42 CILICIA. 



none of the importance with which it was once invested 

 as the capital of Cilicia Secunda in the days of Augustus 

 and Tiberius ; nor can there be much resemblance be- 

 tween the ancient Tarsus of a million inhabitants and 

 the moderate town which bears that name to-day. 

 Nevertheless, though the glory has departed never to 

 return, Cilicia may yet rise again from the depths of 

 obscurity to which it has fallen, and claim for itself in 

 the future some small share of attention from the 

 merchant and politician. 



At the present time, judged by the modern standards 

 of trade and commerce, Mersina may be considered the 

 town of chief importance, since it is the seaport through 

 which pass the imports to and exports from the district, 

 while Tarsus and Adana, the capital of the province 

 and centre of administration, rank next, being con- 

 nected with the coast by rail. In the event of the 

 trans - continental rail being constructed as at pres- 

 ent designed, the importance of Adana will increase, 

 while Tarsus, deprived of the command of the one 

 great artery of communication with the interior, must 

 dwindle in proportion, and Mersina, should a more 

 suitable harbour be found at the terminus of a branch 

 from the main line to the coast, sink into comparative 

 insignificance. For the time being, however, whatever 

 may be its future fate, Mersina flourishes, and it was 

 to Mersina that I hurried as soon as the somewhat 

 scanty service of the M.T.A. railway admitted of my 

 doing so. 



Arrived here, I found a typical seaport town of the 

 Near East. A central thoroughfare, enclosed on either 

 side by the familiar shops of an oriental bazaar, which 

 have the appearance of little square boxes with one 

 side knocked out ; the vendors squatting idly among 

 their wares, which are displayed on a counter filling 



