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Transcriber's Note:
Inconsistent hyphenation and spelling in the original document have
been preserved. Obvious typographical errors have been corrected.
Italic text is denoted by _underscores_.
The following inconsistent spellings or possible printer's errors
were identified and left as printed:
Mollah and Moullah
Tschorock and Tschoroch
Malattia and Malatia
Djesireh and Djesire
Felujah and Feludjah
Trebizonde and Trebizond
Merdin and Mardin
Soukoum and Soukum
Melaskert and Meleskert
Mahmoud and Mahmod
Beilan and Beylan
Boghaz and Bogaz
Mousch and Moush
ON HORSEBACK THROUGH ASIA MINOR.
VOL. II.
LONDON:
GILBERT AND RIVINGTON, PRINTERS,
ST. JOHN'S SQUARE.
[Illustration: A MAP OF THE ROUTES WHICH TRAVERSE ASIA MINOR AND
MESOPOTAMIA
London: Sampson Low, Marston, Searle & Rivington.
Stanford's Geogl Estabt, London.]
ON HORSEBACK THROUGH
ASIA MINOR.
BY
CAPTAIN FRED BURNABY,
AUTHOR OF "A RIDE TO KHIVA."
WITH PORTRAIT AND MAPS.
IN TWO VOLUMES.
VOL. II.
London:
SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON, SEARLE, & RIVINGTON,
CROWN BUILDINGS, 188, FLEET STREET.
1877.
[All rights reserved.]
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
PAGE
My host—A Russian servant—The Crimean war—How the Russian
soldiers were beaten—My father the Tzar—I would sooner be
hanged!—The civilized way of eating a dinner—Knives and
forks of Circassian manufacture—The Caimacan's opinion
of knives and forks—My host's wife—His mother—Your Queen
likes riding—An Armenian lady inquiring about balls—The
barracks—The appearance of Arabkir—The prison—The
inmates—The troops—A nation of soldiers—If Allah wills
it—Capital required 1
CHAPTER II.
The Mohammedan school—The Governor—The Schoolmaster—His
impertinence—An Armenian song—The Russians at
Tiflis—Are the Russians so very degraded?—The Hodja, or
Schoolmaster—He is put in prison—The fanatics amongst the
Turks—A school required for Hodjas—Qualified teachers
wanted—Do the Turks insult your religion?—Malattia—A
cross tied to the tail of a dog—We want newspapers—Even
they contradict each other—The streets are slippery—The
precipices—Shephe—The Kurds—Few Zaptiehs in the
province—Hara Bazar—The village of Ashoot—Arab
horses—Deserters—The Usebashe—God is evidently on our
side 11
CHAPTER III.
Radford—His health—The farmer's house—The high
elevation—My brother will look down the precipices—The
Frat—The scenery—A caravan—How to pass it—The
weather—Turks in Egin—A coracle—Beautiful fish—Sick
soldiers—Twenty-four hours without food—Egin—The
Caimacan—The Cadi—His story—Daniel—Samson—His riches,
his 10,000 wives, all of them fat and lovely—His
treasure-chests—The lovely daughters of the
mountaineers—The officers died; the Pachas died; and last
of all, Samson died—The fate of the Russians 22
CHAPTER IV.
The Armenian church—The devotees—The ladies—The
priest—His toilet—Little boys—A song in honour of
the Queen of England—These Armenians are very dirty—A
hymn sung in English—The inhabitants of Egin—Turkish
doctors—A _post mortem_ examination—Price of meat—Russian
agents—The massacres in Bulgaria—The Hasta Dagh
mountain—The descent of the glacier—I never thought as
how a horse could skate, sir, before! 32
CHAPTER V.
Hasta Khan—The Kurds—Their summer depredations—Our Sultan
ought to be Padishah in his own dominions—The English
Consul—A story about the Kurds—The Delsin—Arresting the
major—The major's dinner with the chief—Acknowledge
the Padishah—A sore back—The mule which is offered
in exchange—The pack-saddle—The Euphrates—Coal in the
neighbourhood—Kemach—The Caimacan—Djerrid—A National
Guard—A miniature Gibraltar—Turkoman horses—Numerous
wells—One of the faithful 41
CHAPTER VI.
Kemach—Its population—Barley is very cheap—An English
traveller—Conversation about the impending war—If we
beat Russia, will England permit us to take back the
Caucasus?—Yakoob Khan—The Poles to be freed—Germany
to have the Baltic Provinces—What about the Crimea?—We
ought to cripple Russia—The Floggers of Women—Crossing
the Euphrates—Radford is poorly—Erzingan—The intendant
of Issek Pacha—Pretty Armenian women—An intelligent
Turk—Iron, silver, gold—Coal—Lead-mines worked by
the Kurds—The peasantry and coal—The Government and
the mines—A relation of the Pacha of Sivas—The old
doctor—Firing a patient for gout 50
CHAPTER VII.
Erzingan—The Mutasarraf Pacha—Widdin—Russian official
documents—Names of high functionaries—General
Ignatieff—Hindostan—The Kurds will be excited to massacre
the Armenians—The probable final result of the war—If
Turkey were to join Russia—The boot manufactory—The
shoemakers being drilled—The gaol—Coiners—A jealous woman
in prison—The unfortunate shopkeeper 59
CHAPTER VIII.
Russia's conduct in Servia—The Hodja—We have a
great many troops—If the Circassians will rise—The
Pacha—Raw cotton—The Mohammedan school—The Hodja's
sum—Three jealous husbands—The mosque—Issek Pacha—A
comparison between Mohammedan Imaums and Christian
priests—Provisions—The old doctor—The road to
Erzeroum—Want of sport—Soldiers frost-bitten 68
CHAPTER IX.
Climbing the mountains—It is bitterly cold—Delan—The
soldiers—Kargan—A bridge over the Euphrates—Mohallata—Our
Padishah is poor now—The Captain of the Zaptiehs—He
wishes to be married—Promotion wanted—The Erzingan
track meets the Trebizond road—Bashi Bazouks—The
Kara Su—Zaptiehs—Erzeroum—The fortifications of
Erzeroum—Ismail Pacha's residence—A pacific speech
made by Lord Derby—A decoration sent by the Tzar
to the Armenian Bishop of Erzeroum—An Armenian
demonstration—Caravan trade—_Timbaki_—Duties
increased—The price of Timbaki—The Kurds—Russian agents—A
massacre of the Christians to be brought about by Russian
agents 76
CHAPTER X.
The Pacha's interpreter—The Russian Consul—The
telegram—_Un ennemi acharné_ of Russia—Mr. Zohrab—The
Russian Government encourages photography—The paternal
Government—Spies—Pregnant women massacred—How to frighten
the mountaineers—Go and complain to the _Kralli_ of the
English.—Ask her to send you an oculist—A blood-stained
placard—A proof of Russian civilization—Two Circassian
chiefs—Their statement—The value of the Caucasus—A Memoir
drawn up by the Emperor Nicholas for the instruction
of the present Emperor Alexander—Our inheritance is the
East—The Circassians must be freed 84
CHAPTER XI.
The European society in Erzeroum—The Russian Consul is
an energetic man—How to depopulate a country—Russian
passports—Consul Taylor—The intrigues of the Russian
Consul—The Armenian upper classes—How corrupt they
are—The soldiers in Erzeroum—Discontent—_Métallique_—The
Military Hospitals—Recruits from the South—The head
surgeon—The wards—A valuable medicine—A bad habit—Wasting
ammunition 94
CHAPTER XII.
A conversation with the Pacha—The English Parliament
opened—What will they say about Turkey?—Can the
people at your Embassy speak Turkish?—The French are
brave soldiers—The fortifications—The roads—The water
supply—The posterns—Important military positions—A dinner
with our Consul—He relates a story—A Kurdish robber—The
Colonel—His young wife—How the Kurd wished to revenge
himself—Many of the Kurds are in Russian pay 104
CHAPTER XIII.
