Sun Ap 14. [14 April 1907] Breakfast at 6 and off at 6.30. The two got
up and breakfasted with me. Warm rather cloudy morning. Rode
33/4 hours to the lake of Bafi [Bafa Gˆl¸] across rolling ground all
overgrown with scrub, no villages and next to no cultivation. Dropped
into a pretty valley full of red and purple anemones and so reached
the lake. Rode on till 12 round the lake by a rocky path through olive
groves. Mt Latmos [Besparmak Dagi] always opposite, very lovely;
the ground covered with grass and flowers. Yuruk encampments
beneath the olives. I walked for about an hour and a half. Pretty hot
and stuffy. At noon we reached a spring where we lunched, under the
olives. Off at 1, up and down over the rocky spurs. Two big places for
the making of the olive oil, red roofed. A small island with a castle on
it. Steep climb over the last spur. Then we came down beyond the
bottom of the lake, the points of Latmos a little behind us and a ruined
town on a knoll at the end of the lake. Saw the ruins of Heracleia on
the other side below Mt Latmos. We rode then then [sic] through a
lovely fertile plain between hedges and trees all coming into leaf,
past many wells to Bafi . All the world Moslem here. A ruined castle
on a hill about 1/2 an hour before Bafi. Got there about 3. Then up a
very steep path leading across a wooded hill, the top was regularly
through a forest. I walked on ahead through the peaceful wood
meeting only a few Turks. Lovely scent of bee orchis, aromatic blue
things and this which I did not know [pressed flower attached to page].
So down by a rather steep path and from the top a charming view
over lots of hills. Got onto our horses again and rode by deep paths
mostly the courses of streams. The bay in flower. Missed our way
several times and at last got to Mendelya (T. Mendelet) at 6. Found a
room in the house of a baker, about the first house of the village. The
mosque opposite, storks on all the roofs. The people below were
making a bonfire which flickered into my room and a muezzin
watching from the minaret. Very warm. Fattuh says the taxes have
been considerably raised this year. He now has to pay 43 mej. in all.