volume 2 - Robert Bedrosian's Armenian History Workshop

Quarantine Regulations. i8i
places in the neighbourhood where there were ruins
and inscribed stones, some in Syriac, and suggested
that I should return and go with them to see them. At
length we were left alone and we tried to go to sleep.
Muhammad put on everything he had and rolled his
head up in heavy cloths and was soon asleep, and the
night was so bitterly cold and the air so raw that one
by one I put on the garments which I had taken off,
and only when I
become possible.
had put on a heavy ulster did sleep
The next morning the quarantine official came and
shared our breakfast and cigarettes, and then told me
that he had arranged everything and that we could leave
that afternoon. He gave me a document stating that
I had made the stay in Karyaten which was necessitated
by the quarantine order, and gave me and my little
caravan a clean bill of health bearing his official seal.
This, he said, would be received by the officer at Tudmur,
said also
and I should have no further difficulty ; he
that only " wukhushin," i.e., wild beasts, or uncivilized
folk Uved in the desert beyond, but he was confident
that Allah would protect me there. Fees of course had
to be paid, but I did not check his calculations, and we
parted on the best of terms. About twelve o'clock we
began to get ready to start, and the Turkish officers
and the lady came up with their mules and men. We
agreed to load one mule with water for all of us, and
skins were at once filled and fastened on his back. The
animal objected to the load, which I felt was too heavy,
and I said so. The men said that they would soon be
drinking some of the water and the load would become
lighter, and as they knew more about such matters
than I did I said no more.
We left Karyaten at 2.30 p.m., November 4th, and
all went well for a couple of hours. The mule with the
skins of water had for an hour past been giving trouble,
and suddenly, whether accidentally or intentionally I
cannot say, he stumbled and fell, and just as the men
rushed to get him up again he threw himself on his back
and, after the manner of mules, had a good roll. The