Armenia: a year at Erzeroom, and on the frontiers of Russia, Turkey, and Persia

Front matter

Glass.

Book kY.

. No. of days allowed for reading, .<*£/'

Preface

who would not have given his wealth, his assistance, or his life, in the defense of his faith against the enemies of his religion ?

I feel that, in laying this little book "before the public, I am committing a rash act, for I am perfectly aware that it has many imperfections. I was prevented from visiting several important places in Armenia by an illness so severe, brought on by the unhealthy climate, that I have not been able to take an active part in life since that time. The following pages were written in a very few days, at a time when other occupations prevented me from giving them that attention which should always be afforded to a work that is intended for the perusal of the public.

Nevertheless, I consider that, as the countries described are so little known, and as it is not improbable that events of great importance may take place within their boundaries, I should be open to greater blame in withholding any information, however humble, than in presenting to the reader a meagre account of those wild and sterile regions, whose climate and manners are so different from those which are generally described in the works of Oriental travelers.

These sketches, slight as they are, may perhaps be found useful to the members of any expedition which the chances of war may occasion to be sent into those remote countries, by giving them beforehand some intimation of the preparations necessary to be made for their journey through a district where they would encounter at every step difficulties which they might not have been led to expect in a latitude considerably to the south of the Bay of Naples.

Chapter I

The "Bad Black Sea." — Coal-field near the Bosporus. — Trebizond from the Sea. — Fish and Turkeys. — The Bazaars. — Coronas. — Ancient Tombs. — Church of St. Sofia. — Preservation of old Manners and Ceremonies. — Toilet of a Person of Distinction. — Russian Loss in 1828-9. — Ancient Prayer. — Varna. — Statistics of Wallachia. — Visit to Abdallah Pasha. — His outward Appearance. — His love of medical Experiments. — Trade of Trebizond Page 17

Chapter II

Departure from Trebizond. — A rough Road. — Turkish Pack-horses. — Value of Tea. — The Pipe in the East. — Mountain Riding. — Instinct of the Horse. — A Caravan overwhelmed by an Avalanche. — Mountain of Hoshabounar. — A Ride down the Mountain. — Arrival at Erzeroom 35

Chapter III

The Consulate at Erzeroom. — Subterranean Dwellings. — Snow-blindness. — Effects of the severe Climate. — The City : its Population, Defenses, and Buildings. — Our House and Household. — Armenian Country-houses. — The Ox-stable , 45

CHAPTER IY.

Narrow Escape from Suffocation. — Death of Noori Effendi. — A good Shot. — History of Mirza Tekee. — Persian Ideas of the Principles of Government. — The " Blood-drinker." — Massacre atKerbela. — Sanctity of the Place. — History of Hossein. — Attack on Kerbela, and Defeat of the Persians. — Good Effects of Commissioners' Exertions 61 x ij CONTENTS.

Chapter V

The Boundary Question. — Koordish Chiefs. — Torture of Artin, an American Christian. — Improved State of Society in Turkey. — Execution of a Koord. — Power of Fatalism. — Gratitude of Artin' s Family , ...... Page 81

Chapter VI

The Clock of Erzeroom. — A Pasha's Notions of Horology. — Pathology of Clocks. — The Tower and Dungeon. — Ingenious Mode of Torture. — The modern Prison 99

CHAPTER YIL

Spring in Erzeroom. — Coffee-house Diversions. — Koordish Exploits. — Summer Employment. — Preparation of Tezek. — Its Varieties and Uses 105

Chapter VIII

The Prophet of Khoi. — rClimate. — Effects of great Elevation above the Sea. — The Genus Homo. — African Gold-diggings. — Sale of a Family. — Site of Paradise. — Tradition of Khosref Purveez. — Flow-, ers. — A Flea-antidote. — Origin of the Tulip. — A Party at the Cave of Ferhad, and its Results. — Translation from Hafiz 110

Chapter IX

The Bear. — Ruins of a Genoese Castle. — Lynx. — Lemming. — Cara Guz. — Gerboa. — Wolves. — Wild Sheep. — A hunting Adventure. — Camels. — Peculiar Method of Feeding. — Degeneration of domestic Animals 125

