Chapter XI

Sistow--A delusion--New friends--Good fortune--Greek civility-- Wallachian merchants--Supper--Amicable discussion--Gil Blas--Wallachian ambition--Chief of the Tartars--Striking a bargain--Equestrian preparations--Greek v. Greek--Shops of Rutschuk--Valley of repose-- Bulgarian peasants--Gipsies--Going astray--Cogitations--Resolutions-- Bulgarian girls--An alarm.

♦ SISTOW ♦

The labours of our crew were recommenced at daybreak (Oct. 11), and at nine o’clock we came in sight of Sistow, which was still mantled in gossamer vapours. Here and there the sunbeams pierced through the mist, and shone upon the spires of the minarets. Sistow is beautifully situated. A range of magnificent hills commences a league or two west of it, and extends a considerable way along the right bank of the Danube. The town, rising at the water’s edge, winds its way up the undulations of the eminences, which seem destined by nature for the reception of clusters of human habitations. After ascending for a while the houses are then lost, then they appear again higher up, the whole protected by a citadel, which crowns the summit. These hills are all well wooded, and extremely picturesque.

The Danube here presents a fine sheet of water; so deep, too, that four or five Russian merchant-ships were proceeding, without difficulty, towards Sistow. We met again several water-snakes swimming up against the current. At half-past three we came in sight of Rutschuk, to my infinite satisfaction, and in two hours after our boat was moored amidst a number of Russian, Turkish, and Greek merchant and fishing vessels of every size, which presented an appearance of considerable commercial activity.

My captain volunteered to accompany me to find out the agent to whose care the commander of the steam-boat had recommended me by letter. We walked for some time through the town without meeting any person who could give us information as to the agent’s residence. When first I beheld Rutschuk at a distance with its numerous mosques and minarets shining in the sun, rising on a bold promontory from the edge of the vast expanse of waters formed by the Danube, I felt confident that it was a wealthy, populous, active, cleanly, and handsome city, which I should experience great gratification in examining. Never was my imagination more deceived. A more poverty-stricken, deserted, idle, filthy, ill-contrived town does not exist, I believe, even in Turkey. All the habitations, with the exception of the greater part of the shops, are literally turned outside in. That is to say, the streets on each side present only lines of dead walls, without even a window to relieve their desolate appearance. The “fronts” of the houses are all, as an Irishman might say, “backwards,” opening to a courtyard, which is entered by a gate.

♦ A DELUSION ♦

In Spain the private residences are built in the form of a square, with an open space in the middle, but still fronting to the street. The streets of Rutschuk look like the ways through a fortress, nothing but wall on each side, except where the gates here and there interrupt the dull uniformity of the stone and mortar. I now, for the first time, understood the truth of the phrase, that the Turks were only “encamped” in Europe. This is literally the fact. Almost all the towns which I afterwards visited in Bulgaria, as well as in Romania, were constructed on the same plan, evidently with a view to self-defence, for every house was in itself a fortress.

♦ NEW FRIENDS ♦

At length we chanced to meet a Greek, whom my guide saluted in his own language. Upon the superscription of the letter being shown him, he said that he was very well acquainted with the person to whom it was addressed, but the agent’s residence was at some distance from where we stood, and he refused to conduct us to it until the morrow. This specimen of indolence was too ridiculous not to betray its real motive. Of course I immediately produced a piastre, which without any further negotiation gave motion to his feet, and he led us through one or two streets to a gate, which he opened without any ceremony. We entered a large square, on each side of which were houses belonging to different families, including a public inn, in the balcony of which several Turks and Greeks were smoking and sipping coffee. One of the latter, a short, thick, cunning-looking fellow, dressed in my own way, saluted me at once in excellent French, and offered me his best services. I gave him the letter, and sad he would oblige me very much if he could tell me where the individual lived for whom it was intended. He answered me by pointing out another Greek who, also dressed as a European, was sitting on the mat opposite to him. The letter was immediately read by the agent, who promised to show me every civility in his power. I felt quite relieved from the difficulty in which I had been placed, and adding one to the party enjoyed an excellent cup of coffee.

