ASIA MINOR. 



131 



on excavation in this place would be well repaid by the discovery of 

 many valuable remains of ancient art. 



Unfortunately we could not find one inscription containing the 

 name of the city, nor one Greek coin. Our guide produced many 

 copper coins found here, but they were of little value, having no 

 visible device or inscription. According to the tradition preserved by 

 the present inhabitants, the place was a fortress of the Genoese. 



At half-past three o'clock in the afternoon we took our leave of 

 these interesting ruins, and proceeding in a northerly direction, at 

 about a mile and a half from Beyram, we crossed a stream called 

 Tousla Chya, or the river of the Salt-wych. On our right were high 

 hills ; we then entered a plain bounded by a ridge of eminences, the 

 highest of which is called Topal Tepessi. At six miles north of Bey- 

 ram, we crossed another rivulet, Goulfa Chya, which falls into the 

 Tousla Chya. After ascending some steep hills, and leaving the vil- 

 lage of Beergaz on our left, about nine miles north of Beyram, we 

 reached a small town called Tamush. It is situated in a rocky coun- 

 try where many herds of goats are kept, and below it is a deep dell 

 or glen. We found the Aga of the place selfish and suspicious. Under 

 pretence of doing us honour, he sent his supper to the cottage where 

 we lodged ; he not only questioned us very closely, but asked whether 

 we had not a watch, or pistols* or telescopes, to leave him in return 

 for a greyhound he would give us. To all our enquiries about the 

 history of the place he returned evasive answers. On leaving us he 

 said we must be careful to abstain from wine in the room in which 

 we lodged, as there were carpets and mats on the floor used by Mus- 

 ulmans at the time of saying their prayers, and these might be pol- 

 luted. He even ordered five or six of his attendants to pass the whole 

 night in the room with us ; however a trifling present removed these 

 troublesome spies, except one, an old negro, who sat up the whole 

 night by the side of the carpet on which we slept. The town con- 

 sists of about fifty families, all Turks ; and, with the exception of 

 Hadje Aga, who had made a pilgrimage to Mecca, and ought to have 



learned hospitality, they were almost as ignorant as the goats they 



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