96 VISIT FROM THE KADI. 



valley of Kassabar had been, at a recent geo- 

 logical period, an arm of the sea. 



On our return to Kassabar in the evening, 

 we received a visit from the kadi, bearing a 

 complimentary message from the Agha ; but his 

 real object was to learn the true motive of our 

 travelling through the country, and the induce- 

 ment for our stay in this neighbourhood. It 

 was often difficult to make the natives under- 

 stand that we travelled for pleasure only, with- 

 out having some motive of gain; and, as ruins 

 and inscriptions were the chief objects of our 

 inquiry, it was generally supposed, that the 

 latter pointed out places of hidden treasure, which 

 we secretly carried off. Such a circumstance 

 as the employment of a number of foreigners 

 at one of the ancient cities, during the winter, 

 had, of course, spread far and wide through 

 the country ; and the number there employed 

 rumour increased tenfold. On one occasion, 

 Pagniotti had to dispute the veracity of a 

 story, which an old Turk was relating to a 

 group seated around his fire, who stoutly 

 asserted that we broke up the marbles at 

 Xanthus, merely to obtain the money we knew 

 they contained ; and that the men worked 



