III TREBIZOND 27
must ride on camels and dromedaries the remaining 1490 miles. It was, then, a long journey from Trebizond, but I rejoiced at the prospect of seeing parts of Persia where I had never been before, and of crossing the great desert which Alexander, Marco Polo, and Nadir Shah had made famous.
While Polikandrioti undertook to look after all necessary purchases,—a Caucasian burkha, or black cape, a bashlik, felt cloths and bedclothes, provisions for a month, preserved meats, bread, tea, sugar, cooking utensils, tobacco, etc.,—I made arrangements with a driver to hold ready at my door in two days a carriage and a cart and take me to Erzerum fora payment of 16 Turkish pounds, or J i o : 16s. I had a message from M. Colomb that the Vali, or Governor - General, of the Trebizond vilayet, Mehemed Reshad, had received orders from Tewfik Pasha , to facilitate my journey by all means in his power, and, accompanied by the consul, I afterwards paid a visit to the Vali's office, a very curious little open pavilion at a street corner, where all the gusts of wind and loiterers could look in without hindrance. The Vali was an elderly man with a grey-streaked beard, pince-nez, fez, and European dress, and inspired by the most friendly feeling. In the order he had received from his chief not a word was said about exemption from customs dues, and therefore he had no authority to let my baggage through, but he advised me to telegraph once more to the Swedish Minister. I was to have two trustworthy soldiers as an escort on the way to Erzerum, and a special passport was to be prepared, and all officials along my route would be instructed to grovel before me as I came rattling along with my vehicles.
I had for the present to exercise patience, and I visited the English consul, Mr. Longworth, an elderly, corpulent, and genial bachelor, in an elegant palace, went a drive in the town and through the crowded alleys of the bazaar, and looked in at some of the well-stocked shops where
ô European visitors find nearly everything necessary for a
long journey. Trebizond makes an agreeable impression, thanks to its fine natural situation, its picturesque street
it scenes, and its varied life full of Oriental colouring and
IIIF Color HighRes
