Tokat—The Caimacan of the town—The battalion is to
march to Samsoun—A naturalized Englishman—The road
from Tokat to Sivas—The population of Tokat—The rich
inhabitants bribe the gendarmes—The want of funds—The
officials' salaries in arrears—Armenian schools in
Tokat—The Greeks; not much reliance to be placed upon
them—Khiva—Tashkent—Samarcand—Mussulmans in India—The
Black Sea and the Russian fleet—Old soldiers in Tokat—The
Armenians and Greeks to be supplied with fire-arms—Good
governors—Osman Bey—A Circassian on Russian atrocities—A
statement by the Russian authorities—Seven hundred families
near Labinsky—Men, women, and children at the breast
butchered—English sympathizers with Russia—The Russians sow
the seeds of dissension amongst the Circassians—Yonn Bek—Many
gold imperials offered to him.
It is only a few hours' march from Bazar to Tokat, the track running
parallel to the river of the same name. There are many villages by the
side of the stream. The valley widens, and then narrows again as we
proceed towards the town. Tokat at last lies before us. It is a long,
straggling city, and on the left bank of the river.
We were met by a Zaptieh. He conducted me to a house set apart for
travellers. Shortly afterwards I received a visit from the Caimacan
(governor). This official was an active, bustling little man, and much
more energetic than any of the governors I had previously met.
An order had arrived for him to send 1000 men immediately to Samsoun.
The battalion would march the following morning at daybreak. He
proposed that I should go and see the start.
An engineer now called, a Pole by birth, but a naturalized Englishman.
He was engaged in making a road from Tokat to Sivas; he had been in
Tokat five years, and the work was not half completed. Indeed, judging
by the system adopted for the construction of public works in Anatolia,
it will be a wonder if the road is ever finished.
According to the engineer, Tokat has a population of 25,000
inhabitants. Of these there are 8000 men who should each work four days
a year at the construction of the road.
"It is a pitiable sight," continued the Pole. "The Zaptiehs are ordered
to bring the people. A rich inhabitant bribes the gendarmes; they leave
him and seize some impecunious individual. The latter is brought to me,
and I tell the fellow to commence digging. The man digs so long as I am
in sight, but the moment my back is turned, down goes the shovel, and
he lights a cigarette. The result is that I have been here five years,
and only five miles of road are finished."
The engineer complained of the want of funds in the public chest.
His pay was only 10_l._ per month, and it was never paid punctually.
Meantime, the authorities had discharged several engineers in their
employ, on the ground that every piastre in the treasury was required
for the maintenance of the troops.
There were several Armenian schools in Tokat, and the Turks and
Christians got on very well together. However, the Caimacan was of
opinion that not much reliance could be placed upon the Greeks, i. e.
in the event of a war between Turkey and Russia.
"They are very cunning," remarked the governor. "They will not declare
themselves at once, but will wait a little, and hang back to see which
side is the strongest. They still dream of the old Greek Empire, and
think that some day Constantinople will be a Greek capital. This is not
very likely to happen," he continued. "If Russia were to conquer us,
and to take Constantinople, she would not be willing to hand it over to
the Greeks. What Russia takes she keeps. Look at the Caucasus. Look at
the Crimea. Look at Khiva, Tashkent, and Samarcand. Some day she will
try and conquer India, and what shall you do then?"
"Probably take our Indian troops, and, joining with the Afghans, and
inhabitants of Kashgar, drive Russia out of Central Asia," I remarked.
"That is easier said than done," said the governor. "But, talking of
the natives of India, is it true, as I have read in our newspapers,
that many Mussulmans in India have petitioned your Queen to help the
Sultan?"
"Yes," I replied, "I believe so."
"Then why does she not oblige them? Your interests are bound up with
our interests. We do not wish to lose Constantinople. It would be
our death-blow. It would be your death-blow if the Black Sea belonged
solely to Russia, for her ships could remain there in perfect safety,
and, running out at any moment, might attack your commerce in the
Mediterranean."
"There are a great many old soldiers in Tokat," observed the engineer,
"men who fought in the Crimea. They have asked me if there is any
chance of England joining Turkey, and are longing to serve, with
English pay and English rations."
"The men who leave to-morrow go without any pay," said the Caimacan,
"but they march cheerfully. We shall have to fight it out to the end,"
he continued; "if Russia does not destroy Turkey, Turkey must destroy
Russia! I will sell my watch and everything I have in the world to
raise funds for the war. We must all do the same."
Whilst we were conversing an order arrived for the Caimacan to supply
all the Armenians and Greeks in Tokat with firearms, and have them
instructed in drill.
"I must go," he observed, and, rising from the divan, he left me alone
with the engineer.
"He is a most energetic man," said the Pole, pointing to the retreating
figure of the Caimacan. "If Turkey had more governors like him, she
would not be reduced to her present straits. The great mistake in
this country is the continual change of Caimacans. When we have a
good governor, we never keep him for more than six months; the present
man has been here about that time, he does not rob the people, and is
thoroughly honest: we shall probably soon lose him."
Several of the principal persons in the town now came to call upon me;
amongst others, a certain Osman Bey, a Circassian, and the chief of a
large band which had emigrated from the Caucasus a few years previous.
