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10
CHAPTER 11.
Samadn— Ottoman Greeks and Hellenic navy How SamsAn dealt with
cholera — Changed plans for the journey—Achmet—An American
girl on the Bagdad Road—Country of a famous legend—Shadow
of Russia —At the top of the pass—A head in the scrub Khan
at Chakallu — Turkish travelling — Caravan traffic and camps at
Chakallu—Common-room at the khan.
Samsto stretches alono- a beach of dull yellow sand
for a couple of miles, and its suburbs go up the slopes
of foot-hills behind in a scatter of white buildings.
There is no esplanade or Marina facing the sea
offices, warehouses, and cafes push their backs down
the shore as far as the surf of heavy weather permits,
and have their fronts on streets and alleys running
parallel with the waterside. For the town is strictly
commercial in its interests and aspirations, and has
no wish to think of amenities. It is proud of its
prosperity in a land where prosperity is the exception,
and is ambitious of doing better still, but has
neither harbour nor railway—though both are projected,
and the railway is even begun—and until
these vital works are constructed appearances count
for nothing.
It is now a growing town of some 40,000 souls, in
spite of Turkish neglect. While its possible rivals,
Sinope and Trebizond, have no extensive fertile
regions behind them, and are cut off from the interior
by high passes and trying roads, SamsAn is
the accessible port of a rich area great as England,
containing corn-lands unexcelled in the world, the