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23 August 1877 — Therapia | |
Thursday. 23rd [August 1877]. Got up before 7 & had tea at 7.30. Miss Bilinsky joined us & at 8 we went on board the Helicon & started for the Gulf of Izmit. We had a lovely day, & went past the Prince’s Islands to a place called Daradja a little village in the Gulf where he had sent the Cavass the day before to order horses & carriage. We arrived at about 10 o’cl & found on landing a lot of ponies & donkeys saddled in place of a carriage a wooden cart drawn by oxen. In point of fact it was only 4 wooden wheels with a strong length of wood between them to wh the Pasha had added pieces to lean against & a rough kind of wooden frame covered with a blanket overhead. There was just room for Miss Bilinsky the Genl & me to sit in it & to carry the provisions. We had cushions to sit on but were horribly jolted over the rough roads. The views were lovely as we got to the top of the hill looking over the vineyards into the gulf. The rest of the party rode. The 2 ladies managed on men’s saddles & there was a goodly cavalcade for we had Capt. Fraser, Capt. Wingfield, Major de Winton, Mr Heathcote, Mr Graham & 2 servants. When we got to the Greek village half way up the hill we found the Greek school master had turned out to meet us & the children with green branches in their hands lined the road. They read an address in Greek wh Henry did not understand—the children waved their branches & we went on. At last we came to a small clump of trees just off the road where we found the Pasha seated in the shade on his carpet with a bottle of water in his hand & a pipe. He welcomed us with his usual roar of laughter & made us sit on cushions & carpets while the lunch was unpacked by Beale & Petro & the Pasha’s servant. There was a huge sycamore wh had been struck by lightening & in the trunk of wh a fire was made & a peasant women called Ratenka cooked for us very good red mullet & warmed our pilaf. The dish of the day was a lamb roasted whole wh the Pasha had ordered at the village. It came late but was excellent when it did come carried in 2 tin round dishes on the heads of 2 peasants—it was welcomed accordingly. We bought a whole quantity of freshly gathered grapes & peaches—paying about 8 pi: kaimé for 2 [illegible word] of grapes. Having eaten & rested & reentered the araba & the rest mounted & we returned to the sea shore. The school children turned out again & Henry dismounted & visited the school house—made a donation & recd a gorgeous knitted quilt. I had such a violent headache that I was glad to get back to the Helicon & to lie down in the cabin where I remained till abt 7 when I went on deck again. I found we had gone a good way up the Gulf & were returning towards Constple. We anchored at Constple while we dined & I was better & able to be at dinner. We had a splendid moonlight night for going up the Bosphorus & stopped to leave Ahmet Vefyk P. at Hyssar. We got home about 11 o’cl: just as the eclipse of the moon was beginning but we were too sleepy to wait up & watch it & were glad to have some tea & get to bed. | |
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