Journey from Moscow to Constantinople, in the years 1817, 18

Preface

1 HE rapidity with which the following journey was performed will sufficiently account for the very imperfect observations contained in its recital ; though I am afraid it will be more obviously urged as a reason why the narrative should have been withheld altogether from the Public. But, the establishment of the imperial court in the antient capital of Moscow, the details of the restoration of that city, and the route thence to Constantinople, are circumstances that have, at least, the recommendation of novelty ; and any information concerning the critical and unsettled political relations of the contiguous empires of Russia and Turkey, with which the recent flight of the Hospodar of Wallachia will probably be found to be connected, may have its value, especially when viewed with reference to the actual state of tranquillity of the rest of Europe. These considerations may not, however, prove sufficient to give much interest

a2

IV PREFACE.

to so hasty a narrative ; though, for my own part, I shall always reflect with great satisfaction on the adventures of a journey during which I enjoyed the pleasure of the society of my friend Mr. Legh, one of the most enterprising travellers of the present age ; and who has the merit of having been the first, since the days of Norden, to pass the formidable barrier of the cataracts of Syene, and to demonstrate the practicability of penetrating into Nubia, a country where so many curious discoveries still continue to be made.

VALUE OF RUSSIAN AND TURKISH MONEY.

A Rouble contains 100 copecks. According to the rate of exchange upon London, at Petersburgh, during the winter of 1817, 20 roubles were given for a pound sterling.

One rouble in silver at that time equalled in value four roubles of the depreciated paper. The quantity of silver contained in the silver rouble, and consequently its value, have undergone very little variation during the last century *.

* From a passage in a speech made by Lord Carlisle to the Czar Alexey Michailovitz (1664), it would seem, however, unless there be an error in his calculation, that a very great and almost incredible difference existed between the quantity of silver in a rouble of that period, and in one of the date of Peter the Great, though the interval of time amounts scarcely to forty years. The object of the mission of Lord Carlisle to the court of Moscow was to procure the restitution of the commercial privileges formerly enjoyed by the English merchants at Archangel, but of which they had been deprived by the Czar, on the pretext of their having been involved in the rebellion against Charles I. The Czar, previously determined not to grant the request, used every argument to evade the question, and amongst other difficulties which were thrown in the way, made a demand of an extravagant loan from Charles II., of which the ambassador speaks in the following terms :

" I hope so impossible a summe to the greatest prince of Christendome to advance on the sudden, being I may name it to your Tzarskoy Majesty, ten thousand poods of silver, to the value of above thirty hundred thousand rubles, was not demanded on purpose to have a pretext to deny the privileges, and by proposing an impossibility to refuse what is rational." — A Relation of Three Embassies, p. 270.

But a poud — 40 lbs. Russian (36 lbs. avoirdupois) each containing 32 loths = 1280 loths x 3 = 3S40 solotnicks. Now a rouble = 6i or 6.125 solotnicks ; therefore a poud = 3 6 B " = 627 roubles, consequently 10,000 pouds = 6,270,000 roubles, instead of only 3,000,000, the number mentioned by Lord Carlisle. It is probable, therefore, that there is a great blunder in the calculation of the ambassador, which has consequently taken from his argument more than one half of its force.

VI VALUE OF RUSSIAN AND TURKISH MONEY.

s. d.

The silver rouble of Peter the Great = 3 3

Empress Anne = 3 6\,

Elizabeth = 3 5\

Catherine = 3 ]|

Emperor Alexander = 3 1

A Turkish piastre contains 40 paras. According to the rate of exchange upon London, at Constantinople, in 1818,28 or 29 piastres were given for a pound sterling.

Contents

MOSCOW — ITS PRESENT STATE THE KREMLIN EXERCIR-HAUS

MONUMENTS OF MININ AND POJARSKY FORMER CONFLAGRA- TIONS OF MOSCOW MILITARY HOSPITALS — QUIT MOSCOW

TOULA-OREL THE DNIEPER KIEW THE UKRAINE OUMAN

Chapter II. Contents

RUSSIAN FRONTIER JASSY, THE CAPITAL OF MOLDAVIA

BOYARS GREEK FUNERAL THE HOSPODAR HIS LITERARY

PRESENT TO THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD COURT OF JASSY

MOLDAVIAN POST QUIT JASSY TOWN OF FOKSCHANI ON THE

WALLACHIAN FRONTIER BUCHOREST — THE WAIVODE OFWAL-

LACH1A OPPRESSED CONDITION OF THE PEASANTRY CLUB

OF BUCHOREST HABITATIONS OF THE WALLACHIANS THE

DANUBE CONFINES OF TURKEY.

