Abstract
THE “ride” described in this book came off in 1878, but the author writes so brightly that only very exacting readers will complain of any lack of freshness in his narrative. His journey from Constantinople occupied ninety-six days, of which fifty-three were spent in the saddle. He rode fourteen hundred miles, the average distance done each day being about twenty-two and a half miles; and, says Mr. Barkley, “if the miserable mountain roads are taken into consideration, I think this was very fair work for a lot of ponies.” Apart from the personal incidents of the journey, Mr. Barkley was interested chiefly in the character, manners, and customs of the inhabitants of the districts through which he passed; and on these subjects he records a good many acute observations. It is worth noting that he speaks in high terms of the spirit of hospitality displayed in the parts of the Turkish dominions he has visited. Of course, the Turk is most hospitable to the Turk, and the Christian to the Christian; but “it often happens that the Turk receives the Christian as his guest, and the Christian the Turk.” If a respectable traveller finds a want of hospitality on the part of either Turk or Christian, Mr. Barkley cannot but think it is the traveller's own fault.
A Ride through Asia Minor and Armenia.
By Henry C. Barkley. (London: John Murray, 1891.)
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[Book Reviews]. Nature 43, 487 (1891). https://doi.org/10.1038/043487d0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/043487d0