♦ GOOD FORTUNE ♦

The Greek who first addressed me was the only person present who spoke French. He said that he had only arrived two days ago from Constantinople, and that if I were bound for that capital he would be happy to do every thing necessary to facilitate my progress. Here, thought I, is another striking instance of the good fortune which has attended me throughout my journey. I was wholly unacquainted with the Turkish and modern Greek languages; I travelled without a companion or a servant who might compensate for my deficiency in that respect; and yet, though my ignorance might have been followed by the greatest embarrassment, in a town where I was an utter stranger in every sense of the word, I had the good luck to meet with this man, who in a moment dispelled from my mind every apprehension of delay or inconvenience.

♦ GREEK CIVILITY ♦

I had seen enough of the world to be able to perceive that my Greek was already calculating, within the interior of his own breast, how much he was likely to gain from an English traveller by this adventure. But I cheerfully accepted the offer of his services, well knowing that I must pay for them, and that perhaps I was destined to submit even to some degree of imposition. But civilities and attentions, rendered especially under such circumstances, are well worth their price. I explained to him that I was most anxious to continue my journey with the least possible delay; that it was necessary for me to engage a Tartar and the usual number of horses, and that if it were at all practicable I should wish to proceed that evening on the road to Constantinople. This, he said, was altogether out of the question, as no Tartar could supply me with horses without a firman from the pacha, who was already shut up for the night in his harem with his family, and would not be accessible until eight o’clock the next morning.

♦ WALLACHIAN MERCHANTS ♦

Meanwhile the agent had my luggage brought to the khan, and having desired my Greek to thank the Ionians for their hospitality and kindness during my late voyage, I presented them with a gold ducat, with which they seemed perfectly satisfied, observing that they much regretted I was not to accompany them any further. I felt a little depressed on bidding farewell to these kindhearted islanders, whom I looked upon as my fellow-countrymen. The agent then conducted me to his own house, my Greek having promised to be with me at seven o’clock the following morning, in order to make all the requisite preparations for my journey.

I met at the agent’s house four or five Wallachian merchants from Bucharest, who, under a cunning aspect, that seemed to inquire, “Can we gain a ducat or two out of this Englishman?” appeared, nevertheless, very agreeable men, and disposed to pay me every kind of attention. They all spoke a little French; seemed respectable in their way; and guests in the house, which I assumed to be a private sort of hotel for Franks. The room in which we sat was a large one, containing a divan, extending along two of its sides, which was spread with cushions, covered by white cotton cloth. Two rickety tables were brought in, upon which, after a little delay, supper was served for the Wallachians and myself, our host, and three or four brothers, or other relatives, who lived with him.

♦ SUPPER ♦

Our first course was stewed mutton and cabbage, which, after three days’ Lenten fare, I found very acceptable. Next came some fried fish, which was not bad either; then a piece of roast-beef, so tough that it defied even Wallachian powers of mastication; and finally, a dish of boiled rice, mixed up with some curdled milk, which was not at all to my taste. These viands were exhibited in pewter dishes, and we had each a pewter plate, a pewter spoon, and a steel knife and fork, which I considered as a decided improvement upon my late mode of living. We had for dessert some large flavourless grapes. The wine was, to me, undrinkable; but a bottle of white rum was produced, which, mixed with water, compensated for the want of a better beverage.

♦ AMICABLE DISCUSSION ♦

While we were taking our coffee, my intended movements were discussed. My new friends had, as they said, lately arrived from Constantinople; and they assured me that I should find my ride over the Balkans a much more serious affair than I appeared to imagine. They had no doubt that by this time the mountains were covered with snow and ice, and as in addition to these refrigerators, I should most probably encounter piercing winds, that would freeze the blood in my veins, they agreed, in the first place, in condemning my cloak as wholly inadequate for my protection against the inclemency of the weather. They further unanimously recommended that I should purchase a cloth pelisse, lined throughout with fur, a fur cap, boots lined with fur, and a fur waistcoat. If, in addition to these articles, I provided myself with a _muff_, a mattress, a warm rug, a strong blanket, and a store of rum, I might, perhaps hope to effect the passage in safety, provided I wore arms. When I confessed that I had neither sword, stiletto, nor pistol, they all held up their hands in astonishment, and exclaimed, that I should by no means omit to purchase a carbine, and a pair of pistols at the least, before I set out, otherwise I should have no chance of escaping the savage banditti who infested the forests of Mount Hæmus!