CHAPTER II.

1 HE last eagle is planted on the left bank of the Pruth,

on the memorable spot where Peter the Great was saved

from imminent danger by the bold and decisive character

of the Livonian peasant, Catherine, whom he had just

raised to the dignity of Empress of Russia. Elated by

the success of the famous battle of Pultawa, the Czar had

penetrated into the interior of Moldavia, when his army

extenuated by famine and disease, was suddenly surrounded

by the troops of the Grand Vizier, and threatened with

complete extermination. At this critical juncture the

courage and presence of mind of the empress, brought

about a negotiation, that secured the personal safety of the

Czar and the unmolested retreat of his army. But the terms

of the peace were extremely harsh and degrading, being no

less than an engagement to demolish the lately-erected

fortresses on the Palus Maeotis, and to renew the disgraceful

yearly tribute of 40,000 sequins to the Tartars, from which

Peter had recently exonerated his subjects. The scene of

this humiliating treaty is now the temporary limit of

the acquisitions of the gigantic empire of Russia, and here

l2 we were to produce our passports, and quit the territory of Alexander.

We found the Russian colonel, who had the command of this station, engaged with his officers, and a party of ladies in the festivities of Christmas, of which, after the formalities of introduction, and inspection of our passports, we were politely invited to partake. Dinner was over, coffee and rum were therefore produced, and we were strongly urged to join in the dance ; but excusing ourselves under the pretext of important business, and the necessity of crossing the river, and reaching Jassy before dark, we were allowed to depart. This permission, however, was not to be obtained without our being obliged previously to endure the honours of a Russian embrace, rendered, by our host's state of hilarity, much more cordial than agreeable. The Pruth, which is here about thirty yards broad, was frozen over; the demands of our postillions were to be satisfied before they would proceed ; our carriages were then driven across, the horses in a moment taken from them, and hastily conducted back by our guides, who were eager to escape the contamination of the plague. We were received by the officers of the Prince of Moldavia, on a small sandy plain near a village ; six piastres were demanded of us for the passage of the river, for though the ferry-boat by which it is crossed in the summer, was now of no use, the fee was still exacted ;

and we gave besides, a douceur of three piastres to the custom-house officers of the Hospodar. The village was crowded with Greeks and JeAvs, who were carousing in the coffee-houses, and Moldavian peasantry, who were most of them sitting, and gambling on the ground. The streets were encumbered with casks of wine, carts, oxen, and horses.

Looking back to the Russian side of the Pruth, we saw the wooden huts constructed for the purposes of quarantine, now fixed at eighteen days' duration, and on the surface of the ice, various groups of figures stationed near the middle of the river ; these were the persons from the Lazaretto, who were permitted to converse with their friends from the Moldavian side, at the distance of a small interval, which Russian sentinels were appointed to see rigidly observed. On the Turkish frontier there was no appearance whatever of any military authority ; but we were shewn to the house of the secretary for passports, in whose polite and easy manners, it was easy to recognise the souple and intriguing Greek of Constantinople. He regaled us with coffee, pipes, and wine ; in return for which it was not difficult to induce him to accept four piastres as a remuneration. The drive from the banks of the Pruth to Jassy is called three hours ; it is over a very hilly country, covered with wood, amongst which, here and there were observable the country houses of the Moldavian boyars. The evening was rendered extremely fine by a brilliant sun-set, and we entered the capital just as it became dark, passing through a long street, formed by large brick houses, built at the north entrance of the town. As there is no inn at Jassy, we drove to the house of the English vice-consul ; and in his absence, were very civilly received by his dragoman, a young Greek from the island of Corfou. In the desultory conversation that passed during supper, we collected some genera] notions of the state and political condition of the country into which we had now entered.

