Journey Through Asia Minor, Armenia, and Koordistan in the Years 1813 and 1814; With Remarks on the Marches of Alexander and Retreat of the Ten Thousa

This historic book may have numerous typos or missing text. Not indexed. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1818. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... CONSTANTINOPLE TO ANGORA, BY ESKI SHEHR AND YERMA. I Was so much gratified during my former journey from Bagdad to Constantinople, through Asia Minor, that I then formed a resolution to revisit this interesting country, and to explore some of the less known and unfrequented parts of it. I remained about three months at the Turkish capital in order to avoid the heats of summer, and recover from a recent and severe attack of a fever which I caught in passing through the city of Seringapatam in 1807, and to which I have been subject at intervals ever since. On the 2d of September I bade adieu to the hospitable mansion of Mr. Liston, our venerable and respected ambassador at the Porte, and, accompanied by a Greek servant, and my old Tatar Ibrahim, crossed the Bosphorus and took horse at Scutari. Our first stage was Gebsa, the ancient Lybissa, a small and dirty town, but remarkable for a tumulus supposed to be the tomb of Hannibal, who swallowed poison at this place to free himself from the unmanly persecutions of the Romans. Early Early on the morning of the 3d we crossed the Gulf of Nicomedia, a few miles from Gebsa, and travelling eight Turkish hours up a wooded valley, reached the village of Gustorjeck, where I passed a wretched night in a ruinous cottage. 4th. We departed at sunrise, and at the end of the fourth hour gained the summit of the chain which borders the Lake Ascanius on the north. We had a noble view of this romantic sheet of water, shaded on all sides by dark forests and lofty mountains, excepting towards the east, where a plain about eight or ten miles in breadth extends along the foot of the hills to the city of Nice, which is situated on the south east extremity of the lake. We descended from the mountains and continued to travel along the ...