St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1882-12-15
Letter from Turkey.


IA private letter written at a point twelve miles
from Amasia, on hillside under the shade of
| bush, en route from COnstantinOpe.
Our hillside perch gives us an eXten-
sive view down the valley below, with
no house nor hut in sight only the
peaceful cows grazing near reveal the
fact that there must be village with
in two miles. We have just partaken
of our evening meal, and as it was bet
ter than usual, | will give you the bill
of fare. First course, some cold meat,
cooked on an iron rod, turned before
the fire, fresh native bread, and sour
curd, which takes the place of jelly,
and cherries, neither sweet nor sour.
We do not camp near villages, and our
bill of fare does not vary very much.
, We expect to spend thirteen days on
} this trip with the exception of two
Sabbaths, we shall be eleven days in
travelling $50 miles, or over sixteen
miles per day. We rise at the first
dawning light, then donning our
clothes and combing our hair without
any disrepectful reflections from a mir
ror, thankful that no one will be
troubled by our crude appearance. A
towel is spread on the ground, which
soon is saturated by the heavy dew,
our muddy coffee is brought, to which
e we add some sugar and milk, if fortu
nate enough to have any of the latter,
r and with some bread we breakfast. In
the meantime our tent is packed away
and we mount our horses to follow on
after the long train, which is filing
4 along the road before us. The great
bells and little bells, long bells and
P short bells, all unite in the distance to
l. please your ear but like the Alpine
Il horn in Switzerland, when you ap-
proach the spell is broken. Some days
Il we wind up and up the steepest hills,
like those in ascending the bridle-path
of Mt. Washington, only to descend in
to a valley on the other side, abound
ing in wheat, rye and barley fields, ir-
Y rigated from the distant river or we
find vineyards in il deeper, warmer val
ley, with the rudely constructed watch
tower, consisting, perhaps, of two
rooms, one below for cooking and a
store-rOOm, and one above for sleeping
. and watching. 1t is open on one OF
two sides, as the vineyards may be To-
Gated. These families live for months
but in the early season there is much
sickness when they turn up the soil
and water it, and the water stands il
the deep burrows of the vineyards OF
rice-felds.
, Monotonous as this style of travelling
is, it sometimes affords some variety
for instance, the second day out from
Samsun was an eventful one to me, fol
after having gone nearly mile, my
+. horse slipped on stone and sat dow
-, on his launches like IL dog. | do no
h think he felt comfortable, and certain
IS, ly did not, for the horns of the sad
" die suddenly became horns of dilem
ma to me. Should | cling to them o
- sit down by the horse on the ground
| tried making the horse a bit uncom
'el Portable, and he using his understand
N ing, concluded to rise up equal to TIN
rf rf occasion, Just as the head man of th
e1 eG train came tumbling off from his hors
in to rescue me. Two hours later | care
Sc. lesslyallowed my hon sc to come too nea
he Il mule, young one, and he so sudden
Is ly lifted his feet, and to such a height
that they came in very close contac
- with one of my limbs, which was
S forcible reminder to me for over tw'
hours that he had lifted up his hee
against me.
nv As we came near the village of Ia
~ ,ss wax, Mr.. Perry suggested that W
me should proceed in advance of the trai
ny and rest at one of the inns for shOI
y time, but it was fore-ordained that W
should have a longer rest than we in
tended for Circassian hey elaine
that the horse upon which | rode ha
been stolen from him, and without an
Is. words my saddle was removed and til
horse taken to the government build
red ing. AS he was only hired for til
res Journey, we must sit down and wa
,e's until the parties interested could con
. to an understanding in the meantin
the hot sun shone into the lit
room in which we sat, the thund,
doomed in the distance, and four hOu
passed before we were allowed to d
part, and then | was seated upon
Is mule, who, after his kind, walked VIII,
If and where he chose, although l he
the reins, rs so many of our sex iii
acre to, yet could see his lips move like
and .nS camel's, and actions spoke palmer thi
sc; words, "pull away all you like, as
ent have the name, so | will have t
= i game.n AS soon as we reached car
due we parted company, never to me
T. again; no regrets on either sio
But, alas for the poor cartige, W
was obliged to give his note for {
,ate liras twice the value of the horse) ii
last at the end of thirty days he would pl
sent him in Samsun. My cartige te
"a, fair story, but no one dares cont