Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-10-02
THE SULPHUR BATHS OF ILIDJA.

1lidia. Turkey, an hour and a half by
carriage from Erzerum the capital of the
province of Erzerum. is situated in a vast
plain among the mountains $500 feet
above the sea level. 1t is noted for its hot
sulphur springs that como directly from
the sulphurous regions seemingly under
lying this part of ancient Armenia. 1t is
Il favortc resort IN the month of June for
the governor -genral. many OF the officials.
as well as the different consuls and their
secretaries who, taking their families and
and household gods. that is their sar-
wants and lows. pitch their tents by tho
sid" of 4 river where fish are to he caught
IN great abundance and whore the vllar-
ers, standing knee deep in water. wash
"and handing their clothes drying" We.
prefcrrnC house with a walled garden
to tent litc. went out for the day and ou-
joyed ii immensely. We drove through the
gates of the city under a deep blue sky;
great pillows of white clouds sweepir &
over the snow patched mountains and
over the peak girlled plain like an i'm
meuse flower garden. with great masses
of red ard yellow tulips tho blue forget
mo not, buttercups and daisies while the
scent of the wild heliotrope was in the air,
We passed large caravans Of ca,neis the
freight carriers from Persia to the Black
sea. They ere In groups, | might say of
seven, n rope from the pack saddle of
one, twice the camels length, to halter of
the ono behind and each group having ita
Persian leader. AristoCratic are these bur
den bearers, head high, tricked out with
brightly hued fringes. bells tinklug here
and there. Inquisitive they are too looking
you over with questioning slances ~
much as to say who are you and where
did you get that hat?" an unknown articlc
here unless worn by foreigners Then their
pack saddles, we'll may they be proud of
them-covered with kellms beautiful in de-
In nj hnt
suns " the desert nor the mountain rains
can dim their lustre This was their last
trip OF the season as they are laid of"
uncomplainingly. | imagine for the sum
ner. Their Persian drivers, by the way.
receive the sum of two dollars and twenty
cents for the round trip from Tebriz Per
STA. to the Black sea.
We met long lines of carts. drawn by
bufalocs or oxen, making a weird music
of their own as the axel turns under the
cart. bringing wood to the city which soils
for seventeen dollars a cord for not
stick is to he had within 2 distance II
twenty miles There We're many unyokod
oxen taking a midday bite from the fresh
green grass while their drivers lay asleep
under their carts, They always go wheth-
or camels. horses or carts, in great num-
bers together as better protection from
the kurds, who do not hesitate to swoop
down upon caravans and carry off any
Hundreds and hundreds of cattle from
the city of Erzcrum and the surrounding
villages feed over the plain, watcred Ey
the Euphrates, for every family has ITS
row OF more, and white Iurpaned, grey
bearded, men go through the streets at
early dawn and at n given signal front
doors are opened, for the same hall gives
exit to man and beast alike, and the cows
come out and are driven on to the plains
for the day and home at night, the man
receiving four cents a month for each COW
CLOCKS of sheep and goats. gaIncred in
The same manner grazing never far from
their watchful shepards make dark
patches on the green landscape.
We crossed a tributary of the Eiphrates
flashing on to join the main river on its
way to the Persian Gulf and soon Tidia
was in sight with the white tents of is
summer visitors cleaning in the distance.
IS one stored fat houses built of bricks
and mud and rather toneless as the green
trees that would relieve II are few and
FAR between. The chimneys are the main
feature, each room having one of its own
nrge, tall and square, many so fortunate
- to he adorned with stork nests and
cooking n 5 If made for their sole benefit
over the governor generals quarters
y aved the Turkish flag: the Persian's
loated over his many tents and the white
,lue and red Of the Russians shook out
Is folds over a high walled garden. After
aking rose leaf shrub and coffee with one
unch with another of fish taken from tho
liver while we waited. and tea and cakes
With third. we strolled over To visit the
lot sulphur baths for women. We found a
arge, circular tower open to the sky, an
immense pool OF bubblins warm sulphur