Leter, a large village, partly Kurd and in part Armenian, is situated on the confines of the plain. It is built upon lava, black and slabby in character, which has broken through the lacustrine deposits. Similar bosses, resembling those near Uran Gazi, but larger, rise up from the level expanse beyond. The direction in which the inhabitants pointed towards the village of Gop was plainly not that of the lake of the same name. We had already obtained a glimpse of its waters, lying almost west of where we now stood. Anxious to visit the lake, we shaped a course which we thought would find it beyond a screen of low hills. The plain in that direction was very rudely cultivated, white hollyhocks and a large mauve thistle crowding out the ragged corn. At about 6½ miles from Leter we passed through the first village we had since seen, the large Armenian settlement of Kekeli. And in another ten minutes we stood on the summit of the eminence which had concealed the lake for so long.
It was nothing more than a low hill, an isolated mass of lava rising up from the plain. It was crowned by a little chapel, put together with stone and mud, and provided with a wicker door. Looking through, we discovered a large stone, engraved with a cross, which was, no doubt, the object or symbol of worship. Before it, three little lamps reposed on a horizontal slab. From this standpoint we overlooked the extent of the waters, of which the nearest shore was still some two miles off. The lake is bordered by level ground upon the east and south, and by considerable heights on the west and north. On the west it is Bilejan, sending outwards radial buttresses with deep valleys from a central, meridional ridge; lesser heights in connection with the mountain, and of volcanic origin, descend to the waters along the northern shore. A slight depression separates this series from Bilejan, and they, in turn, sink somewhat steeply into the plain. At that point, and at their foot, lies the large village of Sheikh Yakub, beside which flows the stream giving issue to the lake.
In the opposite direction, beyond the plain on its southern confines, it is overlooked by an extension of the heights on the west of Sipan, which are continued up to the mass of Bilejan. It would appear that volcanic action has been busy throughout this region; and we thought we saw a grassy crater among those heights. Beyond the outline of the barrier emerges a little conical peak, which we recognised as the cone on the west of Nazik. Bilejan itself does not look as if it ever could have possessed a crater, and it is probably due to upwellings of lava along a meridional fissure. The highest points along the central ridge may have an elevation of some 9000 feet.
A brisk breeze was blowing as we made our way to the brink of the water, churning up its muddy depths. Indeed this lake is thickly charged with dark sedimentary matter—a characteristic which has given rise to a name under which some know it, Lake Bulama, or the muddy lake.[4] Another and not more savoury feature is its odour, which is fetid and nauseating. An abundance of fresh-water mussels were strewn on the shore, and several pelicans were floating on the waves. In shape the lake appeared to be almost circular. Its elevation, as one would expect, is much less than that of Nazik, being only 5550 feet. In point of verdure its surroundings are quite as mournful as those of its neighbour, while the lake itself does little to relieve their monotony.
From the north-eastern extremity of this unattractive sheet of water we followed the course of the foul stream by which it is drained. It took us to the foot of the heights already mentioned, and through the village of Sheikh Yakub. It is a very large Armenian village, which has probably been prosperous, but which is now in a state of extreme destitution. All the inhabitants were in rags. Boys up to the age of puberty were quite naked, and girls to their fifth or sixth year. The village was full of soldiers, who were standing on the roofs. I summoned their officer, and enquired what their business might be. He answered that Ibrahim Pasha, adjutant of Kurd Hamidiyeh, was about to visit the place. In Gop I ascertained that the object of his visit was to restore some property which had been carried off by Kurds. Such at least was the explanation which I received. It was certainly not a bad idea to quarter all these troops upon starving people; they would think twice before claiming redress a second time. But I suspect that it was a rather clumsy lie.
Gop is situated in the plain, some miles distant from the lake, at the foot of the extreme slopes of the heights which border the northerly shore (alt. 5150 feet). Although the place is the capital of the caza of Bulanik, it is a large village rather than a town. The Kaimakam informed me that there were 400 houses, all but 50 inhabited by Armenians. The district of Bulanik comprises some of the most fertile land in all Armenia, and is of considerable area. Towards the east it includes a large portion of the plain of the Murad below the town of Melazkert; while, on the west, it reaches across the mass of Bilejan and its outliers to a second extensive stretch of fairly level ground. That region slopes away from the northern border heights of Mush plain to the Murad and the opposite heights of Khamur; it sends a tributary to the left bank of the great river, and one of its principal and central villages is that of Liz. The fecundity of the soil is probably due to a happy combination of calcareous marls with the detritus of eruptive rocks. The grain which it produces is of excellent quality, in spite of the fact that the fields will be full of thistles. The peasants are miserably poor. The Kaimakam explained that their rags, and squalor were matter of custom (tabiat); and, in fact, they had plenty of money, hoarded away. It is possible that such an hypothesis may indeed govern some of his actions; but I doubt whether he put it forward in good faith. The main cause of their destitution is plainly the want of security, coupled with the impossibility of exporting their crops. But usury is also a factor of considerable importance, the husbandman having generally borrowed to buy his seed at rates which rob him of most of the earnings of his toil.
