working, and long-lived. One of our horses was three and thirty years old, having been a common packhorse for the last twentyfour years, and still did his work well.

The last villages are at the head-waters of small valleys, each house surrounded by fruit-trees, often in a small garden.

The security of the districts, inhabited nearly exclusively by Bulgarians, is evidently much greater than that of those with a mixed population. In the course of one year not less than thirtyfour murders were committed on the roads from Burghas and Misevria to Tirnova, and the primate of the latter place stated to me that few of the culprits had been detected.. On the road we passed many cheerful groups of the Zingani, or gipsies, who are but little molested in any part of Turkey.

The tolerance of religious sects in the Ottoman empire is generally remarkable, but is founded on the assumed superiority of the Mussulman creed over all other religions, which are equally tolerated, but also equally despised; so that the lowest Mussulman peasant considers himself, and is by the religious law, infinitely superior, not to the lowest Christian rayah, but to the richest primate in the Sultan's dominions, be he Greek, Catholic, Protestant, Armenian, Jew, or Zingani.

At Chülün our line of march falls into the high road from Tirnova to Ozman-Bazar.

From Tirnova, by Leskovaz, to Kosarva is a distance of 4 hours; and thence to Chülün 1 hour more.

Usually the Chülün affluent of the Yantra is fordable during all seasons, but a ferry-boat is kept in readiness during the winter and early spring, at the station of Chülün. It can, however, only carry over one horse at a time.

The dress of the Bulgarian women is very tasteful; that of the men warm and comfortable; and the latter is far superior in style to the effeminate modern Greek fustanella, or petticoat; though it wants the dignified effect of the Mussulman turban. The Bulgarian saddles and bridles are elegantly ornamented, and are only surpassed by the neat Oriental taste of the Damascus work.

As we approached Hassan-Faki, by a slow and gradual ride, the ground became less richly cultivated, and at Laïla and Hassan-Faki the vine was no longer to be seen. The straggling houses are still mostly roofed with tiles, a few only being thatched with straw. The oak trees are cropped for fodder, and though some patches of wood still remain, the ground is generally cleared for pasture and agriculture.

At Hassan-Faki, where we arrived after dark, two of my people, who had gone on in advance, found great difficulty in procuring quarters for the night. They had halted before the best house in the village, belonging to a Rayah, but had knocked

in vain, receiving no answer to their summons, although they heard voices inside. The proprietor was evidently loath to receive Mussulman travellers, and these resorted at last to the novel expedient of lighting some lucifer matches, and swearing that they would set fire to the roof of the house, when instantly the door was thrown open to welcome them.

Generally speaking, the houses in this part of the country show a considerable degree of comfort amongst the inhabitants. There is an abundance of copper vessels and utensils and of warm bedding. Open chimneys are most generally used, but in the large towns stoves, approaching the Russian pattern, are coming into use. Sunday, October 17th, 1847.-From Hassan-Faki to Kazán (Kazaan) 74 hours :

From Hassan-Faki to Ozman-Bazar, 700 Turkish

100 Bulgarian houses.

Ishelol, 30 Turkish houses

14 hours.

3

71⁄2

Chatuk, 150 Turkish and Bulgarian houses 5
Kazán (Kazaan)

The road from Hassan-Faki to Ozman-Bazar runs through cultivated undulations of the Injé-Baïr. We passed Ituff, at the head of a beautiful valley, whose waters still flow into the Yantra River.

Ozman-Bazar, a considerable and thriving borough, with several mosques and baths, and a Turkish fountain constructed of ancient materials, lies in a sheltered position, surrounded by vineyards and orchards. It is a post-station on the main road from Ruschuk to Kazan, Selimné, and Adrianople. Remains of an old Roman causeway are still visible. Timber abounds in the neighbourhood, and the doors and framework of the houses are generally of sound oak. At Ozman-Bazar, as in most villages of the Balkan, the doors are seldom provided with locks,—a sure sign of the general honesty of the mountaineers of this part of Turkey.

From Ozman-Bazar the ground ascends for 2 hours to the first derbend guardhouse at Ishelol.

We passed numerous straggling farms and villages on each side of the road on going to the second derbend guardhouse, whence close up to Chatuk our way lies chiefly through forests and thickly-wooded defiles, with occasional traces of an ancient road, and patches cleared for pasture and agriculture.

Chatuk, a pretty village, is picturesquely situated at the headwaters of the Buyuk Kamchik. It has 150 Turkish and Bulgarian houses. We met at a coffee house two Shorbachi, or headmen, from Kazan, on their way to Ozman-Bazar. They were accompanied by a common police soldier of Omar Pasha's, who was evidently the most important personage of the party.

On the way from Chatuk to Kazan are two more derbend guardhouses, one at 1 and the other at 1 hour from Chatuk; and between them is a first-rate military position, on detached barren heights, extending in a crescent of 1 mile, facing the N.

The main road winds from E N.E. to W.S.W., along the foot of the position, then passes through it over open ground, after which a brisk descent of half an hour leads to Kazan. No wood right or left; the immediate neighbourhood of Kazan is also bare, with the exception of the Kiz-tépé (already described) and the western mountain range.

Monday, October 18th.-The direct road from Kazan to ChalikKavak, by Karatler, being described as very difficult and not to be chosen on account of the unsettled state of the weather, we resumed our former road from Kazan by Papas-Koi, through the valley of the Delli Kamchik, as far as Sadova, viz. :—

From Sadova our line of march proceeded for 24 hours more as far as Malenich, through a rich valley, in which the forest has been largely cleared for agricultural purposes. Its Mussulman population lives apparently in great ease and abundance, and we met many Turkish peasants with cart-loads of wine for the wealthy Christian population of Kazan.

