Under the Red Crescent: adventures of an English surgeon with the Turkish army at Plevna and Erzeroum, 1877-1878. Related by C. S. Ryan ... in association with his friend J. Sandes, etc

Front matter

UNDER THE RED CRESCENT. UNDER THE RED CRESCENT ADVENTURES OF AN ENGLISH SURGEON WITH THE TURKISH ARMY AT PLEVNA AND ERZEROUM, 1877— 1878. RELATED BY CHARLES S. RYAN, M.B., CM. Edin., IN ASSOCIATION WITH HIS FRIEND JOHN SANDES, B.A. Oxon. WITH PORTRAIT AND MAPS. LONDON : JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET. 1897. Printed by Hazell, Watson, & Viney, Ld., London and Aylesbury. DEDICATION. THIS RECORD OF THE STIRRING ADVENTURES OF MY EARLY YEARS I DEDICATE TO MY SON RUPERT. C. S. R.

Preface

. In submitting to the popular verdict this book, which aims at being a plain, straightforward account of the experiences of a young Australian in the last great battles which have been fought in Europe, I feel that a few words of explanation are necessary. In the first place, it may be asked why I have allowed twenty years to elapse before giving these reminiscences to the world. I must answer that, as a hard-working surgeon leading a very busy life, I had but little " learned leisure " at my disposal ; and I must also admit that I did not feel myself equal to the literary labour of writing a book. Indeed it might never have been written if my friend Mr. Sandes had not agreed to my suggestion that he should reproduce in a literary and publishable form the language of the armchair and the fireside, and so enable me to relate to the world at large some of the incidents which my own immediate friends, when listening

PREFACE.

. VIII over the cigars to my recollections, have been good enough to call interesting. So much for the matter of the book, and also for its manner. In the second place, military critics as well as the general public may be inclined to wonder how it was that a young army surgeon, a mere lad in fact, should have been allowed to play such an independent part in the field operations at Plevna as is disclosed in the following pages, and should have been permitted to move about the battle-field and engage in active service, with the apparent concurrence of the general staff and of the officers commanding the different regiments. In reply, I have to explain that the Ottoman army was not guided by the hard and-fast regulations which no doubt would render it impossible for a junior surgeon in any other European army to act on his own volition and carry on his work as he might think best him self.

Furthermore, I may mention that through my close friendship with Prince Czetwertinski, who was the captain of Osman Pasha's bodyguard, I was always kept in touch with the progress of the military operations ; and I am also proud to say that I enjoyed the confidence of Osman Pasha himself, and* was on terms of the closest intimacy with that gallant and true-hearted soldier Tewfik Bey, who won the rank of pasha

PREFACE.

. IX for his magnificent courage when he led the assault that drove Skobeleff from the Krishin redoubts. These facts may explain many of the adventures narrated in this book which would be inexplicable to critics accustomed to the rigid discipline under which medical officers do their work in other European armies. It is only right to say, in conclusion, that I consider myself singularly fortunate in my coadjutor, who, while he has brightened this narrative of my early adventures with all the resources of the practised writer, has nevertheless left the truth of every single incident absolutely unimpaired. At a time when the Eastern Question looms like a huge shadow over Europe, and when the very existence of the Turkish Empire is once more threatened, may I hope that this story of the military virtues of the Ottoman troops may not be found without real interest ? CHARLES S. RYAN. Melbourne, July, CONTENTS.

Chapter I. From Melbourne To Sofia

PAGE Autobiographical — My Wanderjahr — First Glimpse of Servians — Rome — A Prospective Mother-in-law — Sad Result of eating Chops — A Spanish Poet — The Chance of a Lifetime — How I seized it — Garcia's Gold Watch — The Via del Poppo — Off to London — Engaged by the Turkish Government — Vienna revisited — Stamboul — Origin of the Crescent — Misserie's Hotel— The Turkish Character — A Splendid Belvedere — View from the Seraskierat Tower — Scutari and Florence Nightingale — Stamboul by Day and Night — Scene in a Bazaar — Three Sundays a Week — A Trip to Sweet Waters — Veiled Beauties — I am gazetted to a Regiment — An Official Dinner — Off to the Front — A Compulsory Shave — My Charger— The March to Sofia — -My First Patient — Prescription for a Malingerer — Mehemet Ali — My Soldier Servant — Diagnosing my Cases — Bulgarians at Home — At Sofia — MacGahan the War Correspondent — Learning Turkish — A Dinner in Camp — Leniency to Bulgarians — A Lady Patient — So near and yet so far — From Pirot to Nish — The Wounded — My First Operation . . I

