happiness and youth; and Francisco, as it turned out, was in no special haste, having once secured her, to carry his bride to her home. So that it was not till some time later, when the old Duchessa was dead, and that extraordinary link of mingled attraction and repulsion which subsisted between herself and her forsaken son had come to an end for ever, that Francisco carried home the Lucia, the light of his eyes, who had chosen him in his poverty. But the wanderings of the two in the mean time in that tête-à-tête carriage, where the shawl had dropped from Lucy's shoulders, were sufficiently agreeable wanderings; and the only individual who did anything but smile to wel come the young people home to their bright Genzaro villa was Monsignore, who added to his congratulations a secret sigh over that sweet Duchessina-little Duchess, as they called her with caressing tenderness-who, good and pretty as she was, alas, was still a heretic! The sun shone upon darkblue Nemi - Nemi bluer than the skies; the autumn winds rustled through the famous avenue of elms ; Monte Cavo looked down blandly curious, with the cloud feathers in his cap; and even Monsignore, though he sighed over the heretic, did not refuse to join in the universal congratulation which welcomed the Duchessa Lucia to the house where her husband was born. A VISIT TO THE TRIBES OF THE RYHANLU TURKMANS, AMONGST all the wild nomade tribes that range about the plains and mountains of Syria and Asia Minor, many of whom have been actively engaged in, and mixed up with, the recent massacres of Christians, there is none more remarkable, as differing from the rest of the Bedouin family in every respect, save only as regards pilfering and lying, than the Ryhanlu Turkmans, who spread themselves over mountain and valley and plain in one almost uninterrupted line from the defiles of Latakia and Antioch to the perpetually snow-capped Taurus range, at that point where the stupendous natural gates of Kulek Boghaz afford an impregnable and impassable barrier to all invaders approaching from the vast plains of Asia Minor, embracing in this sweeping curve the cities and towns of Latakia, Antioch, Aleppo, Killis, Marashe, Scanderoon, the plains of Issus, Tarsus, and the city of Adana. They are a people unique in every sense of the word, and utterly at variance with all other nomade tribes, inasmuch as that, although they wander to and fro in the winter and autumn, they have fixed residences and town gardens and fields during the spring and summer, to which they return almost to the day, year after year. Then, again, they fare well, and even luxuriously, living upon dainties which many a Bedouin has never even set eyes upon; and they differ from him in another respect-that whereas the one is noted for unostentatious and simple-hearted hospitality, the Ryhanlu Turkmen are the most inhospitable and selfish people in the East: morose in disposition, and never rendering a service unless well satisfied beforehand that the recompense will tenfold repay them. On the other hand, although they would jump at an opportunity to sack or pillage any town or village so long as they hoped to escape detection or recognition, they would refrain from bloodshed and other detestable crimes, perpetrated by those Arab tribes which took an active part in the tragedies of Damascus and Dur-il-Kamar, not so much, perhaps, from any moral restraint, as from a notion that such participation would eventually prove a deathblow to the commerce they now carry on with the Europeans, native Christians, and Jews, and upon which alone they subsist, and are enabled to live in that ease and luxury which they so dearly love. It must be remembered that when we speak of the "luxury" of the Ryhanlu tribes, we mean as in comparison with the self-denying and abstemious principles of their other nomade Arab brethren, who dwell in tents, and whose wealth is in flocks and herds. It was at the instigation and invitation of a venerable old camel-driver, who was a great chief amongst the Ryhanlu, and who had for years been carrying merchandise to and fro between Aleppo and Alexandretta, on the Gulf of Iskanderoon, that we assembled a considerable party of English, French, and Italians, bent upon a six-months' nomade life amongst this strange and interesting people, promising ourselves much sport by the wayside in a country literally teeming with game. Besides which, we were for the most part invalids, and the change of air and scenery, added to the leisurely method we adopted in travelling, could not fail to be beneficial. We hired the half-dozen camels belonging to our grey-bearded chaperon, which were well laden with tents, bedding material, culinary utensils, and such creature comforts as were not procurable where we were going, including much bottled ale, wines, spirits, and a choice assortment of quinine