第22章

Myfirstinstinctwastosetuptheusual——NOTICE:"We，theundersigned，claimfiveclaimsoftwohundredfeeteach，（andonefordiscovery，）onthisledgeorlodeofoyster—shells，withallitsdips，spurs，angles，variationsandsinuosities，andfiftyfeetoneachsideofthesame，toworkit，etc。，etc。，accordingtothemininglawsofSmyrna。"Theyweresuchperfectlynatural—lookingleadsthatIcouldhardlykeepfrom"takingthemup。"Amongtheoyster—shellsweremixedmanyfragmentsofancient，brokencrockeryware。Nowhowdidthosemassesofoyster—shellsgetthere？Icannotdetermine。Brokencrockeryandoyster—shellsaresuggestiveofrestaurants——butthentheycouldhavehadnosuchplacesawayupthereonthatmountainsideinourtime，becausenobodyhaslivedupthere。A

restaurantwouldnotpayinsuchastony，forbidding，desolateplace。Andbesides，therewerenochampagnecorksamongtheshells。Ifthereeverwasarestaurantthere，itmusthavebeeninSmyrna\'spalmydays，whenthehillswerecoveredwithpalaces。Icouldbelieveinonerestaurant，onthoseterms;butthenhowaboutthethree？Didtheyhaverestaurantsthereatthreedifferentperiodsoftheworld？——becausetherearetwoorthreefeetofsolidearthbetweentheoysterleads。Evidently，therestaurantsolutionwillnotanswer。

Thehillmighthavebeenthebottomofthesea，once，andbeenliftedup，withitsoyster—beds，byanearthquake——but，then，howaboutthecrockery？

Andmoreover，howaboutthreeoysterbeds，oneaboveanother，andthickstrataofgoodhonestearthbetween？

Thattheorywillnotdo。ItisjustpossiblethatthishillisMountArarat，andthatNoah\'sArkrestedhere，andheateoystersandthrewtheshellsoverboard。Butthatwillnotdo，either。Therearethethreelayersagainandthesolidearthbetween——and，besides，therewereonlyeightinNoah\'sfamily，andtheycouldnothaveeatenalltheseoystersinthetwoorthreemonthstheystaidontopofthatmountain。Thebeasts——however，itissimplyabsurdtosupposehedidnotknowanymorethantofeedthebeastsonoystersuppers。

Itispainful——itisevenhumiliating——butIamreducedatlasttooneslendertheory:thattheoystersclimbedupthereoftheirownaccord。

Butwhatobjectcouldtheyhavehadinview？——whatdidtheywantupthere？

Whatcouldanyoysterwanttoclimbahillfor？Toclimbahillmustnecessarilybefatiguingandannoyingexerciseforanoyster。Themostnaturalconclusionwouldbethattheoystersclimbeduptheretolookatthescenery。Yetwhenonecomestoreflectuponthenatureofanoyster，itseemsplainthathedoesnotcareforscenery。Anoysterhasnotasteforsuchthings;

hecaresnothingforthebeautiful。Anoysterisofaretiringdisposition，andnotlively——notevencheerfulabovetheaverage，andneverenterprising。

Butaboveall，anoysterdoesnottakeanyinterestinscenery——hescornsit。WhathaveIarrivedatnow？SimplyatthepointIstartedfrom，namely，thoseoystershellsarethere，inregularlayers，fivehundredfeetabovethesea，andnomanknowshowtheygotthere。Ihavehunteduptheguide—books，andthegistofwhattheysayisthis:"Theyarethere，buthowtheygotthereisamystery。"

