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

syrians. The weight Of evidence probably Ia in
favor Of assigning similar origin to the Neg
torians. but a very competent observer tina
Moravinn Jow. Benjamin H.. who visited tho
Kurdish Mountains in 1865. regarded the Jews
whom he found there and the HISTORIAN Chris
tians as one race, no less distinct from the ChAl
dale Christians than from the Kurds His view
ls sanctioned by n curious tradition of the Nes.
tOrians. that their ancestors were Jews Of tina
tribes OF Zebulon and Naptbali. trnnsplapteJ
from tho land Of Israel by the Assyrian King
Tlglath Peser. There is nothing improbable
In the notion that the Assyrian monarch mirht
have settled the abducted tribes in the Kurdish
Mountains, whose inhabitants were probably az
wild and lntracable then ma they have been Al
all times since. Indeed. tho Turkish Sultan has
Just done an analogous thing by establishing
Circassian colony In the same quarter.
At Diarbekir. the post route. instead of crosa-
ing the Tigris goes southwark along the right
bank OF that river TO Mardin. known ia classit
times as Mosius. and still one Of the chief cities
in the province Of kurdis,an. The original site
was upon the summit OF the almost perpendicu-
lar rock which caps one Of the highest peaks Of
tho Ante-Taurus range, and upon which tina
ruins Of castle walls still stand out againstthe
shy at a height Of five hundred feet above tho
present city. When the older town was founded,
or by whom. is unknown but tradition makes
1t successfully resist tho repeated assault Of
Tamerlane. in the latter part OF the fourteenth
century. We are now beginning TO coma
within the direc, influence Of the old Abas.
sid Caliphate. and accordingly we find that
the language Of Mardn is chiefly Arabic.
though Kurdish is largely spoken in thu
markets. and Turkish in all transactions
with the Government. In one respect thiG
city differs from almos; all other towns in
Asiatic Turkey. namely. thatthe Moscm. Chris
tian. and Jewish portion OF the population do not
occupy distinct and isolated quarters As n cons
sequence. the Mos'ems are Less clannish and Ices
fanatica than is usually the ease. Nevertheless
Mardin is now. us it has always beer. n great
centre Of Mohammedan learning and the
maGTessas. or Moslem colleges, arc perhnps
the most spacious and well equipped In thu
whole East. Mr.. Geary's description Of one Of
them. with its Nhultcd halls. wide vcTandas,
and noble quadranRles. all fashioned Of hewn
limestone, carries the mind rather to Oxford or
Salamanca than to an obscure city in the heart
OF kurdistan. There are many other nna
specimens Of Saracenic architecture here and
the general effect Of the stone houses built in
terraces. one nboye another. is very striking.
Owing 10 its situation. Mardin does not suffer
from defective drainage, and the healthy. hand
some children running about tic streets speak
Geary pronounccs the women Of this place The
most beautiful Of Asia. and. remembering their
brilliant black OF brown eyes. and rich compcx-
ions like those Of the lruucitcs Of the south OF
France. was not SURPRISED to learn. az he did,
aiorward, that the hours Of Paradise are sup
posed 10 come from Mardn. II appears THAI
since the foundation Of n Cirvassian colony in
the neiehborhood female children arc fire.
quently kidnapped ia the enyirons of THU town
and quietly transported by a species of UNDER
ground railroad 10 the private slave markets Of
Stamboul. when grown. maiden of this typd
will easily command from $1,000 TO $4,000. and
Mr.. Geary. who was fortunate enough 10 secure
photographs OF some Of them, assures US that
the fair originals would not be dear at tho latter
figure. He goes on TO mention soma items in
tie bill Of fare on which these interesting girls
are fatened by the Circassan statesmen. u
seems 10 consist principally Of milk and leutils.
supplemented with plenty Of swecimeats. and
while tho well shaped bones are being padded
by this treatment the skin is soitencd by tho fire.
quent use Of the bath and OF cunning une uents.
From Mardin to the important commercial
city Of Jezeerah. which lies on loop Of
the Tgris, the road trayerses a relatively un-
peopled and untitled country. containing nd
town or village Of special interest except Nisi-
bin-the Nsihs of the Romans-anuthcr I thu
)
agains, parthinn and Persian. Nislhis now
a small. open Element. omhracing som, thrca
hundred and fifty families but Dana. the third
antique fortress. some six hours lurthrr to the
west, 10 still gin 10y is Roman wall. nearly
three miles in circuit. and butlrcs-cd by sixty
towers. All along this section of the route thu
sodentHry inhabitants. both Mussulmans and
Christians have lately suffered much from thu
deprcdnions Of the Knrds but these mnrau-
ders do not seem TO have molested our travels
Ter. although the latter was escorted hy only
two Circassians Approaching Jezcrrah. hd
crossed an arm OF the Tgrs by partially
ruined bridge. whose piers. however. hc found
solid enough TO carry the girder, OF 4
railway. The place is so centrally situated
that it ought always t. DO an cuiorium OF
notable importance. The distance 20 Trchizond
il only fifteen days. and the routes from Mosul
TO Diarbckir. MS well as from those cities TO
Erzoroum and Kars. and 10y Lax Van TO Baya-
lid and Eriyan, pass through it. But Just now
It Is apparently in process 81 slow dccld nee.
partly owing to the interference Of the nomads
with lis trade. and partly 10 tho nsnlubrty OF
it, present site. Mr. Geary found the Chaldean
Bishop at this placc speaking French and ltal-
ian, and possessing quite Il library of books in
those languages as well as in Latin, CAaldaic.
and Arabic. The gem ofIhis collection was a
transcribed 10y a Chuldean Bishop. whonnished
his aborious task. as he curiuusly states on tho
ny leaf ing the Mosem instead Of the Chris
tian era; IL tho month Of R0madnn. in the
year Of leiira ZOO Tho traveller observed
that HE episcopal host although he had been
educated In Europe and eyinced such cultivated
tastes. ate with his fingers ia Ia Turk
lIenceiorward The travellers route lies south-
ward along the left hank II the Tisrs. and on
the rond between Jeaeerah aud the village Of
Nahirvan Mr., Gcary had an opportunity Of
witnessing Unconstitutional sport which. by
the way. had been described many centuries
before him by Marco Polo. We refer 10 thu
/ hunting Of Ga2ollos Us greyhounds. The dogs
are OF Arab breed, and although not So large M
those OF western Europe. are ucompnrably
more symmetrical and graceful wAla thoir
/ hlg, lustrous eycs almost rival those OF tina
ga1elle itself Tho greatest caro- is taken o.
\ them, each hound having q little coat gay with
scarlet edges, TO keep him warm in the cold
morning air. II is also worth noting that all
tie way from j'2'oroh o. the ruins 40 Nmnyeh
| the post track follows the line of the retreat 4
] hoe a. 4 .tt .ffta