DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4680#0076
6. MAEANDER. 407
Maeander and his title to the mountain Djebel-Sultan, is apparently
a Turkish metamorphosis of old Marsyas. It was beside that
lake that part of the story of Marsyas was enacted; and the death
of the Sultan was perhaps preserved in local legend, for Arundel
seems to have heard the name as 'Sheikh-Arab euldu' ('Sheikh-
Arab is dead'), which in his ignorance of Turkish he reproduced as
Araboul-dou. See p. 408 n. 3.
Xenophon mentions that there was a large park full of wild animals
round the upper Maeander, whose springs rose from the palace of
Cyrus in the park: Cyrus used to hunt on horseback in the park,
when he wanted exercise. The country round Sheikh-Arab-Su suits
this description, being well adapted for wild animals ; the park
included part of the plain, and probably extended nearly to the city.
§ 7. The Laugher and the Weeper. About half-way between
the springs of the Marsyas and the Maeander is a source called Duden
or Menderez-Duden by the natives, who regard it as the primary
source of the Menderezl. The Duden is a small marshy pool,
apparently deep in the centre, lying in a recess of the plain like
a bay ainong the hills; it is the lowest of all the great sources2
(2865 ft.), and perhaps contributes a larger body of water than any
of the others3, for a full, steady, stream issues from the pool,
and, after a course of about 800 yds., joins the Maeander (elevation
about 2850). This pool is chiefly supplied by sources at its bottom,
which cannot be seen; but there are also two distinct sources,
which fall into it and into the issuing stream. These sources present
a special interest.
The upper source is at the remotest end of the Duden. It rises
under a low bank at the water's edge. I got off my horse at this
point in order to observe whether any sound was audible, which
could be taken as representing either laughter or weeping. Stooping
down towards the hole under the rocky bank, I saw that the source
is in a small cave not visible from above, and heard distinctly
a low, continuous, but faint, murmuring or bubbling sound, varied
at short intervals by what seemed like choking sobs as of a child
recovering from a fit of crying. These were apparently caused by
1 In 1S91, writing to the Athenaeum elevation.
Aug. 15, 1891, p. 233, under the influ- 3 Sheikh-ArabWaterisprobablylarger
ence of the local sentiment, I took the at its sources, but much is diverted from
same view; and so does M. Weber in it. The great springs of Geuk-Bunar
his Dinair-Celenes 1892, quoting my and Besh-Bunar (pp. 222, 228) perhaps
view. See Appendix I. contribute more water than all the
2 Lidja must be about the same Apamean sources.
Maeander and his title to the mountain Djebel-Sultan, is apparently
a Turkish metamorphosis of old Marsyas. It was beside that
lake that part of the story of Marsyas was enacted; and the death
of the Sultan was perhaps preserved in local legend, for Arundel
seems to have heard the name as 'Sheikh-Arab euldu' ('Sheikh-
Arab is dead'), which in his ignorance of Turkish he reproduced as
Araboul-dou. See p. 408 n. 3.
Xenophon mentions that there was a large park full of wild animals
round the upper Maeander, whose springs rose from the palace of
Cyrus in the park: Cyrus used to hunt on horseback in the park,
when he wanted exercise. The country round Sheikh-Arab-Su suits
this description, being well adapted for wild animals ; the park
included part of the plain, and probably extended nearly to the city.
§ 7. The Laugher and the Weeper. About half-way between
the springs of the Marsyas and the Maeander is a source called Duden
or Menderez-Duden by the natives, who regard it as the primary
source of the Menderezl. The Duden is a small marshy pool,
apparently deep in the centre, lying in a recess of the plain like
a bay ainong the hills; it is the lowest of all the great sources2
(2865 ft.), and perhaps contributes a larger body of water than any
of the others3, for a full, steady, stream issues from the pool,
and, after a course of about 800 yds., joins the Maeander (elevation
about 2850). This pool is chiefly supplied by sources at its bottom,
which cannot be seen; but there are also two distinct sources,
which fall into it and into the issuing stream. These sources present
a special interest.
The upper source is at the remotest end of the Duden. It rises
under a low bank at the water's edge. I got off my horse at this
point in order to observe whether any sound was audible, which
could be taken as representing either laughter or weeping. Stooping
down towards the hole under the rocky bank, I saw that the source
is in a small cave not visible from above, and heard distinctly
a low, continuous, but faint, murmuring or bubbling sound, varied
at short intervals by what seemed like choking sobs as of a child
recovering from a fit of crying. These were apparently caused by
1 In 1S91, writing to the Athenaeum elevation.
Aug. 15, 1891, p. 233, under the influ- 3 Sheikh-ArabWaterisprobablylarger
ence of the local sentiment, I took the at its sources, but much is diverted from
same view; and so does M. Weber in it. The great springs of Geuk-Bunar
his Dinair-Celenes 1892, quoting my and Besh-Bunar (pp. 222, 228) perhaps
view. See Appendix I. contribute more water than all the
2 Lidja must be about the same Apamean sources.