334 
ARZ-ROUM TO AMASLA 
tinople. He was of the suite of Asker Khan, the Persian Embassador 
at Paris, and unburthened himself of a volume of news to us. He 
soon convinced me that he had gained some knowledge in France by 
saying, “ Les dames de Paris sont bien jolies. }> The storm continued 
with little intermission till near midnight. Some sought shelter among 
the rocks; others covered themselves with carpets, horse cloths, or 
any thing which they could seize for the purpose, whilst others, and I 
among the rest, sought refuge in a neighbouring water-mill, half in 
ruins, where we made a large fire and defended ourselves as well as we 
could from the pelting of the storm. I passed the night in the trough 
of the mill. 
28 th. We again continued our route on a general bearing of W. to 
Carahissar, a distance called eight hours, but which we performed 
even in ten hours with difficulty, from the extreme debility of Our 
cattle. The road measurement may be thirty miles. The whole 
country, through which we passed, presented the luxuries of a garden, 
with the grandeur of a forest. Flowers of all hues embellished the 
slopes of the rich pasturage, and embalmed the air with their aromatic 
odours. I never saw spring so luxuriant, so exuberant, as it was in 
these regions. At the bottom of every valley invariably runs a stream, 
the progress of which is marked by the trees and by the fertility which 
borders it, and which accompanies it in all its findings. The soil is 
of a fine red earth ,* and when occasionally turned up by the plough, 
breaks the monotony of the universal verdure that now covers the 
country, and contrasts admirably with the splendid brilliancy of its 
tints. The corn on the summit of the mountain was about a foot 
high, but in the valley was much more advanced. The great cultiva¬ 
tion consists in barley, besides many fields of rye, the latter indeed in 
many places grows wild, and indiscriminately with other plants. 
Wheat does not appear to be one of the necessaries of the inhabitants, 
for almost all the bread which we ate was made of barley. Great 
numbers of pear-trees border the road, with pines of a form most 
picturesque, and presented often in the most striking views. The 
