Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-06-27
Terminus Of Caravan Route.

ern caravan route from Persia, and about
thirty per cent Of The commerce of this
city is carried back and forth on camels.
The road over which the caravans trav-
ell is the same that Xenophon followed in
the retreat of the Ten Thousand. 1t has
been kept in fairly good condition all these
centuries, although it is scarcely fit for
vehicles.
In former years about twenty thousand
camels arrived annually at Treblzond,
each carrying from four to five hundred
pounds. So much of the trade has been
diverted through the caucasus by the new
Russian road from Teheran to Resent,
and the railway through the Caucasus.
that not more than eight to ten thousand
camels are employed at present.
The distances between the principal
points along the caravan route are as fol-
lows:
From Trebizond to Erzerum. 1893 miles
Persian frontier re tie to Tabri.. . lss
Tabriz to Teheran. .............. ia
Total distance from Trebizond to
Teheran. $50 miles
The caravans usually take sixty days
for the journey each way, twenty-four
days from Trebizond to the frontier and
thirty-six days from the frontier to Tehe-
ran.
Formerly travellers for Teheran used to
20 that way and made the journey upon
swift moving camels In about twenty
days. The route to Persia via steamers
on the Black sea to Batoum, railroad
across the Caucasus and steamers on the
Caspian sea is quicker. shorter and cheap
er, and hence the trade goes that way.
Twenty Years on Route.
The caravans stop at kahn las the. old
fashioned hotels are called, where enter
tainment is given to both man and BEAST
just outside of the city We went down
there to see the cameis and their drivers.
Two hundred camels had just arrived
from Persia after a journey of thirty
days. bringing twelve hundred bags of
rice. I talked with the boss driver. gi-
zantic Persian with a broad, cheerful
face who told me he had never been any
where but along the same route between
Tabriz and Trebi1ond. and had Travelled
that regularly two or three times year
for more than twenty years
Caravans often went to TIBET ana as rar
as China, he said. He had never been
that way far.
mon species of dromedary with only one
hump. and cost all the way a;. from aar nIty 10
cording to age and condition. There is no
regular system of camel breeding in Asia
Minor although that animal Is the only
beast Of burden and is absolutely lnois-
pensable.
Most of the animals used here come
from Arabia. where they are bred oy the
Redoufns At the age OF three years they
are broken to load. The strength or
camel begins to decline at twenty years.
and after he reaches twenty-five he is not
worth much. :.
groups of seven came!s. IN charge OF one
man. who leads them, feeds them and
cares for them from the time he is twenty
years old until they all die together.
camel driver has no nome. He Is a
nomad He never mas anything but the
clothes he wears.
He sleeps with one of his camels for
n;ltow II might be said that he eats the
aarne food which consists of straw and
beans. -,
A caravan Is usually led by little dom
kew. For camels, as well as human be-
inEs, will follow donkeye wherever they
may 70, in q most mysterious manner:
A camel Is never relieved OF It's load
from the beginning to the end Of a jour-
new. II eats, sleeps ana travels under its
burden. often for weeks at q time. and
win carry six hundred pounds without a
when the load ID OFF the driver rides.
When the load is on he walks by the side
Canes are. used for all kinds OF pur-
noses the same as q horse. They are
broken TO saddle and to wagon. They are
hitched to plows and haul saw logs out
they can 20 for ten days over a desert |
without water, Their stomachs are d. |
vtfiad into compartments and the contents |
are diRAsted In order. one after the other. |
a the eystem needs nourishment.
And Il Is often said that NTH stom- |
ach" IL kept as a reserve for an emer- |
renev