♦ GIL BLAS ♦

The favourite book of my youth was Gil Blas; and I could not but feel a secret delight in recalling the philosophy of that unrivalled production to my assistance on the present occasion. I was, in fact, much amused by the combination in which they were all engaged, in order to practice on my simplicity; but I listened with great attention to every thing they had to say; though I could hardly refrain from laughter, when, as I fully expected would be the case, one produced a threadbare Russian pelisse, which he had _never_ worn; another a pair of old jack-boots, lined with fur; another offered to dispose of the fur cap, which he had at the moment on his head; another brought forth an assortment of sabres and firearms, pressing me on the spot to offer a round sum, about fifty ducats, for the whole! I observed that I must take time to consider their very obliging propositions; being inclined, at all events, to negotiate for a pelisse, as I had reason to suppose that so much of the autumn could not have passed over without leaving its usual snows on the Balkans.

After supper, the tottering tables were removed, and the night being brilliantly fine, mine host and his friends and guests amused themselves in walking up and down the courtyard; some talking, some singing Greek songs, one playing on a flute, and another strumming a guitar. It being Saturday evening, they all appeared in a festive mood. I sat in the balcony, gazing upon the scene before me and on the domes and minarets around shining in the moonlight, with a sort of feeling which, I might say, induced me for the moment to doubt my own identity, transferred as I was thus suddenly from people to people.

♦ WALLACHIAN AMBITION ♦

Before we retired to rest there was a general muster of all the people in the house in the principal room; when the conversation happened to turn on the actual state of Turkey. The Greeks maintained that their nation was rapidly rising once more to the ascendancy which they formerly possessed in that part of Europe, and that as they were certain of the assistance of Russia, they had no doubt that they would be soon again masters of the whole of the old Greek empire. They said all this with a degree of confidence, which plainly showed that the subject had long formed a general topic of conversation in Wallachia, and that it was a theme by no means unacceptable to the ear of the autocrat. There is a Greek church at Rutschuk, which they told me was usually well attended. The hour of repose was at length announced when the Wallachian merchants and I proceeded to occupy the places assigned to us on the divan.

♦ CHIEF OF THE TARTARS ♦

I rose betimes in the morning (October 12), when I found my Greek friend already waiting to receive my orders. It was necessary for me to pay my respects to the chief of the Tartars, in order to arrange with him for a guide and for horses to take me to Constantinople. I was told that I might, with a little exertion, accomplish the journey in three days, and that, allowing a horse for myself, one for my Tartar guide, one for my luggage, one for the postilion, and one for relief, that is to say five horses in all, I might easily obtain the whole for the sum of fifteen hundred piastres. I proceeded to a caravanserai wholly occupied by Tartars, attended by my Greek, who pointed out to me their chieftain seated in a balcony smoking his pipe. He was seated at a table, and on the opposite side I discovered a countenance not unfamiliar to me, which turned out to be that of my late Tartar fellow-passenger, who had arrived here overland the evening before. Doubtless he had prepared his tribe for the approach of an Englishman, and accordingly, the first principles of the negotiation were laid down upon a basis of three thousand piastres. Nothing less could be taken.

