissolution. I could not leave him behind, because the house would be im mediately vacated ; and I was afraid that he had not sufficient strength to enable him to ride to Kelendri. I placed him at length upon a mule, having hired two men to support him, and, in this manner, we commenced our journey, fearful of being overtaken by the gang from Softa Kela. We pursued 202 ARRIVAL IN CARAMANIA. pursued our course, for three miles, along the shore of the bay to the mountains, Avhich bound it on the E. Here we forded, with considerable diffi culty, a rapid torrent near its mouth, and began to ascend the acclivities of the mountains. The road, if an intricate path about two feet in breadth could be so termed, led, for twelve miles, along the edge of the sea, and over a succession of rocks and precipices. It was throughout so rough and stony, and in some parts so extremely narrow, that the smallest deviation to the right would have plunged us down many hundred feet into the waves below. The mountains abounded Avith fir, and cedar of a large size, dwarf oaks and beeches, fine myrtles, and many beautiful creepers. We saw a few flocks of goats, and some stray young camels, but neither village nor habitation of any kind. At the end of the fifteenth mile, the country became somewhat more open, and Ave descended into a bay, forming a safe and commodious harbour, called Souksoui, or the cold stream, from a small but rapid river, Avhich here enters the sea. It appears to represent the ancient port of Arsinoe, and the ruins of a toAVn ancl castle may be seen on a projecting point, com manding the entrance of the harbour on the W. We crossed the bay ancl river, and continued our journey along the foot ofthe mountain to Kelendri, which we reached at three in the afternoon, having travelled, according to my computation, about eighteen miles. Ibrahim sustained the fatigue of the ARRIVAL IN CARAMANIA. 203 the journey better than I expected he would have done, but he was so much debilitated, that I gave up all idea of his accompanying me to Constanti nople, and had resolved to leave him at Kelendri until he should regain his strength. This misera ble place consisted of four or five wretched huts, and a large magazine or storehouse, filled with Armenian merchants, Avho were Avaiting an oppor tunity to pass into Cyprus. The principal per sonage Avas a Goomrookshee, or custom-house officer, whom I found sitting Avith the merchants at a large fire, in the middle of the magazine ; and who, in reply to my question, Avhether it Avere possible to hire a private lodging, advised me to remain Avhere I Avas, as the only comfortable place in the village. Kelendri, the ancient Celendris, is twelve hours from Anamour,* and eighteen from Selefkeh,'!" and consists of a feAV wretched hovels, rising from the ruins of the old town, Avhich lie in scattered and mouldering heaps at the foot of the mountains, and along a small bay, about a mile in length. * This is a small town, formerly called Anemurium, and now the residence of a prince of the Turkmans. f Selefkeh, called Seleucia in ancient times, contained, ac cording to Zosimus, a temple and oracle of Apollo, who bestowed, on those of his votaries, whose lands were infested by locusts, a species of bird, which destroyed them. On a small island, imme diately opposite this coast, one of the kings of Cappadocia built a city, which he called Sebaste, in honour of Augustus. A pro- 204 ARRIVAL IN CARAMANIA. A promontory, protecting the harbour in the W. exhibits the shattered walls of a castle,* and a number of small arched buildings of great anti quity and solidity, inclosing each a handsome sarcophagus. Many of these sarcophagi are co vered and entire, Avhilst others have been broken and- their tops removed. I counted upwards of tA\renty, and, of this number, only two had Greek inscriptions upon them. About the middle of the town, stands a small pavilion, apparently very an cient ; and entered by four arches, facing the four cardinal points ; it is built of hewn stone, and rises in the form of a cone, decorated with a handsome cornice round the top. Kelendri was so poor, that I was compelled to send to the distance of three miles, in order to procure some nourishment for my unfortunate Tatar, Avho unable to contend against so many hardships and privations, died the following day, after requesting me to take charge of his money, and deliver it to his wife, lest it should be seized by his countrymen. I sent to the neighbouring village for the Imaum, who washed, perfumed, and wrapped his body in clean linen, according to the ceremonies of his religion. I then paid sixty piastres to be distributed in charity, and caused him to be interred under the bank, at the foot of * Celendris was a strong castle in the time of Germanicus, and, after the death of that prince, was seized by Piso, who stood a siege against Sentius. the ARRIVAL IX CARAMANIA. 205 the castle Avail. I shall ever pity and regret the untimely fate of this excellent young man, who had served me faithfully for eight months. 31st. Having no further cause of detention, I prepared for my departure, and wished to hire horses to carry me to Selefkeh ; but the villagers refused them, fearful of being robbed by the thieves which infested the road. Disappointed in all my endeaveurs to see the ruins of that city, I dressed my servant in the cap and jacket of the Tatar, and, on the morning of the 1st February, set out for Caraman. My company consisted of myself, my servant, dressed as a Tatar, and two Turkman guides on foot. I wished them to be mounted, but they preferred Avalking, because the country (named Trachea by the ancients) through which we had to pass was so rugged and mountainous, that it Avas necessary they should be on foot to guide the horses over the rocks. The road, for the first mile and a half, ran along the shore, Avhen we turned to the N. up a valley, having a moun tain-torrent on the right hand, and the remains of an aqueduct on the left. At the third mile we halted, about half an hour, at the A'illage, (to which I have before frequently alluded,) in order to make some arrangements respecting my guides, and then pursued our journey in a northerly direction up a wooded glen, having a deep abyss on our right, and rocks and precipices on our left. The remains of the aqueduct, before mentioned, Avere still ' 06 ARRIVAL IN CARAMANIA. .still visible in many places. At the fifth mile Ave ascended a mountain, and travelled for seven miles across a rocky country, and through romantic val- lies covered with pine, juniper, oak, and beech.' The general direction, N. W. by W. I saw a few straggling black tents, and some droves of camels with long shaggy hair, but no villages or houses. At the fourteenth mile we crossed a small river, which enters the sea at Bohadel, and rode along the banks of it for a mile and a half, as far as its junction with another stream from the N. E. We followed the course of the latter to the village of Shogoomoor, which we entered at the eighteenth mile, and where we met with a hospitable shep herd. 2d. We mounted at sun-rise, and traversing a great table land, entered a gloomy dell, with a rivulet floAving through it to the N. At the eighth mile, crossed this river at its confluence with an other, coming from the W., when the combined stream took a course to the N.. E., and was soon lost amongst the woods and mountains. It joins, I believe, the river Avhich disembogues at Selefkeh. Here we changed the direction of the road, from N. to N. N. W. At the twelfth mile, again saw the river to the right, forcing a passage through an awful chasm in the mountains, many hundred feet below us ; at the fifteenth mile crossed a tor rent, and at the twentieth, entered a defile about a mile in length. In issuing from this defile Ave quitted ARRIVAL IN CARAMANIA. 207 quitted the thick forest, through which Ave had hitherto passed, and, at the twenty-third mile, reached the banks of the Erminak, a formidable river, bounding furiously along to the S. E. For tunately for us, there had not been any rain for many days before, and the river, at this spot, was rendered more shalloAV from its breadth, which Avas about two hundred and sixty yards. We forded it, notAvithstanding, with extreme difficulty, and had nearly lost one of our horses, Avhich being carried aAvay by the force of the current, did not gain the opposite bank without great exertion. This river takes it name from the city of Erminak, about four hours N. W. of the ford, and after its confluence with the Mout Soui, falls into the Me diterranean at Selefkeh. Erminak, the ancient Homonada, is now a small town, the capital of a district, and remarkable for its ruins. From the banks of the river, Ave passed over a small but verdant plain, surrounded by mountains capped with snow, the first we have seen ; since, notwith standing the season of the year, the weather had hitherto been intolerably hot during the day, and by no means cold even at night. At the tAventy- fourth mile, came upon the banks of the Girama, or Mout Soui (the ancient Calycadnus,*) and on the opposite side saw the ruins of a tOAvn, and aqueduct. We rode along the right bank of this * It is said that Frederick Barbarossa was drowned in this river. river 208 ARRIVAL IN CARAMANIA. river (almost as large as the Erminak, which it joins about four miles below the ford) for six miles, when, turning suddenly to the S. E., Ave crossed a stone bridge, and, at the thirtieth, arrived at Mout, a village built amidst the ruins of Phila delphia. The Girama is, I understand, in no place fordable, nor is the Erminak, except at particular seasons; and, it is customary, when the waters are full, for travellers to swim, supported on bladders, or rather, inflated skins, whilst their baggage is transported on the backs of the Turkman shep herds, who live in the neighbourhood. It was nearly dark before we entered the village, ancl I observed that the inhabitants seemed anxious to avoid us ; but, as I knew that this Avant of hospi tality might, in a great measure, be ascribed to the bad conduct of the Turkish travellers, who demand every thing, and pay for nothing, I did not despair of being able to procure whatever the place afforded. I accordingly prevailed on one man to approach, and, on asking him if he could find us a lodging for. the night, he pointed to some old empty houses, adding, that we might take posses sion of one of them, Avhich we immediately did. I then put tAVO rubas into his' hand, and desired him to fetch us what we might stand in need of, upon which he went away, and soon afterwards returned with fire, fuel, and abundance of provi sions, both for men and horses. The tOAvn or vil lage of Mout consists of about two hundred huts, erected ARRIVAL IX CARAMANIA. 209 erected amongst the remains of more noble edi fices; it is situated amidst a cluster of hills, on one of Avhich stands the castle, a fine old building, nearly entire. To the N. E. of Mout, ancl distant about four hours, the vestiges of another city may, I understand, be still surveyed, which, from the situation, I should conjecture to be those of Olba, celebrated for a sacred college founded by Teucer. I regretted my inability to stay a few days at Mout, Avhich contains much deserving of the traveller's attention; but I could not prevail on my guides (who Avere incapable of admiring any thing but green meadows, Avhere their horses might have abundance of grass) to remain even a few hours. 3d. We retraced our steps, ancl having re- crossed the Girama, on the same bridge we had passed the preceding evening, directed our course along the right bank for five miles, when we once more crossed it on a bridge where the stream is contracted betAveen tAvo high rocks. At the sixth mile we began to ascend a chain of hills, branching from a range of mountains which ran parallel Avith the road on our right, in a north line. At the eighth mile again saAV the river, about three miles distant from us on the left, flowino- through a valley, and along the base of a lofty range of mountains, running S. E. and N. W. We travelled for six miles in a N. W. direction through the A-al- ley, where I observed a feAV fields of arable land, p an 210 ARRIVAL IN CARAMANIA. and at the seventeenth mile halted at a small village, where we passed the day and following night. We commenced our journey by ascending the range which bordered the valley on the N. : it was covered with fine timber, increasing in size as we approached within a short distance of the summit, which was darkened by a threatened tempest, and the sombre branches of the stately pines shaken by the wind. At the fourteenth mile reached the summit, where the cold was intense; and at the sixteenth, descending a gloomy dell, were com pelled to take shelter in a ruined caravanserai, from the violence of the storm and driving snow which blew fiercely from the north in our faces : perish ing with cold and hunger, we passed a most com fortless night in this place; but the storm for tunately abating before day-break, we mounted our horses as the sun began to appear, and after a gradual descent'of fifteen miles, entered the city of Caraman, where I obtained a comfortable apart ment in the house of Coja Aratoon, an Armenian merchant. At the twelfth mile we crossed the Larendah su; a small river floAving to the N. through the ruins of Larenda, of which nothing remains but a church, now converted into a mosque. These ruins are about three miles S. E. of Caraman. The country between Kelendri and Caraman, called Itchil by the Turks, may, Avith propriety, be denominated ARRIVAL IN CARAMANIA. 211 denominated an immense forest of oak, beech, juniper and fir trees; and it is inhabited by a few straggling tribes of Turkmans, Avho breed camels, horses and black cattle : the latter were of a dimi nutive size, the camels strong and with shaggy hair. We saw no sheep, but numerous flocks of goats, pro tected by large shaggy dogs, remarkable for their sagacity, strength and ferocity. The whole of the province yields but a slender revenue to the Sultan, the only flourishing part of it being in the vicinity of Erminak; where the natives Avear a green tur ban, a distinction in other parts of the east peculiar to the descendants of the Prophet. The roads are bad, impassable for cannon, and the country is, in every respect, difficult of access. Caraman was the capital of a race of princes of tlie house of Seljuck; Avho, under the title of Begs, or Sultans of Caramania, reigned for upwards of a century over the greater part of Cilicia and Cappa docia, until Hassan Beg, the last of his family, was destroyed by Bajazet in 1482. It is said to have been founded by Caraman Oglu, who built it with the materials of the ancient tOAvn of Larenda, and it is situated in a spacious valley connected Avith the vast plain of Iconium, in the centre of which the huge mountain of Karaclja Dag suddenly rises in a peak almost as lofty as Argish. Like most of the plains of Phrygia, not a tree, nor even a shrub, is any where perceptible over an immense expanse of ground as level as the sea; in some p 2 parts 212 ARRIVAL IN CARAMANIA. parts very fertile, in others impregnated with nitre. A very trifling proportion of it is cultivated or in habited ; and even the roads are rendered impass able without a guard, from the depredations of thieves and assassins, Avho are known to quit the cities in the night in order to waylay caravans and travellers. The city stands at the southern extremity of the plain ; and at the foot of the lofty range of Bed- lerin Dag, a branch of Mount Taurus, and the same which I crossed in my journey from Kelendri. It covers, Avith its squares and gardens, a large area; the houses are mean, built of mud, and bricks dried in the sun; but the climate is healthy, ancl the water abundant. It was formerly defended by a castle now mouldering to decay ; and the popu lation is said to amount to three thousand families, composed of Turks, Turkmans, Armenians, and Greeks. It trades Avith Cassarea, Smyrna, and Tarsus, and has an extensive manufacture of blue cotton cloth Avorn by the lower classes : there are twenty-two khans for the use ancl accommodation of the merchants, a number of mosques, and six public baths. The city is eighteen hours from Erekli, the same distance from Iconium and Er minak, and thirty from Nidegh, through a flat and deserted country. The great mountain of Karadja Dag, which is five hours from Caraman, throws out a low branch to the N. E.; at the foot of which, and about twenty- ARRIVAL IN CARAMANIA. 213 twenty-six miles from the toAvn, are still to be seen the ruins of a city called Maden, or the Mine.* I Avas desirous of visiting this spot, but could not preA'ail upon any person to accompany me, or even to hire me horses; as they said that the country, in addition to being covered Avith snoAV, Avas noAV the resort of a band of Delhi Bashees, turned out of the employment of the last Pasha of Koni, Avho gained a subsistence by plundering travellers, and laying the adjacent territories under contribution. The ruins Avere described to me as covering a great extent of ground : my landlord, indeed, Avho had been there, informed me, that, besides other buildings, he had counted the remains of a thousand churches, ancl that there were many Greek inscriptions. The Turks sometimes call it Bin Eglisa, or the thousand churches; and it seems to ansAver the position of a place called Psibela. The climate of Caraman, although much colder than that of Kelendri, is still mild and temperate Avhen compared with the more northern parts of Asia Minor. A fire was necessary in the mornings and evenings, but during the day the sun had not lost his power. 6th. I took my leave of Coja Aratoon on the fourth day, and, attended by a small guard, tra velled fourteen miles W. N. W. to a place called * The name of Maden is said to be derived from a copper mine. p 3 Casaba. 214 ARRIVAL IN CARAMANIA. Casaba. On quitting the city, we passed th castle on the left, and immediately afterwards the Larendah su, when we entered the plain, having the mountains of Bedlerin on our left hand: at one mile and a half was a small stream, and at the seventh a third river, more considerable than the others. These rivers have their sources in Bedlerin, and, flowing north, are absorbed in the great plain of Iconium. At the ninth mile, is the village of Eglisa, (answering the position of a place called Parloris,) which has the appearance of antiquity, and the remains of a castle seated on an artificial mound: the plain was bare and bleak; but the sides and slopes ofthe hills Avere interspersed with shrubs and vineyards. We continued to approach the Hajee Baler, or peak of Bedlerin; and, for the last four miles, our route lay along its base, until we entered Casaba, a walled town half in ruins, and built of a peculiar kind of small stone resembling brick. The Zabit lodged us in a de cayed mansion, the small windows of which hardly admitted a ray of light; and Ave were nearly smo thered by a part of the roof which fell in during the night. 7th. From Casaba to Ah Bey, the next stage, it Avas twenty-eight miles over the plain ; with Ka- , radja Dag on our right hand, and the mountains of Bedlerin on the left, gradually retiring: the roads were excellent, and the general direction N. N. W. We saw the ruins of several villages, and ARRIVAL IN CARAMANIA. 215 and little or no cultivation: there appeared to be a scarcity of water; but, fortunately, the rains are so abundant, as to render irrigation, in a great de gree, unnecessary. At the twenty-fourth mile passed, upon a stone bridge, the small river of Charshumba, (floAving from W. to E.) which is reported to empty itself into a lake. This road was said to be infested by the brigands from Ma den; but we fortunately escaped encountering any of them, and arrived in safety at Ali Bey, Avhere a number of Turks came, as usual, to smoke their pipes with me. On such occasions they in variably conduct themselves with great propriety, but seldom think of retiring before midnight, un less requested to do so. 8th. I made a handsome present to the Kia for his attention; and, after a march of twenty-four miles, in a N. by W. direction, reached the city of Koni at noon. The mountains of Bedlerin had retired to the distance of thirty miles on the left; but there Avas still a small range of hills running parallel with the road, Avhich continued to increase in magnitude as Ave approached the city. At one mile ancl a half passed a stream flowing to the E., ancl at the fourth mile another, flowing in the same line. The plain was covered Avith Yoorooks, who are breeders of horses, and Avhose tents were pitched on small conical hills resembling tumuli, which seemed to preserve a perpetual verdure, whilst the remaining part of the country was parched p 4 with 216 ARRIVAL IN CARAMANIA. with drought. At the twelfth mile we began to see the gardens and minarets of Konia gradually rising to the view; and on entering the town, were conducted through a suburb of mud hovels, about a mile in length. We then proceeded to the palace of the mutesellim, a large, straggling, and ruinous building at the east end of the city. He gave us a konak on the despot of the Greeks, Avho, after some opposition, accommodated us Avith a tolerably decent apartment in an uninhabited house, which Avas situated near the ruins of the palace of the Sultans of Iconium, and on a small eminence com manding an excellent view of the city. DE- ( 217 ) DESCRIPTION OF AND DEPARTURE FROM ICONIUM. Iconium, the capital of Lycaonia, is mentioned by Xenophon, and afterwards by Cicero and Strabo;* but does not appear to have been a place of any consideration until after the taking of Nice by the crusaders in 1099, when the Seljuckian Sultans of Roum chose it as their residence.! These sul tans rebuilt the Avails, and embellished the city; they Avere, hoAvevcr, expelled in 1 1 89 by Frederick Barbarossa, who took it by assault; but after his death they re-entered their capital, where they reigned in splendour till the irruption of Tchengis Khan, and his grandson Holukow, Avho broke the poAver of the Seljuckians. Iconium, under the name of Cogni, or Konia, has been included in the domains of the Grand Signior, ever since the time of Bajazet, Avho finally extirpated the Ameers of Caramania. * Circum isthaec loca Iconium est oppidum probe conditum, agro feliciore quam is quern diximus onagros pascere : possedit Polemo. — Strabo, vol. ii. page 822. -\ Iconium is mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles, and was visited by St. Paul. The 218 ICONIUM. The modern city has an imposing appearance from the number and size of its mosques, colleges and other public buildings ; but these stately edifices are crumbling into ruins, whilst the houses of the inhabitants consist of a mixture of small huts built of sun dried brick, and wretched hovels thatched with reeds. To the E, and S. the city extends over the plain far beyond the walls, which are about tAvo miles in circumference; to the N. is the range of Fondhal Baba (ancient Lycadnum Colles) of no great elevation, and immediately behind the town, to the W., the slopes of the hills are covered with gardens and pleasant meadows. A great portion of the water of a small river Avhich flows on the N. W. side of the town, towards the N. E., is absorbed in the irrigation of the gardens and fields, whilst that which remains empties itself or rather forms a small lake and morass, five or six miles N. of the city. Mountains covered with snow rise on every side, excepting toAvards the E., where a plain, as flat as the desert of Arabia, extends far beyond the reach of the eye. The chief ornaments of the city are its mosques, of Avhich there are twelve large and upwards of a hundred small. Those of Sultan Selim and Sheck Ibrahim, the former built in imitation of St. Sophia, at Constantinople, are large and magni ficent structures, much admired for the beauty of their interior; but I was not permitted to enter them. The madressas, or colleges, are also nume rous, ICONIUM. 219 rous, but most of them are deserted and falling to decay ; the only one now inhabited being a large modern edifice called the Capan Madressa, Seve ral of the gates of these old colleges are of sin gular beauty ; they are formed entirely of marble, adorned Avith a profusion of fretwork and a fine entablature in the moresco fashion, far excelling any thing of the kind I had ever seen. My morn ings and evenings, during my stay at Iconium, were deAroted to the examination of all that appeared Avorthy of observation. The city wall is said to have been erected by the Seljuckian sul tans ; it seems to have been built from the ruins of more ancient buildings, as broken columns, capi tals, pedestals, bas reliefs and other pieces of sculp ture contribute rewards its construction. It has eight gates of a square form, each known by a separate name, ancl, as Avell as most of the towers, embellished with Arabic inscriptions. Several of the latter are Avell executed, and the Avails Avhich, upon the Avhole, are better built than those of most Turkish towns, are in some places chequered with loop-holes, formed of the pedestals of pillars placed erect at the distance of two or three inches from each other. I observed a few Greek characters upon them, but they Avere in so elevated a situa tion that I could not decipher them. A consider able part of the front of the gate of Ladik, on the north side of the tOAvn, is covered with a Turkish inscription ; immediately beloAv Avhich, and fixed in the 220 ICONIUM. the wall, is a beautiful alto relievo, together with a colossal statue of Hercules. The style and exe cution of the former equalled, and perhaps sur passed, any thing I had witnessed in my travels ; it is about nine feet in length ancl contains ten figures, each about eighteen inches high. A Roman prince is represented sitting in a chair Avith his toga falling in easy drapery over his body, and in the act of receiving a ball, the symbol of the world, from another person, Avho is dressed in flow ing robes and attended by three Roman soldiers. The remaining figures are standing, and some of them are much mutilated ; but the Turks have supplied the deficiency by adding a few legs ancl arms, the bad taste ancl rude execution of Avhich form a ludicrous contrast to the exquisite sym metry of the other parts of the piece. The statue of Hercules having lost its head and right arm, the Turks have also been industrious enough to re place part of the deficiency by a new arm, still more absurd than the legs on the relief. These sculp tures are on the face of the toAver which forms the gate, and are only observable on turning to the left, after you have issued from the toAvn. There were many bas reliefs Avedged in different parts of this toAver, amongst which I remarked the dispro portioned figure of a hideous monster, and the re presentation of an armed Avarrior, with a streamer flowing from his helmet, in like manner as those on the figures at Persepolis and Take Boston. While ICONIUM. 221 While examining these reliefs I beheld an un wieldy Turk, Avith a protuberant belly and erect carriage, sloAvly advancing rewards me, attended by a servant, Avho carried his pipe. He wore a kouk, a long yellow robe, trowsers made of scarlet, Angora shawl, and was in every other respect dressed like a man of rank. He asked me who I Avas, Avhence I had come, and whither I Avas going, and Avhy I looked so earnestly at the figures on the wall. When I had replied to his different ques tions he sat down upon a bank ancl im-itcd me to smoke a pipe with him, offering at the same time tobacco from his bag, Avhich Avas made of green silk richly embroidered with gold. He told me that his family Avere once poAverful at Iconium, but that of late years the greatness of the Osman- lis had also declined, ancl he feared that a prophecy, Avhich foretold the destruction of their power, would soon be realized. After he had smoked his pipe he wished me good morning, and con tinued his Avalk with the same dignified pace along the foot of the Avail. Above the gate of Aiash I saw a relief of a lion couchant; and, in an adjoining street, a marble statue of the same animal. The statue stood near an opening which led into an extensive suit of sub terraneous apartments, arched Avith stone, and ap parently belonging to some ancient edifice. In the middle of the town is a small eminence, about three quarters of a mile in circuit, Avhich anpears 222 iconium. appears to have been fortified, and where, probably, the old castle of Iconium once stood. The arched foundations of a superstructure crown its summit, and are said to indicate the site of a palace once inhabited by the Seljuckian sultans. The population is reported to amount to nearly thirty thousand souls, principally Turks, there being but a small proportion of Christians ; there are four public baths, two churches and seven khans for the accommodation of merchants ; but there is little or no trade, and the far greater por tion of the adjacent territory is permitted to lie waste. This city was formerly the capital of an extensive government and the seat of a poAverful pasha, who maintained a military force competent to the preservation of peace and order, and the defence of his territories. But it has noAV dwindled into insignificance, and exhibits upon the whole a mournful scene of desolation and decay. The subjugation of this part of Asia Minor might be achieved with a handful of men, and be retained Avith equal facility, in defiance of the efforts of the Grand Seignior. The different pashas live at a considerable distance from each other; but even if united, they would be incapable of making head against a regular army, since the country is impoverished and unpeopled, and they have no good artillery, nor indeed any means of equipping an army. The climate is mild and esteemed heal thy, the soil sufficiently fertile to produce abund ance ICONIUM. 223 ance of corn ; the country is open ancl Avell calcu lated for the movements of cavalry ; and there is plenty of forage during nine months in the year. The Turks are not naturally a cruel people, and often treat their slaves and prisoners of Avar with more humanity than many of the civilized nations of Europe. The miserable condition of the sul tan's territories is not therefore to be attributed to the disposition or habits of the people, but to the inefficiency of the government, the insecurity of private property, and the total disregard to every principle of political economy. The men are, perhaps, as braAre as they ever Avere ; but in tactics ancl a knowledge of the art of war, they haAre fallen far behind their European neighbours. Iconium is situated in lat. 37° 54' N., as I judge, by the mean of two meridional observations which I took at that city. I set out for Ladik, the ancient Laodicea Com- busta, on the morning of the 12th, ancl held a N. E. course through the plain along the base of the mountains which skirt it on the W. ; at the seventh mile Ave had the lake, or rather morass, (for it is dry in the summer,) about four miles distant from us on the right hand, and at the tenth we turned more to the left and continued to travel nearly due N. to the ruins of a khan and village at the fifteenth mile. We then directed our course N. W. and travelled the remaining part of the way through a bare, 224 DEPARTURE FROM ICONIUM. a bare, uninhabited and hilly country to Ladik, which, as near as I could guess, was thirty miles from Konia. Ladik is a mud town, containing about four or five hundred inhabitants, situated at the foot of a range of hills and in a small valley opening towards the N. into an immense plain. There are no vestiges of the old Laodicea excepting some fragments of marble columns, and a few capitals and pedestals of pillars, which the Turks have turned into tomb-stones. A lofty range of moun tains, seen at some distance to the S. of the place, once separated Phrygia from Isauria, and appear to be a continuation of the chain of Bedlerin. 13th. We mounted at sun-rise and at noon reached Eilgoun, a distance of about twenty-eight miles according to my computation, and nine hours agreeably to that of the Turks. On first quitting Ladik we pursued a N. W. course, and saw two small lakes on our right hand in the plain; at the tenth mile passed through the flourishing Casaban of Kadin Khan, and from an eminence at the sixteenth, observed the town of Eilgoun bear ing N. W. by W., distant nine or ten miles hori zontally. Here we descended from the hills into the plain which we had kept upon our right, and at the twenty-third passed the Eilgoun su, an inconsiderable river, flowing to the E. into the lakes of Laclik. The town, which is a flourishing; place, DEPARTURE FROM ICONIUM. 225 place, Avell supplied with fruits and provisions, corresponds with the description* of Tyriaeum, where the younger Cyrus revieAved his army before the Queen of Cilicia. Xenophon says that the latter was situated in a plain twenty parasangs from Iconium, and that the army marched it in three days, Avhich will exactly agree with the distance between Eilgoun and Konia, computing the parasang at three miles. 14th. About a mile from the tOAvn I ascended the hills to the W. ancl saAV a small lake on our right, which, like all the other lakes in this part of the world, it was impossible to approach from the sedgyness of its banks. As far as Altee Khan, a small town thirteen miles from Eilgoun, the coun try was hilly, and afforded excellent pasturage to numerous flocks of sheep and droves of cattle. When we had quitted Altee Khan, Avhich is prettily situated on the borders of a small river, the coun try became more open, and Ave crossed three small rivers before our approach to Ak Shehr. Most of these are mountain-torrents (dry in the summer) which flow into or rather form two lakes, in the plain to the N. of the city. I estimate the distance between this place and Eilgoun at thirty miles in the general direction of W. N. W. : the country appeared to be in a more prosperous state than most parts of Asia Minor which I have seen. * D'Anville supposes it to represent Philomelium. ft Ak '226 DEPARTURE FROM ICONIUM: Ak Shehr (the white city) answers to the posi tion of Thymbrium,* which was visited by the younger Cyrus, and which, according to Xeno phon, Was ten parasangs from Tyriasum. It was denominated Antiochia ad Pisidiam,t from being on the Confines of Pisidia, of which province it became, indeed, the metropolis; and is a city repeatedly mentioned ill the Turkish annals as the place Avhere Bajazet was confined by Timour and where he expired. It is situated at the foot of that lofty range before alluded to as constituting the boun dary between Phrygia, Isauria and Pisidia. Innumerable torrents rush from the mountains through the streets, and a cold Wind blows here almost continually during the Avinter. The town is said to contain fifteen hundred houses ; there are many beautiful gardens in its vicinity, but its prin cipal ornament is a handsome mosque and college consecrated to the memory of Bajazet. I was anxious to take an observation at this place, but it lained incessantly during the whole time I re- * In a fountain near Thymbrium, Midas is said to have cauglit {he satyr by mixing wine with the water. ¦(•Cum enim Antidchiam Pisidia? eonterminam 'n'aberet, et usc/ub ad Apolloniadem Apameae Ciboto confinem, ac qu8eda we descended to the casaban and valley of Aksu, or the white water, so named from a small stream on which it is situated. For seven miles, after we had quitted Aksu, the road led along the base of |he mountain, and amongst rocks and hills, covered with groves of box and myrtle; when, at the eighth mile, the verdant plain and city of Boursa, contrasted Avith the cliffs and snowy summits of Olympus, glittering through the woods, presented a prospect at once picturesque and impressive. In point of rural beauty, indeed, as Avell as of magni ficence of scenery, diA^ersified Avith fruitful fields and delightful solitudes, the environs of this city are, perhaps, seldom to be equalled, and certainly not to be surpassed. We now descended into the plain, crossed a rapid torrent, flowing nearly due N., and,. after a journey of six miles, through green meadows and groves of trees, . entered the city at sun-set. From Yeni Goul to Boursa, the direction for the first seven miles was N. W., for fourteen miles N. W. by W., and for the remaining part of the way due W. The pasha gave me a konak on the despot of the Greeks, with whom I was comfortably lodged in a large and handsome house. Boursa, the ancient Prusa, was founded by Prusias. the protector of Hannibal, and was long the DEPARTURE FROM ICONIUM. 245 the capital of the kings of Bithynia.* We hear but little of this city after it fell into the possession ofthe Romans, although it Avas ahvays famous for its baths, ancl admired for the beauty of its situa tion. Prusa Avas one of the most considerable cities of the Greek empire, until stormed and sacked by Sief ul Dowlah in 947; itAvas, however, retaken by the Greeks, Avho rebuilt the Avails, and kept possession of it till 1356, Avhen it surrendered, after a long siege, to Orkan, the son of Othman, Avho adorned it Avith a mosque, a college ancl an hospital. It Avas seized by Timour, after the battle of Angora, rebuilt by Mahomed II. and became the usual residence of the first princes of the house of Othman, until Amurah removed the seat of government to Adrianople. The city is situated at the foot of Mount Olympus, and at the S. W. end of a beautiful plain or valley, about twenty miles in length, and vary ing from three to five miles in breadth. The houses occupy the face, of the mountain, ancl com mand a fine view of the plain beneath. They are built principally of Avood on the model of those at Constantinople ; many of them have glass Avindows, and the streets are in some places so narroAV that you might leap from one house into the other. Boursa is, upon the whole, one of the most populous * Prusa alia ad Olympum Mysiae posita est urbs, quse legibus bonis gubernatur, Phrygibus Mysisque finitima, condita a Prusia, qui bellum contra Croesum gessit. — Strabo, vol. ii. page 815. r 3 and 246 DEPARTURE FROM ICONIUM. and flourishing cities in the Turkish empire. The castle, which stands on a perpendicular rock, near the centre of the town, occupies, ha all probability, the position of the ancient Prusa ; its walls are of great solidity, and the Turks pretend that Orkan and his sons are here interred in a mosque, Supposed to haA^e been once a Christian monastery. The chief ornaments of Boursa are its mosques, said to amount to no less than three hundred and sixty five great and small, of Avhich number the most magnificent are those of Sultan Ahmed, Sultan Osman and the Oolah, or great mosque, in the centre of the city. The baths and mineral springs are celebrated all over the Turkish empire ; the Avaters are used inwardly as well as outwardly, have a strong sulphurous taste, and are said to be found in many different parts of Mount Olympus, but principally where the humams have been erected, at the west end of the town. These are handsome structures, containing a number of dif ferent apartments, and supplied with hot as well as cold springs. The bezestein and bazars are extensive, and filled with silk and cotton stuffs ma nufactured by the inhabitants for exportation. The khans and colleges are numerous and respectable ; and the population, amounting to forty thousand souls, according to the estimate of the Greek patriarch, is composed of Turks, Jews, Armenians, and Greeks, who have each their respective places of wrorship. During my short stay many thousand died DEPARTURE FROM ICONIUM. 247 died of the plague, which raged with such A'iolence all over the city that I found it necessary, when I Avent into the streets, to use the precaution of having two people armed with sticks, to prevent any person from approaching or touching me ; but as I had occasion to enter the houses of the natives, I ran considerable risk of taking the disorder. The Greek patriarch, Avho is one of the first metropo litans in Asia Minor, appeared to possess consider able influence and Avas treated Avith great respect by his flock, Avho daily brought him presents of fruit and other articles from the country. I set out on the morning of the 9th, intending to embark at Modania for Constantinople. We directed our course N. W. by W. obliquely across the plain ; at tAvo miles passed a river floAving to the E., at three miles and a half the village of Karamanlee, and at seven miles, where Ave began to ascend a chain of hills, the village of Emislar, close to the road. At eight miles the village of Baladecu ; and at the eleventh again crossed, upon a bridge, the river Horsui, (Horisius) Avhich, after a Avinding course from the plain of Prusa, enters the sea near Mehultisch ; at the thirteenth mile the A'illage of Baladin ; at the sixteenth ascended the hills which skirt the gulf of Modania to the E. ; at the seventeenth began to descend the hills to the shore of the gulf, and at the twenty- first mile entered the town of Modania, principally inhabited by Greek mariners, and which, formerly, r 4 had 348 DEPARTURE FROM ICONIUM. had the name of Myrlea and Apamea.* The gene ral direction of the road was N. W. by W., and after Ave had quitted the plain, the country was alternately hill and dale, in an improved state, and apparently well inhabited. Modania is an old and dirty town, built chiefly of wood, and situated on the eastern shore of a gulf of that name, formerly called Caianus Sinus, from the town of Caius, at the head of the gulf, and now called Gemlick. The gulf is about forty-six miles in length at Modania, and ships of burthen can sail up to Gem- lick, Avhich is still a place of trade. During the whole of this day's journey I Avas so much indis posed that I could hardly sit upon my horse, but was, notwithstanding, compelled to wait nearly two hours in the streets, Avhich were ankle deep in snoAV, before I could procure even a cold and com fortless lodging, where, for several days, my ser vants despaired of my life. Being somewhat recovered on the sixth day, I hired a felucca with six oars,, and, wrapping myself up in several. Turk ish pplisses, wasi carried down to the beach, where I embarked fpr Constantinople. The Greeks had * In Priisias has urbes e ruderibus excitatas, Cium Prusiadem a se, Myrleam ab uxore Apameam denominavit. Hie est qui Annibalem recepit, cum is ad ipsumpost Antiochi cladem veniret, et ex pacto Attalicis Phrygia ad Hellespontum sita decessit : quam priores parvam, hi Epictetiim, quasi adquisitam, dixerunt. —^Strabo, vol. ii. p. 814. The ruins are still visible on an eminence about half a mile from the town on the road to Prusa. informed DEPARTURE FROM ICONIUM. 249 informed me, that provided the weather continued moderate, they could toav in thirty-six hours to the capital ; but in this Ave Avere disappointed, for the wind blew so fresh from the N. that they could make little or no Avay, and after buffeting about in the rain the greater part of the day, Ave were, at last, obliged to take shelter at the mouth of a river near the Avretched village of Armalli, on the oppo site side of the gulf. There I could procure no lodging, and was reduced to the necessity of either remaining in the boat, Avhich had no deck to pro tect us from the snow and rain, or of taking pos session of a ruinous house, inhabited by a poor Greek, his Avife and two children. To increase my discomfort the plague was raging in the place, and had destroyed most of its inhabitants. The only room in the house consisted of an apartment about ten feet square ; but even in this the Avin dows were broken, and the wrind and snow beat through the crevices of the wall. The Greek and his family, my servant ancl myself, Avere weather bound in this hovel for four days, and never, in the course of a life spent amidst the storms of fortune, can I remember having experienced such distress.* The fever did not quit me for an instant ; I had no medicine or comfort of any kincl ; I was con- * The author of this work entered the army at the early age of twelve years, and has almost ever since been employed on active service. tinuallv 250 DEPARTURE FROM ICONIUM. tinually immersed in the fumes of tobacco, and in momentary expectation of being infected with the plague. The storm having abated on the fifth day, I sent to a neighbouring village and hired horses to carry me across the peninsula Avhich divides the gulfs of Modania and Nicomedia. Weak as I was, I rode five hours over a mountain ous tract* knee deep with snow. The cold Avas excessive and the north wind blew keenly in our faces. I suffered such agony during the greater part of this journey that I Avas frequently tempted to throw myself off my horse and perish at once in the snow. At the third hour passed a village on the sea shore, inhabited by Arnauts or Alba nians, who would not give us a lodging; and at the fifth, slept in an empty house at the town of Katerly, situated in a fine bay of the sea of Mar mora. This is the ancient Drepanum, which but a few months before our visit was a well peopled and flourishing place; but the ravages of the plague had almost entirely extirpated the inhabit-* ants. The town was quite deserted, and the few persons who had escaped the pestilence had quitted their habitations and fled into the interior. f I travelled three hours in the morning through vallies and over mountains to Angori, a town standing in a deep bay upon the gulph of Nico-> * Called the mountains of Arganthon by the ancients. T I was told, that all those employed either in making or car- Tying oil escaped the infection. media. DEPARTURE FROM ICONIUM. 251 media. This occupies the site of a port called Heraclea, and a small town situated about half Av^y toAvards Katerly represents the position of Pronectus. I embarked in the morning with a fair Avind, and in the eveniug landed at Top Khana in Pera. We passed close under those beautiful islands in the Propontis, formerly called the Demonnesi or Isles of the Demons, and after wards the Princes Islands, from their having been a place of exile for persons of that rank. They are three in number, very lofty, and situated at the mouth of the gulph of Nicomedia. Mr. Liston, our venerable ambassador at the Porte, was so good as to invite me to reside in the palace ; where, in the society of many old and kind friends, I soon recovered my health, ancl Avas once more enabled to reneAV my researches. JOUR- ( 252 > JOURNEY FROM CONSTANTINOPLE TO COSTAMBOUL. On, the 29th April, Mr. William Chavasse, of the Honourable Company's service, and myself, em barked at Burjukdeie, with the intention of pro ceeding as, far. as the city of Heraclea, by water; Eor; this, purpose we: had hired a felucca with six Oars* and navigated 'by Greek sailors ; but Ave soon discovered that so small a vessel was but ill cal culated for a stormy sea like the Euxine. In the course of a few hours Ave cleared the castle and channel of the Bosphorus, and after sailing about seven miles along the coast of Asia Minor, the master of the boat suddenly put into a small bay, about a mile beyond the river and village of Khiva. As the weather continued moderate, I represented to our pilot the necessity of proceeding ; but he replied, that he foresaw a storm was approaching ; and neither threats nor intreaties could induce him to comply Avith my request. Such being the case, we went on shore, and amused ourselves in walk ing over the country, Avhich was covered with verdure and abounded in rare and beautiful floAvers. At JOURNEV TO COSTAMBOUL. 253 At noon the temperature Avas at 61 of Fahrenheit, and Ave had a thick fog ancl some partial rain. ToAvards three in the afternoon the Avind increased, and the sea began to rise, so that the boatmen declared it would be dangerous to remain longer where Ave then Avere. They added, that the storm Avould, probably, continue for many days ; during which time it would be impossible for us either to proceed on our voyage or to return. Finding that there Avas no hope of our reaching Heraclea so soon as Ave had expected, we at once adopted the resolution of returning immediately to Constan tinople; and of proceeding, by land, direct to Trebisond. I had already paid the master of the boat three hundred piastres in advance, and for this sum he agreed to carry us as far as Nicomedia. As it Avas almost dark before we arrived at Bur- jukdere, Ave passed that night with Mr. Bulk, a Russian gentleman of my acquaintance, and next morning breakfasted at Constantinople, where we heard the news of the entry of the allies into Paris, and the declaration of the senate in favour of Louis XVIII. 30th. At eleven A. M. we once more put to sea, and passing Avith a fair wind the point of the Seraglio ancl village of Chalcedon,* bore away for the gulph of Nicomedia. At one o'clock the rain * Nothing remains of this ancient city but some decayed walls, «nd a subterraneous passage. began 254 JOURNEY TO COSTAMBOUL. began to fall, and in half an hour it compelled Us to seek shelter in the small toAvn of Kortal, where we remained until four in the evening, when the weather clearing up Ave again made sail. We had scarcely quitted the harbour, however, before the rain re-commenced, and it continued to fall in such torrents that Ave Avere obliged to halt, for the night at the little town of Toosla. The aga or chief of the place was particularly civil, and accommodated us with an apartment in his own house. At mid-day the thermometer was at 55. 1st May. It did not cease raining until eight o'clock this morning, when, as I was in the act of stepping into the boat, a Greek laid hold of my arm, and requested me to accompany him, adding, that he had something to shew worthy of my atten tion. I followed him to the Greek church, where he pointed to a block of marble about four feet in height and three in breadth, on which Avas a bas relief, apparently very ancient. It contained three figures, indifferently executed ; that in the centre represented a man Avith a sort of cowl on his head ; whilst those on each side of him had the heads of wolves, Avith the limbs and bodies of men : and each had a spear in its hand, with Avhich it was in the act of piercing the side of the centre figure. I gave the Greek a small present, and returned somewhat disappointed to the boat. We left the shore a feAV minutes past eight, and at nine entered the gulf JOURNEY TO COSTAMBOUL. 2.55 gulf of Nicomedia, which is here about eight or ten miles Avide ; at half-past nine passed, on the left, the toAvn of Gibsa, the ancient Lybissa, cele brated in history as the last refuge of Hannibal, and Avhere a small tumulus, half a mile from the toAvn, is still sheAvn as the tomb of that hero. The Avidth of the gulf now gradually diminished ; the hills on each side Avere covered Avith verdure, but the great want of avoocI gave a dreariness to the prospect. We had a light air from the N. dur ing the morning, and at three P. M. reached a projecting point, where the gulf is not more than a mile in breadth. We Avere now about six miles from Nicomedia; and had no sooner passed the point, than the gulf immediately Avidened into a sort of bay, at the upper end of which stood the city. The country had iioav assumed a more pleasing ancl flourishing appearance; on the right, the Avoody sides of the mountains were reflected in the Avater, and on the left, rich and cultivated fields added variety to the landscape. We landed about five in the evening; and, by the order of the pasha, Avere conducted to a comfortable lodging, where Ave met a cordial reception from its owner, a Turkish gentleman. Nicomedia (noAV called Ismid) is a very ancient city, having been founded or embellished by Nicomedes I. It was for many ages the capital of Bithynia; and Avhen that kingdom sank into a Roman ^56 JOURNEY TO COSTAMBOUL. a Roman province, it became the usual resi dence of the pro-consul. In the reign of Dio cletian, it was raised to the dignity of capital of the Roman empire, an honour which it main tained until the building of Constantinople. Pliny mentions an aqueduct, an amphitheatre, and a temple, but of these no vestiges now remain ; and an bid church is all that is left of the ancient Nicomedia. The present city is situated on the side of a hill rising from the gulf, and is built principally of wood, in the manner of Constanti nople. This city is said to contain seven hundred families, of which one hundred and fifty are Greeks, fifty JeAVs, and the remainder Turks. The kingdom of Bithynia, when left by Nico- niedes IV. to the Roman people, extended on One side, from the foot of Mount Olympus to the shores of the Euxine, and on the other from the Bosphorus to the river Parthenius and frontiers of Galatia. It appears to have, at first, composed p'art of Phrygia; was afterwards called Bebrycia from Bebryce, the daughter of Danaus, and sub sequently assumed the name of Bithynia from Bithynus, the son of Jupiter. In the time of Xenophon, the natives of this country were re garded as the bravest in Asia; they Were governed by their own kings for upwards of two hundred years, when the last of the race left them , as a legacy to the Romans. Bithynia was overthrown by JOURNEY TO COSTAMBOUL. 257 by Mithridates: reconquered by Lucullus and Cotta; and, after the defeat of Domitius Calvinus, seized upon by Pharnaces, king of Pontus, who kept possession of it until his overthrow, at the battle of Zela: from this time fonvard it was governed by a Roman prator; ancl Avhen Con stantine framed a neAV division ofthe provinces of his empire, it Avas included in the diocese of Pon tus. Under Valentinian Bithynia Avas divided into two provinces, of Avhich Nice and Nicomedia were the capitals, ancl continued so until the greater part of Asia Minor became subject to the princes ofthe house of Seljuck; from Avhom it Avas reco- vered in the twelfth century, but finally lost to the Greek empire in the reign of Andronicus the younger. Bithynia is noAV included in the great province of Anatolia, and governed by a pasha of three tails, Avho resides at Nicomedia: it is a ro mantic and beautiful country, intersected Avith lofty mountains and fertile Arallies; rich in fruits and Avine, and abounding in forests and fine trees. 2d. We mounted at eleven o'clock, in the midst of a heavy shower of rain, which did not cease until Ave arrived at Sabanjah, a distance of eight hours, or twenty -four miles. The nature of the country, for the first ten miles, Avas perfectly flat, the soil rich, and in a high state of cultivation. Towards the S. Avas a range of lofty mountains, covered with noble trees in full leaf: on the W. s we 25§ JOURNEY TO COSTAMBOUL. we had a view of the gulf of Nicomedia, and on the east of the lake Sabanjah.* Before Ave had proceeded three miles we twice crossed the river Kivas, a small stream in the sum mer, but containing a considerable body of water during the winter and spring. Piiny the younger, Avhen praetor of Bithynia, proposed to the Emperor Trajan to cut a canal through the plain to the gulf of Nicomedia ; and certainly no ground could be better calculated for such an undertak ing, although, I "believe, the work was never cap- ried into effect. Between the tenth and eleventh * It appe'ars from one of Pliny's letters to Trajan that the Nice- medians had no great knowledge of hydraulics, for he says, that they had expended three hundred and thirty-nine thousand ses terces on an aqueduct which was never completed; and also two millions on a second work of the same description which remained imperfect in his time. These failures he attributes to an injudi cious choice of situation-, and recommends them a new aqueduct, which he had begun. He also proposes, in order to improve the internal commerce of the country, that a canal be cut from the lake of Sabanjah to the gulf of Nicomedia, and adds, that he had discovered a work dug by one ofthe kings of Bithyr.ia, but expresses a doubt whether it AWs intended as a drain or communication with the river. The level of the lake was said to be forty- cubits above that of the'gulf, so that fears were entertained of exhausting the former of its water ; the prastor therefore proposes several plans to re medy this inconvenience, and, amongst others, to conduct the canal vV'ithin a few yards of the river instead of carrying it directly to the Sea. 1 know not whether this work was ever undertake^, but it is certain that no vestiges of it can now be traced. mile JOURNEY TO COSTAMBOUL. 259 mile Ave turned more to the E. and entered a thick forest, through Avhich Ave travelled for the remain ing part of the Avay to Sabanjah, Avhich is a miser able little town, embosomed in a wood, and situ ated on the borders of a lake of the same name. 3d. We Avere detained here the whole of this day in consequence of the difficulty of procuring horses, as this, unfortunately for us, happened to be the time when the postmasters are changed. I have before remarked, that the posts throughout the Turkish empire are supported by certain grants of land or money, the contract being disposed of to the best bidder in the spring of every year; and this, consequently, occasions an interregnum of several days before the arrangements can be com pleted for the purchase or transfer of horses from one postmaster to another. The temperature, at six in the morning, was 47, and at mid-day 56, and it continued to rain during the whole of the day with great violence. 4th. The aga sent a message that the horses were ready, but that the roads were rendered im passable by tbe great quantity of rain which had lately fallen; that the Sakaria (Sangarius) had overflowed its banks, and many of the mountain- torrents could not be forded. This often occurs in the winter and spring, nor can it possibly be other wise in a country where so little attention is pajd to the public ways. There Avere no fewer than .fifty people detained besides ourselves, and, among s 2 the 260 JOURNEY TO COSTAMBOUL. the number, two Tatars, charged with the head of the pasha of Zela, an adherent of the late Chapwan Oglu. The heads of rebel governors, preserved in a case of, wax, are conveyed to Constantinople, where they are exposed for some days in a nitch of the gate of the Seraglio, and then given to their relations. 5th. The horses were sent early in the morn ing,- but as the great road to Boli was not yet pass able, we were informed that we must either remain a' few days longer or take a more circuitous way, which I did not regret, as I. had before travelled the direct road and Avas glad to have a change of scene. We mounted at half past six A. M. ahd after a dispute, with the postmaster, who Avas as usual dissatisfied with the present Avhichwe gave him, bade adieu to Sabanjah. We commenced our journey by ascending the hills immediately above the town towards the S., and having, at the end of about two miles, gained the summit, were delighted with the beauty of the prospect from this elevated spot. The lake of Sabanjah lay extended at our feet, bordered on the Si E. by a variety of trees and evergreens, the thick foliage of Avhich hung over the water, whilst thersides of thehills on the oppo site shore were covered with flocks, cultivation and villages. This lake, formerly called Sophon, is, as . nearly as we could guess, about fourteen miles in, length and five in breadth; and Sabanjah is situated seven miles E. of its western extremity. We JOURNEY TO COSTAMBOUL. 