Chapter XVIII

Armenian lads—Riding calves—Buffaloes—A fair price for
a girl—Our daughters are our maid-servants—A European
wife—A useless incumbrance—A Dervish—The lieutenant roars
at him—Kara Kelise—Kaize Kuy—The streams in Anatolia—A
source of annoyance—Persian women—A Persian village—The
houses—Rugs manufactured by the inhabitants—Erivan—The
Russian invasion of Persia—Once a Russian always a
Russian—The Murad river—Diyadin—The garrison—Rumours
of peace—Persia—Ararat—The view—Ophthalmia—Bayazid—The
Pacha's residence—The Russian authorities in
Daghestan—Four hundred people killed—Women and children
shot down and beaten to death—Major-General Macintosh—His
opinion about Bayazid—The importance of this town from
a military point of view—Syria—Aleppo—Diarbekir—Van—The
barracks—Mahmoud Pacha—His descendants—The irony of
fate—A Hungarian doctor—Mahmoud Pacha, the son of Issek
Pacha, lies here 160

CHAPTER XIX.

A spy—The news from Erivan—The border line—How he passed
the frontier—The Mollahs—A war of extermination preached
by them—A Turkish newspaper—Turks in Asia—Christians in
Europe—The Conference—A Conference in St. Petersburg—The
European Powers dislike Russia—General Ignatieff a judge
instead of a prisoner—The hour for the evening prayer—A
Turkish officer on prayer—His opinion about European
Bishops—They eat mutton every day—A Turkish Captain 171

CHAPTER XX.

A Yezeed (devil-worshippers) village—The Usebashe—The
worshippers of Old Scratch—The Yezeed's religion—The
Spirit of good—The spirit of evil—The rites—The Grand
Vizier of Allah—The unmarried priest—The wives and
daughters in their congregation—A high honour—Women
honoured by the attentions of a priest—Great excitement
at the priests' arrival—Mr. Layard—His admirable
work—Kelise Kandy—My host—His house—They want to conquer
the Shah—Nadir Shah—He once conquered you English in
Hindostan—The Tzar of America—You pay Shere Ali a large
sum of money—He is a clever fellow 178

CHAPTER XXI.

Dinner—The Persian's wife is poorly—The wonderful
wet paper—The _samovar_—The harem—Be not alarmed—She
is in a delicate state of health—Jaundice—She feels
better already—No medicine for your complaint—A mustard
plaster would be useless—Sons of the devil—My lord's
baksheesh—Commotion amongst the servants 188

CHAPTER XXII.

Villages—Arab
Dize—Shadili—Shalendili—Karenee—Kurds—Radford wishes
to bleed the inhabitants—Persian men with their beards
dyed red—Every part of a woman is false—These Persians
are a nation of women—The old fire-worshipper's
superstition—Gardens—Irrigation—Soldiers—The flint
fire-locks—They are unclean ones, these Persians—The
little dogs do some things well—a Persian will kiss you
on one cheek, and will stab you behind your back 196

CHAPTER XXIII.

No signs of Khoi—At last we arrive—The Turkish
Consul—Russian intrigues—Persian soldiers have attacked
a Turkish village—Kashka Beulah—A Turkish Usebashe and
seven men brought prisoners to Khoi—The Ambassador at
Teheran—Retaliation—The exchange of prisoners—The origin
of the disturbance—The Shah's uncle—Russian agents
in Teheran—Kurdish girls make the best wives—They do
not care about fine clothes—How to make use of your
mother-in-law—The women in your country—A fortune on
dress—My last wife cost ten liras—Persian women—The
Persians are very cruel—Odd customs—The fortifications
of Khoi—Soldiers gambling 204

CHAPTER XXIV.