Chapter II. The Preliminaries To The Russo-turkish War

Prince Czetwertinski — A Romantic Career — His First Commission — A Retrospect — The History of a Noble Pole — From Monte Carlo to Brisbane — A Prince as a Deck Hand on a Schooner — A Bush Tutor — He returns CONTENTS. XII PAGE to Europe— The Load of Poverty— Lighter to Bear in Australia— A Big Win at Flemington— School Teaching in Batavia— Back to New South Wales— Death at Wagga— The Vale of Moravia— The Hot Spring—Bul garian Blanchisseuses — Slavonian Folk-songs— How the Turks sing— A Bulgarian Samadh— Foley's End- Infuriated Scavengers— A Mysterious Disturbance- Rough-and-tumble Fighting— A Turkish Hercules- Capturing a Prisoner— A Solitary Ride— A Bulgarian Farrier— Back to Sofia— Christmas in the Snow — A Maize Cob for a Christmas Dinner— Orkhanieh to Sofia— A Doctor frozen to Death— Bitter Experiences— Salutary Effects of a Good Dinner 32

Chapter III. The Imminence Of War

Off to Widdin — Strong Fortifications — Osman Pasha in Command — The Kalafatians at Work — Dr. Black — A Discreditable Englishman — Shooting on Sight — An Arrest and a Release — " Life off Black " — Egyptian Troops arrive — Zara Dilber Effendi — Osman Pasha's Ball — A Memorable Function — I get Plenty of Partners — Military Wall-flowers — The Ladies of Widdin — The Dance before the Fight — Three Beautiful Roumanians — An Angry Grandfather — Lambro Redivivus — Preparing for the Campaign — Some Forcible Dentistry — Religion of the Turks — The Wrestlers — Visitors from Kalafat — I pay a Return Call — Across the Danube into Kalafat — Dinner with the Roumanians — Pumping the Guileless Stranger — A Futile Effort — Frank Power — Nicholas Leader — Edmund O'Donovan — Wild Duck Shooting . . -56

Chapter IV. From Widdin To Plevna

Declaration of War with Russia — An Ominous Silence— The First Shot— An Interrupted Luncheon — Under Fire at last — Disappearance of the Inhabitants — A Move Underground — Running the Gauntlet — Blowing CONTENTS. XIII PAGE up a Gunboat — Our Hospital shelled — Killing the Wounded — Operations under Fire — A Terrible Coin cidence — How a Turkish Mother died — Some Marvellous Escapes — Circassians on a Raiding Expedition — Cattle lifting on a Grand Scale — A Long Bombardment — Insignificant Losses — Osman Pasha in the Batteries- Rewarding a Good Shot — Circassian Peccadilloes — Osman Pasha's Plans — He is baffled by Red Tape — A Fatal Delay — Good-bye to the Kyrchehir — Marching out from Widdin — A Picturesque Bivouac — False Alarms — A Forced March — How the Russian Army was placed — Fall of Nicopolis — A Race to the Balkans — Sleeping in a Tomb — Pushing on to Plevna — A Terrible Night — Lost in the Bush — Many Cases of Sunstroke — Goose for Dinner — I flesh my Maiden Sword — A Record March — We cross the Vid at last — Arrival at Plevna . . .88

