Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1894-08-08
IN A KURDISH CAMP.
A NIGHT WITH THE WILD HERDSMEN
ON MOUNT ARAFAT.

- iNioff tiiG WILL ti6hOOU.iN
ON MOUNT ARAFAT.
Two American Tourists Enjoyed ~. -
full Hospitality of a Kurdish Chief and
His Household Picturesque Scenes View
ed In the Twilight.
Two young American students
Messrs. Allen and Sachtleben-madea a
bicycle tour around the world immedi-
ately after their graduation. During
their passage through Asiatic Turkey
they celebrated the Fourth of July by
climbing Mount Ararat, the first Amer
icans to accomplish the feat Their
course lay through the grazing grounds
of wild Kurdish herdsmen, but they
were provided with an escort of soldiers
through the influence Of letter from
the grand vizier In The Century they
gave the following account of a 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 max
ing butter in churn which was moth
ing more than skin vessel feet long,
of the shape of Brazil nut, suspended
from rude tripod. This they swung to
and fro to the tune of a weird Kurdish
song. Behind one of the tents, on a
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
distaff in the other, spinning yarn. The
focks stood round about, bleating and
lowing or chewing their cud in quiet
contentment. All seemed very domestic
and peaceful except the Kurdish dog!
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 mutessarif's message, and who now
advanced from his tent with salaams of
welcome As he stood before us in the
glowing sunset he was rather tall but
well proportioned man, with black eyes
and dark mustache, contrasting well
with his brown tanned complexion.
Upon his face was the stamp of rather
wild and retiring character, although
treachery and deceit were by no means
wanting. He wore a headgear that was
something between a hat and a turban,
and over his baggy Turkish trousers
hung long Persian coat of brigh4 col
ored, large figured cloth, bound at the
waist by belt of cartridges. Across
the shoulders was slung a breechload-
ing Martini rifle, and from his neck
dangled a heavy gold chain, which was
probably the spoil of some predatory
expedition. A quiet dignity sat ON Is
mail Deverish's S stalwart form.
1t was with no little pleasure that we
accepted his invitation to cup of tea.
After our walk of 10 miles, in which
we had assembled from 5000 to 1000
feet, we were in fit condition to appre-
ciate rest. That Kurdish tent, as far
as we were concerned, was veritable
palace, although we were almost blind
ed by the smoke from the green pine
branches on the smoldering fire. We
said that the chief invited us to a 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 chief
personal friends. There being only two
glasses i'll 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 were now fumigating our |
eyes and nostrils.
Across the hills the Kurdish shepherds |
were driving home their herds and hocks |
to the tinkling of bells. ALI this to us
was deeply impressive. Such peaceful |
scenes, we thought, could never be the
haunt of warlike robbers. The focks 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 out, like the stars above. As the
darkness deepened they shone more and
more brightly across the 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 WOW
eli by the Kurdish women
There were no signs of an approach
ing evening meal until we opened our
provision bag and handed over certain
articles of raw food to be cooked for us.
No sooner were the viands intrusted to
the care of our hosts than two sets of
pots and kettles made their appearance
in the other compartments. In half All
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 IA eggs
we had doled 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
eso AhnOOCACC bUouuuly luulCIOuS-
Before turning in for the night we
our situation. The lights
in all the tents save our own were now
Not sound was heard
except the heavy breathing of some of
the slumbering animals about us or the
bark Of a dog at some distant encamp-
ment. The huge dome of Ararat, though
six 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 it
above the enveloping 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
to accommodate ourselves near
'he door, wrapped up in an old Kurdish
carpet. Policy was evidently better de-
7eloped trait of Kurdish character than
1ne ouner morning man Went 1nrC
q music store and asked for cave
Maria"
(Which one do you want?" asked in,
clerk.
"Oh, don't know whose it is, - he
said ''Give me the best one. +"
ssVUo1l ,x,o Lo,-o 1,,o ~, |