During the whole day we lay
in waste stubble-fields, exposed to the most scorching heat, and did
not mount our horses until 9 o'clock in the evening; about an hour
afterwards we halted, and encamped. The only thing good about this
caravan was the food. The Tartars do not live so frugally as the
Arabs. Every evening an excellent pillau was made with good-tasting
fat, frequently with dried grapes or plums. Almost every day
beautiful water and sugar-melons were brought to us to buy. The
sellers, mostly Tartars, always selected a small lot and offered it
to me as a present.
The road led continually through large, fertile valleys round the
foot of Ararat. Today I saw the majestic mountain very clearly, and
in tolerable proximity. I should think we were not more than two or
three miles from it. It seemed, from its magnitude, as if separated
from the other mountains, and standing alone; but it is in fact,
connected with the chain of Taurus by a low range of hills. Its
highest summit is divided in such a way that between two peaks there
is a small plain, on which it is said that Noah's ark was left after
the deluge. There are people who affirm that it would still be
found there if the snow could be removed.
In the more recent treatises on geography, the height of Ararat is
given as 16,000 feet; in the older ones, as 11,000. The Persians
and Armenians call this mountain Macis; the Grecian writers describe
it as a part of the Taurus range. Ararat is quite barren, and
covered above with perpetual snow; lower down lies the cloister,
Arakilvank, at the place where Noah is said to have taken up his
first abode.
20th August. We encamped in the neighbourhood of the village Gadis.
Many commentators of the Scriptures place the garden of Eden in the
Armenian province of Ararat. In any case, Armenia has been the
scene of most important events. Nowhere have so many bloody battles
taken place as in this country, as all the great conquerors of Asia
have brought Armenia under their control.
21st August. We still continued near Ararat; meanwhile we passed by
Russian and German colonies, the houses in the latter had exactly
the appearance of those in German mountain villages. The road was,
throughout, very uneven and stony, and I cannot imagine how the post
can travel upon it.
Today I met with another very unpleasant adventure. My caravan
encamped in the neighbourhood of the station Sidin, about fifty
paces from the side of the post-road. Towards 8 in the evening I
walked out as far as the road, and as I was about to return I heard
the sound of post-horses coming; I remained in the road to see the
travellers, and noticed a Russian, seated in an open car, and by his
side a Cossack, with a musket. When the vehicle had passed, I
turned quietly round; but, to my astonishment, heard it stop, and
felt myself, almost at the same moment, seized forcibly by the arms.
It was the Cossack who held me, and endeavoured to drag me to the
car. I tried to release myself, pointed to the caravan, and said
that I belonged to it. The fellow immediately stopped my mouth with
his hand, and threw me into the car, where I was tightly held by the
other man. The Cossack immediately jumped up, and the driver urged
his horses on as quickly as they could go. The whole was done so
quickly that I scarcely knew what had happened to me. The men held
me tightly by the arms, and my mouth was kept covered up until we
were so far from the caravan that the people belonging to it could
no longer have heard my cries.
Fortunately I was not frightened; I thought at once that these two
amiable Russians might, in their zeal, have taken me for a very
dangerous person, and have supposed they had made a very important
capture. When they uncovered my mouth, they commenced questioning
me as to my native country, name, etc. I understood enough Russian
to give them this information, but they were not satisfied with
that, and required to see my passport; I told them that they must
send for my portmanteau, and then I would show them that I had
permission to travel.
We came, at last, to the post-house, where I was taken into a room;
the Cossack placed himself with his musket under the open door, so
as to keep his eye continually on me; and the other man, who, from
his dark-green velvet facings, I supposed to be one of the Emperor's
officers, remained some time in the room. At the end of half an
hour, the post-master, or whoever he was, came to examine me, and to
hear an account of the achievements of my captors, who hastened,
with laughing countenances, to give a complete statement of what had
happened.
I was obliged to pass the night, under strict guard, upon a wooden
bench, without either a wrapper or a mantle with me, and suffering
from hunger and thirst. They neither gave me a coverlet nor a piece
of bread; and when I merely rose from the bench to walk up and down
the room, the Cossack rushed in immediately, seized my arms, and led
me back to the bench, telling me, at the same time, that I must
remain there quietly.
Towards morning they brought me my luggage, when I showed them my
papers, and was set at liberty. Instead, however, of apologizing
for having treated me in such a way, they laughed at me; and when I
came out into the court, every one pointed at me with their fingers,
and joined my gaolers in their laughter. Oh! you good Turks, Arabs,
Persians, Hindoos, or whatever else you may be called, such
treatment was never shown to me amongst you!