During the period of six years that the Russians occupied this portion of the Ottoman empire, the head-quarters of the army were at Buchorest; a senator, or civil governor, being stationed at Jassy. At the peace of 1812, they retreated beyond the Pruth, retaining possession of the most fertile half of Moldavia, lying to the east of the river. But if their troops no longer occupy the territory, the Russians are still said to exercise considerable influence over the internal policy of both the tributary states of Moldavia and Wallachia. In favour of the Christian subjects of the Porte, they stipulated at the peace, that, whereas formerly their princes were frequently removed, (giving rise to great and vexatious impositions on each new appointment), every Hospodar should, in future, be continued in his authority for the space of seven years. On the occasion also of any very grievous contributions levied by the prince upon the people, the inhabitants look to the Russian consul for redress, and, through the means of the ambassador of that nation at Constantinople, for remonstrance with the ministers of the Grand Seignior.

Feelings of justice, and the sympathy arising from a similarity of religion, are pleaded as the motives of an interference, that admits, perhaps, of a more ready and obvious solution, from considerations of a less disinterested nature.

The boyars, or nobles, of Moldavia, were represented as living generally in very affluent circumstances, some of them even as possessed of an annual income of 30,000 ducats. They pass most of their time in the city, and spend the greatest part of their money in gambling. The country is now free from the plague, which committed dreadful havoc among its inhabitants, immediately after the termination of the late war, in 1812. Perhaps, this recent instance has made so great an impression on their minds, that the Moldavians have drawn a general conclusion from an insulated fact; but they all persist in declaring that Turkey in Europe is destined to suffer continually from one of the two most destructive scourges with which humanity is afflicted, war or pestilence. When the one ceases, the other makes its appearance; but they have been rarely, if ever, known to exist together, at one and the same time.

We were awakened in the morning by the loud and continued ringing of bells, accompanied by a peculiar deafening clatter, that, on inquiry, proved to be occasioned by the rapid striking of two sticks upon a board, loosely suspended in the belfry of the neighbouring church. The followers of the Greek religion, in this part of the Turkish empire, avail themselves to the utmost of the toleration they enjoy ; and perform their religious ceremonies with a clamour, which, however exhilarating it may be to themselves, makes the less zealous stranger regret the absence of restrictions imposed elsewhere by their Turkish masters*.

As in Russia, so also at Jassy, the Greek churches have uniformly the cross erected over the crescent on the top of the domes, which form the ordinary terminations of their towers. This circumstance led me to call in question the accuracy of the usually received account, regarding the origin of this peculiar ornament, which is as follows : —

* At Constantinople the Greeks are not allowed the privilege of bells, which must be a considerable privation, to judge from the importance attached to the use and weight of them in Russia, where all the ceremonies of the Greek faith, the established religion of the country, are performed with the greatest pomp and magnificence. It would appear, that the taste for bells of enormous dimensions continues still to prevail there, as I have heard, that, during the last summer, several months after we quitted Moscow, one has been cast, weighing 4,100 pouds, equal to about 66 tons, surpassing, therefore, all other bells in the world, with the exception of that which lies in the Kremlin, buried in the earth, at the foot of the tower of the ' Great John.'

When the Tartars conquered Russia, they profaned the temples of the Christians, by fixing the crescent upon their summits, which the great Czar Ivan Vasilovitch, who afterwards vanquished the invaders, and drove them out of the country, did not take down ; but contented himself with elevating the cross above the symbol of Mahomet, in token of victory. But if such a story were correct, the Christian subjects of the Porte would scarcely venture to brave their Mahometan tyrants, by the display of so insulting a trophy.

Among the numerous Greek churches at Jassy, our attention was particularly attracted by the very antient one dedicated to their three saints, George, Basil, and John. The whole of its exterior is covered with stucco, moulded into the most curious and intricate forms, not unlike the irregular patterns sometimes seen on paper or carpets. Tradition reports, that all this highly-ornamented surface was formerly coated Avith gold, of which it was despoiled at the time of an inroad of the Tartars, by the conquerors making a fire round the church, and melting its superb gilding.

