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i6B ARMENIA AND THE NEAR EAST
i.e. what wc should call a Secretary to the Cabinet, while at
the same table sat his chauffeur, the only member of the party
who ate with his cap on. He was none too polished other
wise ; but he took part in the conversation with a lovd voice,
giving his opinions with great self-assurance. At a long table
next to ours sat another party of young men who looked
better educated and behaved with more restraint. One of
them came glass in hand to drink with us and welcome us in
the nåme of his companions. I went across and touched
glasses with them. They gave the impression of being very
pleasant young fellows.
I was rather surprised to see so many different facial types.
A large number were characteristically Armenian. Another,
rather fairer type, had smaller noses and somewhat broader
faces, in shape more like the Scandinavian. Some, again,
were regular Roman Emperor types, with fatter faces and
bull-necks.
When I next went down to our railway carriage I saw a
beggar huddled up on the stone steps in front of the station,
sleeping there all alone. It was a glimpse of another world.
He must have been the only one who was not holiday-making
that day. I left him to sleep in peace.
In the evening there was a big meeting at which the
President of Armenia took the chair. The proceedings began
with a very long speech by the young magistrate or mayor of
Leninakan, evidently rehearsing the whole history of the
canal, if not of Armenia. Of course I could not understand
a word of it, but it struck me that the Armenian language did
not sound well in speech-making ; it is strong, perhaps, but
rather staccato, especially when compared to Russian, which
is more fluid. But no doubt much depends, as usual, upon
the speaker ; in an orator’s mouth any language may become
musical.
At last he was through, and was rewarded by lovd applause.
He was followed by many others, including my friend of the
morning, the President of Georgia, who had a good presence
and a calm, sensible manner. The President of Azerbaijan,
a Tatar Moslem, also made a speech. First he spoke in
Russian, then in Turkish, which was his native tongue. It
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