357 
to the height of twelve and even thirteen feet. After 
having crossed this marsh, we continued our route to- 
wards the west, over the same plain, and at two o'clock 
in the afternoon made our entry into Konia, the capital 
of Caramania, the ancient Iconium. It is situated at the 
western extremity of this large desert plain, and at the 
foot of a chain of low mountains which bound the hori- 
zon to the west; there are several gardens on the south 
side, as also some few on the north. All that I saw of 
this place gave me but a poor idea of it, though it is 
the residence of the Pacha of Caramania. It encloses 
vast cemeteries, where each tomb is marked by a rough 
stone seven or eight feet high, rather more than a foot 
broad, and four inches thick, placed vertically; the mul- 
tiplicity of these rude monuments, which cover a vast 
space, have a painful effect on the observer. The houses 
are built of earth or bricks baked in the sun, as in the 
poorest villages. I remarked only one large house of a 
fine appearance, with large kioskes or belvideres, and 
large windows on the four sides of the building, but 
even this was built of the same materials as the others. 
The inhabitants pretend that this edifice, which, on 
account of its size and form, might be called a palace, 
was built by a man who, in the land of the Christians, 
had learned alchemy, or the art of making gold, and 
had become by these means extremely rich. Why did 
not those infidels* teach me so useful an art during the 
time I lived among them? If they had, however, I am 
very sure that I should not have employed my trea- 
sures in building a house at Konia. The edifice in 
question was used as a hospital for the poor. I remark- 
ed also the outside of three mosques, which have an 
equally magnificent appearance, with large cupolas, 
and tail slender minarets. 