261 We descended abruptly about a mile into a narrow and romantic Aralley, through which flowed a small river called the Afta, that held an easterly course and joined the Sangarius, about eight miles below the place where Ave first saw it. We fol- loAved the left bank of this stream for about half a mile, then crossed it and pursued our journey along its right bank for two miles, when, leaving it to the left, Ave approached the river Sakaria or Sangarius, rolling along through a gloomy intricate defile, with high and rugged precipices rising perpendicular on each side. We entered the pass and travelled over a narrow path, shaded from the sun by the cliffs and branches of the trees ; for the mountains Avere covered Avith excellent timber, such as oak, beech, sycamore and ash, and looked more beauti ful at this season than any other. The defile was about thirteen miles in length, capable of being defended by an inconsiderable force against the largest armies ; ancl we observed, indeed, the ruins of tAvo castles evidently intended for that purpose. The Sangarius, in general about one hundred yards Avide, contained an immense body of Avater ancl flowed Avith surprizing rapidity. At the tAven- tieth mile we crossed the river, on a long stone bridge, built, as appears from an inscription at one end of it, by Sultan Bayazed or Bajazet. The middle arch having given way to the force of the current, a feAV loose beams had been thrown across the breach for the accommodation of travellers. s3 We 263 JOURNEY TO COSTAMBOUL. We now quitted the pass and entered a fine valley, through the centre of which the Sangarius flowed majestically from the S. W. The mountains on the right and left Avere cultivated nearly to their summits, in the vicinity of the small town of Gaiwas which We reached at the twenty-third mile. The bearings for the first three miles S. S. E. , five miles S. E. , thirteen miles S. E. by E., and three miles S. Intending to go another stage we ordered horses, but were given to understand that none could be procured as it was not usual for travellers to frequent this place. Finding such was the case and that Ave had been imposed upon by the post master at Sabanjah, I sent our Tatar to the Aga of the toAvn, desiring him to shew our fermaun, and request that horses might be provided for us with out delay. The aga replied that he would do all in his power to procure them, but that they were then all at grass, and, consequently, some time Would elapse before they could be collected. We remained in anxious expectation until four in the evening, when hearing nothing of them I began to suspect the Tatar (whose interest it was to delay ns as long as possible on the road) did not exert himself in our favour, and therefore dispatched my servant with another message to the aga, threat ening to write against him to Constantinople unless he complied with my request. This had the desired effiect ; he denied having refused the horses JOURNEY TO COSTAMBOUL. 263 horses to the Tatar, and said that he had ordered them to be ready for us next morning at sun-rise, adding, that he hoped we would give him a spy glass and a pair of spectacles in return for his exertions. At six in the morning the thermometer Avas at 43, and at the same hour in the evening at 6(). We sent into the bazar to purchase our dinner, and, attacked by all sorts of vermin, passed a Avretched night in one of the filthiest post-houses in Turkey. 6th. Between six and seven in the morning pight horses were brought to us ; but in such de plorable condition that several of them, from abse-r Jute weakness, fell doAvn in the yard before even the saddles Avere put upon them. Provoked at such treatment I again sent my servant to the aga, Avho threAv the blame from himself on the postmaster, and sent some of his people into the fields with directions to seize the first horses they could find, a very common expedient in this bar barous country. We left Gaiwa at mid-day and at fi\e in the evening reached the small toAvn of Terekii, a dis tance of six hours according to the Turks, and nineteen miles agreeably to our estimation. The road for the first three miles of our journey led us through the valley of GaiAva ; we then entered a dark and narroAV pass and travelled six or seven miles along the left bank of a small river caiied the s 4 Karasu ; 264 JOURNEY TO COSTAMBOUL. Karasu ; Avhich, at the eleventh mile, issued from the mountains into an open country intersected with hills and in a tolerable state of cultivation. At the twelfth mile we observed a stupendous mountain called Kara Kia, about tAVO miles distant from the road on the left hand ; at the seventeenth mile we descended a steep hill into a fertile valley- interspersed Avith gardens and vineyards and watered by the Tereklisu, a considerable stream which flows from E. to W. through the middle of the town. Terekli is a small place situated in a spot where the valley is so much contracted that the streets on both sides have been carried up the slopes of the - mountains. Broken shafts and capitals of pillars attest its antiquity, and there is little doubt that the Turkish name of Terekli is but a corrup tion of Heraclea. The postmaster was extremely civil, supplied us with excellent horses, and in return for, his attention we gave him an extra pre sent, for which he expressed his gratitude. The general direction of the road for the first three hours was S. 20 E., and for the other three S. 30 E. At seven A. M. the temperature 52, and at mid-day 61 in the shade; the Aveather Avas upon the whole, delightful, not a drop of rain had fallen since the 4th, and the atmosphere was without even the appearance of a cloud. The sun had set before we quitted Terekli, but we had a fine moon,, and the beauty ofthe country and JOURNEY TO COSTAMBOUL. 26j ami mild temperature of the air rendered the ride considerably pleasanter than it had been during the heat of the day. Our road, for nineteen miles, led through the valley and along the banks of the Tereklisu which Ave twice forded. The moun tains on each side afteiwards became more lofty and the valley more contracted ; so that, leaving the river on the right hand, Ave ascended a Arery steep hill, and then, as abruptly descending, en tered a glen, remarkable for the Avildness of its scenery, the effect of Avhich Avas probably height ened by the softening light of the moon. We followed a narrow path, leading over rocks and precipices Avhere one false step might plunge the traveller, in an instant, into a frightful chasm ; and where the IioIIoav murmur of the river, in struggling through the defile, was ansAvered from above by innumerable cascades, Avhich fell Avith impetuosity from the surrounding cliffs. We pur sued our journey for three miles through this de file; Avhen, turning a projecting point, we found ourselves at the gates of Tereboli, Avhere we in tended to pass the remainder of the night. We had marched six hours according to the Turks, and by our own estimation twenty-two miles; for the first fifteen miles the direction of the road Avas nearly due E., and for the last seven N. E. 7th. I sent the Tatar at an early hour in the morning to report our arrival, and demand horses from the Mutesellim, who replied that no time should 266 JOURNEY TO COSTAMBOUL, should be lost in collecting them from the adjoinr ing villages. We Avere therefore compelled to remain quiet for the day, and amused ourselves in walking round thp town. The houses are built upon the sides of the precipices, so that many of the streets are hewn out ofthe rock; and the town contains about five hundred families, two mosques, and a wooden palace, inhabited by the Mutesellim. The river, over Avhich there aie two stone bridges, flows through the centre of the place ; and on its -banks are several curious mills for grinding bark. The temperature at ten A. M. was 60, at twelve 70, and at three P. M. 72. We were anxious to take an altitude of the sun, but were prevented by the curiosity and impertinence of the Turks. The horses having arrived at half past seven in the evening, we mounted at eight, and-departed for Modoorly, a distance of nine hours, or about thirty tAvo miles. Our route, for nearly the whole of the way, lay through a succession' of deep de files and narrow glens ; AVp traversed hills, forests, and rivers, without the appearance of a road, and when Ave discovered any traces of onp, it Avas in so wretched a state tbat we carefully avoided it. For the first five miles we followed the bank of the Tereklisu, and then. left it on our right hand. At the ninth mile we came to another small stream flowing N. E. which we followed for upwards of ten miles, and, during that distance, crossed it re peatedly, as the bpd of the river was the only path for JOURNEY TO COSTAMBOUL. 267 for a great part of the Avay. At the tenth mile the pass became so much contracted, and the moun tains, Avhich were covered Avith fine trees, hung over the road in such a manner, as completely to exclude the light of the moon, and render CArery object so obscure, that avc could with difficulty trace our Avay through the wood. Several of the horses appeared much fatigued, and one of them was so completely exhausted, that we turned him loose into the forest, such being the fate of many of these poor animals, particularly at this season of the year, when corn and forage are invariably scarce, e\en in the most productive provinces of the Ottoman empire. At the twenty first mile we approached a third river, flowing to the N. E. and rode for six miles along its banks, through an open country, intersected Avith lofty ranges of mountains, running in all directions. At the twenty eighth mile we crossed a fourth stream, flowing from E. to W. ; and, at the thirtieth mile, entered a narrow valley, in the centre of which ran a rivulet from the S. W. We proceeded for about tAvo miles up this valley, and crossing the river entered the town of Modoorly, just as the day was beginning to break. We had two adven tures during this journey. The first took place about seven miles from Tereboli; when on our coming suddenly upon a numerous caravan, Avho Avere seated round a large fire in a small opening of the forest, they took the alarm, and mistaking us 268„ JOURNEY TO COSTAMBOUL. us for. banditti, seized their arms, fired two or three shot at random in. the air, to shew they were pre pared, and threatened to kill the first man who should advance toAvards them. Some time elapsed before we could convince them of their mistake. They then permitted us to pass, highly pleased to find that their fears were unfounded. Had we really been banditti, anxious to. plunder them, not a soul could have escaped, since the blaze of the fire rendered their persons conspicuous to us, whilst we Avere screened from their view by night, and the thickness of the wood. About six miles farther on, we encountered two suspicious looking men, well mounted and completely armed. They passed us at first, faking a distinct survey of our equipage; then, abruptly turning, headed our horses, and stopped the Soorajees. They asked a number of absurd questions, evidently with the object of dis covering who we were, and disarmed the Tatar whom they had got between them. I therefore cocked one of my pistols, and calling to Mr. Cha vasse and my servant to prepare themselves, we rode up to the bravos, AArho, finding us someAvhat too strong for . them, clapped spurs to their horses, and disappeared in an. instant. The roads in Asia Minor are infested by such miscreants, and these were no doubt prowling in search of some unfor tunate traveller, whom they might plunder and assassinate with impunity. Modoorly, the. ancient Modernas, is a miserable little JOURNEY TO COSTAMBOUL. 2&9 little toAvn, built principally of Avood, and situated in a pleasant A'alley on the banks of the river be fore mentioned : the population is said to amount to six hundred families, of which the majority are Turks, and the remainder Greeks and Armenians: 8th. The temperature at mid-day, in the shade, 72. The cliffs in the pass, half-way between Tereboli ancl Modoorly, Avere chiefly composed of porcelain and jaspar, in horizontal strata. NotAvithstanding we had a distance of tAvelve hours to perform, it Avas past two o'clock before the horses were brought us. The first two miles of our journey led though the valley of Modoorly, on quitting Avhich Ave entered a fine plain, about four or five miles in breadth, bounded on the left by a lofty range of mountains, called Abbas by the moderns, and Hyphii by the ancients, on the N. side of Avhich is a large lake, formerly named Hyphius. We had the Modoorlv su on our left hand for the first four miles; it then turned to the east, and is said to force a passage through the hills. We had occasion to pass many other rivulets before Ave quitted the plain, all of Avhich seemed eventually to take an easterly course. The soil was poor and sandy, and the crops Avretched. At the eighth mile are the district and village of Boolanky, about a mile from the road on the left hand; and, at the termination of the plain, we ascended a steep hill, and then continued our journey over a moun tainous tract, interspersed with groves of beech, fir 270 JOURNEY TO COSTAMBOUL. Sa and juniper trees : the latter kind of tTee is very common all over Asia Minor, but the fruit Avhich it produces is seldom or never good. At the six teenth mile we descended into a gloomy defile, through which ran a rapid river, in a direction pa rallel with the road. It was now almost sun^set, and the cloudy appearance of the atmosphere augured an approaching storm. We had not yet performed the half of the journey, and there was no place nearer than Boli which could afford us lodging for the night. We rode for about fourteen miles through the defile, and on the left bank of the river: the night was exceedingly dark, and shortly after sunset the rain fell in torrents, drenching us, in a very little time, to the skin. The sides and summits of the mountains around us abounded in noble pine trees, which added con* siderably to the gloom of the place; and in diffe rent parts ofthe glen we observed numbers of saw mills, erected by order of the pasha of Boli. These mills are Avorked by water conducted from the river, and from the mountains, by canals, and eventually through long wooden cylinders, between three and five feet in diameter: they turn but one saw, and make a frightful noise, which combined with the roaring of the waters, and the immense fires seen at intervals through the gloom of the wo©d, had a singular and striking effect. At the ¦thirtieth mite we entered the plain of Boli, leav ing the river and a high range of mountains on the right JOURNEY TO COSTAMBOUL. 271 right hand. At the thirty-second mile we forded the Boli su, a considerable river, called in former times Billasus : this river, uniting Avith that which we had just quitted, flows in a combined stream through the plain, and thence to the Black Sea. We now perceived the lights of the city; they appeared to be close to us, but the more Ave ad- Aranced towards them, the more they seemed to recede. In this manner we were tantalized for about an hour and a half, when we arrived, and found all the people in the post-house had already retired to rest. We were very hungry, having tasted nothing since the morning; but in conse quence of the lateness of the hour, the only supper we could procure Avas a small morsel of detestable barley bread. We reckoned the distance Ave had come at about thirty-six miles, in the direction of N.E. 9th. We were detained at this place the Avhole of the day by the intrigues of the Tatar, whom I was again under the necessity of reprimanding. I have more than once had occasion to remark, that you ought never to submit to the insolence of Turks : when treated Avith reserve and haughtiness they are submissive and respectful; but' when, on the contrary, they find that they can presume with impunity, they never fail to be impertinent and intrusive. Boli is an ancient city, and was known in the time of the Romans by the name of Hadrianopolis: it 272 JOURNEY TO COSTAMBOUL. it is. situated on an eminence, at, the western, ex tremity of a rich ancl fertile plain,, about sixteen miks in length, and five or six in breadth. The ruins of the castle are still to be seen on the sum mit, of a small hill, but they contain nothing worthy of particular remark. The. modern town is a poor place, consisting of about one thousand houses, principally inhabited by Turks: there are a few Armenians, but, no Greeks are to be found here ; although the adjoining villages are filled with them. There are in this town twelve mosques, a square or market place,, and a public bath; and it is the residence of a pasha of two tails. The district is esteemed fertile; but, notwith standing , this circumstance, the scarcity was so great, that we could with difficulty procure in the bazar a , small quantity eyen of bad bread. Boli is celebrated for its mineral baths, Avhich are about four miles S. E- of the town, at a village called Yalajah, to Avhich the Turks resort in great num bers; but I was informed that there are many other springs of the same kind, in different parts of the plain, and that they are generally found near the foot of the mountains. At mid-day the temperature was at 70 in the shade. Wth. The horses were brought to us at ten o'clock, and we mounted an hour afterwards. At eight in the evening we reached Geirida, a dis tance of thirty-six miles, according to our estima tion, and twelve hours agreeably to that of the Turks. JOURNEY TO COSTAMBOUL. 273 Turks. The road, for the first nine miles, led through the plain of Boli in a S. by E. direction : the river, now augmented by the Avaters of that Avhich flows through the defile, was on our right, at a short distance from the road ; and on the N. and S. the plain was bounded by lofty ranges of mountains tipped Avith snoAV, Avhich had a pleasing effect, when contrasted with the verdure and richly cultivated fields below. At the fourth mile Ave crossed the river by a bridge : at eight miles and a half a small rivulet, running from the S., and at the ninth Ave ascended a ridge of hills. We then travelled for nearly fourteen miles through a narrow valley, having a lofty range of mountains on our right hand, and descended into a plain intersected by a lake called Moga Goul, about four miles in length. The Avhole of the country through which Ave had passed was in a tolerable state of cultiva tion, and the roads were in excellent condition. At the twenty-third mile is the district of Chal Khoir consisting of several villages built of wood. At the western extremity of the plain we crossed a small stream, and continued our journey along the south border of the lake, which yielded excellent pasturage to droves of cattle and mares. At the twenty-ninth mile wre ascended the hills Avhich bound the lake and plain on the E., and travelled the remaining part of the way, over an uninhabited tract of country, to Geirida. I estimated the whole distance at thirty-six miles; eleven in the t direction 274 JOURNEY TO COSTAMBOUL. direction E. S. E. and the remainder E. by N. We observed in the plain of Boli, and in different parts ofthe road, during this day's journey, numbers Of those sepulchral monuments called Stela? by the Greeks, several of which had inscriptions upon them. Geirida, formerly known by the nafne of Cratia and Flaviopolis, is a small town situated in a hol- Ioav, and built of logs of wood, somewhat like the towns in Sweden : the accommodation at the post- house was so bad, that we were under the neces sity of hiring a small apartment in an adjoining coffee room. 1 1 th. We were given to understand in the morn ing that there were no horses, and that four of the Sultan's Tatars had been detained, in consequence, for. many days: this I. knew to be partly correct, as I had myself seen and talked to the Tatars; and therefore, as the only alternative, resolved to bribe the post-master, a measure which seldom fails in Turkey, or, indeed, any where else. I sent for this personage, who was likeAvise aga of the town, and offered him a handsome present, provided he would give us horses without loss of time. In an hour afterwards he departed, leaving the Tatars cursing both us ancl the post-master : and by three in the afternoon reached Humanli, a distance of eight hours, or twenty-five miles. Our route lay throqgh a hilly country, thinly inhabited, but affording tolerable pasturage from a light and sandy JOURNEY TO COSTAMBOUL. 275' sandy soil. The road was comparatively good, and Ave had a range of mountains called Bainder Dag on our right hand during the Avhole of the journey. This lofty chain, Avhich was denominated Olympus by the ancients, and separated Bithynia from Galatia, Avas distant about twenty miles from us Avhen Ave quitted Geirida; but we continued gradually approaching, and by the time we reachpd Humanli Ave found ourselves at its base. At the twenty-second mile Ave descended into a plain, and gained the left bank of the Bainder su, a considerable river called Parthenius by ancient geographers : it is here about thirty yards wide, is full of delicious fish, and flows along the foot of the mountains, with a gentle current from W. to E. At the the twenty-third mile and a half passed Bainder, formerly a place of consequence, but noAV a ruined village. The day was hot until about two in the afternoon, when we were overtaken by a thunderstorm, and wet to the skin by a heavy fall of sleet and rain. We met crowds of Armenian peasants going to Constantinople in search of employment, a very common system with these people, who quit their native villages in the moun tains of Armenia, and disperse themselves with this vieAV all over the neighbouring countries. Humanli, a ruined town on the banks of the Bain der su, is so poor, that it could not eAren afford us a morsel of bread. 12th. We quitted the great road at Humanli, t 2 and. 276 JOURNEY TO COSTAMBOUL, and turning more to the N. travelled for twelve miles across a bleak and hilly country. At the fourteenth mile we gained the summit of a moun tain, from which, descending into a deep ravine, we pursued our journey along the banks of a brook, flowing N. for thirteen miles : the mountains rose high on either side of us, sometimes in abrupt cliffsj, and at others in gradual slopes, covered with shrubs and verdure. The sun was hot, but we were pro tected from its rays by a thick wood, of which oak, beech, elm, sycamore, walnut, cherry, plum, apple, and pear were the most common trees; but I also observed jessamine, of an extraordinary large size, and noble pines crowned the summit of the mountains. The soil was, in general, poor;, and the rocks were composed of slate and sand stone. At the twenty-sixth or twenty-seventh mile we left the ravine, and crossed, upon a stone bridge^ the Bainder su, noAV become a deep and rapid river, which, from Humanli, flows in an easterly direction for a considerable distance, then^ turning suddenly towards the north, afterwards pursues a westerly course, and disembogues into the Black Sea near Failos* A few yards above the spot where we crossed it are the ruins of an ancient bridge, and it is, upon the whole, one of the finest rivers I have seen in Asia Minor. The country * The river Parthenius, says Strabo, has its sources in Paph- lagonia, and passes through a delightful and flourishing country, from which its name is derived. noAT JOURNEY TO COSTAMBOUL. 277 now assumed a mild appearance ; huge mountains and rugged rocks, tipped Avith snow and partially covered Avith copse Avood and fir trees, branched out in all directions ; but we saw no signs either of inhabitants or cultivation. Night Avas approach ing, and as our horses, from the badness of the roads, Avere quite spent with fatigue, we Avere com pelled to abandon three of them to the beasts of the forest; and it was, therefore, late before Ave got to Hejee Abbasse, a village romantically situated amongst the mountains. The whole distance we reckoned at thirty-four miles, in the following di rections: eight miles N. E., eighteen miles N. N. E., and eight miles N. E. by E. The country Avas, upon the whole, in a most neglected state, and the only signs of inhabitants Avere some scat tered hamlets, built of logs of Avood, and a few flocks of sheep and cattle grazing in the vallies. We lodged in a coffee room at Hajee Abbasse, where we supped on a dish of eggs sent us by the aga of the village, and should have passed a com fortable night, had Ave not been pestered by the intrusions of the people, Avho flocked in ciOAvds to look at us. After my adventure with the Turk mans, I had invariably put on the Turkish dress, and consequently escaped observation; but as Mr. Chavasse Avas habited in the European manner, I Avore it also on the present occasion in compliment to him, and this never failed to excite universal attention. t 3 13*/* 2.78 JOURNEY. TO COSTAMBOUL. 13th. As we had diverged from the post road, we were obliged to hire horses to carry us to Ashar, 4 .village distant twelve hours, or, according, to Our estimation, thirty-eight miles. We mounted at eight in the morning, and at six in the even ing reached the end of the stage, traversing for the first nine miles, the district of Hajee Abbasse^ where rocks, cliffs, and hills, clothed with wood and ver dure, intersected and beautified the country. On the right, the high banks of the Parthenius rose like stupendous walls of perpendicular rock. Pre vious to our arrival at Hajee Abbasse, we observed three curious caves on the face of a range of hills, and this morning, amongst a great number, in a much more perfect state, two in particular attracted our attention. An insulated rock, about twenty paces in circumference, and Avhich appears to have fallen, at some remote period, from the adjoining mourn- tain, has been entirely excavated, and now forms a chamber of a circular form, which is entered by three square doors of the shape and size of those belonging to the smaller caves at Carly, betAveen Bombay and Poona. The second is in the preci pice hanging over the river, and so high that a person to enter it must be let down by a rope from above. The interior consists of several apart ments of large dimensions, having three elliptical doors, and ascribed by the natives, who know no thing respecting the origin of these excavations, tp the genii. At the ninth mile we turned more . ; to JOURNEY TO COSTAMBOUL. 279 to the north, leaving the river on the right hand, coming from the S. E., where the view was termi nated by a high range of mountains, running E. and W. We descended into a valley, and at the tenth mile reached the banks of the Ashar su, a river someAvhat less than the Parthenius. It pursued an easterly course, and close to the bank Avas the village of Charaglar, surrounded Avith cul tivated fields and gardens of fruit trees. We fol- loAved the right bank of the Ashar su, for nearly the Avhole of the remaining part of the journey, shaded from the sun by the branches of the trees. At the eighth mile the mountains began gradually to diminish in height, the Aralley opened, and we perceived some signs of cultivation, and a distans range of mountains on the right hand. Although the Ashar su did not contain so great a mass of water as the Parthenius, it Avas spread over a much wider surface, its bed being in some places a quarter of a mile in breadth. At the eighteenth mile, the hills on each side approached each other, leaving a small opening, about thirty yards wide, as a passage for the river; and, at the thirtieth mile, a huge mountain terminating in a peak, and called Alfar Dag, Avas seen on the left hand, at some distance, to wards the north. At the thirty-first mile we passed the village of Sarpunja, and at the thirty-sixth en tered the post-house of Ashar, situated about a mile from the river. The most common trees to-day were oak of a good size, elm, chinar, Avalnut, juniper, t 4 pear, 280 JOURNEY TO COSTAMBOUL, pear, plum, cherry, and small fir; numbers of the latter being stripped of their bark by the poorer ranks, who eat the interior fibre, after grinding it into powder, and mixing it with flour. The general direction of the road was E. by N. 1 14th. We took horse at eight in the morning, and about a mile north of the village, crossed the Ashar su, on a wooden bridge of admirable construc tion. Turning to the N. Ave quitted the banks of the river, and for seventeen miles, the nature of the country bore a striking resemblance to some parts of Sweden; it was hilly, overspread Avith forests of fir and pine, intersected by .hollow and deep ravines, and had certain open plots in the wood well cultivated and inhabited. The soil was of a reddish colour, and appeared to yield toi lerable crops; but the land Avas for the most part SAvampy, and the roads impassable after rainy wea ther. At the eighth mile we passed the village of ChergoAva, and, at the fifteenth, that of Chefa- many, distant two miles from the road on the left hand. We crossed many rivulets during the jour ney, and, at the seventeenth mile, a considerable stream flowing to the S. W., but, I believe, even tually to the north. At the twenty-first mile we issued from the forest, and entered. a bare and barren country, which underwent no change, until we approached the gates of Costamboul. The whole distance is said to be ten hours, but we did not reckon it above thirty miles. I sent the Tatar forward JOURNEY TO COSTAMBOUL. 281 fonvard to procure us a konak, Avhich the pasha gave us on the house of an Armenian priest, who treated us with constrained hospitality. Shortly after our arrival we received a visit from the pashas physician, Avhom 1 immediately recog nised as the person with Avhom I had resided the preceding autumn at Ooscat. After the death of ChapAvan Oglu, he retired from the court of that prince, and entered the service of the pasha of Costamboul, Avho had sent him to congratulate us on our arrival. I learnt from the Doctor the dis grace and ruin of the family of his former bene factor, from Avhom the Sultan had extorted twelve thousand purses, or six millions of piastres ; put to death most of his partizans and favourites, and divided his territories amongst those who contri buted to the destruction of his children. 15th. We halted this clay and rode out with the Doctor in order to A-iew the tOAvn. The terri tory adjoining Costamboul, or, as it is sometimes called, Costamani,* resembles that in the neigh bourhood of Pera, being bare, dreary and unfertile, intersected by deep ravines and numerous Avater- courses. The mountains of Olgasfus, a stupend ous range, noAV called the Ulguz Dag, are seen from the town, distant about twenty miles, in a S. E. direction ; they run N. E. and S. W. and their * Costamani was the family estate of the imperial House of Comneni. 282 JOURNEY TO COSTAMBOUL. peaks are capped with snow at all times of the year. The city stands in a hollow, in the centre of which rises a lofty and perpendicular rock crowned with a ruined fortress, formerly possessed by the noble House of Comneni. The houses are built of wood and stone, and the palace of the pasha; a poor edifice, opens into the mydan or square. There are thirty mosques with minarets, twenty- five public baths, six khans and a Greek church. The bazars Avere at this time Avell supplied, but the inhabitants were frequently exposed to famine, particularly after a severe winter, when the snow remains so long upon the ground as to impede the operations of agriculture. The population is reck oned at twelve thousand Turks; three hundred Greeks, and about forty families of Armenians. The commerce is but trifling and they have no manufactures. Paphlagonia,* of which Costamboul, under the denomination of Germanicopolis, Avas one of the principal cities, was enclosed between the river Partheniusf and Halys on the W. andE. contiguous to Galatia on the S., and bordered by the Euxine on the N. Till the time of the TrojanJ war this * Josephus says that the Paph'lagonians were descended from Riphath, the son of Gomer. t According to Pliny it extended as far as the.Billaeus. I In the latter ages of the Greek empire Costamboul was the capital of an independent prince, who was first expelled by Bajazet Ilderim, reinstated in his possessions by Timour, and finally subdued by Mahomed I. country JOURNEY TO COSTAMBOUL. 283 country is said to have been occupied by the Heneti, Avho aftenvards passing over into Italy, confounded their name Avith that of the Veneti.* Homer mentions the Paphlagones as a brave peo ple, although, according to Lucian, they were superstitious and silly. The province Avas con quered by Mithridates III. and added to the king dom of Pontus, but Avas afterwards annexed to Bithyniaf by Porapey the Great. It shared the fate of the other provinces of the Greek empire, and noAV forms a small part of Anadoli. 16th. The temperature this day at eight o'clock A. M. was 60°, at ten A. M. 64°, at mid-day 68°, and at five P. M. 65° : the mean of tAvo meridional observations fixed the latitude in 40° 29' 30" N. We were detained during the whole of this day J by the obstinacy and rebellion of our Tatar, who being, as I have already stated, paid by the month, seemed resolved that we should travel as sIoav as possible; since the longer Ave remained upon the road the more would be clue to himself. He threatened to return to Constantinople, having in the meantime contrived to seduce my servant, » D'Anville. t Paphlagonia and Amasia were separated from Bithynia by Constantine. The former had six town\ of which Gangra was the capital ; and the latter, named Helenopontus, (from the mother of the emperor,) had seven towns, with Amasia as the metropolis. X I picked up to day several specimens of clay, slate and sand stone. a native 284 JOURNEY TO COSTAMBOUL. a native of Pera;* and they imagining that we could not possibly proceed without them, thought it a convenient opportunity to extort a sum of money. We saw their design too clearly to be imposed upon, and I therefore intreated my acquaintance the Doctor to go and represent the whole affair to the pasha. The latter, who had known the English when Capudan Pasha, ordered Mahomed Aga into his presence, and, after repri manding him severely, sent to request that we would not make ourselves uneasy as he would give us a careful man to accompany us the remainder of the journey. I accordingly settled their accounts and dismissed both Tatar and domestic. When they found that they had not only failed in their object of exacting money but had also lost their situations, they began to accuse each the other as the author of his misfortune ; and sepa rately soliciting forgiveness, promised to conform to all our wishes on condition that we would take them again into our service. To avoid expense and delay we once more admitted them into favour ; at the same time binding them down by a written contract, in which they agreed to forfeit the whole of their wages if in future they should give us just cause of complaint. * Of all the subjects of the Grand Signior the Franks of Pera are beyond comparison the most profligate and unprincipled. FROM ( 285 ) FROM COSTAMBOUL TO SAMSOON. 17th. On the eve of our departure, the females of the family with Avhom we had lodged assembled round the door of our apartment in expectation of a present, the papas or priest having adopted this plan of reimbursing himself for the expense Ave had occasioned him. We gave each of them a couple of rubas, with which they appeared to be perfectly satisfied. The pasha supplied us with excellent horses which carried us to Tash Kapri in six hours. The Turks estimate the distance at eight hours, and we made it twenty-eight miles. The road lay through a populous and highly cultivated valley, watered by a river Avhich has its source a feAV miles S. of Costamboul. A lofty range of mountains bounded it on the N., while the snoAvy tops of the Ulguz Dag towards the S. were partly hid by the mists that hovered along their summits. At the fifth mile is the village of Ispan ; and at the ninth mile we crossed, on a stone bridge, a river larger than that before mentioned, called Kara su,* which coming from the mountains * This is the same river which we crossed the morning we reached Costamboul. of 286 FROM COSTAMBOUL TQ. SAMSOON. of Ulguz forms a junction with the other about" half a mile to the N. of the spot where we passed it. At the eleventh mile we crossed the combined stream, on a Avooden bridge, and followed its left bank the remainder of the way. At the fifteenth mile is the flourishing district of Batak ; at the twen tieth that of Buyuk, and at the twenty -fifth forded a river near the village of Ahmede, where, flowing from the N., it mingles its waters with those of the Kara su. On entering Tash Kapri we once more crossed the Kara su, over a handsome stone bridge,* built of broken columns, blocks of mar ble and remnants of architraves. The weather was delightful, and the roads were excellent, two miles N. E. by N., three N. E. by E., six miles E. by N. and the remainder E. Oaks, willow, poplars of an immense size, and noble walnut trees, afforded us a delightful shade; the produce of the valley was wheat, barley, rice, beans, lentils and the oil plant, which seemed to be cultivated in great quantities. In the cool of the evening we took a walk in the town, which, from its situation and the many vestiges of antiquity it exhibits, I apprehend to be the ancient Pompeiopolis, formerly one ofthe cities of Paphlagonia. In the burying ground through which we passed, Ave observed numbers of broken «' This gives name to the place, Tash, in Turkish, signifying a stone, and Kapri a bridge. columns, FROM COSTAMBOUL TO SAMSOON. 287 columns, and near it a madressa or college, built almost entirely of large blocks of white marble, fragments of entablature, and capitals of pillars huddled together Avithout either order or taste. A few of these fragments have inscriptions upon them, the most perfect of which we copied. No. 24. The cloister in the interior of the collesre is supported by marble columns of various colours and dimensions, some with Ionic and others with Corinthian capitals. But it is evident that the latter were never intended for the columns on which they have been placed by the Turks, the largest pillars having not unfrequently the smallest capitals. The gate, though small, is a handsome piece of workmanship, ancl in the street, at a short distance from it, stands a magnificent sarcophagus. It is seven feet in length, and three in breadth, hewn from a fine block of white marble, highly polished and richly ornamented with festoons of flowers. The Turks had converted this beautiful remnant of antiquity into a reservoir for Avater. We also observed in the walls of several of the houses broken pieces of sculpture, capitals as well as pedestals of pillars, and from a large block of white marble we copied the epitaph No. 25. Tash Kapri is a casaban, containing about four thousand families, situated on a flat, and extending along the right bank of the river. There are thir teen mosques Avith minarets, a khan and a bath, and 288 FROM COSTAMBOUL TO SAMSOON. and the inhabitants manufacture leather and cot ton cloths in sufficient quantities .to supply the neighbouring countries. On our return to the post-house, we found a person who had been sent by the aga to invite Us to take up our quarters for the night with him; but as it was nearly dark, and the house stood at a considerable distance, I sent my servant to return thanks for his attention, and at the same time to decline the offer under pretence of fatigue. , 18th. We departed from Tash Kaprir at six in the morning, and, after a fatiguing ride of eleven hours, or thirty-five miles, arriA^ed at Weiwode, a casaban of about two thousand inhabitants. Our road for three miles ran over the fine valley of Tash Kapri,. where we commenced the ascent of a steep and wooded mountain, at the foot of which, and on the left hand, about a mile from the road, stood the ruins of an ancient fortress. We continued gradually ascending for nearly four hours through a thick forest of pine trees, which increased in magnitude according to the elevation, and when we got near the summit, many of them measured full sixteen feet in circumference: they grew to an immense height, had in general only branches towards the top, and were incomparably more ma jestic than any I had ever seen in the north of Europe. They might easily be floated down the Kara su and Kizil Ermak into the Black Sea; but the far greater part are at present left to rot in the forests : FROM COSTAMBOUL TO SAMSOON. 280. forests : certain open spaces occurred at intervals, where we observed orchards of fruit trees, and numerous herds of buffaloes. On the left hand, and distant ten or tAvelve miles, ran a lofty range of mountains, in a direction nearly parallel with the road, and at their southern base flowed the Kara su : the roads were deep but stony, which, together with the perpetual ascent and descent, fatigued our horses so much, that we were at length obliged to turn tAvo of them loose into the Avood. The day was hot and sultry, but the branches of the trees afforded us an agreeable shade for the best part of the way. From the nineteenth mile we descended by degrees until we reached our journey's end. At the twenty-third mile stopped to refresh ourselves near some scat tered hamlets in an opening of the wood, where the country people gave us milk and curds, but they had no bread : they seemed poor and wretched in the extreme; their habitations were miserable hovels, consisting of a single apartment, one end of which was occupied by the family, and the other by the cattle. The men, who wore the common Turkish dress, with small caps on their heads and wooden sandals on the feet, complained that even here they Avere not exempt from the grasping hand of oppression. At the twenty-seventh mile we quitted the forest, and entered a rocky country overspread with stunted oak and beech, Avhence we had a view of the river winding through a val- u ley 290 FROM COSTAMBOUL TO SAMSOON^ ley on the left hand. At the thirteenth mile the, country became more open, cultivated in some parts, and in others affording good pasturage to numerous flocks of sheep and goats. At the thirty- first mile we perceived an excavation in a rock in the form of an arch, and soon afterwards beheld from an eminence the town of Weiwode, which presented a singularly beautiful appearance. A river descending from the mountains on the S. meanders through a long narrow valley, consisting of green meadows ancl groves of stately -trees j bleak and barren precipices bound it on each side, and on the summit of a hill commanding the toAvn stands the citadel, a very old building, flanked with lofty toAvers, and resembling the. castles of our feudal lords. Nothing could exceed the luxuriance ofthe verdure in this valley: the fruit trees (par ticularly the walnut) grew to an enormous size; and the vines, in some parts' as thick as the body of a man, enriched the trunks and branches of the trees, even to the very top, from which they hung down in beautiful and exuberant festoons. The roses in the gardens were in full bloom, while tbe fields were enamelled with daisies, cowslips, and numberless flowers, many of which were new to me. In contemplating how much nature had done for this country, we could not but lament that it should be possessed by a people incapable of appreciating her bounties, and who, inveloped in fumes of tobacco, are equally indifferent whe ther FROM COSTAMBOUL TO SAMSOON. 2 where the Soorajees lost the road ; and after Avan- dering about for some time, Ave descended at the fif teenth mile into a glen, through Avhich Ave travelled for five miles, and then entering the Avell cultivated district of Konak, reached at the twenty-second mile a village of the same name built of wood. The soil during yesterday and to-day's ride Avas a rich black loam, yielding excellent crops of wheat and barley ; but the corn had suffered severely from the hail. The air Avas perfumed by a variety of beautiful aromatic plants Avhich clothed the surface of the earth ; and although the oaks ancl elms in the glen Avere of a good size, the pines were small, as I have invariably observed to be the case in the less elevated parts of the country. We Avere breakfasting on honey, milk, &c. when the Tatar came to tell us that the zabit could not give us horses before the following morn ing. As Ave had again begun to suspect that this old 300 FROM COSTAMBOUL TO SAMSOON. old fellow was using underhand means in order to retard our progress, I sent a message to the zabit intimating that I intended to Wait upon him as soon as we had finished our breakfast. I found him sitting on an otter's skin in a sort of shed, erected near the gate of a fortified house ; where after he had asked me to be seated he called for coffee, which was first giveh to himself, and then to the Tatar. When handed to me, I refused to take it ; and on informing him that I was not accustomed to be helped after people of his condition, he drew back apparently surprized and mortified, but treated me with more civility afterwards, and apologized for the badness of our accommodation. I took my leave, but Mahomed Aga remained behind, proba bly with a view of softening, what I had said. We had a wretched lodging, and could get nothing for dinner but a little bad bread, sour milk, and honey. This was, however, but a secondary evil, since ex perience has convinced me that the more moderate my diet, the greater degree of hardship I am capa- pable of sustaining, and I therefore never touch animal food, wine, or spirits, while performing long and fatiguing journeys. Mr. Chavasse, who had just come from England, and thought it impossible to exist without beef or mUtton, became in a very short time a convert to my opinion. The temperature at twelve o'clock 66 ; and the direction ofthe road from Vizir Kapri two' miles S. E. by E., ten miles E. S. E., six miles S. E. by S., two FROM COSTAMBOUL TO SAMSOON. 301 two miles S. S. E., six miles S. E. by E., six miles E. by S., eight miles E., two miles E. by N. A short but lofty range of mountains, mantled Avith snow, ran on the right hand parallel Avith the road, which ever since we left Weiwode Avas passable for Avheel-carriages in many places. We had lately seen little or no irrigation, the rain being suffici ently abundant for the cultivation of the land. The cold is more intense, and the season consequently morebackAvard in.this part of Asia Minor than in the neigh bou rhood ofTocat or Amasia, Avhere the cherries Avere already ripe, although here scarcely formed. 23d. From Konak to Samsoon is eight hours, or, according to our calculation, twenty-eight miles. The road led over a mountainous tract of country, abounding Avith noble trees, and exhibiting such a variety of romantic and beautiful scenery, that we might have fancied ourselves riding in a gentleman's pleasure grounds in England. After seven miles of continual ascent and descent, Ave reached the banks of a small stream, at an opening in the forest, where we observed some cultivated fields, and the ruins of an old building, Avhence ascending for about an hour we gained the summit of the ridge, and from small openings in the wood had an extensive vieAV of the surrounding territory. The mountains were intersected by narroAV vallies and deep ravines co vered with noble beech trees in luxuriant foliage, except at intervals, where we observed Avooden hamlets, and cultivated lands. At the eleventh milej 302 FROM COSTAMBOUL TO SAMSOON. mile, we had a glimpse ofthe Black Sea through the trees, and at the twelfth could observe the boats sailing upon it. At the fourteenth Ave descended an eminence, where the peasants were employed in cutting down the wood in order to Soav corn. The country after this became more open, and the sides of the mountains appeared to yield tolerable crops, but at the same time were so steep that I am at a loss to imagine how the people could benefit by the use of the plough. We descended gradu ally for the remaining part of the way, and soon descried the ships riding at anchor in the bay of Samsoon. At the twenty-fifth mile we halted for half an hour on the banks of a brook, flowing N. E. whence I dispatched the Tatar to pre pare a lodging. Samsoon, Avhich is situated near the west end of a bay about four miles in length, and surrounded by extensive groves of olive-trees, appeared to advantage; and the houses, which are made of wood, plastered with mud, and finally white- washed, produced a good effect when viewed at a distance between the plantations and the sea. As the town is almost exclusively inhabited by Turks, we were fain to take up our quarters in a coffee-house, where we hired a clean little chamber looking to the sea. The people were civil, but regarded us with astonishment ; and the master of the coffee-house demanded Avhether he should bring us wine or arrack. We told him, that pro* vided the former were good, we might probably taste FROM COSTAMBOUL TO SAMSOON. 30$ t taste it after dinner, and Avhile our room was pre paring, Ave took a Avalk in the town. The city represents the ancient Amisus,* which, after Sinope, Avas the most opulent city in Pontus. It appears to have been founded and peopled by colonies from Miletus and Athens, Avho preserved their independence until conquered by the Per sians. They succeeded in maintaining their liber ty under Alexander, but afterwards became sub ject to the kings of Pontus ; and the same Mithri- dates, Avho fought so bravely against the Romans, spent much of his time at Amisus, which he * Post Gadilonem est Saramena, urbsque Amisus illustris, a Sinopa distans stadia circiter nongenta. Theopompus- narrat initio earn a Milesiis fuisse conditam, cum ii Cappadocibus im- perarent: tertium autem ab Athenocleet Atheniensibus frequen- tatam colonis, Piraeenm fuisse denominatum. Hanc quoque reges tenuerunt: et Eupator templis ornavit, partemque urbi de intrego adjecit. Lucullus etiam hanc cepit: ac deinde Pharna- ces, cum e Bosporo trajecisset. Liberatam autem a divoCaesare Antonius regibus subjecit: deinde male earn tractavit Strato ty- rannus: rursum deinde libertas ei reddita est a Casare Augusta post Actiacam victoriam. Et nunc quidem in bono est statu. Habet autem cum aliam regionem bonam, turn Themiscyram Amazonum olim domicilium, et Sidenam. Themiscyra planitie* est quas ab altera parte mari alluitur, ad sexaginta stadia ah Amiso dissidens; ab altera montanis subjecta, nemorosis probe, et perfluis amniura alveis, qui indidem scaturiunt: e quibus om nibus impletus unus fluvius planitiem percurrit, Tbermodon nomine: alius autem oequalibus fere ab eo spatiis semper distans, Iris nomine, per Phanaraeam fluit, eandem perlabens planitiem. Strabo, vol. ii. page 792. -304 FROM COSTAMBOUL TO SAMSOON. decorated with many stately edifices,* and in par ticular erected,, at a short distance from the city, a magnificent palace, which he named Eupatoria. It was taken after a long siege by Lucullus, and set on fire by Callimachus the governor, but saved from destruction by a sudden fall of rain, which. extinguished the flames. It was a favourite resi dence of Pompey the Great, who re-built the city and restored the inhabitants to their liberty, which was confirmed by Cassar and Augustus. Pliny calls it the free and confederate city of the Amiseni, and says, that they were governed by their OAvn laws. It was included in the dominions of the Comneni emperors of Trebisond, and finally subdued by the Turks in the reign of Mahomed II. The modern town is small, not containing, I understand, more than two thousand inhabitants. It is surrounded by a decayed wall which, from the form of the arches of the gates and some ancient pieces of sculpture intermixed with theother stones, I suppose to have been built by the Turks. Towards the sea, however, the remains of a wall much more ancient may be traced, although the ruins are now almost buried in the waves. The town can boast of five mosques with minarets, a hummam, and a large khan for the use of mer chants, who carry on a brisk trade with Constan tinople and the other ports of the Black Sea. The * Strabo. ships FROM COSTAMBOUL TO SAMSOON. 305 ships belonging to the port are navigated by Greeks : for although (as I said before) the population of the tOAvn is almost entirely composed of Turks, the adjoining villages are principally inhabited by Chris tians. After an hour's Avalk, Ave returned to the coffee-house, A\here Ave Avere treated with a bottle of execrable Avine. The direction ofthe road fromKonakAvas tAvo miles N.E., twelve miles E.N.E., two miles N.N.E., nine miles N. E., and three miles S.E. by E. The weather had of late been delightful, although some- AAdiat hot during the day ; Ave had no rain ; and the evenings and mornings were particularly plea sant. At se\Ten A. M. this day the thermometer was at 62. The kingdom of Pontus must be interesting to every reader of history, as the hereditary dominions of a prince, Avho for thirty years stood in arms against the bravest generals and finest armies which the Romans eA'er sent into the field. It was bound ed on the N. by the Euxine; E. byColchos; S. by Cappadociaand Galatia; and W. by the Halys. It is generally admitted to have derived its name from the Pontus Euxinus, now the Black Sea, although others pretend that it received the appellation from a kins: named Pontus. The inhabitants in the days of Herodotus were called Leuco-Syrii, or white Syrians, a name common to all the natives of Cappadocia, of which this country formed a x part 306 FROM COSTAMBOUL TO SAMSOON. part until it was created into a separate state by Darius Hystaspes, in favour of Artabazes, the son of one of those nobles who conspired against the Magi. Under the Romans, it was divided into three provinces, Pontus Cappadocius, Pontus Polemoniacus, and Pontus Galaticusj of which Amasia Avas the capital. The other cities were Sinope, Amisus, Themiscyra, Pharnacia, and Trapezus. Thirteen kings reigned over Pontus from Artabazes to the great Mithridates, after whose fall it Avas declared a Roman province by Pompey. It Avas, however, restored to Carnius, the son of Phamaces, by Mark Anthony, in gratitude for his services during the civil war, and he was succeeded by Polemon the son of a celebrated orator at Laodicea, from whom it descended to his son Polemon II. On the death of this prince, Pontus was again absorbed jn the Roman empire, and that part adjoining Sinope and the Halys received the appellation of Hele- nopontus from Helen, the mother of Constan tine. It was governed by the family of Comneni, dukes of Trebisond, for two hundred and fifty years, at the end of Avhich period it Avas conquered by Mahomed II. to whose descendants it has ever since been subject. Itisnow governedby Soliman, pasha of Phash, whose authority extends from the mouths of the Phasis to those of the Kizil Ermak. He might, from the extent of his territo- FROM COSTAMBOUL TO SAMSOON. 307 ries, be supposed to possess a considerable degree of influence and power, but he has in fact neither the one nor the other, being compelled to call in the Lesga?, in order to keep the petty chiefs of his government in subjection, and enforce the payment of the revenues. X 3 JOURNEY < 308 ) JOURNEY FROM SAMSOON TO TREBISOND. 24th. We bade adieu to Samsoon at nine in the morning, and reached Charshumba at three in the evening, a distance of eight hours, or about twenty- eight miles. For the first two miles and a half we travelled along the beach, Avhen we ascended the cape which terminates the bay to the S. E., and rode for nearly a mile on a path apparently hewn out of a rock: on the left hand was a precipice overhanging the sea, upwards of one hundred feet in perpendicular hight, along which a part of the rdck, about three feet high, had been left as a parapet to prevent accidents. The Avhole of this part of the road, as well as the face of the oppo site hill, was covered with fine laurels, honey suckles, and hawthorn, in bloom, the branches of which, interwoven with each other, afforded a de lightful shade. At three miles and a half we descended into the bay, vulgarly known by the name of the Gulf of Samsoon, and called by the ancients Leuco-Syrorum Ancon, or the creek of thq JOURNEY TO TREBISOND. 309 the white Syrians, a grand semicircle, formed to Avards the E. by a Ioav shelving point which pro jects, I should suppose, about twelve miles out into the sea. The extremity of this point bore E. by N. from Samsoon. We quitted the bay, and entered a flat country, known to the ancients by the name of Phanarasa, covered with Avood, the Amazonian range gradually retiring to the south. We travelled for nine miles through this forest, and passed many streams, Avhich, from the great flat ness of the country can, with difficulty, force a passage to the sea, and consequently form large stagnant pools and morasses, rendering the roads impassable after a heavy rain; particularly as the forest is, in most places, so impervious, as entirely to exclude the beams of the sun. The oak, the ash, the sycamore, and Avalnut, seemed to flourish here in their natiA'e soil; the fig and myrtle were no longer shrubs; and vines, loaded Avith fruit, hung suspended from the tops and branches of the loftiest trees. At the twelfth mile we halted to refresh the horses at a coffee house, situated on the banks of a small stream which Ave crossed on a wooden bridge. The forest became after Avards less impenetrable, and Ave passed large open spots allotted partly to agri culture, and partly to the feeding of brood mares, and oxen: the former were large and poAverful, but wanting in blood; ancl the latter small, like x 3 our 310 JOURNEY TO TREBISOND. our Indian cattle. Wheat> barley ^ oats, maize and flax appeared to be cultivated with success. At the fifteenth mile we gained the banks of a narroAV, but deep and rapid river, (the ancient Chadisius,) along which we rode for three miles, and then crossed it oVer a wooden bridge. Charshumba is so com pletely embosomed in wood, that we entered before we Were aware of having approached the town, which stands in the Jekil Ermak, or green river, (ancient Iris,) the quarter of the Greeks being upon the west bank, and that of the Turks on the east. I measured the .bridge;, by which I found the river to be two hundred and fifty paces wide ; it flows directly north, and loses itself in the gulf about ten miles hence. This river runs through the city of Amasia, and after it has been joined by the Kouli Hissar su, (called Lycus by the ancients,) is nearly as large as the Kizil Ermak. The Amazonian mountains were contiguous to the shore of the sea at Samsoon; about half-way they were distant eleven or twelve miles from us, and at Charshumba seven or eight. The direction of the road was as folloAvs : six miles S. E., six miles E. S. E., two miles E. by S., four miles E. S. E., four miles S. E, by E., four miles E. S. E., three miles E. by S. The casaban of Charshumba, which probably Represents the ancient Magnopolis, has little: re semblance to a town, each particular house being surrounded JOURNEY TO TREBISOND. 311 Surrounded by a large garden of fruit trees: it is said to contain five hundred Turkish families, fifty Greek, and an equal number of Armenian. The houses are built of wood ancl plaster, and for the most part tAvo stories high, that next the ground being appropriated, as is common in every Other part of Turkey, to the use of the cattle and ser vants. The hakim or governor of the district, which is called Janikli, gave us a konak on a Greek house, the master of Avhich was gone into Arabia: he sent one of his people with us to take possession, but Ave knocked at the door for up- Avards of an hour before Ave could gain admittance, Avhen at last an old woman made her appearance, so much frightened that she could hardly articulate, it having occurred to her that we were a party of Turks come to plunder her husband's habitation. She had given the alarm, and in a short time the whole neighbourhood was in an uproar; nor could the females, Avho Avere the most vociferous, be brought to reason, until my servant addressed them in their own language, and assured them that we were Englishmen, Avho only Avanted a night's lodging, ancl would pay double for whatever Ave required. The storm instantly ceased, and Ave were admitted; the carpets and cushions were taken from the cUpboards, Avhere they had been laid up, and the best apartment in the house was prepared for us: they brought us presents of x 4 flowers, 312 JOURNEY TO TREBISOND. flowers, fruit, and fish, ancl in short vied with each other in paying us attention. I mention these circumstances because they shew the manners of the people, and at the same time the sort of tyranny under which they are doomed to groan. We had hardly been seated before avc heard a noise in the yard, and on looking out, we discovered the Tatar quarrelling with the Soorajee, whom he had defrauded of half the money he was to have re ceived. 