The weather—The number of troops in the town—Wood
is very dear—Tezek—The shape of the town—Trade with
Persia—Ismail Pacha's head servant—Have the Russians
arrived?—No, Effendi, but the Pacha has hanged himself!
that is all—The Pacha's wives—He was gay and handsome—The
Consul's dragoman—An attack of dysentery—Starting
for Van—Major-General Macintosh—His opinion about
the Kurds—The Bazaar at Van—Fezzee Pacha—Kiepert's
map—Erzeroum is very weak—Fezzee Pacha's opinion about
the impending war—The curious Caves 114
CHAPTER XIV.
The Turkish cemetery—Entering the cavern—The narrow
passage—A branch tunnel—A candle went out—The ball of
string—The Garden of Eden—The serpent—A dinner with the
Engineer-general—Mashallah—The evil eye—A whole nation of
Hodjas—You English are a marvellous nation—Some of our
Pachas cannot write—This is a miracle—Start for Van—The
postman—A caravan from Persia—The wives of the Persian
merchant—How to balance a fat wife—Herteff—My host's
wife—Stealing sugar 124
CHAPTER XV.
The Kurd—His bonnet—Mohammed is ill—Radford doctors
him—The mustard plaster—The plaster is cold—Where has
the Frank put the flames?—An old frost-bite—The two
merchants—Bayazid—A Turkish lieutenant—A very dirty
Christian—Crossing the Araxes—Kupri Kui—Yusueri—Deli
Baba—Earthenware jars—How they are made—When the winter
is over—Procrastination 134
CHAPTER XVI.
Low hills—Deep snow—The effect of the sun's rays—Nearly
blind—Daha—The road to Bayazid blocked—The daughter of my
host—Her costume—Soap and water—A surprise—She is very
dirty—If she were well washed—Turkish merchants—Buying
the daughters—A course of Turkish baths—An addition
to the Seraglio—Rich men always get pretty wives—The
Kurd's sons—The Imaum of the village—My host's tooth—It
aches—I have heard of your great skill—Cure my tooth—A
mustard plaster a remedy for toothache—A hakim for the
stomach—Have it out—Champagne nippers—My tooth is better
already 142
CHAPTER XVII.
Clearing the way—Leaving Daha—My father was well
cleaned last night—The wonderful medicine—Charging
the snow-drifts—Turkoman steeds—The Persians—The
lieutenant—Zedhane—Molla Suleiman—Toprak Kale—A
sanguinary drama—The Caimacan—The rivals—An Armenian
peasant—The marriage ceremony—The Circassian Governor—The
Kurd's mother—Revenge—His father's bones—The Circassian's
wives—The Governor in bed—The fight—The feud between the
Kurds and Circassians—Camels in the water—The ice has
broken 151
CHAPTER XVIII.
Armenian lads—Riding calves—Buffaloes—A fair price for
a girl—Our daughters are our maid-servants—A European
wife—A useless incumbrance—A Dervish—The lieutenant roars
at him—Kara Kelise—Kaize Kuy—The streams in Anatolia—A
source of annoyance—Persian women—A Persian village—The
houses—Rugs manufactured by the inhabitants—Erivan—The
Russian invasion of Persia—Once a Russian always a
Russian—The Murad river—Diyadin—The garrison—Rumours
of peace—Persia—Ararat—The view—Ophthalmia—Bayazid—The
Pacha's residence—The Russian authorities in
Daghestan—Four hundred people killed—Women and children
shot down and beaten to death—Major-General Macintosh—His
opinion about Bayazid—The importance of this town from
a military point of view—Syria—Aleppo—Diarbekir—Van—The
barracks—Mahmoud Pacha—His descendants—The irony of
fate—A Hungarian doctor—Mahmoud Pacha, the son of Issek
Pacha, lies here 160
CHAPTER XIX.
A spy—The news from Erivan—The border line—How he passed
the frontier—The Mollahs—A war of extermination preached
by them—A Turkish newspaper—Turks in Asia—Christians in
Europe—The Conference—A Conference in St. Petersburg—The
European Powers dislike Russia—General Ignatieff a judge
instead of a prisoner—The hour for the evening prayer—A
Turkish officer on prayer—His opinion about European
Bishops—They eat mutton every day—A Turkish Captain 171
CHAPTER XX.
