Chapter III: Adana, Messis, and the Amanus

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 Turkey
is suppressed—Unhealthiness during Summer—A Mining Engineer
in the Ottoman Service—The Old Gold Mines of Philip II. and
Alexander the Great—A Coal-mine at the Port of Ayass—Why so
few Public Works succeed in Turkey—The Bishop of Adana—The
Congregation—Character of the Bishop—An Improving Pasha—Exports
of Cilicia—Tobacco Culture Disappearing—Why—Foreign Wheat and
Cotton Seed degenerates in Cilicia—Advances to Cultivators—Risk
in making them—Canals needed—Railway planned, but not made—Fine
Port of Ayass—Scanty Population—No Trees on Plain—Turkish
Population losing Ground—Christians rising—Great Transfer of
Land from Muslim to Christian throughout the Interior—Slavery
not Common—Brigandage diminished—Bridge of Adana—Deep and
Violent Current of the Sarus—Personal Beauty and Fine Physique
of the People—The Olou Jamaa—Great Plain—Nour Dagh—Bridge of
Messis—Two of its Arches destroyed—Otter’s Account of it in
1736—Great Inundations—Ruins of Mopsuestia—Inscriptions—Border
Fortresses—Ilan Kalesi—Kourt Kalesi—Extreme Beauty and
Fertility of the Plain—Circassian Settlers and their
Villages—Giamli Keui—Legend of Ilan Kalesi 48-75