♦ STRIKING A BARGAIN ♦

My Greek, who doubtless had also his slice out of the bargain, and who had instructed me the evening before that I ought to pay no more than the sum I have first stated, now suddenly went round to the other side, and declared that considering all things, especially that if I could procure no horses, it would be impossible for me to quit Rutschuk, advised me, if I wished to conclude the matter speedily, to make an offer at once of the highest sum I meant to give. I then proposed two thousand piastres; but ultimately the sum agreed upon was two thousand five hundred, about £25 sterling, which was to include all expenses whatever. Half was to be paid down; the other half at Constantinople. When it is considered that the distance from Rutschuk to the capital is about three hundred and fifty English miles, that I was to be attended the whole of the way by a respectable Tartar guide who was to be responsible with his head for my safety, that we were to have several relays of five horses on the road, each relay accompanied of course by a postilion, that the Tartar was to defray all charges, and that after seeing me lodged at a hotel in Pera, he was to return to Rutschuk with a certificate of my arrival, and of his own good conduct on the journey, it must be admitted after all that the bargain was not unreasonable. When it was concluded, the chief undertook all the necessary arrangements about my passport, or firman, and promised that my horses should be ready in two hours.

♦ EQUESTRIAN PREPARATIONS ♦

In the mean time, I had to equip myself with a saddle, bridle, whip, straps and cords, and a pair of strong boots, all of which the Greek procured for me. It so _happened_ that there was not a saddle or bridle ready mounted to be had in the town, except those which my Greek had himself used on his late journey from Constantinople, for which he had the modesty to demand four ducats. I was obliged to submit to his imposition, but I must do him the justice to say, that though very well inclined to extract as much as he possibly could out of my purse, he would not suffer any body to rob me in the ordinary way but himself. When I consulted him about the pelisse and pistol affair, he laughed outright. He had crossed the Balkans only a few days before, there was not a particle of snow upon them. As to the banditti, it was probable enough there might be some Bulgarian marauders in the forests, but they would never dare to attack my Tartar.

♦ GREEK _v._ GREEK ♦

He then took me to the apartments which he occupied, where with the assistance of an imp, whom he called his servant, he manufactured a couple of tumblers of egg-coffee, and enabled me to make a tolerably good breakfast in what he denominated the European style. He took my luggage under his care, saw it carefully packed on one of my horses, and besides assisting me to get rid of my Wallachian friends--who, contrary, I must add, to the expressed wishes of my very worthy host, again pressed upon me a whole wardrobe of fur, old pelisses, sabres and guns--exerted himself in every possible way to expedite my departure. With reference to the plague, he said that certainly some “accidents” had occurred at Pera; but that the contagion was principally confined to Constantinople.

Though fleeced a little by this fellow I could not help being pleased by his superior intelligence, his activity, and his useful attentions. Nor did I think the less of him when, with a manly tear stealing down his weather-stained cheek he entreated me to call upon his wife and little girl at Pera, to assure them of his safety, and to say that after performing his mission at Bucharest, he would speedily return home. He wrote down her address in my journal as follows:--“Madame Catherine Marcello à Arnout kioy a coté du l’Apothecaire sur la mer dans la maison du Nicolaki Afesso. S’appelle demoiselle Effrdani.”

♦ RUTSCHUK ♦

The horses having been saddled and all things prepared, about ten o’clock I and my Tartar and postilion mounted, and rode quietly through the town. The shops were all open, and exhibited a rich display of military saddles and bridles, belts and cartouche-boxes, gaily ornamented; of Persian carpets, Broussa silks, sashes, ataghans, pistols beautifully mounted in ivory and silver, pipes with every variety of amber mouthpieces, umbrellas, Greek caps, scarlet jackets, yellow pointed slippers, gold-headed canes, fine cloths, woollen and cotton stockings, and every article of grocery, fruits, vegetables, meat, fowl, bread, fish, hardware and jewellery. The floors of these shops were usually elevated above the level of the street, and the owners and their assistants sat inside upon the floors, some working as tailors, some as saddlers, and artisans of the ordinary trades. In several of these shops, which were well stored, I saw nobody attending. They were quite open to the street, as when the shutters are taken down there is no glass window to prevent any person who chooses from entering.

