Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB
[graphic][merged small]

the shore is edged with froth, caused by saline deposits. It was not far from this stand-point, too, that De Sauley first gazed upon what he styles with enthusiasm, "the finest and most imposing lake in the world." He visited it, however, it must be remembered, at the most favorable period of the year-early in January -when the sea is fullest, the tributary streams are flowing copiously into it, and the vegetation is rich and luxuriant on the numerous small deltas formed by the streams. Lieut. Lynch, on the other hand -whose work abounds with pictures of dreariness and desolation, seemingly at variance with the representations of the French traveler-was here at a more advanced season, when the region had assumed an Egyptian aspect, and the atmosphere had become so intolerably sultry as to wither up every green thing.

But we have no time to tarry here. Let us descend to the beautiful fountain that is sparkling below in the morning sun. The pass by which we seek to reach this tempting spot-this "diamond of the desert"-has the reputation of being the most terrific in the country. In descending, we behold what appear to us to be islands in the sea, but which afterward turn out to be merely spots of calm, smooth water, around which the rest of the sea is gently rippling. The same optical illusion has been common to most Dead Sea pilgrims, and will serve to explain the phenomenon of supposed islands existing in

the lake. Even a telescope has often failed to dispel the deceptive appearance. Arrived at length at this famous fountain, we find it indeed a most charming spot. No wonder that Lieut. Lynch should have selected it for his depot and permanent encampment while navigating the flood below. The Fountain of the Kid (its English name) bursts forth at once a fine stream upon a narrow terrace of the mountain, more than four hundred feet above the sea-beach, and rushing down the declivities, is speedily lost in the thickets of trees, and shrubs, and flowers, which spring up in its life-giving and beautycreating path. The water is warm, but deliciously sweet. So far as it circulates, the plain is covered with gardens, chiefly of cucumbers, which are cultivated by the Arabs; and the soil is so rich that, if properly tilled, it would yield exuberantly, and produce the rarest tropical fruits. The songs of innumerable birds sound strangely amid the solitude and grandeur of this devastated realm; while the gentle surging of the sea falls soothingly upon the ear. The scenery altogether cannot be called lovely, yet magnificently wild it is, and in the highest degree stern and impressive.

The ancient Hebrew name of this site was Hazezon-Tamar, (the Town of the Palms,) which, before the destruction of the guilty cities, was inhabited by the Amorites. Under the name Engedi, it afterward occurs as a city of Judah, giving

its name to a portion of the adjacent desert to which David withdrew for fear of Saul. Many of the caves in which he probably hid himself, while leading an outlawed life, may still be seen, some of which are large enough to contain twenty or thirty men. They subsequently became the secluded dwellings of the Essenes, and, still later, of Christian hermits. According to Josephus, Engedi was famous for palm-trees and opobalsam; while its vineyards are specially celebrated in the Old Testament. The forests of palms, however, have utterly disappeared, and no balm is collected here now. All that remains as a memorial of past glories, are plentiful fragments of antique architecture, a spring of pure and delicious water, and a splendid spontaneous vegetation.

Having bivouacked for a season on this deeply-interesting site, and refreshed ourselves at a fountain where the old Hebrew patriarchs had probably often quenched their thirst, we descend by another fearful pass to the beach, and resume our journey. Nothing very remarkable arrests our attention for a time, except those extraordinary features common to this region, but which elsewhere would excite wonder and curiosity. We now and then come to spots where we find the air tainted with a sulphureous effluvium, and which we can readily believe, according to the testimony of Lynch and other travelers, is far more offensively noxious in the hotter months of the year. Among the objects that attract our eye as we pass along-now near the inargin of the sluggish sea, and now at the base of the Canaanitish hills-are cascades, rushing headlong down the rifted rocks; large pools of water, formed by the retreat of the sea; the rough beds of ravines, through which the waters of the Judean wilderness flow into the lake; calcined fragments of rock, lava, and excoriæ, composing the volcanic ejections of ages past, with which the ground is in places profusely covered; and hills of a fantastical shape, some of them much resembling the round towers of an old Gothic castle, and having their bases half buried under conical heaps of fallen rubbish. Presently, after passing Birket-el-Khalil, as will be seen in the map, we bear westward over a spacious plain, covered with sand-hills of a whitish green color. These hillocks present so strange an aspect that it is difficult

|

to persuade ourselves that we are not gazing on an extensive city, for we see distinctly what appear to be palaces, mosques, towers, houses, streets, and other edifices, constructed of white marble. Opposite to the spot where we now are, is the peninsula, which is separated from the western shore by a comparatively narrow strait. (See map.) Similar sandhills appear on this singular tract of land, so that one might almost suppose that two large towns faced each other on the two contiguous shores.

While still pursuing our course along the edge of the plain before referred to, we observe a large rent in the mountain, surmounted by a high peak, crowned with ruins. This is known among the Arabs as the hill of Sebbeh, and these ruins are the remains of the famous Masadaemphatically "the fortress"- the last rampart of Jewish independence, and to which is attached a tragic tale, unsurpassed for thrilling interest in the annals of any other nation, ancient or modern. Inasmuch, however, as it is our intention to pay a special visit to this scene of heroism and horror at some future period, we will reserve what we have to say on the subject until that occasion.

