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CIVIL TURKISH ZAPTIEHS 435
which sloped gradually to the south-west several such
squalls could sometimes be seen in the distance at
once driving across the plain of Antioch, each as a
detached moving mass of vapour preceded and followed
by filmy curtains of rain, pierced by slants of
sunlight.
Towards evening we came down to the village of
Termanin, among stones and breadths of green in a
gentle valley, with the high bare hill of Jebel Bereket
a couple of miles away in the east. In the village at
the foot of this hill, on the farther side, is one of those
unobtrusive little-known sites of fame in which Asia
Minor abounds. There may be seen the ruined chapel
of St Simon Stylites, and fragments of the columns
upon which he earned his fame, a fame still potent
enough to draw many pilgrims to the spot.
The small stone- vaulted room which served as posting-house
at Termanin looked as if at one time it had
been a chapel. Several zaptiehs were here already,
and when I said that I would lodge in this place
rather than go to the guest-house, they took it as
a compliment and exclaimed "Eferin!" ("Bravo!")
together. And here let me pay a slight tribute to
Turkish zcqjtiehs in general. They may have their
faults, but taking them as found I can utter nothing
but praise. I never met one, on the road or elsewhere,
who was not civil, obliging, and intelligent,
and who did not go out of his way to serve me
where he could. Those who have accompanied me
never raised any difficulties, never stood out for
their own way, were always ready and willing when
wanted, and always cheerful and well-behaved—they
might, indeed, have been faithful servants dependent
upon me and anxious to please. And though I
cannot speak from experience of their behaviour in
situations of difficulty and danger, yet various travellers
who can have told me that at such times they
never found a zaptieh wanting.
Soon after midnight I awoke to lights and clattering
in our vaulted chamber, and saw three dark mous-