Dardanus

“ Atlas, king of Fiesole, after that he had built the said city, begat by Electra his wife three sons: the first was called Italus, and from his name the kingdom of Italy was named, and he was lord and king thereof; the second son was named Dardanus, which was the first rider to ride a horse with saddle and bridle. Some have written that Dardanus was son to Jove, king of Crete, and son to Saturn, as has been afore mentioned; but this was not true, forasmuch as Jove abode in Greece, and his descendants were kings and lords thereof, and were always the enemies of the Trojans ”

“ Artemisia is said to have been desperately in love with a young man named Dardanus, who slighted her, which enraged her to such a degree, that she commanded his eyes to be put out whilst he slept; and finding her passion unconquerable, soon afterwards flung herself from the top of the famous promontory of Leucas into the sea. ”

“ Many leaders of thought in England, whose convictions should certainly carry weight, are of the opinion that the expedition to the Dardanelles was in itself unsound, and should never have been undertaken. Now the views of well-known practical common-sense men should not be lightly thrust aside, but perhaps as one who has travelled and read much, and knows the East and the questions bound up with it fairly well, I hope I may not appear too presumptuous if I venture to disagree with those who condemn the Dardanelles policy. ”

“ There is no modern race called Dards, and no country so named by its inhabitants, but the inhabitants of the right bank of the Indus, from the Kandia river to Batera, apply it to the dwellers on the left bank. In the scientific use of the appellation, Dardistan comprises the whole of Chitral, Yasin, Panyal, the Gilgit valley, Hunza and Nagar, the Astor valley, the Indus valley from Bunji to Batera, the Kohistan-Malazai, i.e. ”

“ Mention the word “Blighty” or “Tickler's plum-and-apple,” “Kangaroo Beach” or “Jhill-o! Johnnie!” or “Up yer go—an' the best o' luck!” to any man of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force and in each case you will have touched upon a vividly imprinted impresssion of the Dardanelles.
There was adventure wild and queer enough in the Dardanelles campaign to fill a volume of Turkish Nights' Entertainments, but the people at home know nothing of it.
This is the very type of adventure and incident which would have aroused a war-sickened people ”

“ The fairies and prophetesses of Dardistan are silent, the Tham of Hunza no longer brings down rain, the family axes are broken, the genealogists have been destroyed, and the sacred drum is heard no longer. The quaint computations of age, of months, seasons, years and half-years, and the strange observations of shadows thrown at various times are dying out or are already dead. ”

“ Far, O far from Kidmir!
Ber. Yea, an eternal journey my lost soul
May find it. Ardia, counsel me. Two ways
Stretch long before me, and I faint
In daring either. Give me of your strength.
Ard. My strength? I have none.
Ber. You have God's.
Men, proud in valor, stray and lose his hand;
The woman holds it ever, walking floods
And trampling fire where men go down.
Ard. Tell me!
How may I help you?
Ber. Sit then. I will speak.
[She sits; He stands near her]
I have agreed to be the sovereign
Of sword-won Suli.
Ard. None will better serve
Where he is master. ”

“ Darden's affairs, I have never learned it. When I came to Virginia, five years ago, she was a slip of a girl of thirteen or so. Once, when I had occasion to visit Darden, she waylaid me in the road as I was riding away, and asked me how far it was to the mountains, and if there were Indians between them and us."
"Did she so?" asked Haward. "And which is—Audrey?"
"The dark one—brown as a gypsy—with the dogwood in her hair. And mark me, there'll be Darden's own luck and she'll win. She's fleeter than a greyhound. I've seen her running in and out and to and fro in the forest like a wild thing." ”

“ He walked towards the door, and put his hand kindly on Darda’s shoulder; for Darda it was that had come, softly and unbidden, into the room, and who stood silently awaiting the upshot of the explosion her entrance had evoked.
Her slim white figure, her immobile face and glowing hair, made of her against the fire-lit wall such a presentment of the spiritual as one sees in old cathedral frescoes; but, at her master’s touch, a rose grew to her cheek, announcing her all one at heart with pitiful humanity. ”

“ Many of its people said, 'Why should we die when beneath our feet lie the waters of immortality? Who are the Guardians, to forbid us the lake? Let us not allow them to monopolize the waters of immortality longer; let us go down and drink of them whether they permit it or not, so that we may become undying.'"
Thargo's fist clenched, his eyes glittered, as he continued, "Thus spake the rebellious ones in Dordona! They sought by force to enter the pit and descend to the lake. But most of the Dordonans were still swayed by superstitious fears of the mysterious Guardians. ”

