The Turkmans Hold The
Medicinal Powers Of These Springs, As Baths, In Great Estimation:
Women
as well as men use them for the cure of violent headaches, which are
very prevalent amongst them.
The fields of the Turkmans are sown with
wheat, barley, and several kinds of pulse. Their wheat was sown only a
fortnight before my arrival, viz, about the twentieth of February. As it
is only a short time since they have become agriculturists, they have
not yet any plantations of fruit trees, although the olive, pomegranate,
and fig would certainly prosper in their valleys. Thirty years ago the
hills which they now inhabit were partly covered with wood; the trade of
firewood with Aleppo, however, has entirely consumed these forests. At
present they cut the wood for the Aleppo market, in the mountains of the
Kurds on the northern side of the Afrin, and when that shall fail,
Aleppo must depend for its fuel upon the coast of Caramania, from whence
Egypt is now supplied. The Turkman hills are inhabited by vast numbers
of jackals; wolves, and foxes are also numerous; and I saw flocks of
Gazelles, to the number of twenty or thirty in each flock; among a great
variety of birds is the Francoline, which the Syrian sportsmen esteem
the choicest of all game. In the mountains of Badjazze, which borders on
the Turkman plains, stags are sometimes killed. The Turkmans are
passionately fond of hawking; they course the game with grey-hounds, or
if in the plain, they run it down with their horses.
The population of the Ryhanlu Turkmans may be roughly calculated from
the number of their tents, which amount to about three thousand; every
tent contains from two or three to fifteen inmates. They can raise a
military force of two or three thousand horsemen, and of as many
infantry. They are divided into thirteen minor tribes: 1. The
Serigialar, or tribe of the chief of the Ryhanlu Turkmans, Hayder Aga,
has five hundred horsemen. 2. Coudanlut, six hundred. 3. Cheuslu, two
hundred. 4. Leuklu, one hundred. 5. Kara Akhmetlu one hundred and fifty.
6. Kara Solimanlu, fifty. 7. Delikanlu, six hundred. 8. Toroun, sixty.
9. Bahaderlu, one hundred. 10. Hallalu, sixty. 11. Karken, twenty. 12.
Aoutshar, twenty. 13. Okugu, fifty. The Serigialar derive their origin
from Maaden, the Cheuslu from the [p.635] neighbourhood of Badjazze, the
Babaderli from the mountains of St. Simon, the Halalis from Barak. Each
tribe has its own chief, whose rank in the Divan is determined by the
strength his tribe; Hayder Aga presides amongst them whenever it is
found necessary to call together a common council. His authority over
the Ryhanlus seems to be almost absolute, as he sometimes carries his
motions in the Divan even against the opinion and will of the assembled
chiefs. He settles the disputes, which occur between these chiefs, and
which are often accompanied by hostile incursions into one another’s
territory. The chiefs decide all disputes among their own followers
according to the feeble knowledge which they possess of the Turkish
laws; but appeals from their tribunal may be made to that of the grand
chief.
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