The bazaar—Recumbent Persians—Carpets—Cutlery—Russian
calicoes—The houses in Khoi—The schools—A class
of lads—The Pedlar—The schoolmaster chastises
him—Pillaff—Bonbons—Persian ladies like
sweetmeats—Articles of native manufacture—The mosque—The
Russian officials in Erivan—We leave Khoi—Kotoor
Boghaz—The Turkish captain who was taken prisoner by
the Persians—His explanation of the affair—The Russians
are our fathers—The defile—Magnificent positions for
defence—A mineral spring—The change of temperature 212

CHAPTER XXV.

Kotoor—The Quarantine station—The medical officer
in charge—The Governor of Kotoor—A Russian disguised
as a Persian—Mineral wealth—The Russians would like
this territory—A stepping-stone to Bagdad and Mosul—A
loyal Kurd—Aleshkert—The people there take the
strongest side—Moullah Hassan—Kurdish merchants—The
postman—His mule in the water—My new yellow trousers—The
saddle-bags in the river—Nestorian villages—How to buy
a wife—Exchange and barter—A horse and two sheep—Van—The
Pacha—The barracks—The garrison—Bitlis 221

CHAPTER XXVI.

The artillery at practice—The horses—The Commandant—The
Military School at Constantinople—The citadel—Typhus—The
swamp—The sanitary state of the city—The lake—Natron—A
substitute for soap—Stone cannon-balls—Nadir Shah's
attack upon Van—Greek and Assyrian coins—Salutes during
Bairam—An inscription on the rock—An adventurous
Englishman—The Commandant—A Kurd—Hernia—How to cure
rupture—Three American Missionaries—The English and
American flags—The conflagration at Van—Armenian
inventions—The Commissioner—The troops 230

CHAPTER XXVII.

An extempore market—Carbonate of soda—The population—The
Pacha's salary—The Commander's pay—The Hungarian doctor's
contract—The Armenian church—An inscription—A heathen
temple—The Armenian clergy—Their different grades—The
monks—The two Patriarchs—The Catolicos—The _meira_—The
miraculous power of the Catolicos—The miracle turned into
£ _s._ _d._—Baptismal and burial fees—Prayers for the
dead—A curious tradition—King Abgar the leper—The journey
from Van—The mirage—Gull—Paz—Tishikoomlekui—Ardisch—A
Kurdish girl—A strange custom 240

CHAPTER XXVIII.

Akserai—The Kurds—Raids upon the villages—Five females
ravished—The Pacha at Van is powerless to help the
villagers—The hot springs in Lake Van—Fish—How to catch
them—Zerekli—Starlings—Intelligent insects—Patnos—We
cross the Murad river—Dotah—The Caimacan—The
devil-worshipper—His house—A Yezeed sheik—Scarcity of
accommodation 248

CHAPTER XXIX.

My host—The Sheik's appearance—My host's two
daughters—They attend upon the Sheik—Caressing the
flames—I love the fire—An insult to the Shaitan—Do
you believe in Allah?—Allah can do no harm—The Yezeed
fetish—The tomb of Sheik Adi—Your cows shall not
die—Mohammed wants a fetish—A cure for rheumatism—The
Melek Taoos—Do you ever pray?—What is the use? Everything
is fixed—You cannot force Destiny to change her
mind—Hidden things—The balls of clay—Mr. Layard—The seven
archangels 253

CHAPTER XXX.

Alongside the river Murad—Waterfalls—The Melaskert
river—Tchekhane—An attack of fever—Quinine—The doctor
at Toprak Kale—He arrives—The consultation—Excitement
amongst the villagers—The stethoscope—The audience—How
clever these Franks are—The Effendi is going to
die—Rheumatic fever—Pressed fruit—A native remedy—A long
night 260

CHAPTER XXXI.

Mohammed's febrifuge—The doctor's
medicine—Zedhane—Daha—Hassan Bek—Bash—The
garrison—We cross the Araxes—The bridge made by a
Circassian—Karakroot—The Circassian horsemen—The
inhabitants—Their eyes and teeth—Gedjerharman—The plain
around Kars—The streets of the town—The sewerage of the
population—The civil governor—The river—The war with the
Persians—Mount Kara Dagh—The fortifications 267