As some of the chief objects of interest are centred at the southern end of the sea, we press onward toward that point of attraction, passing on our way some remains of the siege-works erected by the Roman army at the time of the reduction of Masada; another bed of lava, which had evidently been poured from the crater of an extinct volcano still visible; and a most enchanting little glen in the valley of the Water of Embarrheg, near which are the vestiges of a military station of the same age as Masada, and which De Sauley believes to have been the fort of Thamara. But sites of far more engrossing interest are at hand; and ere we have proceeded far we find ourselves in a locality in which, in the names of the valleys, plains, and mountains that surround us, we cannot fail to recognize a striking resemblance to scriptural names familiar to us from our very childhood. Thus we have the Ouadez-Zouera, or Valley of Zoar; the plain of Usdum, or Sodom; and Djebel Usdum, or the mountain of Sodom. The retention of these names for so many ages is a remarkable circumstance. We will return to them in our next.

[graphic][subsumed][merged small][merged small]

NOAH'S TOMB-THE PROMETHEAN MOUNTAIN-THE Ararat, would be incomplete if you failed

to visit the ancient city of Noah, called in Armenian Nakhtchevan, which signifies the

THREE PASSES OF THE CAUCASUS-CLIMATE-PRO-
DUCTIONS MANUFACTURES - MINES-TRIBES
RELIGIONS-CHARACTER AND HABITS OF THE PEOPLE
-THE SLAVE TRADE-A SPECIMEN OF CIRCASSIAN first habitation. Nakhtchevan is as old as
WARFARE-SCHAMYL

TH

HE "Caucasus" is the general name given to the immense system of mountains which stretch along the borders of the Black Sea to the Caspian, separating Europe from Asia at the southeast. The name of Kav, given to the highest peak of the Elbrowz chain, is now applied in the east to the whole system. In the north the Caucasus abruptly rises, in two parallel chains, from the steppes of Europe. In the south, on the contrary, its outlines are low and scattered, stretching off in various directions, till they join another chain that has no collective name, among which is Mount Ararat.

history. Its site was early discovered to be abundantly rich and fertile, with a perennial summer climate, while winter kept its throne on the neighboring summits. The ruins of the surrounding cities cover the flat elevation, and the Araxes is seen winding like a thread in the southern plain.

The tomb of Noah is situated near the ruins of an abandoned fortress, on an extended and gloomy plain, which is covered with half-buried ruins. It is now merely a crumbling vault; the interior, an octagonal from ten to twelve feet in diameter, has been lately cleaned, and a heap of lamps, or half-filled jars to supply their places, with some pieces of wall for the sides of the

A voyage to this country, especially to tomb, are all the offerings that men have

[blocks in formation]

the authenticity of the legend which reports the burial here of the venerable patriarch, cannot be demonstrated. The name of the place, however, and local traditions having the greatest antiquity, render it as probable that he sleeps here as in any other place. From one side of the tomb is seen the vast Armenian plain, | and on the other a chain of green-stone mountains, that inclose the eastern extremity of the Armenian valley, through which winds the Araxes. Every spot is venerable with associations of primeval history -but let us pass along and penetrate the Caucasus.

Among the mountains, covered with perpetual snow, which we encounter, and which are higher even than the Alps, is the Mquinuari, thirteen thousand feet high. Mythology chained Prometheus on this terrible summit. Further west the Elbrowz shoots its peaks fifteen thousand feet above the sea. No human foot has ever trod their snowy tops; but Zoroaster located Arimanius, the God of Evil, in these silent and awful cliffs. According to that famous philosopher, "as he raised himself from the mountain, and hovered over the abyss of space, he seemed an arch thrown from one world to another." These gigantic summits are overlooked by other peaks, which are also robed in eternal snow. At the north extends a parallel chain of irregular fantasticallyshaped rocks, which appear to have originated in some great volcanic action. Their valleys are so narrow, so cold, and so dismal, the forests so dense and so gloomy, and the fogs so thick, that they bear the name of Black Mountains. The principal summits are called Bald Mountain, The Mount of Thieves, Round Forest, Dismal Wood, The Dagger, and Tempest Mountain. There are but three outlets to this great bulwark, which can otherwise be traversed by none but the mountaineer and the chamois, and these three passages are broken into such deep ravines and abrupt precipices that it is quite as interesting to read of them in a comfortable arm-chair as to peril your life in seeing their severe beauty.

|

The first is through the western part of the mountains, and is scarcely known, except to the Russians, who have tried to enlarge it, as it connects directly with Tiflis and Tauris.

The second is nearly in the center, on the route from Tiflis to Mozdok. For twenty-two leagues it abounds with such impenetrable defiles that it is only accessible a few hours of the day during midsummer. It is sometimes called the defile of Terek, from the river of the same name, which has its source among these mountains. It is also called the Defile of Dariol, from the neighboring castle or pass of Kasbek, after Mount Kasbek. But it is generally known as the Wladi-Kaukas, from a military station bearing this name. The impassable position of this station would enable a hundred men to destroy an entire army.