Chapter V. The First Battle Of Plevna

The Town of Plevna — A Natural Stronghold — Le Petit Village — The Gypsies' Warning — Dr. Robert — An Ex patriated Bacchanalian — We attend a Banquet — The First Battle of Plevna — An Artillery Duel — Surgical Aid to the Wounded — A Gunner's Death — The Zacuska — Arranging the Hospitals — Disposition of the Turkish Line of Defence — Commencement of the Battle — Fight ing on the Janik Bair — Arrival of the Wounded — Sufferings in the Arabas — Variety in Gunshot Wounds — Some Extraordinary Recoveries — Turkish Fortitude — Objections to Alcohol — And to Amputation — Berdan v. Krenke Bullets — A Man shot through the Brain — Rapid Cure — An Erratic Rifle-ball — Remarkable Example of Vitality — A Missile in the Heart of a Living Man — My Second Hospital — A Turkish Colonel's Wound — Insufficient Beds — Mangled Wretches lying on the Floor — Two Russians wounded — They both die — The Shambles in the Mosque — Our Open-air Operating Theatre — Calling the Faithful to Prayer CONTENTS.

Chapter VI. The Interval Between The First And Second Battles

PAGE Sending away the Wounded — Osman Effendi — We perform Operations — Amputating Fingers — A Warning to Malingerers — Trial and Execution — Discipline in the Town — Round the Bazaars after the Battle — Some Pathetic Souvenirs — The Punishment of Looters — Circassian and Bulgarian — A Cold-blooded Murder — The Work of Fortification — Out with the Burial Parties — A Walk over the Battle-field — Fresh Reinforcements arrive — The Lovtcha Expedition — Rifaat Pasha's Success — My Quarters near the Hospital — I have a Flitting — Arrival of Olivier Pain — A Pretty Bulgarian Girl — Limitations of a Vocabulary — Hospital Routine — Soldier Nurses 142

Chapter VII. The Second Battle Of Plevna

(jULY 30). Talks with my Patients — A Candid Kurd — Grim Con fessions — How he killed his Enemy — Dr. Robert's Cave of Refuge — He loses his Dinner — The Spy's Death- Canards in the Town — The Second Battle of Plevna — I take a Hand — Turkish Women as Water-carriers — A Woman shot in Action — My Veiled Patient — Osman Pasha's Bay Cob— A Sign of Hot Fighting — The Attack on the Village of Grivitza — Czetwertinski and his Cigarette — Retreat of the Russian Infantry — A Cavalry Pursuit — Mustapha Bey waves his Sword — I join in the Charge — An Exultant Ride — The Retreat sounded — We retire — A sauve qui pent — Horrible Fears — The Ride through the Maize-field— Our Infantry Panic-struck — Osman Pasha's Method of rallying Men — A Timely Reinforcement— The Day is ours— Tremendous Russian Losses— Russian Physique compared with Turkish Wounded Horses on the Battle-field — Back in the Hospital— Many Operations — Osman Pasha decorated— The Muchir makes a Speech— I shift my Quarters CONTENTS.

XV PAGE again — Bulgarian Hospitality — A Youthful Friend — A Terrific Rainstorm — The Tutchenitza runs a Banker — A Ghastly Find in a Gooseberry Bush . . . .161

Chapter VIII. The Fiascos Of Pelischat And Lovtcha

A Circassian and a Pig — A Call on Olivier Pain — His Photographs surprise me — A View of Sydney Harbour in Plevna — The Story of a French Journalist — A Lonely Death in the Soudan — "The Butter-making Prince " Bulgarian Fleas — The Expedition to Poradim — Going to the Front — An Ambulance at Work — Capture of Russian Guns — A Diabolical Circassian — Attack on a Redoubt — A General Retreat — Wounded Men left in the Redoubt — I help them to escape — An Exciting Moment — My Horse has to carry Double — Death takes one of the Riders— Battle of Pelischat— The March to Lovtcha— A Scrimmage in a Wheat-field — Sleeping in a Wheat-stook — Weinberger and I are apprehensive — A Delightful Surprise — Drawing a Covert — Lovtcha in the Distance — A Council of War — An Appalling Sight — Our Mutilated Comrades — The Sergeant and his Cigarette — A Night Alarm — Ammunition Boxes blow up — A Disastrous Explosion — Lauri and Drew Gay 189

