Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1894-06-15
LIFE IN A KURDISH CAMP,
T yo AMERICANS ENJOY THE HOS
pIFALIrY or ASGArIC NomADS.
Spending Night In the Tent OF the
Wild Herdsmen Providing ihelf
DIVA Meals kurdish " omen.

TWO young American students'
Messrs. Allen and Sachtleben,
made bicycle tour around
tue world immediately after
their graduation. During their pas
sage through Asiatic Turkey they eel
ebrated the Fourth OF July by climb
ing Mount Ararat g. the first Americans
to accomplish the feat. Their course
lay through the grazing grounds oil
v Id Kurdish hcrdsman, but they were
provided with an escort of soldiers
through the influence of letter from
the Grand Vizir. In the Century they
give the following account OF night
spent among the nomads:
The disk of the sun had already
touched the western horizon when we
came to the black tents of the Kurdish
encampment, which at this time OF
the day presented 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 inclosure. Others were
busy making butter in churn which
was nothing more than skin vessel
three feet long, of the shape of Bra
zil nut, suspended from arude tripod ;.
this they swung to and fro to the tune
of weird Kurdish song. Behind one
of the tents, on a primitive weaving
machine, some of them were making
tent roofing and mating, others still
were walking about with n ball of wool
in one hand and distsff in the other,
spinning warn. The hocks stood round
about, bleating and lowing, or chew
ing their cud IN quiet contentment
All seemed very domestic and peace
full except the Kurdish dogs, which
set upon us with loud, fierce growls
and gnashing teeth.
Not so was it with the Kurdish chief,
who by this time had finished reading
| the mutessarifs message, and who now
advanced from his tent with salaams
of welcome. As he stood before us in
the glowing sunset, he was Il rather
tall, but well-proportioned man, with
black eyes and dark mustache, con
trssting we'll with his brown-tanncd
complexion. Upon his face was the
stamp of rather wild and retiring
character. although treachery and de
celt were ! v no means wanting. he
wore head-gear that Was something
between hat and turban, and over
his baggy Turkish trousers hung II
L., H. 4 4
large figured clcth bound at the waist
by belt of cartridges Across the
shoulders was slung hreech loa hing
Martini rifle, and from his neck dan
gled heavy gold chain, which was
probably the spoil of some predatory
expedition A quiet dignity sat on
Ismail Deverish 3 staiwart form.
1t WAS with no little pleasure that
we accepted his invitation to II cup OF
tea After our wal Of nineteen miles,
to 1000 feet, We were III hit condition
to appreciate rest That kurdish
tent, rs far as We were concerned, WAS
veritable palace, although We were
almost blinded hv the smoke from the
green pine branches on the smoidrf
ing fire. We said that the chief in.
vited us to cup of tea SO he did -
but We provided the tea and that,
too, not only for our own party, but
for half dozen of the chiefs personal
friends. There being only two glassrs
i'll the camp, we of course hal to wait
until our Kurdish acquaintance had
quenched their burning thirst. In
thoughtful mood We 8azed around
through the evening twilight. Fan
away on the western slope We could
see some Kurdish women ploddinQ
along under heavy burdens of pine
branches like those that were now IN.
migating our eyes and nostrIls. Acros,
the hills the Kurdish shepherds were
driving home their herds and fiocks Il
the tinkling of bells All this, to lis,
Was deeply impressive. Such peaceful
scenes, we thought could never be the
haunt of warlike robbers. The Hooks
at last came home; the shouts OF the
shepherds ceased; darkness fell ; ant
all was quiet.
One by one the lights in the tent,
broke out, like the stars above. A.
the darkness deepened, they shon,
more aud more brightly across tn,
amphitheater 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 woven by the Kur
dish women. This tenting was all o
dark brown or black color. TIL,
various strips were badly joined to.
gether, allowing the snow and rain
dur .ng the stormy night that followed
to penetrate plentifully. A wicker
work fencing, about three feet high,
made from the reeds gathered in the
swamps of the Aras River, was stretched
around the bottom of the tent to keel
out the cattle az we'll rs to afford some
little protection from tho elements
This same material of the same width
or height, was used to partition off the
apartments of the women.
Far from being yelled and shut up
in harems, like their Turkish and Per
, sian sisters. the Kurdish women come
and go among the men, and talk anC
laugh as they please. The thinnesl
and lowness of the partition walls did
not disturb their astonishing equanim'
ity. In their relations with the men
the women are extremely free. Dur
ing the evening we frequently fount
ourselves surrounded by concourst
of these mountain beauties, who woulC
sit and stare at us with their black
eyes, call attention to our personal cd