The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-09-21
IN A KURDISH CAMP.
a NIGHT WITH THE WILD HERDsMEN
ON MOUNT ARAFAT.

Two young American students
ifessrs. Allen and Sachtleben-made
bicycle tour around the world immedi-
ltcly after their graduation. During .
their passage through Asiatic Turkey /
they celebrated the Fourth Of July by |
climbing Mount Ararat, the first Amer /
leans to accomplish the feat Their /
course lay through the grazing grounds /.
IF wild Kurdish herdsmen, but they
were provided with an escort of soldiers +,
through the influence of a letter from
the grand vizier In The Century they
gave the following account of night
spent among tho nomads'
The disk of the sun had already
touched the western horizon when we
came to the black tents of the Kurdish
rncampmcnt which at this time Of the
day presented a rather busy scene. The
women seemed to be doing all the work,
while their lords sat round on their
launches. Some OF the women were
engaged in milking the sheep and goats
in an Enclosure. Others We're busy max
ing butter in churn which was Moth
ing moro than skin vessel 3 feet long,
of the shape of Brazil nut, suspended
from rude tripod. This they swung TO
and fro to the tune Of weird Kurdish
song. Behind one of the tents, on
primitive weaving machine, some OF
them were making tent roofing and mat
ting: others still were walking about
with ball of wool in one hand and
distaif in the other, spinning yarn. The
ilocks stood round about, bleating ana
lowing or chewing their cud III quiet
contontmcnt All seemed very domestic
and peaceful except the Kurdish dogs,
which set upon us with loud, fierce
growls and crashing teeth.
Not 50 was it with the Kurdish chief,
who by this time had finished reading
the mutessarif's message, and who now
advanced from his tent with salaams OF
welcome As he stood before US i'll the
glowing sunset he was u rather tall but
well proportional man, with black eyes
and dark mustache, contrasting well
with his brown tanned complexion.
UDon his face was the stamp of IL rather
wild and retiring character although
treachcry and deceit We're by no means
wanting. He wore hCadgCar that was
something between hat and Il turban,
and over his haggy Turkish trousers
hung long Persian coat Of bright col
urcd, large figured cloth, bound at the
waist by belt of cartridges. Across
the shoulders was slung Il brecchload-
ing Martini rifle, and from his neck
danglCd heavy gold chain, which was
probably the spoil Of some predatory
expedition. \ quiet dignity sat on Is
mail Doycrish's stalwart form.
1t was with no little pleasure that we
accepted his invitation to a cup of tea.
After our walk Of 10 miles, i'll which
we had assembled from 5000 to 1000
feet we We're in fit condition to appre-
ciate rest That Kurdish tent, as far
as we were concerned, was veritable
palace, although we We're almost blind
ed by the smoke from the green pine
branches on the smoldering fire. We
said that the chief invited us to cup
of tea. So he did, but we provided the
tea, and that, too not only for our own
party, bnt for half dozen of the chiefs
personal friends. There being only two
glasses in the camp we Of course had
to wait until our Kurdish acquaintance
had quenched their burning thirst. In
thoughtful mood we gaZed around
through the evening twilight. Far away
on the western slope we could see some
Kurdish women plodding along under
heavy burdens of pine branches like
those that We're now fumigating our
eyes and nostrils.
Across the hills the Kurdish shepherds
were driving home their herds and flocks
| to the tinkling of bells. All this to us
| was deeply impressive. Such peaceful
scenes, we thought, could never be the
| haunt of warhke robbers, The ilocks at
| last came home, the shouts of the shep-
herds ceased, darkness fell, and all was
quiet.
One by one the lights in the tents
! broke ont, like the stars above. As the
darkness deepened they shOne more and
more brightly across the amphitheatcr
of the encampment. The tent in which
we were now sitting was oblong in
shape, covered with mixture of goats
and Sleeps wool, carded, spun and woy-
Ell by the Kurdish women.
ing evening meal until we opened our
provision bag and handed over certain
articles of raw food to be cooked for Us.
No sooner We're the viands intrusted to
the care of cur hosts than two sets Of
pots and kettles made their appearance
i'll the other compartments. In half an
hour our host and friends proceeded to
indulge their voracious appetites. When
our own meal was brought to us some
time after, we noticed that the ii eggs
we had dolcd out had been reduced to
six, and the other materials suffered a
similar reduction, the whole thing be-
ing so patent as to make their attempt
at innocence absurdly ludicrous.
Before turning in for the night we
accommodated our situation. The lights
in all the tents save our own We're now
CXtinguished. Not sound was heard
except the heavy breathing of some Of
the slumbering animals about us or tho
bark of "a dog at some distant cncamp-
ment. The huge dome of Ararat, though
xix to eight miles farther up the slope,
seemed to be towering over us, like some
giant monster of another world. We
could not see the summit, so far was il
above the cnveloping clouds We re-
turned to the tent to find that the zap.
tiehs had been given the best places and
best covers to sleep in, and that we were
expected to accommodate ourselves near
the door, wrapped up i'll an old Kurdish
: carpet Policy was evidently better de
|, veloped trait Of Kurdish character than
hospitality,
sure OF Himself.
City Editor-Well, what did you learI
about that accident on the F., ID. and Q
railroadl
New Reporter-Oh, it was nothing.
City Editor-Nothingl Why, the dis
matches Sav H. WAS tarrihla