The most remarkable things in this garden are two vine-
stocks, whose stems were each a foot in diameter. They are so
extended in groves and long rows that they form pleasant walks.
More than a thousand flasks of wine are annually obtained from these
two vines.
A large grotto has been excavated in one of the upper terraces whose
whole front side is open, and forms a high-arched hall. In the fine
summer evenings there is music, dancing, and even theatrical
performances.
On Sundays and festivals the pretty gardens of the governor are
opened to the public. There are swings and winding-paths, and two
bands of music. The music executed by the Russian military was not
so good as that which I heard by the blacks in Rio Janeiro.
When I visited the Armenian Church, the corpse of a child had just
been laid out. It was in a costly open bier, covered with red
velvet and richly ornamented with gold lace. The corpse was strewed
over with flowers, decorated with a crown, and covered with fine
white gauze. The priests, in sumptuous robes, conducted the funeral
ceremonies, which were very similar to the Catholic.
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