118 ANTIQUITY AND PRESENT FORM OF dynasty of Haig, extended his country, conquering the nations around him; hence the well-known name Armenia,-Armenian. The vicissitudes to which the country has been subject are well known now free and flourishing, now enslaved and debased. Antony conquers it, and gives it as a plaything to Alexander, his son by Cleopatra. We find it preserving its Christianity when the doctrines of the Prophet and the sword sweep mightier nations away, and a tradition exists, borne out by many particulars of physiognomy, dialect, &c., that the Koords of Antioch and the adjacent mountains, are converted Armenians, who were transplanted thither by their conquerors. In During the Crusades it existed as a Christian power, now losing provinces, now gaining. A.D. 1249, it makes war with Antioch; in A.D. 1346, it receives help from the knights of the Crusade. It fell eventually, its kings becoming vassals, till they were dismissed for their rebellions, and the country was finally annexed to the Mosleni empire. For a while their Church joined itself to the Latin, but the union was insecure, and they are now under their own Patriarch. More recently there has been an alteration in their THE ARMENIAN NATION. 119 ecclesiastical government, Russia having the nomination of one spiritual head. No other nation, however, can show an uninterrupted succession of Patriarchs for a thousand years-for such is the time the Patriarch has resided at Aghtaman, an island in lake Van. The nation seems to possess vitality beyond the common lot: transplanted to die or propagate, martyred by Christian and heathen, they are yet a nation, and exhibit under unequalled disadvantages, more progress than any sect of Eastern Christians. They now almost hold Turkey in their hands; for they are the bankers, the moneyed interest of the land; they are the scribes, the confidential secretaries of government and governors; and as most of the great are deep in their books, the debtor can be controlled as they please. As Gibbon says, they have often preferred the crown of martyrdom to the white turban of the Prophet, and now, as of old, the main body of the people hug their error, and their nationality. The foundation of the city of Van itself is wrapt in obscurity, and from the advantages of its position, and the capabilities of defence found on the castle rock, it may fairly be supposed 120 THE WATERS OF THE LAKE. it would early have been fixed on. Though now prosperous, and if the Koordish districts south of it become settled, certain of being a great entrepôt, its trade now is far from equal to what it once was. The waters of the lake have lately been analysed, so the curious substance found floating on its surface, and used as soap, will be accounted for: it is sold in the bazaars. At present there are but three small boats or launches on the lake, and even these can hardly find trade enough to remunerate them. Their principal occupation is carrying passengers to the towns on the coast. August 19th, Monday. - Van to Terlashing, five hours. Just as I was starting, a servant and horse were found missing, so I had to return to the Doctor's, where, after a short period, the servant appeared escorted by two soldiers. They made a thousand apologies, and regretted they had not known he was in my service before. The fellow, who was a great rogue, had taken the horse to the bazaar to be shod; the animal not liking the operation, kicked a soldier who was looking on; the soldier seeing the man was a Christian, beat him, and finally the poor fellow was walked OUTRAGE ON MY SERVANT. 121 off to the guard-house, where the serjeant had him beaten again: between them he was all bloody. Telling the soldiers that they should suffer for their brutality, I sent for the captain; but before the messenger started, the serjeant arrived likewise, to regret the occurrence: then the captain; then the major; the colonel; and finally the aid-de-camp of the Fereek (military Pasha). All these said they came to apologise. I replied that I would freely forgive the insult as far as it concerned myself, but must exclaim against the injustice of soldiers being allowed to punish subjects of the Sultan as they pleased, and for no possible cause; and that as the man was my servant, I was bound to protect him, and would do so most certainly. "What punishment do you wish inflicted?" "That," I said, "you know best; he was beaten without a cause." So at last the soldiers were severely beaten, and the serjeant degraded on my account, and then beaten for theirs. I took care to let it be known that this was because they had beaten a Christian. In an hour I was off; a large party of Christians with me, in honour of the service I had done their cause. The Pasha's hasnedara joined me with the 122 THE HASNEDARA OF THE PASHA. missing horse, which had strayed away, and taking me aside during the quarrel, gave me mysteriously three heads of Indian corn and a cucumber; he told me he would take nothing from me in return, so I was riding off. Hurt at my deafness, he said : "Love was all he wanted; he would think of me by day and by night." Again I was going, when he said: "By day I can never forget you; but by night—tell me, dear friend, how am I to keep you in mind?" This was a puzzle; suppers and indigestion in which I might, perhaps, figure as a nightmare, suggested themselves to me. "Pray help me," he said; so, after directing my ignorance, my Macintosh bed was handed over to him; and I left him on the road, forgetful of all, with his mouth to the pipe, inflating my muchregretted couch. The road lay along a fine plain north of the town now and then low hills closed round us, but again opening, we found the plain one mass of corn, growing, cut, or being reaped. An hour's ride brought us to the pretty village of Esgara-Koi, with trees, fruit, and a pretty coffee-house containing wine for infidels. The lake, in all its beauty, lay on the west; in parts the further |
