DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4752#0066
56 AN EXCURSION IN PHRYGIA
heard of the stones it was already past two o'clock;
reports of this kind in many cases turn out to be
false or exaggerated ; and I was hurrying towards
the north. But a man, whose conversation showed
quite unusual knowledge for a Turk, assured me
that these stones were remarkable ; and I could not
pass them by. One of my men was sent off to
Demirji-Keui; if I did not appear there in the
evening, the muleteer and he were instructed to
meet us on the following evening at Duman, a
village about six hours north from Demirji-Keui;
the other man and I went off to the "Arches".
The track was bad, winding in some places along
the edge of steep ravines, and could not safely be
traversed in the dark. At the village I found a
man to take me to the stones, which lay in a field,
a mile beyond: they were two huge slabs of marble,
containing rude reliefs of a religious character, and
lists of subscribers, all with their portraits ; a point
in topography, hitherto controverted and obscure,
was illuminated by the inscriptions, and I felt
rewarded. Had there been more time, I should
have made drawings; but that would have required
most of the next day, and in my hurry the stones
seemed not to deserve such honour. In their
position they could not be photographed, even if
I had had a camera.
The sun's rays were still touching the top of the
heard of the stones it was already past two o'clock;
reports of this kind in many cases turn out to be
false or exaggerated ; and I was hurrying towards
the north. But a man, whose conversation showed
quite unusual knowledge for a Turk, assured me
that these stones were remarkable ; and I could not
pass them by. One of my men was sent off to
Demirji-Keui; if I did not appear there in the
evening, the muleteer and he were instructed to
meet us on the following evening at Duman, a
village about six hours north from Demirji-Keui;
the other man and I went off to the "Arches".
The track was bad, winding in some places along
the edge of steep ravines, and could not safely be
traversed in the dark. At the village I found a
man to take me to the stones, which lay in a field,
a mile beyond: they were two huge slabs of marble,
containing rude reliefs of a religious character, and
lists of subscribers, all with their portraits ; a point
in topography, hitherto controverted and obscure,
was illuminated by the inscriptions, and I felt
rewarded. Had there been more time, I should
have made drawings; but that would have required
most of the next day, and in my hurry the stones
seemed not to deserve such honour. In their
position they could not be photographed, even if
I had had a camera.
The sun's rays were still touching the top of the