west of the river, another dependency, called Arab-Kir, is
picturesquely situated in a deep and narrow valley: it contains
about 2000 houses, almost entirely occupied by Armenians,
and nearly as many gardens, which produce an abundance
of fine fruits and vegetables.1 This manufacturing town,
which is also called Arab-Keil, represents the Arabraces of
the Lower Empire, and was given by the Armenians in exchange
for Vasbouragen.2 Towards the southern borders
are the A’yanliks of Dorgil Tash and Delikli Tash, also the
towns of Gurun and Derendah, each of which is governed by
a Musellim. The former contains an ancient castle, and 1000
Armenian and Turkish houses, situated amidst gardens, at the
meeting of two deep and picturesque valleys. The latter place
contains two mosques, numerous gardens, and a singular castle,
occupying a high rock, which overlooks a precipitous pass along
the banks of the Tokhmah-su.3
The extensive city of Sivas, or Suas,4 is built on one of the
affluents of the Kizil-Irmak, nearly in the centre of an
extensive plain which stretches E.N.E. and W.S.W. It
contains two castles, each placed on a hill, also 1000 Armenian
and nearly 5000 Turkish houses, partly tiled and partly
flat-roofed, which, are intermingled with gardens, baths,
khans, medresses, and mosques. Of the last there are nearly
one hundred, which, being in the best style of Arabian or
Persian architecture, are striking edifices; their minarehs
and entrances are particularly elegant.
The bazars are well supplied, and there is a considerable
transit trade by the routes proceeding from the city. Sivas,
which was once called Cabira, and afterwards Sevastia,5 occupies
the centre of the district, and likewise of ancient Cappadocia.
The adjoining territory, anciently Pontus, is now the
pashalik of Tarabuzun ; it extends from Sivas northward to
the shores of the Black Sea, and again westward, from the
Joruk, including the district of Samsun. Tarabuzun consists
1 Mr. Ainsworth’s Travels, &c., Vol. II., p. 5.
3 St. Martin, Memoires, &c., Vol. I., p. 189.
3 Mr. Ainsworth’s Travels, &c., Vol. I., p. 244.
4 Pliny, lib. VI., c. iv. 5 Ibidof
mountain slopes, valleys, and plains of limited extent, lying
on the northern side of the triple range which borders the
high table-land of Sivas; it is for the most part singularly
rich and beautiful, owing to its fine timber, and a profusion
of cistus, myrtles, azalia, and other shrubs, interspersed with
orange and lemon trees, hemp, and other productions of the
soil. Eastward from Tarabuzun are the districts of You-
mirah, Surmenah, Of, Riza, and Lazistan ; all of which, with
the exception of that of Of, are known under the general name
of Lazistan, from Lazii, the name of the people.
It contains the small ports of Khotz, Solocler, Riza, Eski,
Tarabuzun, Kopa, Makral, and the mouths of the Makala
and Kendris rivers.1 Some distance westward of the capital
is the Kera-shundereh su, on which was ancient Cerasus;2
and farther along the coast are the small towns and ports of
Terabolis (Tripoli), Kerasnn, the ancient Pharnacia;3 also
Ordou, Fatsa, Unieh (Oenoe), the estuary of the Yeshil-’Irmak,
which terminates below the town of Char-shambah, amidst
groves of fruit trees; and, finally, the ancient Amisus, now
Samsun, nine miles westward of the river. The latter town
is under a Musellim, and it contains about 450 Mussulman
houses. At the eastern extremity there is a castle, and at the
western are the government buildings, containing the copper,
lead, &c., brought hither for shipment. The anchorage is
open but safe,4 and a road was in consequence made from hence
to the interior, through Sivas, by the late Reshid Muhammed
Pasha in 1835.
Besides U’leh-Sheivan, Gemeri, and other considerable villages,
the interior contains the valuable districts of Kara
Hisar and Gumish Khanah. In the former, the mines of
Shebb-Khanah constitute an A’yanlik, which is subject to
the Musellim of Kara Hisar. This town contains’2000
Turkish, and about 600 Greek and Armenian houses, nearly
encircling the higher part of a considerable hill, which
1 From a MS. survey of the coast of the Black Sea.
3 Mr. W. J. Hamilton’s Journey, Vol. VII., pp. 46-47, of the Royal Geographical
Journal. 8 Ibid.
4 Mr. Suter: Vol. X. Part III., p. 443, of the Royal Geographical Journal.
x 2