Twelve Months with the Bashi-Bazouks

Preface

TO SECOND EDITION. In spite of the opening remark on first page, I must here give shortly my reasons for publishing this second edition. The principal one is, that I am often asked for the book, but having been published twenty-three years ago, it is nowhere procurable. I have searched London through unsuccessfully. I also think, that, at this time when affairs in Turkey occupy so much attention, and the Albanians are chief actors in the complications afoot, a book which treats much of these mountain warriors, their habits, national feelings, and views, may be accept able. Turkey is also in many respects still an unknown land to most Englishmen. Anyhow, the interior and inner life of Turkey certainly is. I have endea voured to paint both in this book. As some who were in the Osmanli Irregular VI

PREFACE.

. Cavalry (Bashi-Bazouks) at that time know, there is nothing but facts in these pages ; and that they are not highly coloured, the independent testimony in the postscript, in a measure, testifies. EDWARD MONEY. East India United Service Club, London, October 1880. CONTENTS.

Chapter I. Journey To Turkey

I don't like a preface to a book. In the first place, if a work of fiction, the fact of impressing on the reader's mind that what follows never did occur, and is merely the result of the author's fertile brain, is, to say the least of it, not the best way to create an interest. Secondly, if, as in this case, it is not fiction but facts to be related, let them speak for themselves, and the book stand or fall by its own merits : no preface ever made a bad work popular ; a good one never failed for the want of it. As therefore I feel sure no object will be attained by writing one, I shall not attempt it. In the month of July 1855, I left England with two of my brothers, to go and see the fall of Sebastopol, which we felt quite sure must occur shortly, and would perhaps kindly await our arrival to do so.

I was in that frame of mind when any change of scene, excitement, or even privation is acceptable — a state brought on either by the ennui and satiety a life devoted to pleasure produces, or by great mental grief; the latter was my case, and I flew to the scenes of the war, hoping that, if I could not find employment, I should at least find distraction. I met my brothers in Paris, en route for Marseilles, where we embarked in that splendid French screw steamer, Le Jourdain, and made a quick passage to the Dardanelles. The society on board was most agreeable ; a pleasant mixture of English and French. An English lady was amongst the number, who was leaving the comforts of home to be near her son in the Crimea, where I afterwards met her, and where she stopped a long time. The devotedness of the act struck me as very characteristic of English mothers.

We touched at Messina and at the Pireus on our way; we landed at both places, and, of course, from the latter we visited Athens. I will spare the reader a description : I saw nothing that bears on the war, the customs of Turkey, or the Bashi-Bazouks; and as for information regarding the places themselves and their inhabitants, is it not all written, and with much more information than I could bring to bear on the subject, in " Murray's Handbook of Europe" ? THE MEDITERRANEAN. 3 On the evening of the day we entered the Straits of the Dardanelles, I overheard a gentleman, Captain J , a Queen's messenger, with whom I had become well acquainted on the passage, asking the commander of the steamer to stop at the Dardanelles, as he had despatches to deliver to General Beatson, commanding the Irregular Cavalry at that place.

The Captain refused, as it was not one of the ports at which he regularly stopped. He told Captain J that he must either take his papers to Constantinople and send them back by post, or else land them at Galipoli and forward them from thence. It seems these despatches — whatever they were, for I never knew — were important, and Captain J was was much grieved that a delay of two or three days must occur in their delivery, as he knew no one at Galipoli to whom to entrust them. Though I had came out as an amateur, I was anxious to be something more ; and having been in the East India Company's army a few years, I did not think it impossible that, with the want of men then felt in the East, I might get service. I had applied in England for employment in the Turkish Contingent, but was refused, because I had retired from the East India service.

I could not see the force of the conclusion ; for I was told that, had I retired with a pension, whether from ill-health or other cause, I should be eligible ; that is to say, in other words, because I was not obliged by a failing constitution to leave India, and was as strong and well as if I had never seen those burning shores, ergo, I was not thought competent for ser vice, where, of all things, health and energy were required ! I bowed,, however, to the decree ; and, as I have said above, came out to see — and to act if I could. On hearing Captain J 's lamentations about his despatches, I proposed to him to take them myself direct from Galipoli to General Beatson. I did this in the hope that I should get a commission in the force ; beside, I had heard so much, and such con tradictory reports, of the said Bashi-Bazouks, that I was anxious to see them.