The capital of Moldavia is situated on the declivity of a hill ; to the west and north-west is a marshy flat, through which runs a small river, that in spring overflows, and inundates the whole plain. To the south of the town the mountains are high; the plain above

M mentioned is bounded on the west by a small hill, on Avhose sides are vineyards ; on the summit stands a monastery *. The city itself consists of a mixture of low miserable huts, covered with shingles, and of spacious houses, built of brick, and whitened with plaster. These latter were most of them erected during the occupation of the country by the Russians. The streets are laid with flat planks of wood, constantly decaying, and seldom repaired. On walking out, the first, and most striking object that meets the eye of a stranger, is the enormous balloon-shaped Moldavian cap, or calpak, of an appearance so unwieldy, as to seem ready to annihilate the person who has the courage to move under such an oppressive burden. They are, however, not quite so formidable, being in reality very light, made of pasteboard, and covered with grey fur, which, I believe, is generally lambskin from the Crimea.

The boyars, dressed in loosely-flowing robes, some with beards, and others wearing only mustachios, are seen in the streets, walking, or riding a la Turc, with Tartar saddles and stirrups ; or, perhaps, more frequently indolently lolling, and looking very forlorn, in shabby caleches built at Vienna. These vehicles are driven by coachmen, dressed in the uniform of hussars; behind them are mounted

* In the neighbourhood are quarries of yellow sand-stone, and white shelly limestone.

footmen, accoutred after the oriental manner, with turbans on their heads, pistols, and ataghans in the sash round their waists, and usually carrying in their hands the long amber-mouthed Turkish pipes of their masters. The combination of Oriental and European manners and costume is irresistibly ludicrous. The boyar looks like a grave Mahometan ; but speak to him, and instead of the pompous and magnificent sounds of the Turkish idiom, he will address you in tolerable French, and talk of novels, faro, and whist. In the afternoon, between four and five o'clock, is the grand promenade, when a long string of caleches is to be seen moving in solemn procession along the jolting streets of Jassy. The carriages are drawn by two horses, generally covered with large shaggy blue housings, and harnessed so wide a part, as nearly to occupy the whole breadth of the street. Mingled with the solemn figures above described, are occasionally to be seen the wives and daughters of the boyars in close chariots, enjoying this their only public amusement. When the promenade is over, the Moldavian noble retires to whist or faro, where he will lose at a sitting 500 ducats. So much addicted are they to gambling, and so lax are their notions of public morals, that the officer who has the title of Aga, and the duties of minister of police, in the city of Jassy, is frequently to be seen holding the bank at Faro. The place swarms in consequence with adventurers, one of the most celebrated

m 2 of whom was pointed out to us, in the person of a Polish Knight of Industry, whose Avhole fortune, on his arrival, consisted of a ring of small value. Upon this he had raised an inconsiderable sum, and, by a constant series of good luck, had amassed a large property, and was now to be seen every day in one of the most splendid equipages. But if the boyars have adopted the vices of civilized Europe, they have made little or no progress in the improvements of polished society. They are extremely illiterate, their only attainment appearing to be a little facility in speaking French, which gives employment to a few refugees of that nation, who are established here, and .live by giving lessons in that language. "We met also with some Germans, amongst others with two Hanoverian doctors, and two or three Greeks from the island of Candia ; the occupation of the latter was that of teaching modern Greek, the language spoken at the court of the Hospodar. One of these Candiotes had a press at Jassy, employed entirely in printing Greek prayer-books ; but it appeared that his trade was not very thriving, as he spoke to us of the strong desire he had to revisit his native island. In Candia, he said, if he could be so fortunate as to return there, in the suite of some rich English traveller, he was certain he could point out some curious remains of antiquity, and purchase, at an easy rate, many valuable manuscripts. It was curious to find assembled in this small city, people from such various parts of the world ; but the most interesting object remains

still to be described in the person and court of the

Hospodar of Moldavia. As travellers in Greece, we had

been accustomed to see the descendants of the illustrious

heroes of antiquity, basely submitting to the grossest

insults from the meanest Turks, without daring to lift the

degraded hand of a rajah against the Mahometan despot ;

the spectacle, therefore, of a Greek, exercising the rights

of sovereignty, could not but greatly excite our curiosity.

