162

leave trebizond.

[Chap. xi.

Comneni, when they assumed the title of Emperors of Tre-
bizond. It resisted the Turks for some time after the taking
of Constantinople, but finally yielded to Mahomet II. in
1460. Among its ruins, bays, laurels, and rhododendrons
were growing in wild luxuriance.

Returning through the town I observed a Greek inscrip-
tion, in Byzantine character, over one of the gateways on
the eastern side, and am indebted to Mr. Abbott, Vice-con-
sul at Erzeroum, for a copy of it.* The lintel of the inner
gateway on the western side is formed of a beautifully
worked fragment of an Ionic frieze or cornice. The houses
in the Turkish town are generally larger and better built
than those without the walls, but have not the agreeable
appendage of a garden. The population is stated to be
about 20,000, but this is rather conjectural, as indeed are
all notions of numbers in this country.

May 25.—Our departure was delayed long beyond the
intended hour by the usual Turkish dilatoriness in bringing
horses, the difficulties of choosing them, and the trouble of
loading them when chosen. We required twelve or fourteen,
and since many more would be wanted on the following
day, the Turks, in order to spare their Menzil horses, had
recourse to a most arbitrary proceeding, which ensured our
getting the worst cattle in the place. The preceding day,
when the Pacha had given the orders for procuring them,
his chavasses had laid an embargo upon all they could find,
and we afterwards understood they had seized nearly two
hundred. Of course this was a great inconvenience to the
owners, so that those who could muster a dollar or two
bribed the agents of the Pacha to let them and their
horses off. Thus all the good beasts escaped, and about
twenty of the worst belonging to the poorest inhabitants
were left for us.

We started at 9 a.m., ascending the steep hills to the
S. and S.S.E. of the town, the view of which, as we looked
back, was highly picturesque. On reaching the summit of

* See App. No. 49: