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ARMENIA AND THE NEAR EAST
112
were, at a height of about 1,500 metres above sea-level, it
appeared to be a stony, undulating plain of lava which flowed
down from Alagoz. The country sloped southward towards
an extensive lower plain stretching eastward on the northern
side of the historie river Arax. On the other side of the
river, towards the south-east, rose an enormous mountain
with a shining white dome of snow disappearing among
white clouds. This was Mount Ararat—the dominating
feature of the landscape wherever we went from now onward.
From its base on the plain, about 900 metres above the sea,
this volcano rears itself up to an altitude of 5,156 metres—as
if the whole height of Mont Blanc above sea-level were lifted
bodily on to this high plateau. The sight was overwhelming.
One can well understand how this mountain came to occupy
such a prominent place in the Bible legend, and to be one of
the main landmarks in the history of the Armenians. It is
only natural that they have adopted it as the central symbol
of the national arms, notwithstanding the fact that it is now
situated in Turkey. There is a story that the Turks once
complained of this to Tchitcherin, the Commissar of Foreign
ArTairs, who responded by inquiring if it was not a fact that
the Turks had the crescent moon on their arms, and whether
they considered that to be under the sway of Turkey.
In the south we could see other mountains with patches of
snow on them, and in the north-east Mount Alagoz stretched
upward its broad cone topped with snow.
The railway now turned in a south-easterly direction. The
surface of the plain we were crossing was yellowish-brown
and terribly dry ; the only visible vegetation was an occasional
thistle ; it seemed thoroughly to deserve its nåme : the
Sardarabad desert. Could it really be true that so soon as
water was brought to this soil it would yield rich crops ; and
that the bare, parched hills to the north of us towards Alagoz
could be clothed with luxuriant vineyards and orchards,
bearing the finest grapes and peaches in the world ? Our
friend, Mr. Ersingian, the Minister of Agriculture, assured us
that this volcanic land was extraordinarily fertile the moment
it was given water ; there was no limit to its potentialities
after all the centuries in which it had lain fallow and stored
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