and other medicines. Our party and the servants followed the caravan on horse and mule-back, and we carried with us some very fine greyhounds and English pointers. Thus prepared, we wended our way through the precipitous rocky defiles of Beilan, travelling on an average six hours aday, and devoting the rest of our time to coursing, shooting, meals, sleep, and now and then pleasant little excursions over plain or up hilly rockside in search of botanical specimens, or rude caverns and remains of antiquity, with which the whole of the mountainous districts which border on the vast plains of the Amuk are so plentifully besprinkled. We had no sooner reached the foot of the mountain than we came upon a little tributary stream called the Kara Sue, or black waters, so named from the dark colour of the surface, arising out of the clayish bottom of the stream. Here we fell in with the first encampment of the Ryhanlu Turkmans, and in the tent of their sheiks found shelter and hospitality, through the influence of our friend the old camel-driver. The encampments of these people vary according to the neighbourhood they may have fixed upon, or the nature and quantity of the pasturage around them. Sometimes, as at Kara Sue, there are from six to ten tents, but mostly they encamp in single families, one or two miles apart from each other, and so, stretching over an immense extent of ground, prevent the possibility of any bickerings between them as regards the pasturing of the cattle or felonies committed by or upon their stock of poultry. We found the structure of their tents or habitations extremely simple, consisting of an oblong wall built of loose stones piled one upon another, and about four feet in height, covered over with a rough material made of black goat-hair, and supported by a dozen or more poles driven into the centre of the hut, so that the middle is elevated to upwards of nine feet. In the interior there is a stone partition which shuts off the women's apartment-by far the largest portion of the building; and another stone wall, between the outer one and the men's apartment, for the accommodation of the most valuable horses of the proprietor. The rest of the horses and cattle are kept, as in the case of Kara Sue, in caverns, which abound in these calcareous hills. In the central parts of the plain they erect large pens for them, which are also covered with goat-skin material. The men also, especially about the borders of the Afrin, a small river that intersects the central part of the plains of the Amuk, build themselves much larger huts, nearly fifteen feet in height, which they cover with the rushes that grow so plentifully by the borders of this stream, and which constitute a thatch impervious to all wet. The men's apartments are covered with carpets inferior only to the best Persian, and which serve as beds for strangers or the unmarried members of the family, the married retiring to their respective harems. Amongst the wealthier families of the Ryhanlu tribes they have a kind of portable tent, made of wood, and not unlike a parrot's round cage. The entrance shuts up with a small door, 1860.] A Visit to the Tribes of the Ryhanlu Turkmans. and the whole is covered with a large These tents white woollen carpet. are exclusively for the use of ladies. Next morning we took our departure long before sunrise, having first enjoyed a bowl of goat's milk, into which we took the liberty of pouring a leetle drop of veritable Jamaica, just as an antidote for ague; and, leaving a fair bukshish for the Sheik, rode forth into the fresh air of the morning, like giants Our tents and refreshed with wine. luggage had remained unpacked, by which means we escaped much delay; and the last faint bark of the Turkmans' dogs just died away in the distance as the sun arose in all its eastern glory, and myriads of larks welcomed his golden advent as they poised themselves high up in the air, and poured forth rich floods of melody. Never was there such a choice of sport and amusement for the lover of the field and its enticements. In huge swamps, at every hour's interval, were congregated web-footed birds of every description and size, from the stately swans down to the teal and widgeon, and the pretty little yellow-legged waterhen. In the lowlands that surrounded these marshes were an infinity of snipe, and by the edges of the water sandpipers innumerable. As we came upon more elevated ground, covered with thick brushwood and wild myrtle, there were perfect clouds of starlings, thrushes, black and brown, and blue and grey jays. As the brush wood grew taller and the land higher, we encountered plenty of that delicious game, the francolin-a bird almost exclusively confined within the limits of the pashaliks of Aleppo, Marashe, and Adana; and further on, amongst hard sandhills, whose sides were tufted with impenetrable