Life in Asiatic Turkey

Postal Service of the Coast of Syria—Acre, Sidon—A Resident’s Opinion as to Turkish Administration—Halet Pasha—Essaad Pasha—Tripoli—The Kadisha—Mosque—Coast Line and Nusairiyeh...

Heat and Unhealthiness of Mersina—Summer Resorts of the People—Geuzna—Ichma—Causes of the Misery of the Turkish Population—The Government does nothing, and will allow nothing to...

Plain once a vast Marsh—Look-out Mounds—Vineyards near Adana—The Seihoun (Sarus)—Ancient Bridge—Its History—Prosperity of Adana—Visit to the Wali—How the right of Petition in Tu...

Swiftness and Depth of Pyramus—Toprak Kalesi—A Snake in the Grass—Osmanieh Recruits—Politeness and Grave Courtesy of the Osmanlis—Disturbed State of the Borderland—Robber Chiefs...

Bridge over the Pyramus—Conglomerate—Landslips—An Armenian Hamlet—Confluence of the Rivers Kursoulou and Jeihaàn—Bridge over the Kursoulou—The Pass of Khadj Bel—Dourbin Dagh—Gra...

Churning and Bread-making—Threshing Machine—Fort of Hemita—Windlass at the Ferry—Fords on the Savroon—The Sombaz—The Present Owner of Anazarba—Low Price of Land—Arslan’s House—S...

Always try to be a Debtor in the Levant, never a Creditor—My Friend’s Sickness—Danger of neglecting the Endemic Diseases of these Lands—Great amount of Malaria in the Plain—Epid...

No Travelling by Day in the Plain—A Night March—Jackals—Labourers exposed to the deadly Night Air—A Fever-stricken Village—Approach to the Highlands—Turkmans—Yaramiz Fountain—Sp...

Visit to the Mines of Bulghar Maden—Hamathite Inscription—Oloukishla—A Turkish Salaamlik—The Great Khan—Mosque, Bath, and Bazaar all in Ruins—Contributions to Supper—A hungry Pa...

Start for Ibreez—Extreme beauty of Landscape—A Picturesque Karamanian Lane—Number and Tameness of the Nightingales—The River of Ibreez—The Mukhtar’s House—Great Source under Red...

Rock Cemetery—Brilliant Colouring of the Plain—Treacherous Climate—Excavating the Sarcophagus—Serpek on the Site of Ancient Derbe—Derivation of the Name Devleh—Tradition of Vill...

Excursion to Kara Dagh—Extreme Penury of the Provincial Governments—Village of Kilbassen—Its Sufferings during the Famine—The Land Changing Hands—Turkish Population Diminishing—...

Claudiopolis—The Yatar Tash—Latin Inscription—Guides to Ford the River—Swiftness of the Gieuk Sou—Adrass, Bardat, and Geden Mountains—Villagers Refuse a Guide—Churlishness of th...

Passage of Muharram Bel—Kizilja and its Kadi—Guide to the Inscription of Tchukour—Had been a Prisoner of War at Tiflis—Coarse Barley Bread—Tchukour—The Officer from Stamboul—Rav...

Birds—Nahli’s Grievance—The Mufti’s Kindness—An Excellent Zaptieh—Course of the Alata River—Site of an Ancient Ruined Town—Mosque of Bolat—Ibex Horns—High Plateau—Extensive Vine...

Change in the Climate since our Former Visit—Unable to Obtain Baggage Horses—High Charges of the Khanji—Greed and Overreaching Spirit of Most Oriental Christians—Their General C...

Juniper Forest—Fine Forests of Southern Karamania—Complete Change of Climate and Vegetation on descending from the Highlands—Great Rainfall on the First Ranges of the Taurus—Geu...

The postal service of the coast of Syria and Karamania is discharged by no less than four lines of steamers, the French, Russian, Austrian, and Egyptian. The three former receiv...

_April 18th._—To-day we proposed making an excursion to Pompeiopolis, but heavy rain threatened, so we gave up our intention. The British Vice-Consul, Mr. Tattarachi, invited us...

_April 24th._—Left for Adana at 9.50 A.M.; the distance being about five hours’ ride. The weather very hot, and the mountains thickly covered with vapour. The mirage was quite a...

_April 28th._—Rose at daybreak, and went down to the river. It is here fully 200 yards in width, and flows with a swift and even current of some five miles an hour. The banks ar...

_May 3rd._—We had forgotten to engage our muleteer for the return journey to Adana; we had some difficulty in finding him again, and could not start till 10.45 A.M. Of all the u...

_May 9th._—Awakened by the sound of many goat-skin churns all around us. The women of the village were hard at work churning last night’s and this morning’s milk. In another pla...

The fort consists of a large square keep and another square tower, at some distance towards the S.W. of the cliff. On the N.E. side is an enclosure, surrounded by walls, and a s...

_May 15th._—Early this morning a young Syrian entered our room, and handed me a note. It was from our interpreter Hanna, to say that on the way to Tarsus he had fallen from his...

_June 1st._—Still no seal to my bouyourdi. Are we to lose yet another day in this dreadful city? Nahli had to run about nearly all the morning in the overpowering heat, for we c...

_June 5th._—Rose at sunrise. No wonder this place is unhealthy; there is a considerable traffic, and all the camel trains halt here for a longer or shorter time, but of course t...

_June 8th._—Started for Ibreez, a ride of about three hours. We rode through green lanes bordered by thick hedges and rows of willow and poplar. The crops and flowers were luxur...

_June 11th._—A young Armenian offered to guide me to the site of an old town, but as he admitted that there was nothing whatever to be seen but merely the position of the walls,...

_June 16th._—We started for an excursion to Kara Dagh, to visit the ruins at Maden Shehir, which the people of the country call the “Bin bir kilissé” (Thousand and one churches)...

_June 24th._—Rose at daybreak, and proceeded to sketch the castle. We usually took a supply of bread (leavened) when it could be obtained. Owing to the scarcity, the flour is ev...

_June 30th._—Rose before sunrise. The air cold and piercing, for snow lay on the mountain immediately above us. The lark and thrush were warbling; flowers all in bloom, quite li...

_July 10th._—There are extremely few birds to be seen here, owing to the severity of the last two winters. In general, however, they are said to be very abundant. One bird amuse...

_July 18th._—Occupied our former quarters. About one month has elapsed since we were here before, but that time has produced a great change in the climate. The heat is very much...

_July 21st._—The heat of the sun as he rose above the horizon was very great, and we felt it severely as we had no shelter; we hastened therefore to breakfast and start, but not...