The third passage, called Demir-Capu, also The Iron Door, and sometimes the Defile of Derbent, was well known to the ancients. It follows the border of the Caspian, and extends through some of the principal mountains. Although more difficult than the Wladi-Kaukas, it is more safe, as there is a post between the two cities of Derbent and Bakou, and efforts have lately been made to subdue the savage tribes which occasionally attack travelers in the pass. But it is very inconvenient for troops or provisions going to Georgia, as it is many miles longer than either of the others.

The climate of Caucasia is various. Some of its inhabitants are shivering with cold, while others stifle in close, torrid airs. The harvest is over in the low country before the wheat has sprouted on the high plains. Generally, the nearer the summits the colder but healthier is the atmosphere; while in the low pent-up valleys the warmth is excessive, vegetation rich, and the air heavy and unhealthy.

The provinces of Caucasia yield all the products of a temperate climate, while in some places the sugar-cane is cultivated. Among the articles of commerce are the box, walnut, and oak woods, which abound in Mingrelia; and barley, flax, hemp, and oil, which afford abundant harvests on the coast of the Black Sea. Cotton is cultivated in Armenia, Chirvan, and near Elisabetpol; madder grows abundantly on the shores of the Caspian, and the vine and tobacco are cultivated in various localities.

The breeding of herds is the chief occupation of the people. The cattle are smaller than ordinary, but are articles of active commerce with the neighboring Turkish pashalics. The sheep are of the finest kind; the mountaineers weave the wool into garments, and the skins and tallow are articles of valuable traffic. The hunters of the mountains are bold and skillful; wild goats and chamois abound in the fastnesses, and their horns are in great demand. The bear, the wolf, the hyena, and the jackal are the only ferocious animals. A small kind of tiger is occasionally met with in the wooded mountains bordering upon Persia. One province still retains the bison. The antelope, the boar, the roe-buck, the fallow-deer, and the hare are found in the plains and marshes. The pheasant, the woodcock and heathcock, the partridge, the bustard, the goose and the duck, the lapwing, the snipe, and other birds of passage, are numerous in the woods.

The fisheries employ a great part of the population about the mouths of the principal rivers. Leeches are objects of considerable commerce. Silk is manufactured on the mountain sides, where mulberry-trees are cultivated, but not so extensively as in trans-Caucasia. It is, however, of inferior quality in both sections.

Industry is even more limited in Circassia than commerce. The consumption is small, hand-work is very dear, and the country is overrun with Russian and Persian products. The woolen and cotton fabrics are very inferior; the manufacture of coarse cloth is one of the principal occupations of the mountaineers. The people of Andis are celebrated for the manufacture of a thick, silky cloak of felt, called bourkas, which protects the Caucasian from any inclemency of the weather. Carpets are universally manufactured, for in Asia they take the place of the various furniture which western luxury considers indispensable. The best carpets are made in Kauba. Two thousand looms in Chemahka are occupied in weaving silk. But the art in which the Caucasians excel is the manufacture of armor. The villages of Lagitsh and Kouthachi make the finest side-arms. The best guns come from Daghestan, Tehirkei, Khounsak, and especially from the Koubetchis, or Gaukhs, of which this manufacture is the only oc

cupation. They are often profusely ornamented with gold and silver. Doublebarreled and percussion guns are not unknown to these half-civilized workmen, and they have presented specimens of their own invention to the Russian authorities as proofs of their skill.

The Caucasian Mountains have been so little explored for their mineral wealth that the treasures they inclose are as yet useless. The working of mines is very limited. The copper-mines in Atlanerdi, and also those in the valley of Khramm, are rented to a Greek company. The pits of naphtha at Bakou yield from two hundred thousand to three hundred thousand pounds per annum; the white naphtha includes only five hundred pounds of this. The government works a mine of rock salt in the province of Armenia. Great quantities of this mineral are also gathered near the island of Abcheron, and near Kizliar, and in many places it is so common that the inhabitants procure it gratis. In 1844 a coal-mine was discovered in the high valley of Kouban, and a still richer one at Imereth. It is a very valuable deposit, and coal has been already exported. "Behold what a great matter a little fire kindleth," and here, perhaps, in the charred rock of Imereth, sleep the future powers of steam and other energies, which shall modernize this marvelous country of the olden time.

Thus have we given some glimpses at the matter-of-fact life of these venerable, these mysterious mountains-a region which, more perhaps than any other historical locality of the earth, has seemed to be curtained about with antique legendary mists-a country for which we all have such a vague curiosity, and respecting which modern times have learned little else than that Russia has persistently assailed it, and Schamyl as persistently defended it. We have designedly kept our eye on the realities rather than the marvels-the fables of its half-hidden life.

Still pursuing our matter-of-fact observations, let us look at it from other points of view.

For a long time Caucasia was considered the home of those barbarian hordes which inundated Europe in the early ages of Christianity. This error shows the prevailing ignorance regarding the situa tion of the country, which is separated from the land of those savages by an al

« AnteriorContinuar »