Chapter X

Birds. — Great Variety and vast Numbers of Birds. — Flocks of Geese. — Employment for the Sportsman. — The Captive Crane. — Wild and tame Geese. — The pious and profane Ancestors. — List of Birds found at Erzeroom 132

CONTENTS. x jji

CHAPTER XL

Excursion to the Lake of Tortoom. — Romantic Bridge. — Gloomy Effect of the Lake. — Singular Boat. — " Evaporation" of a Pistol. — ■ Kiamili Pasha. — Extraordinary Marksman. — Alarming Illness of the Author. — An Earthquake. — Lives lost through intense Cold. — The Author recovers Page 145

Chapter XII

Start for Trebizond. — Personal Appearance of the Author. — Mountain Pass. — Reception at Beyboort. — Misfortunes of Mustapha. — Pass of Zigana Dagh. — Arrival at Trebizond 155

Chapter XIII

Former History of Trebizond. — Ravages of the Goths. — Their Siege and Capture of the City. — Dynasties of Courtenai and the Comneni. — The "Emperor" David. — Conquest of Trebizond by Mehemet II ! .166

CHAPTER XIY.

Impassable Character of the Country. — Dependence of Persia on the Czar. — Russian Aggrandizement. — Delays of the Western Powers. — Russian Acquisitions from Turkey and Persia. — Oppression of the Russian Government. — The Conscription. — Armenian Emigration. — The Armenian Patriarch. — Latent Power of the Pope. — Anomalous Aspect of religious Questions 178

Chapter XV

Ecclesiastical History. — Supposed Letter of Abgarus, King ofEdessa, to our Savior, and the Answer. — Promulgation and Establishment of Christianity. — Labors of Mesrob Maschdots. — Separation of the Armenian Church from that of Constantinople. — Hierarchy and religious Establishments. — Superstition of the Lower Classes. — Sacerdotal Vestments. — The Holy Books. — Romish Branch of the Church. — Labors of Mechitar. — His Establishment near Venice. — Diffusion of the Scriptures 194 x ^ v CONTENTS.

Chapter XVI

Modern division of Armenia. — Population. — Manners and Customs of the Christians. — Superiority of the Mohammedans Page 209

Chapter XVII

Armenian Manuscripts. — Manuscripts at Etchmiazin. — Comparative Value of Manuscripts. — Uncial Writing. — Monastic Libraries. — Collections in Europe. — The St. Lazaro Library 213

Chapter XVIII

General History of Armenia. — Former Sovereigns. — Tiridates I. receives his Crown from Nero. — Conquest of the Country by the Persians and by the Arabs. — List of modern Kings. — Misfortunes of Leo V. : his Death at Paris 218

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

Map of Armenia To face title-page.

Ruined Armenian Church near Erzeroom , In title-page.

General View of Erzeroom To face page 45

Erzeroom. View from the house of the British Commissioners.

To face page 50

Koordish Gallows In page 95

Fundook • " 120

Ruined Tower in the Castle of Tortoom To face page 145

Boat on the Lake of Tortoom 149

Quarantine Harbor, Trebizond • • I 65

Chapter I

The "Bad Black Sea." -Coal-field near the Bosporus. -Trebizond from the Sea.-Fish and Turkeys.-The Bazaars.-Coronas._Ancient Tombs.-Church of St. Sofia—Preservation of old Manners and Ceremonies.-Toilet of a Person of Distinction.-Russian Loss in 1828-9.-Ancient Prayer.-Varna.-Statistics of Wallachia.- Visit to Abdallah Pasha.-His outward Appearance.-His love ot medical Experiments.— Trade of Trebizond.

