Lesser Armenia, but in 1080 it reverted to the Byzantine empire, from which it was shortly after taken by the Seljukians. It finally fell into the power of the Osmanlis under Mohammed I., who wrested it from the Turcomans in 1415.
One-fourth of the population of Siwâs consists of Armenians, who number here 1050 families, with three churches, several priests, and a bishop. The Papal Armenians do not amount to more than fifty persons, and hold their services in a private house. The Greeks, who reckon but twenty families, have a small church and a priest.
Siwâs is renowned for its excellent honey. Its chief export is wool, which is also manufactured here into hose, gloves, &e., and sent to all parts of the empire.
Oct. 12th.—Accompanied by six mounted guards we left Siwas, at 8 a.m., and in one hour crossed the broad bed of the Kizzil Irmak, the ancient Halys, over a bridge of eighteen arches. The road now led over a continuation of the same high table land that we had traversed yesterday, and at half-past 10 a.m. we reached a pass in the hills called Tcifté Kardash, or the Couple of Brothers, consisting of two narrow pathways separated by a mass of rock, and which, according to tradition, derives its name from two brothers having crossed without meeting, whilst one was on his way from Constantinople to visit his brother, and the other journeying from Baghdad to the capital for the same purpose. In a valley beyond this is a salt spring, from which large quantities of salt are procured during the summer season by evaporation. After travelling over an uninteresting route for five hours and a half we reached the village of Oolash, containing about sixty Armenian families, engaged principally as agriculturists and shepherds. The mud hovels of these Christians were dirty and comfortless, and the poor and oppressed people themselves seemed equally miserable. There are three priests and a small church in the village, and I was informed that an American Independent missionary, who had preceded me by a few days on his way to Mosul, had distributed numerous tracts among the villagers.
Oct. 15th.—Started from Oolash at 6 a.m., and in four hours reached Delikli Tash, or the Riven Rock, inhabited entirely by Moslems, where we changed horses and guards. The place
