THE FATIlKi: <)!• AI.I. 'I'l IK COATS I'l'.t 



liospiialil}', and a niorc li^itl ul)sei'\aiu'f of ihc Mussiil- 

 iiinii cddo of I'l'li'^-ion. tliati tlicir iu'iLi,-lil)om's. Of tlie 

 Circassians iml luiicli iit'tMl l»c said. T1r'\' arc lliiidy 

 scattered about this part of the country. Tliose \vc saw 

 were a part icularl\' siiustrrdookini;" lot, with none oi" tlicir 

 wdild-fained beaut w Nevertheless, thcii- dauirliters are in 

 demand, and, \\halr\cr the law, thc\- haljitually sell thcni. 

 (Jur frit'ud the statinnniaster said he had had a coininis- 

 sion to 1)U\' as niaiiv as lie could at £15 a head, ami 

 within a few davs a i;'irl of sixteen had l)e<Mi offered for 

 twenty niedjids ; £5 does not seem dear, but perhaps she 

 had a temper. Even the Turks accept a very substantial 

 present from tlirir woulddic sons-iiidaw. and the credit oi 

 a man with six dauL;htcrs is always good. The Yuruks, 

 who are the mountaineers and shepherds of this country, 

 are said to steal their wi\cs, but this must be a risky 

 process. They are nomadic, and their black goats' hair 

 touts arc conspicuous; Imt the climati^ compel.-^ them to 

 spend the worst months within ibur walls. 'J'heir ilocks 

 are protected l)y a large breed of white dogs, whose 

 threatenino- attacks are rather ahirmino- to a strano-er : but 

 1 alwa\s found a stout stick a sufficient passport. 'I'hey 

 are sturdv folk, but tlnir manm^rs are rouii'h. Thus, on 

 leaving a Yuruk \ illage, Fimllay received a somewhat « in I 

 demand fo]- his I'jiulish saddle. As a conti'ast to this, I 

 may nuiition tin' polite recpiest of the Turkish shcrill' just 

 mentioned, when we bade him farewell, that a barrel of 

 wine of the countrx' which we were le,i\iii'_;- bi'hind -honld 

 be emptied to the last drop on the gi'ounil. The ^ uruk 

 Agha Would have scorned this self-denial, and would have 

 made it the excuse for a drinkiim fiout. 1 am afraid the 