Twenty—fiveyearsago，amultitudeofpeopleinAmericaputontheirascensionrobes，tookatearfulleaveoftheirfriends，andmadereadytoflyupintoheavenatthefirstblastofthetrumpet。Buttheangeldidnotblowit。Miller\'sresurrectiondaywasafailure。TheMilleritesweredisgusted。IdidnotsuspectthattherewereMillersinAsiaMinor，butagentlemantellsmethattheyhaditallsetfortheworldtocometoanendinSmyrnaonedayaboutthreeyearsago。Therewasmuchbuzzingandpreparationforalongtimepreviously，anditculminatedinawildexcitementattheappointedtime。Avastnumberofthepopulaceascendedthecitadelhillearlyinthemorning，togetoutofthewayofthegeneraldestruction，andmanyoftheinfatuatedcloseduptheirshopsandretiredfromallearthlybusiness。Butthestrangepartofitwasthataboutthreeintheafternoon，whilethisgentlemanandhisfriendswereatdinnerinthehotel，aterrificstormofrain，accompaniedbythunderandlightning，brokeforthandcontinuedwithdirefuryfortwoorthreehours。ItwasathingunprecedentedinSmyrnaatthattimeoftheyear，andscaredsomeofthemostskeptical。Thestreetsranriversandthehotelfloorwasfloodedwithwater。Thedinnerhadtobesuspended。Whenthestormfinishedandlefteverybodydrenchedthroughandthrough，andmelancholyandhalf—drowned，theascensionistscamedownfromthemountainasdryassomanycharity—

sermons！Theyhadbeenlookingdownuponthefearfulstormgoingonbelow，andreallybelievedthattheirproposeddestructionoftheworldwasprovingagrandsuccess。

ArailwayhereinAsia——inthedreamyrealmoftheOrient——inthefabledlandoftheArabianNights——isastrangethingtothinkof。Andyettheyhaveonealready，andarebuildinganother。Thepresentoneiswellbuiltandwellconducted，byanEnglishCompany，butisnotdoinganimmenseamountofbusiness。Thefirstyearitcarriedagoodmanypassengers，butitsfreightlistonlycomprisedeighthundredpoundsoffigs！

ItrunsalmosttotheverygatesofEphesus——atowngreatinallagesoftheworld——acityfamiliartoreadersoftheBible，andonewhichwasasoldastheveryhillswhenthedisciplesofChristpreachedinitsstreets。

Itdatesbacktotheshadowyagesoftradition，andwasthebirthplaceofgodsrenownedinGrecianmythology。Theideaofalocomotivetearingthroughsuchaplaceasthis，andwakingthephantomsofitsolddaysofromanceoutoftheirdreamsofdeadandgonecenturies，iscuriousenough。

Wejourneythithertomorrowtoseethecelebratedruins。

Chapter40

Thishasbeenastirringday。TheSuperintendentoftherailwayputatrainatourdisposal，anddidusthefurtherkindnessofaccompanyingustoEphesusandgivingtoushiswatchfulcare。Webroughtsixtyscarcelyperceptibledonkeysinthefreightcars，forwehadmuchgroundtogoover。

Wehaveseensomeofthemostgrotesquecostumes，alongthelineoftherailroad，thatcanbeimagined。Iamgladthatnopossiblecombinationofwordscoulddescribethem，forImightthenbefoolishenoughtoattemptit。

AtancientAyassalook，inthemidstofaforbiddingdesert，wecameuponlonglinesofruinedaqueducts，andotherremnantsofarchitecturalgrandeur，thattoldusplainlyenoughwewerenearingwhathadbeenametropolis，once。Weleftthetrainandmountedthedonkeys，alongwithourinvitedguests——pleasantyounggentlemenfromtheofficers\'listofanAmericanman—of—war。