♦ VALLEY OF REPOSE ♦

I had already noticed this peculiarity to my Greek friend, who said that it was observable throughout Turkey, where those petty larcenies so common in other countries were never heard of. He added, moreover, that perhaps the forests of Mount Hæmus excepted, I might travel alone all over Turkey, my portmanteau filled with gold, and unlocked, and that I should not lose so much as a ducat by robbery. His information on this point was perfectly correct. The Turks will gain as much as they can in making a bargain with foreigners, or with each other, but they never think of stealing money, or indeed property of any description.

As soon as we passed out of the town we put our horses to their speed, alternately trotting quickly, or galloping almost without interruption until one o’clock in the afternoon, when we reposed from the heat of the day in a valley admirably suited for that purpose. It was of considerable extent, surrounded on all sides by craggy precipices. A brook rushed rapidly through the middle of the valley from one of the neighbouring heights. A caravan consisting of twenty or thirty waggons, laden with wattles, mats, fruits, and merchandise of every sort, had already stopped here to take advantage of the coolness of the shade, and the freshness of the torrent, whose waters were delicious. Their oxen were drinking from the stream, or ruminating upon its banks. Groups of families belonging to the caravan were formed here and there; the men smoking, the women preparing their dinner round a fire, or washing linen in the brook, the children playing about and shouting. Other travellers who had rested their appointed time, amongst them some Turkish troopers, leading beautiful black Arabian horses, were preparing to resume their journey. My Tartar and I sat down behind a waggon, which protected us from the rays of the sun, until our horses were sufficiently refreshed. We then galloped on as before.

♦ BULGARIAN PEASANTS ♦

Our road, which was only marked through the open country by the tracks of wheels and of the hoofs of oxen and of horses, passed over low hills and valleys, occasionally patched with brushwood. About three o’clock we stopped at a solitary Bulgarian khan, where we found a number of ragged peasants, with their families, drinking white rum and water under a shed. They all came forth, upon our riding into the yard, and in a fawning servile manner welcomed the Tartar. A mat was spread for us in a rude balcony, which was protected by a roof of reeds from the sun. While we were resting here, one of the peasants who was intoxicated, though he had scarcely a fragment of shirt to cover his nakedness, his long hair matted by filth upon his forehead, and a long staff in his hand, approached as well as he could, to make our acquaintance. The Tartar took up his whip and lashed his feet soundly, until some of his companions came and took him away.

♦ GIPSIES ♦

Two female gipsies, dressed in the usual costume of that mystic race, next appeared standing by our balcony. I could not discover whence they so suddenly came. They were not deficient in the browned ruby cheek, the black eye, and swelling bosom which distinguish the tribe. They bore also long staffs[1] in their hands, and evinced a desire to disclose to us our future destinies. But they spoke laughingly, as if they were convinced that they had very little chance of imposing upon our credulity. Upon the Tartar’s returning their invitation with a shake of his head they went away, disappearing through the hedge which separated the yard from the neighbouring field.

[1] The peasant sometimes places his staff upon the back of his
shoulders grasping it tightly at the same time with each hand lifted
as he walks. In this manner it affords relief to his back and chest,
and also supports his arms.

♦ GOING ASTRAY ♦

A waggon was standing in the yard, which was hurdled in all round, and filled with a noisy multitude of cocks and hens on their way to the market. I had a most refreshing drink of spring water flavoured with rum, from a clean wooden bowl, after which our dinner was served to us in the balcony, consisting of black bread, hard eggs, very fine onions, and the best salt I had tasted since I quitted England. I asked for some grapes, but none were in the house, which seemed well stored with Indian corn hanging in bunches from the roof. I dined heartily, and with renovated energies galloped away as soon as our frugal meal was over.

The afternoon was delightfully fine, neither hot nor cold, but of that medium temperature which makes the blood tingle in its circulation through the channels of the frame. Having been so long confined to vehicles of various descriptions, I enjoyed the free air and the boundless greensward, over which I was riding. My horse too, though a poor miserable-looking hack, refreshed by a good feed, and an hour’s rest, cantered along in a spirited style. On starting I rode on before my Tartar and postilion, firmly persuaded that my horse knew the road to Shumla as well as either of them. For a while I heard them galloping behind me, but the sound ceasing to reach my ear, I looked back, and to my consternation beheld not a creature within the whole range of my horizon. I waited for a while, and then rode back two or three miles without meeting any body. I concluded that I had lost my road, and entered another beaten track, to which my horse, however, manifested several very intelligible objections. I took counsel with him, leaving the bridle on his neck, when he deliberately turned round, and followed his own course.

