XVII 
THE BOAR 
133 
into winter quarters at Scutari, I was living with the 
officers of the 12th Lancers; I started off upon a 
trip to Sabanja, about 24 miles beyond the town of 
Ism id. 
This is a curious and picturesque vestige of 
the ancient city of Nicomedia, situated at the 
extreme end of the Gulf of Ismid, about ten 
hours’ voyage by steamer from Constantinople. 
The town occupies the entire face of a lofty hill 
from the base to the summit, and the red-tiled roofs 
and quaint colouring of the houses, interspersed 
with occasional tall cypress trees, give a peculiar 
theatrical appearance, resembling a scene upon 
the stage. The blue water of the gulf affords 
a highly artistic foreground, as this arm of the 
Sea of Marmora washes the quays at the base, 
while opposite the town, on the other side of the 
gulf, a chain of mountains walls in the shore, and 
forms a continuation of a mountain range inland. 
A small river flows through the valley; this is 
an affluent from the Lake of Sabanja, a fine sheet 
of water about 9 miles distant, which receives the 
drainage of the mountains upon either side. This 
lake is about 12 miles in length, and 3 or 4 miles 
across at the widest part. 
I found very little change when I made a 
subsequent visit in i860. The road from Ismid 
to Sabanja was the usual example of Turkish 
administration ; it had been commenced at some 
remote period, with grand intentions of a 
continuous line of pavement; this had evidently 