From Gop we made a second excursion to the lake, riding to one of the most conspicuous of the volcanic eminences which rise from its northern margin. It is a distance of about four miles. The ascent commences on the outskirts of the village; but it is at first very gradual, the slope consisting of marly clays. These beds were full of mytilus in perfect preservation, and were seen to have been overlaid with tuffs. About halfway, we came to the walled monastery of Surb Daniel, containing the relics of a saint of that name. The ancient chapel has been restored. Over the altar was conspicuous a picture of the Virgin and Child. The one or two resident priests were sunk in abject ignorance, but they were in possession of some good farm buildings within their enclosure. We remained for some time upon the peak which we had selected, and from which we obtained a fine view of the lake and its surroundings. While I was mapping, Oswald sketched. We could see two villages on the level ground south of the lake—Khashlu and Piran. In the plain towards the Murad several settlements were visible upon a line between Leter and Gop.
August 10.—It was ten o’clock in the morning of a fine summer’s day when we resumed our journey, and set out in a north-westerly direction across this spacious plain. Travelling at this season is most agreeable in Armenia; it scarcely ever rains, yet one is never overpowered by the heat of the brilliant sun. Pleasant breezes float across the expanse. The harvest was being gathered in. Our landmarks were in full view—Sipan, Khamur, Bilejan. A little river meanders through the deep soil, on a course towards the Murad. It receives the waters which irrigate the village of Gop, and, among them, those of the stream from the lake. It has its origin some distance east of Gop. It is called the Kör Su. At first our track took us about parallel with its banks; then we crossed it at the large Armenian village of Yungali. Anxious to visit the point of confluence of the Bingöl Su with the Murad, we now diverged towards the north. The nature of the ground compelled us to cross the latter river a little above the junction. It was flowing in a very broad, alluvial bed. In width it may have been about a hundred yards; nor in any place did the water reach much above our horses’ knees. Except for the great islands of mountain about us, we might have been standing upon the Mesopotamian plains. Our approach disturbed a group of large eagles, so heavy that they were obliged to run before taking wing. The Bingöl Su came in through a deep channel, which washed the girths of our horses. It did not seem to be more than forty yards wide. But, although sluggish, it must bring a very considerable volume of water; for its contribution extended to about half the width of the joint river, being clearly distinguished by the quantity of sediment which it sustained. From this confluence we followed the course of the Murad, riding over the plain on the right bank, with the stream. A flock of wild geese were resting in the pebbly bed, nor did the shapely birds move as we passed them by. One of our escort was successful in securing a fine specimen with a bullet, which provided us with an excellent meal next day.
But the features of the landscape soon underwent a change; for the river was approaching the foot of the Khamur heights. At first it was low hills, consisting of lake deposits, which we skirted on our right hand. But near the Armenian village of Karaogli a bold ridge comes into prominence, and it extends all the way to Shakhberat. It is of eruptive volcanic origin. It is an important member of the series of heights of which Khamur forms the dominant mass. East of Khamur that series rises to a considerable elevation before declining to the valley of the Bingöl Su. The highest ridge, as seen from this district, lies some distance towards the north, and is called the Zirnek Dagh. On the other hand, this volcanic parapet comes right up to the river, which follows along its base. At the same time hills started up from the plain upon the left bank. It was evident that they were volcanic and in connection with Bilejan, of which we were opening out the more westerly and less deeply carved side.
These features transformed the scene with startling rapidity; the idle river was no longer able to flow where it pleased. Some two miles below Karaogli it enters a deep gorge, and throughout its course to the plain of Mush it is, with little intermission, confined in a narrow bed. Except during the passage of the block of heights on the north of that plain, the Murad performs no considerable feat. It follows the general trend of the lines of elevation, and one would expect its course to be fairly tranquil through this region. But the lavas tease the river; they have welled up along fissures, and have converted the wide valley into as inhospitable a district as any through which it passes on its long journey to the Persian Gulf.