Chapter IX. The Third Battle Of Plevna

The Third Battle of Plevna — Turkish Genius for Forti fication—How the Redoubts were built — Description of an Earthwork — Sleeping Underground — Living Men in Holes in the Clay — The Triple Tier of Fire — Commence ment of the Battle — The " Mammoth Battery" — Lauri and the Live Shell — Radishevo on Fire — The General Assault — Turkish Civilians join in the Fight — Attack on the Grivitza Redoubt — The Brushwood Shelter takes Fire — I visit the Redoubt — The Sight from the Parapet — A Word to Sadik Pasha— I ride towards Krishin— Turkish Fugitives from our Redoubt — A Compliment from a CONTENTS. PAGE Civilian — Panic among the Troops— Fall of the Grivitza Redoubt and Capture of Two Krishin Redoubts by Skobeleff— The Counter-attacks — Parapets of Dead Bodies— Tewfik Bey Invincible — The Krishin Redoubts recaptured — A Glorious Victory — Delirious Excitement — Russian Sortie from the Grivitza Redoubt — Repulsed with Terrible Slaughter — Hospital Work heavy once more — Some Stoical Sufferers — Russian Bravery — Osman Pasha and the Wounded — Departure of Drew Gay to run the Gauntlet — A War Correspondent and his News — Perilous Ride from Plevna 219

Chapter X. The Investment Of Plevna

Lauri and the Sausage — A Diet of " Poiled Peans " — The Ways of a Parlementaire — Politeness on the Battle-field — Indefatigable Burrowing by the Turks — Skobeleff' s Annoyance — A Visit to a Redoubt — Russian Artillery Practice— I lose my Groom— Geese, and how to get them— I go out reconnoitring — We have a Hot Ten Minutes — Looking out for a New Horse— A Grand Charger lost— We retire on Netropol— The Use of Artillery — The Russians attack our Convoy — We lose our Medical Stores — A Humorous Russian Prisoner — Afternoon Coffee with Sadik Pasha — A Call made under Difficulties — The Uninvited Guest— Kronberg my Colleague— He saves a Supposed Spy— In my Hospital again— Fearful Scenes of Suffering— Wounds, Filth, and Disease- Heavy Mortality— Antiseptics exhausted— Appearance of Gangrene— My Anatolian Soldier— Pyæmia Rampant 248

Chapter XI. The Horrors Of The Hospital

Some of my Hospital Cases— A Death from Jaundice —Small-pox and Typhoid Fever— Hospital Gangrene- Waiting for the Burial Parties— Horrible Depression— I am slightly wounded— Turkish Florence Nightingales— CONTENTS. XVII A Ghastly Case— I am powerless for want of Stores— The Men die off like Sheep— Arrival of a Party of English Doctors— A Welcome Visit— Dr. Bond Moore and Dr. Mackellar— Dr. George Stoker Sick— Interview with Osman Pasha— His Reception of the English Doctors— Osman Pasha's Position— The English Doctors indignant —Osman Pasha justified— A Ride to the Krishin Redoubts—The English Doctors under Fire— My Reasons for leaving Plevna— A Farewell Supper— Mustapha Bey and the Whisky — The Departure of the Wounded— Good-bye to Plevna 277

Chapter XII. From Constantinople To Erzeroum

Life in Constantinople — Sir Collingwood Dickson — Visit to the Seraskierat — Roving Englishmen — A Typical Adventurer — War Correspondents — General Berdan — Colonel Valentine Baker — A Picnic on the Gulf of Ismet — On Board H. M.S. Achilles — The Turks as Paymasters — A Heavy Fee — Round the Cafes Chantants — An Invitation to Erzeroum — Road to Plevna closed — I join the Stafford House Ambulance — A Farewell Banquet — A Voyage in the Black Sea — Trebizond — In the Cradle of Humanity — The Road of Xenophon's Ten Thousand — Lazistan — Dog and Wolf — An Ancient Mining Town — The Valley of Pear Trees — Baiburt — Cross and Crescent in Former Days — A Mountain Road — Genoese Ruins — A Hasty Descent — On the Kopdagh — The Garden of Eden — First Glimpse of the Euphrates — Sir Arnold Kem ball — Erzeroum at Last — English Doctors — Mr. Zohrab — Mukhtar Pasha — Organizing our Hospitals— Sunlight and Shadow— A Presage of Trouble 303