Our presentation at the court of the Hospodar was delayed

for a short time by the death of his grand-daughter, an

event that took place the day after our arrival. She was

the child of a favourite daughter, and his Highness was

reported to be greatly afflicted at her loss ; though the

melancholy event did not plunge the court into grief, or

mourning of any very long duration, as it was intimated to

us, that in two days we should have our audience. Death is

speedily followed by the rites of burial in this country, and

on the following morning the streets of Jassy were crowded,

to witness the splendour of the funeral procession. A great

number of Greek priests, holding lighted tapers in their

hands, preceded the body, exposed in an open coffin, lined

with green silk, and lying with its face uncovered ; behind,

followed the Albanian guards of the prince, dressed in

their most gaudy attire ; in the rear were a few wretched

caleches, some empty, and others carrying the maids of honour, I presume, of the princess. The crowd was great,

and we made an ineffectual effort to enter the church

along with the procession*.

In the evening of the same day, we went to see the

mustering of the guard, in the court of the house of the Het-

man, or commander-in-chief, for such was his high-sounding

title. Imagine, the mean yard of a second-rate inn, in the

centre of which were to be seen, by the glare of a fire

burning on the ground, half a dozen turbaned figures, one

with an ataghan, another with a pistol, and possessing in

all three muskets among them. They stood with folded

arms, and a most assassin-like air ; nearer the gate, at

various intervals, and forming two rows, were visible

twenty half-clothed wretches, without sandals, stockings,

* I was present, for the first time, at a Greek funeral, in the spring of the year 1812, at Livadia (antiently Lebadea, in Bceotia), where we were detained for several days by the arrival of a Pasha going from Constantinople to his government in the island of Egripo ; and I copy from my journal, the following observations made on that occasion : —

" April 2. Loud shrieks and lamentations, which continued for five minutes, " were heard in a house adjoining the one we occupied; and, on inquiry, 1 found " that some one had just expired ; three hours afterwards I attended the funeral ; " the body was placed on a bier in the middle of the church, with lighted tapers " arranged around it ; every oue present held also a taper, and when the mass " was concluded, most of the persons in the church advanced and kissed the " face of the corpse. The grave was only two feet deep, into which, when " the body was deposited, one of the assistant priests threw a little earth, and " afterwards the ashes of the censer ; the corpse was wrapped in linen cloth, " and the head was supported by a pillow filled with earth. After the ceremony, " bread, wine, and olives, were distributed among the persons present."

and some even without other more essential parts of dress. Along this line moved slowly the band of his Excellency the Hetman, consisting of a drum and fife ; and when it had reached the extremity and returned to the fire, the ceremony was concluded, and the guards filed off to their respective posts. They were to watch all night, near the gates and on the outskirts of the town, to prevent, or, what they appeared much more fit for, to commit murders and robberies.

Monday, Jan. 12, was the day fixed for our visit to the Hospodar; and we were to be gratified, at the same time, by the sight of the most regal of all the ceremonies of the court of Jassy. The nomination of the high officers of the government was to take place in the audience-room of the palace.

Accompanied by the dragoman of the vice consul, who was the only person here in the character of a British agent, we drove in an open caleche, about nine o'clock in the morning, to the palace. It is a considerable brick edifice, and notwithstanding its air of dilapidation from the stucco having fallen off in various places, wears upon the whole rather an imposing appearance ; it looks, in short, like a public residence, and the arms * of the province are fixed over the chief entrance.