Captain J jumped at the offer ; and as he had known General Beatson slightly in Spain, he wrote him a note with the despatches, saying who I was, etc., etc. ; and it was agreed between my two brothers and myself, that I should rejoin them two days later at Constantinople. Daylight saw us all landed at Galipoli, the first Turkish shore I touched ; and after we had imbibed some coffee, and smoked some early pipes at one of the Turkish restaurants, I jumped into a boat for the Dardanelles, and as the Jourdain became small by degrees, and beautifully less on the horizon of the Sea of Marmora, I, with a spanking breeze from the quarter E.N.E, whence it blows thirty out of every thirty-one days in these straits, ran back the course we had just come. My boatman and I could not converse ; so, after staring at me for A SAIL ON THE HELLESPONT. 5 some time, he lighted his pipe, and, leaning luxu riously back in the stern sheets, attended to the helm and sail, which was easy work enough, for every now and then he fell asleep.

I knew no thing of this till I saw our bow pointed back to Galipoli, and turning round, behold, my helmsman was in the land of dreams ! I pushed him with my foot, when he started and fell forward, forcing the green glass mouthpiece of his pipe down his throat. He recovered himself, coughing much ; altered our course mechanically; filled his pipe, and smoked vehemently, as if to keep himself awake. Thinking all was right, I went and lay down in the shade of the sail and began to read. I was startled at hearing a most unmistakable snore ; I looked, and he was asleep again. I was annoyed, for once more we were going all wrong. To hold out any hope of increased reward or fear of punishment was impossible, my knowledge of Turkish being confined to the one solitary word " Yok " — no, — which striking me as strange, when compared to the similarity of the negatives of European languages, I had already learnt.

I pushed him once more with my foot, exactly the same results followed ; again the green glass disappeared down his throat, again a perfect paroxysm of coughing, again an alteration of the course, another replenishment of the pipe, and, a few minutes after, the same sleep again ! I lost patience ; so I went aft, took his pipe out of his mouth (the insertion of it down his throat was the only way to awake him), rolled him for ward, took the helm, refilled the bowl, wiped the green glass, and knowing I could not go wrong, with Europe on one side and Asia on the other to guide me, I cared little for the sleepy Turk, but sat and smoked, staring at the big steamers passing, and enjoying the beautiful scenery which lay on each side. Gaily did we progress : the wind was fair; it was a beautiful day ; my boatman's tobacco was first rate (there is no bad tobacco in Turkey), and I never enjoyed a sail more.

About four hours of it brought us in view of the small town of the Dardanelles and the high ground near it, which was covered with tents, and where numerous horse men could be seen moving about. The most remarkable objects, as we approached, were the windmills; there were no less than twenty eight of them — not scattered about on the hills as proper-behaved windmills are, but in one long line, with their one hundred and sixty-eight arms, for each had six fans waving in a manner that really made one feel when near much more uncomfortable than a stranger felt in the machinery department of the Great Exhibition. I was watching these windmills, without knowing it was the Dardanelles, for we had passed it in the night, when my som niferous friend woke up, raised himself, looked around, expressed no astonishment at seeing where we were, in both a geographical and local sense, I THE DARDANELLES. 7 mean near the Dardanelles instead of Galipoli, and he in the middle of the boat instead of the stern, but quietly came aft, took the helm, as if he had never left it, and ejaculating the one word "Dardanelles," soon ran ashore close to the consul's house there.

Chapter II. First Peep At Bashi-bazouk Life

Now when, the evening before, Captain J had agreed to give me the despatches for General Beatson, we had not the slightest idea how I was to get from Galipoli to the Dardanelles ; we supposed, however, that I could get horses and ride the distance, and under that belief I had put on a ridingdress ; it was rather a peculiar one — it consisted of nothing but leather — and brown leather, too — breeches, waistcoat, and coat were all the same material and colour. I had chosen it in London, as I knew from experience its efficacy for hard work ; still it looked peculiar, and expecting to encounter the uniform of the Irregular Cavalry officers, I felt a little ashamed, when landing, at my own personal appearance. I was directed to General Beatson's house ; I had to pass through the horrid windmills to get there.

It was a low, rambling, two-storied building, on the side of the water ; the palings near the door, and the hooks in the walls of the outhouses, had each and every one a horse attached to it ; there were no less than THE GENERAL'S HOUSE. 9 fifteen or twenty of them standing about, with every sort of caparison and mounting ; the horses them selves also differed as much as their accoutrements, for Arab, English, Persian, and Turkish were there ; while the groups standing around inside the door, and filling the hall and offices, were of every shade of colour, as indeed they were of almost all nations. Each one wore uniform, or what was intended for it ; but no similarity existed between the dress of any two, with the one exception that all had large boots coming above the knee, and beards of appa rently the greatest length to which they could be cultivated.