Chapter XIII

A BELEAGUERED CITY. The Scourge of Typhus— Pyæmia and Pneumonia- Terrible Cold— Outposts frozen to death— Fall of Kars— The March of the Wounded— One Hundred and Eighty b CONTENTS. PAGE 33° 358 Miles over the Snow— Ghastly Effects of Frostbite— The Skeleton Hands— Overcrowding in the Hospitals— Dr. Fetherstonhaugh falls 111— A Strange Delusion— " After Long Years "—Edmund O'Donovan— A Circassian Din ner Party— Sucking-pig a I' Lrlandaise — A Novel Target —Departure of Mr. Zohrab— We move into the Consulate — Exodus to Erzinghan — An Awful Sacrifice — Christmas in a Besieged Town — A Remarkable Plum Pudding- Illness of Pinkerton — Funerals in Erzeroum — Casting out the Dead— "The Lean Dogs beneath the Wall " — An Army Surgeon's Death — I fall Sick with Typhus- Heroic Devotion of James Denniston — Some of my Nurses — How I recovered — A Scientific Experiment— The Brain of a Comatose Person— Vachin's Discomfiture

Chapter XIV. The Surrender Of Erzeroum

Convalescence — Membra Disjecta — Mortality among the Medical Staff — " En haut Mystere, en bas Misere " — Arrival of Dr. Stoker and Dr. Stiven — A Desperate Journey — In the Hands of the Russians — Free under the English Flag — I resume Duty — An Archæological Curio — Antiques for Sale — An Armistice declared — Appearance of the Russians — The Gates thrown Open — Entry of the Russian Army — Our Russian Confreres — The Advan tage of knowing French — A Friend in need — Captain Pizareff — An Impressive Review — Under the Russian Eagles — War or Peace ? — Interview with General Meli koff—An Unpleasant Type of Consul — Charming Russian Visitors — I receive a Decoration — Celebrating the Occasion — Our Russian Guests — A Series of Dinner Parties— Duties of a Cossack Escort — A Perilous Adven ture—The Hero of Devoi Boyun — We leave the Con sulate—Fate's Irony at the Last— Death of General Heymann CONTENTS. XIX

Chapter XV. The End Of The War

PAGE Helping Sick Russians— A Squalid Scene— Work of the Russian Doctors— Melikoff's Appreciation— Arrival of the Red Cross Staff— A Novel Candlestick— Great Explosion — The Erzeroum Fire Brigade — Preparations for our Departure— A Practical Joke on a Persian— A Pleasant Interlude— The Princess at Erzeroum — Mr. Zohrab's Library comes in Useful— Our Spanish Widow — Riding on a Pack-saddle— A Slow March— The Widow meets with Accidents — Restricted Sleeping Accommoda tion — We turn Two Corpses out of Bed— End of a Pack horse—My Cats from Van— The Valley of Pear Trees— Trebizond at last . 388

Chapter XVI. Conclusion

We fly from the Widow — Arrival at Constantinople — English Philanthropy — The Baroness Burdett-Coutts — First Acquaintance with a well known Actress — Osman Pasha back again — The Turkish Skobeleff — A much perforated Paletot — Captain Morisot' s Career — A Romantic Escape — On Board the Gamboge — We reach Smyrna — Mr. and Mrs. Zohrab — A Sympathetic English woman — Zara Dilber Effendi— Back in London — Patriotic Ditties — An Incredulous Music-hall Proprietor — Non 6 Vero — Bowling out a Story-teller . . . 414 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. CHARLES S. RYAN, M.B., CM., EDIN FrOtltisplCCe MAP OF PLEVNA AND ITS ENVIRONS .... Facing p. 1 36 „ „ TREBIZOND AND ERZEROUM . . . . „ UNDER THE RED CRESCENT.

