772 
ROUMILI, ANCIENT THRACE. 
by Bulgarian Christians, emigrants from the opposite side of the 
Balcan mountains. The whole of the country, from the northern 
shore of the sea of Marmora, to the southern base of these 
heights bears the name of Roumili; and was the ancient Thrace. 
We took up our quarters in the house of a peasant, which pre¬ 
sented the delightful novelty of perfect cleanliness, smiling wel¬ 
come, and a blazing fire. The last was particularly agreeable, 
after our long wetting ride. The wife of our host spread the 
earthen floor with coarse rugs, placing cushions also, in the 
Turkish fashion, for us to sit upon ; and then set before us an 
excellent pillau of wheat, with two or three dishes chiefly com¬ 
posed of grease and honey. The dress of these Bulgarian emi¬ 
grants differed only from that of the male Turkish peasantry, by 
a black skin cap, in shape like those worn in the Ukraine. They 
are not allowed by the Turkish government to carry knives or 
daggers, hence their only means of occasional defence are a stick 
or club. The men are robust, and the women buxom, but have 
no pretensions to beauty. 
February 3d. — We started this morning at six o’clock; the 
weather still severe. The road lay, as before, over woody hills, 
with partial cultivation. In three hours we reached the village 
of Karapoonar, near which we caught a view of the Black Sea 
and the Bay of Abourgos, distant about four miles to the eastward. 
Five hours and a half more brought us to the small town of 
Idooss, at the foot of the Balcan mountains. It possesses four 
mosques with their attendant minarets, which, in fact, rise from 
extensive ruins; the place having been nearly destroyed twelve 
years ago by the insurgent banditti. At five o’clock we re¬ 
mounted ; and, re-entering the woods, proceeded up a gradual 
and uneven ascent for two hours. About that time the night 