“ THEY killed mighty Dargo in the field; Dargo before invincible. His daughter was fair as the morn; mild as the beam of night. Her eyes, like two stars in a shower: her breath, the gale of spring: her breasts, as the new fallen snow floating on the moving heath. The warriours saw her, and loved; their souls were fixed on the maid. Each loved her, as his fame; each must possess her or die. But her soul was fixed on Oscur; my son was the youth of her love. She forgot the blood of her father; and loved the hand that slew him. Son of Oscian, said Dermid, I love; O Oscur, I love this maid. ”

“ I dreamt last night that there would many piastres pass between us this visit.’
‘What is the use of friends unless they help you in the hour of adversity?’ exclaimed Darkush.
‘You speak ever the words of truth. I am myself in a valley of dark shadows. I am travelling with a young English capitani, a prince of many tails, and he has declared that he will entirely extinguish my existence unless he pays a visit to the Queen of the Ansarey.’
‘Let him first pay a visit to King Soliman in the cities of the Gin,’ said Darkush, doggedly. ”

“ The Dardis are divided into four castes or tribes (Biddulph) ; that of the Chins, forming the majority of the people, is distinguished by its short stature and its dark complexion, and recalls the Hindus of the north-west provinces (Ujfalvy) ; while another tribe, called Yeshkhun, speaks a language which, according to Biddulph, has affinities with the Turkish languages, and, according to Leitner, is a [Pg 415] non-Aryan agglutinative language presenting analogies with Dravidian dialects. The Yeshkhuns inhabit Dardistan. ”

“ The proper study of mankind is Oneself. And what was I doing there, anyway?
Yes, it was extraordinary—not a doubt of it. Doctors and nurses said they never saw anything like it in the world. Those soldiers back from the Dardanelles, many of them sorely wounded, were laughing and joking all day, chatting cheerfully about their terrible experiences, and itching to get back again and "do for the dirty Turks"! ”

“ Ber. For Ardia? No, my lord.
Vig. Do you say no?
Ber. I must so answer you. For the fell harm
That touches her would of myself make end.
My honor so impeached would cease to breathe
The air itself made foul. I could not come
Having no life to bring me.
Bion. We believe you.
Go with our father. Take our sister too.
And we upon these heights shall pray, as you
On Suli plain, that Charilus may see
His sons again.
Ber. Come, let him know! This wished
Obedience will give him sleep.
[Exeunt Bertrand, Vigard, and Biondel, right rear]
Ard. Is 't best
That Truth be dumb? ”

“ Who refers to my “Results of a Tour in Dardistan, Kashmir, Little Tibet, Ladak, etc., in 1867-70,” and other papers in his pamphlet on the origin of that legend.
[7] “Dardistan,” or the country of the Daradas of Hindu mythology, embraces, in the narrowest sense of the term, the Shiná-speaking countries (Gilgit, &c.) ; in a wider sense, Hunza, Nagyr, Yasin, and Chitrál; and in the widest, also parts of Kafiristan. (See my “Dardistan,” part III.)
[8] “Yatsh” means “bad” in Kashmiri. ”

“ Tenedos, one of the most flourishing of the islands in the vicinity of the Dardanelles, is used by us and the French as an aeroplane base. The picturesque harbour is surrounded by quaint buildings, with an ancient fort dominating the whole. A short stay here completed our business. The return journey to Helles and Kephalo was uneventful. True, our reception at Helles was disturbed somewhat by a 6-inch shell, which fell immediately astern of us as we were approaching our anchorage. ”

“ You shame us, Biades.
We'll go with you.
[Each taken an arm of Biades as he goes right. Pelagon enters, upper left]
Pel. Daughter, this way!
[Phania returns reluctantly. The others pass off, right]
Pel. My chick,—
Nay, I'll be brief. I know young feet would flock.
Pha. O, father dear, I'd please you first! [Kissing him]
Pel. Well, well!...
You've seen Lord Stesilaus?
Pha. Just a peek.
Pel. Nay, he's no bear.
Pha. He'll bite though. I know that.
Pel. Now, Phania, now! I have a reason, miss,
A most dear reason you should win the love
Of Stesilaus.
Pha. Love! ”

