The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-20
soMrB VIEW BOOKS.


a ssurBsy TsreuEh An.tsifa, Persia, ana
Turkestau.
Under the title OF A Ride Through Wssterp
Asia, by CLYDE BIonAM tho Mossrs. Macmii-
Ian have published the record OK a journey por-
formed in 1se5.96 from Constantinoplo to Rash
gar. Tho author, formerly an ohicer In the
Grenadier Guards, 10 now, we learn. q corre-
s~pondent for one OF tho principal English nows.
papers In southeastern Europe. Tho difficulty
of tho project which he contrived to carry out
will be evident whom we rccall tho fact that,
toward tho cad OF juno, 1895, when ne prepared
70 start upon mis- tour, tho troubles in Armenia
had reached an acute stage. Asia Minor
was reported to be shut against trav-
ellors. and an trade had beoa issued
forbiddinc all Europeans from entering
tho Asiatic provinces OF Turkey north OF tho
Lebanon. 1t was only owing to extraordinary
good luck that tho author OF this book was able
TO traverse AnAtolia and cross tho Persian
frontier. or tho four ways OF entering Asia
Minor Mr.. B!gham chose tho most direct, that,
namely. from the Bosporus TO Erzerum,
which 10 practically the capital o: Armenia.
Hardly any enc had followed this route kince
Capt. Burneby, and It was deemed Impractical
BILE. first, because It required a start from Con-
stantinoplc. whore the officials would DO uu tho
alert, md secondly, because it involved travel
ling through q part of tho country especially
hostile to Europeans and along o line
OF towns in each Of which a powerful pasha
would doubtless try to prevent q traveller from
going further. Nevertheless. It was this route
which our author resolved upon, and toward
the close of July he left Constantinople, accom-
panied by q Turkish servant and provided with
an ordinary travelling passport, such 40 Otto
man subjects apply for.
without noting In detail the various obsta-
eles surmounted, we will merely say that our
author proceeded by rail to Angora. where
he finally obtained permission to 10 on horse
back two hundred and ninety miles further
TO Sivas. whence he could push on as he
might TO Erzerum. Bayazid. and the Turkish
frontier. or Angora we are told that 1t is moro
like q Ievantine than n Turkish city. being full
OF Greek. Italian. and Armenian traders. The
bazaars arc well stocked, but typical Ottoman
wares are few. Tho city OF Sivas. where lesser
Armenia begins, lies outside the beaten track,
and retains more of it's ancient beauty than
either Angora or Erzerum. which are in easy
communication with the coast OF the Black Sea,
and. therefore, have been more affected by the
advance oftime. The neighboring country Is sup
posed 20 DO rich in Hittite remains, but, as yet.
very few discoveries have been made. The few
Western arch,eologists who have attempted
TO supplement their literary researches by eNca-
vatiOns have been discouraged by the Turkish
Government. 1t appears, however. that IIandi
Bey. the curator of the Stamboul museum and
the discoverer OF the great Sidon sarcophagi,
has opportunities for exploration at Sivas
which are denied to Europeans, and tho hope is
expressed by our author that he will organize
some plan for excavation which may afford n
satisfactory yield. sivas is inhabited by Turks.
Armenians. aud Circassians, each nation ality
inhabiting a different quarter of the town.
Eurds also, migrating from one encampment to
another. pour in from time to time. Other birds
of passage are the Levan.ines and Jews. Seen
from the hill on the west, the city Is described
as IL little paradise. Built on n cool, sparkling
river, with gardens on its banks. 1t presents an
enchanting contrast TO the b%urnt-up. barren
country which surrounds It. Our traveller rode
straight to the Alton" or opium khan. where
he took tho best room he could get. The furni-
ture consisted of a long wooden settle, q greasy
rug. and an old brass clock. The khan was full
of Turkish traders. who were sitting in the pub
lie room overlooking the street when the trav-
ellcr came In. They talked little and smoked q
great deal, drinking small cups of Turkish cof-
Zee at frequent intervals. This coffee, We are
told, Is very good, but far too sweet. None Of
the traders Mr.. Bigham saw at Sivas ever
seemed TO be transacting business in any other
fashion. Tho only pretty things to be bought in
this place are the "kamchis," or silver riding
whips, which the Circassians make beauti-
fully; they are only made to order, however.
snd arc, therefore, seldom procurable by travel
lers. 1t is, our author reports. impossible to
exaggerate the ignorance and backwardness of
tho people in this part Of the Ottoman Empire.
They have managed to stand still for centuries.
There are no roads, no schools. no hospitals, no
attempts to do anything for the poor. A lofty
contempt for Europeans and their civilization
prevails even among most OF the educated
Turks, and barely one man in a thousand has a
dim idea that, perhaps, an enlightened and rep
resentative government might contribute to his
material happiness. At Kochissar, a town not
far to the cast OF Sivas. the Kaimakam. or
Governor. asked the traveller to lunch,
md proved to be exceptionally inquisitive
about railways. Was it true, he asked, that one
could travel a six hours journey in a single
houri When he was told that q two-days' jour
ney could be accomplished In one hour. he pi-
ously calculated, God Is great - but apparent
ly did not believe 1t, for he presently desired to
know how the train walked so fast. Mr.. Big
ham started upon a laborious explanation of the
machinery, but both his Turkish and his die
tionary failed him when he got,t to the piston ar
rangements. and tho Kaimakam smiled at what
be thought was his bad lying.
At Ersinjan. about midway between Sivas and
Erzerum. Mr.. Bigham found the gardens and
pavilions surrounding the town exceedingly at
t~ractive. These are built for the harems of the
flcu morchdnts- Inc BarueuS are ialu out IN the
straight walks. edged by row of dwarfed trees,
conventional Persian style; that is, in long.
thickly planted, and shallow streams intersect-
ing tho avenues. There is generally q fountain
or tank In the centre of the garden. but no
flower beds. The lodge or pavilion can accom-
modate eight or ten guests besides the perma-
nent harem. and the owners ride out from
the city in the long summer afternoons
and entertain each other In their gar
dens. In Ersinjan itself. tho long. covered
baEaars are well stocked with fruit. cot
tons, cloth. and silver. But the place is
mainly given over to soldiers; 1t Is the head.
quarters of an army corps which, it seems. is
exceptionally well equipped and disciplined.
The "hammams." or public baths. reputed very
fine, proved Disappointing. They arc low and
dark and quite bare of ornament. In Persia
the baths arc far moro pleasing. being lavishly
decorated with pictures. The Sunnis, or Turks
and Arabs of tho Sunnite or orthodox sect of