Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-27

only on the last three or four thousand
feet of Big Ararat.
We were party OF five that left Con-
stantinople, camping on the deck of an
Austrian Lloyd steamer for Batoum. 1t
was a voyage of five days because of the
stops at various Black sea ports, as Ker-
assund, whence Lucullus first brought
cherries and hence the name for them;
Samsoun, which sends several million
pounds of tobacco leaf to America year
ly: Trebizond, where Xenoph6n encamped
after seeing 1.-The sea! the seal" and
where in the middle ages f1ourished
rich Byzantine court.
From Batoum Mount Ararat Is thirty
hours distant by the comfortable, dinner
less and. except for strong Whit OF
kerosene now and then. smokeless Rus
sian trains. At Tif1is where the cholera
was giving the outside world some
anxiety, though the city seemed uncon-
cerned enough. we added three more to
our party: Russian, German and an
Englishman. We already represented
Scotland, Switzerland and America. The
Swiss was an Alpinist of repute, who
had climbed most of the difficult peaks
of his fatherland.
There is only one train day from
Tifiis to the Persian border. and that
drops you before the journeys end at the
nearest point for Ararat about nightfall.
The mountain is still eighteen miles away
across the plain, and it is necessary to
sleep in the fever-ridden Tartar village
o
of the Russian official of the place made
this as slight an inconvenience pos
sible; indeed, one of the pleasant associa-
tons of the trip is the new idea received
of the courtesy and good entertainment
of the Russians.
From Kamarloo the party set out early
in the morning, fording the ancient
Araxes river and driving few miles to
the village of Aralykh. Here two hours
were consumed in making up the caval-
cade for traversing the blazing plain.
Cossack horsemen formed the advance
and rear, and there were six pack horses
The plain is desert OF sand ana ashes|
enthusiastically Mount Ararat was a vol
cano Camelthorn and a few other desert
shrubs dot the waste. The heat is suf-
locating; the sand. the stones. the air.
everything is scorching, and SO was
everybody on arriving at Takeltoo,
military post at the base of the noun
tain From there the path rises some
what abruptly to Sardar Bulakh, or tne
Sirdar's Well. at an elevation OF e,oo
feet.
The order was given to proceed in close
file and not to stray, for the region Is not
safe Toward dusk the cavaicade entered
the fort of Sardar Bulakh. where there Is
"a strong Russian garrison; II, is IN tiIe
saddle which separates Little Ararat from
Big Ararat Only six miles away is the
meeting point of Russia. Turkey and
Persia The spot is marked by simple
square pillar Of masonry
The following day was consumed consume IN m
making preparations for the ascent ana
in visiting the Koordish encampments in
the vicinity These koords have led a
nomadic existence for centuries, planning
their tents on the mountain In the sum
mer. descending into the plain for the
winter. They are half savages, their re-
ligion is poor kind Of Mohammedanism
their language kind of Turkish They
are a dirty. pitiless. fierce and at the
same time cowardly lot. Since such peo-
pie had to be the guards OF the party
and the porters of supplies to the night
encampment higher up the mountain
their chief Mehmed Beg. was invited TO
dinner. He was an exception 10 his lei
lows, man of superb build. dressed IN
the long Georgian coat, with tubes Tor
cartridges at the breast. and tall fur
bonnet. For generations his family had
ruled over the wandering tribes of Ararat.
Then came the Russians. who left the
craftsmanship in the same family, but
exacted a strict loyalty.
* x
The departure for the morrow. August
II, was set at o'clock. The Koords ar
rived duly. but Immediately began dis
putting about the weight of the packages
and refused to carry anything over twelve
or thirteen pounds. 1t was necessary to
rcpack several of the bundles. This ar
ranged, the beggars squabbled to see who
should get the lightest packages Finally.
toward o'clock. the march began. But
at the end of ten minutes the koords
dropped their burdens, threw off their
blankets and lay down for a chatter and
smoke. quarter of an hour further on
there was brook. Bang! Down went