The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-18
LONG-SUFFERING ARMENIA
ONE OF THE MOST INTER EsTING
REGIONS ON THE GLOBE.

Resources and veEetation-BiiEht or Turk
ish Recommendations OF Armenian
National s~pirit-Rusaln ana Armenia.
There is no portion Of the Turkish empire in
Asia that offers greater Inducements TO the
traveller than the northeastern part of IL, gem
orally known rs Armenia But II will tie travel
without comfort. So rare 10 IL for strangers
from the outside world to be found in this part
of.the Sultan's dominions that food and loiR-
ing Of a civilized kind are unobtainap BILE even in
the largest towns. except In private houses.
Any one. therefore. contemplating n journev
from the Black Sea coast into tho interior
while tho country remains under the rule Of
the Turk would Da prudent to provide himself
with an equipment such as might DO taken on
a campaign. to avoid the worse than discom.
fort OF the insect infested hans at the stopping
places on the route.
The usual starting point for . journey hav.
Ing Erzeroum. the administrative capital Of
part of Armenia, for its objective. is Trebi-
zond. Tho name Of Treblzond carries one back
far into the past centuries. when the Greeks
were founding States and colonies on all the
coasts of the Their known world; and as the
capital OF an Independent Greek empire II has
q prominent place in ancient history. In ths
mountains round Trebizond one NAV still hear
spoken a language that varies little from the col
loQuial Greek OF the Homeric reriod. By a peo-
plo whose religion has preserved their national
Identity through the centuries since Turk
ish rule irst spread itsolf over this part OF Asia.
The relics and ruins of the now almost forgot
ten empire OF Treb!zond. tint are to be found
scattered over the region. show that under the
Turk the country has gone backward from q
com parative state OF civilization. Ancient
cities and towns have disappeared. population
has almost neen wined out. and savagery rules
over u country among the most richly endowed
To be found In any quarter OF the world.
The situation and natural dis advantages Of
Trebizond will never ueru.it Of It's becoming a
place of any great importance; and whenever
railway communication 10 pushed into the in
terror from the Caucacus or Constantinople II
will become n third or fourth rate town. The
Hinterland 10 a huge tumble of mountains
rising abruptly from tho Black Sea that form
the coast line from 1sreboli to the Tchoruk-
Su, thai discharges into the Black Sea near
Batoum. Its present importance is derived
from its being the port for the trade of western
Persia and the country round ErZeroum. Tho
tobacco specially prepared for the narghilly
smokers OF Turkey. called t~umibekf, finds its
way to market by a caravan journey Of about
thirty days, with camels and horses, from
Tabriz to Trebizond. the animals going back
from there to Tabriz being loaded with sugar,
cottous, and other Western merchandise. Dur
irg the season when travel is possible. the road
between these two points Is covered with never
ending trains Of camels, horses, mules, ard
asses, and sometimes of bullock. chariots nj o
model that las not changed since the days of
Nerxes. The conductors of the CARAVANS are
mostly Perslans, who have n generally bad
reputation as TO cleanliness Rnd honesty, and
being nj the Sheah branch Of the
religion are held IN contempt By the Turks of
the Sunni orthodoxy. But they have what
the Turk lacks enterprise and perseverance,.
Al the traveller leaves Trebizond and takes
the road up the narrow valley leading toward
Erzeroum. he turns his back on the sea and
the last trace OF European civilization. The
high road to Erzeroum from Treh!zond Is tho
outcome of the preparati ons made by the Turks
FOR the war OF 1877. The work was carried
on with great vigor By Sirri EGendi. n Cretan
Mussulman, at the time Vail Of Trebizoud.
with the cooperation of Sami Pasha. Cover
nor-General OF Erzeroum. For nearly $50 miles
1t was extended along the sides OF precipices,
over two chains OF mountains and through
for the fortresses OF Aruahan and Kars were
laboriously. taken up frou- the seacoast. TO.
gether with all the ,~quipments. arms: and
am unttion for tn, army OF Mnkhtar Pasha
during the campaign of lS77-7s. Travel ove-
1t is usually made on horses. but carriages are
aud are the most convenient for a European.
Cor the first few miles after leavirg Tr.bi.
zond the road runs along the bank of a small
river issuing from a gorge in the ZiEana range.
with high hills o. either side slopiug upM ard ut
sn a 1o he IA s. som sh ca s cnit u no de = ,cS:s y ot "h nHd
peasants hundreds Of fee above the road. In
the valleys are echoinu with tho lowing Of cat
tie, the beating OF sheep. the baying Of tho
let's. aud the noiss of the bell on tho caravan
animals. from the deep tone Of tho camel hell
Keeping cadence with the pare o. the snimsl.
1t 10 diriicult q realize that ono IS In q country
ia noy OF the dominant faith.
But the sense OF iLHecurity Is not fully felt
until the villages OF Diivislik of the Halnuts)
and Hamsi-Keut lanchovy town. aud the ham
lets on the northern slone of the Zigana are
passed. and the traveller finds himself on the
edge Of the great gorge through which aowa
the stream fed from the southern slope of the
L!Rana ana the steep clitis OF the kop Dagh.
ion. and here and thel Q are little while cha peis
and churches standing outsagainst the.luxuri-
ant foliage OF he forest trees perched on pin
nacies on the precipitous sides Of tho noun.
tains. TO which on Sundays an' saints days
the PEASANTS may be seen vending their way
Of com munication. One OF the conventional
stopping pl aces on the road is the village of
halt for the night. Here tie dwellings, are
built on tue hillsidss. and for the irst time the
traveller sees the nat rarthen rooted construe-
might DO easily lodged. 1t Is from II poin, on
this part OF tho road thAt tradition rays the
10. 900 Greeks on their retreat tron Persia
hrst caught sight OF the sea. and gave vent TO
their 10y in tins cry, 'srhalnssa. Thala ssa -.
From ZiEaua IN. the SAVAGE aspect OF the
country continues. and " matched by the even
more savage LOOK OF the Laze Inhabitants,
whose chief occupation Ia tobacco sInuggliLg
and hrigandaRe.
Striking into the mountains of Ardassa Tho
road passes through detles where n we'll
equipped band might hold an army H.. check.
A place called Brsh. Kiiisseh ltho five churches)
In an opening In the detiles. u RneXample OF
how. under the rule OF the Turk. only tao
name of u once Aourishing little settlement
survives. The iirst place of imp .rtance on tho
road 10 the interior 10 reached at GLnush-
haEeh tsilvertownl. so called after the great
silver. lead. and gold mines at tho head OF a
horseshoe gorge III the Ar.nssa Mountain, the
| antiquity OF which Is lost in the past
Tho records Of i've centuries ago show them
To have been then yialding great quantities Of
tho preoi rus metals. hui foi more than IL cen.
fury they nave yielded n%pthing. The mineral
was not found In rrins, but IN vast pockets.
the connections between with appear tn have
been discoyeret:more by accident than through
scientific knowledge. 4 few years ago sOmu
Germans began an exploration into the noun
tain from The innormOSt pocket, but the un.
certainty of eucceBs, Gumblncd with the end
less difficulties raised by the Turkish Admin
| Htrutian pauaAl IhA npnIanI Tn na abandoned