SPORT AND TRAVEL 7 



disintegrating influences of possibly over two thousand 

 years of rain and sun and snow. During the whole morn- 

 ing we passed a continuous stream of camels, donkeys, 

 and ponies, all heavily laden with merchandise of some 

 kind or another. The long strings of solemn, slow-paced 

 camels, all tied head and tail one behind the other, 

 the front and rear animals always carrying great jan- 

 gling bells, were invariably led by a diminutive donkey, 

 on which sat a Turk, whose red fez, blue jacket, and 

 white baggy trousers lent the touch of colour needed 

 to add the picturesque to the strange novelty of the 

 scene. About midday we reached the summit of the 

 pass, and descending into a vast plain on its further 

 side, at last off-saddled in the shade of a tree near a 

 well containing a good supply of clear, cold water. 



Here was a second guardhouse, occupied by a soli- 

 tary Turkish soldier, who was very friendly, and soon 

 brought me the invariable tiny cup of thick coffee to 

 drink. Whilst we were enjoying our noontide rest in 

 the shade, a large caravan on its way to Denizli halted 

 beside us, and a most primitive cart, with wheels formed 

 of one solid block of wood, and drawn by two buffaloes, 

 was brought up to the well. The driver not only gave 

 his animals water to drink, but poured a lot over them, 

 an attention which the hot and dusty beasts seemed 

 thoroughly to appreciate. Shortly before we saddled up, 

 the Turks belonging to the caravan went through their 

 devotions, each man taking off his shoes and spreading 

 a carpet before him, on which he knelt and prostrated 



