Fellows, Charles: Travels and researches in Asia Minor, more particularly in the province of Lycia (London, 1852)

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CHAPTER XII

LYDIA.

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ANEGHOOL.—PHILADELPHIA, — OPIUM-GATHERING.—SARDIS.—ITS EE-
MAINS.—CAYALCADES OP TRAVELLERS. — CAMELS. — CASSABA.—EE-
TURN TO SMYRNA. — RETROSPECT. — THE PEOPLE. — CLIMATE.—
SCENERY.

Yesterday, May the 8th, we crossed at a scarcely ford-
able place the river Lycus, which brings down a white milky
water, apparently from a limy country. "We now had to
cross the Mseander, near the ruins of the ancient Tripolis,
and gradually ascended a valley or ravine, leaving the post-
town of Bulladan on the left. After passing a picturesque
series of hills and deep rocky beds of small rivers, we en-
tered the valley formed by the Cagamus, in which stands
Philadelphia.

We slept at Aneghool, distant from Hierapolis about fifty
miles, and this morning proceeded sixteen miles further to
Philadelphia. The soil in the valley is extremely poor, but
by irrigation crops of barley are obtained.

A new feature has appeared in the landscape; the fields
of opium are all in bloom, forming a very beautiful object;
but these flowers are not so gay as our garden poppies.
They are all luxuriant plants of the single poppy, three feet
high, their colours being white, lilac, and purple, in nearty



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