* They consist of the head of an ox, over which are a star and a crown, and on each side, the representations of the sun and moon ; of these devices (lie

The carriages of those who had arrived before us, together Avith several horses richly caparisoned, and destined to carry off the official characters who were about to be nominated, were waiting in the court. On alighting we were received by a person bearing a staff, and dressed after a grotesque fashion, who proved, by his antics and grimaces, to be the court jester or buffoon. He took charge of our pelisses, and danced before us into the grand audience-room. Moldavian boyars with huge calpaks, the Russian and Austrian consuls in their respective uniforms, Albanian and Servian soldiers, the chibouque gee, coffee gee, and other domestic officers of the Hospodar, were lounging about a spacious hall, which the delay of the prince's arrival gave us leisure minutely to examine. Near the throne, which was an elevated chair placed against one of the walls, were suspended a bow and quiver, and along the sides of the apartment were figured the arms of the twenty-two different districts into which Moldavia is divided ; they were painted in fresco in so many circular compartments, and exhibited the characteristic products of the several provinces. In one, for instance, was a representation of the vine; in another, of different species of fish; in a third, of various sorts of game. The number was complete ;

most prominent is the bull's bead; and as the Moldavians are proverbially stupid, their neighbours apply to them a term of reproach, derived from it, calling a native of that province, " Cap di bov."

the whole of Moldavia was depicted upon the wall, though the Russians are in possession of the most fertile half of the country.

At length a buzz, in the passages leading to the audience chamber, announced the approach of the Prince. He came, supported by the Grand Postelnik, and another of his chief officers. He was about forty years of age, wore a beard, and seemed still to labour under the effects of his recent loss ; he appeared otherwise in bad health, and had an expression of great anxiety in his countenance ; when seated on his throne he made a speech in Greek, announcing the business upon which he was about to proceed, and dwelling on the responsibility of the high official situations to which he was going to elect, (of course), the most worthy of the Moldavian boyars, who surrounded him. A Greek from Constantinople, with the title of Grand Postelnik, who is his prime minister, stood on the left of the throne. On a sudden, a boyar advanced from the crowd, and being clothed in a caftan (a yellowish-brown robe), ascended the steps of the throne, and received from theHospodar, the staff appropriated to the office to which he was nominated. He kissed the hand and the garment of the Prince ; and, having retreated a few paces, bowed, and commenced a long speech in modern Greek, praising the wise administration of his Highness, and promising an equitable exercise of the authority now

N delegated to him. When he had concluded, the Grand Postelnik led the way through the crowd, to the outer gate of the palace, where a crier announced to the populace assembled in the court, the style and title of the newly-created magistrate. In this way we saw seven boyars advanced to the following offices ; they are the chief appointments under the Prince, all greatly coveted by the Moldavian nobility; all of them purchased; and, I dare say, have all the same general character of impartial and efficient administration*.

Chief Judges of Moldavia, who have the privilege of wearing the

Beard -j~.

Grand Logotheti de Tzara de Dzosse, that is, of the lower, or southern, division of Moldavia.

Grand Logotheti de Tzara de Sousse, of the upper, or northern, division.

2 Vorniks de Tzara de Dzosse.

2 Vorniks de Tzara de Sousse.

* We were told, the Grand Postelnik had probably received that morning for the different places ostensibly given away, the sum of 100,000 piastres.

t On the other side of the Pruth, distant only a few hours, the beard is the characteristic appeudage of the serf and ignoble Russian ; but here, matters are changed, and none have the right to exhibit a beard, but those who, in addition to their claims of nobility, actually exercise, or have exercised, the great dignities of the state.

Vornik d'Opstia, or Judge of Civil Affairs, and Grand Almoner.

The foregoing, together with the Grand Postelnik, have the privilege of possessing eighty peasants, or Scotelniks, free from tribute.

The minor officers of the government have the followinguncouth appellations, the privilege of possessing forty Scotelniks, and the right of beard.

Vornik des Approds — a sort of sheriff.

Aga — -master of police for the city of Jassy.

Spathar — bearer of the arms of the Prince, and general minister of police.

Hetman — commander-in-chief.

The Hospodar himself has the rank of a Pasha of three tails, must have filled the important office of Dragoman of the Porte at Constantinople ; and, in addition to his mothertongue, be able to speak Turkish, French, and Italian. The grandfather of the reigning Prince, whose name is 2/capXarog AX^avSps KaXAtjua^rjc, was a Moldavian peasant, who, by his talent for acquiring languages, raised himself to the post of Dragoman of the Porte, and afterwards to the enviable rank of Hospodar. In these appointments he has been succeeded by his son and grandson, possessed alike of the same talents for intrigue and fluency of speech.