25th. The temperature in the shade, at eight A. M. this morning, was 65 of Fahrenheit. We mounted at ten, ancl commenced our journey to Unieh, a distance of ten Turkish hours, or thirty- six English miles : we proceeded through a coun try much the same as that which we had passed the preceding day, that is to say, perfectly flat, abounding in fine timber and full of swamps arid morasses. There Avere certain cultivated spots, but by far the greater part of the land was allotted to the feeding of numerous herds of brood mares. There were no villages, but we perceived several wooden huts appearing at intervals between the trees. At the thirteenth mile crossed a rivulet, and at the fifteenth arrived at the small casaban of Terme, a village consisting of about eighty or ninety log houses, and situated on a river of the same name, called the Thermodon in ancient times. The JOURNEY TO TREBISOND. 313 The banks of this river are celebrated in fabulous history as the seat of the Amazons, an extraordi nary race of women, Avho have excited the atten tion of the learned community, both of the present and former ages: they are mentioned by many of the Grecian and Roman writers, Avhile others deny their existence. They are not noticed by Xenophon ; and although Lucullus, in his Avar against Mithri- dates, over-ran the whole of Themiscyra, no allusion is made to the Amazons by any of the historians of that general.* If Ave are to credit the authority of Justin, they owed their descent to a Scythian tribe, Avhich, driven from its native soil, sought an asylum on the southern borders of the Euxine, and banks of the Thermodon. The males having fallen in battle, the Avomen renounced marriage as in compatible Avith freedom, and, accustomed to the martial exercises of riding and hunting, boldly defended themselves against all intruders, and pro pagated their race by admitting, at intervals, the embraces of their neighbours: the male children were discarded or slaughtered, but the females were trained to arms ; and the right breast is said to have been burnt off that it might not incommode them in the use of the bow. An Amazonian queen, * The learned Bryant has proved, I think, that the whole of the story of the Amazons is fabulous, the name having been com mon to all the natives of Cappadocia and Pontus, who were worshippers of the sun. Gibbon and Rennell (no mean authorities) appear to be of the same opinion. mentioned 314 JOURNEY TO TREBISOND. mentioned by Diodorus SicuhiSj is stated to have pUshed her conquests on one side beyond the Ta- nais, and on the other to the confines of Syria; and it is related by Quintus CurtiuSj that when Thalestris went to visit Alexander, she was struck with his diminutive stature, but did not fail to tell him that she wished him to give her an heir to her throne. One of their queens elected temples to Mars and Diana, the tutelar deities ofthe Amazons* and built a city called Thfemiscyra at the mOuth of the Thermodon, which afterwards stood a siege against the Romans under Lucullus.* We halted half an hour at Terme, Avhich, from its name and position, probably stands on or near the site of the ancient Themiscyi-a, and having refreshed ourselves with coffee and pipes passed the Thermodon, over a wOoden bridge seventy- four paces in length. The river, which, from the exceeding flatness of the country, seemed hardly to flow, meets the sea about three miles beloAv Terme. Its waters were muddy, abounding in fine fish, and the banks shelving and sedgy. After the passage of the Thermodon we ti-a veiled two miles through a morass to the Black Sea, and then along a sandy shore interspersed with bushes, after which we re-entered the road on the right hand * Tlutarch, in the life of Lucullus, mentions the plunder of Themiscyra, but says nothing of the Amazons. This city made a vigorous resistance; and wild beasts with swarms of bees were let into the mines by the governor; and JOURNEY TO TREBISOND. 315 and passed at the twentieth mile the river Meli- cherme, OArer a wooden bridge, sixty paces in length. This is the ancient Baris, and, if possible, a more sluggish stream than even the Thermodon. From the bridge to its mouth it runs parallel Avith the sea (from which it is distant tAvo hundred yards) for about three miles, Avhen it receives the tribute of another stream just before it disem bogues. Here we once more came down upon the beach, along Avhich we travelled for nearly five miles, having a sort of back water and SAvamp on the right hand formed by some mountain rivulets unable to force their Avay to the sea. At the twenty-eighth mile we forded the river Askyda,. (the ancient Thoaris,) a clear stream flowing over a pebbly bed, and meandering through groves of fine trees and verdant meadoAvs. The sun had been extremely hot during the clay, but it was now six in the evening, and a cool breeze from the sea refreshed the air and rendered the scene around us quite delightful. At the third mile forded ano ther river, much the same size as Askyda, and equally clear. The Amazonian ridge, which during the greater part of the day had'been distant from us about eight or nine miles, noAV approached the sea after having formed a vast amphitheatre betAveen Samsoon and Unieh. It is a low range covered with noble trees,* except, at intervals,, * Oak, ash, elm, pea/ and mulberry are the most common. where 316 JOURNEY TO TREBISOND. Avhere the cultivated fields and scattered hamlets of the inhabitants form a pleasing contrast to the surrounding scenery. After the thirty-first mile we travelled alternately along the beach, and by a narrow path hewn out of the rock, with a low range of hills close on the right hand, composed of a soft sandy stone, running in horizontal strata. The ground Avas covered with heath, Avhich grew to a great height, and many other luxuriant plants, but in particular a large and beautiful pink floAver. At the thirty-fourth mile Ave ascended a steep hill, from the summit of which Unieh opened to the view, embosomed in gardens of fruit trees in full blossom. The town was situated in a small bay immediately under.us, and the sea, appearing" at intervals through the thick foliage of the trees, was calm and unruffled ; the mountains on the right were mantled with groves of majestic trees, and on one side was a deep glen, in which rose a perpen dicular rock crowned by an ancient fortress. Many vessels were riding at anchor in the bay Avhile the houses appeared to hang over the water. We descended the hill, and passing under a high stone wall which surrounded an immense palace, built partly of stone and partly of wood, entered the streets, where we waited a quarter of an hour for the Tatar. He then made his appearance, accompanied by the despot of the Greeks and an officer of the government, who conducted us to a small house adjoining the Greek church, which we refused JOURNEY TO TREBISOND. 317 refused to enter as not affording suitable accom modation. At this remark the despot seemed sur prized, and replied, that it Avas the best the place afforded ; but we Avere resolved to endeavour to get a better if possible, and therefore sent him Avith my servant to see Avhat could be done. But as the latter reported on his return that they had inspected many houses Avithout discovering one superior to that already set apart for us, Ave ordered it to be swept and our own carpets spread. It Avas nearly dark and we Avere both fatigued and hungry ; but in less than an hour they brought us a sumptuous dinner, consisting of seven or eight different dishes, in addition to a roasted lamb sent us as a piesent by the governor. They placed before us three large bottles of excellent wine and a decanter of brandy, expecting us to consume the far greater part of it, for these people suppose that all Europeans drink to excess. The general direc tion of the road to day was tAvo miles S. E., tAvo miles E. S. E., two miles E., two miles E. by N., eight miles E., one mile N. E., six miles E. by S., one mile E. by N. one mile and a half E. S. E., one mile ancl a half E. by S., six miles and, a half E. by N., one mile S. E., one mile and a half N. E., one mile and a half N. E, Unieh is but a corruption of ffinoe, the ancient name of this town, which does not appear to have ever been a place of more consequence than it is at piesent. The houses arcbuilt of wood ; those next 318 JOURNEY TO TREBISOND. next the sea being erected on stone piers or pillars, so that it is not uncommon to see boats drawn up under the houses into the streets, the filth and stench of which forms a lamentable contrast to tbe singular beauty of the environs. The inhabitants are a wealthy people, and consist of Turks, Greeks and Armenians, engaged in a considerable trade with Constantinople and Theodosia the capital of the Crimea. A great number of vessels, none exceeding two hundred tons burthen, belong to the port, and they are navigated" by the Greeks and built on the beach, a short distance to the east of the town. The mosques are numerous, though mean ; the Greeks have two churches and the Armenians one; there is a good bath and a large khan. The exports are cotton stuffs from Tocat and Diarbekr, fruits and wine ; the imports, corn and oil from the Crimea, and coffee, sugar and European manufactures from Constantinople. 27th. The despot of the Greeks, who had treated us with so much attention, came to me in the morning, to solieit a letter-jof introduction to Mr. Pisani, the English dragoman* at Constantinople, which * It is to be regretted that no proper channel of communica tion has yet been devised between the English ambassadors at Constantinople and the ministers of the Porte. Many objections may be urged against the employment of the dragomen or inter preters, since they are borri the subjects of the Grand Signior, and, I fear, not proof against corruption. Their views are con tracted, JOURNEY TO TREBISOND. 319 which I gave him. He said that the Pasha of Widin had borroAved ten thousand piastres from him many years before, but that, whenever he ventured to express even a Avish of being repaid, his creditor invariably threatened to cut off his head, and thus circumstanced, he thought a power ful friend at the Porte might be of service to him. The temperature at eight A. M. to day was 65, and at eleven A. M. 69. The Mutesellim, who was the son of the pasha of Phash, Avished us to perform the remainder of our journey to Trebisond by sea, adding that it Avas not customary for travellers to go by land, and that, if we persisted in our determination, the badness of the roads and want of accommodation Avould render it extremely disagreeable. We ob jected, however, to this arrangement, as it Avould have done away, in a great degree, the design of traded, from the nature of their education ; and as their families and connexions, who reside at Pera, must in the event of a war be exposed to the vengeance of the Turks, it is their interest to do every thing in their power to prevent a rupture. They are consequently afraid to deliver with truth or boldness the messages of the ambassador, whose honour, as well as thftt of the nation he represents, they do not unfrequently compromise by their mean and obsequious proceedings. Were it therefore possible for the ambassador to communicate direct with the Reis Efi'endi, {minister for foreign affairs,) or through the medium of any of the English secretaries, business would not only be greatly facilitated, but he would avoid all kinds of misrepresentation, and, at the same time, have a clearer insight into the real state of -affairs. our 320 JOURNEY TO TREBISOND. our journey, and we succeeded in prevailing upon him to give us horses. We had fortunately but a short stage of six hours or. eighteen miles to go to Fatsa, but the road was excessively bad,, and for the whole of the way led along the shore, which was thickly streAved with large round pebbles, washed by the Avaves of the sea. . A high bank and thick wood on the right hand shaded us from the sun, the branches of the oaks hung into the water, and I observed a prodigious number of evergreens, such as the laurel, holly and heath, seven or eight feet in height. The floAver mentioned before was every where abundant, and here assumed a variety of tints, accordiug to its greater or less degree of exposure to the sun. In the shade the colours were bright and vivid, but pale and languid when much exposed ; in some places it was a delicate pink, in others a rich purple, and in others again a deep crimson. I have seen this floAver in many parts of Asia Minor, but no where in such beauty and perfection as here ; it grows on a bush as large as a moderate sized laurel, and has a leaf resembling that of the latter. Immediately on quitting Unieh; we crossed an insignificant river called the Uniasu; at two miles and a half a second river, formerly named the Phigamus, and, at a mile from Fatsa, a stream of considerable size. The hills Avere seldom farther than two miles from the sea, and, at inter vals, they threw out branches which reached the shore. Fatsa is a Avretched casaban, containing an old JOURNEY TO TREBISOND. 321 bid palace, and a large khan, for the; accommoda tion of merchants carrying goods to the Crimea, and situate at the Avest end of a fine bay, protected from the easterly winds by a high projecting cape, formerly called the promontory of Jasonium, and now Cape Jasun. We had hardly been seated in a dismal room, or rather hole, of the pOst-house, before Ave were com pelled to quit our position by the vermin, Avith which we were assailed from every quarter, a common occurrence in this part of the world, Where, provided the Turk has a cushion, or any thing soft to sit upon, he cares little about its clean liness. Towards evening we had a thunderstorm, accompanied by a great fall of rain, which pre vented us from visiting the ruins of the ancient Polemonium. 27th. At seven this morning, Ave bade adieu to Fatsa, and at four in the evening arrived at Ordu, a small fishing village situated near the site of the ancient Cotyora, where the Ten Thousand remained for some time, and where they afterwards em barked for Sinope. Our road, for the first four miles, ran along a sandy bay, and we passed at the second mile the remains of the ancient city of Polemonium, supposed to have been founded by Polemon, who Avas raised to the throne of Pontus by Anthony. These ruins, which (Avith the ex ception of one arched building) chiefly consist of y scattered 322 JOURNEY TO TREBISONB- scattered heaps of rubbish, extend along the shore and. the banks of , the river Siderius, which here enters the sea, and is forded with difficulty. At the commencement of the fifth mile, we turned from the sea shore and entered a thickly wooded valley, down the centre of which rushed a torrent. ,We then began to ascend a ridge of mountains which, jutting into the sea, form Capes Jason, and Boona, and, at the twelfth mile, gained the summit, from , which we enjoyed a prospect at once magnificent and exhilarating- The atmos phere was unclouded, the Euxine resembled an immense sheet of transparent glass, and we eould distinguish as far as Cape Terme in one direction, and Keresoun in the other. On the land side we beheld a tremendous mass of mountains, intersected with deep gulfs and narrow vallies, covered with ¦the noblest beech trees, except at certain vacant spaces, where the eye was attracted by the luxu riance of the verdure,, the beauty of the numberless flowers which overspread the surface of the ground* and by the wooden cottages of the natives, sur rounded with gardens of cherry trees, and perched above the steepest declivities. Here, in short, we had an opportunity of contemplating nature in all her grandeur, and, while Ave lingered , on the .spot, could not avoid again expressing our regret, -that so fair a region should be subject to the misrule of the most indolent of mankind. The oak JOURNEY TO TREBISOND. 323 oak, the elm, the Avalnut, the cherry, the pear, the apple, the plum, the cliesnut, the hazel, the elder, and the laurel, groAv in the Avoods, but the most common tree is the beech, and this certamly of a nobler growth than I remember to have ever seen. At the seA7enteenth mile we halted at a fountain, under a grove of cherry trees : the fruit, to our sorrow, was not yet ripe, but we consoled ourselves by picking the Avild straAvberries, Avhich greAV in heaps around us. From this spot we began gradually to descend, the country becoming more open and better cultivated as Ave approached .the sea. At the twenty-third mile we regained the coast, at a village called Purshumba, half a mile beyond Avhich we crossed a small river, (the an cient Genapus,) and travelled the remaining part of the way over a rough road, leading close by the edge of the sea. The country Avas formerly inha bited by the Tibarenians, Avho, according to Xe nophon, resided in towns near the sea, and whom the Grecian generals Avere anxious to attack during the retreat. About five miles W. of Purshumba is the village of Yasun, where there are still to be seen the remains of an ancient city. We had travelled thirty miles in a S. E. direction, al though the horizontal distance from Fatsa to Ordu cannot, I should suppose, exceed seventeen or eighteen. Ordu, which, in my opinion, occupies the position of the ancient Cotyora, is a large straggling village, v 2 situated 324 JOURNEY TO TREBISOND. situated at the west end of the finest bay I have seen on the coast ofthe Black Sea. The houses are built of Avood and roofed Avith shingles, each piece being two feet in length, six inches in breadth, half an inch in thickness, and proof against the most stormy weather. The greater proportion of the inhabitants are Greeks, the remainder Turks and Armenians. The people, in this part of Asia Minor, appeared to us to be a handsome race of men, although their complexions were much darker than we should have expected, considering the mild temperature ofthe climate. The females are so timorous, that even the Greek women shun the approach of a man. 29th. In an interview we this morning had with the aga of the place, he stated, that as it was mad ness to think of travelling by land, he had ordered a felucca to carry us to Keresoun, but we declined his offer and requested him to get us horses with out delay. The horses did not arrive till 1 1 o'clock, at which hour we mounted and commenced our journey to Keresoun, the ancient Cerasus, where we arrived just as the boys in the minarets Avere calling the inhabitants to the first evening prayer. The distance is estimated at twelve hours ; we made it thirty-four miles. Xenophon, in his ac count of the retreat of the Ten Thousand, who passed through this part ofthe country, says it was possessed by the Tibareni and the Mosynceci, whose territories were separated by the river Phar- matinus. JOURNEY TO TREBISOND. 325 matinus* A party of the latter opposed the Greeks in their retreat, but they Avere defeated, their capital taken, and the king burnt in his tower. The conquerors found great quantities of boiled chesnuts Avhich Avere used as bread, a com mon custom at this day in Asia Minor. The wine, observes Xenophon, was rough and appeared sour, but Avhen mixed with water, it became SAveet and palatable.f We travelled the whole of the way along the shore alternately oa er a sandy beach and a high wooded bank. The hills, at intervals jutting out into the sea, form capes and numerous little bays along the coast ; but the nature of the country was still the same, that is to say, studded Avith fine timber, flowers and groves of cherry trees. At the second mile Ave passed the straggling village of JBooyuck ancl a river of the same name, (formerly * The Mosynoecians were so called from the wooden towers they did, and still continue to inhabit. These people were at war with each other at the time the Greeks reached their fron tier, so that one party sided with the Greeks, whilst the other opposed them. The Greeks were shewn boys fatted with bailed chesnuts, whose skins were delicate and white, and who were almost as thick as they were long. Their backs were painted with various colours, and their foreparts impressed with flowers. Xenophon says that all the natives were fair. We, on the con trary, remarked that their complexions were dark. f As is the case at the present day. y 3 called 32,6 JOURNEY TO TREBISOND. called the Melantias,) which, about half a mile from its mouth, was so deep that we could with diffi culty ford it, although divided into two different streams, each about fifty paces wide. Here I counted no less than twenty-two ploughs working in a field. At the seventh mile passed the small river Serindy, and at the eighth saw an extensive cultivation of rice. At the sixteenth mile we halted for half an hour at a fisherman's hut, and at the nineteenth entered a fine and fertile valley opening upon the sea. Half a mile from its mouth, and at a spot Avhere it is rendered fordable by being divided into five separate channels, Ave passed the Baydar su, the ancient Pharmatinus, at least equal in magnitude to the Melantias. This valley or natural amphitheatre is principally inha bited by Greeks, and in a tolerable state of culture. The mountains which bound it on three sides, commence about a mile or a mile and a half from the shore, and rise iu high perpendicular cliffs or small conical hills embellished with the noblest trees, under the thick foliage of Avhich you per ceive the wooden towers of the natives. The evening was delightful, and the hollow sound of the surf intermingled with the singing of the nightingale and the notes of the shepherd's pipe re-echoed from the rocks, rendered our ride quite enchanting. Vines yielding prodigious quantities of fruit were entwined round the stocks and branches JOURNEY TO trebisond; 327 branches of the trees ; pears are here so cheap that they sell for a couple of paras an oke,* and it was from this spot that Lucullus first introduced cher ries into Europe. At the twentieth mile Ave mounted a cop, and discovered at a distance the toAvers of Keresoun, situated on a high point of land which bounds to the E. a bay ancl amphi theatre similar to that we had just left. We gal loped along the beach, for it had begun to rain, and crossing a small river immediately afterwards entered the town. The aga accommodated us with a room in his own house, an old building- erected on the gate of the city, Avhere I had scarcely fallen asleep before I was aAvakened by bugs crawling in every direction over my face and head. I called for a light, and my servant de stroyed about two hundred of these vermin. We halted two days at Keresoun, which is supposed to be the ancient Cerasus, and also that Pharnaciat1 where Mtthridates, after the battle of Cabira, ordered his wives and sisters to be poisoned. It is situated, as I said before, on an elevated rocky promontory which bounds an extensive bay to the E., and appears to have been formerly a place of strength. A considerable part of the ancient wall * An oke is about C.jlbs. f Secundum Sidenam Phamacia est, munitum oppidum: ac post Trapezus, Graecnnica urbs, ad quam ab Amiso navigatk) est stadiorum circiter bis mille et ducenta. — Strobe, vol. ii. p. 794*- Y 4 still 328 JOURNEY TO TREBISOND. - still exists; it is formed of hard green stone* hewn - jrom the rock, and, like that of Antioch, drawn over the summit of the hills and the sides of the precipices. The town consists of about seven hundred ruinous houses, of which number five hundred are inhabited by Turks, one hundred and fifty by Greeks, and fifty by Armenians, Avho are the only industrious part of the community, but at the same time so shamefully oppressed by their Turkish lords, that they are fearful of shewing their riches either in the purchase of a comfortable house or other conveniences. They are therefore, in general, obliged to conceal their wealth under the most abject outward appearance; and this. occasions, in a great measure, the wretched con dition of most of the towns in the Turkish pro vinces. The mountains approach close to the city, and as there is little or no cultivated land, the bread in common use is made of Indian corn imported from Theodosia. The people trade with the Crimea, and build their own ships in the bay under the walls of the city. Keresoun was visited by Xenophon, who calls it a Greek colony, situ ated in the country of the Colchians. It was enlarged and beautified by Pharnaces I., king of Pontus, who called it after himself; taken by * The rock of Keresoun is. composed of a variety of green stone an.d primitive trap. Lucullus JOURNEY TO TREBISOND. 329 Lucullus in the Mithridatic war, and conquered by the Turks in the reign of Mahomed II. We Avere determined to prosecute, if possible, the remainder of our journey to Trebisond by land; but notwithstanding my threats, bribes and entreaties, not a horse was to be procured, and the aga resolutely asserted that the roads Avere per fectly impassable. We were therefore, at last, compelled to give way, and to consent that a boat should be prepared to carry us to Tripoli, or, as the Turks call it, Tereboli. June 1st. We embarked in a felucca of six oars, manned by an equal number of Greek sailors. There had been a storm in the night, but toAvards morning the Avind having abated Ave put to sea, and roAved to a small island called, in former times, Arhentias, where Ave landed for a few minutes to examine the ruins of an ancient castle. The island is about a quarter of a mile in circumference and appears to haA-e been once fortified all round, but the walls that now remain are evidently of Turkish origin. It affords excellent water and has a good harbour where large boats can lie close to the rock. At the third hour Ave saAV the village of Kishop, being seldom more than half a mile distant from the shore. At ten o'clock the wind freshened and compelled us to land in a creek near a village called Eulage, twelve miles from Keresoun. The prevailing winds at this season of the year come from the N. E., and frequently bloAV Avith great 330 JOURNEY TO TREBISOND. great violence, but the boats seem by no means calculated for a boisterous sea : they can be drawn upon" the beach, indeed, Avith great facility, and this appears to have been the principal object con templated in their construction. The mountains for many miles to the E. of Keresoun touch upon the sea, and, at a distance, we were shewn the lofty peak of the Chal Dag, the principal landmark for ships coming from the Crimea and bearing directly S. of Keresoun, distant about twenty miles. Ships are in general cautious in approach ing the coast in the night, as numbers of sunken rocks render it extremely dangerous. The gale having subsided in the evening we once more put to sea, and after sailing six or seven miles, within a few yards of the shore, rounded Cape Kara, for merly Zephyrium. We then crossed a deep bay about twelve miles in length, and at midnight came to anchor in the port of Tereboli (Tripoli), which occupies the western side of a rocky promontory, the mouth of the harbour being defended by an old fort built on a small island. In most maps Avhich I have seen it is placed at the bottom of a deep bay E. of Cape Kara, but this is erroneous, as it is, 4n fact, situated at the extremity of the cape which bounds the bay alluded to on the E. It is about half the size of Keresoun, but the houses, although indifferent enough, are better built than those at the former city ; they are scattered along the edges of the precipices and sides of the mountains. The Avater JOURNEY TO TREBISOND. 331 Avater is said to be deep close to the shore on the Avestem side of the toAvn, and toAvards the E. is a port where small Aessels may ride securely in stormy weather, being protected on the W. by Cape Kara, and on the E. by a peninsula occupied by the ruinous Avails of an ancient castle noAV mantled Avith ivy. The population is understood to amount to four hundred families, and the only ornaments of the place are tAvo handsome khans, an old Greek church and the governor's house, Avhich is built of hewn stone Avith arched doors and windows, in the same model as the Genoese and Venetian buildings in the Levant. There is no cultivation in the vicinity of the toAvn, but the hills afford good pasturage for numerous flocks of sheep and goats; and the country abounds with par tridges, quails and, woodcocks. The pheasant, hoAvever, Avhich was originally brought from the banks of the Phasis and neighbouring province of Mingrelia, is seldom or never met with. Tereboli is thirty-fiA'e miles from Keresoun and seventy-tAvo from Trebisond, according to the reckoning of the Turks. The temperature at ten this morning was 70° of Fahrenheit. 2d. In the morning we removed to an apartment in a Greek house, and I sent the Tatar to the aga, to try whether or not it were possible to procure horses for us; but he returned unsuccessful, and we were again detained by the wind from the N. E., which, like a regular sea breeze, had hitherto commenced 332 JOURNEY TO TREBISOND. commenced at ten in the morning, and continued to blow fresh until six in the evening, Avhen ceasing, it was succeeded by light airs from the land. 3d. It continued to bloAV, thunder, and rain during the whole of yesterday, in so violent a manner as to preclude the possibility of moving before this morning, when Ave got under weigh at day-break with a breeze from the land. At the second mile passed the mouth of the Tereboli su, a considerable stream which enters the sea through a narrow defile in the mountains: in the middle of this defile, and about four miles from the shore, stands the castle of Bedrama, upon an insulated hill. The possessor, a Turkish lady, had lately rebelled, and, with a few of her followers, held out for many months against all the troops which the neighbour ing pashas could bring into the field; whilst the besiegers, regardless of the property of friends or foes, laid waste the adjoining districts and villages. At the tenth mile rounded a cape bounding the bay of Tereboli to the E., and here I may remark, that these capes have invariably bore E. by N. and W. by S. of each other. At the thirteenth mile we passed a large and handsome. house belonging to a chief called Mahomed Beg; at the fourteenth mile the mouth of a small river ; and at the fifteenth landed at the village of Euloi, formerly called Philocalcea, in the territories of the Phylires: here we breakfasted on strawberries and cream, after Avhich we changed the boat, and continued our vovase. JOURNEY TO TREBISOND. 333 voyage. At the third mile we passed the castle and village of Ibrahim Beg, governor of Unieh, and be hind them saw the mountain of Sits Dag, covered Avith snow. At the eighth mile the sea-breeze bleAV so fresh from the E., that Ave were under the necessity of landing some of the creAV to drag the boat. At the ninth mile a small river, floAving near the village and country seat of Eusuf Beg, and at the tent the ruined fort of Gorilla, named Co- ralla by ancient geographers, and seated on a rocky promontory. At the twelfth mile the village of Yarboli, situated at the W. end of a noble bay,. and celebrated for its delicious Avine; ancl at the fifteenth landed at Buyuk Leman, (large harbour,) a small village standing in the bottom of the bay, and consisting of about twenty wooden cottages. The mountains of Sits Dag bore from Cape Go rilla S. by W. half W., ancl Cape Buyuk E. by N., distant about thirteen miles. The country, as we approached Trebisond, gradually became more flourishing, better peopled and cultivated: the Avooden cottages of the inhabitants were scattered along the vallies and slopes of the hills, which presented a varied and picturesque scene of exten sive vineyards, noble groves, and verdant meadoAvs. A high range of mountains, formerly called Saur, running in a N. E. and S. W. direction, advances a considerable way into the sea, forming the before mentioned cape of Buyuk. We dined with the aga on bread, milk and honey, the common fare of 334 JOURNEY TO TREBISOND. of the natives; and the wind having fortunately changed, we put to sea with a fresh breeze in our favour. At half a mile Ave passed tbe mouth of a river; at the fourth mile a large house and small stream, and at the thirteenth reached Cape Buyuk. We sailed under the bluff point of this promontory in an E. by S. direction, until we arrived at the village and ruined castle of Aga Kela, ancient Hormonasa, when, changing our course to S. E. by E., we entered a bay, and at the end of the twenty-sixth mile, landed at the casaban of Pla- tana, in a district supposed to have been inhabited by a people called the Drila;, who were attacked by the Ten Thousand while they encamped at Tre bisond. Just as Ave quitted Buyuk, I observed a great body of men, armed with carabines, passing over the mountains, and was informed that they were part of the army then besieging a neighbour?- ing castle called Sahern, situated on a high rock, inaccessible on all sides, and so strong that a gar rison of fifty men had held out for nearly twelve months against thousands. The castle of Satalia, on the Mediterranean, had lately, in like manner, bid defiance to the whole power of the Porte, who, after a siege and blockade of ten months, Avere at length, compelled to come to terms with its re bellious defender. 4th. At day-light in the morning Ave discovered that Mr. Chavasse's coat and waistcoat had been stolen in the night, and as this was the first time Ave JOURNEY TO TREBISOND. 335 we had been robbed since we left Constantinople, we were determined not to pass it over in silence. The circumstance was accordingly represented to the aga, with a threat that we should complain to the pasha, unless the articles taken away Avere im mediately restored; but he replied, that it was not in his power to discover the thieves, and, as the Avind was favourable, Ave set sail Avithout making any further inquiry, and entered, after a Aoyage of ten miles, the harbour of Trebisond, which is situated on a point of land bearing E. by S. of Cape Haromsa. As we approached the city the mountains became less elevated, less wooded, and in a more extensive State of improvement, the principal produce being barley, flax and wine. We landed in the Avestern port, near the ruins of a pier built by the Genoese : it was crowded Avith boats, and the shore Avith wooden boxes, or rather chests, each containing samples of the grain or provisions brought by the vessel to which it belonged. All was hurry and bustle, and people were moving about in all directions; boys were seen carrying sherbet in one quarter, and confectioners selling their cakes in another; but our attention Avas in particular attracted by a poor Avretch seated in the middle of the market on an old and dirty piece of felt: from long exposure to the inclemency of the Weather, his body Avas covered with hair, his \roice resembled the howlings of a dog, and he Avas said to devour more than eight moderate persons could consume. 336 JOURNEY TO TREBISOND. consume. He had not moved from the spot for many years, and Avas treated with respect by the Turks,* Avho seldom or never passed him Avithout giving him alms.f After remaining about two hours in a coffee room, we were conducted to a small house belonging to a Greek priest, Avhere we received a visit from the aga of Platana. He came to entreat us not to complain to the mutesellim, who, he said, would be glad of such a pretence to extort two or three thousand piastres from the in habitants of his village: he protested that he had made every endeavour to discover the stolen arti cles, but in vain, and, with some appearance of reason, accused our own boatmen of being the perpetrators of the act. As the things were of Small value, and he seemed in great distress, we promised to say nothing more about it; but the Tatar, who had in the mean time told the whole story, soon after brought us a message from the mutesellim, importing that he had ordered the head of the master of the coffee-house where we had lodged to be struck off, and the principal in habitants ofthe district to be fined in a large sum. Mahomed Aga, in his complaint, had roundly asserted that there were upwards of a thousand i * The Turks regard fools as the favourites of heaven. f We were informed that he had been found wild in the woods, and I remember a similar circumstance of a woman having been discovered in the forests near Smyrna, who could neither walk nor speak, and, like a beast, was entirely covered with hair. gold JOURNEY TO TREBISOND. 337 gold rubas in the pocket, although he well knew there Avere cnly a feAV piastres and a small pocket compass. I Avrote a note to the mutesellim, re questing him to take no further notice of the affair, and at the same time to send us a feAV horses, and a guide to shew us the toAvn: they arrived at ten o'clock the folloAving day, when we mounted, and taking our departure from the Greek quarter, Avhich is at the east end of the city, Ave traversed a poor bazar, and issuing from the sea-gate, Avere conducted to the church of St. Sophia, standing on an eminence overlooking the sea, about a mileW. of the city : it is of small dimensions, built of hewn stone, in the form of a cross, ancl divided into a nave and two aisles, lighted from a cupola supported by four marble pillars. The principal entrance, a kind of portico, adorned Avith four Avhite marble columns of the Corinthian order, faces the south; the Roman eagle is conspicuous over the gate, and beloAV.it are numbers of small . reliefs, now almost destroyed; a beautiful cornice runs round the ex terior ofthe edifice; the massy remnants of other buildings croAvn the circumjacent eminences, and at one spot stands a huge square tower, noAV con verted into a cOAV-house. We returned to the city by a road Avhich ran along the foot of the hills, through an avenue formed by the trees in the gar dens on either side of us, and near the entrance of the outer gate passed the tomb and sanctuary of Avia Sophi, (a Mahomedan saint much revered,) a ?¦ large 338 JOURNEY TO TREBISOND. kflge and handsome structure, containing a college for dervishes, supported by the donations of the pilgriims. BetAveen the outer and inner gates we crossed a stone bridge laid over a deep ravine which deifends the city on tbe W. : the second gate is built in the Roman fashion, and close to it I observed a large church, now converted into a mosque. We traversed a number of narrow dirty streets, and ;afterwaids ascended into the citadel, which is situated at the southern extremity of the town, and commands a full view of the city and its environs. Trebisond is of an oblong shape, the longer sides running parallel from S. to N., and occupying a slope gently rising from the sea : on the E. and W. it is defended by two deep ravines, which are connected by a ditch cut in the rock behind the castle, and on the W. an outer work has been carried from the tomb of Avia Sophi to the shore. The ancient ramparts of the city, A\rhich are built of stone, and in general very lofty, run along the skirts of the ravines above mentioned, washed on the N. by the waves, and connected on the S. with the citadel: there are six double gates, and over that of Erzeroom is a Greek inscription, which I found it impossible to copy, from the great number of Turks continually hovering about the spot. The houses, for the most part, are built of stone and lime, roofed with small red tiles, and, like the common Turkish dwellings, mean in their outward appearance and comfortless within. We JOURNEY TO TREBISOND. 389 We again quitted the city by the gate of Erze room, and crossing the bridge built over the ravine on the eastern side, entered a large suburb, chiefly occupied by the Christians, and which, from the number of old churches and other edifices it con tains, most probably composed part of the ancient city. We were then conducted into a small meadow, surrounded by houses, and called Gour Mydan, or, Infidel Square, as being the quarter of the Greeks: thence Ave proceeded to a small spot called Eski Seroi, or the old palace, a large edifice now fallen to decay, ancl occupying a small peninsula, which shoots out sufficiently far into the sea to form two small bays, one on the E. and the other on the W. side : the first is the best shel tered from the winds, and is the place of anchorage for the larger ships; the second (which is that where Ave landed) is generally frequented by the small craft.* A Turkish palace, since destroyed by fire, appears here to have been erected on more ancient foundations, perhaps those of the imperial residence of the house of Comneni, since the ruins are extensive, and the situation the finest, as Avell as the most convenient, in Trebisond. This is a very ancient city, and mentioned by Xenophon in his history of the retreat of the Ten * The Emperor Adrian built a mole to form a port on the east side of Trebisond. z 2 Thousand, 340 JOURNEY TO TREBISOND. Thousand, under the appellation of Trapezus,* a name.Avhich it acquired from its resemblance to the geometrical figure of that denomination: it was, according to the Grecian historian, a colony of the Sinopians, well inhabited, and situated on the Euxine Sea, in the country of the.Colchians. It subsisted as a free and independent city until it fell under the dominion qf the kings of Pontus, from whom it Avas conquered by the Romans, and included in their empire, as the. capital of the province of Pontus Cappadocius. In the year 1203, when Constantinople was taken by the Franks, Alexius Comnenus established an empire which extended from the mouth of the Phasis to that of the Halys : four princes of this house reigned under the denomination of dukes, or em- perors of Trebisond, until their final expulsion by Mahomed II. f since which time the city has remained in the possession of the Turks. * Supra Pharnaciam ergo et Trapezuntem sunt Tibareni et Chaldasi usque ad.parvam Armeniam. Ea est satis felix regio, quam, ut et Sophenam, reguli tenuerunt, aliquando fcedere-Ar- meniis juncti, aliquando rem suam privatim administrantes: paruerunt eis et Tibareni et Chahtei, ita ut Trapezuntem usque et Pharnaciam eorum se ditio proferret. — Strabo, vol. ii. p. 802. t David Comneni, the last emperor of Trebisond, surrendered. the city, after a siege of thirty days, to Mahomed 11., who carried him to Constantinople, where, in violation of the terms of ca pitulation, he put him, as well as eight of his children, to an ignominious death. — Mignot. Trebisond JOURNEY TO TREBISOND. 341 Trebisond is said to contain a population of fifteen thousand souls, a heterogeneous mixture of Turks, Greeks, Jews, Armenians, Georgians, Mingrelians, Circassians, and Tartars. The trade is very considerable, and the principal exports are silk and cotton stuffs, manufactured by the in habitants, fruit and Avine: the imports are sugar, coffee and Avoollen cloths from Constantinople, and corn, salt ancl iron from the Crimea ancl Mingrelia. There are eighteen large mosques, eight khans, five baths, and ten small Greek churches, governed by a despot or metropolitan, and built on the same model as that of St. Sophia,* just described ; but the most curious edifice in the city is the bezestein, a huge square structure, with two small AvindoAvs on each face, and probably erected by the Genoese as a powder magazine. The country around Trebi sond is, as I have before remarked, in an improAed state of cultivation: to the E. the mountains are less elevated, and the line of coast runs nearly due E., although, indeed, a distant cape bears E. N. E. The pasha resides at Phash, five days journey hence ; but the city is under the immediate govern ment of the mutesellim, of A\rhose attention Ave had no reason to complain, and Avho, as there Avas no regular post established at this place, supplied us Avith horses, Avhich he collected from different in- * I copied the inscription, No. 26, at St. Sophia; but as it was nearly obliterated, and too high for me to see the letters distinctly, I cannot answer for its accuracy. z 3 dividuals; 342 JOURNEY TO TREBISOND. dividuals; but before he gave us permission to depart, he exacted a promise in writing that we would not complain of the theft committed at Platana, since in that case he might probably be called upon for twenty purses, or ten thousand piastres. de^ ( 343 ) DEPARTURE FROM TREBISOND, AND ARRIVAL AT ERZEROOM. 5th. We departed from Trebisond at noon, and ascending the hills immediately behind the town, traversed for five miles a rough ancl stony road, Avhen we descended into a narrow valley, and following the left bank of a small but rapid river, called the Mariamana su, reached at the close of the evening, and termination of fifteen miles, the hamlet of Maturage, where it was neces sary to take a guard. The mountains on either side of the valley were cultivated to their summits, producing plenty of barley, flax and maize, and the cabins of the natives were perched on the steepest declivities. The river Mariamana, which at the eighth mile is joined by another stream from the S. E., and loses itself in the Black Sea a mile E. of Trebisond, is said to have its source near a neighbouring monastery of the s^ime name, described as being a large edifice standing on the top of a mountain so difficult of access, that any person desirous of entering the building must be drawn up the side of the precipice in a basket. The aga z4 of 344 DEPARTURE FROM TREBISOND. of Maturage said, that it was inhabited by a Greek abbot and several monks, at the same time remark ing, as a most wonderful circumstance, that the roof was covered with lead. 8th. It rained so heavily during the night, ancl the early part ofthe morning, that Ave were unable to mount before nine o'clock. We travelled, for the first three miles, in the same valley as yester day, when Ave reached the ruined village of Jemi- shee, where the Mariamana su is joined by another stream, flowing from the S. W. Here, after having crossed the Mariamana su near the junction, we began to ascend a' very steep and lofty mountain. The river was on our right hand, and, at the end of the fifth mile, Ave observed, from above, that it Avas joined by a third stream from the south. The slopes of the mountains, for the first seven miles, A\rere cul tivated; but afterwards, as we still continUed ascend ing, the country became more Avoody, and the size of the trees gradually increased as Ave advanced. Firs and beeches were the most common trees, the former below, the latter in more lofty situations. On each hand were deep ravines Avith rivulets flowing through them, ancl, at the fifteenth mile, we reached a small hamletj called Matior, where we haltedyto refresh our guards and horses, fati gued Avith the badness of the roads ahd the steep ness of the ascent. A short distance from Matior Ave lost sight ofthe beech-groves, and only saw a few straggling sycamores, but those also soon dis appeared, DEPARTURE FROM TREBISOND. 345 appeared, and, at the eighteenth mile,' Ave were enveloped in a thick mist, Avhilst the snow lay three or four feet deep on the ground. The cold Avas so piercing that Ave Avere completely benumbed : the mist, or rather sleet, fell so fast as to Avet us to the skin, and Avhen, at six in the evening, we reached the summit of the mountain, (from which the Euxine is visible in a clear day,) the melting snow presented a grand and singular spectacle. From the natural heat of the ground, that which is beloAv is the soonest to dissolve; the snoAV con sequently forms extensive concavities, and a person might walk, for a considerable distance, under a sort of arch, cIoavii the middle of Avhich flows a rapid torrent of muddy water. These mountains are called Koat Dag by the Turks, and are pro bably the same that were defended by the Col- chians against the Ten Thousand.* As the night advanced the cold became more intense, and there fore intending to push on before the baggage, I ordered my Greek servant to follow us, but he peremptorily refused to obey, and when I asked him to deliver up my pistols, he threw off his turban and cloak, and dismounting from his horse, presented one of the pistols to my breast, threaten ing, in the most furious and menacing manner, to fire. I Avas quite unarmed, but my friend, Mr. * From the top of the great mountain, which the Colchians de fended against the Ten Thousand, the Greeks reached Trebisond in two days; so that the distance exactly corresponds. Chavasse, 346" DEPARTURE FROM TREBISOND. Chavasse, the moment he had recovered from his surprize at the man's extraordinary behaviour, im mediately advanced, and would have killed him on the spot had I not interfered; for although the rascal richly deserved to be punished, I was unwilling to deprive him of life. He ran towards his horse, and mounting, galloped on in front, keeping us, however, always in sight. Our guard was several miles in the rear, and the Tatar stood perfectly composed, and not in any way inclined to take a part in the fray. We now began to descend through deep ravines in the mountains, down the sides of which torrents, occasioned by the melt ing of the snow, rushed in all directions. At the twenty-fourth mile we crossed a rapid stream flow ing N. W. and winding through several narroAV defiles, reached at the twenty-eighth mile the vil lage of Estoury, where we passed the night in a miserable cabin. The climate is here so severe, that the people are compelled to live under ground.* fruits do not reach perfection, and the wretched crops of barley on the steeps of the mountains, scarcely repay the labour of the husbandman. The nature of the country in short seemed to have entirely changed ; all verdure had disappeared, and instead of green fields, fine groves, and flowering shrubs, nothing was to be seen but bleak and barren mountains tipped with snowr, intersected with hollow glens and frightful precipices. The villages were hid from the view ; the roofs of the cottages DEPARTURE FROM TREBISOND. 347 cottages being on a level with the ground and covered with earth, so that the path led not unfre quently over the tops of the houses. 9th. During the whole of the night I saw no thing of my servant, and Mahomed Aga, who had been ordered to take the pistols from him, re fused, with his usual obstinacy, to comply. In the morning, however, the Greek, humbled and afraid, came to make his peace, but I declined hearing him, unless he first delivered up the pistols, Avhich Mr. Chavasse endeavoured to seize by force, but was prevented by some of our guards. A scuffle instantly ensued, in which we succeeded in getting the pistols into our possession. The guards were sulky, and threatened us, and on our de scending the hills, after we had taken our depar ture, began to fire their carabines, Avith the view, I suppose, of intimidating us ; but the domestic shewed signs of contrition, and sent the Tatar to us several times to demand pardon. We had mounted at eight o'clock in the morning, although our horses were so much fatigued with the journey of the preceding day, that we despaired of reaching Gemishkhana that night. The road, for the first three miles, led through a defile, and along the left bank of the torrent which we had crossed the former evening ; we then turned more to the south, and, at the fifth mile, forded another stream flow ing N. W. These two rivers form a junction a few miles from this spot. We now began gra dually 348 DEPARTURE FROM TREBISOND. dually to ascend by a narrow foot path, leading through a succession of holloAvs and ravines, until, at the end ofthe mile, Ave gained the summit of a mountain called Korash Dag, from which we had a view of the town of Gemishkhana bearing S., distant about five miles horizontally. This moun tain was so steep, and the road so bad, that Ave were compelled to dismount from our horses, and walk on foot for nearly an. hour, Avhen Ave descended into a narroAV but beautiful valley, washed by the river Kharshoot, which holds a N. W. course,' and enters the Euxine betAveen Tereboli and Euloi. The whole of the valley Avas one continued garden of' fruit trees, irrigated by canals from the river, Avhich Ave crossed on a stone bridge, and then tra velled, for four miles, along its banks under a shade of walnUt, plum, apple, pear, almond, and quince trees. We then crossed a small stream, Avhich here joins the Kharshoot, ascended for about half a mile, and entered the gates of Gemishkhana; an extraordinary looking toAvn, built, amidst rocks and precipices, on the brow of the mountains. After waiting at the gate of the governor's palace for some minutes, Ave Avere conducted to a pleasant lodging, where We spread our carpets on a wooden platform,' erected under the shade of the trees. Gemishkhana, or the Silver House, is so named froni a silver mine in its neighbourhood, which still continues to be worked, but does not yield a third part of the silver Avhich it .formerly did. The town DEPARTURE FROM TREBISOND. 349 town is said to contain seven thousand inhabitants, of Avhich number eleven hundred are Greeks, and seven hundred Armenians. It is embellished Avith five khans, tAvo baths, four Greek churches, and an Armenian chapel; the houses rise one above another, and are better built than those in most Turkish towns. The Greeks, Avho are very nume rous in the adjacent country, have several monas teries, filled with monks, and one, in particular, called Jeuna, a place of pilgrimage, and said to be a large and handsome edifice, richly endoAved. Gemishkhana is three days journey from Kara Hissar, over stupendous mountains, only to be passed in summer. The temperature this morning, at 7 o'clock, Avas 57 of Fahrenheit, and yesterday, at 6 in the morning, 43. Shortly after our arrival, the master of the house where Ave Avere lodged, and several other respecta ble people, came and entreated us to pardon my servant, who throAving himself at our feet, pro mised to conduct himself Avith more propriety in future. Upon the Avhole Ave thought it better to receive him again into favour, for to say the truth, Ave had it not in our poAver to punish him, and should have been much in Avant of his services. We rested a day at Gemishkhana, and on the 1 1 th, the postmaster sent us seven -horses, pro testing that there were no more in his stables, al though he immediately afterwards brought the others in return for a feAV rubas. We Avere, as usual, 350 DEPARTURE FROM TREBISOND. usual, beset by about fifty people demanding buckshish, but, after rewarding all those who had been of any service to us, Ave put spurs to our horses, and with difficulty extricated ourselves from the clamours and imprecations of the others. We ieitt the city by the same road we had entered it, and descending the hill recrossed the Khar shoot, along the right bank of which we continued to travel, for the first four miles, through groves of fruit trees, that formed a pleasant contrast to the rocky and arid mountains on each side. The valley then became uninhabited and deficient in wood ; on the right hand we had the river, and on the left steep and rugged precipices.* At the ninth mile we halted, for a few minutes, at a vil lage called Peka, and, at the twelfth, passed the ruins of a second village, where the river is joined by another coming from the N. E. We then tra velled, for four miles, through a country equally rocky and unfertile, the river being considerably diminished in size as we approached its source. At the sixteenth mile we halted, for half an hour, at the village of Boos Kela, which stands at tbe foot * The Greeks, during the first tlay's march through the country of ihe Macronians, had on their right an eminence of difficult access, and on their left a river, into which the river that served as a boundary between the two nations emptied itself. The banks of this river were covered with trees, which were not large, but grew close to one another. Does not this- description answer that of the Gemishkhana river ? of DEPARTURE FROM TREBISOND. 351 of a stupendous rock croAvned by an ancient castle. We then continued our journey still up the valley, until, at the twenty-fourth mile, we quitted the river. As we had been gradually as cending the Avhole of the day, we gained the summit of the mountains at the twenty-fifth mile, and entered a more open country, affording excel lent pasturage, and abounding in springs of good water. Neither tree nor shrub was any where visible, but the green meadows were strewed with tulips and a variety of herbs. At the twenty-sixth mile we descended into a plain, having a rivulet flow ing parallel with the road on the right hand ; at the tAventy -eighth mile this is joined by another stream from the N., and the plain widening at the twenty - eighth, Ave saw some signs of cultivation. The crops looked poor and thin, and although the corn in the vale of Gemishkhana Avas nearly ripe, here it Avas not more than three inches above the ground. At the twenty-ninth mile was the village of Booboordy, at some distance from the road on the left hand, and at the thirty-third we halted for the night at Balahare, a small place celebrated for the variety of its lilacs and poplars. The houses of this place were, as they usually are in the moun tains of Armenia, built almost entirely under ground ; their roofs were overgrown with grass, and goats and sheep Avere seen grazing upon them. Notwithstanding the coldness of the night, we preferred sleeping in a large buffalo waggon to the gloomy 352 DEPARTURE FROM , TREBISOND. gloomy and filthy interior of these hovels, Avhere -air is only admitted through the door, .'which is seldom left open; and where cows, sheep, and dogs are accommodated in the same room with the family. 12th. We rose before sun-rise, nearly perished with . cold, and mounting our horses, continued our journey across a table-land varied by gentle slopes. At one and a half mile Ave passed the stream abovementioned, greatly increased in size ; it re ceded to the left, taking an E. S. E. course along the foot of a high range of mountains, and fifteen or sixteen miles below the bridge where we crossed, it unites with the. river Tehorah. The road, for the whole of. the way, led through the same sort of country ; that is to say, bare and bleak, but pro- ducinga rich kind of grass, and bounded on either side by -a range of lofty mountains running pa rallel with ; the road ; that on the. right nearly twenty miles off, and that on .the left about half the distance. At the . tenth mile we perceived several small villages in the plain; at the thirteenth came in sight of the castle of Byaboot ; and at the sixteenth mile reached the casaban of that name, where we were, received by a chief, in a. house fantastically. decorated, with the heads. and horns of deer nailed upon the walls. Byaboot is a straggling place, about a. mile in length, situated on a slope on the banks of the river Tehorah, called, in former times, the Boas and Acampsis; it DEPARTURE FROM TREBISOND. 353 it seems, from its position, to represent the ancient Varutha, and it is defended by a castle which has some marks of antiquity. Several of the houses are tolerably well built, and amongst some ruins we observed the a estiges of a beautiful Turkish tomb, of the same order of architecture as that of Zobeida at Bagdad. The castle occupies an insu lated hill of considerable diameter, at the north end of the town, which, according to the tradition of the inliabitants, Avas founded by a colony of Scythians in the days of Alexander, and flourished as a large city so late as the time of the house of Seljuck. The natives, in this part of Armenia, are a short, stout, and active race of men, remarkably dark in their complexions; they are brave and hardy, enured to cold and fatigue, and passionately fond of hunting the stag, Avith which the mountains abound. Those Avho can afford it Avear the Turkish dress, and the loAver orders a short jacket and wide pair of troAvsers, made of brown Avoollen cloth, manufactured at home, and trimmed with black or red lace ; a small cap or turban covers the head, and, instead of shoes, they have a Avooden sandal bound with untanned leather. We found them invariably civil, and, considering that they had never seen an European before, they regarded us Avith very little curiosity. The Avinters are so severe, that all communication is said to be cut off between Byaboot and the circumjacent villages a a for 354 DEPARTURE FROM TREBISOND. for four months of the year, in consequence of the depth of the snow. There is no wood nearer than three days' journey, and coAV-dung baked in the sun, and collected during the summer months, is the ofily fuel Avhich the poor can afford to pur chase. Instead of Avails and bastions, the town is defended by portable towers made of logs of wood. They are musket proof and of a triangular shape, having raised turrets at each angle. If required in any distant part of the country, as not unfre quently happens, they may be taken to pieces, or, if the roads will admit of it, transplanted on three little wheels. We could not help being struck with the resemblance of those machines to the anoving towers of the ancients ; and in so secluded a part of the world, it is probable that little altera tion has taken place in the Customs of the natives for centuries. Our bearings from Trebisond were as follows : one mile and a half S. S. E., two miles and a half S. by E., two miles S., three miles S. by W., two miles and a half S. S. W., tAvo miles and a half S. W., two miles S. W., one mile S. 8: W., two miles S. W. by W., one mile S. S. W., three miles S., two miles S. S. W., two miles S. W. by S., two miles S. W., two miles ,S. by W., two miles S. S. E., two miles S. by E., two miles S., two miles S. by W., two miles S. S. W., two miles W. by S., one mile S. E., three miles S. S. W., one mile S., one mile S. S. W., four miles S. Wv, six miles S., two miles S. E.a two miles S., two miles S. E., DEPARTURE FROM TREBISOND. 