3S6 
LAKE OF SIVAN. 
much to ascertain its geographical position, as to see a part of the 
country scarcely ever visited by European travellers. I was accom¬ 
panied by Parsik aga, an Armenian of great respectability, under whose 
charge many of the Armenian villages of this district are placed. We 
set out at about three hours before sunset, and stopped at a village call¬ 
ed Guk Klisseh, where we passed the night each in a small tent. This 
village is entirely composed of Armenians, whose houses are built like 
those of Georgia, under ground. They first choose a sloping piece of 
ground, where they excavate to the size of their habitation; they then 
build up a front, and cover the whole with a terrace; thus presenting 
but a small surface to the cold, three sides of the house being formed 
by the excavated ground. We departed hence in the first grey of the 
morning, and saw no inhabited spot until we reached the lake. 
The country over which we passed was mostly pasture, intermixed 
with tracts of rock. It was similar in height to Aberan, to the level of 
which we concluded, by the coolness of the weather, that we had 
reached. The mountain of Karniarekh was on our left, whilst hills 
were close on our right. The lake did not present itself until we 
were within two or three miles of it. It is surrounded by wild moun¬ 
tains, and cheered by no habitations. Its most striking feature is a 