Thelittledonkeyshadsaddlesuponthemwhichweremadeveryhighinorderthattherider\'sfeetmightnotdragtheground。Thepreventativedidnotworkwellinthecasesofourtallestpilgrims，however。Therewerenobridles——nothingbutasinglerope，tiedtothebit。Itwaspurelyornamental，forthedonkeycarednothingforit。Ifheweredriftingtostarboard，youmightputyourhelmdownhardtheotherway，ifitwereanysatisfactiontoyoutodoit，buthewouldcontinuetodrifttostarboardallthesame。Therewasonlyoneprocesswhichcouldbedependedon，anditwastogetdownandlifthisreararounduntilhisheadpointedintherightdirection，ortakehimunderyourarmandcarryhimtoapartoftheroadwhichhecouldnotgetoutofwithoutclimbing。Thesunflameddownashotasafurnace，andneckscarfs，veilsandumbrellasseemedhardlyanyprotection;theyservedonlytomakethelongprocessionlookmorethaneverfantastic——forbeitknowntheladieswereallridingastridebecausetheycouldnotstayontheshapelesssaddlessidewise，themenwereperspiringandoutoftemper，theirfeetwerebangingagainsttherocks，thedonkeyswerecaperingineverydirectionbuttherightoneandbeingbelaboredwithclubsforit，andeveryDowandthenabroadumbrellawouldsuddenlygodownoutofthecavalcade，announcingtoallthatonemorepilgrimhadbittenthedust。Itwasawilderpicturethanthosesolitudeshadseenformanyaday。Nodonkeyseverexistedthatwereashardtonavigateasthese，Ithink，orthathadsomanyvile，exasperatinginstincts。Occasionallysignallywegrewsotiredandbreathlesswithfightingthemthatwehadtodesist，——andimmediatelythedonkeywouldcomedowntoadeliberatewalk。This，withthefatigue，andthesun，wouldputamanasleep;andsoonasthemanwasasleep，thedonkeywouldliedown。Mydonkeyshallneverseehisboyhood\'shomeagain。Hehaslaindownoncetoooften。WeallstoodinthevasttheatreofancientEpllesus，——thestone—benchedamphitheatreImean——andhadourpicturetaken。Welookedasproperthereaswewouldlookanywhere，Isuppose。Wedonotembellishthegeneraldesolationofadesertmuch。Weaddwhatdignitywecantoastatelyruinwithourgreenumbrellasandjackasses，butitislittle。However，wemeanwell。

IwishtosayabriefwordoftheaspectofEphesus。

Onahigh，steephill，towardthesea，isagrayruinofponderousblocksofmarble，wherein，traditionsays，St。Paulwasimprisonedeighteencenturiesago。FromtheseoldwallsyouhavethefinestviewofthedesolatescenewhereoncestoodEphesus，theproudestcityofancienttimes，andwhoseTempleofDianawassonobleindesign，andsoexquisiteofworkmanship，thatitrankedhighinthelistoftheSevenWondersoftheWorld。

Behindyouisthesea;infrontisalevelgreenvalley，（amarsh，infact，）extendingfarawayamongthemountains;totherightofthefrontviewistheoldcitadelofAyassalook，onahighhill;theruinedMosqueoftheSultanSelimstandsnearitintheplain，（thisisbuiltoverthegraveofSt。John，andwasformerlyChristianChurch;）furthertowardyouisthehillofPion，aroundwhosefrontisclusteredallthatremainsoftheruinsofEphesusthatstillstand;dividedfromitbyanarrowvalleyisthelong，rocky，ruggedmountainofCoressus。Thesceneisaprettyone，andyetdesolate——forinthatwideplainnomancanlive，andinitisnohumanhabitation。ButforthecrumblingarchesandmonstrouspiersandbrokenwallsthatrisefromthefootofthehillofPion，onecouldnotbelievethatinthisplaceoncestoodacitywhoserenownisolderthantraditionitself。Itisincredibletoreflectthatthingsasfamiliarallovertheworldto—dayashouseholdwords，belonginthehistoryandintheshadowylegendsofthissilent，mournfulsolitude。WespeakofApolloandofDiana——theywerebornhere;ofthemetamorphosisofSyrinxintoareed——itwasdonehere;ofthegreatgodPan——hedweltinthecavesofthishillofCoressus;oftheAmazons——thiswastheirbestprizedhome;

ofBacchusandHerculesbothfoughtthewarlikewomenhere;oftheCy