Mon May 27. [27 May 1907] Worked today on 21. Got the narthex
clear in the morning and drew it. In the afternoon we uncovered a
good deal of the nave and found the bays of the aisle filled up with
very bad later walls. We uncovered only the S aisle the N being
blocked with immense masses of vaulting. About 3 a great
excitement was caused by the appearance of a covered cart. The
men at once declared that it was the Kaimakam of Karaman
[(Laranda)] and I set out to see. But meeting Fattuh half way, I asked
him and he invented that it must be the R [Ramsay]s tents so I sent
him up. It turned out however to be 3 American archaeologists, pupils
of Sterrett's who had come to see R, their names Mr Olmstead, Mr
Wrench and Mr Charles. Greetings over I returned to my work and
they sat down with Lady R. Presently Fattuh appearaed with the
Father of corn and we went down to see the apse. He however cd not
be persuaded to let us dig in his field for he feared punishhment at the
hands of the Karaman authorities. He said if the Kaimakam wd give
permission we might turn up the whole field but it was no use his taking
money and then suffering months of imprisonment. This aroused all
our fears which were supplemented by the presence of a Karaman
zaptieh with the Americans. We determined to write to Ferid at once
and to Hamdy. The Americans have travelled much in Syria, we
talked a great deal of that country after tea. A very heavy
thunderstorm at 5 and the rain lasted till near 7. Then it stopped and
we were able to put our dinner table under the awning. Very good
dinner. I offered the tent to the 3 Americans to sleep in as the oda was
crowded and dirty.