Wichita eagle., 1888-10-27
MOUNT ARAFAT.

"Hold, am not coward as you al vii
acknowledge since you know where have
Travelled and where | am now on my way
but not for all the gold which these temples
once contained would l ever undertake again
TO ascend Mount Ararat, the accursed noun
tain
IL was De Thcn who was speaking TO US
three Of his friends who were seated with
him one superb moonlight night among the
ruins Of the temples Of E-arEak, in Upper
Egypt. After long ranbIs through those
mute vesttges Of the ancient civilization Of
the PhsraCts VIE had ali stretched ourselves
- the warm sand that the winds Of the desert
lad heaped among TIE stones, and each one
seemed TO have given himself up 70 his own
special reve-ies. De Thon, whom fo-5u-
nate chance had added 20 our little com
pany on the shores OF the Nile when he was
making his final preparations for q voyage
through the country Of the GaIlas, had Just
cone Up 20 join Us as be mad promised And
it was he-tbis dauntIess explorer Of regions
hitherto unknown; this tall, powerful 2
built fellow, six feet in his Moorish sandals
Of red leather, whose superb figure and
proud bearing indicated no ordinary degree
Of energy, courage and daring, who was
openly eonfessing to having been overcome
by fear at least once il his life It was Ger
family very strange, 20 say The least Of i.
lie slowly seated himself on 8 ruined col
t-ln half buried IN the sand, and as if the
recollection Of this adventure cvercaEne him
still, he began 70 relate il to Us. All the sur
rOundings were wonderfully IL harmony with
his narrative Behind Us, the ma les,ic chaos
OF ruins; masses Of marble Jet black, and
milky white, and around Us the silence Of
that vast stretch Of sand only broken by the
distant howl Of the jacAaI and the hou hou os
the owl
had just been through the whole Turco-
Russian campaign II Asia'GInor. and many a
time had fought side BY SIDE with my friends
the Georgians and the kOurdes Assoon as the
war was ended stopped for a time in Bay
azed. One day, l do not know WAY. this
Colossus of the Caucasus, whose snowy SUM-
nit rose before ne, and on which l had been
gazing incessantly. seemed 20 exercise per
feet fascination over ne, and | determined
~.nen and there TO make the ascent. I have
always been apt TO yield % sudden impulses
hurried TO the pasta governor Of the town,
70 communicate Ely intention and ask his Sd-
vice
do not attempt it, he said That
mountain Is haunted by evil spirits; the Agri-
Dagh devours the inIpio9s VINO dare 10 tread
the green turf On its sides. But know YOU.
b. de Thon, and you ne7gr viii give up this
wild idea II you viii 10. choose twenty of
MY best horseuen as an escort; they viii &C
OInpany you to the foot CT the mountain, If
you desire it, bat not the bOldest among them
would venture 10 set his foot Oh the side Of
1.-THE Mother of the World, from whose black
tr2cks even the birds Zee IN terror" had
4 4aady in my service the Albanian whom
thhave ali seen on board my ''dahabieh,"
! and who would follow me into the very Jaws
Of deaGs- CzS day when his BODY was about
TO swing from the gibbet for one Of those
inuuynerabls peccadl-oee which cost mans
life IN time Of war I had interceded for
him and obtained his pardon he swore
eternal gratitude, and has Shown himself
ready 70 prove it by the willingness with
which lie has accompanied me- in my
perilous wanderings 70 the center Of Africa
So l determined 20 start with Ali. and
after a rough ride we resched the foot
I Of Mount Ararat The chief Of the escort,
,Sho had frequently shaken his head in an
ou1inous manner as we rode along. now
qutt5ed Us without uttering a word 70 wait
oTfs. lsturn near Nakhitchevan. and xe we're
leK entirely alone We had brought a plen-
tiful supply OF provisions. These l confided
to little shepherd who vas guarding his
& flock not far from Us, and made him promise
I to keep them for Us and meet Us at the same
/ place On our return il the evening Then we
started TO make the ascent. Day Was Just
Z breaking, the SKY wGs pure, the atmosphere
E cain, and we wore quite sure OF being able
to return by twilight. How shall describe
( tho ascent Ararar Is more than 1900
feet high, and often as ve came upon the
4 Of We -,afN - r., !
/ v1acing 10 the assault Of bare and totter-
ing walls, which crumbled IL fragments at
our feet Still we got along bravely. tri-
lphine over tnuUe-able difficulties, and
spaIly drew near the summit Neverthe-
u tAls time the sun had ALREADY passed
Viz, zenith. During our Journey we had
gradually exhausted the stock Of provisions
which we carried Il our pockets, and to en-
able Us To struggle against the fatigue and
giddiness consequent upon tie ascent we had
eIuftied the East drop IN cur goUrd | was
about 10 give she order TO start On our re-
turn, when toy Albanian VINO for some min
sutes bad seeg,led very nervous and disturbed
Jas he scanned the sol closely, suddenly ex-
sclaimed:
"Master, where are the stouesg"
''W bat stones 90 you lDeaug-
a .sWhy, the stones that We could see above
us from where we were standing fex min
utes aso. These On which Noab's ark rested
5durS,S the deluge-where are tasyF'
4 'SPou are crazy, Ali. Do you not see that
'theysre covered BY hundred feet Of snoygl
Come, don't ssop TO think about thau-con,e,
ies Us hurry 70 begin our descent, OF night
viii overtaLe Us, aud See clouds ga5derin-
on the plain below
That l. very unfortunate" replied &c,
''but We ought to be abe 70 see those stones.
Woe 70 ham who clIn1S 50 h.-a on this
uourtain and fails 70 tCucn VIII hiS Band
the slcrod rock froa whence lie descended
again upon ths cart
By tbs time a piercing, icy wind began to
<i9w.
It now seemed 70 ne SO each step that nv {
see were WEI GIFTED down with hundred pound .
e-szhts; there WIS 4 ringing II cur ears. our
u came II Gu,cS gnsps, and IL was evi- 4
That We must descend "a quickly a. pos- 4
<a.Aro avoid saLOca-lOD from the raretac- 4
4cn C the ar. For awhile we proceeded 4
Without PAUSE. We descended the s.cces OF /
kIaciers sld stepped over tie ridges Of CD (
idian, shining AID slippery as glass, but soon
sle clouds enveIoped Us, and we entirely lost +
sur bearings Stumbling along the steep
iGces OF the cone. we continued CIR dissent
IN a ziszc5 fashion, while TIE SUI szuk
sJsRer and lower in the horizon Finally we
Emerged from tie fos. patches q snow al .
,rrased VITA masses OF blac.eueG rock. We
trere now ii ravine which We were con- !
tsllei 20 cross Suddenly ny companion (