In spite of this medley, it was, of course, easy to distinguish the English officers, though they were by no means all dressed alike. I liked the free-and-easy appearance of the whole thing ; it appeared to me at first sight a service in which there was much to gain, and I hoped my interview with the Chief might be successful. As I entered the door, I was saluted with " Salaam, Sahib" (Hindostanee for, My respects, sir), by a man who, I saw at a glance, must have come from the sunny shores of Ind ; this was a great relief in this Babel of tongues, as I also saw there were many of the same nation. I answered him in Hindostanee, and told him I wished to see General Beatson. Away he went, and returned presently with a person who, I found out afterwards, was the chief or head of the Interpreters in the force.

He was a fine looking man, with a very sunburnt face, and had the appearance of being what he was — a Levantine. He accosted me in very good English, and begged to know whom he had the pleasure of addressing. I gave him my name, and requested an interview with General Beatson. He went into an adjoining room and made known my request to another officer, who, looking at me and my brown leather suit rather disdainfully as he passed, went upstairs to the sanctum of the head of these wild tribes. I waited below. Whether it was my peculiar dress, or the large packet of papers I held, which caused the interest, I know not, but I was soon surrounded by irregular beings of all kinds — some spoke Hindo stanee, some Turkish, others Albanian, many Arabic, a few Affghanistan or Awanie, besides a few other languages.

All were unknown tongues to me, except the Hindostanee ; in this tongue I was asked where I had come from, who I was, what I wanted, and, in short, everything that the indi vidual curiosity of each prompted. More than half of these wild animals, together with officers, veterinary surgeons, and interpreters, were smoking, and smoking everything — the Turkish chibouque, the Indian hubble-bubble, the short clay pipe, the long German meerschaum, the mild Havannah, the Levantine cigarette, all were there ; and the fumes of every species of tobacco waved gracefully about the low hall, and ascended in spiral columns up the stairs, to convince the Chief sitting above that his faithful followers were all present, and ready to act, THE GENERAL'S HOUSE. 11 below. It seemed, in truth, as if momentary action were expected; for every man, besides being booted and spurred, wore sword, pistols, dagger, or knife, as the case might be ; and had his steed awaiting him outside, while hot messengers arriving and departing (always at full gallop), showed, at all events, that something was enacting elsewhere.

Altogether I felt a little bewildered ; it was a sort of scene I had never witnessed before, and one I did not quite or at all understand. I had been offered pipes (chibouques) by at least twenty of the dusky forms flitting about, and having taken one, I was consoling myself therewith, when another officer, dressed all in plain clothes, with the excep tion of very large boots, a very red cap all covered with gold, and a very gaudy scimitar, accosted me and begged me to walk upstairs, as the General would see me. Up I went ; the arrangement of the house above was much the same as below— a kind of central hall surrounded by rooms; and seeing one was occupied, I presented myself at the open door. It was tenanted by two people : one, a soldierlike looking man, with white beard and moustache, dressed in some sort of light and easy costume, was seated at a table covered with papers and writing materials ; the other, a stouter man, with a peculiarly quick and restless eye, reddish whiskers, and otherwise a clean-shaven face, attired in toto in plain clothes, sat opposite to him.

They were eagerly conversing as I appeared, and the owner of the white beard looked angrily up as I darkened the doorway, and (evidently forgetting the permission he had accorded for the stranger to appear) asked me what I wanted. " I suppose I am addressing General Beatson," I replied. He slightly bowed his head. " I have come, sir, from Galipoli," I continued, "with de spatches from home, which arrived by the last Marseilles steamer;" and I held out to him the packet. He grasped it with eagerness, and tear ing open the cover, having first hastily pointed to a chair, commenced reading. The despatches were long, and he read the different enclosures more than once, so that I had time to look about me. We were, I saw, in a bedroom, though whether used as such I knew not. It was evidently, how ever, the place where the General performed his toilet, — his jack-boots, with their large brass spurs, his richly braided coat, his superb sword, all were there, and gave a martial air to the room, which the iron camp-bed and other camp contrivances scattered about did not lessen.