3.55 S. E., four miles E. S. E., three miles E. by S., tAvo miles E. by N., one mile E. S. E., one mile E. N. E., two miles E. by S., one mile E. S. E., seven miles S. E., one mile E. by N., three miles and a half E. S. E„ one mile and a half E. by N, four miles E. S. E., two miles E. S. E., one mile S. E., three miles E. S. E., one mile E. by S., five miles E. S. E. 13th. Byaboot is equally distant from Erzeroom and Arzingan;* and the Tehorah, although here a Stream of no great magnitude, aftenvards becomes one of the finest rivers in Armenia. It flows from hence to Ispira,t and constituting the boundary of the territories of Trebisond and Gueria, enters the Euxine at Balxumi. An event occurred, Avhich might probably haAe detained us some days at this place. The aga took a fancy to Mr. Chavasse. 's fowling piece, Avhich he had seen from the Avmdow on the day of our arrival, and immediately ex pressed a desire to haAe it. He had promised that the horses should be in readiness the preceding evening, but finding that Mr. Chavasse could not be induced to part with his gun, he withheld them *This is a town about the size of Gemishkhana, and celebrated for its vines. flspira, the ancient Hispiratis, is twenty-eight hours distant from Byaboot. It is said to be the richest and the hottest district in this quarter of Armenia, and produces the most delicious fruits. The city itself is inconsiderable, and only derives conse quence from the wealth and number of its dependent villages. A A 2 under 356 DEPARTURE FROM TREBISOND. . under pretence that they had wandered into the mountains. The drift of his proceeding did not escape us, and Ave therefore wrote him a note, stating that we were resolved he should not have the fusee, and that if he detained us much longer, I would lodge a complaint against him with the pasha of Erzeroom. We heard no more of him, but the horses came, and at ten o'clock we had com menced our journey to Askela, a distance of twelve hours, or about forty-two miles. The temperature at nine P. M. Avas 56, at seven A. M. 50, and at mid-day 59 . We crossed the river on a bridge, and then pur sued our journey up an uncultivated valley, on a sort of terrace raised along the right bank of the Tehorah. At the fourth mile the valley became contracted, the bed of the river occupied nearly the whole of it; the mountains on each side were grand and striking; but not a blade of grass, nor sign of cultivation, was any where to be seen. At the eighth mile we re-crossed the river, here extremely rapid, and travelled for four miles on the left bank. At the twelfth mile we quitted the Tehorah, flowing from the E., and turning towards the S., marched along the edge of a tributary stream nearly as large as the principal branch. At the fifteenth mile passed this stream at a place where it is joined by another rivulet coming from the S., and then followed its right bank, crossing at the seventeenth a tributary rivulet from the N. We had: DEPARTURE FROM TREBISOND. 357 had as yet travelled through a perfect Avilderness, dreary and uninhabited ; but at the eighteenth mile the country became less barren, the sides of the mountains assumed a verdant appearance, and the banks of the river were covered with beech and juniper trees. The tulip, the beauty of which I had often before remarked, was every Avhere con spicuous; and I saw a bush much resembling the r gooseberry, Avith this difference, that it had no prickles, and the leaves were somewhat larger. At the tAventy-sixth mile we reached the base of the Cop Dag, formerly called the Scydisses, said to be the most lofty range in Armenia, not excepting Ararat,* which, according to the information of our guides, might be seen from their summits in a clear day. We halted for an hour to refresh our horses, Avhose food being confined to green forage, they Avere unable to stand much fatigue. We had traced the river to its source; it Avas formed by a number of rivulets, some of which originated in the melting of the snow, but the greater proportion in the springs which Avere every where abundant. At sun-set Ave gained the top of the mountains, having travelled twenty-eight miles : here we en joyed an unbounded and noble prospect of the sur? rounding country ; a prodigious mass of mountains extended, in bold and successive ridges, far beyond the reach of the eye; the whitened summits of the more elevated ranges, opposed to the verdure of * We had been ascending ever since we quitted Trebisond. a a 3 long 358 DEPARTURE FROM TREBISOND. long and narrow vallies washed by foaming tor rents, and the brown peaks of the less lofty hills, altogether displayed a scene of uncommon gran deur, and bore a strong similitude to the seas in a stormy day. We counted four distinct ranges run ning parallel with each other, in a N. E. ancl S. W. direction; the most northerly was that which I mentioned as being on our left hand the day we entered Byaboot; the second, and most lofty,* that on Avhich we were standing; the third, called the Kebban Dag, bounds the plain of Erzeroom on the S. E., and the last, still farther to the south, skirts the borders of the lake of Van. These mountains are fruitful in springs, the sources of innumerable rivers ; and the melting of the snows at this season of the year gives rise to many torrents which dash down the rugged steeps into the plaiUs below. All the rivers on the north side of the Scydisses flow into the Euxine Sea, and all those on the S. are tributary to the Euphrates, which we saAV bending its course to the W. in a valley be neath us. Those parts of the mountains where the snow had already melted Avere covered Avith a coarse grass, Avild thyme, balm, and other aromatic plants, which, when pressed by the horses' hoofs, emitted a delightful perfume. By the time we had reached the summit our * We were prevented from ascertaining the elevation [of those mountains, in consequence of our barometers having been broken. horses DEPARTURE FROM TREBISOND. 359 horses were completely exhausted; the night was fast closing upon us; and the nearest village being still about fifteen miles distant, Ave had no alter native but that of passing the night on the moun tain: we found it, however, so intolerably cold immediately on the top, that Ave made an extrar ordinary effort, and Avalkecl for three miles along the edge of a torrent, which, from a small brook, became a rapid stream in the course of this short distance. Its banks were clothed with thick brushwood, the resoit of lions and other fero cious animals, Avhich, as our guides informed us, descend into the plains during the night, and carry off the sheep and cattle of the peasantry. At the thirty-first mile Ave unloaded our horses; and lurving made a fire to frighten away the lions, two of which had already crossed our road, we went to sleep* until the daArn of day, Avhen we awoke benumbed with cold, and continued gradu ally to descend until Ave arrived at Askela, the ancient Brepus. We passed several torrents rolling into the Euphrates, the banks of which Ave reached at the sixtli mile, ancl for the first time since we had quitted Byaboot, perceived some detached plots of cultivated land, but the corn was not more than a couple of inches in height. Near the en- * During this day's march I observed numbers of that little species of animal, the jerboa, so common in Persia. It is here of a light brown colour, somewhat larger than those I had before seen. a a 4 trance 360 DEPARTURE FROM TREBISOND. trance to Askela we forded a small river coming from the N., and tributary to the Euphrates, which it joins half a mile south of the village. This is a miserable place, inhabited partly by Turks and partly by Armenians, and standing in a valley of the northern branch of the Euphrates, here called the Karasu. The houses are built in the manner so often before described, with this exception, that the scarcity of timber has compelled the natives to arch the roofs, Avhich exhibit a number of little domes resembling lime kilns. We spread our car pet under a poplar tree, and fresh horses being brought us soon afterwards, we resumed our jour ney to Erzeroom, a distance of nine hours accord ing to the Turks. Immediately on quitting Askela we crossed three streams, within a few yards of each other, all tributary to the Euphrates; the right bank of the latter being partly cultivated, and partly allotted for the feeding of cattle. At the fourth mile we crossed this fine river, which, according to the measurement I made of the bridge, was seventy paces from shore to shore: we then travelled on the left bank for nearly a mile, when we reached a spot where it forms a junction with another river of equal magnitude; the former coming from the E. N. E., and the latter running parallel with the road. The country was flat, in terspersed Avith rising grounds, and tolerably well cultivated, until the twenty-second mile, when we entered, the immense plain of Erzeroom, and passed through DEPARTURE FROM TREBISOND. 361 through the village of Elija, anciently Elegia, cele brated for its natural Avarm baths. We then took a more southerly course, leaving the Euphrates on the left hand, and crossed, at the twenty-third mile, a tributary stream flowing from the S. W. The great plain of Erzeroom is, like all those in Persia, of inconsiderable breadth, compared Avith its length: it is tolerably Avell inhabited and culti vated; but the total absence of trees, combined Avith the loAvness of the houses, Avhich makes them hardly visible at a distance, presents a bleak and solitary appearance. At the twenty-fifth mile Ave passed the village of Giudge, and at the thirtieth entered the city which is situated at the foot of the Kebban range", ancl at the S. E. extremity of the plain : we tra\ersed a number of mean and wretched streets, and at five in the evening halted at the post- house, where we were sheAvn into a small and filthy balcony, in which we remained about an hour before the Tatar arrived with the baggage. I then dispatched him to the pasha to demand a konak; but the latter expressed a wish that we should re main all night in the post-house, promising to pro vide us Avith a lodging in the morning : we hoAvever objected to this arrangement, and the pasha, in consequence, sent for the chief of the Armenians, and ordered him to procure an apartment for us without delay. We Avere accordingly conducted into the quarter of the Armenians, and accommo dated 362 DFPARTURE FROM TREBISOND, dated with a comfortable room looking into a small garden, where Ave soon afterwards received a visit from the pasha's physician, a Venetian ad venturer, who had now turned doctor, a situation not difficult to fill in Turkey. The person to Avhom I now allude had, from his own account, been a shawl merchant, and appeared to be acquainted Avith the most remote countries of the east. He was once in the service of Sir James Mackintosh, in the capacity of butler, and in passing through Erzeroom, on his return from India, procured the situation of physician to the pasha, on a salary of four hundred piastres a month. His dress Avas the first thing which excited our attention, and cer tainly his figure and appearance were altogether so perfectly ridiculous, that it was with difficulty we could refrain from laughter. He was of a dimi nutive stature, hump-backed, and crook-legged, with an enormous head, and long coarse black hair, which hung over his forehead, ears, and shoulders. He wore a shabby blue coat and an embroidered vest, a pair of pantaloons made of green angora shawl, trimmed with silver thread, a pair of silk stockings that had once been white, and yelloAV slippers. He had a cap of orange coloured silk, trimmed with gold fringe, upon his head, and a long orange pelisse, lined Avith green camlet, over his coat This genius was come with a message from the pasha, who wished to know whether DEPARTURE FROM TREBISOND. 363 whether it Avas true that Buonaparte* had been banished to a desert isle. We invited him to sup per, and he aftenvards entertained us with a his tory of his adventures. 16M. Mr. Chavasse ancl the doctor this day inoculated a great many children Avith the coav- pock, a blessing quite unknoAvn in this part of the Avorld, Avhere great numbers die yearly ofthe small pox. When the operation was to be performed, our new acquaintance confessed his ignorance of the use of the lancet, but my friend promised to instruct him : croAvds of people, old as avcII as young, came to be vaccinated, and, amongst others, the pasha sent all his children. The general direction of the road from Byaboot to Erzeroom was two miles E. S. E., tAvo miles S. E. by S., one mile S. E. by E., one mile ancl a half E. S. E., one mile and a half S. E. by E., two miles E. by S., two miles E., one mile S. S. E., one mile S., one mile S. by E., two miles S. E., five * The natives of the east have always taken great interest in the fortunes of this extraordinary man. His name and exploits had become familiar to them: they looked upon him as the favoured of heaven; and the exaggerated statements of his power were well calculated to make a strong impression on the minds of men naturally fond of pomp and grandeur. The thinking classes of the Turks and Persians contemplated in him their future protector against the hostile intentions of Russia, and listened at first with doubt and afterwards with consternation to the reports of his de feats and rapid overthrow. miles 364 DEPARTURE FROM TREBISOND. miles S. by E., five miles S. E. by E., one mile and a half E., one mile S. E. by E., one mile and a half E. S. E., one mile and a half E. by S., one mile and a half E. S. E., five miles S. S. E., two miles E. N. E., two miles E., two miles S. E., three miles E. by N., seven miles E. N. E, one mile E. by N., tAvo miles E., one mile E. by N., nine miles E. by S. DE- ( 365 ) DESCRIPTION OF ERZEROOM AND ARRIVAL AT BETLIS. The pashalic of Erzeroom is one of the largest and most important governments in the Turkish empire, inferior only to Egypt, and equal to Bag dad. It extends from the boundaries of Persia and Georgia over the Lesgaj and Mingrelia, to the frontier of the Russian territory, and the pasha has a superintending authority over all the begs of Koordistan as far to the south as Sert, while on the west his power is absolute to the neighbourhood of Arabkir. Ahmed, the present pasha, Avas governor of Ibraile Avhen it was taken by the Russians, and for his gallant conduct on that occasion was ad vanced to the dignity of Grand Vizir; but being afterwards beaten by Kutusof at Rutchuck, he was deposed and sent to Erzeroom, Avhere he has remained ever since. He is an able and accom plished man, and reported, to govern his province with wisdom and liberality. Erzeroom,* known by the name of Arze to the * Procopius talks of Arzeneve beyond the Nymphaeus. Byzantines, 366 DESCRIPTION Of erzeroom. Byzantines, is the largest city in Armenia,* situated in a fine plain about four or five miles south of the Elijak branch of the Euphrates. The houses are small ahd mean, in some places built of stone, and in others of mud and bricks dried in the sun ; the Avindows being pasted Avith paper instead of glass. The citadel, Avhich stands almost in the centre of the tOAvn, (or what may perhaps more properly be termed suburbs,) is three or four miles in circum ference; the Avails are in good repair, built in the old manner with battlements and angular tovvers, and formed of a grey stone, of a very durable quality, dug in the adjoining mountains. The pasha and the greatest proportion of the Turkish population reside within the walls : there are four gates, but none of them merit a particular descrip tion. The inhabitants are said to amount to fifteen thousand families of Mahomedans, three thousand seven hundred Armenians, three hundred Armenian catholics,'!" and three hundred and fifty Greeks. The Armenians have tAvo churches and a metro politan, the Catholics and Greeks each a church : there are about fifty mosques, twenty khans, seventeen public baths; and the Ula Jami, or great mosque, is said to have room for three thou- * We had entered Armehia rin passing the lofty range of Cop Dag. I have given a short description of this kingdom in my Persian Memoir. t None of the Armenian Catholics would allow their children to be vaccinated, as they said the pope had issued a bull prohibit ing, under pain of excommunication, the use of vaccination. sand DESCRIPTION OF ERZEROOM. 367 sand people in the aisle. In the event of any European power ever undertaking the invasion of Persia or India, there is certainly no spot east of Constantinople better calculated for assembling a large force than the plain of Erzeroom ; horses and cattle are cheap and abundant, forage is every where to be procured in the spring and summer, and a considerable stock of corn may be collected from the neighbouring provinces. The roads are excellent at this season of the year, and Avell cal culated for the transportation of artillery in the leval parts of the country, where carts drawn by oxen are much in use Avith the natives. The in habitants of the toAvns carry on an extensive trade with all the large cities in Turkey and Persia, par ticularly Avith Constantinople, Bagdad, and Erivan. The principal exports are leather and copper from the mines of Mount Taurus, and the imports cot ton, rice, silk, sugar, coffee, and European cloths. This city is twenty-four hours from Arsingan, forty- eight from Moosh, and thirty-six from Kars. We had several double observations for time and alti tude, by which we place the tOAvn in 39° 58' N. latitude. The greater part of the morning folloAving our afrival was occupied in making inquiries respect ing the best mode of prosecuting the remainder of our journey to Bagdad. The chief object of our Avishes was to trace the retreat of the Ten Thousand; ahd as Ave understood that there were only 368 DESCRIPTION OF ERZEROOM. only two roads through Koordistan, the first by Paulo and Diarbekr, and the other by Betlis and Sert, we chose the latter as the most probable route of the Greeks. Both were said to be equally in fested with banditti, but this did not frighten us; and as the horses of Erzeroom are famous for their size, strength and beauty, we intended to purchase three or four and take our chance of pro- • curing others on the road. We had several brought to us in the course of the morning, but none that exactly suited our purpose ; they were large and powerful, admirably calculated for cavalry or car riages, but not so capable of performing long jour nies as the small blood Arab horse. AH animals, indeed, seemed to thrive at Erzeroom, and cows, sheep, and even dogs are larger here than in most other countries which I have visited. The latter are of the wolf breed, with shaggy hair and enor mous heads, and are exceedingly fierce. We had fixed on the morning of the 22d for our departure, but the Tatar was no where to be found during the greater part of the day. He had gone out the preceding evening under pretence of wait ing on the pasha for our passport, but instead of going thither, he passed the night in a drunken frolic with some of his friends, and did not make his appearance until about three in the afternoon. We took horse at four, and pursued our journey over the hills at the back of the city. At the fifth mile we descended into a hollow, having a fine plain JOURNEY TO BETLIS. 369, plain on the left hand and a high range of moun tains on the right, as Avell as in our front. At the seventh mile Ave passed a torrent floAving to the N. E., and immediately afterwards the village of Neddy Khoi. At the eighth mile another small village, where the Tatar and soorajees wished to stop, being afraid, as they pretended, of travelling in the dark. We Avould not listen to this proposal but insisted on their proceeding, and on quitting the village began to ascend a steep ridge of mountains, cIoavii the sides of Avhich tumbled numberless tor rents fed by the melting snoAV. About a quarter of an hour before sun-set we gained the summit, the temperature being about 48° of Fahrenheit. We then descended a short distance, and after wards continued our journey amongst the moun tains, fording rapid streams at every instant, until midnight, when we discoArered by the stars that the soorajees had lost the road. They persisted, notwithstanding, that they wrere right, and it was with great difficulty Ave could prevail upon them to stop until day-light ; for they said that the moun tains Avere haunted by robbers, and that it was therefore dangerous to halt. The cold was intense, and the ground* under foot being damp and marshy, * Plutarch, in speaking of the invasion of Armenia by Lucullus, says that the corn was grown in the midst of summer, and that before the close of the autumnal equinox the weather became as severe as in the midst of winter: the whole country was covered • jj n with 370 JOURNEY TO BETLIS. marshy, I told my servant to bring our carpets, but the Tatar, who had not yet recovered from his inebriety, ordered the soorajees on no account to unload the, horses ; so that we were compelled to lie down on the wet grass. At sun-rise, on the 23d, the thermometer was dowtt at 36°, a hoar frost lay upon the ground, and we found ourselves close to the source of a river which we afterwards dis covered to be the Araxes.* The soorajees still maintained their former opinion respecting the road, but we knew from the compass that they must be wrong, and after much difficulty forced them to take an opposite direction. We travelled almost due S. down a fertile bUt Uncultivated vah ley, and along the left bank of the Araxes, which was covered with willows and tufts of Avoodj the resort of lions, tigers and wild boars. At the sixth mile we discovered the road Avhich Ave had lost the preceding night, and at the seventh mile crossed the river at a ford near a number of beds of salt, which is procured by pumping water from wells into these beds, where it gradually evaporates, with snow, the rivers were frozen, the country was woody, the paths narrow ; and at night the arm}' was compelled to encamp in damp muddy spots wet with melting snow. * Strabo affirms, that the Euphrates and Araxes falling from Mount Abas, the one pursues a westerly and the other an easterly course; the latter, flowing towards Atropatia, turns suddenly to the N. W., and passing Mar and afterwards Artaxata, flows through a level country into the Caspian sea. leaving JOURNEY TO BETLIS. 37I leaving a crust of salt on the ground. We shortly afterwards re-crossed the Araxes, and at the ninth mile reached the village of Tatoos, which is eight hours or about twenty-eight miles from Erzeroom. We had passed through a country affording excel lent pasturage on the sides of the hills, and fertile land in the A-alleys, but all Avas Avaste and uncul tivated ; the severity of the seasons and scarcity of fuel rendering it almost uninhabitable. We halted at Tatoos for a few hours to refresh ourselves and horses, for Ave had not slept the night before, and on quitting the village turned a range of low hills and lost sight of the valley of Araxes, here called the Tatoos su. The road lay through a broken and uneven country, so that we were continually ascending and descending, until the ninth mile, Avhen Ave regained the banks of the Araxes.* This river, which at the spot Avhere we first saAV it Avas but a petty rivulet, had now so Avonderfully in creased in magnitude that it was thirty-seven paces wide, and so deep that our horses were almost swimming. At the tenth mile Ave halted at the village of Gournda,* the first we had seen since Ave left Tatoos ; and afterwards followipg the right bank of the Araxes for nearly a mile, we turned more to the S., and left the river meandering through a plain towards the N. We travelled * It flows hence direct to Hassan Kela, anciently Theodosio- polis. b B 2 for 372 JOURNEY TO BETLIS. for seven miles over a country of the same feature as that Avhich has just been described, and at the twentieth mile began gradually to ascend a very high range of mountains called the Teg Dag. By this time our horses were so much tired that we were under the necessity of turning them loose to graze in the fields for a few hours. The range of the Teg Dag runs in a N. E. and S. W. direction, throwing forth many branches which intersect the plain snow; glittered upon the ground at the place Avhere we halted, although the thermometer, at three o'clock, was up at 68° ; and it was five in the evening before our horses were sufficiently refreshed to allow us to proceed. We passed the Teg Dag by an opening in the range, descending at the twenty-third mile into the plain of Khinis, Avhere we perceived some flocks of sheep and a few dwarf pear trees, the only shrubs Avhich we had seen since our departure from Erzeroom, excepting the Avillows on the banks of the Araxes. At the twenty-fifth mile is the Koordish village of Ameran, near which we observed some spots of cultivated land; hence we travelled for about three hours across the plain, and at nine P. M. arrived at the large village of Ginnis or Khinis, which DAnville supposes to be the city of Gymnias mentioned in the Retreat* It * In five days from Gymnias the Greeks reached the holy ¦mountain of the Theckes, from which they saw the sea; but had they JOURNEY TO BETLIS. 373 Tt is situated on the Binguel su, one of the prin cipal branches of the Euphrates, formerly called the Lycus. 24th. The houses at this place are built in every way similar to those described by Xenophon, and the inhabitants, who had never seen an European before, seemed to eye us Avith the utmost surprize and Avonder, but took no liberties. They, as well as most of the inhabitants of the adjacent villages, Avere Armenians; and, if Ave might judge from their dress and appearance, had to combat the extremes of poverty and Avretchedness. Their church Avas surrounded by a number of uncouth tomb stones bearing the shapes of horses, elephants and coavs. We mounted at nine and followed the course of the Binguel down a valley, in this part tolerably cultivated, but like all the surrounding- country entirely destitute of Avood. At the third mile forded the Binguel, here sixty-eight paces in width, and so rapid that the horses Avere nearly carried down by the stream ; and, about fifty yards more in advance crossed a second river, equally deep Avith the former, but not more than twenty-seven paces Avide.* These two rivers be- they marched at the rate of forty miles a day (which would have been impossible in a country covered with snow, and with an enemy to oppose them) they could not possibly have done it from Khinis. * This river comes from the S., and has, as we were informed, its source in the adjoining mountains. b b 3 come 374 JOURNEY TO BETLIS. come united about a quarter of a mile belOw the spot where we passed them, and their course cer tainly surprized us, since the Binguel, in all the maps which I haAre ever met Avith, is made to flow invariably towards the west, but here it took a direction nearly due east. We folloAved its right bank until the ninth mile, when our soorajee and Tatar were desirous of spending the remainder of the day at a village called Domaun, but not obtain ing our consent they were compelled to move on. Turning to the south we quitted the banks of the Binguel, and entered the mountains, ascending gradually the bed of a small stream. Between the seventeenth and eighteenth mile we arrh^ed at the source of this rivulet, near a spot where the moun tains became exceedingly steep and difficult of ascent. We were about half an hour in getting to the top of this steep part, and at the eighteenth mile stood on the summit of the lofty range of Hamur Tegh, Avhere the snow lay several feet deep notwithstanding the thermometer vvas at 70° in the shade at Domaun. We saAV a vast plain beloAv us, through which the Morad or Water of Desire flowed from the N. E. in a thousand serpentine curves; on the W. ancl S. we beheld nothing but mountains and snoAV; and bearing E. S. E. distant about thirty or forty miles, the white peak of the Sepan Dag soared above the clouds that floated along its sides. This is one of the most remark able mountains in Armenia ; it hangs over the N. W. JOURNEY TO BETLIS. 375 WT corner of the lake of Van, and is said to be so lofty that no person ever reached its summit.* We descended into the plain, and at the twenty-first mile halted at an encampment of wandering Koords, pitched on the banks of a rivulet which empties itself into the Morad. We alighted at the tent of the chief, who gave us a cordial reception, and who, instead of being an uncivilized barbarian as we expected to find him, was sniooth and polished in his manners. He beckoned us to sit doAvn, and ordered coffee to be served and dinner to be prepared. The tent Avas about fifty feet in length and thirty in breadth, made of coarse black woollen cloth, supported by nine small poles. The walls were made Avith cane bound together by twisted purple siikj and about four feet: high ; one end was allotted to the women, and the other to the chief, who sat on a silk cushion, havipg on each side long felts spread for the accommodation of the visitors. Soon after we were' seated he^ddressed the Tatar, desiring to know what sort of a place England Avas, since he heard the people there Avere Aviso and made excellent cloth and pistols. Maho med Aga> with great gravity, assured him, that it Was a city two hundred hours in circumference, completely, filled with emeralds, rubies and all Sorts of rich merchandize ; an account which seemed to * It rises in a cone and has every appearance of being volcanic. Quantities of opsidian are found along the borders of the lake. b b 4 excite 376 JOURNEY TO BETLIS. excite the surprize of the Koord, although he did not express a doubt of the Tatar's veracity. He then ordered his horses to be brought out for us to look at, and Ave afterwards sat down to dinner, Avhich consisted of a large dish of meat, two plates of cheese, two boAvls of sour milk and abundance of good bread, served up on a leather cloth. We took our leave at five in the evening, and ascending a range of hills to the south of the tents, again descended into the plain of the Morad, when, at the end of the sixth mile, we stopped at the Armenian village of Karagool. The roads to-day Avere, generally speaking, tolerably good; the tem perature, between ten in the morning and five in the evening, varied from 66 to 70 of Fahrenheit, and we had a slight thunder-storm towards sun-set. The country, through which Ave had passed, was for the most part fertile, covered Avith fine verdure and great quantities of Avild asparagus. The inha bitants of Karagool, like most of the Armenians whom we have seen, appeared to be a rude and inhospitable race, so much so indeed, that it was not till the Tatar had applied his whip to the kia's back, that he would bring us a few measures of barley for the horses. The valley of the Morad, at the western extremity of which the village of •Karagool is situated, yields the finest pasturage in the world. The soil is rich and fruitful, and the climate mild, compared with what it is in general on the table-land of Armenia; but, notwithstanding these JOURNEY TO BETLIS. 377 these advantages, you hardly perceive a single in habitant or even a cultivated field, these fertile meadoAvs being noAV entirely abandoned to any wandering tribe Avhich chooses to take possession of them. The Morad is seen from afar meandering from the N. E., and is joined by the Binguel,* about five miles to the N. E. of the village, where Ave slept. It is the most considerable of all the * It appears strange that we should have so long remained igno rant ofthe real course of this river. It is in all the maps which I have seen made to pursue a westerly course, and to enter the northern branch of the Euphrates instead of the Morad. Procopius gives the following account of the Euphrates and Tigris. " From a mountain of Armenia not very steep, being five miles to the north of Theodosiopolis, issue two springs, the right spring forming the Euphrates, and the left the Tigris. Tigris, without winding, goes straight on to Armida, taking in no waters by the way, and by the north side of it passes into Assyria. But the Euphrates, not running far, vanishes, not sinking under ground but with a kind of miracle. Over the water lies a bog, exceed ing deep and six miles long, and two miles and a half broad, wherein much reed grows, and the mud is so stiff, that to passen gers it seems firm ground. Horse and foot and waggons pass upon it every day, and stir not the ground, nor discover it to be a bog. The inhabitants every year burn off the reed, that it stop not the way; and sometimes a strong wind blowing, the fire pierces to the root, and discovers the rivers in a small channel : and the mud in binding up again soon after, restores to the place the form it had. Hence this river runs to the country of Ecclesa, where was the temple of Diana in Tauris; whence Iphigenia, Agamemnon's daughter, fled with Orestes and Pylades, carrying away the image of Diana." rivers 378 JOURNEY TO BETLIS. rivers of this country, and is supposed to be the same, Avhich the Ten Thousand passed by the name of Phrat. It has its source under the walls of Ba- yazed, and forms a confluence Avith the northern branch of the Euphrates near Kebban in Mount Taurus. About twelve miles in a E. N. E. direc tion from Karagool, is a noble lake called Shello, which the people informed us was at least a day's journey in circumference. It was visible from an eminence above the village, and the water is said to be SAveet and palatable. 25th. We mounted at eight in the morning and travelled about a mile and a half, when we arrived on the banks of the Morad, here nearly as broad, deep and rapid as the Tigris at Mosul. We swam the horses across, and then passed it our selves on a raft supported by inflated sheep skins, the river was swelled, and the water troubled and muddy, occasioned by , the snow torrents from the mountains. Thence we ascended a gentle slope, and travelled for eight miles over rough and stony ground full of serpents, which were about four or five feet long, of a red colour, and reported to be poisonous. At the ninth mile we descended into a cultivated district called Leese, and crossing several small streams, all of which seemed to direct their course towards the Morad, reached at the tenth mile an Armenian village of the same name. Most of the inhabitants were busily employed in the fields, ploughing and harrowing, but they seemed JOURNEY TO BETLIS. 379 seemed to possess but little knowledge of agricul ture. The plough is simple, made entirely of Avood and drawn by four oxen, the handle is a per pendicular staff, about tAvo feet and a half in height, ancl the person Avho guides the plough stands on a small stage projecting behind. We had a visit, soon after our arrival, from a party of the Lesgas, composing the guard ofthe pasha of Moush, Avho Avas encamped in the neighbourhood, and who dispatched them Avith a complimentary message, intimating that he Avould furnish us with an escort as far as the boundaries of his government. These people are the scourge of all the neighbouring countries, being generally employed as the guards ofthe great men ; they are mercenary troops, armed with carabines, pistols and daggers, and during the period for Avhich they engage themselves, Avill serve with great fidelity, even against their nearest relations. They are of a middle stature, firmly built, of black complexions and a fierce menacing air. 27th. Leese is eight hours from Moush, and the same distance from Aklat and Malazghird. The temperature this morning at eight A. M. was 64, at ten 70, and at mid-day 74. From Erzeroom to this place, the general bearings of the road were as folloAVS : two miles E., two miles E. N. E., two miles E., one mile E. by S., one mile S. S. E., one mile S. E., half a mile S. S. E., one mile and a half S. by W.; six miles S. by E., one mile and a half N.W. 380 JOURNEY TO BETLIS. N. W., four miles and a half S. S. E., nine miles E., three miles E. by S., one mile and a half S. S. E.r three miles and a half S. by E., two miles S. S. E., fourteeen miles S. E., four miles S. S. E., four miles S. E., two miles S. E., four miles E. by N., three miles and a half E. by S., one mile and a half S. by E., one mile and a half S. E., two miles and a half E. S. E., one mile and a half E. by N., two miles S. E. by S., six miles S. E. by E., tAvo miles and a half S. by E., five miles and a half W., four miles S. W. The pashalic of Moush is small, but it contains a great number of rich districts in addition to the towns of Moush, Betlis, and Aklat. Most of the villages are inhabited by Armenian Christians, and each parish has its church and ecclesiastic subject to the patriarch of Erzeroom ; but the lower classes are in general so poor, that numbers of them, as I before incidentally remarked, emigrate into distant countries, and, after an absence of many years, return to enjoy their savings amongst their fami lies. The women are industrious and spend a great part of their time in spinning cotton and wool. Their dress consists of a loose pair of co loured trowsers, a cloak reaching to the knees, a leathern girdle bound by a large clasp in front, and a handkerchief tied over the head and ears. The Armenians are partly subject to the Turks, and partly to the Koordish begs, but equally op pressed by both. 29th, JOURNEY TO BETLIS. 381 29th. The pasha sent for Mahomed Aga this evening, and told him that he should be obliged to send us round by the city of Van, the route of Betlis and Sert being interdicted on account of the depredations of the Koords. As he had said nothing of this before, but on the contrary stated the Betlis road to be safe, I did not place much re liance on his assertions, attributing his change of opinion to some other motive. He had before re peatedly asked the Tatar, Avhether Ave had any watches, guns, or pistols, and being no doubt dis appointed at Mahomed Aga's answering in the ne gative, proposed sending us by Van, under the idea of forcing us to give him a piesent, rather than make so great a round. But in this he was again mistaken, for I had no sooner received his message, than I sent my servant, (having had reason to suspect Mahomed Aga's intriguing disposi tion,) desiring him to state to the pasha, in the most determined manner, that we Avere resolved either to go to Betlis, or return to Erzeroom. He re plied, Avith the greatest coolness, that if such were our determination, he would order horses and a guide to attend us in the morning on our way to Betlis. The temperature at six A. M. was 58, at nine A. M. 63, and at twelve, 64. 30th. An old and uncouth looking figure, clothed in the Koordish habit, entered our apartment this morning before we were dressed; he spoke the Turkish language so ill, that it was impossible to comprehend 382 JOURNEY TO BETLIS. comprehend him, but we soon discovered that, he was the person commissioned by the pasha to ac company us to Betlis. He quietly sat down in the middle of the room, and calling in some of his ragged attendants, harangued them on the neces sity of conducting themselves with propriety, and ordered coffee, cheese, and some other little arti cles, to be packed up for the journey. There was something so good, and at the same time so ludi crous about this old Koord, that Ave could not help liking him, and he behaved with so much kindness towards us ever afterwards, that we had no reason to retract the good opinion which we had formed of him. We mounted at eight o'clock, and, at the end of the third mile, arrived at a village called Puink, Avhere we drank some coffee with a beg, the chief of the district. We then travelled over a stony road gently rising from the plain, and, at the eighth mile, passed the ruins of a town and castle, situated at the foot of a range of mountains, called Belly- jon. At the ninth mile Ave stopped at a miserable hamlet called Altse Bayazed to refresh our horses, and at the thirteenth, gained the summit of the moun tains, whence we had a view of the Lake Nazook, probably the Arethusa of the ancients. After de scending the mountains, for about one mile, we arrived on the western shore of the lake, which seemed to be about thirteen miles in length, from E. to W., and, in the centre, about five miles in breadth. At the western extremity it contracts to the JOURNEY TO BETLIS. 3g3 the breadth of about half a mile, but appeared more open at the east end. It is deficient in ro mantic beauty from the entire Avant of wood, and has but one village upon its borders, Avhich is named Jezira Oka, and built on a peninsula at the S. W. side. The water, Avhich I tasted, is sweet and Avholesome, and consequently applicable to all the purposes of life. We travelled along the western margin of the lake before ascending the hills on the south, and passed a small river which flows out of it, and said to be one of the sources of the Tigris. At the seventeenth mile we lost sight of the Lake Nazook, and descending from the hills into a small cultivated plain, halted for the night at the Jewish village of Mishi. Here Ave were cordially received, and we spread our carpets on some fresh hay in a shed in front of the aga's house, Avhich opened on a bleak and dreary coun try, and commanded a view of the great Sepan Dag, bearing two points north of east. The tem perature at six A. M. 52, and at the same hour in the evening 63. July 1st. We set off at seven in the morning, and, quitting the plain after the third mile, entered upon the ascent of the high range of Nimrood Dag, (called theNiphates mountains by the ancients,) at a place where the elevation is not so great as at others. At the fourth mile we entered upon a table-land, the more lofty parts being tipped with snow, and here, for 384 JOURNEY to BETLIS; for the first time, we had a distant glimpse of the lake of Van. We travelled for six miles across the table-land with the highest part of the Nim rood Dag on our right hand, until the tenth mile, when, from a small eminence, the lake burst full upon our view. This immense sheet of water is called Arssisse* by Ptolemy, a name supposed to be derived from the town of Argish or Arsis, on the northern shore of the lake. Its length from E. to W. is, I should suppose, about twenty -five or thirty miles, and its Avidth, towards the middle, from nine to twelve ; but the bays and inlets are so numerous that it is said to be upwards of ninety hours in cir cumference, while a vessel can sail in four hours with a fair wind from Tedevan to Van, nearly the opposite extremities of the lake. The water is brackish, but it contains, notwithstanding, abun dance of good fish : on the N. it is bounded by the huge mountain of Sepan Dag, on the W. by that of Nimrood, and to the S. by a stupendous chain called Haterash or Karaish. All these different ranges, at the time we saw them, Avere covered Avith snow; and I presume that the term Ni- phates Avas not applied to any particular ridge * Strabo informs us that the Lake of Martiana, sometimes called the Blue Lake, from the colour of its waters, is the largest in Armenia, and extends to the borders of Atropatia. He also mentions a lake called Arsena, the waters of which were of a quality to remove stains from cloth. but JOURNEY TO BETLIS. 385 but to the whole of this elevated tract.* There are three islands on the lake toAvards the east side, on one of Avhich stands an ancient Armenian monastery; on the N. and E. margin are the cities of Aklat (Chaleat), Argish (Arzes), and Van (Artemita), which in the Armenian language sig nifies a fortress; but the country on the W. and S. has a Avild ancl solitary look. We descended from the eminence into a valley, where Ave breakfasted at the Armenian village of Teyrout, about a mile from the lake, and forty hours from Van. At tAvo P. M., Avhen the heat Avas a little abated, avc re-commenced our journeA\ and at the close of the evening had marched four hours, or fourteen miles, to Tchokar, also inhabited by Christians, ancl situated at the base of the last and most lofty peak of Nimrood. We had a delight ful ride along the margin of the lake, and Avithin about half a mile of the shore, the mountains de scending in a gentle slope toAvards the Avater. At * Ofthe mountains to the south of the Euphrates, which, from Cappadocia and Commagene, extend towards the east, the first is named Tauro, and by some theGordian Mountain*, which divide the valley of Sophene and Armenia from Mesopotamia. AVhat is termed Mount Matius, adjacent to Nisibis and Tigranocerta, afterwards assumes the name of Niphates, where we discover the sources of the Tigris. Mount Niphates, continuing to extend itself, is subsequently called Zagros, and separates Media from Babylonia. — Strabo. c c the 386 JOURNEY TO BETLIS. the second mile we saAV the town of Aklat* bearing E.'N. E., and distant about five miles from us: it is a casaban, containing about a thousand houses, governed by a beg, and situate about a mile from the N. W. extremity of the lake, embosomed in orchards of fruit trees. At the seventh mile is the village of Gezag on the verge of the shore; at the eighth that of Teygag, also close to the water, and surrounded by wood, which, in so bare a coun try, had a pleasing effect. The day was calm and excessively hot, but Ave found great relief in eating the snow from the sides of the hills. The lake re sembled an immense mirror, reflecting the moun tains on either side: we could perceive the city of Van on the opposite shore, bearing nearly due E., distant twenty-five or thirty miles,")" and at one particular place we crossed great masses of obsi dian, which our guides told us had fallen from the mountains. At the twelfth mile is the village and port of Tednan, -at the bottom of a bay or inlet running to the S. W., and three miles due W. of it another village amongst the hills, called Sharbas. * Aklat is a town often mentioned in the history of the wars of Armenia, and its possession was repeatedly disputed between the Greeks, Persians, and Armenians : it was taken by Jellaladeen, and retaken by Aladeen, Sultan of Roum, in whose family it remained for nearly a century, when it fell, with their other pos sessions, into the power ofthe Turks. t The extremities of the lake at this place ran nearly E. and W As JOURNEA' TO BETLIS. 387 As Ave approached the end of our journey, the slopes of the mountains became clothed Avith Avild roses, intermingled Avith chvarfoak and pear trees: at the thirteenth mile Ave descended into a valley separating the range of Nimrood from that of Ha- terash, a lofty chain extending from Moush along the south margin of the lake, and which entering into Persia becomes connected Avith the mountains of Sahund and Giroos. They sink abruptly to the Avaters edge, jutting out into bluff capes and head lands; their summits are barren and rocky, and capped Avith snow the greater part of the year, but towards the base they are less sterile, and in some places fringed Avith brushwood. This rugged ter ritory is in the possession of several Koordish begs, who reside in the strong holds with all the pomp and ignorance of our ancient feudal lords, and- Avho have hitherto maintained their independence against both the Turks and Persians. The village of Tchokar could not afford us a decent place to sleep in, so that notwithstanding the coldness of the night, Ave Avere obliged to spread pur carpets on a bank under the lee of the church, a small edifice of an oblong shape, built of hewn stone, and dimly lighted by small Gothic windows.* Each village has a papas, or priest, who is educated * They have no bell, but a piece of carved wood, about two feet in len«th and three or four inches broad, perforated with small holes, and hanging from the roof of the church: it is struck upon by a small mallet or hammer to call the villagers to worship. c c 2 either 388 JOURNEY TO BETLIS. either in the convents or larger towns, and ap pointed by the patriarch of Erzeroom ; the parishes are visited once a year by the bishops and deacons, Avho, under pretence of scrutinizing the conduct of their deputies, exact money from the peasantry. At Tchokar we purchased a lamb for three piastres (three shillings), in order to entertain our people after the folloAving adventure. About half-way we had encountered a party, of the Lesgae, who eyed us with a suspicious look, and seemed doubt ful whether or not they might venture to attack us; they passed on, bewever, and soon aftenvards Ave met some others of the same stamp, well mounted and armed, as were also the former. I was a few yards in advance, ancl they endeavoured to intercept me, but I avoided them; they then made a push at Mr. Chavasse, and stopped the soorajee, demanding, Avith a menacing air, whither Ave were going: they held a parley for a few mo ments, and one of them cocking his carabine, rode up and seized a baggage horse. The guide and his attendants were not with us ; but nevertheless, when we perceived that the Lesgse had seized the baggage, Ave spurred our horses towards them, with our pistols in our hands: finding us prepared and determined to resist, they abandoned their prey, and turning round, fled at full gallop to call in, as Ave supposed, the assistance of their companions. During the whole of this scene Mahomed Aga re mained absolutely in a state of stupor, with his back JOURNEY TO BETLIS. 3S9 back towards the banditti, betraying in his coun tenance symptoms of the most abject fear; and Avhen Mr. Chavasse called upon him to advance, he looked at him without appearing to understand what he said. The Koordand his followers coming up soon afterwards, Ave pursued our journey Avith out further molestation. 2d. We mounted this morning at six A. M., Avith the thermometer as high as 64. Since we left Erze room the climate had gradually become milder, and Ave had lately, during the day, felt the sun oppres- sively hot, although the nights Avere ahvays cold. For the first five miles the road ran across the Aal- ley, or rather plain, Avhich separates the two great ranges. At the sixth mile Ave passed the Betlis su, near its source, and traAelied the remainder of the way along its right bank, through an opening in the Haterash; at the eighth mile the village of Sahar; at the ninth crossed a small stream, forming a fine cascade on our left hand, Avhere it meets the Betlis su, and at the tenth a third stream, joining the two former, the whole combined falling over the rocks in a succession of cataracts just before Ave entered the toAvn of Betlis. The beg ordered an apart ment to be prepared for us in his own house, Avhere Ave should have been perfectly comfortable had we been left to ourselves; but the curiosity of the people to see us Avas so great, that our room was crowded Avith company from the moment we arrived until that on which we departed. About c c 3 half 390 JOURNEY TO BETLIS. half an hour after we had been seated, the beg himself came to visit us : he AVas a tall handsome man, polite in his manners, and in all respects very different from his wild and clownish followers. He seemed very desirous of examining our arms; but expressed great contempt for our pistols, which he said were much too short, and not sufficiently Ornamented.* He had been in Egypt,f and talked of Sir Sidney Smith, and other English officers, as if he then kneAv them intimately. The Koords delight in arms more than any other race of men I have ever met with, and pride themselves on the beauty of their horses and value of their accoutre ments. When a Koordish chief takes the field, his equipment varies but little from that of the knights in the days of chivalry ; and the Saracen 'who fought under the great Salahadeen was p'ro- * These people place no value on workmanship, but invariably prefer those which are long in the barrel, and gaudy in the mounting. t In my journies through the different parts of the Turkish empire, I have questioned many persons who were opposed to th» Trench during the expeditions into Egypt and Syria on the affair of Jaffa; and injustice to Buonaparte 1 must declare, that hot one of them seemed acquainted with a circumstance which has made so much noise in Europe: making every allowance for the in difference of a people familiar with deeds of blood, we are cer tainly justified in considering this general ignorance of the fact as a strong presumption against its existence; since it is scarcely to be believed, that an act of such a deep and malignant die cbhTd, within a feW short years, have been entirely buried in oblfviort. bably JOURNEY TO BETLIS. 391 bably armed in the very same manner as he Avho noAV makes Avar against the Persians. His breast is defended by a steel corslet, inlaid Avith gold and silver; Avhilst a small Avooden shield, thickly studded with brass nails, is slung over his left shoulder Avhen not in use. His lance is carried by his page, or squire, who is also mounted; a carabine is slung across his back; his pistols and dagger are stuck in his girdle, and a light scymitar hangs by his side : attached to the saddle, on the right, is a small case, holding three darts, each about two feet and a half in length; and on the left, at the saddle-bow, you perceive a mace, the most deadly • of all his weapons: it is two feet and a half ia length; sometimes embossed Avith gold, at others set Avith precious stones; and I remember to have seen one in the ancient armoury of Dresden ex actly similar to those now used in Koordistan. The darts have steel points, about six inches long, and a weighty piece of iron or lead at the upper part, to give them velocity when thrown by the hand. The bearings of the road since we quitted Leese are as follow: three miles S. §. E., three miles S. E. by E., one mile and a half S. E., one mile E. by N., one mile and a half S. E. by E., one mile and a half E. by S., tAvo miles and a half S. E., two miles S. S. E., one mile S. S. W., one mile S. S. W., one mile S. S. E, two miles S. E., one mile S. E. by E., two miles S. S. E., three c c 4 miles 392 JOURNEY TO BETLIS. miles S. E. by S., six miles S. by E., three miles S. by W., two miles and a half S. W., two miles S. by W., two miles W. S. W., five miles S. W. by S., three miles S. W., two miles S. W., one mile S. S. W. 3d. The old Koord, who accompanied us from Leese, had behaved with so much attention and civility during the journey, that we thought it in cumbent on us to make him a more than ordinary present; but still he was not contented, and, under pretence of treating his servants, demanded a feAV rubas extra, which I gave him. He returned Iioav- ever in the evening, and requested me to lend him ten piastres, promising to repay me in the morning; but as I Avell knew that the mention of repayment was a mere pretext, in order to extort more money, I pointedly refused him, adding that I was sorry I had already given him so much. Perceiving that he could make nothing of us, he bolted from the room in a rage, abusing us for infidels all the way down stairs, and mounting his horse, which had been waiting for him, set out on his return home. Interest and fear are, I believe, the only motives which can induce a Mahomedan to treat a Christian with common civility. DE- ( 393 ) DESCRIPTION OF BETLIS, AND JOURNEY TO SERT. Betlis, the capital of this part of Koordistan, is situated in the heart of the mountains of Haterash, ancl on the banks of two small rivers which flow into the Tigris. In form it resembles a crab, of Avhich the castle, a fine old building, is the body, and the claAvs are represented by the ravines, which branch out in many different directions. The city is so ancient, that, according to the tradition of the Koords, it Avas founded a few years after the flood by a direct descendant of Noah: the houses are ad mirably built of heAvn stone, flat roofed, and for the most part surrounded with gardens of apple, pear, plum, walnut and cherry trees. The streets being in general steep are difficult of access, and each house seems of itself a petty fortress, a precaution not unnecessary in this turbulent part of the Avorld : many of them have large AvindoAVs, with pointed arches like the Gothic; and the castle, which is partly inhabited and partly in ruins, seems to be a very ancient structure, erected upon an insulated and perpendicular rock, rising abruptly from a hollow in the middle of ""he city. It Avas the resi dence 394 DESCRIPTION OF BETLIS. dence of the ancient khans or begs of Betlis, the most powerful princes in Koordistan, until ruined by family feuds. The walls are built of the same stone as the houses, and the ramparts are nearly a hundred feet in height. The city contains about thirty mosques, eight churches, four hummams, and several khans, and the population is said to amount to twelve thousand souls, of which num ber one half are Mahomedans, and the remainder Christians of the Armenian persuasion. The rivers are crossed by upwards of twenty bridges, each of one arch, and built of stone; the bazars are well supplied with fruits and provisions; but most other articles, such as cloth, hardware, &c, are exces sively dear, and indeed not always to be procured. Merchants sometimes venture to bring goods in well-armed caravans; but the state ofthe country is such, that they are in constant dread of being plundered and put to death. Apples, pears, plums, and walnuts come to perfection at Betlis; the vineyards of Coulty, a village six miles E. of the town, produce excellent wine and brandy (arrack), but the lands are prin cipally allotted to pasture; and the natives, if we may venture an opinion from appearances, prefer the culture of fruits and vegetables to that of wheat. Their gardens are irrigated by small aque ducts or canals, which convey the Avater from the rivers or mountains, and I have seldom seen any illiterate people who better understand the art of hydraulics. DESCRIPTION OF BETLIS. 395 hydraulics. Some of their aqueducts carry water from a distance of five or six miles ; these are small trenches cut round the sides of the hills, Avhere the leArel is preserved with the utmost precision, with out the use of any mathematical instrument ; an extraordinary circumstance, considering that the Koords are a rude, uneducated and brutal race, naturally of a fierce and contentious disposition, and Avho, if we except the change of their religion, have not altered their manners or character since the days of Xenophon. Betlis is nominally sub ject to a beg, appointed by the pasha of Moush, but the real authority is possessed by the khan of the Koords, the descendant and representative of a long line of feudal lords who Avere formerly the masters of all the surrounding territory. He has, I understand, within these feAV years, in a certain degree become subject to the Porte, and pays it an annual tribute. The roads since we left Leese have been very good and passable for cannon, waggons, or indeed wheel-carriages of any kind. This is, however, only the case during the summer and autumn months ; for in the Avinter the whole country is laid under snoAV, the melting of Avhich in the spring occasions such a number of torrents as to render the communication between the towns exceedingly difficult. I look upon it as impossible to make Avar in any part of the western Armenia during four or perhaps five months in the year ; and 396 DESCRIPTION OF BETLIS. and as -the retreat of the Ten Thousand has often occupied my thoughts in my journies across the sultry wilds of Irak, Arabia and the rugged moun tains of Koordistan, I could never reflect without a feeling of admiration and Avonder on the difficul ties Avhich that heroic body had to overcome. The march of an army for so great a distance* through such a country, with one enemy in front and another in the rear, in daily want of provi sions and in the full rigour of an Armenian Avinter, is quite unparalleled in the annals of Avar; and must ever be looked upon as a memorable example of Avhat skill and resolution are able to effect.