36 ACROSS THE TAURUS. 



On the second day of my journey across this uninvit- 

 ing stretch, night came down to find us still ploughing 

 through the snow, and I was not in the least surprised 

 to hear about 6 p.m. that we were off the road! To 

 complicate matters, the horses of the conveyance, with 

 my Persian servant ^ and the luggage, now gave in, and 

 could in no way be induced to move another step. All 

 round darkness and a driving snowstorm, and the 

 situation was sufficiently depressing. Fortunately one 

 of my escort of zaptiehs, who had galloped off to recon- 

 noitre, returned ere long, having found the track, and 

 taking Joseph in with me and leaving the cart with the 

 beaten horses until such time as we might be able to 

 send assistance, set off once more, reaching Kara Bunar 

 eventually without further mishap. 



As the road approaches Eregli all thought of follow- 

 ing even the footsteps of those who have gone before 

 has to be abandoned, since the plain develops into a 

 very tolerable snipe - bog. Through this my driver 

 plunged with stolid oriental composure, turning neither 

 to the right nor to the left, supremely indifferent to the 

 vagaries of the conveyance as it was dragged along, 

 now sunk above the axles in mud and water, now 

 balanced at an angle which threatened every moment 

 to end in total collapse, and it was vastly to my surprise 

 and in complete defiance of all the laws of gravity that 

 we did eventually reach our destination in an upright 

 position. The village of Eregli, on the fringe of the 



1 Joseph Abbas, a native of Tabriz, -who has however for long resided in 

 England. He first became associated with Englishmen on the Eiisso- 

 Afghan Boundary Commission in 1885. Before that time he had per- 

 formed the pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina, and has since talked with the 

 followers of the murdered Englishman Dalgleish in the heart of Turkestan. 

 The story of his travels would indeed fill many volumes, and I gladly take 

 this opportunity of acknowledging the faithful service which he accorded 

 me during the whole of my journey, till I reached civilisation once more on 

 the Siberian Eailway. 



