Page:History of Greece Vol IX.djvu/141

 RETREAT OF THE TEN THOUSAND. 119 sent the road near Gumisch-Khana as extremely difficult. Mr. Ains- worth, who did not himself pass through Gumisch-Khana, tells ua (what is of some importance in this discussion) that it lies in the winter- road from Erzerum to Trebizond (Travels in Asia Minor, vol. ii. p. 394). " The winter-road, which is the longest, passes by Gumisch- Khana; and takes the longer portion of valley ; all the others cross over the mountain at various points, to the east of the road by the mines. But whether going by the mountains or the valley, the mule- teers often go indifferently to the west as far as Ash Kaleh, and at other times turn off by the villages of Bey Mausour and Kodjah Bunar, where they take to the mountains." Mr. Hamilton makes the distance from Trebizond to Gumish-Khana eighteen hours, or fifty-four calculated post miles ; that is, about forty English miles (Appendix to Travels in Asia Minor, vol. ii. p. 389). Now we are not to suppose that the Greeks marched in any direct road from Gymnias to Trebizond. On the contrary, the five days' march which they undertook immediately from Gymnias were con- ducted by a guide sent from that town, who led them over the terri- tories of people hostile to Gymnias, in order that they might lay waste the lands (iv. 7, 20). What progress they made, during these marches, towards Trebizond, is altogether doubtful. The guide promised that on the fifth day he would bring them to a spot from whence they could view the sea, and he performed his promise by leading them to the top of the sacred mountain Theche. Theche 1 was a summit (axgor, iv. 7, 25), as might be expected. But unfortunately it seems impossible to verify the particular summit on which the interesting scene described by Xenophon took place. Mr. Ainsworth presumes it to be the mountain called Kop-Dagh ; from whence, however, according to Koch, the sea cannot be discerned. D'Anville and some other geographers identify it with the ridge called Tekieh-Dagh, to the east of Gumisch-Khana ; nearer to the sea than that place. This mountain, I think, would suit pretty well for the nar- rative in respect to position ; but Koch and other modern travellers affirm that it is neither high enough, nor near enough to the sea, to permit any such view as that which Xenophon relates. It stands on Kiepert's map at a distance of full thirty-five English miles from the sea, the view of which, moreover, seems intercepted by the still higher mountain-chain now called Kolath-Dagh, a portion of the ancient Pary- adres, which runs along parallel to the coast. It is to be recollected that in the first half of February, the time of Xenophon's visit, the highest peaks would certainly be all covered with snow, and therefore very difficult to ascend. There is a striking view obtained of the sea from the mountain called Karakaban. This mountain, more than four thousand feet high, lies rather alx>ve twenty miles from the sea, to the south of Trebizondj