* The temperature at six A. M. this day Avas 62° of Fahrenheit, at noon 80° and at sun-set 72°. We continued three days at Betlis, and on the morning of the 7th set out for Sert, the ancient Tigranocerta. We descended from the height on which the aga's house is situated, and, rounding the castle, passed through an old bazar, Avhere I observed several handsome mosques and colleges neglected and fast falling to ruin. We entered one of the many ravines in Avhich the city is situated, the houses being almost hid from the view by the luxuriant foliage ofthe trees. At the end of the first mile Ave quitted the suburbs, and, * Plutarch tells us that Anthony, during his disastrous retreat through Armenia, repeatedly used to call out — Oh ! the Ten Thousand ! crossing JOURNEY TO SERT. 397 crossing the river twice successively, continued to travel on its left bank over rough and stony ground. It Avas a considerable time before Ave could clear the toAvn, for our escort, consisting of twelve savage Koords, under no sort of controul, Avere continually stopping on one pretence or another, and Avhen, at last, Ave had got fairly upon the road, they insisted upon mounting the baggage horses ; so that in addition to their ordinary load, each of the poor animals had to carry one of these fellows. The confusion Avas increased by our being unable to speak to them, since not one amongst the number understood Persian or Turkish; and none of our oavii party kneAV the Koordish language. At the third mile we quitted the bank of the river, at that place about fifteen paces wide and exceedingly rapid ; and turning S. S. W. followed the winding of a defile. After travelling about two miles up this ravine, Avith a rivulet on our right hand, Ave came to an open spot in the mountains; and, at the sixth mile, arrived at a small hamlet embosomed in Avalnut trees. Thence, without stopping, we gained the summit of a high hill, and again descending into a roman tic and Avell cultivated valley, alighted at the end of the eighth mile at a village called Eulak. Here we halted for a couple of hours on the banks of a rivulet, and under the cool shade of a large walnut tree ; for the sun was scorchingly hot, and I felt myself so much indisposed that I could with diffi culty 398 JOURNEY TO SERT. culty sit upon my horse. The mountains in the vicinity of this village abound in marble. In the cool of the evening we again mounted and rode for a mile and a half doAvn the valley, through cultivated fields interspersed Avith gardens of apple, pear, mulberry, plum and walnut trees; and on quitting this delightful spot again entered the mountains, Avhich were covered with small oak trees, producing abundance of gall-nuts. The road wound for four miles through the mountains over -a rapid succession of steep and shaggy precipices, and during this march we were more than once under the necessity of calling* a halt, in order to reprimand the guard, who were perpetually strag gling from the road and entering the woods with the baggage horses; no doubt with the view of carrying some of them away. I learnt afterwards that they imagined Mr. Chavasse's portmanteaus were .filled with gokh and I remarked, at the time, that their attention was in particular directed towards them. At the end of the fifth mile wre descended into a narrow glen, between two ranges of stupendous mountains composed of quartz and clinkstone mixed with quartz, rising almost perpen dicularly on each side. Their summits were clothed Avith hanging oaks and white Avith snoAV. A rapid river* flowed through the centre of the valley toAvards * I have before stated that two rivers flow through Betlis. near the The first is that which has its source in the Nimrood Dag, near JOURNEY TO SERT. 399 toAvards the S., which, on inquiry, I aftenvards found to be one of the two that flow through Betlis. We folloAved the course of the stream for two miles up this vale, darkened by the branches of oak, ash, apple and Avalnut trees; and here, for the first time since Ave entered Koordistan, we observed some fields of rice, watered by small canals drawn from the river. At the seventh mile we crossed a wooden bridge contiguous to the ruins of another very ancient stone bridge ; and, at seven miles and a half, reached the village of Sheck Jama, a poor and miserable place, where we halted for the night. We had understood from the beg of Betlis that the guard and horses were to conduct us all the way to Sert, but on our arrival at Sheck Jama the commander of our escort in formed us that his orders were immediately to return to Betlis, and that Ibrahim Aga, a chief who resided in a village two miles off, would pro vide for our conveyance the remainder of our journey. We had fortunately brought a Avritten order for this Ibrahim Aga, which Ave lost no time in sending to him. •* the lake of Van, and along the banks of which we travelled the day we entered the town. This, it appears, turns suddenly to the S. E. after it has flowed through about half the town, and is the same we again crossed in the valley of Sheck Jama. The second Betlis river comes from the W., and is that which I mention as havino twice crossed the day we left the city. The 400 JOURNEY TO SERT. The thermometer at seven A. M. Avas at 70°, at ten 76°, at noon 79° and sun-set 74°. 8th. We received a visit from Ibrahim Aga at an early hour in the morning ; he seemed, at first, disposed to give us the same guard and horses we had brought from Betlis, but afterwards changed his determination, and said, that we must wait at Sheck Jama until he could get a sufficient number of others from the adjoining villages. We Avere not much pleased at the idea of being detained, but our best policy was to submit in silence to our fate; and dismissing, therefore, the old guard with a handsome present, Ave endeavoured to pass the time in Avalking about the village and gardens. All kinds of cattle appeared to thrive admirably in this part of the country ; the oxen Avere nearly as large as those in England, and the horses Avere strong, active and good-tempered; but the inhabitants, Avho inA'ariably give the preference to the mares, assign as a reason that the latter support the ex tremes of heat and cold better than the former. I have often had occasion to remark that, after a long journey in very hot Aveather, mares and geldings appeared to suffer less than entire horses ; a circumstance not difficult to account for, if Ave consider that the latter are more fretful and con sequently tire themselves sooner than the former. The Arabs esteem mares for another reason, and say, that they do not neigh like the horses to betray them JOURNEY TO SERT. 401 them in the night Avhile on their marauding expe ditions. Wheat, barley and sometimes rice seem to be the only kinds of grain cultivated in Koordistan ; but there is abundance of common \egetables, such as lettuce, cucumbers, cabbage, &c. 9th. The horses were brought us early in the morning, but before Ave were permitted even to load them, Ibrahim Aga gave me to understand that he had taken a fancy to the amber head of my pipe. Although I well kneAV that I should be reduced fo the necessity of ultimately granting his request, I refused him at first, that the gift might afterwards appear of greater value, and after much noise and bustle Ave took our departure at eight o'clock, with the loss of my pipe and a hundred piastres, which I Avas obliged to disburse amongst the Koords. After the first half mile Ave began to ascend the mountains which bounded the valley on the left hand; at the second mile saw the village of Sepra, the residence of Ibrahim Aga, on the oppo site side of the river, distant about two miles west, and, at the third mile, we lost sight of the river, leaving it floAving through a chasm of the moun tains to the right. We continued ascending for nearly three hours, the oak trees continually in creasing in magnitude as Ave approached the summit; the Avood was so thick that it entirely pro tected us from the heat of the sun, and Avhen near the top of the mountains we passed through a small encampment of wandering Koords, pitched in a d d hollow, JOURNEY TO SERT. hollow, and in the vicinity of a spring. These people lived on milk, cheese, and bread made, from acorns; their appearance-denoted- extreme poverty; their hair Avas long and dishevelled, hanging over their face and neck, and' their only covering: Gon^ sisted of a dirty rag tied round- their loins. At the end of the third hour we-arr-ivedion the summit, from which we had a commanding prospect of the adjoining territory, exhibiting, as usual, successive ridges of craggy mountains, separated by narrow strips or glens, many of which shewed signs of cultivation, and seemed to abound in fruit trees. We descended by a road or rather foot-path, both steep and dangerous, and at the fourth hour or tenth mile, passed a village called Eurakj, standing on the face of the mountains. At the eleventh Ave got to* the bottom,, and: crossing a- stream flowing to the W., immediately began- ascend ing another range ont the opposite side At the thirteenth we halted at a spring to refresh- our horses, by allowing them to eat the grass which grew plentifully around; and at three P. M..Gonti? nued our. route up; the mountain. A mile and a half brought us to the top of this range, which was so steep -that we were unable to descend the opposite side, without dismounting;. The descent might be about three miles- in length) and the road was one of the worst I. ever remember having seem It Avas in one part cut out of the rock, and in part formed of huge round stones^ the greater portion of jOuRNey TO sert. 403 of Avhich had slipped from their places, and which presenting a polished surface, made it impossible for the horses to keep their feet. At the nine teenth mile Ave saAV, on the right hand, in a small valley, the romantic district of Tasil consisting of two villages, and extelisiA'e vineyards, spread over the declivities of the neighbouring hills. At the twentieth mile reached a Small stream, and conti nued to travel along its Avest bank doAvn a narrow valley, Avhere the Koords were employed in reaping a few scanty crops that shewed the season to be much more advanced here than even at Betlis. Our route, for seven miles, led through the vine yards and windings of this valley, Avhen at night fall we entered a wretched hamlet called Tiskin. We Avete here compelled to sleep in the open air, no money could procure us even a drop of milk or morsel of bread, and the guard had to keep Avatch during the Avhole of the night, to prevent us from being plundered by the villagers. 10th. We arose at the daAvn of day, and ascend ing a high mountain behind Tiskin, left the stream flowing to the Avest. At the third mile we de scended into a tract of undulating ground, and at the fifth passed the hamlets of Tag and Tolan, the former on the right hand, the latter on the left, at a short distance from the road. At the eleventh we Stopped at a large and flourishing village called Halasni, Which, like the other tAVO, had a better and clearter appearance than any Ave had hitherto d d 2 seen. 404 JOURNEY TO SERT. seen. They are built of stone and mortar, after wards whiteAvashed with lime, ancl each house is a castle, consisting of a square tower surrounded Avith a wall sufficient to protect the inhabitants from the attacks of cavalry, or musket shot. At the tenth mile Ave entered Sert, and rode directly to the aga's house, a large fortified building sur rounded by a moat, where we were stopped at the gate by the guard, who said no person was ever admitted within the walls until his arms were taken from him. Mahomed Aga therefore resigned his pistols and dagger, and Avas introduced into the castle, Avhilst we remained to be gazed at without for about ten minutes, and Were then also alloAved to enter. We found the chief in an open veranda, surrounded by a number of men, who beckoned Us to be seated ; but, observing that the place pointed out was at the lower end of the veranda, we expressed our surprize and retired to a distance. The chief laughed heartily,. but intimated his satis faction at our conduct by giving us the most honourable seat, being that next himself, and call ing for pipes and coffee. He could only speak a few words of Turkish, but his moolah, who was present and understood Persian tolerably well, in formed us that the direct road to Mosul by Jezira ul Omar was impassable from the depredations of the Koords, who plundered indifferently every traveller and caravan. " The hakim of Jezira," added he, " is the most bloodthirsty villain of them all, JOURNEY TO SERT. 405 all, and I therefore recommend you to take the route of Diarbekr." This intelligence seemed to destroy at once our hopes of tracing further the retreat of the Ten Thousand, and putting an early period to our toilsome jouurney, but we still trusted that the chief might be induced to grant us a strong guard and the protection of his name. The inhabitants of the castle gathered around us as if Ave had been two Avild animals; theAr fineered and carried aAvay Avhatever they saw, notwithstand ing Ave had taken the necessary precaution of con cealing every article that we thought likely to excite their cupidity. In the evening the chief mounted his horse, and, attended by twenty per sons on foot, Avent into the fields to inspect, as Avas his usual custom, the labours of the people. At sun-set carpets Avere spread on the top of the toAver, and all the inmates of his house brought together to evening prayers, which were said by my friend the moolah, and no sooner concluded, than they sat down to dinner, consisting of large dishes of soup and pillaAVS, each person being seated according- to his rank. 11th. We were awakened in the morning by the aga, who had brought Avith him five or six metal Avatches, desiring me to examine them, and tell him if they were valuable, as they cost him much money; but without Avaiting my reply, he changed the conver sation, and talked about the antiquity of his town, saying that it Avas once the most famous city in the d d 3 world, 406 JOURNEY TO SERT. world, and that its ruins could be traced on one side to a village called Wamur, four miles off, and to the banks of the Kabour two miles distant on the other. When he had departed, a number of invalids came to be cured of their disorders, and amongst them one of his sons, Avho avrs blind of an eye, and expected his sight to be restated to him in three days, so credulous are these people, and so exalted their ideas of the skill and acquire ments of Europeans ;* in short, during the whole of * Amongst other acquirements, the orientalists imagine that Europeans are in possession of the philosopher's stone, and some are not wanting amongst themselves who pretend to this gift. A few days before my arrival at Eassora, Mr. Colquhoun, the acting resident at that place, received a message from an Ara bian philosopher, requesting a private interview, in order to com municate a most important secret. Mr. C. consented, and next morning the mysterious stranger was introduced to him: em bracing the knees of the resident, he said that he was come to supplicate the protection of the English from the cruel and con tinued persecution of his countrymen, who, having understood that he had the power of transmuting the basest metals into gold, daily put him to the torture to wring his secret from him. He added, that he had just made his escape from Grane, where he had long been starved and imprisoned by the Sheck, and that he would divulge every thing he knew to Mr. Colquhoun, provided he was permitted to reside in the factory. My friend agreed to receive him, and in return he faithfully promised to afford a con vincing proof of his skill. He accordingly retired, and soon after wards returned with a small crucible and chafing dish of coals, and when the former had become hot he took four sniall papers, con,- iaining JOURNEY TO SERT. 407 of the period we remained at this town, Ave did not enjoy a moments repose. tainiug a whitish powder, from his pocket, and asked Mr. C. to fetch him a piece of lead: the latter went into his study, and taking four pistol bullets, weighed them unknown to the alchy- mist: these, with the powder, he put into the crucible, and the whole was immediately in a state of fusion. After the lapse of about twenty minutes, the Arabian desired Mr. C. to take the crucible from tbe fire, and put it into the air to cool: the con tents were then removed by Mr. C, and proved to be a piece of pure gold, ofthe same weight as the bullets. The gold was sub sequently valued at ninety piastres in the bazar. It is not easy to imagine how a deception could have been accomplished, since the crucible remained untouched by the Arab after it had been put upon the fire; while it is, at the same time, difficult to conceive what inducement a poor Arab could have had to make an English gentleman a present of ninety piastres. Mr. C. ordered him to return the next day, which he promised to do, but in the middle of the night he was carried off by the Sheck of Grane, who, with a body of armed men, broke into his house, and put him on board a boat, which was out of sight long before day break. Whether this unhappy man possessed, like St. Leon, the secret of making gold, we are not called upon to determine; but the suspicion that he did so was amply sufficient to account for the unrelenting manner in which he would seem to have been persecuted by his countrymen. d d 4 DE- ( 408 ) DESCRIPTION OF SERT, AND JOURNEY TO MERDIN. Sert appears, both from its name and position, as Well as the tradition of its inhabitants, to represent the ancient Tigranocerta, mentioned by Plutarch in the life of Lucullus : it Avas founded by the famous Tigranes, king of Armenia,* who called it after him self, and made it the capital of his vast dominions; it was peopled chiefly by the prisoners whom he had szeied during the invasion of Syria and Cappa docia, and who returned to their native countries when liberated by Lucullus : the city, neverthe less, preserved its importance until the country * This king was totally defeated by Lucullus a few miles from the town, and probably on the banks of the Kabour. It wias on this occasion that Tigranes used the following expression descrip tive of the small number of his enemies. " If they come as am bassadors, they are too many ; but if as enemies, too few." The Greeks who were in the city betrayed it to the Romans, by whom it was plundered. Besides other treasure, Lucullus found in it eight thousand talents of coined silver. Strabo says, that Tigranocerta, from one of the most populous cities in the world, became, in an instant, almost a desert; for Lucullus permitted the natives of Cappadocia and Cilicia to return to their own countries. AVas description of sfrt. 409 Avas subdued by the Arabs. Sert is noAV a casaban, or large village, situated in a small plain surrounded on every side by high mountains, and a short dis tance from a river formed by the junction of the two streams Avhich flow through Betlis, called Kabour by the Koords, and Nicephorius by the Romans.* It contains three small mosques, a college and Armenian church; and the inhabitants, Avho amount to about three thousand, are in part Ma^ homedans, and in part Christians of the Arme nian, Chaldean (Chaldani), and Nestorian (Nestori) sects. The houses are built in the manner just de scribed, when speaking of the A'illage of Halasni, only on a scale somewhat larger, and having loop holes on the tops of the toAvers : the apartments are arched, and each house has a hall open at one end for the reception of visitors, and a flat roof Avhere the inhabitants sleep in summer. There are no remarkable monuments of any kind, nor can such be expected in a country Avhere the buildings are seldom composed of durable materials. Our atten tion was hoAvever attracted by several cisterns heAvn out of the rock under ground, and intended, not like those in Syria and Arabia, as receptacles for rain, but for spring Avater, which was delight fully cool, even at the hottest hour of the day. The adjacent country is, comparatively speaking, * The river Nicephorius, (says Tacitus,) with a current suffi ciently broad, washes a considerable part of the walls of Tigra nocerta. Ann. 1. 15. c. iv. in 410 DESCRIPTION of sert. in an improved state of culture, and the people were busily employed in collecting the harvest, which is not separated or removed from the field until thrashed, and the straw cut into chaff; a cus tom calculated, no doubt, to give rise to disputes where there is a division of property. But here the produce of the land belongs to the chief, and is retailed by him to his followers, whose labour he commands, and who look up to him for protection and support. These chiefs are regarded Avith great deference by their vassals, whom they treat with kindness, and even familiarity, but their word is a law, and they have the power of life and death: they preserve a certain degree of state, seldom moAre from their seats without a dozen attendants, and their favourite topic of conversation is the an tiquity of their families, and then long established, independence, which they boast of having main tained since the days of Noah, their grand patriarch. It would indeed be no easy matter for a foreign invader to subdue a country so intersected Avith narroAV defiles, difficult passes, and inaccessible mountains, to which the natives might fly for shel ter without the danger of pursuit. Here they can subsist for months on the milk of their goats, and bread made from acorns, Avhilst the severity of the winter season, combined Avith the scarcity of forage and provisions, must compel an army to retire or divide itself, incurring, in either case, the risk of being destroyed. The Koords are without faith, and DESCRIPTION OF SERT. 411 and have so little respect for truth, that they lie systematically Avhenever it can, in the most trifling degree, aiiSAver their purpose: they are jealous of strangers, rude and uneducated, but full of patriotic feeling, and conceive it happy to be permitted to remain unmolested in their native mountains. They are not so strict as Turks in regard to their women, Avho go abroad with their faces uncovered, and do not shun the approach of the other sex; they venerate the dead, and invariably erect monu ments to the memory of those Avho are supposed to haAe led a holy life. Their customary dress in this part of the province is a long robe, made of Avhite cotton cloth; but in the neighbourhood of Betlis and Moush they manufacture a sort of striped stuff, resembling tartan. The chief of Sert is, in every sense of the word, a poAverful feudal lord, and probably not very different from some of our dukes and earls six or seven hundred years ago. 12th. I endeavoured to prevail on him to grant us a strong guard to go to Jezira, Avhich Avas but sixteen hours distant, Avhereas the road to Diar- bekr, or even Merdin, was a circuit of at least six or seven days' journey; but he was deaf to my en treaties, and said he could not think of risking the lives of his followers in so hazardous an under taking; that he would give us letters to his friends on the route to Merdin, and that horses Avere ready for us Avhen we Avere sufficiently refreshed to begin our 412 DESCRIPTION OF SERT. our journey. We had no reason to doubt the sin cerity of this man, as will appear in the sequel, and therefore, resolving to follow his advice, departed at noon, and having travelled about three miles through the plain of Sert, began to ascend a range of mountains which bound it on the south. At the fourth mile was the district of Shirvan, consisting of tAVO villages : at the sixth, the top of the range from which we saw the Kabour coining from the north, and Avinding through the mountains : it crosses the plain of Sert, four miles from the toAvn, and is, no doubt, the river of the Centrites, which the Ten Thousand found so much difficulty in pass ing, and which Xenophon represents as separating the Carduchi from Armenia, as being tAvo hundred feet broad, and only fordable in one place. The Kabour was, I should guess, nearly eighty yards wide, very rapid, and certainly not fordable any where near the spot where Ave crossed it; but all the rivers of the east vary so much in size at diffe rent times of the year, as greatly to mislead those who are not aAvare of this circumstance; they swell in consequence of the melting of the snow, at the end of March or early in April, and commence gradually to fall from the beginning of June to the end of July. Having reached the foot of the range at the termination of the tenth mile, we took shelter from the sun in a grove of oak on the banks of the Kabour, where the thermometer, under the shade of the trees, was up at 100, and where Ave > remained DESCRIPTION OF SERT. 413 remained until the heat had sufficiently subsided to enable us to continue our journey along the left bank ofthe river, Avhich Ave passed at the twelfth mile, over an old stone bridge of five arches: Ave soon afterwards entered a succession of bleak and barren hills, intersected Avith gloomy defiles, the scene of many a murder, according to our guides, Avho indeed intimated that all the nati\es ofthe country might be looked upon as robbers, provided they could commit such acts without the fear of resistance. At the nineteenth mile we arrived at a place called Ooshu, consisting of a large castle, situated on an eminence, ancl surrounded by a num ber of mud huts. It was night before Ave reached this place, but the moon shone bright, and the long figures of the Koords, dressed in Avhite from liead to foot, a\ ere seen gliding along the battle ments. We knocked at the gate, Avhich was opened by five or six persons, Avho introduced us into an outer court, Avhilst our Tatar held a parley with the chief, who spoke to him from the top of the great toAvcr or keep, as it is called in our old castles. He ordered his people to conduct us to the roof of the gate, where we slept soundly until morning; and on quitting his habitation the ser vants, for the first time since Ave left Constan tinople, refused to accept of any present. \3th. We followed a path leading through an undulating country, producing excellent crops of Avheat and barley, ancl bounded on the left by a lofty 414 DESCRIPTION OF SERT. lofty chain of mountains. At the fourth mile is the district of Herbo Peri, consisting of several villages, possessed by a sect called Zezidee, who AVorship or rather deprecate the devil; and at the tenth we reached the castle of Redwan, a building similar to that of Ooshu, ancl the residence of a Zezidee chief: it stands on a rock overlooking the Erzen branch of the Tigris, and is surrounded by about a hundred* huts, inhabited by Zezidees, Armenians and Chaldeans. Thechief was himself absent; but Ave met with a kind reception from his brother, Avho Conducted us into a large open shed, formed of the green leaves and branches of trees, replaced every second or third day, and erected outside of the castle. We Avere seated but a few minutes in this rural hall, Avhen the whole village assembled to look at us, but our host, in a commanding tone, Avhich shewed that he was accustomedtobe obeyed, forbade them to molest us. Amongst the attend ants I remarked an Armenian who Avas parti cularly civil to us, and Avho seemed to possess a good deal of local information, as Avell as the entire confidence of his master; for the Zezidees live in enmity with the Christians. This strange sect take their name from the Arabian general1, who put the sons of Ali to death ; they have places of worship, but in regard to the nature of their devo tions, I could alone ascertain that they respect, or rather dread, the poAver of the evil spirit, whose name cannot be mentioned in their presence Avith out DESCRIPTION OF SERT. 415 out exciting, an indescribable sensation- of horror. The tomb of their founder, Sheck Aad-, is still shewn at Mosul; and although their principal re sort is in the mountains of Sinjar, they are also scattered over this part of Koordistan,* and enter tain an hereditary antipathy to the mussulmen, by whom their sect has suffered many bloody perse cutions: they are a brave and active race of men^ drink wine and other strong liquors, and although cruel from education and principle, yet more tole- lant on points of religion, and free from many of the narrow prejudices- of their neighbours. We were requested by the Armenian, on no ac count to spit in their presence, since, if he told the truth, Ave could not offer them a greater insult. A short time after our arrival, a younger brother of the chief came into the room, Avhose rudeness equalled the civility of the other: he walked over our carpets Avithout pulling off his boots, sat down upon our cushions without being invited, and fre quently looking us directly in the face, burst into loud and repeated peals of laughter. Fiesh horses were brought us about two o'clock; but some dispute having arisen regarding the bagr gage, my Italian servant cocked one of his pistols, and threatened, to shoot some ofthe attendants, so * 1 was told that there are ten thousand families of them be tween Erzen and Jezira. The former is an ancient town, formerly called Thospia, situated in the vicinity of a lake eight hours from Hedwau. that 416 JOURNEY TO MERDIN. that between the violence of his temper, and the fierce independent spirit of the Zezidees, I was fearful something unpleasant might occur, and therefore endeavoured to preserve peace; but this Avas unnecessary, for they treated him with great contempt, and by way of punishment, made him ride without a saddle to the end of the stage. We mounted at three P. M., with the thermometer at 98, and descended tb the bank of the river, which we forded. The source of this branch of the Tigris is reported to be at a place called Susan, a little to the north of Betlis; it followed a S. E. course; was about sixty yards wide, but did not take our horses much above the knees. We tra velled for two miles and a half along the banks of the river, and then halted at a village called Givers, to enable our polite host, who had accompanied us, to collect a body of horse to escort us on our jour ney. We then traversed a country rich in grain, gently ascending the slopes which led to the sum mit of the range on our left hand ; and when nearly half-way up the hill, the Zezidee sent his friend, the Armenian, to demand buckshish, saying that, as he was about to return home, he hoped that we would give him something handsome as a token of remembrance. We gave him fifteen gold rubas, Avith which he seemed satisfied, and departed, leaving us at the mercy of about a dozen armed ruffians. He would not, however, receive the money at first, but told the Tatar to give it to the Armenian, JOURNEY TO MERDIN. 417 Armenian, from Avhom I afterwards observed him take it Avhen he thought he was not observed. Shortly afterwards the Armenian came up close to me, and complaining bitterly that his master had not left him a single piastre, took a purse from his pocket, the mouth of which he opened towards me in such a manner that no person, Avith the excep tion of myself, could perceive it, ancl significantly pointing towards it, expressed a desire that it might be filled ; but Avhen I declined complying Avith this moderate demand, he suddenly changed his tone, and became as impertinent as he had before been troublesome with his attentions. At the sixth mile we arrived at a spot where several families of Koords Avere residing in caves cut out of the side of the mountains. At the ninth mile we gained the summit of the mountain, which branched out to the right and left, and at last opened into the table land of Diarbekr. At the thirteenth mile descended by a gentle slope into the plain, which Avas covered with luxuriant crops of Avheat and barley, and where the people, Avho were employed in reaping, came to us as we passed with handfuls of grain, requesting the present of a few piastres to enable them to keep the harvest. Almost the Avhole of the corn consumed by the inhabitants of Diarbekr is grown in this noble plain, which is about forty hours, or probably one hundred and twenty miles in length, and of a soil capable, as I Avas in formed, of yielding tAvo crops in the year. At the e e eighteenth 448 JOURNEY TO MERDIN. eighteenth mile passed the castle and village of Bashboot, situated under a low range of mountains running parallel with our route, and distant about two miles on the right » hand. Here the roads, Which ever since we had quitted Betlis might be considered as all but impassable, began to improve, and as Ave advanced into the flat became excellent At the twentieth mile we got to the end of the Stage, and stopped at a Chaldean village named Kiverzo, about four miles from which the kia, or lieutenant, of the pasha of Diarbekr was en camped, with an army of two thousand men; near a church which he had besieged for several months. We had not been seated half an hour, when a deputation of the principal inhabitants waited upon us to entreat that we would use onr influence with the kia to save the church from being burnt, as it Was, they said, an ancient and holy edifice. In reply to our question regarding the cause of the dispute; they stated that the pasha had demanded a larger sum from the natives of the village of Mercuri, where the church is situated, than they could afford to pay, and had thus driven these pbor people, amounting to about three hun dred Chaldeatts and Armenians, into revolt. We promised to speak to the kia, but I had no hopes that any thing we could say would have any effect. The temperature at three P. M. this day 100, and at sUn-set 80. Some few miles before we reached the village, one of our guards, observing a stray sheep JOURNEY TO MERDIN. 410 sheep under the protection of a dog, made to Avards it, and, in the most dexterous manner, lifted it upon his horse without dismounting, whilst his manner of shifting it from one side of the horse to the other as any person approached him, shewed that such exploits Avere familiar to this promising youth. He and his companions then retired to a remote corner of the meadow, with the intention, no doubt, of supping on their prey, but I heard no more of them until the morning, when they sent a message to demand a present. 14th. The promise I had made the Armenians, to petition the kia in the behalf of their friends made them alert in bringing us horses in the morning. We were mounted and on the road at six A. M., and, in the course of an hour and a half, reached the Turkish camp, pitched about three quarters of a mile from the church, a quadranr gular building, situated on the declivity of a hill which so completely commanded it, that it might have been taken in half an hour with the aid of a single field piece. The siege had, hoAvever, con tinued upwards of two months ; not a man had been Avounded on either side, and the Turkish camp, for confusion and irregularity, resembled more a country fair in England, than an encamp ment of soldiers in the face of an enemy. Maho med Aga, who was extremely anxious to go to Diarbekr, instead of taking the more direct route to Merdin, had gone on before to tell- his OAvn story i E E 2 tO 420 JOURNEY TO MERDIN. to the kia ; and on our arrival we were met by the byrakdar, or standard bearer, who informed us •from his master that horses Avere ready to carry us to the former. I asked him the distance of Merdin and Diarbekr from the camp, to Avhich he replied that they were each about thirty hours, and that both roads Avere equally safe. As therefore we had eventually to go to Merdin, I thought we might as well proceed thither at once, as make a round of eighteen hours (the distance between the two cities) merely to humour our Tatar,* and I ac cording requested an audience of the kia,t to whom Ave were shortly afterwards introduced. We beheld an emaciated figure about forty years of age, reclining on a sort of portable wooden sofa, ornamented with yellow velvet cushions fringed with gold : the tent was filled with people, but a place was reserved for us on the right hand of the kia, who appeared to be in a wretched state of health, and asked us for medicine. When Ave in timated our desire of going to Merdin instead of Diarbekr, he expressed his surprize and said that our Tatar had informed him, that we particularly Avished to go and see the latter city, " but," added he, " 1 advise you to go the more direct road, and will send my byrakdar to take care of you." We * HiS object of going to Diarbekr was to purchase a sort of chintz manufactured at that place, which he might sell for a con siderable profit at Bagdad. ¦f The bia is next in rank to the pasha. then JOURNEY TO MERDIN. 421 then took our leave, and mounting the horses that had been prepared for us, quitted the camp, after a fruitless effort to arrange the dispute between him and the villagers. When Ave had gone about a mile, a person passed us at full speed, saying, that the garrison had made a sally from the church, and, on looking round, Ave perceived that there Avas great confusion in the camp, some firing their carabines and muskets in the air, and others riding furiously in different directions. This army had neither piquet nor outpost of any description, nor did they even take the trouble of surrounding the church ; so that the besieged, as we Avere informed, came out every day for their provisions and Avater. We travelled for five miles through fields of wheat and barley, and stopped at a village called Tilmuz, where Ave were to change horses. On the right we had a range of hills running parallel Avith the road, at the foot of Avhich flowed one of the branches of the Tigris, formerly called the Nymphasus, and on the left, distant about eight miles, another range of high hills which we gradually approached. At Tilmuz the heat Avas excessive, and Ave were much troubled by the impertinent curiosity ofthe Koords, who thrust themselves into our room in such num bers, that Ave Avere afraid of being stifled. I had before remarked, that although it was the middle of harvest, the villages were crowded with men at all hours of the day, notwithstanding that each e e 3 person, 42® JOURNEY TO MERDIN. person, who chose to Work, received, as the price of his labour, twenty-four paras, or about seven pence per diem, and as much bread, cheese, ancl milk, as he could consume. We quitted Tilmuz at three in the afternoon, when the thermometer was at 96, and at eight in the evening reached the mud village of Gerizlar, where we were accommodated on the top of a house. We passed, about half way, the hamlet of Teppa, three quarters of a mile from the road on the right hand; the hills, in this quarter, had. now gradually sunk into the plain, and there was a gentle slope towards the Batman su, which flowed about four miles distant from the road. Gerizlar was inhabited by Christians of the Chaldean and Nestorian sects, who treated us with much atten tion and kindness. The evening Avas delightful^ and it was pleasant to see all the inhabitants of the village, men, women, and children, enjoying them selves on the tops of their respective houses, which Were all upon a level with each other. The men lay extended on their carpets smoking their long pipes ; the women were either employed in suckling their infants or in pounding corn ; children were squalling in one quarter, and dogs batking in an other; whilst the melancholy but incessant croak ing of the storks perched upon the chimney tops, formed altogether an interesting and animated 'picture of an oriental village. The stork, which is regarded by the natives of the east as sacred, makes JOURNEY TO MERDIN. 423 makes its appearance in the spring, lays its eggs and hatches its young; it departs in August or September, and is said to winter in the Abyssi nian deserts. I have repeatedly seen this bird dis gorge large rats and other animals perfectly undi gested. 15th. We departed at eight in the morning, and travelled for five miles over the low range Avhich Ave had been gradually approaching on the left; it then rapidly descended to the village of Osman Khoi, situated about a quarter of a mile below the confluence of the Batman su,* and the Diarbekr branch of the Tigris. This village Avas built on the declivity of a rocky mountain, where I observed a great number of artificial excavations, many of Avhich Avere capacious, lighted by regular doors and windows, and adorned with Avell-propor- tioned pillars. They are used as habitations in the Avinter, as stables and sheep folds in the summer, and although they are very numerous all over Koordistan, none of them are the Avork of modern time. The chief of this place, a person of some consideration, having eight or ten villages under him, received us with great seeming reluctance, and, supposing that we did not understand him, abused the guide for bringing Feringi Gours to his house. He became someAvhat more tractable, * Some ofthe Turks call it the Bulespena or Barima river, and D'Anville supposes that this is the Tigris of Pliny, and the same whose sources were seen by the Ten Thousand. e e 4 however, 424 JOURNEY TO MERDIN. however, when the standard-bearer told him that his master desired Ave might be treated with atten tion ; he offered us coffee, and calling for his horse and arms, said he would himself accompany us to Byram Khoi, on the opposite bank of the Tigris. He conducted us about a mile up the left bank of the Batman su, when he ordered his attendants to strip and prepare to pass the river ; he allotted two. men to each horse to prevent accidents, as the stream Avas deep and rapid, and there Avere doubts whether or not the cattle could pass without swimming. I certainly expected more than once to have been carried away by the force of the current, and this Avas actually the case with one of our escort, Avho Avas compelled to abandon his horse. We crossed the river half a mile above its junction, at a spot where it was one hundred and twenty yards in breadth, although it was then said to be very Ioav, compared to Avhat it had been a fortnight before. Having reached in safety the opposite shore, Ave traversed a sandy flat overgrown with fern, so high that it hid the horses from the view, and, at the end of half a mile, reached the Diarbekr branch, a stream nearly of the same width, but not so deep as the Batman su. We consequently forded it Avithout difficulty, and en tered the plain of Mesopotamia and the district of Byram Khoi, consisting of thirty villages under Beker Aga, a Koordish chief. We halted at a small village, where, with the utmost exertion, Ave procured JOURNEA' TO MERDIN. 425 procured a cup of milk, but no horses Avere to be found, and our baggage Avas therefore conveyed, by four miserable asses, to a village called Murza, six miles farther. The road led through an undulating productive country : on the left, distant about nine miles, was a low range of hills, but on the right the plain extended beyond the view. At Murza they refused even to give us asses, and set at defiance the threats of the byrakdar, who Avent in search of some great personage to an ad joining village. We, in the mean time, made ac quaintance Avith a delhi bashi, or trooper, belonging to Beker Aga, Avho happened to be in the village, and through his influence, with the aid of a few rubas, Ave Avere enabled to march six miles more, to a village called Mathra, Avhere, an hour after sun-set, the thermometer Avas at 85. 16th. We departed, at six in the morning, with the thermometer at 70. Shortly after quitting the village, Ave ascended a Ioav range of hills Avhich broke off to the right, and travelling through a cultivated country, reached Kian Khoi, the resi dence of Beker Aga, at the end of the seventh mile. We Avere shewn into a long ancl dismal chamber lighted only by one small Avindow, where, fa tigued Avith the heat of the weather, and want of sleep the preceding night, we hoped to have a few moments of repose, but this hope Avas A'ain; since Ave had been scarcely seated before the chief entered with about thirty of his followers, and, harassed 426 JOURNEY TO MERDIN. harassed as we were, we had to undergo the usual penalty of shewing our arms, watches, &c. The watches and seals he did not fail to covet, but the short and plain Engslish pistols were rejected with disdain. One of my seals, a Kairmgorum, caught the eye of Beker Aga, who instantly imagined that it miast foe a dianroind, and desired to have it. But J assured him that it was no diamond, and observed, if it had been one, I should not have been so imprudemt as to wear it in public whilst travel ling ithnoagh his territories. He smiled, and putting his hand into his bosom, took from thence a small parcel, and evening ten or twelve different folds of paper, handed us an old drop of a chande lier, demanding to know its value, as he said he had taken it an pledge for a large sum of money. Not to put him out of conceit with his treasure, we told him it was a jewel of inestimable value, ©pon which he again folded it carefully up and returned it to his bosom.* Before half an hour had elapsed, the room became so insupportably hot, and the air so oppressive, that : we entreated him to order some of his people to retire, but he answered, that they accompanied him where- ever he went, and that, if we were tired of his society, he would leave us to shift for ourselves. He ipadd Ktfle or no respect to the byrakdar, said * This is rather an extraordinary circumstance, since the na tives of the East are in general excellent judges of precious stones. . . j that JOURNEY TO MERDIN. 427 that he never condescended to read fermauns, and that if the kia had not been so near him with an army, he would have stood in no sort of cere mony in appropriating to his own use any thing we possessed. Compelled by necessity to bear with him, we spent the greater part of the day in a state of absolute misery, and finding the standard- bearer of no manner of .use to us, we gave him a present and dismissed him. After much entreaty, and the promise of a reward to some of the atten dants, five mules Avere brought to us towards the close of the evening, but thechief SAvore we should have no more, and that he would make the Tatar and servants ride on the top of the baggage. They at first refused to suffer so great an indignity, but Avere in the sequel glad to submit, for this boisterous ruffian threatened to put them to death, and ordered the mules to be taken away. We at last contrived to pacify him, and he sent a horse man with orders to accompany us as far as Merdin. From Sert to Kian Khoi the country is rich in flax and corn, and totally devoid of wood or fruit trees, but at Byram Khoi the country had already changed its nature, and we soon afterwards en tered the rugged chain of Mount Masius, inter spersed with vineyards, and covered with a small bush similar to the sloe. At the eighth mile we descended from the mountains into a narroAV val ley; it was past eleven o'clock, and the moon shining Avith uncommon splendour, enabled us to perceive, 428 JOURNEY TO MERDIN. perceive, at some distance up the dell, the high walls of the castle of Houseena built upon a rock, and the residence of Ibrahim Effendi, a powerful chief. After riding round the walls of this large and lofty edifice, we entered the gate, and passing under the Gothic arches of a ruined building, dis mounted in the loAver court, Avhence we Avere con ducted up a flight of steps hewn out of the rock, and crossing another court, ascended a wooden platform or stage spread with carpets and cushions, where several people were preparing to go to rest. We were extremely fatigued, and, after a slight repast, also went to sleep, glad of the opportunity of enjoying a few moments repose. 17th. The effendi having prepared horses for us in the morning, we departed from his castle at eight o'clock, and, at four in the evening, entered with joyful hearts the gates of Merdin, after a journey of seven hours or about twenty-four miles. For six miles our route lay up the valley of Houseena, and along the banks of a small river, which separates the pashalics of Bagdad and Diarbekr. The hills were covered Avith vineyards, and the bottom of the valley with orchards and gardens of apricot, peach, mulberry and walnut trees. At the seventh mile Ave quitted the A^alley, and turning more to the S. pursued our course over a rough and stony road, and Avhen nearly half way Ave discharged the horseman given us by Beker Aga, Avith what we conceived to be ahand- ' some JOURNEY TO MERDIN. 429 some reward for his services. But he Avas never theless dissatisfied, and imagining he could frighten us, placed his lance in the rest, ancl, pointing it to my breast, demanded buckshish in a threatening tone of voice. I avoided him by turning my horse on one side, and, cocking a pistol, threatened to shoot him if he moved. This had an instanta neous effect, he dreAv back apparently much dis concerted, and carefully avoided coming near me aftenvards, although he had nothing to dread from Mahomed Aga, Avho, as usual, remained a tranquil spectator, satisfied that it Avas dangerous to quarrel with the Koords. On passing the summit of a hill, at the eighteenth mile, the toAvn and castle of Merdin opened to the view, and Ave immediately afteiwards descended, by a steep and narroAV path bordered by vineyards, into a rocky valley, which separated the range Ave had just quitted, from that on Avhich the city is situated. Here the effendi's son, who had accompanied us from Houseena, sent to demand a present, as he said he was fearful of entering the city walls, in consequence of having murdered one of the inhabitants some time before.* The other man also came, and in the most humble manner entreated the Tatar to intercede for him ; * Such atrocities may give the reader some idea of the state of the Turkish government at present in these parts, where the power of the pasha is in general confined to the place of his resi dence. wherefore, 430 JOURNEY TO MERDIN. wherefore, taking into consideration the distance he had come with us, I ordered the servant to give him something more, and hoth together shortly afterwards disappeared amongst the mountains. These people have an idea that Englishmen are laden with gold, and invariably make a point of extorting as much as they can get. At the twenty- second mile we began to ascend the rocky moun tain on Avhich the city stands, and after many turnings and windings entered the gate. We took up our quarters with my old friend the arch bishop, who gave us a kind and most hospitable reception. How delightful did this evening appear after the bustle and fatigues we had lately undergone ! We now looked upon all our troubles as over, and little imagined that the worst were yet to come. In momentary dread of being assassinated, either by banditti or our guards Avhilst on the road, and pestered in the villages with the importunities of the natives, we might safely assert that from the jnoment we had quitted Trebisond, until that of our arrival at Merdin, we had been in a perpetual state of disquietude and alarm. The terrace, on the archbishop's house, where we were seated, commanded an extensive view of the vast plain of Mesopotamia, once crowded with cities and villages, but now a dreary waste abandoned to the wandering Arabs, who sometimes pitch their flying camps amidst the remains of many of those cities. At JOURNEY TO MERDIN. 431 At Ras ulain, the ancient Resa?na, eighteen hours S. W. of Merdin, our host saw the ruins of a magnificent temple ; eight or ten beautiful marble columns lay overturned in the sand; and the Arabs informed him that there were many more under ground. This place takes its name from the source of the Kabour, the ancient Chaboras, which is close to the village, and is, according to my friend's account, a noble spring rising from the earth with prodigious force, and forming a considerable stream even at the fountain head. Five hours S. by W. of Merdin is a village called Cofurtoot, where he perceived the ruins of an ancient city, and amongst other remnants a noble bridge almost entire. Yengi Shehr, a village twenty hours hence, and five from Haran, also displays a fine arch and many other vestiges of former grandeur. Of the famous city of Haran little or nothing remains. Nicephorium, noAV called Racca, has been visited by the archbishop, who represents it as a conside- able place chiefly inhabited by Arabs, and con taining some handsome ruins. Of Dara and Nisibis I shall speak more at large hereafter. The land, in the vicinity of Merdin, is said to be so fertile, that, without culture, it will produce four and five hundred fold : and three hours W. of the city is a village called Kela Bin, or the thousand fold, so named from the richness of the land in its vicinity. The earth, when pressed in the hand, feels as if mixed with oil, and it appeared to me to 432 Journey .to merdin. to be the same sort of soil as that in the plain of Antioch. From Sert to Merdin the bearings of the road Avere as follows : three miles and a half W., tAvo miles S. W., five miles S. S. W., one mile and a half S. E. by S., one mile S. S. W., three miles and a half S. W., six miles W. by S.— one mile W. by N., two miles N. W., three miles and a half W. S. W., three miles and a half W. by S.— two miles W. K W., three miles S. W. by S., one mile W. N. W., two miles W. by N., one mile W. by S., two miles W., two miles W. by N., two miles W. N. W., three miles N. W., two miles N. W. by W. — four miles N. W. by N., three miles W. S. W., two miles S. W. by W. two miles and a half W. by N., two miles and a half W. N. W., three miles W. by S., one mile S. W. by W., tAvo miles S. W., one mile and a half S. by E., one mile S. S. W., one mile W. S. W., two miles S. S. W., one mile S. S. W., eight miles S. W., four miles S. W., one mile S. S. W. one mile S. W. by S., one mile S. W., one mile W. by S., three miles S. S. W., three miles S., one mile W. — one mile S. W., half a mile S., one mile and a half S. S. E., two miles S., one mile W., tAvo miles S. S. E., two miles S., six miles S. W., one mile S. E., two miles S. E. by E., six miles S. S. W. 18th. Our host presented us this morning Avith some beautiful gems, and several medals of Seleucus Nicator, found in an urn lately dug up by a peasant of JOURNEY TO MERDIN. 433 of Mount Thor, whilst ploughing in a field. A feAV of the coins had been saved by the archbishop, but by far the greater part of them had been melted down. The temperature at seven A. M. Avas 60, at noon 80, and at sun-set 70. I have given, in a former w,ork, a description of the toAvn of Merdin, the old Roman position of Marde. It is situated on the south side of a steep and rocky mountain, the summit of Avhich is croAvned Avith a citadel now in ruins ; the town is surrounded by a stone Avail about two miles and a half in circumference, Avhich, commencing at the castle, is carried round the face of the hill, in the shape of a half moon. The houses are well built for a Turkish town, and most of them are very an cient. The governor has the rank of Waiwode, and is appointed by the pasha of Bagdad. The in habitants are a mixture of Turks, Arabs, . Chal deans, Nestorians, Catholics, Armenians, Jews and Jacobites. There are also, I understand, about a hundred families of Guebres or worshippers of fire, who hold their mysteries a profound secret, and expose their dead on the top of a toAver to be torn by vultures as at Bombay, Yezd, &c. I wrote to the mutesellim this morning, re questing him to give us post-horses to go to Nisibin; in the evening I received his answer, stating that Ave should have them in the course of a few days, but advising us to wait for a caravan, as the passage of the desert betAveen Nisibin and f f Mosul 434 JOURNEY TO MERDIN. Mosul was attended with much danger, in conse quence of the depredations of the Zezidees of Sinjar. This daring community are said to amount to npwards of two millions of souls, and have, within these few years past, grown into such power as to threaten the adjacent territory with subjection. They dwell in villages, or rather sub terraneous caverns, excavated in the sides of the mountains of Sinjar, a lofty range which intersects the plain of Mesopotamia to the S. E. of Merdin ; and where they were originally compelled to seek refuge from the sanguinary persecutions of the Mahomedans, against wrhom they wage a cruel and incessant warfare. The soil is sufficiently fertile to render them independent of foreign sup plies ; the mountains every where abound in excel lent water and pasture land, while the apricots, peaches, grapes and figs of Sinjar are acknowledged to he the most delicious in Irak Arabi. I could learn but little of the customs or religious rites of the Zezidees, who, like most nations in the East, are divided into tribes or families, governed by Shocks, who possess both the spiritual and tem poral poAver, and are firmly united in one common •bond of union for the preservation of their liberty -and independence. In the side of a great moun tain called Abdul Azeez, thirty hours S. by E. of Merdin, is a deep cavern, where, on a certain day in the year, they make their offerings to the devil by throwing jewels or pieces of gold and silver into JOURNEY TO MERDIN. 435 into the ab}'ss, Avhich is said to be so deep that no line ever reached the bottom, and supposed to lead into the infernal regions. They dress in the same manner as the Turks ; their force consists of bodies of irregular cavalry armed with long- lances, swords and pistols ; their horses are excel lent and capable of supporting great fatigue; and in their plundering expeditions, they either murder those whom they attack, or strip them of the whole of their property, and leave them to perish in the desert. 