Chapter I. From Melbourne To Sofia

Autobiographical — My Wanderjahr — First Glimpse of Servians — Rome — A Prospective Mother-in-law — Sad Result of eating Chops — A Spanish Poet — The Chance of a Lifetime — How I seized it — Garcia's Gold Watch — The Via del Poppo — Off to London — Engaged by the Turkish Government — Vienna revisited — Stamboul — Origin of the Crescent — Misserie's Hotel — The Turkish Character — A Splendid Belvedere — View from the Seraskierat Tower — Scutari and Florence Nightingale — Stamboul by Day and Night — Scene in a Bazaar — Three Sundays a Week — A Trip to Sweet Waters — Veiled Beauties — I am gazetted to a Regiment — An Official Dinner — Off to the Front — A Compulsory Shave — My Charger — The March to Sofia — My First Patient — Prescription for a Malingerer — Mehemet Ali — My Soldier Servant — Diagnosing my Cases — Bulgarians at Home — At Sofia — MacGahan the War Correspondent — Learning Turkish — A Dinner in Camp — Leniency to Bulgarians — A Lady Patient — So near and yet so far — From Pirot to Nish — The Wounded — My First Operation.

People have often asked me how it was that I, an Australian, came to take a part in the defence of the Ottoman Empire, and to serve as a military surgeon under the Red Crescent, which, as every one knows, is the Turkish equiva lent of the Red Cross of the Geneva Convention. Red Cross and Red Crescent are alike the symbols of a humanitarian spirit, in which philo sophers and students of ethics profess to see the small beginnings of a future age of universal peace ; but as for me, I have seen how Cossacks and Circassians fight, and I cannot help regard ing the future prophesied by the philosopher as an impossible dream. When one has seen a soldier of a civilized force sawing off the head of a wounded but still living enemy with the edge of his sword-bayonet, it requires an unusually optimistic nature to believe in the abolition of war and a perpetual comity of nations.

It was as the outcome of my Wander j ahr — the sweet old German custom which sends every young man roaming when he has completed the technical training of his future avocation — that I first smelt powder and saw the glint of the Russian bayonets. The Wanderjahr of the German seems to be an unconscious survival of the nomadic instinct of primitive man — a small concession, as it were, to the roving habits that took his ancestors the Huns and Visigoths to Rome. It lets a young man escape from the fixed atmosphere of " staying point," as our American friends call it in one locality, into the " largior æther," the wider life of travel. And 1876-7.] MY WANDERJAHR. 3 here I must be excused for introducing a little bit of necessary autobiography. I must record that, after spending three years at the Melbourne University, I went to Edinburgh to finish my medical course ; and having taken my degree there, I was launched at the age of one and twenty, as an expressive colloquialism puts it, " on my own hook."

Thus it was that I began a period of wandering over Europe which ultimately landed me in my ambulance at Plevna in July, 1877. I need not dwell upon those early travels, except to say that the allowance which my father made me enabled me to go far and to see much. Like Odysseus of old, I could say that " many were the men whose manners I saw and whose cities I knew." After a run round Norway and Sweden, I spent a few months in Bohemian Paris, and then went on to Bonn, where I attended the clinic of Professor Busch, and indulged in all sorts of romantic visions under the shadow of the castled crae of Drachenfels and the Sieben Gebirsre. Next I made my way down to Vienna, where the sight of some Servians in their national costume gave me my first glimpse into the romance of the proud and chivalrous peoples of the Balkan States, and fired me with a desire to see Constantinople itself.