A Yezeed (devil-worshippers) village—The Usebashe—The
worshippers of Old Scratch—The Yezeed's religion—The
Spirit of good—The spirit of evil—The rites—The Grand
Vizier of Allah—The unmarried priest—The wives and
daughters in their congregation—A high honour—Women
honoured by the attentions of a priest—Great excitement
at the priests' arrival—Mr. Layard—His admirable
work—Kelise Kandy—My host—His house—They want to conquer
the Shah—Nadir Shah—He once conquered you English in
Hindostan—The Tzar of America—You pay Shere Ali a large
sum of money—He is a clever fellow 178
CHAPTER XXI.
Dinner—The Persian's wife is poorly—The wonderful
wet paper—The _samovar_—The harem—Be not alarmed—She
is in a delicate state of health—Jaundice—She feels
better already—No medicine for your complaint—A mustard
plaster would be useless—Sons of the devil—My lord's
baksheesh—Commotion amongst the servants 188
CHAPTER XXII.
Villages—Arab
Dize—Shadili—Shalendili—Karenee—Kurds—Radford wishes
to bleed the inhabitants—Persian men with their beards
dyed red—Every part of a woman is false—These Persians
are a nation of women—The old fire-worshipper's
superstition—Gardens—Irrigation—Soldiers—The flint
fire-locks—They are unclean ones, these Persians—The
little dogs do some things well—a Persian will kiss you
on one cheek, and will stab you behind your back 196
CHAPTER XXIII.
No signs of Khoi—At last we arrive—The Turkish
Consul—Russian intrigues—Persian soldiers have attacked
a Turkish village—Kashka Beulah—A Turkish Usebashe and
seven men brought prisoners to Khoi—The Ambassador at
Teheran—Retaliation—The exchange of prisoners—The origin
of the disturbance—The Shah's uncle—Russian agents
in Teheran—Kurdish girls make the best wives—They do
not care about fine clothes—How to make use of your
mother-in-law—The women in your country—A fortune on
dress—My last wife cost ten liras—Persian women—The
Persians are very cruel—Odd customs—The fortifications
of Khoi—Soldiers gambling 204
CHAPTER XXIV.
The bazaar—Recumbent Persians—Carpets—Cutlery—Russian
calicoes—The houses in Khoi—The schools—A class
of lads—The Pedlar—The schoolmaster chastises
him—Pillaff—Bonbons—Persian ladies like
sweetmeats—Articles of native manufacture—The mosque—The
Russian officials in Erivan—We leave Khoi—Kotoor
Boghaz—The Turkish captain who was taken prisoner by
the Persians—His explanation of the affair—The Russians
are our fathers—The defile—Magnificent positions for
defence—A mineral spring—The change of temperature 212
CHAPTER XXV.
Kotoor—The Quarantine station—The medical officer
in charge—The Governor of Kotoor—A Russian disguised
as a Persian—Mineral wealth—The Russians would like
this territory—A stepping-stone to Bagdad and Mosul—A
loyal Kurd—Aleshkert—The people there take the
strongest side—Moullah Hassan—Kurdish merchants—The
postman—His mule in the water—My new yellow trousers—The
saddle-bags in the river—Nestorian villages—How to buy
a wife—Exchange and barter—A horse and two sheep—Van—The
Pacha—The barracks—The garrison—Bitlis 221
CHAPTER XXVI.
The artillery at practice—The horses—The Commandant—The
Military School at Constantinople—The citadel—Typhus—The
swamp—The sanitary state of the city—The lake—Natron—A
substitute for soap—Stone cannon-balls—Nadir Shah's
attack upon Van—Greek and Assyrian coins—Salutes during
Bairam—An inscription on the rock—An adventurous
Englishman—The Commandant—A Kurd—Hernia—How to cure
rupture—Three American Missionaries—The English and
American flags—The conflagration at Van—Armenian
inventions—The Commissioner—The troops 230
CHAPTER XXVII.