19th. The temperature at six in the morning was 70, at ten A. M. 84, at noon 96, at three P. M. 95, and at sun-set 86. We received an order from the mutesellim, who had gone out the day before at the head of a body of horse to clear the road to Diarbekr of the banditti by which it has been for some time past infested. f f 2 DE- ( 436 ) DEPARTURE FROM MERDIN AND ARRIVAL AT MOSUL. The horses arrived a feAV minutes after mid-clay, and I ordered the soorajees to take the route of Dara, as I had seen the ruins of that city only from a< distance during my former visit to this country. We bade adieu to our hospitable friend the archbishop, about one o'clock, and descended the Merdin mountain by a rough stony road, upwards of two miles- in length. At the foot of the hill stands a village called St. Elija, so named beeaUse it is believed that the prophet Elija took his ascent to heaven from this spot. At the eighth.mile we passed the village of Budri, and continued our journey along the foot of Mount Masius, until, at the nineteenth mile, we approached the ruins of Dara. We descended a gentle declivity into a hollow, where these ruins are situated; and the first thing that attracted our attention on entering the village was an immense number of catacombs, of different sizes and shapes, excavated on the face of a moun tain, composed of a hard sort of freestone, of which the city appears to have been built. The first of these catacombs, which we examined, was about DESCRIPTION OF DARA. 437 about eight paces in length and five in breadth, having on one side a recess for the sarcophagus, and on the other a handsome arched door. There Avere, I suppose, upwards of a hundred on one spot; the slope of the mountain, for nearly a quarter of a mile, being entirely covered Avith them. We aftenvards entered a small opening in the hills, where the rock on three sides is cut to a smooth surface to the height of thirty or forty feet: in this aperture we perceived innumerable catacombs, some of them twenty feet above the level of the ground, and two with Greek inscriptions, so much obliterated, that Ave could neither decipher nor copy them. At the further end is a noble cave, the tomb, no doubt, of some distinguished personage : it is eighty feet in length, and forty in breadth, Avith a polished surface on all sides, and connected by subterraneous passages with the adjoining cata combs. The height at present is about fifteen feet, but formerly it must have been considerably more, as the caA e is now half filled Avith rubbish. It ap pears to have been lighted from above by a lofty dome, also cut to a fine surface, and in effect the most extraordinary, as Avell as the most beautiful, part of the excavation. A sort of platform, or gallery, supported by an arcade of twelve arches, embraces its three sides, while on the fourth it is entered by a handsome semicircular arch, beauti fully ornamented: at the back of the gallery, and reaching to the roof, are a number of smaller orna- f f 3 mental 438 DESCRIPTION OF DARA. mental arches, all in the Roman style; and on the east side is a small concavity, ofthe size and shape of a sarcophagus, which, in all probability, once Contained the relics of the person for whonrthis magnificent tomb had been executed. From the ornaments and shape of the gateAvay which gives admittance to the cavern, I conjecture that the whole must have been completed some time about the sera of Justinian : the entablature is delicate and beautiful; a bas-relief on one side represents an angel, (the symbol of the soul,) surrounded by cherubim, ascending to heaven; above appears a hand as if ready to receive the spirit of the departed, and belOAv a heap of skulls ahd human bones, as emblems of the uncertainty of human life. It is impossible to describe distinctly any of the figures OU the opposite side of the gate: they appear to have been intentionally mutilated, or rather en tirely destroyed. On quitting the catacombs, Ave proceeded to visit the ruins of this celebrated fortress, once the bulwark of the east* The situation certainly does not * " For this purpose the town of Dara, fourteen miles from Nisibis, and four days' journey from the Tigris, was peopled and adorned ; and the hasty works of Anastasius were improved by the perseverance of Justinian ; and without insisting on places less important, the fortifications of Dara may represent the military architecture ofthe age. The city was surrounded with two frails, and the interval between them, of fifty paces, afforded a retreat to DESCRIPTION OF DARA. 439 not appear to give it strength, as it must have been commanded on three sides by the mountains, but opening on the south towards the plain of Meso potamia. The foundation of the Avails and towers, built of large heAvn stone, may be traced across the to the castle of the besieged. The inner wall was a monument of strength and beauty; it measured sixty feet from the ground, and the height of the towers was one hundred feet; the loop holes, from whence an enemy might be annoyed with missile weapons, were small but numerous ; the soldiers were planted along the rampart, under the shelter of double galleries, and a third plat form, spacious and secure, was raised on the summit ofthe towers. The exterior wall appears to have been less lofty, but more solid ; and each tower was protected bya quadrangular bulwark. A hard rocky soil resisted the tools of the miners, and on the south east, where the ground was more tractable, their approach was retarded by a new work, which advanced in the shape of a half- moon: the double and treble ditches were filled with a stream of water, and in the management of the river, the most skilful labour was employed to supply the inhabitants, to distress the besiegers, and to prevent the mischiefs of a natural or artificial inundation. Dara continued more than sixty years to fulfil the wishes of its founder, and to provoke the jealousy of the Persians, who inces santly complained that this impregnable fortress had been con structed in manifest violation of the treaty of peace between the two empires." — Gibbon. Anastasius, after the truce with Cabades, Built a very strong city, and named it Anastasia, being distant from Nisibis about twelve miles, and from the Persian frontier three and a half. — Procopius. It was afterwards called Dara, and was the usual residence of the famous Belisarius, when general of the east. He defeated the Persians in a great battle fought in the plain, under the walls of the city. f f 4 valley, 440 DESCRIPTION OF DARA. valley, and over a number of Ioav rocky hills which branch out from the foot of Mount Masius; the circumference I conceive to be nearly two miles and a half, and a small stream Avhich Aoavs through the middle of the place has induced several Koordish and Armenian families to fix their residence amidst the ruins. Besides the walls and towers, the remains of many other buildings attest the former grandeur qf Dara : a considerable part ofthe space Avithin the area of the Avorks is arched and vaulted underneath, and in one place we perceived a large cavern, sup ported by four ponderous columns, someAvhat rer sembling the great cistern at Constantinople. In the centre of the village are the ruins of a palace (pro bably that mentioned by Procopius) or church, one hundred paces in length and sixty in breadth; the foundations, which are quite entire, consist of a prodigious number of subterraneous vaulted chambers, entered by a narrow passage forty paces in length. The gate is still standing; a consider able part of the wall has bid defiance to the ravages of time, and the ground is covered with broken columns and Corinthian capitals, all of Avhich ap pear to have been cut from the adjoining quarries. The fragments and arches of many massy struc tures, in addition to those just mentioned, still exist, and my friend, Mr. Chavasse, took a draAving of the south gate of the city: its wall is ten feet in thickness and sixty in height, built of small stones Avith excellent cement, and encrusted Avith large DESCRIPTION OF DARA. 441 large flags: it is in the shape of a toAver, Avith three arched doors beneath, and six Avindows above looking towards the plain; and close to it, on the inside, is a bridge of three arches, together with the remains of a noble causeAvay leading to the en trance of the palace. The ruins of Dara have a fine appearance Avhen AieAved from the plain of Mesopotamia; but the situation possesses no one advantage, excepting an abundant supply of water, which is indeed the first consideration in this part of the Avorld. A number of storks have taken possession of the more elevated parts of the Avails, and added to that pleasing melancholy with which Ave are in general affected on visiting the wrecks of ancient magnifi cence. We slept on the top of the cottage of a Nestorian priest, ancl at sun-rise on the morning of the 20th set out for Nisibin. ¦ My friend and companion, Mr. Chavasse, had for several days been complaining of a violent head-ache, and this morning felt himself so very unwell, that he could with difficulty mount his horse. He had caught cold by going to the bath at Merdin, and exposing himself too soon after wards to the draughtof an open window. Our route lay through a fertile but uncultivated plain: at the tenth mile we passed the ruins of a castle, called Casr Jehan, five of the towers and some part of the wall of which still remain, and at the eighteenth mile arrived at the village of Nisibin, built amidst the 442 JOURNEY TO MOSUL. the ruins of the ancient city of Nisibis, famous in the history of the Roman Avars against the Per sians. I procured the best accommodation which this miserable village could afford for my poor friend, whose disorder increased so rapidly that he in a short time became delirious : I gave him an emetic, but it had little or no effect, and towards evening I made him swallow four grains of calo mel. When the heat of the day had subsided he became more composed, and in the morning felt himself so far recovered, that he declared his in tention of continuing the journey to Mosul instead of returning to Merdin, as I had wished him to do : at all events I was determined that he should take some repose before we attempted the passage of the desert. A considerable number of merchants, travellers and Tatars had collected at Nisibin Avith the intention of forming themselves into a caffila,* being fearful of proceeding; alone. I was anxious, if possible, to avoid this crowd, as it Avould have detained us several days, and rendered us much more liable to be attacked, since the Zezidees received correct information respecting the move ments Of the caravans, whereas single travellers are allowed to pass unmolested. Mahomed Aga was however Of opinion that we should all go together; and, as it Avill hereafter appear, he had sufficient influence to carry his point. * Or small caravan. 23d. JOURNEY TO MOSUL. 443 23d. The thermometer at seven A. M. Avas 80, at ten 94, at noon 96, and at three P. M. 98. In the cool ofthe evening I amused myself Avith examining the ruins ofthe ancient city, wThich occupy a large space along the bank of the river Mygdonius, a small but rapid stream : the substructions of the walls may yet be traced, and appear to have been carried along the edge of some eminence, defended by the Mygdonius to the N. E., and a morass to the S. I should guess their circumference to be about three miles, or probably more, and the greater part of the space within the circuit is noAV covered with hillocks of stone and rubbish. The church of St. James, the patron of Nisibis, is a small build ing, containing nothing remarkable, and iioav in a great degree buried in the sand. The ornaments in the interior are four Corinthian pillars which support a cupola, the lentils of the doors and win- doAvs, Avhich are not inelegant, and a handsome sarcophagus in a A^ault beneath : about two hundred yards from the church I was shewn the remains of a portico, consisting of five granite columns, still standing; each of them is formed of a single stone) of Avhich about fifteen feet are at piesent visible) but I was informed that not above half of the shafts of any of them now appear above ground. The greater portion of the space formerly occupied by the city is now covered with the black tents ofthe Koords, who graze their flocks on the banks of the Mygdonius, the dominion of this part of the country 444 JOURNEY TO MOSUL. country being divided betAveen them and the Tye Arabs, a powerful and ancient tribe mentioned by the Roman historians. The latter are nominally subject to the pasha of Bagdad, but are, in fact, the sovereigns of the Avhole country betAveen Nisibin and Mosul, and under the mask of granting a safe guard through the desert lay a tax on all caravans that pass near them. 24ih. Mr. Chavasse felt considerably better this morning, but I did not think him sufficiently re covered, to be able to support the fatigue of so long a journey ; and although we Avere in want of every comfort, and most miserably lodged, I resolved to remain quiet a few days to enable him to regain his strength. On the 27th he had so far recovered his Usual health that we quitted Nisibin, accompanied by three Tatars and twenty or thirty other travellers. We crossed the Mygdonius on a small bridge, and travelled for twelve miles through a fertile plain, in a tolerable state of cultivation. On the left was Mount Masius, and on the right, at a considerable distance, the lofty range of Sinjar. Tbe plain was intersected by many little brooks ; but not a tree nor shrub was to be seen to shelter us from the heat. At ten A. M. the thermometer Avas at 96, and half an hour afterwards we reached the camp of the Tye Arabs, where I intended to ask for eight or ten horsemen to escort us to Mosul. We were provided with a small black tent, about five feet JOURNEY TO MOSUL. 445 feet square, and four or five in height, in no respect calculated to protect us from the heat, Avhich was so great that I feared it might be fatal to Mr. Cha vasse, Avho again became delirious. I sent a mes sage to the Sheck, requesting him to give us a small escort, and stating that I Avould willingly pay Avhat he thought necessary, provided Ave were permitted to depart alone. He at first consented to this proposal, but some time aftenvards sent me a message, stating that all his folknvers were other- Avise employed, and that I must accompany the caravan to Jezira ul Omar, on the banks of the Tigris. As this Avas the place Avhich the chief of Sert had so particularly enjoined us not to visit, on account of the bad character of its inhabitants, and as the road besides was a hundred miles longer than that through the desert, I protested, in the most determined manner, against this plan ; but neither my threats nor promises had any effect, in conse quence of the influence of Mahomed Aga, who, afraid of being attacked by the Zezidees in the pas sage of the desert, Avas intriguing against me in the most underhand ancl treacherous manner. We were detained the whole day and night, and at sun rise on the morning of the 28th I sent for an old Arab, the confidential servant of the Sheck, and putting six gold rubas into his hand, besought him to use his influence with his master to get us eight or ten men, and permission to depart alone. He smiled, and said we might order our horses to be got 446 JOURNEY TO MOSUL. got ready, for he would find us an escort in a vil lage through Avhich we Avere fo pass. On quitting the camp I observed, to my regret,, that we were .still accompanied by the other travellers, and could augur nothing good from such associates. My fears were too well founded, for Ave had no sooner arrived at tbe village of Shirak,* eight miles from camp, than they declared their resolution not to -pass the desert, unless they had an escort of eighty or a hundred men ; and most unfortunately for us, there were three persons in the village, who had effected their escape from the Aleppo caravan, plundered of merchandise to the amount of twenty lacs of piastres. Hajee Hussein, the confidential servant of the Sheck, said he was not empoAvered to grant us more than thirty men, and that they must either be satisfied with that number, or cross the Tigris at Jezira. It was therefore resolved, notwithstanding every thing I could urge to the contrary, to go by Jezira; and I am induced to enter more at large into these particulars than I .otherwise would have, done, because the fate of my friend, depended upon the event. I was anxious -to get him to Mosul, where I might procure medical assistance, and any other little necessary which he might .require. We cqu]d pass the desert in one night by the direct road, but by the * Which appears to represent ihe Sisobanum of Procapius ¦besieged and taken by lklisarius. other JOURNEY TO MOSUL. 447 other I foresaw that we should be compelled to travel several days successively in the heat of the «un. Justly incensed at the base conduct of Ma homed Aga, I took him aside, and strongly repre sented to him the fatal consequences which might ensue, if he obstinately persisted in the line he had taken, but he turned a deaf ear to my entreaties, and my friend became a sacrifice to the cowardice and treachery of a A-illain. Finding it impossible to turn him from his purpose, I requested Hajee Hussein that we might be permitted to remain in the village until Mr. Chavasse had regained his strength; but even this Avas denied, and at day break Ave were dragged twenty-two miles to a vil lage called Chelly Aga. We travelled through a plain partially cultivated, and containing many villages: we passed several small streams, coming from Mount Masius ancl sloAvly floAving to the S- The greater part of these streams are absorbed in the plain. I made another fruitless attempt at Chelly Aga to go the direct road, and offered Ha jee Hussein a present of three hundred piastres if he would carry us to Mosul ; but although he him self was inclined to accept the offer, the others would not permit him to do so. Mr. Chavasse continued much in the same state; and notwith standing he was so weak that he could with diffi culty sit upon his horse, we were forced to march twenty miles more in the heat of the day. The thermometer 448 JOURNEY TO MOSUL. thermometer was at 100, and as the ground was dry and parched, the glare was intolerable. Shortly after we left Chelly Aga, we crossed a small rivet- flowing to the S., and turning towards Mount Masius, traversed an uneven and rocky country, producing, in many places, luxuriant crops of Avheat, Indian- corn, and cotton. At sun-set we halted at the village of Ibrahim, where Ave Avere, as usual, pestered by the intrusions of the idle and curious. The moment Ave arrived, Mr. Chavasse sunk upon his carpet, which Avas spread at the foot of a tree, in a state of insensibility; and to add to our misfortune, I could not even procure a spoonful of soup, or any refreshment, excepting hard eggs and raw cucumbers. Mahomed Aga did not, how ever, seem in the smallest degree concerned, and no doubt was desirous that we both might perish, in order to get possession of our property. Such were my feelings, mixed with anxiety and indig nation, that I found it impossible to close an eye during the Avhole of the night, and in the morning I endeavoured to prevail on the Arab who com manded the escort, either to alio w us to stay for a few days where we then were, or take the direct road ; but he replied, that to remain Avhere Ave Avere was utterly out of the question, as we should be mur dered the moment he departed, and that he was positively prohibited by the Sheck from either stopping or going direct to Mosul. During this conversation JOURNEY TO MOSUL. 449 conversation my Tatar came up in the most impu dent manner, ancl told the Arab not to attend to me. Enraged at the ingratitude and insolence of this rascal, I put an end to his harangue by thrusting, Avith great force, doAvn his throat a stick, Avhich I fortunately had in my hand. I observed the blood gush from his mouth, and recoiling a few paces, he dreAV his dagger, but at the same time allowed himself to be led quietly away. When the day began to get hot Ave Avere again desired to mount our horses, and after travelling for twenty-six miles over the same kind of country, we descended into the A'alley of the Tigris, and soon arrived at Jezira, Avhich is situated on an island formed by an inflexion of that river. A short time before we approached the town, the Arabs and our guard, consisting of twelve Koordish boors, made up, and seizing the reins of my bridle, demanded buck- shish in a loud and imperious manner. I told them that I had come this road against my inclination, and therefore I would give them nothing; upon which they put their spears to my breast, and threatened to kill me, but I held their threats at defiance, and persisted in my refusal, telling them they ought to apply to the Tatars and other travel lers, at whose request they had accompanied us. They then turned toAvards them, and, to my in finite satisfaction, extorted a hundred piastres from them. The toAvn of Jezira ul Omar, the ancient Roman a g fortress 450 JOURNEY TO MOSUL. fortress of Bezabde,* is situated in a low sandy island in the Tigris, about three miles in circum ference, and surrounded on all sides by mountains. It occupies the greater part of this island, and is defended by a wall of black stone noAV fallen to decay. We crossed the branch of the Tigris Avhich encircles it on the south, and entering an old gate- Avay, proceeded, for about half a mile, through the ruins of houses to the inhabited part of the toAvn, where we were lodged in a large caravanserai. We were, immediately after our arrival, imprisoned, by order of the beg, in a small room not above eight feet square, without a Avindow, or any open ing to admit the air, excepting the door which was closed upon us. The heat therefore was intole rable, and rendered still more oppressive by the fumes of a stable beneath us. I trembled for the life of Mr. Chayasse, who still continued to possess some bodily strength, but had entirely lost his in tellect. In the evening our prison door was opened, and I received a message from the beg, calling on me and . my followers, as he named the others, to pay two thousand piastres on pain of being plundered and put to death. Satisfied that there was nothing to be done but to pay the money with a good grace, and get out of the clutches of this fiend as soon as possible, I sent for * This appears to answer the description of the Neerda of Josephus, which he says was contiguous to Nisibis, and surrounded on all sides by the Euphrates (meaning the Tigris.) JOURNEY TO MOSUL. 451 my companions and submitted to them the resolu tion of the beg, Avho Avas a robber by profession, and not to be turned from his purpose. I told them I Avas ready to pay the half, on condition that they Avould subscribe amongst themselves to make up the remainder, and added that I thought them fortunate in escaping at so cheap a rate- They protested that they had no money, and en treated me to defray the whole expense, promising to repay me on their arrival at Mosul : but aware of the characters of the gentlemen I had to deal Avith, I refused to listen to their request, and told them to make up their mind, and inform me of their determination in the course of an hour. They appeared to be in a dreadful alarm, some of them shed tears, whilst others, wringing their hands in despair, cursed the Arabs for having deceived them. Mahomed Aga was so much ashamed of his conduct, and, at the same time, so much alarmed for the safety of his person, that he did not even venture to open his mouth. The dread of being entirely despoiled of their merchandize, and perhaps massacred, overcame their avarice, and after many heart-breaking sighs, they produced the money, which was paid to the beg, Avho seemed satisfied, and sent a message that he wished to see me in the morning. We were permitted to sleep on the top of the caravanserai; and my servant havins- made some broth and boiled a chicken for Mr. Chavasse, he recovered his reason in some o o 2 degree, 45% JOURNEY TO MOSUL. degree, and felt better than he had been for some days before. 29th. In my visit to the beg I was conducted, for upwards of a mile, through the rubbish of houses long since fallen to decay, to the gate of an immense stone edifice, overlooking the prin cipal branch of the Tigris, and in all probability once a princely palace, but now a mass of ruins. I passed through several courts, and, after ascend ing a dismal staircase, found the beg seated in a ruinous apartment at the western extremity of the building: he seemed to be about fifty years of age, of gigantic stature, and with the countenance of an assassin. He desired I would be seated on the bottom of a Avindow near him, and began the con versation by complaining that caravans seldom or never came near his town, and therefore that he Could only alloAV me to depart on condition that I would represent to the pashas of Bagdad and Mosul, that the road was in excellent order, and endeavour to persuade them to induce all their merchants to pass through Jezira in future. I promised of cOurse all he required, and was at last permitted to depart; but, on quitting his apart ment, he said he would send some of his people to see us safe to Zak.u. Although I did nqt much admire this proposal, I forbore to urge any objec tions to it, and therefore retired to the caravanserai to prepare for our departure, dreading that a se- conddemand might be made, upon me before I got JOURNEY TO MOSUL. 453 got safely out ofthe place. We mounted at noon, and passed the great branch of the Tigris (here one hundred and forty six paces Avide, deep and rapid) on a bridge of boats. On gaining the op posite shore, Ave began to ascend the mountains, Avhich came down to the water's edge, and after a march of two miles, again descended to the banks of the river. At the fourth mile Ave crossed a small stream flowing into the Tigris, at the fifteenth mile quitted the banks of this noble river, and at the twentieth halted for the night at the Chaldean village of Nahr Van. During the Avhole of the journey Ave had a chain of mountains running parallel Avith the road on the left hand. This range is called the Juda Dag by the Turks, and one of the inhabitants of Nahr Van assured me that he had frequently seen the remains of Noah's ark on a lofty peak behind that village. These mountains are well inhabited by Christians of the Nestorian, Chaldean, and Armenian sects, Avho cultivate Avheat and barley in the vallies, and the vine on the sides of the mountains. 30th. Mr. Chavasse had slept Avell during the night, and in the morning felt himself so much re freshed, that we were enabled tb continue our journey at sun-rise. The road led through a plain, and on the right was the range of Zaku, in all probability the same which stopped the pro gress of the Ten Thousand, and compelled them to turn aside from the banks of the Tigris. At the > 454 JOURNEY TO MOSUL. the twelfth mile we forded, about half a mile above its junction with the Kabour, the Hazel su, a \rery considerable river coming from the north, and we had just gained the opposite bank, when the escort, which had been granted us by the beg of Jezira, stopped the caffila, and professing their intention to return home demanded buckshish. They ex torted about two hundred piastres, of which I was compelled to pay one half, and took their depar ture far from being satisfied. At the seventeenth mile, we forded with extreme difficulty, at a spot where its great breadth rendered it more shallow, the river Kabour, the same which Ave had passed on a bridge near Sert. As none but our party would venture to ford the river, we Avere fortu- nately, by this accident, separated from the caravan, who Avere compelled to make a long detour, and, at the 'eighteenth mile, we entered the town of Zaku, the residence of Caput Pasha, an indepen dent Koordish chief. It is a small but thrivinp; place, situated on an island formed by the Kabour. The chief resides in a castle at the east end of the town, where he received us with kindness and hos pitality, but said that we must positively depart in the course of a few hours, and that he would send a man to procure us a lodging in a neighbour ing village. I endeavoured to expostulate Avith him on this cruel order, for Mr. Chavasse had be come extremely feeble, and felt much distressed by the excessive heat of the weather, but the Koord appeared JOURNEY TO MOSUL. 455 appeared to have no sort of commiseration. We had travelled in a S. E. direction ever since we left Jezira, but the suspicion and vigilance of our guards rendered it impossible for me to take regu lar bearings. At three in the afternoon Avhen the thermometer Avas at 101 in the shade, Ave Avere fairly turned out of Zaku. Mr. Chavasse Avas so weak, that they were obliged to lift him on his horse, but his fortitude Avas astonishing, and never forsook him as long as he had possession of his faculties. Upon our departure from the castle we turned to the S. and entered a defile in the Zaku Dag, a long and lofty range running nearly E. and W. It reaches on the W. the bank of the Tigris. After travelling about six miles over rocks and pre cipices the pass opened into a plain, and the Tigris Avas seen, at a distance, on the right hand. We turned to the S. E. by E., and at the tenth mile halted at the village of Ameer Aga, subject to the pasha of Amadia. It was dusk before we arrived, so that on entering the court of the resi dence of the zabit, Ave perceived him at dinner, Avith about twenty of his people, on the top of the house. We ascended a narroAV flight of steps, and ordered our carpets to be spread on the most se cluded part of the terrace. Mahomed Aga, and part of the caravan which had overtaken us during our stay at Zaku, immediately seated themselves Avith the zabit and partook of his entertainment, but I remained with poor Mr. Chavasse, who was G g 4 reduced 456 JOURNEY TO MOSUL. reduced to such a state of debility, that I enter tained the most serious alarms for his safety, in the event of our being compelled, as had hitherto. been the case, to make long journies in the heat of the day. Had Ave been permitted to travel by short stages, and in the cool of the night, my friend would in all likelihood have been still alive. The pasha of Amadia, into whose territories we had just entered, is nominally subject to the pasha of Bagdad, but is, in every sense of the word, an hereditary ancl independent prince. He is the lineal descendant and representative of the royal house of Abbas, and his ancestors have been in possession of the principality of Amadia since the expulsion of the caliphs from Bagdad. He is one of the richest and most powerful chiefs in Koor distan, and holds his court at Amadia, a strong toAvn three marches north of Mosul. He is the master of thirty-one well peopled districts, rich in corn and wine, and inhabited by Koords, Nesto- rians, Chaldeans, and Catholics. August 3d. In the morning, when about to depart, we were informed that the zabit desired a present of two hundred piastres, under pain of seiz ing the baggage and merchandize. I had conse quently one half to pay, and the Tatars, who, by this time, were driven nearly to a state of despe ration, the remainder. They cursed their own obstinacy as the cause of their ruin, and declared that the whole profits of their merchandize would not JOURNEY TO MOSUL. 457 not defray their expenses to Bagdad. Hajee Hussein, the confidential servant of the Tye Sheck, Avho, at my request, still accompanied us, and a\ as the only one of the gang avIio had conducted him self with propriety, came to me and requested permission to return home, as he said he could cross the Tigris by a ford six or seven miles dis tant from us, and reach the camp in one night. I accordingly gave him twenty rubas as a return for the attention he had shewn us ; he Avas very grate* ful and begged me to intercede for him with the pasha of Mosul, who kept his Avife and children in confinement. It appeared that he had formerly been in the service of the predecessor of the pre sent pasha, and had killed in a dispute one of the retainers of the latter. When his master was as sassinated, he had fled from the city and taken refuge with his tribe, but his Avife and children were thrown into prison by the command of the neAV pasha, and for seven years the poor Hajee had not seen any part of his family. I promised to do all in my poAver, but candidly acknoAvledged that I had no reason to believe my endeavours Avould prove successful ; upon which he kissed my hand and took his leave Avith tears in his eyes. The ford, to which this old Arab alluded, is a short distance from Eski Mosul, ancl, in all probability, the very same that Alexander and his army crossed before the battle of Arbela, since it is the only spot between Jezira ancl Mosul, Avhere the river can be forded 458 JOURNEY TO MOSUL. forded at this season of the year. We marched fourteen miles through an open countiy, and in a S. E. by E. direction, to the village of Namur, inhabited by Zezidees. The Tigris, which we were gradually approaching, was on our right hand, and at a great distance on our left Ave perceived the range of Mount Zagros* We had hardly seen a tree since our departure from Merdin, and the country, though for the most part very fertile in corn, had a parched and arid appearance. The glare was excessive, the heat less tolerable than I had ever before experienced, and the more I re flect on the hardships we had to endure, the more I must admire the fortitude of my friend in sup porting such fatigue without a murmur. At Namur the Zezidees treated us with cordiality: they brought us milk, cheese, and excellent bread for breakfast, and eight horsemen well armed and mounted were ordered to conduct us to the next stage. I was extremely anxious, on account of Mr. Chavasse, to remain the Avhole of the day at Namur. Whether my Avishes, in this respect, Avere counteracted by the intrigues of Mahomed Aga and the other Tatars, or whether they objected to our remaining in their village for some other reason, I know not ; but, after we had halted about an hour, we Avere again ordered to mount our horses, * Called the Gordyaean mountains by Quintus Curtius and Strabo. when JOURNEY TO MOSUL. 4.59 when the sun .was still in the meridian. We Avere accompanied by the brother of the Zezidee chief, as the commander of our escort, avIio, during the journey, asked a number of questions respecting the manners of Europeans, ancl amongst others hoAV many families of Zezidees there Avere in Eng land. I told him that the people in England did not even know the Zezidees by name, at which he seemed greatly surprized, and pointing to the Turks, " Those rascals," said he, " call us infidels, but nevertheless I could with ten of my tribe plunder a hundred such dogs." We travelled six teen miles over the same sort of country in a S. E. by S. direction: the Tigris Avas about five miles distant from us on our right hand, and Mount Zagros on the left. At the end of the sixteenth mile Ave halted at a Zezidee village called Hatarra, for a few minutes, and then travelled six miles more to the Chaldean village of Teliskof, Avhere we were at last informed Ave might pass the night. Since Ave quitted the defile of Zaku the country had become less uneven, and Ave were iioav in an extensive plain bounded on the E. by Mount Zagros, on the S. by the Zab, on the W. by the Tigris, and on the N. by the mountains of Zaku and Amadia. This plain is celebrated in history as the scene of several memorable events. It was traversed by Xenophon ancl his brave companions; here Alexander gained the battle of Arbela, and here, many centuries afterwards, the Roman Em-. pcror 460 JOURNEY TO MOSUL. peror Heraclius destroyed the power of his rival, the magnificent Chosroes Purviz. I dismissed the Zezidee guard, Avho demanded no buckshish, but departed well satisfied with Avhat I had thought proper to give them; From the little I have seen of this extraordinary sect, they appear to me to be a much finer race of men and to possess more noble and generous feelings than any of the other motley inhabitants of Assyria; where the Turks are lazy, overbearing, and insolent; the Arabs fierce, uncivilized, and cruel, and the Christians mean, cowardly and designing. We were hospitably received by the Chaldean priest of the village, who allotted us the top of a private house for our accommodation. This was a luxury which we had not enjoyed since we had quitted the habitation of the good archbishop of Merdin, and only to be appreciated by those who, like us, had been constantly exposed to the gaze and insolence of unfeeling barbarians. Mr. Cha vasse had supported the journey better than I expected, although I lamented to find that the sun had again affected his brain ; but Ave were now only one march from Mosul, and I flattered myself that when we should arrive there, rest, diet and me dical aid would gradually restore him to health. We continued our route, as usual, through the plain, with the Tigris on the right and the hills on the left; at the fifth mile Avas the Chaldean village ©f Batma, and at the tenth that of Tilkiff. The roads were JOURNEY TO MOSUL. 461 were excellent, as indeed they had been since Ave left the defile of Zaku. The battles of Arbela and Nineveh must, I conclude, have been fought some- where between Tilkiff and the Zab, and the spot seems as if formed by nature for the combat of hostile armies. With the exception of a Ioav range of hills, and some gentle slopes, the ground offers no impediment to the eA'olutions and movements of the largest armies ; and nothing can be more accu rate than the description of the country given by Quintus Curtius.* At the twenty-second mile we reached Mosul, and about a mile before we entered the city, passed tAvo artificial tumuli and extensive ramparts, supposed to be the ruins of the ancient Nineveh. The first tumulus is about three quarters. of a mile in circumference, it is about the same height, and has the same appearance as those at Susa. The circumference of the other is not so considerable, but its elevation is greater, and on the top stands the tomb of Jonas the prophet, round * Quintus Curtius says, that Darius advanced eighty stadia be yond the Lycus, which is now the Zab, and that he lay encamped in an immense field without trees or bushes, where the eye could survey remote objects, and that where the ground swelled Darius ordered it to be levelled. It appears from the same author, that Alexander passed the Tigris above Mosul ; for he marched two or three days before the battle, which was, Without doubt, fought on the north of the Zab, since Darius, in his flight, crossed this river, and did not reach Arbela till midnight. Memmium, four days from Arbela, is mentioned as being situated near a fountain of naphtha, and is, no doubt, the modern Kerkoosh. which 462 JOURNEY TO MOSUL. which a village called Nunia has been erected. The Jews go in pilgrimage to this tomb, Avhich is a small and insignificant building, croAvned with a cupola. The rampart is thought by some to have been throAvn up by Nadir Shah, when he besieged Mosul ; but this opinion does not appear to me to be well founded; for these remains are much more extensive than I imagined them to be on my first visit to this place, and in no Avay resembling the field- Avorks Avhich an army, such as that of Nadir Shah, were likely to erect. I cannot doubt but they are the vestiges of some ancient city, probably Nineveh, or that Larissa described by Xenophon. We crossed the Tigris on a bridge of boats, and entered Mosul ; but the joy which I felt at what I looked upon as the termination of our sufferings, was much clouded by the dangerous situation of Mr. Chavasse, whose disorder had so much increased, that it Avas with the utmost difficulty he could reach the city. I ordered the soorajee to conduct us to the house of a capuchin friar, a good old man, to Avhom I had letters, and who possessed a greater knowledge of medicine than many gentlemen ofthe profession. We were admitted into his house, but the father himself had, two days before, gone upon a visit to the pasha of Amadia, an unexpected and most un fortunate circumstance, since he was the only per son in the city or neighbourhood Avho had the smallest knowledge of physic. As my friend's disorder appeared to be of a bilious nature, I was resolved JOURNEY TO MOSUL. 463 resolved to see Avhat rest and small doses of mer cury (the only medicine I had Avith me) Avould produce. I accordingly administered a calomel pill, containing a couple of grains, morning and evening; I gave him tea, soups, and other light nourishment, but in the space of five days no visible alteration took place ; his brain continued affected, and I Avas Avithout resource. I therefore resolved to have a raft built, with a pavilion fixed upon it, and in this manner transport him down the Tigris to Bagdad, where we should find Dr. Hine, the physician of the presidency, a man of science and great skill in his profession. I waited on the pasha, Avho promised his assistance, and ordered a raft to be immediately prepared. I have given a description of Mosul in my Per sian Memoir, and consequently it is unnecessary to repeat what I have there said respecting the city. It is an ancient and sombre looking toAvn, fast dAvindling into insignificance. DEATH ( 464 > DEATH OF MR. CHAVASSE. On the evening of the Sth of August Ave embarked on our raft, here called a killack; it Avas about eighteen or twenty feet in length and fourteen in breadth, constructed of reeds and planks bound closely together, and supported on inflated sheep skins, Avhich Avere placed vertically, with a small opening or mouth at the top tied by a thread, and occasionally opened that a reed might be in sinuated for the purpose of inflating the skins every two or three hours. A shed, or house, formed of latticework, and covered With thick felts, had been erected in the middle of the raft, and in this two couches Avere placed for our accommodation. Small openings or windows Avere made to admit a thorough draught of air, rendered cool and refreshing by blowing over the Tigris, which, although much fallen, still contained a great body of water. At seven in the evening Ave pushed from the shore, and, directed by two paddles, con tinued to drop down the stream during the night, at the rate of about four miles ancl a half an hour. The banks of the river, for about two hundred yards DEATH OF MR. CHAVASSE. 465 yards from the Avater on each side, Avere covered with gardens of Avillows and cucumbers, Avhere temporary habitations, or black tents, had been pitched for the gardeners, all. beyond being a sandy and uncultivated waste. I rose Avith the sun, and at tAventy minutes past five began to make obser vations. The different bearings of the Avindings of the river, from day to day, are stated in the Ap pendix. The right bank Avas Ioav, and might be easily irrigated, and a low range of hills ran along the left : at five Ave saAV a number of Arabs encamped on the banks, avIio appeared to be employed in culti vating corn and melons. The water is raised from the river by an engine, very common on the Tigris and Euphrates, and frequently described by tra vellers. At half-past five Ave crossed a very ancient bund or dyke, called Nimrood, supposed to have existed in the time of Alexander, and to have been built by some ofthe early kings of Assyria, with the vieAV of raising the waters of the Tigris for the irrigation of the adjacent country. It is constructed of stone, and carried across the river from bank to bank, but I conjecture that a great part of it has fallen doAvn : it noAV forms a fall about a foot in height, over which we were carried with such velocity, that I was alarmed lest the raft should have been broken asunder. On the right, distant about one mile, was a hamlet, nearly opposite to which Ave stopped forty minutes at a place called h h Nimrood 466 DEATH OF MR. CHAVASSE; Nimrood Khoi, on the left bank, in order to pro cure a little milk and a few melons. The country Avas a perfect desert as far as the eye could reach on both sides, and for two hours after we had quitted Nimrood Khoi, we had a low range of barren hills on the right, the river being very broad, and broken into shoals and islands. At twelve o'clock we came to the Great Zab, entering the Tigris by three separate mouths, and a. village called Sehaff, one mile up the principal stream. The Tigris continued broad and shoally, the banks low, and a sandy desert on all sides. At tenminutes.past two P.M., we observed the tomb of Sultan Abdalla, situated on the summit of a hill on the left. bank. Here the river divides, and after forming an island about twomiles in length, re-unitqs. At five o'clock observed some brushwoodon the banks, and at; half- past five two extraordinary tumuli; at six the river was about half a mile in breadth, interspersed with gravelly islands, i the banks low and covered with long dry grass and broom, and at half-past six we passed a range of rocky hills, called Gebal Hussein, on the left bank It was now so dark J could see no longer. We sailed about nine hoursduring the night, and at six in the morning I arose and dressed. Mr. Chavasse had been without motion on his couch almost ever since we had embarked, and it was with extreme difficulty I could force him to swallow a few spoonfuls of soup and wine. in DEATH OF MR. CHAVASSE. 467 In the mornings and evenings I gave him tea, and this he seemed to relish more than any other nourishment. 10th. At seven A. M. a ridge of rocks on the right bank, and a castle named Mackoah in a vast sandy desert: at eleven o'clock passed the mouth of the Little Zab, a chain of hills on the left bank, and the river broad and shoally; at half- past eleven the tomb of a Mussulman saint, called Hadja, on the left bank, and shortly aftenvards the commencement of a range of mountains, called Hamran, close to the right bank, the river being upwards of half a mile in breadth, and intersected with many islands. At ten minutes past twelve o'clock, on the left bank, Ave noticed the ruins of a town on the top of a hill, the base of Avhich Avas close to the water's edge; and on the opposite bank of the river the walls and toAvers of a larger edifice, called Gebal Kulusa, or the chapel ofthe mountains. At twelve o'clock the heights retired into the desert on the right bank ; the left, flat, covered Avith broom, willow and long grass. At four P. M. passed a fountain of black naphtha, or bitumen, which Ave smelt a considerable time before Ave approached it. It was exuding from the earth at the foot of a small range of hills, and along the edge of the water for upwards of half a mile : the river was here about six hundred yards wide, and the country desert on all sides. At half-past four the mountains H n 2 of 468 DEATH OF MR. CHAVASSE. of Gebal Hussein were no longer visible, and were succeeded by a boundless sandy plain on the' right bank. For the last twenty-four hours Ave had not seen a human creature, but at five o'clock I ob served a few Arab tents on the left bank, and near them some fields of Indian corn: the river broad and shallow, and interspersed Avith flat sandy islands covered with a kind of willow. At half- past six the Tigris opened into a vast expanse of Avater, and was divided into many streams, sepa rated by little islands, At nine o'clock I could see no longer, and retired into my eabm. Mr. Chavasse seemed better this evening; he got up and sAvallowed some bread and Avine, and talked sensibly, though despondingly, saying, he felt conscious that his end was approaching, and that he only feared death on account of some re lations to whom he Avas much attached. • I en deavoured to comfort him, but he soon afterwards sunk exhausted on his couch, and at midnight breathed his last, without pain and without a struggle. He Avas a young gentleman ofthe most amiable and engaging manners, of great natural and cultivated talents ; an excellent classical scho lar and mathematician, and the inventor of many ingenious instruments for the promotion of science. On the morning of the 1 1th of August I paid the last duties to his remains, which I buried in a retired spot on the banks of the Tigris, and the remembrance VOYAGE DOAVN THE TIGRIS. 469 remembrance of his amiable qualities and untimely fate has made an impression on my mind which neither time nor situation can ever remove. At four in the morning Ave reached Tekrit, a mud village situated amidst a range of rocky hills on the right bank of the river. This is the ancient Birtha, Avhich, in the tAvelfth century, Avas the residence of a Jacobite primate.* Here I dismissed a guard of matchlock men given us by the pasha of Mosul, finding them much more troublesome than useful. We resumed our voyage at six A. M. the Tigris running in general at the same rate. Both banks of the river, for some distance beloAV Tekrit, were covered Avith melon and cucumber plantations, the water being raised by the engines before mentioned ; a range of mountains at some distance on the right, called Gebal Kurin. The Tigris very broad near Tekrit. At twenty minutes past nine the tomb and large village of Imaum Dour, standing on a Ioav ridge of sandy hills half a mile from the shore on the left bank. The tomb ofthe Imaum is a lofty square edifice, with a cupola, in the Arabesque style of architecture. Dura, the ancient name of this place, is familiar to the readers of history, as the spot where the Roman army attempted the passage of the Tigris, after the death of Julian, and Avhere his successor signed a * It is situated on a hill, and stood a long siege against Ti- mour. h h 3 disgraceful 47© VOYAGE DOWN THE TIGRIS. - disgraceful treaty, by which he ceded Nisibis, anel the provinces beyond the Tigris, to the Persians, The banks on both sides were covered with engines for the cultivation of water melons, which are esteemed the finest in this part of the country, and sent in great quantities to Bagdad. We perceived a small plantation of date trees for the first time since Ave quitted Mosul, and at half-past eleven the mud ruins of a village, called Eski Bagdad, on the left bank, where the river, dividing itself into two streams of equal magnitude, forms an island about half a mile in length. At half-past twelve the mud ruins of a town called Shinas, on the right bank, the river near half a mile in breadth, and the country wild and desert. At two P. M. the conspicuous remains of a lofty castle, called ul Ashuck, or the lover, about a quarter of a mile from the shore on the right bank; and immediately opposite the ruins of a town called Mashuck, or the beloved. The Arabs have a tradition respecting these two places similar to that of Hero and Leander, with this difference, that the lady fearing, her lover might weaken his constitution by swim ming across the Tigris, caused a bridge to be erected for his convenience. The castle of ul Ashuck appeared to be a fine ruin, but I was at too great a distance to examine it with attention., Here the river again divided itself into two branches; Ave followed that on our right hand, and at three o'clock came abreast of the town of Samara VOYAGE DOAVN THE TIGRIS. 471 Samara on the left bank, containing about two thousand inhabitants, and distant about a quarter of a mile from the spot where the tAvo branches reunite. Samara, the ancient Samere, was the favourite residence of several caliphs of the house of Abbas, and the remains of the ancient city still cover a large extent of ground, the most re markable of these being the tomb and sanctuary of Imaum Mahomed ul Mohadi, Avho was buried at Samara: it is a handsome brick building, with tAvc cupolas and minarets, ornamented Avith glazed tiles, Avhich are much admired by the Arabs, and have a good appearance Avhen the sun happens to shine upon them. Not far from hence is a conical toAver, of prodigious height and good proportions: an ingenious sort of winding stairs, or rather cause way, has been erected around the exterior of this toAver, by which mules and horses are sometimes made to ascend the summit. About one mile and a half N. E. of the modern town, and on the left branch of the Tigris, stand the ruins of the palace of the caliphs, Avhich appears to have been a large and straggling building, made of brick and mud; but whatever its former magnificence might have been, it now contains little Avorthy of observation. Great part of the Avails of the city are also to be seen, and reach a considerable way into the desert. It is difficult to imagine how such a spot could ever have been selected as the site of the capital of a powerful prince: the country on every side, as far h h 4 as 472 VOYAGE DOWN THE TIGRIS, as the eye can perceive, is a parched; and pathless wilderness, without a tree, or even a shrub, to afford the smallest relief from the excessive glare occasioned .by the reflection of the sun on the sands. Clouds of dusj thickened the atmosphere, and the wind which howled over the desert, added to the forlorn and dreary appearance of the place, It is true indeed with regard to Irak Arabi, that where water can be brought verdure will soon ap-t pear; but here the banks are high, and the Tigris broad* and shallow, consequently irrigation must always have been attended with difficulty, At five o'clock we saw at a distance, on the left bank, the ruins of a large town, named Goen, con sisting of mud walls, towers, and numbers of tumuli. The river divided itself into several branches at this spot. At a quarter-past six the vestiges of a palace, called Kalmaula seroi, on the left bank ; at. half-past six the remains of the ram part and towers of a large town, about a mile from the shore on the left bank. These ruins, as I was informed, extend for many miles into the desert, and a canal may be traced from the Tigris to the foot of the walls : they are called Judsea, and may probably represent the famous city of Opis, which, according to Xenephon's description, must have been situated somewhere in this neighbourhood, Dr. Vincent is of Opinion that it stood at the con fluence of the Odorneh and Tigris, but there. are * At one. place it was a mile from shore to shore. Hi ¦ .{¦ ; UO VOYAGE DOAVN THE TIGRIS. 473 no vestiges of any city to be seen at that place* Nearly opposite to Judsea is a canal which sup plies the town of Degel, distant twelve hours in the desert, Avith Avater. At seven o'clock a large encampment of Arabs and cultivation of melons, at a quarter past seven a Ioav range of arid hills about two miles distant on the left bank, Avhich was inhabited by the Arab tribe of Albufedge, the right being possessed by that of Juma. At nine o'clock my observations ceased, in consequence of the darkness of the night. At three in the morning of the 12th, I caused myself to be awoke in order to examine the mouth of the Odorneh, noAV called the Kufri su, a small and insignificant "stream. The Tigris is navigable as far up as this place and no farther. At seven in the morning a number of little hillocks of sand and rubbish on the right, denoting the former existence of a city called Zumboor ; and on the opposite bank the remains of a canal. After we * Zosimus, in his history of the retreat of Julian, after the passage of the Tigris at Ctesiphon, mentions many towns on the banks of tbat river as well as those of the Diala, which he styles Duras, and says that the Roman army passed it on a bridge. Barrophta is no doubt represented in Bacowa or Bakooba, nine hours from Bagdad; Nishanaba by Delli Abbas, and Summara by Samara. Of the positions of Symbra, Accetta, and Maromsa, I confess my ignorance, but the ruined cities now seen on the eastern bank of the Tigris may cover the sites of some of these places. quitted 474 .VOYAGE DOWN THE TIGRIS'. quitted the Kufri su the river became much more contracted, the ordinary breadth being about three hundred yards. The wind bleAV so strong that the raft nearly went to pieces, and we were obliged to take shelter for a couple of hours under a high bank. At half past three P. M., the village of Sindia, surrounded by groves of date trees; the Tigris, near half a mile wide, a short way below the village. At half past six a fine expanse of water, and a village called Suedia on the left bank, surrounded Avith plantations of date, apricot, fig and mulberry trees; at eight o'clock the village of Monsourg on the left bank, and at midnight the district of Dokhara, said to be the most pro ductive in the pashalic of Bagdad. : At five in the morning of the 13th, the village of Swadia on the right bank. From this village almost the whole of the remainder of the way to Bagdad, both banks of the Tigris are covered with engines and melon-gardens. I landed at a village a short distance north of the town of Kazameen, and, hiring a couple of horses, galloped into Bagdad with my servant, leaving Mahomed Aga and the baggage in the raft, which arrived at tAvelve O'clock. I found my old friend, Mr. Hine, in charge of the residency, and now considered my troubles as at an -end. For the last few days Ma homed Aga had become as mean and obsequious in his conduct as he formerly had been insolent .and overbearing, but I did not forget his nefarious proceedings^ VOYAGE DOWN THE TIGRIS. 475 proceedings, and on my arrival at Bagdad, got him dismissed Avith disgrace, and rendered incapable of ever serving; the English in future. He set out on his return to Constantinople, but did not long- survive my unhappy friend, having been killed by a stroke of the sun at Arbela. REMARKS ( 476 ) REMARKS ON THE RETREAT OF THE TEN THOUSAND. " After the defeat of Cunaxa the Greeks com menced their retreat, and marched, after many in terruptions from ditches* and canals, to the Median wall, which was built of burnt brick laid in bitu men, twenty feet in thickness, one hundred in height, and twenty parasangs in length, and said not to be far from Babylon. From thence they made eight parasangs, passing two canals drawn from the Tigris, and arrived at a large city called Sittace, fifteen stadia from the river." The battle of Cunaxa is supposed to have taken place somewhere near Anbar or Felugia, or more probably farther to the S. and nearer to Babylon. Of the Median wall no traces now remain ; and * The Greeks were stopped by ditches and canals over which they made bridges of palm trees. They found wine made of the palm tree, and vinegar made by boiling the fruit. The Arabs still make wine or arrack of the toddy drawn from the date tree, but although they extract a strong gunjah, which is used as a sub stitute for sugar, from the date, I am not aware of their making vinegar. some RETREAT OF THE TEN THOUSAND. 477- some ruins, situated near -the pyramid of Agar- kuff, are supposed to be those of the ancient Sittace. This conjecture, hoAvever, does not ap pear to me to be Avell founded, as these ruins are situated much too far to the S., and almost eight miles from the river; Avhereas Sittace, according. to Xenophon, Avas only fifteen stadia or about two miles from the Tigris, but it is true that the river during the lapse of so many years may have re ceded, Avhilst the city might have been much more extensive than those vestiges denote it to haAre been. The remains of a noble canal can be traced from the Tigris for many miles on both sides of Agarkuff, and the distance to the banks of the Physcus, iioav the Kufri su, where Opis is said to have stood, will agree Avith the account of Xeno phon, who says " that the Greeks having passed the Tigris on a bridge of thirty-seven boats,* marched tAventy parasangs in four days to the banks of the Physcus and city of Opis." Xeno phon affirms that the Physcus Avas one hundred feet wide, but the Kufri su, which is the only stream entering the Tigris in this part of the country, is not that breadth even Avhen at the fullest, in the winter and spring. I examined the country all round the spot where that river dis embogues into the Tigris, and where Opis is sup- * AH the bridges on the Tigris are still made in this manner, with boats chained and anchored together. posed 478 RETREAT OF-THE TEN THOUSANDS posed to have stood, but could not *perceive the slightest vestige or sign of any city near the place. A few hours to the northward however we still observe the ruins of a very large city, and the re mains of a canal or perhaps the bed of a river, about the same breadth as that described by Xe nophon. " From Opis the Greeks marched thirty parasangs to a palace' belonging to Parysatis, and having the Tigris on their left then marched twenty parasangs to the Zabatus or Great Zab." This distance agrees remarkably well Avith that between the river just mentioned, and a ford of the Zab about ten or twelve hours from Mosul ; but as no mention is made of the Little' Zab, which the Greeks must have passed someAvhere in their route, we might perhaps venture to suggest that the latter and the Physcus are the same, and that it has since changed its course, which is no wonderful matter in so flat and sandy a soil. At the end of the first day's march from the villages of Parysatis, they saAV a city called Ccenac, on the opposite bank of. the river, "whence the barba rians transported bread, cheese, and wine, on rafts made of skins."* May not Tekrit answer the de scription of Ccenac ? " They made a short march the first day after the passage of the Zab,(" but setting- * All the commerce of Tigris between Mosul and Bagdad is still carried on by rafts made of reeds, and supported on inflated skins. tin an action which took place, Xenophon mentions that the barbarians RETREAT OF THE TEN THOUSAND. 479 setting out early the next morning, reached a large uninhabited city called Larissa, anciently in habited by the Medes. The walls were twenty- five feet in breadth, one hundred in height, and tAvo parasangs in circuit, all built of brick except the plinth which Avas of stone, and twenty feet high.