The disturbed districts of Asia Minor, a ride through Asia Minor and Armenia
Henry C. Barkley
John Murray
Chapter I
Bucharest – Improvements - A chat with Turkish prisoners - Detained in Bucharest - More Turkish prisoners – Giurgevo – Passports - Wallachian bathers – Rustchuk -Bumptious Bulgars - Russian management - Varna to Constantinople.
Towards the end of august, 1878, I received a letter from my brother G - telling me that business was taking him to the land of the Turk, and proposing that I should accompany him on the journey. Before I had finished the letter I had quite made up my mind to accept the tempting offer, and within half an hour I had written to say I would go. I had several reasons for doing this. First, I knew that G - was an old and accomplished traveller, both in lands of luxury and in lands of hardship, and that with him as a companion rough roads would become smooth, dry bread a cake, a camp bed a luxurious couch, and hardships, pleasures. Then, for some years I had longed to revisit Turkey, and this longing had increased through the great interest I had taken in the war just finished in that unfortunate land...
Contents
Chapter I
Bucharest – Improvements - A chat with Turkish prisoners- Detained in Bucharest - More Turkish prisoners – Giurgevo - Passports-Wallachian Bathers – Rustchuk - Bumptious Bulgars - Russian management - Varna to Constantinople / 1
Chapter II
Constantinople - A kiosk - A victim of the war - Hiring servants -Constantinople to Moudanieh - On the road to Brusa - An abortive railroad / 17
Chapter III
Hotel at Brusa – Brusa - A street scene – sight – seeing – Horsedealing - Silk
Factories - Armenian orphanage / 28
Chapter lV
The gallows – Tree - A Circassian thief – Rice – growing - A start for Angora -The first day's ride - A night in a Khan - The vale of Enni Gul - Enni Gul / 40
Chapter V
Zaptiehs - A zaptieh chaoush - The Akka-Dagh – Brigands - A dangerous gun - An uncomfortable night - An alarm of Robbers / 50
Chapter VI
Camels - Camel drivers - Out on the plains – Half-ruined villages - Eski-Shehr (Doraeloum) – Meerschaum - Drunkenness / 59
Chapter VII
Circassians from Bulgaria - Ancient bath soldiers from Russia - An eastern morning - A shot at bustards - A fine wheat country - Flat-roofed houses - Camping out - Rough fare - Village visitors / 72
Chapter VIII
Departure from Kimas - Sirvi-Hissar (Pointed Castle) – Hospitality - Armenian customs - En route again - A change in the vegetation - The Sakaria - Tartars from the Dobrudja - Turcoman tents - A row with the Zaptieh-Hassan Bey's Farm / 84
Chapter IX
Sand-Grouse - Entering Angora - English consulate - Said Pasha - Difficulties of a Governor - Municipal legislation - More emigrants - Consular influence / 93
Chapter X
Angora – Ruins - Temple of augustus - Angora goats - An outrage by soldiers – Tortures - Superior zaptiehs / 103
Chapter XI
Country houses - A round of visits - A Bulgarian merchants - Tax collecting - Pack horses - Preparing for the road - The start a night in the strangers' room / 114
Chapter XII
Disobedient Yuzgat – Killidghar -A coal mine - An afternoon's sport - The Kizil Irmak - Agricultural prospects – Cotton - Silver mines - Village boors / 124
Chapter XIII
Kur – Shehr - Universal hospitality - Armenian hosts - Chances of emigration - Deré beys - Immunity from fever - A Turkish bridge the end of the plains - Kaisarioh / 135
Chapter XIV
Sixty brothers - A mission – House - Religion a nationality – Talas - An american host - Missionary Work-Armenian Gratitude-A Native Pastor-Vicarious Liberality-Hospitality bordering on Brutality / 144
Chapter XV
Products of the district of Kaisarieh roads - Good-bye to talas - Mount argaeus - Visiting a kaimakam - Armenian Agriculturists - Lahore sheiks - A revolutionary leader - In the Taurus / 156
Chapter XVI
A highway to the east camping on a housetop - Cilician gates - State of the pass - Sudden change in vegetation - An unwelcome visitor - A happy hunting – Ground - The
Grey mare not the better horse - Plains of Cilicia - Cotton crop / 169
Chapter XVII
Adana - Dearth of news - Scorpions, hornets, etc. - A land of milk and honey – Missis - The kaimakam - Dying circassians – Gazelles - Old castles / 182
Chapter XVIII