Notwithstanding the great abundance of wood and the cheapness of provisions and wages, the inhabitants of Kazan have not ventured to introduce the manufacture of cloth on European principles. They are fully aware of the advantages of the recent improvements, many of them having seen the large Austrian establishments; yet prejudice, want of the spirit of enterprise, and, above all, the insecurity attendant on all large outlay of capital under Eastern despotism, have prevented them from introducing changes and improvements. They seek to hide as much as possible their prosperity from the provincial governors, aware, as they say they are, of the Turkish proverb, "the public revenue is like a river of fine water; he who approaches it and does not quench his thirst is a fool." The Kazanese have, from sad experience, little faith in the Tanzimat and in the pretended Turkish reforms.

During the whole route, from Kazan down to Malenich, we still found the roads in excellent condition for the time of year; the fields teeming with verdant young crops, and the pastures

covered with horses, buffaloes, oxen, kine, and Abá sheep of a brown colour. The Turkish women in this part of the country wear handsome burnuses and black and white ferejis.

From Malenich downwards towards Kamchik-Mahalesi, the river flows through a narrow defile, chiefly between abrupt rocks and crags. It is everywhere fordable. The road to Rubja leads over the high mountain range which here shuts in the river.

From Rubja to Murad-déré is of an hour, and thence by the road to Kamchik-Mahalesi to the point of intersection of the highway between Dobral and Chalik-Kavak is 1 hour more, in all 9 hours from Kazan. Turning off nearly due N., towards Chalik-Kavak, the village of Rubja appears on the left, forming, with Murad-déré, part of a strong military position of 1000 to 1200 yards extent, facing E., towards the Dobral main road, and one of strategical importance, as it forms the nucleus of several roads, viz.,

From Murad-déré another road also leads direct to ChalikKavak (2 hours) between the mountain track thither from Rubja and the high road from Dobral, but it is more difficult than either of them.

One hour and a half's march on the latter from the abovementioned point of intersection led us through a great wooded defile, and half an hour more over an undulating plain brought us, after dark, to Chalik-Kavak. This great mountain defile is generally from 40 to 100 yards broad, the military road being nowhere less than 10 yards wide, and practicable for all arms and heavy baggage trains. The mountain slopes, between 300 and 400 feet high, are not very steep, but of difficult ascent on account of the large trees and the thick underwood.

Chalik-Kavak is a poor hamlet of 80 houses, but before the war which terminated in 1774 it contained 700 families, many of whom subsequently emigrated into Russia.

From Chalik-Kavak a direct mountain-path to Kazan (9 hours) is very rough and precipitous. From Chalik-Kavak to Shumla by the main road, viâ Smiadova, the distance is 8 hours.

Tuesday, October 19th.

Chalik-Kavak to Bairam-déré, 60 Turkish houses

Bekje, 55 Turkish houses

Lubnitza, 60 Turkish houses

Buyuk-Chenka, 80 Bulgarian houses

From Chalik-Kavak the road to Bairam-déré leads along

the left bank of a rivulet, through a richly-wooded and watered valley. From Bairam-déré a direct but difficult cart-road leads to Rudcha and Keremetli-Koi, and thence by Karanlá to Boghazdéré, on the S. slope of the Balkans.

At Bairam-déré we crossed a wooded mountain ridge, and reached Bekje, whence a rivulet runs into the Akeli Kamchik or "wise Kamchik" River, passing a little W. of Mereke, through a picturesque and rocky gorge.

Our whole line of march from Bekje to Buyuk-Chenka lay through a rich, well-cultivated valley, with occasionally fine oak forests.

From Lubnitza a good cart-road leads to Boghaz-déré, steep for an hour near the latter village, whilst another leads to Shumla, and another from Mereke to Yeni-Koi. From Buyuk-Chenka to Boghazdéré a good cart-road, which may be eventually of high strategical importance, runs along the left bank of the Delli Kamchik River, viz.: From Chenka by Kisik, Déré-Koi to Boiala, 34 hours; thence to Skotna (Iskotna), 1 hour; to Karanla, 1 more; and, after crossing the river, 1 hour to Boghaz-déré; in all, from Buyuk-Chenka to Boghaz-déré, at the head-waters of the Misevria Valley, 7 hours.

From Boiala a direct road leads to Boghaz-déré by a steep mountain-path, in 2-2 hours, crossing the river at the former village.

From Buyuk-Chenka another cart-road passes by the strong position of Pilav-Tépé to Sujiler, another military point.

From Chenka to Kara-Ahmed Mahalesi, 40 Turkish houses

1 hour. 2

The junction of the Delli Kamchik and of the Akeli Kamchik takes place a short distance above Butresk, on the right bank of the main river. A good cart-road from Chenka leads through a high forest, chiefly of fine oak, crossing the Delli Kamchik at Kara-Ahmed in 2 feet of water, and runs along the right bank to Köpri-Koi.

In these districts the quarters of the Turks and Bulgarians are usually very clean, those of the Greeks and Jews filthy; the latter are only to be found in the towns.

In the forest between Butresk and Köpri-Koi four tépés, or tumuli, occur on the left of the road.

Immediately N. of Chenka is a fine military position of about 900 yards extent, and facing N. It covers the roads to ChalikKavak and to Sujiler; but it can be turned by its left, through the gorge by which a direct road passes from Yeni-Koi to Mereke.

Kara-Ahmed also offers a fine military position in a semicircle