Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1867-02-08
Foreign cqrrespondSnee Of the Free Press.
Letter from Turkey in Asia.
TRAVELLING IN 1nE FAST.
-n','r,. Editor, or&e Free Pr,.:

ss' VI TINS eountrys material curses. Ec
thousands ofyears the people have been conien
to carry their merchandise on the back Of horse
and mules along rough and dangerous bridl
paths across the high mountains As a cou,e
quenee much Of the wealth of the interior hsi
renamed undevelOped or gone to waste for lacI
Of a near anu accessible market
For travellers, provided they are strong men
these roads will answer very we'll; t when
the problem is 10 travel with fanily-Iad,
snd small children-it b,scmes q little MOI
serious msiiFs. This vas the probl,m for US 10
soi'e when We proposed 10 leave our home n
high aud cold ErzroOm and spend a season "
the seaside. aggravated as the sppsOsoh Of win
tar inersssSl ;ae dagger afcold storms by the
SH5.
There are several cont.ivances bv which II q
exposures and iatigues Of such a journey is
mitigsted. One is called "tackhtrayan." :"
This is large covered box resting on Two shafts
which extend iorSard and backward, sufficient
ly far for horse to stand between them. THIS,
you see, requires tsO horses, Masking it the
most expensive manner Of travelling especially as
the "takhtravan" is heavy requiring frequent
relay OF animals, thus eblging you to psy for
four horses. Becsute it d ibss expensive. and
also vs-y iaSSaSenient, it Is used enly vhtn
absolutely necessary.
simpler and much more common contriy-
ance i. the "mofah." This is a box With A ton
IKE a carriage tOp-a Psi. sf them beng ias,-
eaed 10 The two sides Of one horse. These. when
large. will answer for either grown people or
children. but are sometimes made small express
y for children. Large basket. also are fire.
Quenily fitted up for childrea iSom two to ten
years Of age
Ny wia is bitterly prsiuIiced against all
these contrivanees and has heretofore managed
to keep clear Of them-and for this Journey also
she fully resolved to stick to the back OF her ine
easy donkey but snow storm coming up a
few days before We were to start led her to re-
ssct Ehst she would do on the donkey IN such s
storm As choice Of evils therefore she
yielded the point and accepted the ''mofah"
NOr is it strange one should have prejudice
against the mofIahs. They cannot be very
large. and grown person sitting in one with
the Necessary cushions so lls it up as to give 10
chance to move about Ofcourse after little
shi!e one gets very tired-so tired as sometimes
to DC in aa agony Of Isin. Besides, the motion
Of the LOflh produces in many q kind Of sea-
sickness. Then there is sense Of insecurity
which IS decidedly uncomfortable. II you sit
firmly on horse you feel there is something
solid and substantial under you. But to be
hung on the side Of horse, with nothing d.
rectly under, gives you the irresistible impress
sion that you are going hOpelessly down. Nor e
this insecurity entirely imaginary. The horse.
you see, is vCy heavily loaded, carrying a bur
den many TIMES Of not less than four hundred
pounds. and IS therefore much more liable to
fall. At one time the road was 50 slippery from
snow and ice that only the utmost e1ertion of
the muleteers prevented the mofsh-horse falling.
On several other occasions the same danger
arose from elayey mud.
The Westher was likely to be so cold that we
could net use tent, and We must therefore de
pend on such tgings SIS We could fad by the
way. These were generally the corner Of stable
CT rocm atj..uTr, but With cur camp bed
sieads, cur folding table aud chairs, our cooking
uteusifs Eol L. -. r,or,-eJ .. v,.No o,-
selves half com:or,sblc. Much Of the time it
rsiued Vh,n eyuy tit Of elastic, fur and wool
len goods Was called ir'o rsquisitiOn to keep Us
dry sud warm, ard sometimes we did rot sue
eeel. In crossing the LAST range Of mountains
the wild cold winds fI,d With sleet ard rain
beat hercely upon us. And when we were fair
ly down the mountain ard hoped to find bet
ter road snd an easier time; we were sadly dis
appointed. The new road, Of which 80 much
has been said. little OF which has been built,
proved tie worst Ct all. Being new and only
partially finished, the ran bad softeued il to
puDiee. When the horses attempted to pass 8
good part Of them became nearly buried in
1900 ~ NA4t AAA-+N ~ n" StNNh huAsc'
and laundering 10 the boticml6ss mire. For a
time We stood trembling L doubt how we we're
to avoid the same fate; but by careful engineer
ing, as cur good Father would have it, We were
brought safely through.
Thus in ten long, weary. wet and painful days
We performed a journey which by rail could
assf l.. a. I. - q. n IL.
same day.
The proposed Wsgon road across the mour-
tsins, if it s completed as it has been begun.
will be very handsome thing. 1t. is beauti-
fully graded and maesdsm;Ied, and the bridges
and culverts seem built in tie mos; workman
Ike manner. But at the rate which 1t is now
going forward, it will take generation or more
to complete il. Besides ihsre sIc q lot Of French
engineers ard bead d-voILuen, who eat up what
little money there is,-while tie work does not
60 forward If the Government would give the
contract to huild The whole road to an energetic
man, it might be done in year easily; but in
the hope Of pressing the villagers to work and
thus saving money, the Government will in the
end spend more money, while it is doubtful il
the rosd IS ever completed. AID the poor op-
pressed people mus; suffer for the folly of the
Government.
Thus ii is With eysry;h'ng-ihe people sre
constantly paying. Iaying, paying. to the Gov
eminent. but they get absolutely nothing in
return. How lODg-pIay teli-csn such rot
ten Aflair continue to exist,
Yours,
PvEr PRAISED. 1t is hardly time for
the " spring run" of original poetry, which
commonly comes with the sap in Vermont;