An extempore market—Carbonate of soda—The population—The
Pacha's salary—The Commander's pay—The Hungarian doctor's
contract—The Armenian church—An inscription—A heathen
temple—The Armenian clergy—Their different grades—The
monks—The two Patriarchs—The Catolicos—The _meira_—The
miraculous power of the Catolicos—The miracle turned into
£ _s._ _d._—Baptismal and burial fees—Prayers for the
dead—A curious tradition—King Abgar the leper—The journey
from Van—The mirage—Gull—Paz—Tishikoomlekui—Ardisch—A
Kurdish girl—A strange custom 240
CHAPTER XXVIII.
Akserai—The Kurds—Raids upon the villages—Five females
ravished—The Pacha at Van is powerless to help the
villagers—The hot springs in Lake Van—Fish—How to catch
them—Zerekli—Starlings—Intelligent insects—Patnos—We
cross the Murad river—Dotah—The Caimacan—The
devil-worshipper—His house—A Yezeed sheik—Scarcity of
accommodation 248
CHAPTER XXIX.
My host—The Sheik's appearance—My host's two
daughters—They attend upon the Sheik—Caressing the
flames—I love the fire—An insult to the Shaitan—Do
you believe in Allah?—Allah can do no harm—The Yezeed
fetish—The tomb of Sheik Adi—Your cows shall not
die—Mohammed wants a fetish—A cure for rheumatism—The
Melek Taoos—Do you ever pray?—What is the use? Everything
is fixed—You cannot force Destiny to change her
mind—Hidden things—The balls of clay—Mr. Layard—The seven
archangels 253
CHAPTER XXX.
Alongside the river Murad—Waterfalls—The Melaskert
river—Tchekhane—An attack of fever—Quinine—The doctor
at Toprak Kale—He arrives—The consultation—Excitement
amongst the villagers—The stethoscope—The audience—How
clever these Franks are—The Effendi is going to
die—Rheumatic fever—Pressed fruit—A native remedy—A long
night 260
CHAPTER XXXI.
Mohammed's febrifuge—The doctor's
medicine—Zedhane—Daha—Hassan Bek—Bash—The
garrison—We cross the Araxes—The bridge made by a
Circassian—Karakroot—The Circassian horsemen—The
inhabitants—Their eyes and teeth—Gedjerharman—The plain
around Kars—The streets of the town—The sewerage of the
population—The civil governor—The river—The war with the
Persians—Mount Kara Dagh—The fortifications 267
CHAPTER XXXII.
The garrison of Kars—Dr. Lanzoni—A probable outbreak
of typhus—The two Pachas—Whose fault is it?—If God
wills it, there will be no cholera—If God wills it,
the Russians will not come here—The hospitals full
of men suffering from typhus fever—The International
Commission—The Grand Duke Michael—Gumri—The Armenians
and their nationality—The Speech of the Grand Duke—The
Master of the Armenian school—You shall go to prison—The
Emperor Nicholas—Religious liberty granted to Armenians
in Russia—The document—The Patriarch's death—Suspicious
circumstances—Cossacks firing upon Mohammedans—Three
children wounded—Clergymen of the Church of
England—Hankering after the idolatrous practices of the
Greek faith—Wolves in sheep's clothing—Colonel Lake—A
little boy shot by the Cossacks—Russia the father of
the fatherless—The Rt. Hon. R. Lowe, M.P.—The Author of
_the Bulgarian horrors_—English officers and soldiers
massacred in the Crimea—The Court of Inquiry—The Duke
of Newcastle's speech—Russian officers butchering the
English wounded 275
CHAPTER XXXIII.
The march to Ardahan—Molla Hassan—A Turkish major—The
garrison of Ardahan—The position of the town—The
fortifications—Procrastination in military matters—The
possible invasion of Great Britain or India—The
military governor—A colonel of artillery—The Russians
might take Van—The Ala Dagh Mountains—Freemasonry—The
ancient Assyrians—To Livana by road—By the river to
Batoum—Selling the horses—What they fetch—A bad bargain 287
CHAPTER XXXIV.