* Close to the city stood a pyramid of stone, one hundred feet square, and two hundred high." The appearance and dimensions of those extraor dinary ramparts and pyramids near the village of Nuniaf opposite Mosul, their situation on the eastern bank of the Tigris, and their distance from the ford of the Zab, all combine to point them out as the ruins of the city of Larissa, a name perhaps Avhich it held in common with that of Nineveh. " Thence they made, in one day's march, six parasangs to a large uninhabited castle called Mespila, formerly inhabited by the Medes. The barbarians shot back upon them from their horses when running away. This is still a very common custom of the Persians, who in this manner can take an excellent aim at full speed. * The walls of Mosul are for the most part built of stone, a singular circumstance in this part of the world. f Is there not some resemblance between the modern name of Nunia, and that of Ninus? Larissa is a Greek word, and I can. hardly thiuk it was ever called so by the orientals. Bochart conjectures that this city is the Resen of Moses: but be that as it may, it corresponds in every respect with the position of Mosul. I rather imagine the Resen of Moses to be Ras ul ain or Rasein, (as it is commonly called,) a very ancient city of Mesopotamia. plinth '480 RETREAT OF TH'E TEN THOUSAND". plinth of the wall was built of polished stones full of shells, being fifty feet in breadth, ancl as many in height. Upon this stood a brick wall fifty feet also in breadth, one hundred in height, and six parasangs in circuit." Twenty-two miles or about six parasangs from Mosul is a large village called Telikoff, where some hillocks of sand and rubbish- mark the former existence of a town. " They then marched four parasangs, and encamped in some villages where they found abundance of corn." It will be seen, from my journal, that this fine plain, notwithstanding the tyranny of the Turks and Koords, contains many villages, and is still rich in corn. " The third day they marched over the open country harassed by Tissaphernes, the fifth day (having halted one) they saw a pa- lace, and many villages lying around it. The road which led to this palace lay over high hills that reached doAvn from the mountains, under Avhich there stood a village." Allowing four parasangs for each of the two last days' march, the Avhole dis tance from Larissa Avould amount to sixteen para sangs or about fifty-six miles, calculating at the rate of three miles and a half each parasang. Be? tween Mosul and Zaku I met with several ranges of hills, and those in particular betw'een Hatarra and Namur, which answer in every respect the description of the historian. "They halted for three days amougst the hills, and then descended into the plain, where they found abundance of flour RETREAT OF THE TEN THOUSAND. 481 flour and barley, but harassed by Tissaphernes they Avere compelled to encamp in the first village they came to.* They then advanced sixty stadia, and the enemy did not appear either the next day or the day folloAving. On the fourth the enemy made their appearance, and the Greeks encamped at a village near the Tigris, Avith a range of lofty mountains on one side, and on the other a river so deep, that Avhen they sounded Avith their pikes the end of them did not even appear above the Avater. The army, finding they could no longer proceed, Avere compelled to turn back; the generals, order ing the prisoners into their presence, inquired concerning the countries that lay round them. The prisoners informed them that there was a road to the S. that led to Babylon and Media, another to the E. leading to Susa and Ecbatana, Avhere the king is said to pass the summer and the spring; a third to the W. over the Tigris to Lydia and Ionia, and one over the mountains to the N. led to the country of the Carduchians. This people, they said, inhabited those mountains and were a warlike nation, and subject to the king." I think there can hardly be a doubt but that the range of mountains Avhich arrested the pro gress of the Greeks is the same as that noAV * Xenophon mentions that the Persian horses were tied and shackled to prevent their running away. It is probably super fluous to remark that this is still the custom in all eastern coun tries, and has been adopted by our own cavalry in Hindostan. i i knoAvn 482 RETREAT OF THE TEN THOUSAND. known by the name ofthe Zaku Dag, and many cir cumstances combined confirm me in this conjecture. In the first place, this high range runs nearly from E. to W. across the plain, abruptly to the banks of the Tigris Avhere it is still impassable; in the next place the Greeks do not appear to have previously passed any high range of mountains, since, if they had, they must have been stopped by the river Kabour, Avhich enters the Tigris immediately on the N. of the Zaku mountains, but of which no mention is made until long after. I therefore imagine that the Ten Thousand, finding that they could neither cross the mountains nor the Tigris* at this place, marched into the interior, and were conducted through the pass which leads to Amadia, so that they kept the Kabour on the left hand, until they approached it somewhere in the neigh bourhood of Sert. There are four roads vvhich branch off at Hatarra in as many different direc tions. One leading to Mosul and Bagdad ; a se cond to Hamudan (ancient Ecbatana) by a pass * A Rhodian in the array proposed to pass the river by an extraordinary bridge formed of fascines supported by inflated skins. I have more than once seen this attempted, and I have no doubt but the plan might he improved upon, and might be of considerable use to our army. The skins are light and portable, at all times easily to be pro cured, and when filled with air and bound together, will support a prodigious weight, as may be seen any day on the Tigris and (he Zab. called RETREAT OF THE TEN THOUSAND. 48S called Derbund, or the iron gate; a third to Amadia through the Zaku mountains, and a fourth into Mesopotamia by the ford of the Tigris, a few miles north of Eski Mosul. " After a difficult march of seven days through the country of the Carduchians, they came to some villages situated above a plain which reached to the river of the Centrites. This river was tAvo hundred feet broad, and the boundary between Armenia and the country of the Carduchians." The river here described is no doubt the same as that known to the Romans by the name of Nice phorius, and to the Koords by that of Kabour. In the neighbourhood of Sert, where I suppose the Ten Thousand to have passed, it answers in breadth and size the description given by Xeno phon, and, by a reference to my map, the distances will be found in a certain degree to correspond.* Frequent mention is made of the Chaldeans, who are stated to have been a brave and warlike people, and I have already said that numbers of that sect still inhabit Koordistan. " Having crossed the river, they marched five parasangs over the plain of Armenia intermixed with hills of an easy ascent, and arrived at a vil lage Avhere was a palace, and most of the houses had turrets upon them. From this place they * In their passage through Carduchia they found abundance of wine in all the villages. The districts around Amadia in Koordistan are still famous for good wine. i i 2 made. 484 RETREAT OF THE TEN THOUSAND. made, in two days march, ten parasangs, till they were advanced above the head of the Tigris. From thence they made fifteen parasangs in three days march, and came to the river Teleboos." It appears to me that after the passage of the river of the Centrites, which I conclude is that at pre-. sent denominated the Kabour, the Ten Thousand followed a route somewhat more to the westward than that through which we were conducted, for it is evident that they did not see the Lake of Van. The heads of the Tigris here mentioned, I presume to be those of the Erzin branch of that stream, and it seems clear that the river mentioned by the name of Teleboos can be no other than that which now flows through the city of Moush. Xenophon says, that " the river, though not large, was beautiful, and had many fine villages on its banks, that this country was called the western Armenia." The Moush river is small, its banks beautiful, and Moush itself is rather a collection of fine villages than a town. There is no river between the Kabour and the Morad but that of Moush, and Ave shall see that the only one passed by the Greeks between the river of the Centrites and the Eu phrates, was the Teleboos. I am inclined to think that the road lay somewhere near Moush, because had they gone more to the E., they must have seen the Lake of Van, which would not escape the observation of such a person as Xenophon, and had they proceeded farther to the W., they could not RETREAT OF THE TEN THOUSAND. 485 not have passed the Tigris at its source. Xeno phon besides asserts that the course Avas nearly N. " From thence. they advanced fifteen parasangs through a plain, when they came to a palace sur rounded with many villages. While they lay en camped here there fell so great a quantity of sooav that it Avas resolved they should quarter in the villages. They then passed a defile Avhere Teri- bazus designed to attack them, and made a march of three days and came to the Euphrates which they passed, the Avater coming up to the navel." The distance therefore travelled by the Greeks, betAveen the Teleboos ancl the Euphrates, Avas first fifteen parasangs, and afterwards three days jour ney. It is impossible to reconcile this distance Avith that of the Moush river from the Morad, for the former has its source in the mountains of Nimrood near the Lake of Van, and joins the latter to the W. of Molazgherd. Moush, in a direct line, is about eight or ten parasangs from the Morad, Avhich is the principal branch of the Euphrates, and unquestionably the same Avhich was passed by the Ten Thousand under that name. Xenophon wrote from memory, and may therefore be wrong in respect to distance ; and he in general appears to make the army perform much longer marches than so large a body of men, harassed by an enemy, and traversing bad roads and steep moun tains, could possibly accomplish for so long a period. They forded the Morad I should suppose i i 3 considerably 486 RETREAT OF THE TEN THOUSAND. considerably to the E. of the spot where it was crossed by Mr. Chavasse and myself, as I shall presently endeavour to point out. They were employed forty-five days in their march from the Euphrates to Trebisond, whilst we performed the same distance in eleven or twelve, but it can scarcely be imagined that a large army could advance through a mountainous and hostile country with the same facility as two simple travellers, unattended with baggage and regularly supplied with post-horses. Considering the season and inaccessible nature of the country, I am only astonished that they should have done it in so short a time. . " It was said the sources of this river (the Eu phrates) were not far off. From thence they made, in three days march, fifteen parasangs, over a plain covered with deep snow. The last days march Avas very grievous, for the north wind blowing full in their faces quite parched and benumbed the men. They made fires all night, for they found plenty of Avood in the place where they encamped. From thence they marched, all the next day, through the snow, Avhen many of the men con tracted the bulimy. They came to a village just as it was dark, and those who were unable to con tinue their march, passed the night without victuals or fire, by which means many of them perished. Some of the men also who had lost their sight by the snow, or whose toes were rotted off by the intenseness RETREAT OF THE TEN THOUSAND. 487 intenseness of the cold, were left behind. The eyes Avere protected against the snow by Avearing something black* before them, and the feet against the cold by continual motion, and by pulling off their shoes in the night. When they arrived the next morning, they Avent to the several villages that were allotted to them. The houses were under ground, the mouth resembling that of a Avell, but spacious beloAv ; there Avas an entrance dug for the cattle, but the inhabitants descended by ladders.f In these houses Avere goats, sheep,J cows and fowls, Avith their young. There was also Avheat, barley,§ legumens, and beer in jars, in Avhich the malt itself floated even with the brims of the vessels, and Avith it reeds, some large and other small, Avithout joints. These, Avhen any one Avas dry, he Avas to take into his mouth and suck ; the liquor Avas strong and exceedingly pleasant to those who Avere used to it.|| After remaining here about eight days, they decamped and carried the bailiff of the village Avith them as a guide, and his son as a hostage for the good behaviour of his *This is a custom still practised in Armenia and Koordistan. t The villages of Armenia are still built exactly in the same manner, as will be seen from my description of them. + 1 have more than once had occasion to remark that men, women, children, and cattle, all live in the same apartment in this country at the present day. § Wheat and barley are still cultivated in this country. || I could never discover any liquor of this kind whilst in Armenia. i i 4 father. 488 RETREAT OF THE TEN THOUSAND. father. The bailiff conducted them through the snow unbound. They had now marched three days, Avhen Cheirisophus grew angry Avith him for not carrying them to some villages; the bailiff said there Avere none in that part of the country, upon which Cheirisophus struck him, and he made his escape in the night, leaving his son behind him. After this theyjnade seven marches, at the rate of five parasangs each day, and arrived at the river Phasis, which is about one hundred feet in breadth." In our journey from Erzeroom to the banks of the Morad, Mr. Chavasse and myself passed first the Araxes, at the thirty-fifth mile, and then the Binguel, at the sixty -ninth mile ; they were both considerable rivers, deep and rapid, and the latter Avas twenty-six miles from the Morad. I mention this because I think it tends to prove that the Greeks passed the Euphrates more to the E. than we did, and probably about the meridian of Aklat and Malazgherd. From thence they marched many days before they came to any river, whereas if they had crossed the Morad to the west, they would have encountered both the Binguel and Araxes, close to each other, and those rivers con tain as large, if not a greater, body of water in the month of December, as in the latter end of June, when we passed them* The' Binguel enters the * I passed both the Euphrates and Tigris in December 1810, and they were at that time much fuller than when I crossed them afterwards in July. Morad, RETREAT OF THE TEN THOUSAND; 489 Morad, a few miles to the east of the village of Karagool, where we slept on the night on Avhich Ave reached the banks of the latter river, so that by crossing it farther up the Greeks entirely aAoided the Binguel, and had a considerable distance to march before they could arrive at the Araxes, which takes a N. E. course: indeed Xenophon asserts that they crossed the Morad near its sources, which are in the mountains below Bayazed; he also says, that the water did not take them above the navel, Avhich is an additional proof that it must have been near its source, since even at the place Avhere Ave passed, it Avas no where fordable, and it continues to increase in magnitude the farther it flows to the west: besides, Xenophon plainly states, that after the passage of the Euphrates, they marched for three days through a plain. Now I have sheAvn in my journal that the Morad, in this quarter, Aoavs through an immense plain, Avhich is of great breadth, (a circumstance most uncom mon in Armenia,) and that av hen vieAved from the mountain above Karagool, it stretches out to the N. E. far beyond the grasp of the eye. There are no such immense plains to the west of Moush, where the army would have immediately got en tangled amidst the rugged and inaccessible cliffs of Mount Taurus, and I am therefore led to conclude, that the river mentioned by Xenophon under the name of Phasis, can be no other than the Araxes, which is still called the Phasian su by some of the Armenians. 490 RETREAT OF THE TEN THOUSAND. Armenians, The principal difficulty however is to reconcile the distance, according to Xenophon, between the Euphrates and Phasis, with that be tween the Morad and Araxes. The Greeks made fourteen marches, at the rate of about five para sangs a day, making in all seventy parasangs, or about two hundred and forty-five miles between the Euphrates and the Phasis, whereas it is not more than seventy miles between the Morad and the Araxes, in the longitude of 42, near which I suppose them to have passed the Araxes. This I must acknowledge is quite irreconcileable, unless we suppose that they were purposely misled by the guide, and that in consequence they Avandered about for many days without making any progress towards their journey's end, a conjecture rendered more probable by the bailiff having made his escape. I also repeat my belief of the impossibility of an army of ten thousand men marching at the rate of five parasangs a day, for so many days successively, through a country where the snoAV lay a fathom deep upon the ground. The Phasis is described as being a river of a hundred feet in breadth, which is about the size of the Araxes, in the me ridian of 42. " From the Phasis they made in two marches ten parasangs, Avhen they found the Cbalybians, Taochians, and Phasians, posted upon the passage that led over the mountains to the plain. Having driven the enemy from the mountains, they marched down RETREAT OF THE TEN THOUSAND. 4fjll doAvn into the plain where they found villages well stored Avith all sorts of provisions. From thence they came to the country of the Taochians, making in five marches thirty parasangs, and thence advancing through the country of the Cha- lybians, in seven days made fifty parasangs : these, being the most valiant people they met with in all their march, came to a close engagement with the Greeks. They now came to the river Har- pasus, Avhich Avas four hundred feet broad." Here Ave find that the Greeks, in the course of fourteen days, made no less than ninety parasangs, or three hundred and fifteen miles from the Phasis to the Harpasus, being at the rate of six or seven parasangs a day, Avithout a halt, over a most moun tainous tract of territory, in the dead of winter, Avhen the ground Avas covered with snow, ancl Avhen opposed by the bravest enemy which they had yet encountered. If Ave place reliance on Xenophon's account in this particular, it is impos sible to state Avhere they could have wandered during these fourteen clays; since, had they entered Georgia and Mingrelia, as appears to be the opinion of some persons, they Avould not only have had to cross the Cyrus and Phasis, but again to re-cross these great rivers before they could arrive at Trebi sond, which certainly does not appear to have been the case. I am accordingly of opinion, that the river denominated the Harpasus is the same Avhich is still known by the name of Harpa su, and floAvs through the 492 RETREAT OF THE TEN THOUSAND. the district of Kars. This is the first large river Avhich intervenes between the Araxes and Trebisond, with the exception of the Erzeroom branch of the Euphrates, which I presume the Greeks did not pass, or if they did they must have effected their passage someAvhere near the source. It Avas im possible, on the other hand, to reach Trebisond by this route, without passing both the Harpa su and Tehorah, or Byaboot su, formerly called the Boos, the only considerable rivers which intervene. After the Phasis, (or Araxes,) the Greeks crossed but two large rivers, namely, the Harpasus, and that, which separated the Scythians from the Ma- cronians, and which I suppose to be that Avhich now passes by Ispira. ". From the river Harpasus they advanced through the country of the Scythians, and in four days march made twenty parasangs, passing through a plain into some villages, Avhere they staid three days. From this place they made, in four days' march, twenty parasangs, to a large and rich city, called Gymnias. The governor of this country sent a person to the Greeks, who said he Would undertake, in five days, to carry them to a place frqm whence they should see the sea. The fifth day they arrived at the holy mountain, called the Theches, and as soon as the men who were in the van saw the sea they gave a great shout : from thence the Greeks, in three days' march, made ten parasangs through the country of the Macronians. : . During RETREAT OF THE TEN THOUSAND. 493 During- the first day's march they came to a river which divided the territories of the Macronians from thosfe of the Scythians. The banks of this riAer Avere covered Avith trees, Avhich Avcre not large, but greAV close to one another: these the Greeks immediately cut down, being in haste to get out of the place. The Macronians were drawn up on the opposite bank to obstruct the passage ; they threAV stones into the river, but as they didnot reach our men they could do us no damage. The Macronians having entered into terms, came in a friendly manner among the Greeks, and assisted them in cutting doAvn the trees in order to prepare for their passage: they also supplied them Avith a market in the best manner they were able, and conducted them through their country during three days, till they brought them to the moun-, tains of the Colchians. One of these Avas very large, but not inaccessible, and upon this the Col chians stood in order, of battle. After the Greeks had gained the ascent, they encamped in many villages full of all sorts of provisions: there Avere great quantities of bee-hives in those villages, and all the soldiers who ate of the honeycombs lost their senses, and were seized with a vomiting and purging, none of them being able to stand upon their legs : the next day, however, they recovered their senses about the same hour they were seized, ancl in tAvo days march they made seven parasangs, and 494 RETREAT OF THE TEN THOUSAND* and arrived at Trapezus, a Greek city well in habited, and situated on the Euxine sea. It is a colony of the Sinopians, but lies in the country of the Colchians." As the Greeks were under the necessity of cut-' ting down the trees in order to pass the river, and the stones of the Macronians could not reach the opposite bank, it must have been a stream of con siderable magnitude. Now the only river in the vicinity of Trebisond Avhich can at all answer this description is the Byaboot su, formerly known by the name of the Boas and Acampsis, and the Greeks would most likely pass it between Byaboot and Ispira. In computing the distance travelled by the Ten Thousand, from the river of the Ma cronians to Trebisond, it will be found not to differ materially from the distance between the Boas and that city. According to Xenophon, the Greeks marched five days after the passage of the river until their arrival at Trapezus. Now we were five days in travelling from Trebisond to Byaboot, and reckoned the distance at twenty-seven parasangs, or ninety-four miles; besides, the distances stated by Xenophon are, for the most part, rather exagge rated than diminished, but when at the same time we find great natural features, such as large rivers and high mountains, to answer the descriptions, in or near the situations gived by our author, we are not absolutely bound to place implicit reliance on his RETREAT OF THE TEN THOUSAND. 495 his estimate of distances, as his book was Avritten after his return to Greece, and, as I before observed, most probably from memory. There is a mountain near Gemishkhana which answers the description of that of Theches, inas much as the Black Sea is visible from its summit in a clear day. " After remaining thirty days at Trebisond, they embarked all their sick, together Avith the old- men, Avomen and children, and the rest marching by land arrived in three days at Cerasunt, a Greek city in the country of the Colchians, near the sea, and a colony of the Sinopians." From Cerasunt direct by sea to Trebisond it is about ninety miles, and surely the road distance must be greater through so rugged a country ; so that the army must have marched upAvards of thirty miles a day, although the roads, according to Xenophon's own account, were regarded as im passable. — Can this be credited? " Here they staid ten days, during Avhich the soldiers were reviewed, and an account taken of their number, which amounted to eight thousand six hundred. These were all that Avere saved out of ten thousand : the rest Avere destroyed by the enemy, the snoAV, ahd some by sickness. They then marched through the country of the Mosynce- cians, the Chalybians, and Tibarenians, and in eight days reached Cotyora, a Greek city and a colony 496 RETREAT OF THE TEN THOUSAND. colony of the Sinopians." This city appears to have stood somewhere near Ordu, where Mr. Cha vasse and myself passed the night, so that the Greeks must have traversed the same country as we did, between that place and Cerasunt; but they probably advanced more into the interior, as they made war on a tribe of the Mosyncecians, and We find that they "took no less than eight days to march from Cerasunt to Cotyora, a distance of only thirty-four miles, and certainly through a more accessible territory than that between Trebi sond and Cerasunt, the passage of which only occupied them three days. This of itself shews the irregularity of their marches, and that it is im possible to form a calculation upon them. That Cotyora was to the east of the Thermodon is evi dent from the speech of Hecatonymus, since, in describing the difficulties which the army would have to encounter in marching through Paphla- gonia, he enumerates three large rivers, the Ther modon, Iris and Halys, that is, the Terme, Jekil Ermak and Kizil Ermak; it is placed by D'Anville beyond Cape Boona, ancl near the spot where Ordu now stands, but it might have been situated abOut seventeen or eighteen miles more to the west, at a place called Yasun, where there are still to be seen the ruins of a fine city. After staying nearly forty- five days at Cotyora, the Greeks embarked, and sailed Avith a fair wind all that day and the next night, and the day after they arrived at Sinope, and RETREAT OF THE TEN THOUSAND. 497 and anchored in Harmine, one of its ports." Sinope, under the same name, is at this moment one of the richest and most flourishing ports in the Black Sea, situated in 35° 5' E. longitude, and 42* N. latitude. " From Sinope they sailed, in two days, to He raclea, a Greek city and a colony of the Megarians, situated in the country of the Mariandynians. They came to an anchor near the peninsula of Acherusias, where Hercules is said to have de scended to drag up Cerberus from hell, and Avhere they shew at this day a chasm two stadia in depth, as a monument of his descent." Heraclea, after it was visited by the Ten Thousand, rose into a poAverful republic, which commanded the com merce ofthe Euxine, until it was ruined by taking a part in the wars of Mithridates Avith the Romans. It has since dwindled into an insignificant Turkish town, called Erekli, situated in 31° 19' E. longi tude, and 41° 17' N. latitude. " From Heraclea the Greeks penetrated through Bithynia and Asiatic Thrace to Chrysopolis, a town of Chalcedonia, and there they staid seven days to sell their booty." Chrysopolis is at present called Scutari, and is the largest suburb of Constanti nople. k k VOYAGE ( 498 ) VOYAGE FROM BAGDAD TO BUSSORA, WITH REMARKS ON THE DATE TREE AND ARABIAN HORSE. As I have already published a description of the pashalic of Bagdad, it now only remains for me to communicate the little additional information I have been able to collect respecting this interesting country. In the short period of three years which has elapsed since I quitted Bagdad, two pashas have lost their lives, and the authority of the pre sent head of the government is confined almost to the walls of the city; the lower Koordistan being governed by its own chiefs, and the whole of the ter ritory, from Bagdad to the mouth of the Euphrates and Tigris, subject to the sway of the Sheck of the Montefik Arabs who resides at Shoogooshug, near Korna. The Persian prince of Kernlanshaw has laid many ofthe districts adjoining the frontiers of the province under contribution, and still threatens the subjection of Bagdad itself. I have been led, in my Persian Memoir, fo make some remarks on the ruins of Kisr Shirin, which . ~ -,. appeared VOVAGE TO BUSSORA. 499 appeared to me to represent the palace of Dasta- gheid, destroyed by Heraclius after the battle of Nineveh, and my Avorthy friend, Mr. Hine, the acting resident of Bagdad, has favoured me with some additional observations on the subject Avhich he has been enabled to make in the course of several excursions into the interior. Three turnings to the east of the town of Zo- haub, which is the ancient Holwan, is a place called Kike Yezdejerd, or the castle of Yezdejerd, and said to have been a favourite residence of Chosroes Purviz. It is strongly situated upon the mountains, presents the appearance of considerable ruins, has extensive caAems, and is two or three fursungs in circumference. Its approaches are so difficult, that it is a strong hold to the pasha of Zohaub, when threatened with danger or invasion. In the plain at the bottom of the fort are pieces of brick spread thickly over the ground, giving the idea of the remains of a large city, denominated Zorda by the people of the country. My friend supposes that this castle and city formed Avhat the Byzantine authors called Dastagherd, being a corruption of Yezdejerd; but I do not think that such is the case, since Yezdejerd Avas a name familiar to the Greeks, and to be found in many of their histories. lam therefore rather inclined to believe that the Byzantines are right in their pronunciation, and that those superb structures, plundered and demolished by the Romans, Avere K k 2 not SOO VOYAGE TO BUSSORA. not called Yezdejerd but Dastagherd, which lite rally signifies the city, or mansion, of the plain, a name in every respect applicable to the situation of Kisr Shirin. The mansions of Dastagherd are said to have stood on the banks of the Silla or Diala, and certainly to the west of that river which the army of Heraclius never crossed, but turning to the north, entered Persia, probably by the pass of Derbund. The ruins of Kisr Shirin are situated on the banks of a branch of the Diala, but those of Yezdejerd are considerably to the east of that river. The historians ancl traditions of Persia say, that Chosroes Purviz built seven kisrs, or palaces, to the honor of Shirin, and that one of the most famous of those stood at HalloAvla, between Hol- A\an and Konak, and six or seven fursungs from the latter: this exactly corresponds with the position ofthe ruins of Kisr Shirin, and I am of opinion that HaJloAvla and Dastagherd are the same, under different denominations at different times, a com mon circumstance in this part of the world. Having hired a boat, I embarked on the Tigris at noon on the 1 5th of August: the river had fallen considerably, but it was yet sufficiently rapid to convey me to Bussora in seven days. We set sail with a fair Avind from the N. W., and at five in the evening passed the runs of Ctesiphon on one side, and those of Seleucia on the other. From this to Koote, a small Arab hamlet, half-way from Bagdad to Bussora, the country on both sides the river VOYAGE TO BUSSORA. 501 river Avas an uninhabited desert, the immediate banks, to the breadth of tAventy or thirty yards, being covered Avith thick brusliAvood, the haunt of ferocious animals. We observed several lions basking in the sun as we floated down the stream, while at times they roared tremendously in the night. Seven miles above Koote the boat stranded for several hours on one of the piers of an ancient stone bridge, the only one I believe ever built across the Tigris below Mosul, and so old that no one can tell by whom or in Avhat age it was erected. Immediately opposite to Koote is a great canal styled the Hye, which connects the Euphrates and Tigris ; it only exists, hoAvever, by this name up to the spot where it divides into two branches, which are called the Ammo and the Aher Jehirat. Boats pass by the former Avhen the Tigris is very full, but when the water begins to fall they are conveyed through the latter, and during the autumn and Avinter both channels are impassable. These two branches once more join in the Ghoroff country, when they assume the name of Sebbil, but before entering the Euphrates, the canal again divides into a number of different channels, each of Avhich has a distinct designation. My friend Dr. Colquhoun, who has repeatedly sailed through these canals, informs me that their banks are Avell covered with wood infested Avith lions, and that in the Ammo branch he visited the ruins of a large K k 3 city, 502 VOYAGE TO BUSSORA. city, which he conjectured to be those of Wasit, ia rich and populous place in the time of the Ca liphs. To the S. of Koote a great part of the desert on both sides was laid under water by the overflowing of the river, the level of the country being in many places below -that of the bank of the Tigris. Half way between Koote and Korna we passed the mouth of a river called Al Hud by the Arabs, which contained nearly as large a body of water as the Tigris, and was about three hundred yards in breadth. I have been puzzled more than once concerning the origin of this stream, nor have I ever been able to gain satisfac tory information respecting it. In my Persian Memoir I suppose it to be the Mendali su, or what the ancients called Gyndes, a river drained by Cyrus; according to the accounts of the Arabs, it is connected with the Kerah or HoAveeza river, and they say that you can sail by canals from the Hud to the ruins of Sus and city of Howeeza. My friend Mr. Colquhoun has proceeded a con siderable way up this river, and, from the inquiries which he has made, is of opinion that it is con nected with the Kerah on one side, and that on the other the marshes and lakes, occasioned by the inundations of the Tigris, discharge themselves through the Hud. Its origin is, in all probability, in the mountains of Louristan, but during its course through the level country, which extends from the foot of the mountains to the Tigris, it is per haps VOYAGE TO BUSSORA. 503 haps augmented by canals from the Kerah,* and also serves as a drain to the marshes alluded to. The great tribe of Benilam feed their flocks along the banks of the Hud, which we passed at sun-set on the evening of the 19th, and at day-light, On the morning of the 21st, arrived at Bussora. Be tween Koote and Korna Ave were several times at tacked by the Arabs, but a few shots from a small party of sepoys I had on board soon put them to flight. The Avhole of the desert around Bussora was inundated from the water of the Euphrates, which had broken its banks above Korna, an accident which has repeatedly happened of late years, in consequence of the Arabs neglecting to repair the embankment, as used formerly to be done. If this be longer omitted the city of Bussora may soon be swept into the sea or Shut ul Arab. These in undations occasion a prodigious deal of mischief, since instead of fertilizing the land, as some people imagine, they corrupt it by mixing the saline par ticles, abundant in many parts of the desert, with that soil which, when partially watered by irriga tion, proves most productive. The great date plantations, for which Bussora is so deservedly famous, have suffered exceedingly, several of * I am in a Teat degree confirmed in this opinion by the ap pearance of the Kerah at Howeeza, and at the spot where it enters the Shut ul Arab, since at neither of those places does it contain so.great a body of water as at Sus. k k 4 them 504 On the date tree. them having been completely SAvept away. Dr. Colquhoun, during a residence of many years in Arabia, has collected and honoured me Avith the following curious particulars respecting this tree, of which there are no less than forty-four different kinds, all under a distinct Arabic name. The greater portion of the date species live and produce fruit to the age of sixty or even a hundred years, while others die or fail at the expiration of twenty or thirty. The latter hoAvever arrives at maturity sooner than the former, Avhich seldom bears before it has attained its ninth or tenth year. It is unfortunately subject to the attack of a worm, (called ledna,) which ruins the tree by penetrating the root of the upper branches and destroying its pulpy pith; but the evil may be remedied by pouring a strong solution of common salt into the orifice. At Bussora this animal attacks the tree, but in Yemen, and particularly in the vicinity of Mecca and Medina, it destroys great quantities of the fruit, and is expelled by a very singular and ingenious practice. When the proprietor perceives that the tree is attacked, he procures a nest of the common large black ants, which never fails to de vour the worm, and if he has not the necessary supply of this insect in his own ground, he may purchase a nest at a given price from people who preserve it on purpose. The fruit begins to ripen in the Siffri, or autumn, that is, towards the end of August and beginning of ON THE DATE TREE. 505 of September; some kinds are then eaten by the Arabs, under the name of Khutal ; they are SAveet but hard, and when a little further advanced or half soft,* they are much esteemed under the name of Rutub. When perfectly ripe, some are saved on the tree, ancl are considered in the fresh state as a great delicacy ; those for domestic use and trade being immediately cut down, and then preserved in a variety of Avays. Some are allowed to dry in the sun, others are packed in small bags in their juice, but the most common are first put in a large cistern lined Avith chunam or Avood, Avith a hole at the bottom through Avhich the juice is expressed. This saccharine matter or syrup is sold under the name of dubs or dibis, whilst the fruit thus forci bly deprived of its juice is firmly packed in bags. But it is not the fruit only of this valuable tree which is converted into use ; from the spatha or thath, which contains the flower of the female, a very pleasant odoriferous water is distilled, which is reckoned cordial by the Arabs, f They eatj the male flower both raAv and roasted, and * In the neighbourhood of Mecca and probably all along the coast of the Red Sea, they have a method of preserving the Rutub all the year, by merely tying up the branches in the form of a cone with the fruit in the centre. f It is called Mae Legah. f They also distil a water from the male flower called Mae el fehel, which is much stronger, though not so delicately scented as the other. the 506 ON THE DATE TREE. the cabbage of the young female ttee is much esteemed : the latter is eaten raw and is also made into pickle with vinegar. In its natural state it resembles the kernel of a nut, and is called Jummar. They also eat that of the male, but it is sometimes bitter, and less esteemed ; the branches of the tree are made into fans or punkahs ; while the wood serves for beams and rafters for building, and con stitutes an excellent fuel. It is a common idea that oil is obtained from the stones, a mistake which seems to have originated in the following practice. The oil-presses in this country are of a very rude construction, and perform their office imperfectly, since the seeds, are apt to slip in an entire state from under the flat stone. To prevent this, a number of date stones are bruised coarsely and mixed Avith the oleaginous seeds, such as the linseed, hempseed, and limsin, that by their glu tinous quality they may give a hold to the stone, so as to produce the proper brUising effect. They form however a very nourishing food for cattle, when softened by being steeped in water for four or five days. In investigating the history of the date tree, we may trace some remains of ancient Arabian hos pitality. Even now in some places the traveller is alloAved to satisfy his hunger freely from the dates which are Avithin his reach, nor is it reckoned theft unless he climb the tree or attempt to carry away the fruit which his natural wants do not immediately require* Bussora ON THE ARABIAN HORSE. 507 Bussora has of late years become a great mart for horses, which are brought herefrom the most distant parts of Arabia. Of this animal, according to the statement of my old and intimate friend Mr. Colqu houn, who has frequently conversed Avith the best informed natives on the subject, the different breeds haAe multiplied almost beyond the power of enu meration ; every tribe having preserved Avith care the memory of their finest horses and mares, which have given names to their descendants. The whole hoAveAer may be traced to five different sources, Avhich have each given a name to a race, and to Avhich all the breeds in Arabia owe their Origin : these are Kuheilut el ajvez, ShoAveiman el subah, Uzithin el Khursa, Suglavie ben gedran, Dehma el naamir. From one or other of these, all the most famous horses in Arabia derive their descent, and it is worthy of remark, that the dam, and not the sire, forms the step by which the Arabs trace their claim to high blood. The most famous families or breeds in Arabia are, Kuheilu el Sameneh, ul Muanigieh, Aboyel el nejedis, or, Aboyan Kineideish, Aboyan el Shirack, Tereifieh,: Mutabuh, Hedeba, Gerade, Zubie, Julfa, Bereisa, Risha, Jouheira, el Naumeh, Curoosh, el Kurry, or el Kerry, Saadeh, Ghureh, Ghuzaleh, Humdanieh, Igithemieh. It is to be remarked that these names have different origins, some are derived from the owners of the original branch, some from the place Avhere the breed Avas established,- and others 508 ON THE ARABIAN HORSE. others from particular qualities of the animal her self, which gave the name to the family. The Montefik are an excellent race of horses, bred by a great tribe of that name on the banks of the Euphrates between Korna and Somara. The Chob horses are remarkable for their strength, but have not so much blood as those of the desert. At Shustar the horses are large, powerful, and admirably calculated for riding horses, although they are not found to answer for the turf. In Armenia and Koordistan a prodigious number of fine animals might be procured at a cheap rate for the cavalry : the horses of Bagdad are large, and many of them shew a great deal of blood ; but those bred in the desert bordering on Damascus are upon the whole, in my opinion, the finest in Arabia ; I have heard of a poor Arab at Antioch in Syria refusing thirty-six thousand piastres for a mare of that breed. The only blood horse I ever met with in Asia Minor is bred near Ooscat, in the plains of Cappa docia, and may be descended from that Avhich was so much admired by the Romans. The compact horse of fourteen hands is more esteemed by the Arabs than any other; they in variably look to blood and not to size; and those ani mals which have performed the most famous jour nies seldom or never have exceeded this standard. I feel convinced, from many years experience, that our native cavalry in India would be much better mounted ON THE ARABIAN HORSE. 509 mounted on horses of this description than on those with which they are noAV supplied. The common argument in favour of the large country horse, at present selected for the Madras cavalry, is, that the force of the charge must be great in proportion to the size of the animal ; but this is, in my opinion, fallacious, inasmuch as the velocity ancl activity of the Arab more than counterbalances the advan tages which the others have in size; he will, be sides, be fresh and fit for action, after a march which has exhausted the country horse. The renoAvned Nadir Shah preferred the Arab horse to all others; and that the velocity of their charge might not be impeded by the fears of the rider, be ordered the strong bit to be cast aside, and the light snaffle, still used by the Persians, to be adopted in its stead. The Arab would, I am confident, ultimately prove less expensive to the Company than the Cutch or Cuttawar horses; they stand Avork better and live to a greater age,* consequently the annual supply would be much more limited. Our cavalry consists of seven thousand five hundred and forty- six horses ; and to keep up this number there is an annual demand for upwards of nine hundred, or about tAvelve per cent. As the Honourable Company's cruiser the Ves- 4 * An Arab horse is good for work until his twentieth year, and there is still to be seen at Bussora a celebrated stallion upwards of forty years of age. tal, 510 VOYAGE TO BOMBAY. tal, in which I had procured a passage to Bombay, was too small to afford sufficient accommodation, Mr. Colquhoun, Captain Swanston and myself hired a vessel to carry our horses, servants and bag gage to India. We set sail together towards the close of September, and kept company as far as the island of Kishma, off which we were unfortunately separated in a storm: two days afterwards the vessel, although under English colours, was cap tured by Rama Ben Jaba, a Jaasmi pirate, who massacred three-fourths of the people on board, killed many of the horses, and took the whole of my baggage, to the amount of nearly 1500/. ster ling, including my books, instruments, routes, charts, a collection of valuable medals, and other curiosities, Avhich I had collected during my travels at much trouble and expense. We, in the mean time, continued our voyage, ignorant of what had happened, and after touching at Muscat, reached Bombay on the 13th of October. Muscat, the capital of the prince of Oman, (commonly called the Imam or Sultan of Muscat,) is situated in a deep cove, surrounded on three sides by the most barren rocks in Arabia: it is so dirty and so hot at all seasons of the year, that the Persians call it Jehenam, or hell. The Imam of Muscat is a friend and ally of the English, who have more than once delivered and protected him from the vengeance of the Wahabees. This person, to the great injury of our commerce, has collected an immense number of VOYAGE TO BOMBAY. 511 of ships into his ports, and many of them the finest vessels that navigate the Indian seas : they perform voyages to Bengal, China, the Eastern islands, coast of Africa, &c; and Avhen the Mauritius was in possession of the French, the Imam of Muscat supplied that settlement Avith provisions, and pur chased the vessels taken by the privateers from his allies the English. How far it may be politic to encourage or permit the rising naval poAver of this prince is a question which I am not called upon to decide ; but I conceive it my duty to remark that, independent of the injury Avhich our trade may sustain, very dangerous consequences might ensue, in the event of any European nation undertaking the invasion of India, if these vessels are suffered to accumulate in the ratio they have hitherto done. DIS- ( 512 ) DISSERTATION ON THE INVASION OF INDIA. The probability of an attempt being made to in vade India* by land has of late years engrossed a considerable portion of the public attention, and as I have been led by chance or duty to visit many of the countries through which the army must necessarily pass, and have been placed in situations where I have had opportunities of acquiring much information concerning those not visited by my self, my thoughts have naturally been often turned toAvards this subject; ancl I have employed some leisure hours in committing to paper the result of these reflections. Various are the plans said to have been sug gested for the accomplishment of this bold under taking: there appear, however, but two which offer even a distant prospect of success. The first is to follow the beaten track of Alaxander and * It is perhaps unnecessary to remark, that this Dissertation was written before the downfal of Napoleon and the eventful changes in Europe, which, by the aggrandizement of Russia, have endangered the safety of our eastern possessions. Nadir ON THE INVASION OF INDIA. 513 Nadir Shah, and the other to advance through Russia and Bockhara. The idea of imrading Hindostan by the Red Sea or Persian Gulf can be regarded in no other light than as chimerical by all Avho are in any way acquainted Avith the nature of those seas, and the countries adjoining them. Before an attempt of this kind could even be held in contempla tion, it would be necessary for the enemy to be in quiet and full possession not only of Egypt and Syria, but of Irak Arabi, and the southern pro vinces of Persia. Neither the borders of the Red Sea, nor those of the Persian Gulf, afford timber or naval stores for the construction or equipment of ships, nor could materials be brought from a dis tance by water, or a fleet be collected Avithout our express permission; for the mouths of both the gulfs are so narroAV that a single sloop of war is sufficient completely to blockade them at all sea sons of the year. It is indeed true that the moun tains of Fars abound in forests of oak ; but the trees are so very small as to be unfit for the pur poses of a dock-yard, and grow at a considerable distance in the interior, whence they must be trans ported, at an enormous expense, over stupendous rocks and frightful precipices. The coast of Abys sinia also produces small timber, but it is of a qua lity inferior even to that of Fars; and we conse quently find that all the Persian and Arabian dows are either built in India, or with materials l l brought 5.14 0.N THE INVASION OF INDIA. brought from Malabar: besides, were it even pos-* sible for an enemy to succeed in constructing a fleet with materials conveyed, at vast trouble and expense, from the interior of Syria, or the shores ofthe Mediterranean, or in collecting one from the merchants of Muscat, (who now, to the great de triment ofthe English commerce, possess numbers, of the largest and finest vessels that navigate the, Indian seas,) there is no harbour which could pro^ tect such a fleet from the attack of our cruizers, or if there were, certain destruction must- await them. the moment they put to. sea. As we have there fore but little to dread from this quarter, let us now proceed to take a view ofthe obstacles which pre sent themselves to the army which might attempt to penetrate into India through Asia Minor and Persia, or Russia and Bockhara. ; Before an European general can tread in the footsteps of the Macedonian conqueror, or of Nadir Shall, the Persian and Turkish empires must be either overthrown, or the governments, of those countries completely gained over to the interests of the invaders. The first is an undertaking; which would require a very considerable period of time to accomplish; and the unsettled governments and jarring interests of the Turks and Persians render the latter equally difficult,, provided we act with promptitude and vigour. But admitting, for the sake of argument, this point to be attained, and the rulers of these countries to be induced to pro mote ON THE INVASION OF INDIA. 515 mote the ambitious schemes of a Napoleon, an army may be transported by three different ways from Europe into Persia. The first is by landing on the coast of Syria or Cilicia, the second by crossing the Bosphorus or Dardanelles, and ad* vancing through Anatolia and Armenia ; and the last is by navigating the Euxine from Constanti nople, the Crimea, or the mouths Of the Danube, to Trebisond or some other port on the shore of Mingrelia. If the fleet Avhich carries the army up the Me* diterranean to Syria or Cilicia, be fortunate enough to escape the vigilance of our admirals, and the army be safely disembarked at Scanderoon or La-» takia, it has the choice of three roads for the pro secution of its march. The first, being that pur sued by the Emperor Julian, is by crossing the Euphrates at Bir, or Membgiz, and following the course of that river to the vicinity of Bagdad. From Latakia to Aleppo is forty hours, or about one hundred and forty miles, from Aleppo to Bir is one hundred and forty-six miles, agreeably to' the computation of my friend Colonel Scott. A dry and barren plain extends five hundred miles from Bir to Bagdad, which, Avith the exception of a feAV paltry villages and cultivated spots on the banks of the Euphrates, is destitute of corn, cattle, ahd provisions of every kind. If it be objected that the Romans marched by this route from Antioch to Ctesiphon in little more than two l l 2 months, 516 ON THE INVASION OF INDIA, months, it ought also to be remembered that they were accompanied by a fleet, abundantly < supplied with every necessary from the wealthy districts of Edessa and fruitful valleys of Syria, Avhich now, under the iron hand of the Turks, are so far from being capable of administering to the support of an army, that they scarcely yield suffi cient subsistence to their own oppressed and dimi nished population. The banks of the Euphrates Avere then in a much more improved state of culti vation than they now are, and the deserted wastes of Irak Arabi were at that time covered with towns, villages and inhabitants. On reaching Bagdad, a considerable supply of provisions might be brought down the Tigris from the lower Koor distan, but forage is extremely scarce all over this province, and a deficiency in this most essential article would be found to retard in no trifling: degree the advance of an army. From Bagdad the road is open to Hamudan by the pass of r^urend,- and I can see nothing further to inter rupt its progress into Persia, provided the Turks, Koords and Persians contribute all in their power towards its assistance: without their united aid and cooperation, all the honors of famine must inevitably ensue. The second route from Cilicia into Persia is by Orfa, the ancient Edessa, Merdin, Mosul, and the: pass of Derbund in Koordistan. The direct road from Scanderoon to Orfa, in length about one hundred ON THE INVASION OF INDIA. 517 hundred and forty miles, is excessively bad, but this objection may be obviated by making the circuit of the plain. At Orfa the Avants of an army could not be relieved, as the principality of Osrohene, once happy and flourishing, has shared the fate of most of the provinces which have had the misfortune to become tributary to the Porte. From Orfa to Merdin is almost ninety miles, and from Merdin to Mosul, one hundred and fifty, the country intervening being desert and uncultivated, Avith the exception of the petty districts of Nisibin and Mount Thor.* From Mosul, as from Bagdad, the advance of the army must depend on the Koords and Persians, and the same fate and the same dif ficulties Avill attend it, if these people are inclined to be hostile. The last of these routes is through Cappadocia, Diarbekr and Armenia. From Scanderoon to Diar bekr by Samosat and Malatia is, if I recollect right, about three hundred and forty miles. The road or rather footpath lies across the rugged and inaccessible steeps of Mount Taurus, at all times impassable for cannon, or indeed any Avheel car riage, and frequently in the Avinter completely blocked up by the snoAV. An army will be better supplied with provisions by pursuing this route than either of the former. At Malatia and Diar- * It is clear from Quintus Curtius, that Alexander passed the Tigris between Jezira and Mosul, where it can be forded during the summer and autumn. ll3 bekr 5,18 ON THE INVASION OF INDIA. bekr considerable magazines may be formed by the contributions of the pashas, but it is requisite that the expedition be undertaken in the autumn, when the corn is nearly ripe ; because the stock on hand is commonly small, and if theroads, as I have already observed, are almost, impassable in the winter, they are still worse in the spring from the torrents occasioned by the melting of the snow. Between Diarbekr and Arabkir, it is one hundred and twenty miles, and from Arabkir to Erzeroom qne hundred ; the country more mountainous, and the road equally bad^ as before, especially between Diarbekr and Arabkir. By the direct road through Asia Minor, it is sixty-three miles from Constantinople to Nico media, from Nicomedia to Boli two hundred and nineteen, from Boli to Amasia three hundred and seventy-one, and from Amasia to Tocat; seventy, making in all seven hundred and twenty-three from the Turkish capital to Tocat, the largest city In Anatolia. Asia Minor is perhaps one of the finest countries in the world; it is blessed with a healthy and delightful climate, and the earth is fruitful and always covered with vegetation. It has however been gradually declining since the fall of the Roman empire, and is consequently at present but thinly peopled and badly cultivated ; vast tracts of land lying either waste or coArered with morasses ancl impervious forests. But not withstanding these circumstances the produce is considerable, ON THE INVASION OF INDIA. 519 considerable, ancl the pashas, by exerting them selves, might collect provisions sufficient to answer the demands of a large army, particularly aswe have every reason to conjecture that the enemy would find it much more convenient to move in small divisions than in one great body. As this march can be performed with safety only in the summer, it would be late in the season before an army from Constantinople could reach Tocat ; it would con sequently haA'e to remain here or at Amasia the Avhole of the Avinter and great part of the spring. A halt for so long a period Avould pro bably exhaust the neighbouring districts ; for the numerous cattle which must necessarily attend the march of an army, through a country Avhere every thing is to be transported on the backs of horses, camels and mules, would consume an enor mous quantity of barley, straw, &c. especially at a season when the ground is covered with snow. From Tocat to Erzeroom it is about two hundred miles, the country exactly similar to that between Diarbekr and Erzeroom ; that is to say, moun tainous, and difficult to be passed by any number of people, but particularly so Avhen incommoded with baggage. Refreshments of every kind Avould no doubt be collected in the rich and populous plain of Erzeroom. Thence to Erivan it is twelve days march for a caravan, the nature of the coun try and condition of the roads still the same, and from Erivan to Taurus it is fifty-three parasangs. l e4 At 520 ON THE INVASION OF INDIA. At Taurus provisions are cheap and abundant, for Azerbijan is the best cultivated and, at present, the most productive province in the Persian empire. The most expeditious, convenient, and least ex pensive manner of conveying an army from Eu rope into Persia, is by embarking it at Constanti nople and disembarking at Trebisond. By this route it is said the Greek Emperor Heraclius, in his second expedition against Chosroes Purviz, transported his army, in the course of seven weeks, from Constantinople to Taurus. The Black Sea is navigable for about six months in the year, and a vessel Avith a fair Avind will sail in five or six days from the mouth of the Bosphorus to the coast of Mingrelia ; it is then eight* or ten days' march to Erzeroom : the distance betAveen the latter and Taurus has just been mentioned. Should it really be the intention of our European enemies to make an effort to invade India by any of the above routes, it is to be presumed that cannon, ammunition and other warlike stores would be provided by the Persians, since the transportation of such unwieldy articles over the burning plains of Arabia, the forests and morasses" of Asia Minor, and the steep and rugged cliffs of Mount Taurus, Mount Caucasus, or Mount Zagros, * I travelled it in seven days, but it cannot be supposed that an army can move with the celerity of a single person. The road was infamous, and led over stupendous and rugged moun tains covered with snow in the end of June. would ON THE INVASION OF INDIA. 521 would soon be found to be an undertaking suffi- cient to appal even the conquerors of Marengo.