Fena kara Degniz, « The Bad Black Sea." This is the character that stormy lake has acquired m the estimation of its neighbors at Constantinople. Of 1000 Turkish vessels which skim over its waters every year, 500 are said to be wrecked as a matter of course. The wind sometimes will blow from all the four quarters of heaven within two hours' time, agitating the waters like a boiling caldron. Dense fogs obscure the air during the winter, by the assistance of which the Turkish vessels continually mistake the entrance of a valley called the False Bogaz for the entrance of the Bosporus, and are wrecked there perpetually. I have seen dead bodies floating about in that part of the sea, where I first became acquainted with the fact that the corpse of a woman floats upon its back, while that of a man floats upon its face. In short, at Constantinople they say that every thing that is bad comes from the Black Sea : the plague, the Russians, the fogs, and the cold, all come from thence ; and though this time we had a fine calm passage, I was glad enough to arrive at the end of the voyage at Trebizond. Before landing, however, I must give a passing tribute to the beauty of the scenery on the south coast, that is, on the north coast of Asia Minor. Rocks and hills are its usual character near the shore, with higher mountains inland. Between the Bosporus and Heraclea are boundless fields of coal, which crops out on the side of the hills, so that no mining would be required to get the coal ; and besides this great facility in its production, the hills are of such an easy slope that a tramroad would convey the coal- wagons down to the ships on the sea-coast without any difficulty. No nation but the Turks would delay to make use of such a source of enormous wealth as this coal would naturally supply, when it can be had with such remarkable ease so near to the great maritime city of Constantinople. It seems to be a peculiarity in human nature that those who are too stupid to undertake any useful work are frequently jealous of the interference of others who are more able and willing than themselves, as the old fable of the dog in the manger exemplifies. I understand that more than one English company have been desirous of opening these immense mines of wealth, on the condition of paying a large sum or a good per centage to the Turkish government ; but they are jealous of a foreigner's undertaking that which they are incapable of carrying out themselves. So English steamers bring English coal to Constantinople, which costs I don't know what by the time it arrives within a few

TREBIZOND FROM THE SEA. ^9

miles of a spot # which is as well furnished with the most useful, if not the most ornamental, of minerals, as Newcastle-upon-Tyne itself.

Beyond Sinope, where the flat alluvial land stretches down to the sea-shore, there are forests of such timber as we have no idea of in these northern regions. Here there are miles of trees so high, and large, and straight, that they look like minarets in flower. "Wild hoars, stags, and various kinds of game abound in these magnificent primeval woods, protected by the fevers and agues which arise from the dense jungle and unhealthy swamps inland, which prevent the sportsman from following the game during great part of the year. The inhabitants of all this part of Turkey, Circassia, &c, are good shots with the short, heavy rifle, which is their constant companion, and they sometimes kill a deer. As their religion protects the pigs, the wild boars roam unmolested in this, for them at least, " free and independent country." The stag resembles the red deer in every respect, only it is considerably smaller ; its venison is not particularly good.

Trebizond presents an imposing appearance from the sea. It stands upon a rocky table-land, from which peculiarity in its situation it takes its name — rpane^a being a table in Greek, if we are to believe what Dr.

used to tell us at school. There is no harbor,

not even a bay, and a rolling sea comes in sometimes which looks, and I should think must be, awfully dangerous. I have seen the whole of the keel of the ships

* Since this was written, the coal-field of Eragle has been opened under the direction of English engineers, and the coals are sent to Constantinople.

ARMENIA.

at anchor, as they rolled over from one side to the other. The view from the sea of the curious ancient town, the mountains in the background, and the great chain of the Circassian Mountains on the left, is magnificent in the extreme. The only thing that the Black Sea is good for, that I know of (and that, I think, may be said of some other seas), is fish. The kalkan balouk, shield-fish— a sort of turbot, with black prickles on his back — though not quite worth a voyage to Trebizond, is well worth the attention of the most experienced gastronome when he once gets there. The red mullet, also, is caught in great quantities ; but the oddest fish is the turkey. This animal is generally considered to be a bird, of the genus poultry, and so he is in all outward appearances ; but at Trebizond the turkeys live entirely upon a diet of sprats and other little fish washed on shore by the waves, by which it comes to pass that their flesh tastes like very exceedingly bad fish, and abominably nasty it is ; though, if reclaimed from these bad habits, and fed on corn and herbs, like other respectable birds, they become very good, and are worthy of being stuffed with chestnuts and roasted, and of occupying the spot upon the dinner-table from whence the remains of the kalkan balouk have been removed.

On landing, the beauty of the prospect ceases, for, like many Oriental towns, the streets are lanes between blank walls, over which the branches of figtrees, roofs of houses, and boughs of orange and lemon trees appear at intervals ; so that, riding along the blind alleys, you do not know whether there are houses or gardens on each side.

BAZAARS.

The bazaars are a contrast, by their life and bustle, to the narrow lanes through which they are approached. Here numbers of the real old-fashioned Turks are to be seen, with turbans as large as pumpkins, of all colors and forms, steadily smoking all manner of pipes.

