CONSTANTINOPLE TO ANTIOCH 



we met Mr. Forbes of the firm of MacAndrews 

 & Forbes, the largest dealers in liquorice root 

 in the world, which makes its exportations 

 mainly through Alexandretta or Iskanderoon, 

 as it is locally known. Mr. Forbes is intimate- 

 ly acquainted with the country around Aleppo 

 and knows all about the desert beyond. 



Mr. Forbes laughed at the idea of going to 

 the Desert at that time of the year, and said 

 that we ought to stay in Constantinople at least 

 until January before making the attempt. He 

 declared that we would be unable to stand the 

 heat, even in Aleppo, and that because the 

 Bedouin wars had been so many and frequent 

 for five years, his firm had discontinued the 

 shipping of liquorice from points near Deyr. 

 We admitted that our knowledge such as it 

 was, had been gained mainly from the books of 

 Mr. Wilfred and Lady Anne Blunt, written 

 thirty years before, but that we were prepared 

 to go to Deyr if necessary. 



Mr. Forbes still strongly advised against 

 that plan, but gave us ample letters to his peo- 

 ple at Alexandretta and Aleppo, and also 

 cabled them that we were coming. Mr. Forbes 

 owned an Arab horse in Smyrna with which he 

 had won the Sultan's cup in a race, and had 



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