New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-10-06
A DRIVE IN ASIA MINOR.
TRAVELLING BY WAGON ON TIE GREAT
SAMSoUN ROAD.
rrnou rrerIAn CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE; !

The traveller upon ole OF the stcanefs "hioh
nlv along the Turkish coast OF the Black sea
finds the Asatc system of civilization IN iuii
,os.sssior when he goes on board in the harbor
:, Constantinople. Even when he buys his saloon
,;oLst NJ the agency in Galata he meets the ques-
,,on DO you wish food ?" propounded as though
:, wore quite possible that, like the nomads. he
;ntorded 10 carry his food with him. On the
s,.amer. asile from the narrow space rallied of
for the use Of the few frst-class passengers, the
whole deck is occupied by the Asatc tourist
class who are established for the voyage as only
those can arrange themselves who arc wont to live
as in camp at oil times. The tent-life OF the
wilds is reproduced on the deck. Every man has
spread his bed on the most eligible spot which he
can secure and there, with his bag OF food and
his canteen of water he is ready TO live in comfort
for three or four days. But. II the notions OF
comfort prevailing among the deck passengers
seem TO place these tourists on lower plane than
the Western observer the warmth oil their part
inCs with their friends when the steamer leaves
her moorings RECEIVERS Tor them their place as
men. Here East and West are at one. These
homespun-clad. turbaned Turks use the same hand
shakings embraces and tears, the same last mes
sages called over the ships side. the same waving
OF handkerchefs TO the last moment Of vision. as
the more poished-looling Europeans.
thirty-siX- hours voyage from Constantnople
brings the steamer to Samsoun. the terminus OF
the great highway to Western Armenia and
Northern Mesopotama. Here there is no harbor,
and passengers perform interesting. if not grace
full aorobatic feats in jumping for the boat dur
ing the one precious moment that the wave-crest
offers it for occupancy. There is not even
brealwater TO protect the landing of the boats so
hct the series of wild leaps is repeated when the
boat reaches the shore. pursued only too closely
by the surf-rolleTs.
Are the carriages ready?' we ask OF the agent
who meets us. A" Oh yes; here they arel" is the
reply, and we stand awed in their presence Be
fore are several four-wheeled carts, whose out
line suggests a hogshead three feet and half in
diameter laid on the sides of the body of the cart,
which is six inches deep and about two feet wide
at the bottom The great round appendage on the
top of the cart has tattered canvas cover in lieu
of slaves, and in the centre of the bulge of this
cylindrical cover, four feet from the ground is an
opening about eighteen inches square, through
which the traveller is expected to enter his vehicle
You Chamber up and look in. The cylinder is
lined with ragged magnifcencc of Turkey red, but
there seats. and the Imprinted boards OF the
cart BODY slrw Spndry iron knobs and staples with
which your shns will make closer acquaintance
by-and-by. An inch or two of chopped straw COW
the bottom of the cart and on this are 81 read
the goat's-hair nosebags of the horses and the
drivers greatcoat of brown wool, which you may
use for a seat if you will Such are the spring
less Tartar wagons which form the conveyances
for passengers bound inland along the great Sam
SCUM road
The man is helpless who is cast away on a desert
island. But such one may experiment and
gradually learn the possibilities of his environ
ment Far more helpless is he who is thrown into
the hands of men OF an alien civilization for they
know the iron ruts of its uSages, ana permit no
suggestions of experiment or variation from the
rules OF the way. Your wagon has TO be packed
for the Journey and you can offer no assistance
and exercise control of the process. All your
baggage is to go inside Of the wagon You are
only an incidental part of the load. First the
men put in the trunk. 1t stands across the sides
Of the cart, leaving a yawnng void underneath
into which valise is crammed. Then the other
articles of impedimenta piled upon the trunk
or forced into the spaces at its ends until the
pact mas, Of baggage fills onethird Of the space
inside the vehicle Next your bag of bedding is
unccremoniously opened. the narrow cotton mat
tIcsS IS spread on the bottom, the blankets are ar
ranged in lieu OF upholstery on the sides of the
wagon and over the face OF the pile of baggage;
and then affairs GENE to Il standstin
Where is your rope asks the driver On
confession of ignorance of the uses of rope in
Asatic travel YOU are informed that the wagon
cannot go until a rope has been provided to tie
ZIP the baggage. The rope being bought the whole
mass of baggage, with the blankets that are 10
cushion VOW back is firmly bound down to iron
rings fixed in the body of the cart, and guyed
in "a way 10 resist grayitatiOn forward or back
ward or sideways. Your pillow alone is left loose
10 put under the place that aches" the driver
10 dr.
for start, and the driver goes off to harness
his horses and bring them around.
The thoughtful traveller will find his mind
exercised by the problem of the place where the
driver is to sit. For on entering his vehicle and
sitting fat on his mattress with his back bmced
against the pile of baggage, his feet will Just
reach to the front of the wagon. This problem
is speedily solved when the burly Turk who holds
the reins has put TO his horses lie climbs W on
the tongue, backs into the front of the wagon
and drops like a ton of lead on your feet. lie
looks round with an expression of panied surprise
as he encounters these hard objects where he
expected to meet the soft surface of your mat.
treSs. But as you involuntarily withdraw your
crushed feet, he settles firmly back with sigh of
relief cracks his whip, and away you go bouncing
over the cobbe.stones Of the SamsOun main street.
This is the first lesson Asia expects every man
TO sit cross-legged in its wagons.
The beauty Of the country and its high cult
Walton Is real surprise, as the macadamized road
leads up and up toward the mountains of the
coast range Wooded hills and green valleys
please the eye on every side, and surely these
ASatc wheat fields are not different from those
az nome. ionder is wide sweep of tobacco,
mere broad reach Of Indian corn There in the
Instance party OF men moving oats with the
IOhg swinging stroke Of the scythe. But for your
@Nof-hSe attitude on the floor of that absurd
pounoing cart you might imagine yourself riding
through bit Of Pennsylvania. But you
uraw near TO the reapers among the oats and.
oehoid they are women who WELD the scythe,
WIN their faces closely mufled in white cotton