It appeared, according to this person, that there is a vagabond society, a society of thieves, in Angora, which preys upon Turks and Christians. The members of this society go at night to different houses, and, knocking at the door, order the proprietors, under threat of assassination, to draw the bolts. The inhabitants, who are frightened to death, frequently open the door. The thieves, entering, eat what they find in the house, and afterwards make the proprietor give them a sum of money. "Yes," remarked another guest, "the worst of it is that several of the chief people in the town are said to be mixed up in this society." A great fire had taken place in Sivrisa, a short time before. Damage had been done to the Christian inhabitants to the amount of thirty million piastres. The Turks did not willingly receive the Armenians into their houses, but when they did so, subsequently threw their mattresses out of the window, saying that they had been defiled by the contact of a _giaour's_ body. This was mentioned to show the fanaticism of the Turks. However, during my subsequent travels in Armenia, the impression gradually dawned upon my mind that the Turks were, first of all, very wise not to wish to receive the Armenians into their houses; and, secondly, if they had been good-natured enough to do so, to destroy the mattresses after the departure of their guests. The Armenians in their habits of body are filthy to the last degree. Their houses and clothes are infested with vermin. The Turks, on the contrary, are much cleaner, and are most particular about the use of the bath. An Englishman would not be pleased if his house became filled with what it is not here necessary to mention. If he did under such circumstances admit strangers, he would probably destroy their bedding the moment that they departed. One of the visitors now remarked that there had been ten Pachas in four years in Angora, and that this frequent removal of officials was one of the causes which had led to the decadence of the country. "Yes," said another, "a Pacha never feels sure of his place. Another evil here is the delay in settling cases of litigation. The arrears are enormous, and although in November, 1875, a firman from the sultan called attention to this matter, and ordered all law cases to be settled at once, nothing has been done to carry the edict into execution. If when the Authorities find that they have a good man as a Pacha, they would leave him for say ten years in office, we should advance much more rapidly than at present."