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.