“ It was while M. Drakovics was pursuing these financial researches, in the vain hope of tracking down his successful rival and bringing him to ruin, that the Princess of Dardania arrived at Bellaviste with her four children—the Princesses Elisabeth and Ludmilla and the Princes Alexis and Kazimir, whose arrival was hailed with joy by King Michael. The Prince of Dardania had gone to Pavelsburg on a visit to the Scythian Court; but his wife, who had been invited to accompany him, was of opinion that her presence was more needed in Thracia. ”

“ A man in threadbare clothing, whose age was difficult to guess—from the dead yellowish flatness of the flesh, something like an old ivory carving—was seated on a stool against some bookshelves that projected beyond the short counter, doing nothing more remarkable than reading yesterday’s Times; but when he let the paper rest on his lap and looked at the incoming customer, the thought glanced through Deronda that precisely such a physiognomy as that might possibly have been seen in a prophet of the Exile, or in some New Hebrew poet of the mediæval time. ”

“ Whether you get to the ancient Robber’s Seat of Hunza, where the right of plundering is hereditary, or into the recesses of Kafiristan or the fastnesses of Pakhtu settlers; whether you proceed to the republics of Darel, Tangir or Chilás, or proceed to the community where women are sometimes at the head of affairs, and which is neither worse nor better than others, an amount of information, especially ethnographic, is within one’s reach which makes Dardistan a region that would reward a number of explorers. ”

“ The events since 1872 need only to be indicated here in rough outline, and, unfortunately, confirm my worst anticipations as to the destruction of the independence of the Dardu tribes, of their legendary lore, and, above all, of the purity of their languages, including the prehistoric Khajuná or “Burishki” spoken in Hunza-Nagyr, and a part of Yasin. What are the admitted encroachments of our Ally, the Maharaja of Kashmir, have been utilized in our supposed interests, and we have stepped in to profit, as we foolishly think, by his sins, whilst he is tricked out of their reward. ”

“ As for the goods themselves, you may keep them for me, until I ask you for them; perhaps the next time I travel with a capitani who is one of yourselves.’
Darkush threw aside the tube of his nargileh, and, putting his hand very gently into the breast of his robe, he drew out a pigeon, dove-coloured, but with large bright black eyes. The pigeon seemed very knowing and very proud, as he rested on his master’s two fingers.
‘Hah, hah! my Karaguus, my black-eyes,’ exclaimed Darkush. ‘What, is he going on a little journey to somebody! Yes, we can trust Karaguus, for he is one of us. ”

“ Tadros appeared distressed.
“You have known me long, my sheik,” said he, “and have always found me an honest man. Never have I mixed with the police in any way. But do you{285} imagine the Government will neglect to watch over Winston Bey and protect him from his enemies? Ask the captain when he returns with the soldiers and Kāra. He will be here very soon now, and he will tell you that Tadros the dragoman had nothing to do with his coming here.” ”

“ Darragh, the man at the throttle of the 809, was all right till an enemy put the “black curse" on him. Perhaps he should have laughed when the Clurichawn—the little old dwarf with the long white beard—confronted him. But Darragh hailed from Enniskiilen and the fear of death gripped him. The mysticism in the blood of the Celtic race dies hard. ”

“ O, Prince of Suli!
[Voices heard, left]
Go, to come again!
[Exit Bertrand, right. Ardia turns to enter her room and faces Vigard who comes on left. She draws her veil]
Vig. Stay, sister.
Ard. Would you have me seen?
Vig. [Throws back her veil] Art fair
Again? As Kidmir skies!
Ard. It is my joy.
[Enter left, Biondel, Banissat, and lords. Banissat pauses. The others pass off, right]
Vig. [Taking Ardia'a hand to detain her] We have surprised
our sister. ”

“ Oh, Stesilaus, oh,
Whosever she may be, I love the chick,
And she shall not be damned!
[Enter, upper left, Sachinessa and Archippe]
Ste. Here's a reproach
Comes with a dual mouth. If we show doubt,
They'll put us under pestle. Rally, sir!
Sac. [To Archippe] Are you all lump?
Pick up your courage. Why!
The gods are gods by their audacity.
I'll bring it off. Now, Pelagon?
Pel. [Who has turned to flee] What, you,
My love?
Sac. Such heavy news! Enough to make
The gods no more co-venture with a world
Augmented so!
Pel. What, Sachinessa, what?
Sac. Our Phania's married to Alcanor. ”