50

BISHOPS OF SAGALASSUS.

arms possibly could, and at the same time made himself master of their town." *

The consul Manlius did not attack the city, but, by ravaging their territory, compelled the Sagalassians to come to terms. They submitted to a contribution of fifty talents, twenty thousand medimni of wheat, and the same quantity of barley.

In the ecclesiastical Notitia, Sagalassus holds the second place among the cities of Pisidia, Antioch being the first.

The Oriens Christianus gives the following names as Bishops of Sagalassus.

Jovius.

Fonteianus.

Theodosius.

Leo (in the synod under Pope John VIII.)

* Franshemius's Supplement to Quintus Curtius, vol. i. page 144.

CHAPTER III.

Leave Aglason-Village of Issarkeuy and castle-Descent through a pine forest-Lose our way, but with a Turcoman guide arrive at Debrè-Turkish stocking-knitters-Mr. Detheir's necromancy-Village of Germè-Ascent to the Acropolis Ruins -Theatre -Temples-Porticoes-Conjectures on the ancient name-whether Cremna or Selge.

Thursday, Nov. 15.—We left Aglason at a quarter before nine; and not being disposed to pay fifty piastres for a guide, we trusted to our own sagacity. Having passed through the plain, or rather valley, we crossed the Cestrus, at half-past nine, by a bridge, on which was a large column with an inscription: with a little attention it might have been read, but we were so anxious for the discovery of Selge, that every thing else was of minor importance.

At ten o'clock we quitted the plain and the river, which runs down a bogaz at the left, and

52

VILLAGE OF ISSAR KEUY.

ascended the mountain. The road was horribly craggy, but ornamented by balsam trees, juniper, and valonea. At half-past ten, we were in a little plain elevated between the mountains: here we observed, in the small dry bed of a stream, a quantity of minute black grains, or sand, resembling manaccanite. Our course south

east.

Having passed through hills magnificently clothed with pines, we came to another plain, or plateau, at half-past eleven. Here was a village called Assar Keuy, or Issar Keuy, for they told us there was a castle on the mountain behind the village. We remained here till a quarter before twelve, endeavouring to prevail on some of the villagers to conduct us to Debrè.

A man engaged to do it, but retracted his promise; and we again set out alone, with, as we imagined, ample directions for the road, and the assurance that Debrè was only distant two hours. Our course was south west till a quarter past twelve, when, quitting the plain, we entered a bogaz, or gorge, between high precipitous mountains.

The bogaz soon expanded into a narrow valley

DESCENT THROUGH A PINE FOREST.

53

or ravine, and the road led along the mountain side. Nothing could exceed the grandeur and beauty of this road. Both sides of the ravine were covered with wood-pines, valonea, ilex, arbutus, myrtle, &c.-with the steep, naked mountain peaks towering above on either side. In front, a succession of ridges of mountains, after range, the most distant covered with

range

snow.

We descended to a great depth in this ravine, seeing, on the right, a curious rock overhanging at a great elevation the ravine, and which exactly resembled a mitred bishop on his throne. Below this we passed what in another season would be the source of a Catarractes, flowing down the steep side of the mountain, and forming a small stream in the valley.

We were now in a pine forest, with trees of prodigious size and height; multitudes running up straight enough and high enough to serve for a main-mast of a first-rate ship. Hundreds of these enormous trees lay about, in all directions, torn up by the roots, a terrible evidence of the hurricanes that must sweep along this ravine.

Very low down in the valley, for we were

still descending, we found the wild olive, myrtle, picro daphne, (laurel rose,) planes, and numerous other trees; among these a very common one resembled the pomegranate, but with smaller leaf, more narrow and pointed, and with straight branches. If the leaf had more resembled the quince, we should have taken it for the styrax, for the branches were strong enough for arrows, though not long enough for javelins.

Most of the pines had incisions in the bark for the turpentine to distil, and quantities of it were in a hardened, coagulated state upon the trees, and we subsequently saw large heaps at our conac, which is sent to Smyrna, &c. for sale.

Our road became very difficult at this depth of the valley, which descended still to a vastly greater depth, when we providentially met a man driving some asses loaded with wood, who gave us the uncomfortable news that we had taken a wrong road, and instead of arriving at Debrè, as we hoped to do in a few minutes, we had still above an hour to go. The man, a Turcoman, very kindly consented to be our conducteur to the village, though not in his road; and we had great reason for gratitude to God, who had sent