DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.5541#0525
492
buldur.
[Chap, xxvin.
what could a traveller,, carrying nothing with hini hut
what was essentially necessary, offer in return? How-
ever, I made the groom and the officer who brought
the horse suitable presents in money, and sent the Mut-
zellim my only pair of pistols, which, although rather
small for a Turk, were very good, and had percussion locks;
I added also a patent canister full of English powder, and
some copper caps. A pretty good proof of the conviction I
had gained, that travelling in Asia Minor was at this period
unattended with any personal dangers.
From Tsbarta to Buldur the distance is six hours:
leaving the town at one p.m., we proceeded some way along
the southern limit of the plain, and then mounted, by a
narrow valley, to an elevated region, whence we descended
by another ravine into the plain which surrounds the lake
of Buldur; on reaching the low ground we changed our
course from W. to S.W., and rode nearly six miles along the
foot of the sand-hills on our left, with the lake on our right,
apparently extending from N.E. to S.W. The country
was dried up and uncultivated, except in the immediate
neighbourhood of a few small streams, the banks of which
were studded with vineyards, gardens, and orchards. At
half-past five we were near Buldur, situated on the slop-
ing sides of the hills which rise up like an amphitheatre in
a semicircular form, in advance of which are several lower
hills covered with houses. The town with the suburbs
covers a large space of ground, as many of the houses have
gardens attached to them. The whole presents a striking
and picturesque appearance.
Monday, October 3.—Buldur is said to contain 5000
houses, of which a considerable proportion are Greek. I
visited the bazaars, which were crowded with a picturesque
collection of motley groups from the neighbouring villages.
The only peculiar production which I observed was a white
flaky gum, brought in by the peasants, and exposed in large
quantities for sale. It is the gum tragacanth, called by the
buldur.
[Chap, xxvin.
what could a traveller,, carrying nothing with hini hut
what was essentially necessary, offer in return? How-
ever, I made the groom and the officer who brought
the horse suitable presents in money, and sent the Mut-
zellim my only pair of pistols, which, although rather
small for a Turk, were very good, and had percussion locks;
I added also a patent canister full of English powder, and
some copper caps. A pretty good proof of the conviction I
had gained, that travelling in Asia Minor was at this period
unattended with any personal dangers.
From Tsbarta to Buldur the distance is six hours:
leaving the town at one p.m., we proceeded some way along
the southern limit of the plain, and then mounted, by a
narrow valley, to an elevated region, whence we descended
by another ravine into the plain which surrounds the lake
of Buldur; on reaching the low ground we changed our
course from W. to S.W., and rode nearly six miles along the
foot of the sand-hills on our left, with the lake on our right,
apparently extending from N.E. to S.W. The country
was dried up and uncultivated, except in the immediate
neighbourhood of a few small streams, the banks of which
were studded with vineyards, gardens, and orchards. At
half-past five we were near Buldur, situated on the slop-
ing sides of the hills which rise up like an amphitheatre in
a semicircular form, in advance of which are several lower
hills covered with houses. The town with the suburbs
covers a large space of ground, as many of the houses have
gardens attached to them. The whole presents a striking
and picturesque appearance.
Monday, October 3.—Buldur is said to contain 5000
houses, of which a considerable proportion are Greek. I
visited the bazaars, which were crowded with a picturesque
collection of motley groups from the neighbouring villages.
The only peculiar production which I observed was a white
flaky gum, brought in by the peasants, and exposed in large
quantities for sale. It is the gum tragacanth, called by the