He was dressed in the Circassian style, with a sheep-skin coat, tightly
buckled round his waist, embroidered leather trousers and high boots; a
black Astrakhan cap surmounted his bronzed features. He was a fine tall
fellow, and immensely popular with the inhabitants of Tokat.
After conversing for a little while about my journey, and the state
of the roads between Tokat and Erzeroum, he proposed that I should
accompany him to his house, drink tea there, and be introduced to his
relatives. The engineer came with us. After walking through some lanes,
where the mud reached considerably above my ankles, we arrived before
a square-built, whitewashed house. A solid wooden door, absolutely
possessing a knocker—an article of luxury not known in Tokat, save to
the richer inhabitants, gave admission to a small courtyard. This, in
its turn, led to the apartments reserved for Osman Bey and the members
of his family.
He had sent a servant on before, to say that he was on his way. About
fifteen Circassian gentlemen were seated around the room.
"We Circassians have heard a great deal of your nation," said Osman
Bey, as he motioned to me to take a seat. "We once thought that England
was going to help us to drive the Russians out of our country. However,
you did not come; they outnumbered us, and they had artillery opposed
to our flint guns. What could we do? We resisted as long as possible,
and then, sooner than be slaves, came here."
"If there is a war, shall you all go to the front?" I inquired.
"Yes, every able-bodied man amongst us. We do not pay any taxes to the
Sultan; he gave us our land, and we owe him a debt of gratitude. Not
only that," continued the speaker, and at the same time drawing a long,
keen knife from his sash, and flipping his nail against the blade, "but
we shall have an opportunity of cutting a few Muscovite throats!"
"I hope you will not kill the women and children!" I observed. "Nobody
cares about the men; but in Europe we have a horror of people who
massacre women and children."
"We shall do as the Russians do, and as they have always done,"
observed my host grimly. "They have killed our old men, have cut to
pieces pregnant women, and have tossed the children on the bayonets,
whilst the soldiers have satisfied their lust upon our wives, and
burnt them to death afterwards![16] Well, if they do the same thing
now, we shall follow the example set us, and shall continue doing so,
until England or some other power interferes to save our countrymen
from the devilish tyranny of these Muscovite butchers. Let me give you
one instance of their cruelty. A few years ago the Russian authorities
informed the Circassians that whoever wished might leave the Imperial
dominions and go elsewhere. This was probably done to discover what
natives were well disposed or otherwise to the Russian rule. There
was no real intention on the part of the Government to allow any of
its subjects to pass the frontier. Seven hundred families belonging to
some villages near the town of Labinsky, thought that it was a _bonâ
fide_ permission. Leaving their district, they started for the Turkish
frontier. A short time afterwards they were surrounded by Russian
troops, cavalry and artillery, and ordered to return. The fugitives
said that they had permission to leave Russia. The officer in command
insisted that they should at once retrace their steps. The command was
not immediately obeyed, the troops fired at the villagers, and then
charged them with the bayonet; only thirteen Mohammedans survived to
tell the tale. All the rest, men, women, and children at the breast,
were cut to pieces."
"Are these assertions really true?" I said to another Circassian.
"We know it, to our cost," he replied. "This is only one instance which
Osman Bey has just given you, and which you have written down in your
note-book; but there are many more equally horrible. The Russians have
made a hell of our beautiful country. They are worse than the fiend
himself."
"Do your country-people like the Russians?" said Osman Bey.
"Some do," I replied; "but they do not believe in these horrible
cruelties which you have been just relating to me."
"Well, then, tell them to travel through our country—that is, if the
Russians will let them—to go to our villages and talk to the country
people; but not in the presence of Russians, as the poor sufferers
would be afraid to speak, knowing well the fate which would await them
when their questioners had departed. Let any of the people of England,
who now sympathize with Russia, do this, and then let them form an
opinion about the merits of the case."
"When you return to your own country will you publish what I have said
to you?" said Osman Bey.
"Yes," I said, "every line. Listen to what I have written, so that
there may be no error."
And I translated to him my notes, the engineer aiding me in the task.
"Are all your countrymen of one mind in their hatred of the Russians?"
I inquired.
"Unfortunately, no," said Osman Bey. "The authorities have been clever
enough to sow the seeds of dissension amongst our ranks. For example,
they will often give the post of 'stanishna' (a local authority) in
the different villages to a Circassian of a low degree. This gives him
authority over our nobles. Ill-feeling is thus created between the two
classes; it is utilized by the Russians."
"One of our number is doing his best to avenge himself on the
Muscovites," said another of the party, a good-looking young fellow,
apparently about twenty years old, and Osman Bey's nephew. "His name
is Yonn Bek; he has taken up his abode in the Farsa Shaguash mountain
near Ekaterinograd, and kills the Russians whenever he can meet them.
He has been pursued; but he has depôts in the mountain where he keeps
provisions, and the Russians have never been able to trace him to his
lair. The authorities have offered Yonn Bek a great many gold imperials
if he would leave the country, as the man has done so much mischief
there; but Yonn declines, and says that if the Russians have not been
able to capture him in eight years, and he has been able to do them so
much damage, what will not happen to the foe when the war breaks out
and he is joined by other men like himself?"