I do not know why Europeans persist in calling these places bazaars : charchi is the Turkish for what we call bazaar, or bezestein for an inclosed covered place containing various shops. The word bazaar means a market, which is altogether a different kind of thing.

The bazaars of Trebizond contain a good deal of rubbish, both of the human and inanimate kind. Cheese, saddles, old, dangerous-looking arms, and various peddlery and provisions, were all that was to be seen. Many ruined buildings of Byzantine architecture tottered by the sides of the more open spaces, some apparently very ancient, and well worth examination. In the porches of two little antiquated Grreek churches I saw some frescoes of the twelfth century, apparently in excellent preservation ; one of portraits of Byzantine kings and princes, in their royal robes, caught my attention, but I had not time to do more than take a hasty look at it. The tomb of Solomon, the son of David, king of Greorgia or Immeretia, standing in the court-yard of another Grreek church, under a sort of canopy of stone, is a very curious monument ; and in two churches there are ancient coronas, which seemed to be of silver gilt, eight or ten feet in diameter, most precious specimens of early metal- work, which I coveted and desired exceedingly. They were both engraved with texts from Scripture, and saints and cherubim of the grimmest aspect, so old, and quaint, and ugly, that they may be said to be really painfully curious. While on this subject I may remark that I am not aware where the authority is to be found for introducing the quantities of coronas which are now hung up in modern antique churches in England. I never saw one in any Latin church, except at Aix-la- Chapelle ; there are, I presume, others, but they certainly never were common nor usual any where in Europe. All those I know of are Greek, and belong to the Greek ceremonial rite. I have never met with an ancient Gothic corona, and should be glad to know from whence those lately introduced into our parish churches have been copied.

On the other side of the town from the landing-place, a mile or so beyond the beautiful old walls of the Byzantine citadel, is a small grassy plain, with some fine single trees. This plain is situated on a terrace, with the open sea on the right hand, on a level of fifty or more feet below. The view from hence on all sides is lovely. The glorious blue sea — for it is not black here — on the right hand ; the walls and towers crumbling into ruin behind you, the hills to the left, at the foot of which, built on the level grass, are several ancient tombs, whether Mohammedan or Christian I do not know ; they are low round towers, with conical roofs, like old-fashioned pigeon-houses, but rich in color, with old brick, and stone, and marble. Parasitical plants, growing from rents and crevices occasioned by time, are left in peace by the Turks, who, after all, are the best conservators of antiquity in the world, for they

ST. SOFIA. 23

let things alone. There are no churchwardens yet in Turkey ; there are no tasty architects, with contemptible and gross ignorance of antiquity, architecture, and taste, to build ridiculous failures for a confiding ministry in London, or a rich gentleman in the country, who does not pretend to know any thing about the matter, and falls into the error of believing that if he pays well he will be well served, and that a man who has been brought up to build buildings must know how to do it : and this knowledge is displayed in the production of the British Museum, the National Grallery, and other original edifices.

The spleen aroused in writing these words is calmed by the recollection of the ruins of the fortified monastery, as it would appear to have been, Before my eyes at the further end of this charming open plain ; a Byzantine gate-house stands within a ditch surrounding a considerable space, in which some broken walls give evidence of a stately palace or monastery which once rose there ; but there still stands towering to a great height the almost perfect church of St. Sofia — the Holy Wisdom, not the saint of that name, but the deity to whom the great cathedral of St. Sofia is dedicated at Constantinople. This church is curious and interesting in the extreme ; it is most rich in many of the peculiarities of Byzantine architecture outside, and within there are very perfect remains of frescoes, in a style of art such as I have hardly seen equaled, never in any fresco paintings. The only ones equal to them are the illuminations in the one odd volume of the Wr\voXoyia in the Yatican Library, and some in my own. There are several half figures of emperors in brilliant colors, in circular compartments, on the under sides of some arches, and numerous other paintings, of which the colors are so vivid that they resemble painted glass, particularly where they are broken, as the sharp outlines of what is left betoken that they would be still as bright as jewelry where they have not been destroyed by the plaster, on which they are painted, giving way.

