The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-01-19


trafflo Is scarcely one-tcnth Of what il would be-
como were railway communication established.
| Now having reached Aleppo. what direction
| should the Trans Asiatio Railway takof 1t
might be pushed to the Euphrates Mt point
south of Brink. and thence down the right
bank Of that river to Bassorah. or " that town DO
| considered too unhealthy for terminus, then
somo hundred miles further south to the port
| OF Koweit on tho Persian Cult This route.
which Gen. Chesuey surveyed, and which finds
many advocates in England. is PROFESSIONALLY
tho moro direct. and it's whole cost at a rate OF
1915 n mic, would not exceed 100000 600.
But It has tho drawback. seemingly decisive. OF
pass ing through n country which. although
naturally capable Of supporting large popula-
ton, is for tho most part. uncultivated and In-
settled, and for many years to come railway
through that great wilderness could expect no
local traffic to bring it revenue. There is
another route which Mr. Geary followed, and
which comedies with tho existing post road.
This line, preferable both for commercial and
strategic reasons. would proceed from Aeppo
to Biriik $4,000 inhabitantsl; thence to Orfah
t50.000) noxt to Diarbokir 100000; then TO
Marvin 100000 and so across the Tigris to
Mosul 100000; aftorward along the left bank
Of the river to Kcrkook 100000. and stopping at
Bagdad 100 000l. which city has regular steam
communication with the Persian Gulf and with
Bombay. These centres OF population, tax ing
into account the great stimulus TO production
offered by access 10 a market would render the
railway almost independent Of the through
traffic which. however could hardly fail TO be
enormous. with Persia India. and all the East
Mt one end Of the line. and with the Iovant and
all Europe at the other. In this case the dis
TANGO TO DO trayorsed from tho Bay Of Sean
daroon to the City of the Caliphs would be eight
mil In nj IN auf1ny "a tho rntp ulpyn
mentioned. would be $4,000. 900. or tho fact
that the railway could be carried over the pres
ont post route without encountering any con-
siderable obstacles. Mr. Geary has no doubt
whatever.
Between Aleppo and BirIik. tho next station
eastward on this road the traveller found
plenty Of companions tho country people con-
tnually passing and repassing In little groups.
while the khans or public lodging houses were
clean and commodious. Brink lies on the left
bank Of tho Euphrates. which. being swollen Mt
this season. seemed to be about u mile and
half broad; II is quite shallow however. nj this
point. and Mr.. Geary saw II forded by line OF
camels. The town is built on hill Of chalk, and
every house and mosque and minaret. ms well
a. its curious Notifications. are constructed OF
chalk-lke stone. which can often be cut with the
ponkniic. like cheese. The effect is almost as
binding ms Arctic snow. aud the stranger is
constrained 10 wear smoked glasses. Riding
thence eastward. across tho Euphrates Valley.
you reach. after n twelve hours journey. the
city II Orfah. passing II well at which. accord
ing TO a local legend Of great antiquity. Rebocca
drew water for the servant OF Abraham when
he was sent 10 Urr Of the Chaidses to find wife
for Isaac Here. indeed. we arc at the foun-
tain head OF early biblical tradition. At
Orlah for instance. you are shown Uf you
are a Mosleml q rock-hewn chamber in
which Abraham WAS born. as well rs the stone
cradle In which he WAS laid. So. too. the house
ia which job lived Is still pointed out.to the
north Of the city. The walls and fortincations
of orfah although nntiquHted. are kept in fair
repair: the streets are paved and Of reasonable
width and cleanliness seems to he better appre-
ciated than in tie majority OF Turkish towns.
We may mention here that the road from Brink
70 0riah was entirely free from robbers, notwith-
standing the absence Of the Turkish soldiers.
The French Consul told Mr.. Gcary that great
change had taken place in this respect within
twenty years. for formerly he and other resi-
dents had been accustomed to wait until sixty
men on horseback. all armed. had been coll
lected. so that they might have chance Of de-
fence against the predatory Arabs. And what is
true Of northern Mcsopotamia and Kurdistan
is parallcled IN Turkish Arabia. Scottish
traveller having been detained in Bagdad for
two months in 1888 owing to the city being be-
sieged by the Arabs. On the other hand drnudcl
Of troops AS lrak WAS during the late war. Mr.
Geary found 10 apurehcnsions OF tho kind en-
tertained boy the most tmid IN the walled towns
Of the Bagdad and Bassorah pashaliks. On
the whole, there seems 70 be no doubt that the
authority of the Sultan has been very -lstemat-
icaly brought homo 10 tic nonGds u his
Aslatic provinces during he past quarter Of n
II arfa NJ s,tg
had more than three attendants in his rides by
day or night, and often only one.
/ In the long Journey across country 10 Dlar-
bekir on the rll.ris. the first station on the
post route alter OItah Ia SuRrick known
"a sclucia in the days Of Alexander
/ SUCCESSORS, but which. OF course, will not
10 coniounied with tho great ruined city Of
4 that name. opposite Ctesiphon. Suarick is n
town Of some size. near the centre Of which is a
/ huge artificial mound over hundred feet high
/ the whole at one time having been cascd with
3 blocks Of basat and crowned with a citadel.
There Is something quite European in the
aspect Of tho surrounding country. For the
I frs: an only time in Asiatic Turkey the tray
eler here came upon fields cut of from each
! Other by rngu.nr fences and walls. The road
/ too, near the town, WIS broad and we'll macada-
miI-l, although 10 wheclcd vehicles were in
use. In suarick, and throughout tho Who'll,
route across upper Mesopoiauia. the popula.
ton 10 part kurd and part Turkoman with al
admlNture of Jews and Armenian and Chaldai,
/ Chr stiahs in the towns, We may add that al
tho way from the EuIhrates 10 Diarbekir Tia,
accommodations for travellers ia tho roadside
khans are beyond comparison scauty and un-
comfortable. Ii seems. however. that relays
OF post horses can always be secured. though
until you reach the confines Of Turkish Arabia
the animals are OF inferior quality.
Diarbrkir, tho Amida of the Romans. and one
oil the three great fortresscs which shielded III,
eastern frontier of the empire. stands on IL,
right bank u the Tigrs occupying tho Ieyelle,
top of a hill about a milo square. and som,
ninety feet above the bed of the river Tho cit,
has kept the Roman walls and towers tha
Justify the opithet. Kara 10y which the Turk.
describe lis grim and sombro appearanc @
Above the civilizations are seen the tall ant
shap'Y minarcts of tho Turkish mosques
mingled with a number Of square Roman
! church towers which have survived tho Vicissi
tudcs Of fifteen centuries About a milo from
the city there is a substantial stone bridge. one
| lull 81 whose ar lrh ara Clearly b. ntuu Ale,