From regarding the room I turned to the inmates, and a greater contrast between the physical and mental (for I hold the mind is oft shown in the face) appearance of two people, 'twould be difficult to conceive. The General, evidently, from his stature as he sat, a rather tall man, had all the appearance of one who had seen much of life, not in its easiest shape, under a tropical climate, while INTERVIEW WITH THE CHIEF. 13 a close observer might read in his countenance the temperament that delighted much in all the pomp and glory of war. His companion was rather short than tall, stout than thin, and had, as I said before, peculiarly quick and restless eyes, which seemed to take in much at each and every glance. He was clearly a practical man. His face was Scotch, evidently a difficult person to take in, while in any bargain or treaty one who would be very careful not to expose the weak part ; his high and massive forehead denoted intellect of no common order, which, on a more intimate acquaintance, proved to be that peculiar kind which, backed by strong com mon sense and a clear knowledge of men and things, was sure to push forward its owner in the world.

I learnt afterwards that he, Mr. S , was attached to Lord Stratford de Redcliffe, our ambassador at Constantinople ; but had held pre vious to that time consular employment in the Levant, where he had so distinguished himself that Lord Stratford had called him to the embassy, to avail himself of his talents. I do not think at that moment he held any official situation ; but believe, or rather know, that he had been sent to the Dar danelles by Lord Stratford, to see how things went on there, and generally on all civil points to assist the Chief in the organisation of the wild tribes he had taken in hand. It was impossible to know him personally, as I did soon afterwards, and not to see how peculiarly fitted he was both by temper and ability to carry General Beatson in safety through the storm of troubles and difficulties which, even at that time, darkened the horizon; but unhappily our Chief regarded his advent from the first in a wrong light, and, instead of viewing him as his civil adviser and friend, saw only the agent of our ambassador, Lord Stratford, who, even at that early time, he had persuaded himself without cause, was his enem y In reading the despatches the General had over looked Captain J 's note; so, when he had finished, he turned and asked me how I had got them.

I referred him to the letter ; he read it, and then said, " Well, I am extremely obliged to you, Mr. Money, for your kindness in bringing these papers, which, if delayed, would have inconvenienced me much. I see by Captain J 's note that you have been in India. How long were you there — in what Presidency, and in what regiment ?" "Ten years," I replied, "in the Bengal Presi dency, and Twenty- Fifth Regiment." "Were you with your regiment the whole time?" " No, sir. The last six years I held staff ap pointments in the department of Public Works, though I returned to my regiment for a short time during the Punjab campaign of 1848-9." " Ah, you want service with me ?" " I do, sir; and if you have anything to offer me, I shall be thankful for it." "Yes, I think I can find something — these pen- INTERROGATORIES. 15 and-ink people at home" — striking the papers he had just received — " send me no end of officers, but they are all paper men — not one in bodily shape have I seen yet — the force might go to the devil if I did not look out for myself.

You can ride?" " I can." "Well?" " If any one with the Duke of Beaufort's hunt questioned it, the sound invariably came from behind." "You speak confidently." " In seeking service in a cavalry force, I cannot afford to leave you in doubt on such a point." "Very well. What rank did you hold in India, or rather do you hold, for I suppose you still belong to the service?" "No, I left it eighteen months ago. I was very unfortunate in my promotion; and though of between thirteen and fourteen years' standing, was but a lieutenant when I left it." " Indeed. Well, I will recommend you for a captaincy in this force; and, let me see, will post you at once to the — the — the" (looking over a list on his table) " — th regiment. Eh, what do you say, S — — ? I think the — th regiment will do?" ' " Certainly, General, you know best."

"Yes, Captain Money" (with an emphasis on the rank), " you stand posted to the — th regiment as adjutant." He paused, and I felt very grateful to him ; I tried to look so, as I said, — "I thank you sincerely, General Beatson, for your kindness, which I shall endeavour to merit by my future conduct, whether " "Very good, very good," he replied, anxious to cut short my thanks. " Of course, you need not go away again ?" " I have nothing here, sir, but what I stand in." " Well, never mind, that will do; your clothes " (and he smiled as he looked at them) "will stand wear, and a soldier wants little but what he has on ; besides, I want officers and can't spare you. You can write to Constantinople for a sword and horse, you want nothing more ; your uniform, we are not particular about that here, you can get by degrees.

I'll give my quarter-master-general orders to have a tent pitched for you in the — th regiment, and the sooner you go up there the better. We've nothing more to say now. Good morning, Captain Money; tell Major W , who is below, to come up here, please." " Sharp work," said I to myself, when I had shut the door behind me. " I did not bargain for this ; I've no bed, no clothes, not even Sir Charles Napier's regulated baggage-allowance for officers, of shirt, tooth-brush, and soap; and these con founded leather clothes" (for I began to be out of temper with them) " are cruelly hot, — it will be awful in a small tent; — but n'importe, it won't do at start- BAD TASTE. 17 ing to show a lack of zeal, and, as we are told ' man wants but little here below,' I'll try to believe the theory, and act on it."