Ardanusch—The Ardahan river—Shadavan scenery—Crossing
the mountains—The roof of the world—The Tschorock
river—Mohammed is afraid—Kismet—If a Christian is
ill—Going to Paradise—Does a Christian send for a
doctor?—A vast amphitheatre—Kale, or the old fortress
of Ardanusch—Akiska—War—The Mostaphas are to be called
out—The road to Livana—The cayek 295
CHAPTER XXXV.
The precipice—Better to die to-morrow than
to-day—Livana—The Caimacan—The Padishah of the
United States—The Clerk—A man with a node on his
forehead—A Christian with a hump-back—The cayek—The
owner of the boat—The Georgians—Mohammed's alarm—The
current—Miradet—The Mudir—A deserter 301
CHAPTER XXXVI.
Price of corn—Indian corn—Barley—Hardly any horses in
the neighbourhood—Bashi Bazouks—The Persians—Bagdad—A
passenger had been drowned—Mohammed is sea-sick—The
harbour of Batoum—The quarantine station—The garrison—The
Cossack outposts—Shooting down Turkish sentinels—The
encampment—The sanitary arrangements are good—The new
rifle—The market—Money changers—A Turkish steamer—The
agent—If the Lord wills it—Farewell to Mohammed—His
tears—Human nature—Reform impossible in Turkey so long
as Russia keeps on intriguing—My fellow passengers—The
Pacha—Trebizond—Arrival in London 307
CHAPTER XXXVII.
The journey is over—Declaration of war—Her Majesty's
Government—An iniquitous and unnecessary step
on the part of the Tzar—The Treaty of Paris—Its
infringement—Impossible to foresee the consequences
of such an act—Russia's contempt for England—England
allied with Turkey—Applying the rod—A Conference might
be held in St. Petersburg—The solemn assurances of the
Emperor—Samarcand—Khiva—The Black Sea Convention—Let
the Russians go to Constantinople—People who believe
in Russian promises—A non-military power like
England—England ought to join Turkey 316
APPENDIX.
PAGE
I. The Floggers of Women 323
II. Christianity as understood in Russia 325
III. Russian Civilization 327
IV. Russian Agents and the Massacres in Bulgaria 330
V. Stabbing under the Guise of Friendship 344
VI. The Russian way of Christianizing the Turks 346
VII. The Schoolmasters in Massacre 349
VIII. Ought we to have saved the Circassians? 350
IX. Lessons in Massacre 351
X. Statement of the Circassian Deputies in reference
to the Crimean War 353
XI. Holy Russia and the Cursed Crescent 361
XII. The Corruption of Armenian Officials 363
XIII. Female Brigandage 366
XIV. The Routes which traverse Asia Minor, and the
Euphrates and Tigris 368
XV. The Military Importance of Syria 383
XVI. Sir John Burgoyne on the Defences of Constantinople 388
XVII. The Chekmagee Lines 393
ON HORSEBACK THROUGH ASIA MINOR.
CHAPTER I.
My host—A Russian servant—The Crimean war—How the Russian
soldiers were beaten—My father the Tzar—I would sooner be
hanged!—The civilized way of eating a dinner—Knives and
forks of Circassian manufacture—The Caimacan's opinion of
knives and forks—My host's wife—His mother—Your Queen likes
riding—An Armenian lady inquiring about balls—The barracks—The
appearance of Arabkir—The prison—The inmates—The troops—A
nation of soldiers—If Allah wills it—Capital required.
My host now called out in a loud voice, "Atech!" (fire!) "I want to show
you my Russian servant," he remarked. The door opened. A man of about
fifty years of age, with an unmistakable Calmuck cast of countenance,
brought a piece of live charcoal, between a pair of iron tongs, and
placed it in the bowl of my host's chibouk; then, retiring to the end
of the room, and crossing his arms, he awaited a fresh order.
"So you are a Russian?" I said, addressing the man in his native tongue.
"Yes, your excellency."
