1829.3 AJah-s in General. 427 



adopting' the dress and customs of the Franks^ ceased opposing the Musco- 

 vites. The Armenian priests, who have there a beautiful church, came out to 

 meet their deliverers, who crossed in this place over the Euphrates on a very- 

 handsome bridge. In only ten days they conquered the district of Alaschquerd, 

 a country situated between the Colchide, on the N. E. ; Armenia^, on the east ; 

 Mesopotamia, on the south ; and C'appadocia, on the west. It was in this 

 region, which by turn belonged to Armenia and Cappadocia, that the Russian 

 general commenced the oi)eration which led him to Krzcroum. 



" This town is built upon a hillock, crowned with a bastioned castle, and 

 lined with a few cannons ; the houses of the city are stone-built, with flat 

 roof made out of beams covered with earth. Grass grows there, and sheep, 

 goats, and asses graze in the centre of the city as they would in a meadow. 

 On perceiving the inhabitants issuing from their dwelling-places, one might 

 fancy they live in dens ; but it is not the case, for there are very rich bazaars, 

 bezetias, and caravansaries atErzeroum. The bazaars are almost all covered 

 with terraces, which afford a passage to persons on foot. There are staircases 

 on both sides, so that when there is an impediment in a street by means of a 

 bridge thrown athwart it, the way is not interrupted. 



" The number of the Turks who inhabit Erzeroum amounts to about 

 fifty thousand families: 5,000 Armenian families and 100 Greek families. 

 There are a hundred mosques, with domes covered with lead, and crowned 

 with gilt globes and crescents ; and sixteen bathing-houses. The learned 

 people here pretend that their city was founded and their vineyards planted 

 by Noah. This,, at least, is one of the traditions spread by "the monks of 

 Mount Ararat, who tell of a great many other prodigies. 



" The commercial relations between Erzeroum and Constantinople were 

 establislied through the port of Trel)izoud, upon the Clack Sea. 



" The distance from Erzeroum to Constantinople is three hundred geogra- 

 phical miles, in a straight line, which is equivalent to thirty days' march for 

 an army encumbered with baggage, and marching only four or five leagues 

 a day. 



" The country is in a perfect state of cultivation as far as Pourtroum, five 

 leagues distant. Pourtoum is at about a league and one-third from the defile 

 of Ak-kalch, which is commonly the resting-place of travellers when the 

 country is not infested with banditti. The road from Pourtoum meanders for 

 seven leagues through the mountains. The country is well wooded; no steep 

 passages occur, although it be hilly ; and it is in the very same state it was 

 in the age of Mithridates. The fine village of Mamakotoum, remarkable 

 for one of the most beautiful caravansaries in Anatolia, is situated at that 

 distance. 



" From Mamakatoum to Cara-Colaz twelve leagues, half-way you cross 

 over the western Euphrdtes upon an eight-arched i)ridge, v/bich joins the 

 village of Manastos. The country is wooded and well cultivated. It was 

 there that the vanguard of the Russian army, marching from the east to the 

 west towards Constantinople, in order to envelop the sultan, and to overwhelm 

 him from every quarter, hailed at the time of the treaty." 



The dulness of the dullest month of the year, September, has been 

 happily diversified by the absurdities of the hi,<Th and mij^hty. The 

 court-martial on Captain Dickenson, at the end of three weeks, came to 

 its verdict in the following terms : — 



" The court is of opinion that the charges have not been proved 

 against Ca])t;iin Kicliard Dickenson. 



" That the charge stating tliat tlie ' Account of the battle given in the 

 Genuax log-book', eiToncously implies tliat the (/ciion had three Ottoman 

 ships of tile line opposed to her on the starboard side and ahead, and a 

 double-banked frigate astern, is frivolons and sroundlcss. 



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