Yilan kale (Snake castle) - Nogai tartars - A tartar engineer - Shooting and hunting - A Circassian settlement - A Turcoman village - Cattle lifters - A Turcoman wake - Insolent villagers - Fever and ague - A turkish breakfast / 193
Chapter XIX
Up the Giaour dagh - A drunken official - Wanton destruction of forests - Where robbers rob - A soldier from Kars - A country gentleman - Fertile plains – Aintab - A superior khan - Armenian college - A generous Osmanli - An obstructive Governor - Armenian students want of selfrespect / 204
Chapter XX
American hospitality - Missionary labours - A bishop of the English church - Hadji Mary – Intruders - Familiarity breeds contempt - Rapid Change of Governors - A letter on Turkey / 219
Chapter XXI
A trout stream - A battle field - Settled Turcomans - A bloodfeud - A German kreutze – Dovecots - Cur chemish of the Hittites - A ferry on the Euphrates – Beridjik - An Armenian pastor - Buying a belt / 234
Chapter XXII
Native visitors - A reign of terror – Anarchy - A mudir - A Turkish official - Soldiers from the war - A shot at wolves a caravanserai – Oorfa - The castle - The birthplace of Abraham - A legend - Ancient tombs - Nose rings - Going down into the well / 244
Chapter XXIII
Camels at supper - An English dentist - The post tartar - The Arab horse - A riding mule - In the tombs - An early start – Severek - A Turkish chaussée - Lost on the mountains - Electricity / 258
Chapter XXIV
The Indian telegraph – Diarbekir - Rescued by an Englishman - Inaccessibility of Diarbekir - Mr. Boyajian - An Honest Governor - A collapse of justice - Kurdish insurrection - Insurrection a profitable speculation - Advantage of consuls - English intervention / 271
Chapter XXV
The Aleppo button – Ophthalmia – Mange - Environs of the town - Facing homewards - The Taurus - Unruly horses - Child bride - Arghana madan - The copper mines / 282
Chapter XXVI
A good chaussée - A Pasha's railroad - A freak of nature - Soldiers on the march - Kharpout plain – Kharpout - Turkish honesty - Americans in Kharpout - A philo – Turk / 294
Chapter XXVII
Visitors - Insurgent Kurds - Incorrect information - The view from Kharpout - A military road - Keban Madan Silver Mines - Cheap hospitality - Crossing the Euphrates - A Misunderstanding / 306
Chapter XXVIII
Adepsis - Kurdish raiders - A Mule track – Egin - Bad fare - A novel bridge - On the mountains - Starving villagers - Turks at prayer / 319
Chapter XXIX
Erzingan - An inactive Army - Foreign news - Garrison towns military character - Over the watershed - The life of a soldier - Village Elders - A forest - Signs of civilization / 329
Chapter XXX
The Trebizond Erzeroom road - Pitched roofs - Soghanli Dagh - A beautiful gorge - Last night on the road – Trebizond - Trade with Persia - Quitting Asia Minor / 341
A ride through Asia Minor and Armenia
Chapter I
Bucharest – Improvements - A chat with Turkish prisoners - Detained in Bucharest - More Turkish prisoners – Giurgevo – Passports - Wallachian bathers – Rustchuk -Bumptious Bulgars - Russian management - Varna to Constantinople.
Towards the end of august, 1878, I received a letter from my brother G - telling me that business was taking him to the land of the Turk, and proposing that I should accompany him on the journey. Before I had finished the letter I had quite made up my mind to accept the tempting offer, and within half an hour I had written to say I would go. I had several reasons for doing this. First, I knew that G - was an old and accomplished traveller, both in lands of luxury and in lands of hardship, and that with him as a companion rough roads would become smooth, dry bread a cake, a camp bed a luxurious couch, and hardships, pleasures. Then, for some years I had longed to revisit Turkey, and this longing had increased through the great interest I had taken in the war just finished in that unfortunate land...
Henry C. Barkley
The disturbed districts of Asia Minor,
a ride through Asia Minor and Armenia
John Murray
John Murray
A ride through Asia Minor and Armenia
Giving a sketch of the characters,
Manners and customs of both
The Mussulman and Christian inhabitants
By Henry C. Barkley,
Author of "Between the bandbe and the black sea,"
"Bulgaria before the war," etc
London:
John Murray, Albemarle Street
1891
Printed by William Clowes and sons, limited,
Stamford Street and charing cross.
| 