furze, redlegged partridges in abundance; whilst at the foot we startled a herd of gazelles, that seemed to fly rather than run over the vast plains before us. Two of their number, however, that paid tribute to a steady aim and unerring rifle, convinced us to the contrary. On emerging on to the plains again, at every hundred yards we started a hare, and had some glorious coursing. So that, by the time 671 noon had come, and the heat was These tribes were originally a wandering people, like the Bedouins of the desert, but they have now, as has already been stated, become cultivators of the soil, with fixed residences for certain seasons of the year; and their chief riches still consist in cattle. Their horses, though inferior to the breeds raised by the Arabs of the desert, are nevertheless strong, and well adapted for mountain labour. Their necks are short, and heads large and thick-in short, the whole make is clumsy and unsightly. These Turkmans, contrary to the Arab practice, ride the horses exclusively, selling the mares, excepting At the time that some of such as are kept for breeding purposes. these tribes migrate towards Armenia, they buy up buffaloes and Arab camels, which they exchange in Armenia for a better breed of camels and for cattle, which they dispose of in the markets of Aleppo. The Armenian or Caramanian is a taller and a stronger camel than the Arabian, with the neck more bent, and the upper part of the thighs profusely covered with thick hair; and whereas the Arab camel only carries six hundred weight, or one hundred and twenty rotolos, that from Armenia suffers no inconvenience from a burden of eight hundredweight. This powerful breed is produced with a male dromedary and a female Arabian camel; and the people of Anatolia keep these dromedaries exclusively for this purpose. The Caramanian camel feeds all day by the mountain - sides, browsing upon brushwood and thorn, and deriving aliment from dried-up roots and other substances, the sap from which has long since evaporated. As the sun sets, they come with a long gauky trot towards the camp, where each one receives as his portion a ball of paste, made of barley and water, and weighing about one pound. So that all the expense these useful creatures put their proprietors to is a handful of barley per diem. The Turkmans never milk their camels, but use them exclusively as beasts of burden, and at all seasons drive a profitable trade with Aleppo, which they supply with immense quantities of firewood, cut in the Kurd Mountains. The Kurds themselves have no camels, and are compelled to sell their labour and wood for a mere song. Besides the produce of the fields they cultivate, the Ryhanlu supply Aleppo with sheep and lambs, wool, butter, and cheese, in spring, and a variety of home-made carpets and rugs; and at certain seasons occupy themselves in transporting merchandise to and from Aleppo, Antioch, Scanderoon, and Latakia. Notwithstanding all this, our ancient host and chaperon assured us that the profits were usually entirely consumed by the time they reached their homes again, for repose, and to look after their property in land and cattle. They had to meet the demands of their families for cloth, coffee, sweetmeats, and various other articles of Eastern luxury, seldom leaving any cash to take back with them to their tents. For the greater part, the tents were clean, and the floors of the men's apartments, besides being well carpeted, were furnished with divans, leaving only space for a mangal or brazier, in the centre, where a continual bright charcoal fire burnt of an evening to cheer the company, keep out the damp, or measure and furnish a continuous supply of strong coffee, besides serving to light their pipes or narghali. They drink an astonishing quantity of coffee, and in cups at least three times the size of the ordinary fingans used in Syria. Whenever the coffee-kettle is handed round, they help themselves to two and three successive cups before giving it up to their next neighbour, so that the last served not unfrequently comes in for more grits than anything else. The servants roast and pound the coffee just before it is used, so that the aroma is delicious; and they are so used to pounding away in a large wooden mortar, that the slaves of six or seven tents set to work together, and keep up capital time, producing a very sleep-inspiring sound. As a rule, the Ryhanlu seldom taste flesh, the exceptions being on such occasions as the arrival of strangers like ourselves (when whole sheep, and lambs, and battalions of poultry were slaughtered daily, besides an immense supply of game of every variety-every soul in the camp feasting mightily), or in cases of marriages or circumcision. Their usual fare is bourghul, boiled and soaked in butter or olive oil, rice, eggs, honey, dried fruits, and sour milk, or leben, they using