* The foundry established by General Gardanne at Ispahan Avould easily furnish as many field-pieces as could possibly be wanted, and the forests of Ghilan would yield timber of any quantity, and ef excellent quality, for the construction of the carriages, but such preparations require time and arrangement, and surely Ave are not supinely to view the storm gathering around us. Granting, however, that the animosity, intrigues and perse verance of our enemy overcome every obstacle, and that an army of thirty or forty thousand men, (for it is hardly to be supposed that less than that number could make any serious impression on our eastern territories,) Avere assembled and ready to commence its march on the eastern frontiers of Persia, either at Meshed, Turshish or Yezd — to supply this army, and its folloAvers, Avho, at the loAvest computation, will equal if not exceed the former in number, together with the multitude of horses, mules, camels, and other beasts of burthen, absolutely necessary for the conveyance of bag gage, cannon, stores, and even Avater — to supply * The passage of the Alps by Buonaparte, previous to the battle of Marengo, is one of the boldest undertakings recorded in the annals of war. The French army, however, was incommoded with but very few pieces of artillery, as most of the ordnance afterwards used in the battle was taken from the Austrians after the descent of the French into Piedmont. such 522 ON THE INVASION OF INDjA. such a body (I repeat) Avith provisions and forage from Tehraun to Turshish, Meshed, or Yezd, would distress, if not exhaust, the already dilapidated provinces of Persia. What is it then to expect in the further prosecution of its journey of eleven or twelve hundred miles, before it can gain the banks of the Indus, over vast tracts of uninhabited des serts, in many places destitute of water, corn, pas^ turage, and forage? The surveys of Captains Grant, Christie and Pottinger clearly prove it impossible for even a small caravan to penetrate to India through Mekraun or the southern parts of Kerman ; the march of the army must there fore lie either through the province of Khorassan, or that of Seistan. There are two routes through Khorassan, the first and more direct one is by Turshish and Herat to Kandahar, and the other by Meshed and Muro Shahjehan to Bulkh. That by Herat was followed by Forster, who has given an itinerary of his journey, and, owing to the internal dissensions which have prevailed amongst the Afgans for some years past, the country is perhaps in a more deplorable condition now than it was in his time. From Turshish to Herat it is seventy para sangs* or tAvo hundred and forty-five miles, reckon ing the parasang at three miles and a half, which * I usually reckon the parasang at three miles and three quar ters, but that every thing may be stated at the lowest rate, I have here only made it three and a half. is ON THE INVASION OF INDIA. 523 is the loAvest computation. For the first thirty- five parasangs, the country in the immediate vicinity of the villages is tolerably cultivated, but the remaining part of the Avay is waste and unin habited. Herat, the capital of Khorassan, is a large and populous city, situated in a fine plain which produces abundance of fruit and corn. From this city to Kandahar it is one hundred and five parasangs, or three hundred and seventy miles, and the country to be passed is a vast sterile plain Avithout wood, pasture, corn or habitation, and in many places destitute of fresh water. Kandahar is a wealthy and flourishing city, where fruit and provisions are cheap and abundant.* Hence to Cabul it is one hundred ancl seventy-six miles, over a country in several parts tolerably well cul tivated and producthe. Cabul, the capital of the Afgan empire, is larger than Kandahar, and here provisions may also be procured in considerable quantities. From Cabul to Peshaur is one hundred and eighty miles, and from the latter to Attock is fifty miles. The vicinity! of Attock is the only place *That is to say, for the inhabitants. t " The Indus, which is so widely spread in the plain, is con tracted at Attock to the breadth of about three hundred yards. It becomes still narrower where it enters the hills ; and at Neelaub, a town fifteen miles below Attock, it is said to be no more than a stone's throw across, but exceedingly deep and rapid. From Neelaub, it winds among bare hills to Carrabaug, where it passes through the salt range in a deep, clear, and tranquil stream. From this to the sea it meets with no interruption, and £24 ON THE INVASION OF INDIA. place where the Indus* can be conveniently crossed; here the river is of great breadth, black, rapid, and interspersed Avith many islands, all of which may be easily defended. From Meshed to Muro Shahjehan is sixty para sangs, or about two hundred and ten miles. A con siderable part of this way is through a parched and dreary wilderness without food or fuel, and in many places destitute of water, but there are also many rich and productive districts where forage and provisions could be procured with the assist ance of the natives. Muro Shahjehan, formerly one of the largest and most magnificent cities in the east, is at present almost deserted. Here of course there Avould be some difficulty in obtaining refreshments ; thence to Bulkh is upwards of two hundred miles, the country being in a great degree similar to that betAveen Meshed and Muro, and in the possession of the Tartar tribes, who are alike inimical to the Russians and Persians. A distance of nearly five hundred miles must be passed be tween Bulkh and Peshaur, across the mountains of Bamian, the territories intervening being partly in is no longer shut in by hills. It now runs in a southerly course} and is poured out over the plain in many channels, which meet and separate again, but seldom are found all united in one strea m ." — ( Elpkinstone's Cabul. J *The Indus is fordable, I understand, at several places between Attock and Hyderabad, where it was crossed by Mahmood of Ghizni. the ON THE INVASION OF INDIA. 525 the possession of the Usbegs and partly in that of the Afgans, who equally detest the Persians. It is not unlikely however that the army, in stead of advancing to Bulkh, might proceed from Muro Shahjehan to Cabul. The first part of this route leads through a desert, and the remainder through a productive though mountainous country inhabited by the savage and poAverful tribes of Eimauks* and Hazaurehs.f They are said to possess few toAvns or villages, but to reside in temporary habitations; they groAV but little corn, * " The country of the Eimauks is reckoned less mountainous than that of the Hazaurehs; but even in it, the hills present a steep and lofty face towards Heraut: the roads wind through vallies and over high ridges, and some of the forts are so inaccessible that all visitors are obliged to be drawn up with ropes by the garrison. Still the vallies are cultivated, and produce wheat, barley, and millet ; and almonds, pomegranates, and barberries are found wild. The north west of the country, which is inha bited by the Jumsheedees, is more level and fertile, the hills are sloping and well wooded, the valleys rich and watered by the river Margus or Moorghaub. The south of the Tymunee land* also contains wide and grassy valleys. The whole of the moun tains are full of springs." — (Elphinstone's Cabul.) f " The country of the Hazaurehs is still more rugged than that of the Eimauks. The sterility of the soil anil the severity of the climate are equally unfavourable to husbandry; what. little grain can be sown in the narrow vallies and reaped before the conclusion of the short summer, contributes to the support of the slender population ; but the flesh of sheep, oxen and horses, with cheese and other productions of their flocks, are more important .articles of .their food." — (Elphinstone's Cabul.) and 5%6 ON THE INVASION OF INDIA. and principally subsist on milk and flesh. By this i-oute it is about one hundred miles to Muro al Rood, and from Muro al Rood to Cabul, about four hundred and forty. The Seistan route is from Yezd to Dizuc by Bost to Kandahar, along the borders of the river Hilmund. From Yezd to Dizuc, a distance of three hundred ancl sixty miles, the country has not for centuries been passed by any European : and, if credit is to be given to the accounts of na tives who have lately travelled in those parts, it is a perfect desert. Dizuc, which I conjecture to be the ancient Zarang, Avas visited in 1810, by my friend Captain Christie, who represents it to be a considerable toAvn, the vicinity of which produces corn in sufficient quantities to be exported to Herat. To Bost up the Hilmund, it is two hundred miles. The bank of the river, inhabited by a few wandering Pattans or Balouchee shepherds, affords firewood and pasture, but a very scanty supply of any other article. Bost, formerly a large and po pulous town, is noAV an inconsiderable place. Thence to Kandahar is one hundred and forty miles, the country comparatively speaking in a tolerable state of improvement. It is not improbable that the army, after arriving at this place, instead of advancing to Attock and entering India by the Punjab, might endeavour to cross the Indus below Moultan, and in this manner invade the northern parts of Guzerat This is ON THE INVASION OF INDIA. 527 is perhaps our most vulnerable frontier, and after the passage of the Indus the nature of the country, which is flat, and abundantly supplied with pro visions, offers no serious impediment to the ad vance of a large body of men. From Kandahar to Meerpoor, near to which position Ave may pre sume the army Avouid endeavour to cross the river, it is about three hundred and fifty miles, and the road which caravans generally pursue leads through a flat country intersected Avith Ioav hills and forests of coppice wood. This tract is inha bited by different tribes of Afgans and Balouchees,* and the crops of Avheat and barley, which are never very abundant, depend almost entirely on the periodical rains for nourishment. Large bodies have frequently marched by this route into Sinde. The Indus at Meerpoor can only be passed in boats or on rafts, and the passage Avould be at tended Avith infinite difficulty, if disputed. In the year 1791, Avhen it was expected that a rupture would take place between England and Russia, a plan for the invasion of India Avas pre sented by the Prince de Nassau to the Empress Catherine II. This project is said to have been draAvn up by the celebrated M. D. St. Genie, avIio proposes, I understand, (for I have not seen the plan,) that the army should either march down the plain of the Wolga and cross the Caspian sea, or * See Mr. Elphinstone's admirable description of Afganistan. move 528 ON THE INVASION OF INDIA. move through Bockhara and Bulkh to the Indus, Of the many plans suggested for the invasion of Hindostan, that of crossing the Caspian and sailing up the Oxus, 'appears to me to be the most easy of execution. There are however, even in this route, so many difficulties to be overcome, that much preparation Avould be required before it could be undertaken. The plain of the Wolga is unhealthy in the ex treme; it scarcely yields a sufficient quantity of grain for the consumption of its inhabitants, and is besides often visited by the plague. The passage of the Caspian is, at all seasons, extremely dan gerous, and the badness of the harbours and the innumerable shoals which every Avhere interrupt the navigation of that boisterous and stormy sea, preclude the use of vessels of any considerable magnitude. The Russian fleet here at present does not exceed fourteen or fifteen twenty-gun sloops, and I question if all the ships collected from the different ports of the Caspian would be found suf ficient to transport an army of ten thousand men. Transports however "might easily be constructed, but the principal difficulties occur when the army has gained the opposite shore. I have been in formed by natives who have lately visited these countries, that the Russians bring their merchan dize to a port on the eastern shore of the Caspian, named Tengiz, and thence transport it to Aral, from Avhich it is eight days' journey (at the rate of thirty- ON THE INVASION OF INDIA. 529 thirty-six miles a day) to Khira. I have failed hoAvever in every endeavour to gain such informa tion as can be relied upon concerning the resources of the countries betAveen Tengiz and Aral; but as it is inhabited by wandering tribes of Turkmans and Usbegs, we may presume that it is not rich in corn, and that the natives, Avho always regard, Avith a jealous eye the encroachments of strangers, would not assist the invaders. The Oxus is navi gable till wilhin three or four days' journey of Bulkh; but previous to the embarkation of the army, boats must be constructed, and dep6ts of provisions must be formed. To ensure, therefore, the accomplishment of this object, it is necessary that the tribes on the banks of the Oxus, and in the neighbourhood of the lake of Aral, be subdued or prevailed upon to forward the views of their ene mies. These tribes are fondly attached to their own mode of life, and tenacious of liberty ; they have no fixed habitations, and have no predilection for any particular spot of ground ; and it is more than probable that, on finding themselves unable to arrest the progress of a large force, they would abandon their villages, if they possessed any, and moA^e with their flocks and property beyond the reach of their enemies. The cultivation on the banks of the Oxus is confined (as I have mentioned in my description of Khorassan) to the immediate vicinity of the river, all beyond being desert and m m uninhabited. 530 ON THE INVASION OF INDIA. uninhabited. The supplies therefore to be pro cured in this quarter, although amply sufficient for the consumption of the natives, Avould, in my opinion, be found inadequate to the demands of an European army. The great hordes which formerly issued from the plains of Tartary to invade the more civilized kingdoms of the south generally carry with their flocks the means of their subsist ence; each person contributed in some degree towards his own maintenance ; they were not incum bered with the ponderous implements of modern war, and performed marches over deserts and cul tivated tracts of country which it would be utterly impossible for European soldiers to achieve : it is five stages from Toormooz, the place where travel lers usually quit the OxUs, to Bulkh. Koondooz, two stages from the river, is the first town in this route; it is the chief town of a district subject to a tribe named Kesttagaers. Thence to Bulkh the greater part of the road is through a desert coun try. The advanced station of Orenburgh was forti fied in 1740, and a strong garrison has ever since been maintained in it for the protection Of the frontier. Hence to Bockhara it is said to be forty days' journey, (or as far as a camel will travel from sun-rise to mid-day, or about two o'clock,) twenty days of which is through a cultivated country to the banks of the Iaxartes, and the re mainder ON THE INVASION OF INDIA. 531 mainder over an uncultivated and desert* coun try to Bockhara. This space is subject to the tribes of Nagus Tartars and Taudjits, who detest the Russians, and Avhose desultory mode of Avar- fare is better adapted than any other for the de fence of their dominions. Before, therefore, the Russians can invade us from this quarter, the power of the Tartars must be broken, and this can only be done by advancing progressively, and gra dually organizing their conquests. This is indeed the only manner in Avhich, in my opinion, India can ever be invaded Avith a prospect of success ; but I suspect that the Russians are by no means desirous of extending their empire in this quarter ;-|" it is already too umvieldy, and may probably, ere long, crumble into pieces from its own accumu lated weight. Shah Hyder of Bockhara may be ranked with the most poAverful princes ofthe east; he can bring, it is said, an army of a hundred thou sand horse into the field, and consequently he would prove equally formidable to the Russians as an enemy, or useful to them as an ally. Ambition and love of plunder might probably incline him to join the invading army ; but still I think that the jealousy and dread which all the neighbouring * The merchants of Bockhara, who trade with the Russians, generally pass the desert in the winter, that they may have the benefit of snow water. t The views of the court of St. Petersbufgh are rather, I imagine, turned towards Asia Minor than India. m m 2 princes 532 ON THE INVASION OF INDIA. princes entertain ofthe encroachments ofthe Rus sians would prove more powerful than even the passions of avarice or ambition. Bockhara is a city two days' journey from the Oxus,, said to con tain about eighty thousand inhabitants. It may be requisite to point out to the reader the exceeding difficulty of supplying a numerous army with food, clothing and other necessaries, even in the enlightened states of Europe, where this most essential part of the science of war has attained so high a degree of perfection. And when we re flect further upon the casualties to Avhich an army is exposed, even in its native soil and climate, where, by the establishment of hospitals, every care is taken of the sick and wounded ; and consider how often the operations of the most skilful gene rals are retarded, opportunities lost, and the best con certed plans entirely thwarted merely from a defi ciency of those articles, without which it is impossi ble for an army to keep the field, — may not the fate of that force be easily predicted which has to march from Constantinople to Delhi, a distance of upwards of three thousand miles, through coun tries thinly peopled and badly cultivated, deficient in almost every necessary to which an European has been accustomed, varying as much in the climate as in the language and manners of their savage in habitants ; over swamps and morasses, where pesti ferous exhalations are continually rising ; over lofty and almost inaccessible mountains covered with eternal ON THE INVASION OF INDIA. 533 eternal snoAV, or dry and sultry deserts destitute of Avholesome water, and exposed to the scorching rays of an Asiatic sun? It is the opinion of many Avho are well acquainted with the nature of these countries that, if an army of fifty thousand men Avere to attempt this expe dition, not ten thousand of that number, with every assistance Avhich they could receive from the Turks and Persians, could reach the banks of the Indus. When the French army landed in Egypt it amounted to forty thousand men ; it Avas there hardly two years, and notwithstanding that it Avas abundantly supplied with provisions, and comfort ably lodged in houses, out of this number but eighteen thousand returned to France ! With the exception of the invasions of Syria and Upper Egypt, the fatigues it had had to undergo Avere com paratively trifling, and to these short expeditions their principal loss Avas to be attributed. If the hardships and dangers be as great as I have endea voured to sheAV they are, Avhen aided by the Turks and Persians, Avhat Avould be the sufferings of the army if opposed? and that it will meet Avith oppo sition I think can hardly admit of a doubt. The greatest portion of Asia Minor and Armenia is un der the rule of a number of powerful pashas, Avho are but nominally dependent on the Porte, the mandates of which they not unfrequently treat with derision and contempt. Like the Persian chiefs they are divided in their interests; jealous of and m m 3 hostile 534 ON THE INVASION OF INDIA, hostile to each other, and never act in concert, but in the prosecution of a religious war, or with a prospect of enriching themselves. Is it then to be credited that any Christian power would be enabled by mere intrigue to persuade these men, who are seldom blind to their own concerns, to for get their private animosities, as well as their gene ral antipathy to Europeans, and to exhaust their states and impoverish themselves ,by making one common cause Avith a nation, which their, reli gion teaches them to hate and their experience to fear, in an enterprize which, if successful, would probably end in their subjection? ,1 am of opinion, that provided our policy be bold and decisive, we have the poAver of always possess ing a decided influence in the Persian empire ; and in the event of the court of Teheraun being in clined to favour our enemies, we might raise such a commotion in the state as to render it incapable of affording them any material assistance. On the other hand, the hatred which the Afgans bear to the Persians, and a due attention to their OAvn safety and independence, Avould lead them to take- measures to prevent the entrance of a foreign army into their territories. The Indus at Attock is two hundred and sixty yards in width, and extremely rapid; it can only be crossed in boats, or on rafts, and the great loss to be sustained under these cir cumstances, in attempting to force the passage of such a river in the face of a brave and skilful enemy, ON THE INVASION OF INDIA. 535 enemy, must be apparent to all persons conversant with military affairs. It is fiAe hundred and seventy miles from Attock to Delhi ; four other deep and rapid rivers * intervene, and it is to be presumed that nothing on our part would be left unexecuted to impede the progress of the invaders. It is remarked by those who believe that Buo naparte had this expedition in agitation, that as Alexander, Timur, Mahmud, and Nadir Shah, suc ceeded in their respective invasions of India, they can see no reason why the attempts of the French or Russian emperor should not be attended with an equally happy termination. A better judgment on the subject may be formed, I apprehend, from studying the wTars of the Romans against the Per sians, and those of the Russians since the first attack of Peter the Great to the present day. The system invariably pursued by the Romans Avas perhaps better calculated than any other for the extension and security of conquered states. The countries subdued were colonized by the soldiers intermarrying with the natives, who impercep tibly adopted the manners of the conquerors, and in a short time became equally interested in promoting the glory of Rome. NotAvith- Standing these advantages however, and that of a contiguous frontier, from which supplies and re inforcements could be drawn at pleasure, we find * The passage of the Setlege is more difficult than that of the other rivers of the Punjab; M M 4 that 536 ON THE INVASION OF INDIA. that the Romans could never make any lasting im pression on the Persian empire. The armies of Anthony and Julian were as superior in a pitched battle to those of Artabanus and Sapor, as those of Napoleon and Alexander to the Persians of the present day ; but a pitched battle Avas in general carefully avoided, and hunger and fatigue were, and ever will be, the most successful enemies that can be opposed to an enemy of this country.* The Russians, in a war Avhich has been carried on at intervals for nearly a century, have never yet been able to establish the Araxes as their boun dary; and if this system of defence has hitherto been so happily followed against the most able and experienced ofthe Roman and Russian generals, at so short a distance from their own frontier, it is as likely to succeed in stopping the progress of the French whenupAvards of one thousand miles from their country. The Persians, in the age- of the Macedonian prince, were an enervated and degenerate race, un like their martial successors the Parthians, or the present possessors of the kingdom, who are un doubtedly a brave and Avarlike people. The armies * This system is certainly better adapted for the defence of Persia than any other. Large bodies of infantry, imperfectly dis ciplined, so far from adding to the strength of a country, will materially contribute towards its subjection, as may be exempli fied in the history of the late Mahratta war, and in the defeats of Blake and Castanos. of ON THE INA'ASION OF INDIA. 537 of Darius consisted of a confused and undisciplined multitude, who no sooner came in sioht of the Greeks than they immediately took to flight, and as soon as the army Avas defeated, the inhabitants of the provinces bent their necks to the yoke. Alexander, after all, did not conquer India; the banks of the Hyphasis were the limits of his pro gress. The expedition occupied him nearly a year; and he found more difficulty in subduing Porus and his Indians than he had experienced in all his bat tles Avith Darius. The Grecian army was not in cumbered with a heavy train of artillery; it moved much more lightly than a modern one can do, but we are to consider above all, that the countries which in the days of Alexander, Tamerlane, and even so late as Nadir Shah, were Avealthy, populous and flourishing, are noAV Avaste and uninhabited. In the irruptions of Timur and Nadir Shah, (for they were only irruptions, neither the one nor the other having passed beyond the gates of Delhi,) Ave should not forget that their soldiers were natives of the east, enured to the climate and accustomed to sleep in the open air. The march Avas insignifi cant in comparison with thatof an army coming1 from Europe: they encountered little or rio opposition; were permitted to pass the Indus and the rivers of the Punjab unmolested ; and although their forces consisted of flying squadons of horse, Timur was ten months between Samarcand and Delhi, and Nadir Shah somewhat longer from Ispahan. There 538 ON THE INVASION OF INDIA. There is indeed One way by which the Russians might gain a powerful influence in the kingdom of Persia, if not reduce it entirely to their autho rity ; I allude to the internal dissensions which (if we judge from experience and probabilities) must ensue on the death of the present king.* By supporting the pretensions of any of the com petitors to the succession, the superior skill and discipline of the Russian troops would, during this period of confusion, enable them to place their own creature on the throne; but still it would require many years and great exertion (even if we adopted no measure of precaution) before the country would be sufficiently settled and organized to allow the Russian emperor to commence so hazardous an enterprize as the invasion of India. It cannot however be denied, that the Persians would seize with avidity any proposal of this na ture : the love of plunder, the example of Nadir Shah, and the idea which they have formed of the wealth and weakness of our eastern possessions * Of the forty sons of the king there is not one who does not look to the throne; nearly one half of them are governors of towns and provinces, a system which, although it may add to the imme diate security of the father, presents a fearful and bloody prospect to his subjects, by enabling each of the princes hereafter to sup port his pretensions by force of arms; and, as he who shall eventually ascend the throne must mount it imbrued in the blood of his nine and thirty brothers, personal safety, if not ambition, will urge them to exertion. would ON THE INVASION OF INDIA. 539 would alike stimulate them to the undertaking. It is therefore from this quarter that we have, in my opinion, most to dread, and it is consequently our interest to prevent, as much as lies in our poAver, the introduction of a knowledge of European tactics into this kingdom. An army of Persians, disciplined and commanded by European officers, would probably be found the most formidable enemy Ave haAre yet had to encounter in the plains of Hindostan; and although the possession of that country can be but of trifling advantage to an European poAver Avhich does not command a mari time communication, it might be the object of Russia to deprive us of Avhat it considers to be one of the chief sources of our strength. APPENDIX. APPENDIX. INSCRIPTIONS. No. 1. Page 30. AYTOKPATOPIKAIZAPIM AYPIKAINOY: KAITHIEPAZYNKAHTO KAITOAHNOTO: TOYn^ YTIKOYOYEAAEI OYMAKPENOYKNE— No. 2. Page 31. nAYAimKOZIAOVKOVnH ZAZTHIZXAIPEI No. 3. Page 39. MOCKAIAMEIAETEI Mf2NIOPEnTf2KAI AnOAAflNIOI KAIAIONYZIOZCM TPOOI2YnEPTC»)N ? AimNAIIBION OTftNnXO APPENDIX. No. 4. Page 39- AHMHTPIOCCTPA TUNIAAEA^flKA IMCAITEAANAPnAI flCYNTEKNOICCTP ATHNIKAIMENAN APflCTPATftNIFAY KYTAX2MNHMHC ENEKEN. 541 No. 5. Page 4'2. AHMACKAI FAIOCYnKP OVNIAIHNnA niAALICWTH PIEYXHVKAI HPAKAHAMIK HT. No. 6. Page 43. IV rxi AACHAnA N:AIMAPI ONKAPTE HfONAHAE AIONYEIN nAPICTAA EKKAAAPC TAOYTIITP. 542 APPENDIX. No. 7. Page 43. TANIAIflNII — NI KAIT— NEKC— HECtt IHPIAEAHBeNTfi HN. 14 A" 3h IV: No. 8. Page 46. WXeAHNHTHI AC XAAAPIOC ANT6CKEYAOH TATHCCYNIII CYXOIXATPO IHXFCXAPIN No. 9. Page 46. -IAHKAIOAHNO LniN«l>NIOAICTOB ILENOEOAOION— OE AOTOYTYPANNOYAP JANTAKAIEIPHNAPXE TAENAOlUEKAFAEOP MHCANTAnAEIEn = IE nnOYEKAIPOEK=nA EACAETOYP=IAEWOI EAYTOYniO CIE TATAANENAEWEnAEAlE MAETCIMHOENTAENEKK DAIEYnOTEBOYAIICK AHMOYANAnANTWNAN EACECIKAIElTKONtONAN OECECIAPETACQNC VEEYNOIACrHEEIIE APPENDIX. No. 10. Page 67. 0N°KAANG TOGOI BIWNITW openTO MV— M — EXA PINENKA TAAIY + TAIPW KAieAY + W. 543 No. 11. Page 72. AOZANMGCIGTHNTAY QGAYAGAAPOTGeeXO NTeCOMNAKIKePAGE: ANAKTiniGTnMIX AKAeYepreTHoiei ClONTeCTHNNEYX HNK: No. 12. Page 72. PIATHNYTONIGX: AENnOAICMYPIO: No. 13. Page 73. YNeNAYONTAKAIKPA TOGMeFATiieY OVT: YXAIPeGinNHNeAG eonPAoicniNNZ men — 544 APPENDIX. No. 14. Page 73. AlAtTYNO MHZANTAKAI IEPAZAMENON AIZGEAZAHMT TPOZTIMHOETAENEKKAHZ AIMnOAAAK YAHENATH IEPABAYAAIA TONEAYTHZ EYEITOTHN. No. 15. Page 73. TA4>ONTON GNQAnAHCI ONBOMONOA AAETEYCEKR ATHZKAAYAIAH ATHAEXAZA0H RIONTAYKYTAKC KAI^LATATOATMO ENOMENOEYM IOMNHMHZ X A P I N — . No. 16 and 17. Page 73. enN-ci — MGNOCIAIAI AeAN^J YnGPAP^GNTACYnC PTKGIMICI— I^Y — APPENDIX. 545 CGT^HT^H4.A^HA IMH^YPr^-NIPAVTA TO T^YT^NMGPYGGT^N AN^-MI WHM ANAMAPTHTGWGX WNGZ^YC GGCM^YTSCIPACAM APTHMAr-rAIGnHTHCAP XHTGY^NG No. 17. Page 73. OCnAYCStlYCAN API^G C4-Z^MGAI^HMG nAPA TGA^-CAGAYn^H KATG OA^-CGKPYCnP-f- CG. The rest of this Inscription is hid by the rubbish heaped on th« pavement by the falling of the roof. No. 18. Page 74. lAIA^AAOYIAfQJ zoYAniKireiAzr MTAPXHNTONA nVOTATGNKAIAI KAIOTATON N N 546 APPENDIX. <|>AAOYiANOZ EYTYXIIZ TONTAYKY TATONTA TBWNA AICITYXI. T«I>A ONinTEA PO OXKBINNI TH APIANTAII — no — O — AHZNTA K — ^YZAMIAnAPAOE O nNONKACO N — nNTAAIZTE AATCNK ONIEIONACON LAAONAZKAHn -ONTXOnYCinNK — XJ ATOYOINOYTOnAM AAT'APX BAZ Kl NHZ. AIS MANB INCCIO — I — FPOM sievNDpcoMnMNCPRI — MALI wev— AVG.— APPENDIX. ALIEPMANIK. 547 MAYRAIONCZI ONTONAYKYTA TON MAYRZTALflPIA NOZTONAAEA IAOYN No. 19- Page 74. HENNIOMAR VExrrKViQV— VIXETANNIS.LXX SLFTXXXA — Ml M RIAECAVSAVSA HENNIVSTERTIO FN-iENNAEMLlN NVSIIBELVS PAIRONOOPTE B F DISENECIO NEM-VE PROC PROVCI LATITCMVICEPRA '9IDISEVSDPROV ETIONII ZENOAVCCLIB TABVLAR n n a 54S APPENDIX. PROVLVISDPRAEPC SMONEOMMRABIII TEKTAOYIOZPAYGOZ ZYNYAn.- inANTiTftiAoinnK OZMOIEK: ITKTPVT. AOYKIOCO CEPHNIACYNBIV ANECTHCAMNH WHCXAPIN AIEYTYXITE. ALIBEILISETO. NKAIKHNZflNAN. V HAIOCAnCANOO AOVAI — HIAIAAOVFPI THANeeTe NHV-JL.HEXAPIN APPENDIX. 3YAAHCKAICANBATOCTHCACAMHTPIAeETH CANTONIBWMAPIN 549 No. 20. Page 75. )IDIOMARINOVE:PROCA GNPROVINCRA:PROCC .ATIAERROIAA:IAAERC IISBRETETHISP:LASCER INEFRAETIAM:OOMIN+C RAFTROCALIMEN:CPER ;MBADVM — STRI — :NBVR IPROCVECTICAEIOR:OPVI\SVNTCITRABADVM:PROCICIADPERASV — M—T:HYN f\LATIAPADOCLYCEAM:RAMHYLCILICCYPRVM•_N:PAELACTRIBOCHI RAEOR: MARIANVSAVGNLIB •XX:HP— BTHYNEABBON TIBAriAC:NYTRITOR IVS COICnATPIOICK AIAYT. No. 22. Page 233. acANnpocA— ixT— pa THN— APY«l>CONONT 550 APPENDIX. No. 23. Page 233. AY — A — ONYKX — NIM MIXGAAG AN— C Y AIONYC Yin— R:QA€Z + A NAROCAMKFflA € NOMGNnOATOY XIONOYNIK — N: OICYnOMOl — HC eTIZflNTCCKCAY toicg norn — No. 24. Page 287- TAIONKAAYAION TAAATTTIANONYI ONTAAAIKOYATOPA NOMEANTA. time 5.02949 Time from noon 1 40 6| Log. rising 3.97263 Log. ratio 0.15372 Nat. number 6590 3.81891 Nat. sine of the greater alt. 88020 Nat. sine of the merid alt. 90° 0' 6 94610 71 1821 Lat.N. 40 54 Merit!, zen. dist. 51 0's decl. N. 45 Last found lat. 40° 45' secant 0.12058 0's decl. 21 51 secant 0.03238 Log. ratio 0.15296 Diff. nat. sines 9578 Log 3.98127 | elapsed time Oh. 29m. 18s. Log 0.89450 2 9 91 — Mid. time 5.02873 Time from noon 1 39 51A Log. rising 3.97049 Log. ratio 0.15996 Nat. number . . . . 6569 3.81753 Nat. sine of the greater alt. 88020 90° 0' Nat. sine of the merid. alt. 94589 71 4 * 18 56 Merid. zen. dist. 21 51 ©'s decl. N. Latitude N. 40 47 574 APPENDIX. LATITUDES. By subtracting the Sun's Semi-diameter. ©'s single alt. 6°1 24 58 ©'s single alt. 51 24 18 Refn. ... — 32 Refn. ... — 45 61 24 26 51 23 33 Par 4- 4 Par + 6 61 24 30 51 23 39 ©'s semi-diam. — 15 51 ®'s semi-diam. — 15 51 ©'s true alt. 61 8 39 ©'s true alt. 51 7 43 Time. ©s true Alt. Sup. lat. 40° 30' secant 0.11895 h. ntj s. " 0 , Nat. Sine, ©'s decl. 21 51 secant 0.03238 11 27 14 61 9 87589 12 25 50 51 8 77861 Log. ratio .... 0.15133 Log S.98802 53 36 elapsed time 9728 Log. of \ elapsed time 0.89450 29 18 Log. of mid. time . 5.03385 2 10 53 ¦ : Log. rising .... 3.98513 1 41 35 time from noon. Log. ratio .... 0.15133 Nat. number 6820 3.83380 Nat. sine of the greater alt. 87589 90° 0' Nat. sine of the merid. alt. 94409 70 45 19 15 Merid. zen. dist. 21 51 Q's decl. N. Lat.N. 41 6 Last found lat. 41° 6' secant 0.12288 0's decl. 21 51 secant 0.03238 Log. ratio 0.15526 Diff. nat. sines 9728 Log 3.98802 | elapsed time OA. 29m. 18s. Log 0.89450 2 12 13 Log. Mid. time 5.03778 Time from noon 1 42 55 Log, rising 3.99626 Log. ratio Q.15526 3.84100 APPENDIX. LATITUDES. Nat. number 6934 Nat. sine of the greater alt. 87589 Nat. sine of the merid. alt. 94523 90° 0' 70 57 19 3 Merid. zen. dist. 21 51 Q's decl. N. Latitude N. 40 54 Last found lat. 40° 54' secant 0.12156 Q's decl. 21 51 secant 0.03238 Log. ratio 0.15394 Diff. of nat. sines 9728 Log 3.98802 i elapsed time OA. 29m. 18s. Log 0.89450 2 11 46 Time from noon 1 42 28 Nat. number Nat. sine of the greater alt. 87589 Nat. sine of the merid. alt. 94485 • Log. Mid. time . 90° 0' 70 53 Merid. zen. Q's decl. N 5.03646 Log.Log. 6896 87589 3.83858 94485 19 21 Lat.N. 40 7 51 58 dist. Last found lat. 40° 58' secant 0.12200 0's decl. 21 51 secant 0.03238 Diff. nat. sines 9828 Log. i elapsed time Oh. 29m. 18s. Log. . 2 11 55 Log. ratio 0.15438 Time from noon 1 42 37 Nat. number . . Nat. sine of the greater alt. Log. Mid. time. Log. rising . . Log. ratio 3.98802 0.89450 5.03690 3.99377 0.15438 6909 87589 3.83939 Nat. sine of the merid. alt. 94498 90° 0' 70 54 19 6 Merid. zen. jiit. 21 51 0's decl. N. Latitude N. 40 57 576 APPENDIX.-^-LATlTUDES. COSTAMBOUL. 15th May, 1814. ©'s merid. double alt. 133 51 30 Error Sext. ... + 20 45 . ©'s single alt. Refn. . . , 134 12 15 67 6 7.5 24 Par. . . . ©'s true alt. Zen. dist. N. 67 + 5 43.5 3.5 67 90 5 47 22 54 13 ©'s decl. N. . . . 18 54 28 Lat. N 41 39 41 16tA May, 1814. ©'s merid. double alt. 134 20 30 Error Sext. ... + 20 45 ®'s single alt. Refn. . . Par. . . . 0's true alt. Zen. dist. N. 0's decl. N. Latitude N. 134 41 15 67 20 37.5 24 67 + 20 13.5 3.5 67 90 20 1 17 2218 39 59 4336 41 39 19 APPENDIX. — LATITUDES. 577 ERZEROOM. Supposed Lat. 39° 57' N. Long. 41° 20' E. June 11, 1814. A. m. s. 6 42 35 6 43 55 6 44 22 6 44 53 6 45 49 6 46 18 40 27 52 6 44 39 Error Sext. . By adding the Sun's Semi-diameter. „ „ A; m, s. 8 16 29 101 35 0 102 5 30 102 14 0 102 27 0 102 44 0 102 58 0 8 17 6 8 19 16 8 21 48 133 40 0 133 49 0 134 40 30 135 3 0 33 14 39 537 12 30 614 3 30 102 + 20 21 3530 102 42 5 51 21 2.5 45 51 + 20 17.5 6 51 + 20 15 23.5 46 51 36 9.5 8 18 40 Error Sext. . 134 18 7.5 + 21 30 Q's double alt. 134 39 37.5 0's single alt. 67 19 48.75 Refn. ... — 23.75 Par. 67 19 25 -f- 3.5 67 19 23.5 0's semi-diam. + 15 46 0's true alt. 67 35 14.5 Refn. . . . Par.. . . ®'s semi-diam. 0's true alt. Time. Q's true Alt. Sup. lat. 39° 57' secant 0.11543 A. m. s. 0 Nat. Sine, ©'s dec. 23 4 secant 0.03619 6 44 39 51 36 T8369 8 18 40 67 35 92444 Log. ratio .... 0.15162 Log 4.14844.5 1 34 1 elapsed time 14075 Log. off the elap. time 0.69 105.5 Log. of mid time 0 47 0.5 1 57 20 1 10 19.5 time from noon. Nat. number 3295 Nat. sine of the greater alt. 92444 Nat. sine of the merid. alt. 95739 Log. rising Log. ratio 90° 0' 73 13 4.99112366952 0.15162 3.51790 16 47 Merid. zen. dist. 23 4 0's decl. N. Lat. N. 39 51 P P , 578 APPENDIX. LATITUDES. Last found lat. 39° 51' secant 0.1 1479 ©'s decl. 23 4 secant 0.03619 Log. ratio- 0.15098 Diff. nat. sines 14075 Log 4.14844.5 i elapsed time OA. 47m. 0.5s. Log 0.69105.5 1 57 8.5 Log. mid time .... - 4.99048 Time from noon 1 10 8 Log. rising 3.66706 Log. ratio 0.15098 Nat. number ..... 3282 3.51608 Nat. sine of the greater alt. 92444 ¦ 90° 0' Nat. sine of the inerid. alt. 95726 73 11 16 49 Merid. zen. dist. 23 4 ©'s decl. N. Latitude N. 39 53 By subtracting the Sun's Semi-diameter. — 15 46 Q's semi-diam. — 15 46 Q's semi-diam. 51 4 S7 ®'s true alt. 67 3 42.5 Q's true alt. Time. ©'s true alt. Sup. lat. 39° 57' secant 0.11543 h. m. s. 0 , Nat. sine. Q's dec. 23 4 secant 0.03619 6 44 39 51 5 77806 8 18 40 67 4 92096 Log. ratio . . . 0.15162 — — ¦ Log 4.15503 1 34 1 elapsed time. 14290 Log. ofi the elap. time 0.69105.5 0 47 0.5 Log. mid time . . 4.99770.5 1 59 18.5 Log. rising . . . 3.69327 1 12 18 Time from noon. Log. ratio .... 0.15162 Nat. number 3481 3.54165 Nat. sine of the greater alt. 92096 , 90° 0' Nat, sine of the merid.-alt. 95577 72 54 17 6 Merid. zen. dist. 23 4 Q's decl. N. Lat. N. 40 10 APPENDIX. — LATITUDES. 579 Last found lat. 40° 10' secant 0.1 1681 ©'s decl. ,23 4 secant 0.03619 Log. ratio 0.15300 Diff. nat. sines 14290 Log. ....... 4.15503 | elapsed time OA. 47m. 0.5s. Log. 0.69105.5 1 59 43.5 , — u Log^ m;,j t;me .... 4.99908.5 Time from noon 1 12 43 - Log. rising 3.69822.5 Log. ratio 0.15300 Nat. number 3509 3.54522.5 Nat sine of the greater alt. 92096 . — — 90° 0' Nat. sine of the merid. alt. 95605 72 57 17 3 Merid. zen. dist. 23 4 ©s decl. N. Lat. N. 40 7 ERZEROOM. Supposed Lat. 39° 57' N. Long. 41° 20' E. June 12, 1814. By addirig the Sun's Senri-diameter. A. m. s. 6 56 19 6 57 0 6 58 1 6 58 32 6 57 33 34 .47 25 6 57 29 Error Sext. 106 41 30 107 5 SO 107 29 0 107 40 30 107 19 0 536 15 30 107 15 6 + 21 15 Q's double alt. 107 36 21 Q's single alt. Refn. . . Par. 53 48 10.5 — 41.5 53 47 + 53 47 34 Q's semi-diam. + 15 46 Q's true alt. 54 3 20 A. m. s. 8 3 31 8 4 22 8 4 58 8 5 36 8 6 19 130 1 0 130 18 0 ISO 28 0 130 39 SO 130 54 0 40 24 46 652 20 30 8 4 57 Error Sext. 130 + 2821 6 15 Q's double alt. 130 49 21 0's single alt. Refn. . . . 65 24 40.5 ,25.5 Par. . . . 0's semi-diam. 65 + 65 + 24 24 15 15 4 19 46 pp2 Q's true alt. 65 40 580 APPENDIX. LATITUDES. Time. Q's true alt. Sup. lat. 39° 57' secant 0.11543 A., m. s. 0 , Nat. sine. Q's decl. 23 8 secant 0.03640 6 57 29 54 3 80953 8 4 57 65 40 91116 Log. ratio .... 0.15183 Log 4.00702 1 7 28 elapsed time. 10163 Log. of \ elapsed time 0.83370 0 33 44 Log. of mid time . 4.99255 1 57 45 — Log. rising .... 3.82247 1 24 1 Time from noou. Log. ratio . . . 0.15183 Nat. number . ... 4684 ' 3.67064 Nat. sine of the greater alt. 91116 — - — 90° 0' Nat. sine of the merid. alt. 95800 73 20 16 40 Merid. zen. dist. 23 8 Q's decl. N. Lat. N. 39 48 Last found lat. 39° 48' secant 0.11448 Q's decl. 23 8 secant 0.03640 Log. ratio 0.15088 Diff. nat. sines ' 10163 Log 4.00702 £ elapsed time OA. 33m. 44s. Log 0.83370 1 57 28.5 . Log. mid time .... 4.99160 Time from noon 1 23 44.5 Log. rising 3.81965 Log. ratio .... 0.15088 Nat. number ..... 4664 3.66877 Nat. sine of the greater alt. 91116 90° 0' Nat. sine, of the merid. alt. 95780 73 18 16 42 Merid. zen. dist. 23 8 0's decl. N. Lat. N. 39 50 By subtracting the Sun's Semi-diameter. O .. I it . , , o , „ -o .„ „. t Qs sing. alt. cor. 0 s sing. alt. cor. ) „. „, 53 47 34lbyRef and Par. bl Refund Par. \65 24 19 — ; 15 46 0's semi-diam. ©'s semi-diam. — 15 46 53 3JL 48 , ©'s true alt, ©'s true alt. 65 8 33 APPENDIX. — LATITUDES. 581 Time. Q's true alt. Sup. lat. 39° 57' secant 0.11543 *• m. s. o , Nat. sine, ©'sdecl.23 8 secant 0.03640 6 57 29 53 32 80420 8 4 57 65 9 90741 1 7 28 elapsed time. 10321 0 S3 44 1 59 46.5 1 26 2.5 time from noon. Log. ratio . . . 0.15183 Log 4.01372 Log. of i elapsed time 0.83370 Log. of mid time . 4.999"25 Log. rising Log. ratio Nat. number 4910 Nat. sine of the greater alt. 90741 3.84291.5 0.15183 3.69108.5 Nat. sine of the merid. alt. 95651 90° 73 0' 2.5 16 57.5 Merid. zen. dist. 23 8 Q's decl. N. Latitude N. 40 55 Last found lat. 40° 5|'secant 0.11633 ©'s decl. 23 8 secant 0.03640 Log. ratio .... 8.15273 Diff. nat. sines 10321 Log 4.01372 i elapsed time OA. 33m. 44s. Log. ... . . 0.83370 2 0 2.75 Time from noon 1 26 18.75 Log. mid time .... 5.00015 Log. rising Log. ratio Nat. number 4930 Nat. sine of the greater alt. 90741 3.84561.25 0.15273 3.69288.25 Nat. sine of the merid. alt. 95671 90° 73 0' 5 16 55 Merid. zen. dist. 28 8 ©'s decl. N. Lat. N. 40 p p 3 582 APPENDIX. — LATITUDES. BETLIS. Supposed Lat. 38° 8' N. Long. 42° 50' E. June 20, 1814. By adding the Sun's Semi-diameter. A. m. s. 0 h. m. s. 0 , „ 10 42 29 134 54 0 11 44 39 ITS 8 0 10 43 31 134 35 30 11 45 10 112 56 0 10 44 25 134 19 30 11 45 38 112 47 0 10 44 59 134 8 0 11 44 5 112 38 0 10 45 29 133 59 0 11 46 30 112 26 0 10 46 4 134 57 0 — ¦ 58 48 2 563 55 0 64 26 57 806 53 0 ' . 11 45 36.5 112 47 0 10 44 29.5 134 28 50 Error Sext. . . + 22 0 Error Sext. . . +22 0 ' ®'s double alt. 113 9 0 ®'s double alt. 134 50 50 ®'s single alt. 56 34 30 ©'s single alt. 67 25 25 Ref. . . . + 37.5 Ref. .... — 23.5 56 33 52.5 67 25 15 Par + 4.5 Par + 3.5 — 56 33 57 67 25 5 ©'s semi-diam. + 15 46 ©'s semi-diam. + 15 46 ©'s true alt. 56 49 43 0's true alt. . 67 40 51 Time. Q's true Alt. Sup. lat. 38° 8' secant 0.10426 h. m. s. „ , Nat. Sine, ©'sdecl.23 27 secant 0.03744 10 44 29.5 67 41 92510 . 11 45 36.5 56 50 83708 Log. ratio .... 0.14170 — Log 3.94458 117 elapsed time. 8802 Log. of \ elapsed time 0.87634.4 0 30' 33.5 Log. of mid time . 4.96262 1 49 13.75 — Log. rising . . . 3.76596.5 1 18 40.25 time from noon. Log. ratio . . . . 0.14170 Nat. number 4210 3.62426.5 Nat. sine of the greater alt. 92510 90° 0' Nat. sine of the merid. alt. 96720 75 17 14 43 Merid. zen. dist. 23 27 Q's decl. N. Latitude N. 38 10 APPENDIX. — LATITUDES. By subtracting the Sun's Semi-diameter. 583 ' ' " o C7 25 5 \ ©'s singl. alt. cor. J ®'s single alt. cor (by Ref. and Par. 56 33 57 { by Ref. and Par. 15 46 ©'s semi-diam. — 15 46 Q's semi-diam. 0 67 9 19 ©'s true alt ©'s true Alt. 56 22 11 Q's true alt. Time. A. m. s. 10 44 29.5 11 45 36.5 Sup. lat. 38° 8' secant 0.10426 Nat. Sine. Q'sdecl.23 27 secant 0.03744 67 9 92152 56 22 83260 Log. ratio . . . . 0.14170 0 SO 33.5 1 50 26.5 Log. . . ... . 3.94900 : 0.87634.-4.96704.4 1 7 elapsed time. 8892 Log. of £ elapsed time 0.87634.4 Log. of mid time 1 19 53 time from noon. Log. rising . . . 3.77912 Log. ratio .... 0.14170 Nat. number 4339 Nat. sine of the greater alt. 92152 Nat. sine of the merid. alt. 96491 3.63742 90° ff 74 47 15 13 Merid. zen. dist. 23 27 Q's decl. N. Latitude N. 38 40 Lastfound lat.38°40' secantO.10746 ©'s decl. 23 27 secant 0.03744 Log. ratio . . Diff. of nat. sines 8892 Log \ elapsed time OA. 30m. 33.5s. Log 1 51 19.75 Log. mid time . Time fm. noon 1 20 46.25 Log. rising Log. ratio 0.144903.94900 0.87634.4 4.97024.4 3.78861.250.14490 Nat. number 4403 Nat. sine of the greater alt. 92152 Nat. sine of the merid. alt. 96555 3.64371.25 90° 0' 74 55 15 5 Merid. zen. dist. 23 27 ©'s decl. N. 38 32 Latitude N. r p4 584 APPENDIX. — LATITUDES. Last found lat. 38° 32' secant 0.10666 Q's decl. 23 27 secant 0.03744 Log. ratio 0.14410 Diff. of nat. sines 8892 Log 3.94900 1 elapsed time OA. SOm. 33.5s. Log 0.87634.4 1 51 6.4 Log. mid time . . . 4.96944.4 Log. rising 3.78624 Log. ratio 0.14410 Timefromnoonl 20 32.9 Nat. number 4387 3.64214 Nat. sine of the greater alt. 92152 _, 90° 0' Nat. sine ofthe merid. alt. 96539 74 53 15 7 Merid. zen. dist. 23 27 Q's decl. N. Latitude N. 38 34 MERDIN. Computed Lat. 37° 31' 20" N. Long. 40° E. July 2, 1814. By adding the Sun's Semi-diameter: h. m. s. 0 , ' ,/ 6 44 49 104 20 0 6 45 20 104 36 0 6 45 47 104 46 30 6 46 14 104 57 30 6 46 38 105 6 0 A. OT. s. 5 7 22 65 56 30 5 7 50 66 5 30 5 8 15. 66 17 0 5 8 43 66 27 0 5 9 10 66 37 30 5 9 46 66 42 30 30 51 6 398 6 0 5 8 31 66 21 0 Error sext. + 21 45 Q's double alt. 66 42 45 ®'s single alt. 33 21 22.5 Ref. . . — 1 26.5 33 19 56 Par + 7.3 33 20 3.3 ®'s semi-diam. + 15 46 Q's true alt. . 33 36 49.3 33 48 48 523 46 0 6 45 45.5 104 45 12 Error sext. . + 21 45 Q's double alt. 105 6 57 Q's single alt. 52 33 28.5 Ref. . . + 43.5 52 32 45 Par. . . . -f 5.5 52 32 50.5 Q's semi-diam. -f- 15 46 Q's true alt. . 52 48 36.5 APPENDIX. LATITUDES. 585 Time. Q's true Alt. Comp. lat. 37° 31' 20"sec. 0.10066.3 h. m. s. 0 n N.Sine. Q's decl. 23 6 10 sec. 0.03630 5 8 31 33 35 49.3 55335 6 45 45 52 48 36.5 79664 Log. ratio . . . 0.13696.3 Log 4.38612.2 1 37 14.5 elapsed time. 24329 Log. of \ elaps. time 0.67662.4 Log. mid time 0 40 37.25 3 29 27.5 2 40 50.25 time from noon. Nat. number 17239 Nat. sine of the greater alt. 79664 Nat. sine of the merid. alt. 96903 Log. rising . Log. ratio . 90° 0' 0" 75 42 8 5.19970.9 4.37348.150.13696.3 4.23651.85 14 17 52 Merid. zen. dist. 23 6 10 ®'s decl. N. Lat. N. 37 24 Last found lat. 37° 24' 2" sec. 0.09995 ®'s decl. 23 6 10 sec. 0.03630 Log. ratio Diff. nat. sines 24329 Log. . \ elapsed time OA. 48m. 37.25s. Log. . . 3 9 58.25 Log. mid time 0.13625 4.38612.2 0.67662.4 5.19899.6 Time from noon 2 40 21 Log. rising 4.37095.6 Log. ratio 0.13625 Nat. number .... 17167 Nat, sine of the greater alt. 79664 Nat. sine of the merid alt. 96831 4.23470.6 90° ff 0" 75 32 15 14 27 45 Merid. zen. dist, 23 6 10 Q'sdecl. N. Lat.N. 37 33 55 By subtracting the Sun's Semi-diameter. OH Q , It ., „ ( 0'ssing.alt.cor. ,- „a .. , f ®'s sing. alt. cor. 38 20 3.3 ^Bef.andP»r. ™ ™ 5°M by Ref. and Par. 15 46 Q's semi-diam. — 15 46 ®'s semi-diam. 33 4 173 ®'s true alt. 52 17 4.5 Q's true alt. 586 APPENDIX. — LATITUDES. Time. Q's true Alt. Com. lat. 37" 31' 20" sec. 0.10066.3 A. m. s. „ „ Nat. Sine. Q's decl. 23 6 10 sec. 0.03630 5 8 31 33 4 17.3 54568 ¦ — 6 45 45 52 17 4.5 79106 Log. ratio -. . . 0.13696.3 Log 4.33983.6 1 37 14 elapsed time 24538 Log. off elapsed time 0.67662.4 0 48 37.25 Log. of mid time . 5.20342.3 3 32 1.79 . Log. rising . . . 4.38667.59 2 43 24.54 time from noon. Log. ratio . . . 0.13696.3 Nat. number 17771 4.24971.29 Nat. sine of the greater alt. 79106 ————— 90° 0" 0' Nat. sine of the merid. alt. 96877 75 38 34 14 21 26 Merid. zen. dist. 23 6 10 Q's decl. N. Latitude N. 37 27 36 Last found lat. 37°27'36" sec. 0.10030 Q's decl. 23 6 10 sec. 0.03630 Log. ratio 0.13660 Diff. nat. sines 24538 Log. 4.38983.6 * elapsed time OA. 48m. 37.25s. Log 0.67662.4 3 31 46.66 . Log. mid time .... 5.20306 Time from noon 2 43 9.41 - Log. rising 4.38539 Log. ratio 0.13690 Nat. number 17733 4.24879 Nat. sine of the greater alt. 79106 90° 0' 0" Nat. sine of the merid. alt. 96839 75 33 17 14 26 43 Merid. zen. dist. 23 6 10 Q's decl. N. Latitude N. 37 32 53 APPENDIX . L ATITUDES. 88* By adding tbe Sun's Semi-diameter. A. m, j. 6 44 49 6 45 20 6 45 47 6 46 14 6 46 38 33 48 48 Error Sext. . , Q's double alt. 105 Q's single alt. Refn 104 20 0 104 36 0 104 46 30 104 57 30 105 6 0 523 46 0 104 + 45 21 12 45 105 6 57 52 33 58.5 43.5 42+ 32 45 5.5 52 + 32 15 50.5 46 52 48 36.5 A. m. s. 7 56 29 7 57 0 7 57 32 7 57 59 7 58 47 39 47 47 131 7 0 131 18 30 131 29 0 131 39 30 131 55 30 657 29 30 7 57 33.5 131 29 54 Error Sext. 4- 21 45 Q's double alt. 131 51 39 Q's single alt. 65 55 49.5 Refn — 25 65 55 24.5 Par + 4 Par. 65 55 28.5 Q's semi-diam. + 15 46 Q's semi-diam. + 15 46 ®'s true alt. 52 48 36.5 ®'s true alt. 66 11 14.5 Time. Q's true Alt. Corap. lat. 37° 31' 20" sec. 0.10066.3 A. m. s. 0 , „ Nat. Sine. Q's decl. 23 6 10 sec. 0.03630 6 45 45.5 52 48 36.5 79664 7 57 33.5 66 11 14.5 91487 Log. ratio . . . 0.13696.3 Log 4.07272.8 1 11 48 elapsed time 11823 Log. of ± elapsed time 0.80687 Log. of mid time 0 35 54 2 5 10 1 29 16 time from noon. Log. rising Log. ratio Nat. number 5464 Nat. sine of the greater alt. 91487 5.01656.1 3.87448.6 0.13696.33.73752.3 Nat. sine of the merid. alt. 96951 90° 0' 0" 75 43 50 14 11 10 Merid. zen. dist. 23 6 10 Q's decl. N. Lat.N. 37 17 20 Lastfoundlat.37°17'20"sec.0.09931 Q's decl. 23 6 10 sec.0.036S0 Log. ratio 0.13561 588 APPENDIX. — LATITUDES. Log. ratio 0.13561 Diff. nat. sines 11823 Log 4.07272.8 J elapsed time OA. 35m. 54s. Log 0.80687 2 4 44 ¦ Log. mid time .... 5.01520.8 Time from noon 1 28 50.7 Log. rising 3.87042.27 Log. ratio 0.13561 Nat. number 5430 3.73481.27 Nat. sine of the greater alt. 91487 90° 0' 0" Nat. sine of the merid. alt. 96917 75 44 8 14 15 52 Merid. zen. dist. 23 6 10 Q's decl. N. Latitude N. 37- 22 2 Last found lat. 37° 22' 2" sec. 0.09976 Q's decl. 23 6 10 sec. 0.03630 Log. ratio 0.13606 Diff. of nat. sines 11823 Log 4.07272.8 £ elapsed time OA. 35m. 54s. Log 0.80687 2 4 53.25 • Log. mid time .... 5.01565.8 Time from noon 1 28 59.25 Log. rising 3.87179.9 Log. ratio .... 0.13606 Nat. number . . . . 5442 3.73573.9 Nat. sine of the greater alt. 91487 90° 0' 0" Nat. sine of the merid. alt. 96929 75 45 51 14 14 9 Merid. zen. dist. 23 6 10 Q's decl. N. Lat.N. 37 20 19 By subtracting the Sun's Semi-diameter. 52 32 50.5 ^®'?Isifg,altTJCOr" 65 55 28.5 $ ®'lsi^- »lt*o ( by Ref. and Par. " *0,° (by Ref. and Pa Q's semi-diam. — 15 46 15 46 52 17 4.6 Q's true alt. cor. Par. ®'s semi-diam. 65 39 42 Q's true alt. APPENDIX. — LATITUDES. 589 Time. Q's true Alt. Comp. lat. 37° 31' 20" sec. 0.10066.3 *; m. s. 0 t v Nat. Sine. Q's decl. 23 6 10 sec. 0.03630 6 45 45.5 52 17 4.5 79106 1 57 33.5 65 39 42.5 91112.5 Log. ratio . . . 0.13696.3 — Log 4.07941.4 1 11 48 elapsed time. 12006.5 Log. of i elapsed time 0.80687 Log. of mid time 0 35 54 2 7 20.7 1 31 20.7 time from noon. Log. rising Log. ratio Nat. number 5730.5 Nat. sine of the greater alt. 9111'2.5 5.02324.73.89515.50.13696.33.75819.2 Nat. sine of the merid. alt. 96843 90° 0' 0" 75 83 51 14 26 9 Merid. zen. dist. 23 6 10 Q's decl. N. Latitude N. 37 32 19 UNIEH. Supposed Lat. 40° 56' N. Long. 37° 18' E. May 26, 1814. a. m. s. 7 37 11 7 38 9 7 38 54 7 39 42 7 40 20 S8 14 16 7 38 51 Error Sext. . . Q's double alt. 0's single alt. Refn By adding the Sun's Semi-diameter. o h- m- »• 107 51 0 108 12 0 108 25 0 108 42 30 108 54 0 Par. ©'s semi-diam. ©'s true alt. . 545 4 SO 108 + 24 22 54 15 108 49 9 54 23 34.540.5 54 + 22 54 5 54 + 22 15 59 51 54 38 50 8 36 47 126 36 0 8 37 50 126 53 0 8 38 33 vn 1 0 25 58 10 8 37 43 Error Sext. 380 30 126 50 0 4- 22 15 0's double alt. 127 12 15 0's single alt. 63 36 7.5 Refn. . . . — 28.5 Par. 63 35 39 + 4 63 35 4S 0's semi-diam. + 15 51 ©'s true alt. . 63 51 34 590 APPENDIX. — LATITUDES. . Time. ©'s true Alt. Sup. lat. 40° 56' secant 0.12178 h. m. s. 0 w Nat. Sine. ®'s decl. 21 3 secant 0.02999 7 38 51 54 38 50 81560 8 37 43 63 51 31 89771 Log. ratio .... 0.15177 ¦ ¦ — Log 3.91440 0 58 52 elapsed time. 8211 Log. of | elapsed time 0.89254 0 29 26 Log. mid time . . 4.95871 1 4& 10 — m — : Log. rising .... 3.76665 1 18 44 time from noon. Log. ratio .... 0.15177 Nat. number 4120 3.61488 Nat. sine of the greater alt. 89771 ¦ 90° 0' Nat. sine of tbe merid. alt. 93891 69 52 20 8 Merid. zen. dist. 21 3 ©'sdecl.N. Latitude N. 41 11 Last found lat. 41° 11' secant 0.12343 ©'s decl. 21 3 secant 0.02999 Log. ratio 0,15342 Diff. of nat. sines 8211 Log 3.91440 | elapsed time OA. 29m. 26s. Log 0.89254 1 48 37 '¦ Log. mid time 4.96036 Time from noon 1 19 11 — -^ ¦ Log. rising 3.77155 Log. ratio 0.15342 Nat. number 4151 3.61813 Nat. sine of the greater alt. 69771 — : 90° 0' Nat. sine of the merid. alt. 93922 69 55 20 5 Merid. zen. distance. 21 3 ©'s decl. N. Lat. N. 41 8 By subtracting the Sun's Semi-diameter. 5* 2'2 "{§*IlftAE' 63 3* ^ { g' tf&?,E ' — 15 51 Q's semi-diam. — 15 51 Q's semi'diam. 54 7 8 Q's true alt. 63 19 52 Q's true alt. APPENDIX. LATITUDES. 591 Time. Q's true Alt. Sup. lat. 40° 56' secant 0.12178 h. m. s. 0 Nat. Sine. Q's decl. 21 3 secant 0.02999 7 38 51 54 7 8 81023 8 37 43 63 19 52 89361 Log. ratio . 0.15177 Log 3.92106 0 58 52 elapsed time. 0 29 26 1 49 59 1 20 33 Nat. num 8338 Log. of i elapsed time 0.89254 Nat. sine of the greater alt. 89361 Nat. sine of the merid. alt Log. mid alt. . Log. rising . . Log. ratio . . 90° ff 69 30 4.96537 . 3.78626 0.15177 4310 89361 3.63449 93671 atitude 20 30 Merid. zen. dist. 21 3 Q's decl. N. N. 41 33 Last found lat. 41° 33' Q's decl. .21 3 secant 0.12583 secant 0.02999 Log. ratio 0.15587 Diff. of nat. sines 8338 Log 3.92106 1 elapsed time OA. 29m. 26s. Log 0.89254 1 51 7 Log. mid time 4.96947 Time from noon 1 21 41 Log. rising . Log. ratio Nat. number 4389 Nat. sice of the greater alt. . 89361 3.798270.15587 3.64240 Nat. sine of the merid. alt. 93750 90° 0' 69 38 20 22 Merid. zen. distance. 21 3 Q's decl. N. Latitude N. 41 25 Last found lat. 41° 25' secant 0.12499 Q's decl. . 21 3 secant 0.02999 Diff. of nat. sines i elapsed time OA. 29m. 26s. Log * 1 50 52 Log. ratio 0.15498 8338 Log 3.92106 ... 0.89254 Time from noon 1 21 26 Log. mid time 4.96858 592 APPENDIX. — LATITUDES. 4.96858 Log. rising 3.79563 Log. ratio ..:... 0.15498 Nat. num 4372' Nat. sind of the greater alt. 89361 90° 0' 0" Nat. sine of the merid. alt. 93733 69 36 30 3.64065 20 23 30 Merid. zen. dist. 21 3 0 Q's decl. N. Lat. N. 41 26 30 BYABOOT. Supposed Lat. 40° 45' N. Long. 40° 50' E. June 8, 1814. By adding the Sun's Semi-diameter. A. m. s. 10 59 6 10 59 43 11 0 12 11 0 38 11 1 57 55 1 36 11 0 19 Error Sext. . Q's doubl. alt. Q's single alt. Refn. . . . Par. . . . Q's semi-diam. Q's true alt. . 120 28 0 129 16 0 129 9 0 128 59 0 128 46 40 645 38 40 129 + 7 21 44 30 129 29 14 64 44 37 26.5 64 + 44 10.5 4 64 + 44 15 14.546 65 0 0.5 A. m. s. 11 43 10 Ill 2 0 11 44 43 110 49 .30 11 44 12 110 41 0 11 45 42 110 30 0 11 46 20 110 30 20 58 44 7 55S 32 50 11 44 49 110 42 34 Error Se: it. . >1. alt. ealt. + 21 30 Q's doul 111 4 4 Q's singl 55 32 2 Refn. . ¦ — 39 55 31 23 Par. + 5 55 31 28 Q's semi -diam. alt. . + 15 46 Q's true 55 47 14 APPENDIX. LATITUDES. 593 Time. ®'s true Alt. Sup. lat. 40° 45' secant 0.12058 A. m. s. 0 u Nat. Sine. (T\ decl. 22 49 secant 0.03539 11 0 19 ,65 0 0.5 90631 11 44 49 55 47 14 82696 Log. ratio .... 0.15597 : Log 3.89955 0 44 30 elapsed time. 7935 Log. of { elapsed time 1.01354 0 22 15 Log. mid time . . 5.06906 2 23 32.7 Log. rising . 4.13613 2 1 17.7 time from noon. Log. ratio .... 0.155973.98016 Nat. num 9554 Nat. sine of the greater alt. 90631 Nat. sine of the merid. alt. 100185 A. m. s. 11 43 10 11 41 43 11 44 12 11 45 42 11 46 20 58 44 7 11 44 49 Error Sext. . Ill 2 0 110 49 30 110 41 0 110 30 0 110 30 20 553 32 50 110 42 34 + 21 30 ;'s double alt. Ill Q's single alt. 55 32 2 Ref. .... — 39 Par. 55 31 23 • + 5 55 31 28 0's semi-diam. -+- 15 46 0's true alt. 55 47 14 A. m. s, 2 27 55 2 48 49 2 46 43 45 46 30 45 27 O 46 12 0 8 3 '27 Time. ®'s true Alt. A. m. s. 0 , „ Nat. Sine. 11 44 !•> 55 47 14 82696 2 41 9 23 18 40 39572 9 3 40 elapsed time. 43124 q q Log. mid time 2 41 9 Error Sext. Q's double alt. Q's single alt. Ref.. . . Par ©'s semi-diam. Q's true alt. Sup. lat. 40° 50' secant 0.12058 ®'s>decl.22 49 secant 0.03539 Log. ratio .... 0.15597 Log 4.63472 Log. of \ elapsed time 0.03296 137 25 30 45 + 48 21 30 30 46 10 0 23 5 2 0 14 23 + 2 46 3 23 + 2 15 54 46 23 13 40 4.82365 594 APPENDIX. — LATITUDES. 9 3 40 elapsed time. Log. mid time 4.82365 4 31 50 1 17 50 Log. rising . . Log. ratio . , 4.52812 0.15597 3 14 0 time from nooh. 4.37215 Nat. number 23558 Nat. sine of the greater alt. 82696 Nat. sine of the merid. alt. 106254 ANGORA. 18iA Septembert 1813. Q's merid. double alt. 104 14 0 Q's single alt. . . 52 7 0 Ref. — 44 52 6 16 Par + 5.5 Q's true alt. ... 52 6 21.5 90 0 0 Zen. dist. N. . . . 37 53 38.5 Q's decl. N. . . . 1 58 20 Latitude N. . . . 39 51 58.5 CJESAREA. 22d October, 1813. O I ii Q's merid. double alt. 80 41 0 Q's single alt. Refn. . . Par. 40 20 SO — 1 7 40 19 23 + 7 Q's true alt. ... 40 19 30 APPENDIX. LATITUDES. 595 Q's true alt. ... 40 19 30 90 0 0 Zen. dist. N. . . . 49 40 30 Q's decl. S. . . 10 59 13.5 Lat. N 38 41 16.5 OOSCAT. 17tA October, 1813. Q's merid. double alt. 82 16 0 Q's single alt. ... 41 8 0 Refn _ 1 5 41 6 55 Par + 7 Q's true alt. . . . 41 7 2 90 0 0 Zen. dist. N 48 52 58 Q's decl. S. .... 9 10 50 Latitude N. . . . 39 42 8 ADANA. llfA November, 1813. Q's merid. double alt. 71 12 41 ©*s single alt. . Ref. ... . Par. Zen. dist. N. ©'s decl. S. Latitude N. 35 36 1 2Q.5 21 35 + 34 59.5 7.5 35 90 35 0 70 54 17 24 24 53 53 37 0 0 0 Q2 596 APPENDIX. — LATITUDES. ICONIUM. 10ZA February, I8I4. Q's merid. double alt. 75 20 32 ©V single alt. ... 37 40 16 Refn — 1 15 37 39 1 Par + 7 37 39 8 90 0 0 :Zen. dist. N. ... 52 20 52 Q's' decl. S 14 26 52 Latitude N 37 54 0 OFIUM KARA HISSAR. 2 Is t February, 1814. Q's merid. double alt. 81 15 56 Q's single alt. ... 40 37 58 Refn — 1 8 40 36 50 Par. + 7 40 S6 57 90 0 0 Zen. dist. N. '. . '. . 49 23 3 Q's decl. S 10 40 3 Latitude N 38 43 0 APPENDIX. LATITUDES. 597 RESULTS. By Se adding the Sun's mi-diameter. By subtracting the Sun's Semi-diameter. TEREBOLI. o 40 24 o 41 13 40 23 41 22 Sup. Lat. 40 SO N. 40 52 41 24 Long. 39 5 E. 40 45 41 6 40 47 4040 54 58 Mea 40 57 203 11 287 54 n 40 38 Mean 41 7 ERZEROOM. o 39 51 o 40 10 39 53 40 7 Sup. Lat. 39 57 N. 39 4a 40 5 Long. 41 20 E. 39 50 40 3 159 22 160 25 Mea n 39 50 Mean 40 6 BETLIS. o 38 40 Sup. Lat. 3°8 8 N. o 10 38 38 3234 Long. 42 50 E. 115 46 Mean 38 35 MERDIN. o 37 24 2 o 37 27 36 37 33 55 S7 32 53 Comp.Lat. 37 31 20 N. 37 17 20 37 32 19 Long. 40 0 0 E. 3737 2220 2 19 186 59 18 112 32 48 Mean 37 23 51 Mean 37 30 66 Q Q 3 598 APPENDJX.= LATITUDES. COSTAMBOUL. Lat. 40 38 N. Long. 34 20 E. By adding the Sun's Semi-diameter. By subtracting the Sun's Semi-diameter. 41 39 41 41 39 19 83 19 0 Mean 41 39 30 UNIEH. Sup. Lat. 4°0 56 N. Long. 37 18 E. ANGORA. Lat. 40 30 N. Long. 33 27 E. CiESAREA. Lat. 3°9 0 N. Long. 35 42 E. 41 11 41 8 82 19 0 Mean 41 9 SO 41 S3 0 41 25 0 41 26 30 124 24 30 Mean 41 28 10 39 51 58 38 41 16.5 OOSCAT. Long. 35 6 E. 39 42 8 APPENDIX.' — LATITUDES. 599 April 9th, 1814, by watch observed the following double altitudes of the Sun. A. m. s. 2 7 27 69 6 2 8 55 68 37 30 2 12 41 67 19 3 1 29 3 205 2 30 2 9 41 68 20 50 „, 21 45 Sext. error + 68 42 35 34 21 18 Single alt. 1 24 Ref.— 34 19 52 16 7 Sem. diam. and Par. + Q's true alt. 34 35 59 Latitude of the place of observation . . 42° 20' N. Decl. N. 7° 26' 45" Cor. Lat. . 47 40 1 44 Cor. for Long. 28 6 7 25 1 47 40 Cor. Latitude. 55 5 1 Q's meridian alt. 55° 5' Nat. sine 81999 34 36 Nat. sine 5678425215 Log. of 25215 4.40163 42 20 10.13121 7 25 Sext.+ 10.00365 A. 24.53649 3 16 Eq. time + 1 42 0 , „ . Longitude of observation 23 5 6 3 17 42 2 9 41 18 1 ( 600 ) BEARINGS OF THE RIVER TIGRIS MOSUL TO BAGDAD. Date. August 9. Time. hrs. 15 30 1515 20 40 3020 30 15 30 15 35 15 3035 1515 302550 40 Bearing by fjchmal calder's compass. 230 350 30 4070 340280 250 50 360310350 3070 310320 270 4090 290 40 Remarks. Took our departure from Mosul at 7 in the evening of the 8th of A ugust, the stream running upon an average at 4j notts an hour, and at 20 minutes past 5 next morning be gan to make observa tions. Bund of Nimrod. Brought to. The Great Zab. C Broad and shoally, in- 1 \ terspersed with islands. BEARINGS OF THE TIGRIS. 601 Date. Time. Bearing by Schnial- calder's compass. Remarks. Ar.-. min. f A mile in breadth, and < the banks suited for ve- 40 .... 380 10 30 (getation. 35 320 10 30 ( It was now dark and 35 60 \ my observations were 50 80 ¦I consequently deferred August 10. 20 10 20 30 20 30 15 85 40 352050 10 30 25 10 202510 2025202525 60 W, 30 270 380 90 380 40 300 270 40 60 20 310 20 280 300 280 330350 270 330 320330340 10 5080 J unlil 6 o'clock of the (, morning of the 10th. Halted. < The mouth of the Les- ( ser Zab. Expanse of water. ( At J past 4 P. M. a ( fountain of naphtha. , ( River about 600 yards \ wide. 1 340 45 330 f Great expanse of water 15 360 -? and flat gravelly is -V land. f At 9 at night I could t S see no more, and at 4 60 . ! . . 330 < next morning reached 11. 50 35 10 15 3540 . 300 . . 40 . . 360 . . 340 . . 270 . . 360 i Tekrit,which we quitted ( at 6. Expanse of water. 15 . 280 Dour. 602 BEARINGS OF THE TIGRIS. Date. j Time. Bearing by Schmal- calder's compass. Remarks. hrs. min. 60 .... 350 15 . 300 45 10 SO . 340 15 . 360 10 . 310 , 10 15 60 . 270 . 340 . 340 { At half past 12 ruins \ of Shinas on left bank. 30 . 360 River \ a mile wide. 15 20 £ The castle of Ul A shuch 25 . 360 -; on right bank, and Mo- 30 . 320 t shoch on left. f At 2 P.M. the Tigris 8 . 270 -? divided into two 29 . 280 ^ branches. fThe ruins of Samara, 10 . 300 < when the river again 40 . 360 (. unites. 20 . 320 20 . 30 1 At 5 o'clock the ruined 25 . 250 < town of Goeng oiTleft 50 . 320 {, bank. 1 Ruinsof a town on right 30 .... 270 < bank ; the river J of a ( mile broad. r The darkness compelled ime to retire, and at 3 120 ... 310 Jfin the morning I was jawoke to look at the #Kufri Su : at 6 I began ^ to observe. August 12. 60 . . . . 300 ( At 7, the ruins of Zum- ( boor on right bank. £ The Tigris about 300 30 270 < yards wide, and bridge 30 280 {_ of boats. 45 340 50 360 20 220 Came to for two hours. 20 270 30 280 25 350 25 SO 15 120 C The river divides in two 10 140 <, branches; we followed 20 60 C the left. BEARINGS OF THE TIGRIS. 60S Date. Time. Bearing by Schmal- calder's compass. Remarks. firs. min. .80 70 20 .... 40 10 .... 20 Half a mile wide. 3 .... 40 2 .... 350 Night Here in the morning. August 13. 50 .... 20 o .... 270 1 Quitted the raft, and 1 .... 360 1 < rode ten miles to Bag- (dad. THE END. Loudon: Printed by C. Rowortli, v Hell-yard, J^m pi e-b ar. 3 9002 01350 8834