"And why did you not return to your own country after the Crimean war
was over?"
The man looked down upon the floor; presently he remarked,—
"I was beaten."
"Who beat you?"
"I was beaten all day and all night. My colonel beat me. The sergeant
boxed my ears, and the corporals kicked me!"
"But did you get flogged more than the rest of your comrades?"
"No, your excellency; at that time we were all beaten. I am told that
now the officers do not flog their men so much."
"You are a deserter," I remarked.
"No, your excellency, I did not desert. I liked my father the Tzar too
much to run away when he required my services. I was taken prisoner;
when the war was over, I would not return to Russia. That is all I have
done."
"Well, and if the Russians come here, as it is quite possible they may,
what shall you do then? For you would, in that case, have a very fair
chance of being hanged."
"It would be a dreadful thing, your excellency, but I must take the
risk. I would sooner be hanged than go back."
"But things have improved in Russia since your time."
"A little," replied the man. "Little by little we advance in Russia.
It is a nice country for the rich, but it is a dreadful country for the
poor!"
"Is Turkey better?"
"Yes, your excellency, no one is beaten here; when a man is hungry,
no Turk will ever refuse him a mouthful of food—that is, if he has
one for himself. I hope my brothers will not come here," continued the
man, pointing presumably in the direction of the Caucasus. "Allah has
given our father the Tzar much land; why does he want more?" and, after
putting some more red-hot charcoal in the bowls of our pipes, the Moujik
left the room.
My host's frequent journeys to Erzeroum, where he had occasionally
met Europeans, had given him a taste for the civilized way of eating
a dinner. He pointed with some pride to his knives and forks. They
had been brought to Erzeroum from the Caucasus, and were a mixture of
silver, lead, and gold—the three metals being blended together by the
Circassian artificers, and then formed into the articles in question.
The Caimacan was also supplied with a knife and fork; however, this
gentleman did not seem to understand the use of his plate, and ate out
of the dish.
"Which do you like the best—to eat with a knife and fork, or with your
fingers?" I inquired.
"With my fingers," replied the Caimacan. "It is so much cleaner," he
continued. "I first wash my hands, and then put them into the dish;
but I do not clean my own fork—that is the duty of the servant, who,
perhaps, is an idle fellow. Besides this, who knows how many dirty
mouths this fork has been stuck into before I put it in mine?"
Later in the evening, and when the governor had retired, my host said
that his wife and mother would come and sit with us for a little while.
"I am not like the other Armenians in Anatolia," continued the speaker;
"I have determined to shut up my female relations no longer."
"Do they not cover their faces?" I inquired.
"Yes, in the street they do, but not inside the house."
The ladies now entered. They were dressed in loose yellow silk
dressing-gowns. Making a profound reverence to my host and self, they
seated themselves on a divan in the farther corner of the room, tucking
their legs underneath them, and assuming the same position as my
companion.
"It is a great honour for them to see an Englishman," he observed.
"Yes," said the old lady, "and what a distance you have come! Our roads
are bad, and travelling is very disagreeable for ladies," she continued.
"To have to go always on horseback, or in a box slung on a mule, is not
comfortable. Do English ladies ride?"
"Yes."
"And why should they ride?" observed my host's wife. "Have they not
carriages and railways in your country, so that when a man travels he
can take a woman with him without any difficulty?"
"Yes, but they ride for pleasure. Our Queen is very fond of riding, and
often does so when she is in Scotland."
"Your Queen likes riding! That is a miracle!" said the old lady.
"I do not like it at all—it makes me so sore," said her companion; "but
you Franks are wonderful people, and your women seem to do what they
like!"
"Would not you like to do the same?" I inquired.
"A woman's place is to stay at home, and look after the children," said
my host's mother gravely.
"Do not the husbands in England often become jealous of their wives?"
inquired my host,—"and the wives of their husbands?" interrupted the
old lady.
"Yes, sometimes."
"Well, there is a great deal to be said on both sides of the question,"
observed the Armenian. "It will be a long time before we follow you in
all your customs."