none but goats' milk. Their bread, like that used all over the north of Syria by the natives, is the thin unleavened loaf, as flat and as round as an ordinary table plate, and which is always baked just before meals, on a red-hot iron plate, in less than a minute's time. Our host breakfasted at 8 A.M., which was very agreeable to all of us; and our principal meal was immediately after sunset. In the heat of the day, there was usually a repast of honey and dried fruits, with sometimes creamcheese, or kymac, and now and then we procured a camel-load of delicious figs and melons, besides abundance of cucumbers. After which repast, we Europeans deemed it wisest to dip into our canteens and extract therefrom sundry cognacs, which, diluted with water, we thought a possible safeguard against cholera. In starting from Beilau and Kara Sue, we had struck off in a N.N.E. direction, which led us over a tract almost entirely unknown to travellers, and unbeaten, save at periodical seasons, by these tribes of the Ryhanlu Turkmans. Humumat was the nearest place where chance or malady brought wayfarers from the surrounding cities and towns of the plain. Thither we usually repaired at nightfall, taking advantage of a beautiful cloudless moon at that hour we were pretty sure to have the hot springs to ourselves, and at the same time that they revived and braced us up after the fatigues of the day, the gallop home to our tents acted as a delightful soporific; and never before or after has sleep come so readily-so quiet and refreshing. There was, however, another incentive for this practice a desire to be thoroughly purified after dipping into a dish of curdled cream, with a spoon twisted out of half a loaf, by which process we contrived usually to spill more than half we took up over our chins and hands, whereas the Ryhanlu guests never lost a drop, so adroit were they become from long practice. These sulphur springs were originally covered over with masonry by the Egyptian government, but they have been suffered to fall into decay, and literally the walls crumble away to the touch, so powerful has been the effect from the vapour exuding from them. The stench that assails one on first entering is almost intolerable, but one soon gets reconciled to it; and then the sensation experienced is truly delightful, and the water so buoyant, that although it should reach above the shoulders of a middlesized man, the perpetual succession of bubbles that burst up from the earth and immediately under your feet, keep you bobbing up and down like the cork of a fishing-rod. And, apropos of fishing, we found the Afrin, where it was closest to our own camp, teeming with carp and barbel, which Turkmans had no idea of catching, though they are partial to fish. Our servants, however, set them an example, which they doubtless imitate to this day: digging a trench at about a yard and a half distant from the banks of the river, and of a greater depth than the stream itself, they opened a channel, so that the waters of the river soon filled the trench. They then, assisted by young and old amongst the Ryhanlu, armed themselves with spare sheets, which they pinned to the lower extremity of their inexpressibles, and, thus prepared, jumped into the stream at opposite extremities of about a hundred yards on either side of the entrance to the trench, which they then approached with the most awful howling, and screeching, and beating of deibekirs. The terrified fish fled before the invaders; and, finding an opening for escape, rushed pell-mell into the trench; it was the work of half a minute only to fill up the channel, and in half an hour afterwards the whole encampment was feasting on fish all alive-oh! The tents of the tribe we were located with, were surrounded by three or four more wretched hovels, the abodes of the unhappy fellahs and their families, who here hold permanent residence, and cultivated. the Ryhanlu lands for them. They are the remaining peasantry from the many abandoned villages in the plain, or some poor straggling Kurds. The Turkmans find the necessary seed, and in return get one-third of the produce, which is collected by a few of them who remain for this purpose (by turns) all the year round. These fellahs live wretchedly; and even if they contrive to scrape together a small pittance, their rascally masters take it from them under pretence of borrowing. The best dish they can afford is rancid oil and coarse bread, and they never taste meat except when a cow or ox, disabled by illness or age, has to be killed. The greater part live literally on bread and water, neither fruit nor vegetables being yet sufficiently abundant to meet the wants of these impoverished serfs. Despite all this, however, they are a cheerful, goodnatured people. The young men play, sing, and dance every evening, and, without an exception, they are |