The position, beauty, and antiquity of this Christian relic in a Mohammedan land, give a singular interest to the Church of St. Sofia at Trebizond. I longed to give this place a thorough examination. Perhaps a portrait of some old Comnenus would present itself to my admiring eyes. Many likenesses of by-gone emperors, Caesars, and princesses born in the purple, might be recovered in all the splendor of their royal robes and almost sacred crowns and diadems, to gladden the hearts of antiquarians enthusiastic in the cause, and who, like myself, would be ten times more delighted with the possession of a portrait, or an incomprehensible work of art of undoubted Byzantine origin, than with the offer of the hand, even of the illustrious Anna Comnena herself. Her portrait, after the lapse of 600 years, would be most interesting ; but I do not envy the Caesar who obtained the honor of an alliance with that princess of the caerulean hose.

At this point, feeling myself entangled with the reminiscences of Byzantine history, I must branch off into a little episode relating to the singular preservation of ancient manners and ceremonies still in use, or, at least, remaining in the year 1830 in Wallachia and Moldavia. The usages and the etiquette of those courts, together with the names and the costumes of the great officers

OLD CUSTOMS PRESERVED. 25

of state, are all derived from those of the Christian court of Constantinople before the disastrous days of Mohammed the Second. Now that those fertile lands are overrun by the descendants of the Avars, and the fierce tribes of northern barbarians, who so often in the Middle Ages carried fire and sword, tallow and sheepskins, almost to the walls of the city — ttjv poXiv • ecg Tfjv (3o?dv — from whence comes Stamboul, I may be, perhaps, excused if I put in a few lines relating to another country, but which, I think, are interesting during the present state of the affairs of the Turkish empire.

In the year 1838 I left Constantinople on my way to Vienna. I went to Yarna, and from thence proceeded up the Danube in a miserable steamer, on board of which was a personage of high distinction belonging to a neighboring nation, whose manners and habits afforded me great amusement. He was courteous and gentlemanlike in a remarkable degree, but his domestic ways differed from those, of our own countrymen. He had a numerous suite of servants, three or four of whom seemed to be a sort of gentlemen ; these attended him every night when he went to bed, in the standing bedplace of the crazy steamer. First they wound up six or seven gold watches, and the great man took off his boots, his coat, and I don't know how many gold chains ; then each night he was invested by his attendants with a different fur pelisse, which looked valuable and fusty to my humble eyes. Each morning the same gentlemen spread out all the watches, took off the fur pelisse, and insinuated their lord into a fashionable and somewhat tight coat, not the one worn yesterday ; but on

B

ARMENIA.

no occasion did I perceive any thing in the nature of an ablution, or any proof that such an article as a clean shirt formed a part of the great man's traveling wardrobe.

Yarna is situated on a gentle slope a short distance from the shores of the Black Sea, and three or four miles to the south of a range of hills, between which and the town the unfortunate Russian army was encamped during the war of the year 1829. I say unfortunate, and all will agree with me, if they take into consideration a fact which I write on undoubted authority. When the Russians invaded Turkey in 1828, they lost 50,000 men by sickness alone, by want of the necessaries of life, and neglect in the commissariat department : 50,000 Russians died on the plains of Turkey, not one man of whom was killed in battle, for their advance was not resisted by the Turks.

In the next year (1829) the Russians lost 60,000 men between the Pruth and the city of Adrianople. Some of these, however, were legitimately slain in battle. "When they arrived at Adrianople, the troops were in so wretched a condition from sickness and want of food that not 7000 men were able to bear arms : how many thousands of horses and mules perished in these two years is not known. The Turkish government was totally ignorant of this deplorable state of affairs at Adrianople till some time afterward, when the intelligence came too late. If the Turks had known what was going on, not one single Russian would have seen his native land again ; even as it was, out of 120,000 men, not 6000 ever recrossed the Russian frontier alive. Since the days of Cain, the first murderer, among all

ANCIENT PRAYER. 27

nations, and among all religions, he who kills his fellowcreature without just cause is looked upon with horror and disgust, and is pursued by the avenging curse of God and man. What, then, shall be thought of that individual who, without reason, without the slightest show of justice, right, or justifiable pretense, from his own caprice, to satisfy his own feelings, and lust of pride, and arrogance, destroys for his amusement, in two years, more than 100,000 of his fellow-creatures ? Shall not their blood cry out for vengeance ? Had not each of these men a soul, immortal as their butcher's ? Had not many of them, many thousands of them perhaps, more faith, more trust in (rod, higher talents than their destroyer ? Better had it been for that man had he never been born !