"You have places in your country where the men and women meet and dance
together in the same way as our gipsies dance—at least so I have been
told," remarked my host's wife.
"Not exactly like your gipsies," I replied; "but we have what are called
balls, where men and women meet and dance together."
"The husband with his own wife?"
"No, not always. In fact, more often with the daughter or wife of a
friend."
"I should like to see a ball very much," observed my host.
"We had better go," said his mother, "it is getting late;" rising from
the sofa, she made another very obsequious reverence, and left the room
with her daughter-in-law.
The following day I rode to see the barracks. Arabkir is built in such a
straggling fashion, that, although it only contains about 3000 houses,
it extends for a distance of six miles. The houses are built on each
side of a deep ravine. The streets, which are very precipitous, lead,
in some instances, over the flat roofs of the dwellings. The latter
were many of them built of stone, and an air of cleanliness prevailed
throughout the town.
Large gardens, planted with all sorts of fruit-trees, surrounded the
houses. Long avenues of mulberry-trees were to be met with in every
direction.
I stopped for a few minutes at the prison, and, dismounting, walked
into the building. There were only seven prisoners—six Turks and one
Armenian—the latter for attempting to pass false money, the Mohammedans
for robberies and debt.
The population in Arabkir is equally divided between the Turks and
Armenians. It was very creditable to the latter that there should be
only one Armenian in the gaol. By all accounts, there was very little
crime in this district, and the prison of Arabkir would be often for
weeks together without a single criminal within its walls.
We arrived at the barracks, a square building, with long dormitories for
the troops, and which were fairly clean. It contained at the time of
my visit 500 redif (reserve) soldiers. They were shortly to start for
Erzeroum. There were quarters for three times that number of troops,
and another battalion was expected very shortly.
The men had not received their uniform. It was to be given to them
at Erzeroum; they were clad for the most part in rags and tatters,
and had been armed with the needle rifle. I was informed that the
Martini-Peabody weapon would be shortly served out to them. A squad of
men was being instructed in the manual exercise in one of the passages.
I spoke to the officer, and inquired if the battalion had ever been out
for target practice.
"No," replied the man, apparently surprised at the question, "we want
all our ball-cartridges for the enemy."
"But if your men do not practise at a target in the time of peace, they
will not be able to hit their enemies in the time of war."
"We are a nation of soldiers," said the officer. "Every Turk carries
a fire-arm. You have doubtless observed this on your journey," he
continued.
"Yes; but the weapons are for the most part old flint guns, which, if
fired, would be quite as dangerous to the owners as to the foe, and
are of no use whatever as a means of enabling your soldiers to aim
correctly."
"If Allah wills it, our bullets will strike the Russians," observed the
Turk.
"If Allah wills it, there will be no war, and all this instruction which
you are giving the men in the manual exercise will have been wasted.
What is the good of teaching your soldiers anything?" I continued; "if
Allah wills it so, they can defeat the enemy with chibouks and nargilehs
(pipes) just as easily as with Martini rifles!"
"This is the effect of the doctrine of fatalism," observed my Armenian
host, who had accompanied me to the barracks; "it is the cause of half
the apathy which characterizes the Turks. Why, they only commenced
making roads after Sultan Abdul Aziz's visit to Europe."
"But you Armenians are equally to blame in that respect," I observed.
"Only look at your own town. There are no roads, the streets are not
paved, and they are full of ruts. The inhabitants are half of them
Armenians; then why do not you Christians set the Turks an example, and
begin by making a road to Divriki?"
"We are quite as apathetic as the Mohammedans," replied the Armenian.
"The same observation which you have just made has been repeated to
us fifty times over; but there is no one who has energy enough in his
disposition to commence taking the initiative."
"Why do not you set about the business yourself?"
"I have my own affairs to look after. We are not public-spirited, or
like Englishmen," continued my companion; "each one of us thinks of his
purse first, and afterwards of how to benefit his fellow-townsmen. What
a good thing it would be for the country if you English were to come
here!" he continued. "All we want is a little of your energy, with it
and capital, Anatolia would soon become one of the richest countries in
the world."