Tues 14. [14 May 1907] Sent off 5 cartloads of luggage to BBK with
my two Greeks, Costi, Yanko (of whom I don't think much) and a man
who has dropped from the skies by way of AkSerai [Aksaray],
Hassan Chowwish. It was fortunately fine. The Vali and Husni called.
There are great agitations about my work because my trade does
not allow me to dig and I am known to have sent up spades. I do not
know how things will turn out. Then Jacques the little Armenian
dragoman came for me and we called on the Minister of Public
Instruction whom I am told is an animal. So to lunch with the Lˆytveds -
the DWs also of the party. Wylie is very angry with the English line
because it will not send him information - Cumberbatch says he has it
but does not send it. Lˆytved applied for the published lists of tariffs
etc and was told they cd not be supplied to the German Consul! He
wanted to go to Egerdir [Egridir] and those parts but his ambassador
told him not too [sic] as it might hurt English susceptibilities. The tithes
here have doubled in the last 10 years and prices of foods have gone
up immensely. That does not affect the peasants much as they live
on what they grow and only profit by the increased price on what they
sell. The shopkeeper class is hit hard. The town is growing - many
new houses are being built towards the rly station. Lˆytved then took
us round the mosques and explained his theory about the 2 periods
of building of the big mosque near the old Seljuk palace. It is
obviously of 2 parts not in true relation with each other. Possibly the
old part was a Seljuk mosque earlier than the other which was built by
the 5th Seljuk. It is not truly oriented to Mecca [Makkah] and may
have formed part of a Xian monastery in connection with the domed
cruciform church just outside it. Near the mosque which I thought (but
wrongly) might have been a church there is a very early church, 3
shipped, now subterranean - or at least if not very early at least very
primitive. There are no columns between the 3 ships but only walls.
To tea with the D.Ws. and I returned later to dinner calling on Trat on
my way. I found Husni there and we discussed the situation with
regard to the trade. The 2 Arab merchants from Busra [Busr'a ash
Sham[?]] whom I saw here last year have lately been allowed to go
home on payment of £1000. They had done nothing at all - a
commercial rival had accused them. Very pleasant evening with the
D.Ws. She insisted on giving me 4 tins of butter when I left! They
have 2 Slughy dogs. Telegram from Ramsay to say he does not
arrive till Friday.