The following prayer is translated from one at the end of an ancient Bulgarian or Russian manuscript, written in the year 1355 : " The Judge seated, and the apostle standing before him, and the trumpet sounding, and the fire burning, what wilt thou do, O my soul, when thou art carried to the judgment ? for then all thy evils will appear, and all thy secret sins will be made manifest. Therefore now, beforehand, endeavor to pray to Jesus Christ our Lord. Oh, do not thou reject me, but save me."

The fortifications of Yarna are very flat and low, though they are said to be of great strength ; but, as the town is built of wood, I should think there would be little difficulty in setting it on fire by the assistance of a few shells or red-hot shot, from ships at sea or batteries on the land. From all such fortresses I am delighted to escape : the bastions, ditches, and ramparts keep me in, though they are intended to keep others out. There is nothing picturesque in a modern stronghold, as there are no battlements and towers, or anything pleasing to the eye ; only, whichever way you turn, you are sure to be stopped by a green ditch with a frog in it ; I therefore only remained long enough at Yarna to see that there was nothing to be seen.

The principality of Wallachia contains 1,500,000 inhabitants liable to taxation, 800 nobles, and 15,000 strangers, subjects of various powers.

It is governed by a prince (gika), who reigns for life. The civil list amounts to —

50,000 Austrian ducats yearly.

All the officials are paid by the government.

The revenues of the principality are derived from tribute, which

amounts to 300,000 ducats yearly.

The salt-works, which yield 150,000 " "

Domains of the prince 30,000 " "

The customs 70,000 "

The expenses are, yearly :

Ducats.

Civil List of the prince 50,000

The Ottoman Porte for tribute 30,000

Salaries of officials 150,000

Ten quarantine stations on the Danube 20,000

Hospitals 5,000

Schools 12,000

Repair of roads 8,000

The capital of Wallachia is Bucharest, containing 12,000 houses and 80,000 inhabitants, of whom 10,000 are strangers.

STATISTICS OF WALLACHIA. 29

There is one metropolitan, who lives at Bucharest, and has a revenue of 10,000 ducats ; and three bishops, of Rimnik, Argessi, and Buzeo, who have 8000 each. The salary of the first minister is 3600 ducats yearly. There are three ranks of nobles. The highest consists of sixty individuals, who have the right of electing the prince ; the second numbers 300, and the third 440. The prime minister is called the bano ; the commander-in-chief, spathar ; the minister of the interior, the great dvornic ; the minister of justice, the great logothete. The greatest family is that of Brancovano, the revenue of its chief being 12,000 ducats. The titles of the great officers of state, and the principal people about the court of the Hospodar, are derived from the institutions of the Byzantine emperors. These nobles are divided into three classes. The following is the order of their precedence :

1st Class.

1. Bano Marshal of the Palace.

2. Dvornio Lord Chamberlain.

3. Spathar Commander-in-Chief.

4. Logothete Chief Secretary.

5. Postemic Foreign Minister.

6. Aga Inspector of Police.

2d Class.

1. Clochiar Commissary General.

2. Paharme Cup-bearer.

3d Class.

1. Serdar Commander of 1000 men.

3. Consepist Registrar General.

It is in the power of the government to raise an^ of these nobles a step after a service of three years.

Before the year 1827 these officers were paid by contributions raised on the subjects of the Prince, who were then exempted from any other taxes. The Bano had one hundred and twenty men, the Dvornic one hundred, the Paharme twenty-five, and so on ; from these they took as much as they could, one man averaging three ducats a year in value to his lord.

The treaty of Adrianople contains an article insuring the independence of the interior administration of the country. On the 18th of May, 1838, an order was brought from Constantinople by Baron Rukman, in which it was stated that the General Assembly are to insert a clause in the Constitution, which obliges them to have leave of the Russians before any alteration whatever is made in the regulation of the interior. The army can not be increased, or any differences made in the administration of the quarantine, &c., without permission from Russia, which is in direct contradiction to the Treaty of Adrianople. Sentence of death is abolished by the Constitution, but great offenders are sent to the mines for life.