I walked into the orderly-room below, found Major W , sent him up, sat down on a large box, for no one noticed me, and waited. There were two or three officers in the room, and they talked aloud ; the subject of their conversation seemed to be the dreadful amount of work they severally had. " I can't stand this sort of thing much longer," said one with a peculiarly juvenile beard, "it's killing me ; hang it, if there was active service, one wouldn't mind, but as it is, I've too much to do. Why, look at the orders to-day" (taking up a manuscript book), "it's too bad. At this moment I'm commandant of one regiment and a detachment of another, besides aide-de-camp to the Chief; and, as if that were not enough, last night they talked of my trying to be paymaster, just for a few days ; no, no, it won't do ; the pay accounts would be in a nice mess if I took them."

"Ah well, it won't last long," said another; " there are whole hosts of officers coming out from England; I saw a list of them. I often think how lucky I was to be one of the first who took service in the force." " Yes, yes," responded the first, rubbing his hands, "there's no doubt we've got the best of the places." Major W came downstairs, and stopped further parley. "Captain Money," he said, "the General has ordered me to have a tent pitched for you in the lines of the — th regiment. I've given the orders ; you will find it ready whenever you go up." This was the first intimation the others had, that I was now a member of the illustrious force of Bashi-Bazouks ; they stared at me accordingly, not very civilly in more than one case, while here and there I detected a curl of the upper lip, that denoted something very like contempt.

"Leather clothes again," I thought; "never mind. I should like to wager my best charger (and he shall be an expensive one), that I go into the first Russian square we charge, before that puppy near the door, who looks as if his upper lip and nose had joined partnership to express their disapproval of your humble servant." In truth, however, there was a want of cordiality in their manners that struck me painfully. It appeared as if these fine gentlemen, being some of the first comers, and having secured very good posts in the force, looked with a kind of disdain on all smaller fry. This was not the only time I observed this feeling. I saw it often afterwards ; it took months to wear it away. Another cause was also at work, which helped to produce the result. In all organised military bodies, of what kind MANNERS OF THE OFFICERS. 19 soever they may be, every man in it has his position, his acknowledged and known position, and no assumption on his part can elevate him beyond that place, while the absence of arrogance will not depress him either in the scale of rank or in the opinion of others.

This was not the case here. It was an entirely new force, constituted without any established rules for its guid ance, and every man admitted thereto thought that, as seniority and rank therein were neither conferred for age, time of service in other armies, nor any known qualities, it was highly probable that if he took a high tone himself, others would measure him accordingly; besides which, at this early stage, the tenure of rank and position was so uncertain and undefined, that no one knew who was his senior, and, consequently, many assumed powers and positions which they were afterwards loth to relinquish. Anyhow, the manners of the officers, taken en masse (for there were many exceptions), were in great contrast to what I have always met with and seen in the Queen's and Company's services.

There the new-comer is kindly welcomed ; every one is anxious to serve him, and do anything which shall help him to get over the little dis agreements and difficulties which beset the tyro in the profession of arms. Here the reverse was decidedly the rule. I shall not perhaps find a fitter place than this to explain how and by what rules rank and position were conferred in this corps — it certainly was the most anomalous thing that could be conceived — there was only one rule extant. It was, that every officer should be given one grade of rank higher than he held in the Queen or Company's service — thus a Lieutenant (as in my case) became a Captain — Captain, Major, and so on. This was all very well, but no rule existed as to men who had never been in any service, or else had served in foreign armies.

The consequence was that A, who had never seen a shot fired, nay, who had never touched a sword, but had passed his life as a clerk with the blunt end of a writing-desk screwed into the pit of his stomach for seven or eight hours a day, stood in a much better position when he applied for a commission in the force, than an officer of ten or fifteen years' standing — the former might be made anything the Chief thought best ; to the latter could only be given one step in rank. There were, at this very time, in the force officers the commencement of whose experience in English military life dated from the day they joined, which in no case exceeded three months before I came. Some held very high positions, while under them stood officers of five, ten, fifteen, ay, and eighteen years' standing, — who had seen service in more than one quarter of the globe, and who could ill brook to see and be commanded by such com- RANK IN THE BASHIS. 21 mandants ; for nice fellows as they might be, — ay, and were in some cases, — they were not exactly the style of men to place in such posts.