During those months al Vienna I knew my " Schone Blaue Donau " well, and often made excursions as far as Pressburg and Buda- Pesth, looking forward to the day when I could get an opportunity to follow the great water way down to Rustchuk, and so into Turkish territory. But for the time being I got no chance, and travelled instead through Styria and Bavaria, finally turning southward, and finishing in Rome. It was about this time that I met a Spanish surgeon, Senhor Garcia C , who was con nected incidentally with the events immediately leading up to my appointment as a surgeon to the Turkish troops. He was a delightful companion, but improvident in money matters ; and I hope he will pardon me after this lapse of years for disclosing the fact that he made me his banker, inasmuch as it reduced me to such a low financial ebb that, had it not been for his gold watch, I am afraid I should never have seen the inside of the Grivitza redoubt.

I remember that he and I put up when at Rome in a very fashionable and exclusive " pension," to which I had been introduced by a French count whom I met in Paris. I was always regarded, perhaps on account of my name, as a good Roman Catholic ; and but for an unfortunate little contretemps I might have married into a princely Italian family there and then, and never had to eat dead horse on a campaign at all. It was this way. Among the other residents in the " pension " was an old Italian marchioness, 1876-7.] A PROSPECTIVE MOTHER-IN-LAW. 5 who had brought her two daughters to Rome to introduce them to his Holiness the Pope. She was kind enough to take a great interest in me ; and there is no knowing what might have happened — the elder daughter was really a charming girl — if it had not been for that unlucky incident of the mutton chops.

On the second Friday that I was there an elderly Scotch lady, who was a rigid Presbyterian, and took no trouble to conceal the aversion with which she regarded all Papists, ordered mutton chops in the middle of the day for her lunch. When I came in from a visit to the Vatican I was very hungry. The chops were brought in, and they smelt very good ; so, as the Scotch lady was late, I forgot the consideration due to age and rigid Presbyterianism, I forgot my scruples as a supposed good Catholic, I forgot that it was Friday — and I ate them. Next day the marchioness stuck me up in a corner, and asked me how I could disgrace myself by eating grilled chops on a Friday ; she led me to understand that I had deceived her, and she withdrew an invitation which she had given me to visit her and renew my acquaintance with her charming daughter.

Thus ended my first and last chance of a dukedom. After a few weeks in Rome, I began to get seriously embarrassed from a financial point of view. Garcia was a charming fellow ; but he was a poet, and, like all poets, he had expensive habits. He even challenged me to a duel once for laughing: at some of his verses ; but when I threatened to kick him, he fell on my neck and embraced me. However, my purse was not long enough to sustain the two of us, and I was sitting in a little cafe one day considering the position and glancing idly over the Times, when my eye fell on an advertisement announcing that the Turkish Government had vacancies for twenty military surgeons, and inviting applications. I read the advertisement again with delight, and at once determined to send in an application. Here was a chance of seeing life with a vengeance.

But my spirits fell at once. I had only a few liras in my pocket ; and how on earth was I to get to the Turkish Embassy in London ? C was was in his usual poetic condition of impecuniosity, and I was afraid to think how much he owed me. But I could not afford to be chivalrous, or I might lose the opportunity of a lifetime ; so I tackled him at once. He assured me with tears in his eyes that he had not even the price of a flask of Chianti in his pockets ; but I was inexorable. I pointed out to him that he had a very fine gold watch, — it was really a remarkably valuable time piece, and had come down to him as an heirloom from some haughty old Castilian grandee. I impressed upon him that a gold watch is a most unsuitable adornment to a penniless person, who i876-7.] THE VIA DEL POPPO. 7 is moreover in debt, and I indicated to him a means by which it could be converted into currency of the realm.

I think he felt it very much, poor fellow ; but it was not a time for being over-scrupulous, and the heirloom of the Hidalgo of old Castile was duly deposited with the Roman equivalent for " my uncle " in a small and stuffy establishment situated in a narrow street with the suggestive name of the Via del Poppo. In return we received twenty-five napoleons — it was certainly an extremely handsome watch. Garcia gave me enough to take me to Neuchatel, where I counted on receiving fresh supplies, and I let him keep the balance. So I left my Spaniard with a flask of wine before him in the city of the Cæsars, and I never saw him again. Peace be to his soul! He was intended by nature for an Irishman. I wanted to go through to Neuchatel ; but when I got to Turin, there was a fresh difficulty to be overcome.