hekh of the horses, who promised, in
case it should hereafter be found, to place it in the general pen, where
they would be sure to get it on their return. The man who sold them the
horse offered them another for the lame one and 150 piastres, and there
was no other alternative but to accept it. But _we_ must advance the 150
piastres, and so, in mid-journey, we have already paid them to the end,
with the risk of their horses breaking down, or they, horses and all,
absconding from us. But the knavish varlets are hardly bold enough for
such a climax of villany.

Chapter XXI.

The Heart of Asia Minor.

Scenery of the Hills--Ladik, the Ancient Laodicea--The Plague of
Gad-Flies--Camp at Ilguen--A Natural Warm Bath--The Gad-Flies Again--A
Summer Landscape--Ak-Sheher--The Base of Sultan Dagh--The Fountain of
Midas--A Drowsy Journey--The Town of Bolawaduen.

"By the forests, lakes, and fountains,
Though the many-folded mountains." Shelley.

Bolawaduen, _July_ 1, 1852.

Our men brought all the beasts into the court-yard of the khan at Konia,
the evening before our departure, so that no more were stolen during the
night. The oda-bashi, indefatigable to the last in his attention to us,
not only helped load the mules, but accompanied us some distance on our
way. All the merchants in the khan collected in the gallery to see us
start, and we made our exit in some state. The morning was clear, fresh,
and delightful. Turning away from the city walls, we soon emerged from the
lines of fruit-trees and interminable fields of tomb-stones, and came out
upon the great bare plain of Karamania. A ride of three hours brought us
to a long, sloping hill, which gave us a view of the whole plain, and its
circuit of mountains. A dark line in the distance marked the gardens of
Konia. On the right, near the centre of the plain, the lake, now
contracted to very narrow limits, glimmered in the sun. Notwithstanding
the waste and unfertile appearance of the country, the soft, sweet sky
that hangs over it, the pure, transparent air, the grand sweep of the
plain, and the varied forms of the different mountain chains that
encompass it, make our journey an inspiring one. A descent of the hills
soon shut out the view; and the rest of the day's journey lay among them,
skirting the eastern base of Allah Dagh.

The country improved in character, as we advanced. The bottoms of the dry
glens were covered with wheat, and shrubbery beg