DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.5541#0097
Chap, v.]
LEAVE MOUDANIAH.
69
The arrangements of this house of entertainment were
simple enough. A stage between two and three feet high
was erected round the room, extending about eight feet
from the wall, and divided into separate apartments by a
single rail 5 each party of travellers accommodated them-
selves as well as they could on their own carpets, within
each division, whilst the cafidji was busily employed at the
little fire-place, fixed in the wall at a convenient height,
preparing coffee in diminutive cups for his various guests,
or assiduously supplying them with charcoal for their pipes.
We were not yet sufficiently accustomed to the publicity
of Eastern life, to enjoy passing the whole night in the
common room, and therefore prevailed upon the cafidji to
give us up a small but totally unfurnished apartment,
where with the help of our carpets and mattresses we made
ourselves tolerably comfortable.
March 23rd.—Moudaniah to Brusa, six hours. Much
time was lost this morning in making our arrangements
and apportioning the baggage into loads for the pack-
horses. This necessity of carrying everything on horseback,
and the frequent loadings and unloadings which are con-
stantly occurring, form a serious objection to travelling in
Turkey. Our party consisted of Mr. Strickland and myself,
our servant Theodore, and an interpreter whom we had
engaged at Constantinople, Giuseppe by name, a native of
Trieste, an excellent Turkish scholar, and who also spoke
Greek, Italian, French, and Russian, with perfect fluency.
Three baggage-horses and two surijis to lead them com-
pleted our train.
The post-horses generally throughout Turkey, although
small and ill-looking, are active, and capable of enduring
great fatigue ; we were here extremely well mounted; and
besides a strong firmahn from the Porte enjoining all pachas,
governors, mutzellims, and aghas, throughout the Turkish
dominion, to attend to our wants and afford us whatever
assistance we might require, we had also provided our-
selves with a Menzil Bouyourdi (or post horse order) so
LEAVE MOUDANIAH.
69
The arrangements of this house of entertainment were
simple enough. A stage between two and three feet high
was erected round the room, extending about eight feet
from the wall, and divided into separate apartments by a
single rail 5 each party of travellers accommodated them-
selves as well as they could on their own carpets, within
each division, whilst the cafidji was busily employed at the
little fire-place, fixed in the wall at a convenient height,
preparing coffee in diminutive cups for his various guests,
or assiduously supplying them with charcoal for their pipes.
We were not yet sufficiently accustomed to the publicity
of Eastern life, to enjoy passing the whole night in the
common room, and therefore prevailed upon the cafidji to
give us up a small but totally unfurnished apartment,
where with the help of our carpets and mattresses we made
ourselves tolerably comfortable.
March 23rd.—Moudaniah to Brusa, six hours. Much
time was lost this morning in making our arrangements
and apportioning the baggage into loads for the pack-
horses. This necessity of carrying everything on horseback,
and the frequent loadings and unloadings which are con-
stantly occurring, form a serious objection to travelling in
Turkey. Our party consisted of Mr. Strickland and myself,
our servant Theodore, and an interpreter whom we had
engaged at Constantinople, Giuseppe by name, a native of
Trieste, an excellent Turkish scholar, and who also spoke
Greek, Italian, French, and Russian, with perfect fluency.
Three baggage-horses and two surijis to lead them com-
pleted our train.
The post-horses generally throughout Turkey, although
small and ill-looking, are active, and capable of enduring
great fatigue ; we were here extremely well mounted; and
besides a strong firmahn from the Porte enjoining all pachas,
governors, mutzellims, and aghas, throughout the Turkish
dominion, to attend to our wants and afford us whatever
assistance we might require, we had also provided our-
selves with a Menzil Bouyourdi (or post horse order) so