♦ COGITATIONS ♦

My mood of mind at that moment was by no means enviable. I had no means of ascertaining whether I was in the right way to Shumla, or whether, as I almost apprehended, from the alacrity of my horse, we were returning to Rutschuk. As I had missed my Tartar and postilion, whither had they gone? Would they ride forward to Shumla to inquire for me, or would they return to Rutschuk, satisfied with the sum already paid, in order to justify themselves by stating what was the truth, that my parting from them was my own act? They had all my luggage, and even my cloak; how was I to cross the Balkans without any protection against the reputed inclemency of these mountains? They had, moreover, some little remembrances of my journey, which I had bought for my wife and children, the loss of which I believe I should have regretted more than any thing else. I possessed, indeed, enough of gold in my pocket to defray my expenses to Constantinople, but I knew not a syllable of the language spoken by the Turks, and was equally ignorant of that in use amongst the Bulgarians. How was I to inquire my way? How was I to make any body understand what I wanted, when it would be necessary to procure fresh horses, and even the scanty meals with which I must be contented on the journey? Was it quite safe for me to travel alone, and if not, how and where was I to meet with a new guide?

♦ RESOLUTIONS ♦

These questions passed rapidly through my mind, but I came to the conclusion that at all events, I would go on. The country rose gradually into hills, which indicated that I should soon be in sight of the Balkans. I met some shepherds tending their goats, to whom I shouted the word “Shumla,” and then pointing along the track in which I was riding, inquired by this gesticulation, if I were in the right road; to which they seemed to answer in the affirmative, by pointing the same way. This information removed a heavy burden of doubt and anxiety from my mind. The sun had already set, and twilight was fast fading away; but I allowed my horse to get on after his own fashion, trusting to a benignant Providence for protection, and consoling myself with the thought that I was engaged in an adventure which seemed pregnant with interesting incidents.

♦ BULGARIAN GIRLS ♦

My romantic anticipations were by no means dispersed, when, descending into a valley, I arrived at a fountain, round which several Bulgarian girls were assembled with pitchers. They seemed to wonder very much “what manner of man” I was, and I could not help admiring their beauteous large black eyes and dark hair, which fell in plats on their shoulders, ornamented with pieces of silver coin. Some wore similar ornaments in their ears, connected together by beads of coral. They were dressed in linen or flannel tunics, marked with a red cross on the left breast, to show, I presume, that they were Christians, and therefore not obliged to wear the veil. They seemed, however, extremely shy; though curiosity, which characterizes the sex in every climate, now and then tempted them to take a peep at the solitary stranger. I prevailed on one of these damsels to allow me to drink out of her pitcher; but as soon as they filled their vessels, which they did in a great hurry, they commenced a general flight.

♦ AN ALARM ♦

I felt very much inclined to follow them, satisfied that they lived in some neighbouring hamlet, where I might spend the night, when I was alarmed by the sound of two shots, which rapidly followed each other, at some distance. Looking round towards the eminence from which I had myself just descended, I saw in the increasing dusk, a horseman, galloping wildly as if he were pursued by a whole troop of banditti. Holding his pistol in his hand, he directed his course towards the fountain, when, looking at me with a frightened aspect, his lips trembling, his forehead bathed in perspiration, he threw himself down from his horse upon the ground, where he sat for a few minutes perfectly motionless. It was my Tartar! I hardly knew him, so changed was the expression of his countenance, so disordered was his turban, and his whole dress, as if he had just fled from a field of battle. My postilion appeared soon after, leading the baggage horse, but the fifth was missing. It was soon explained, that the horse which he had ridden all the day fell on the road soon after our departure from the place where we had dined; that every effort was made to get him on his legs again, but that after losing a great deal of time in the experiment they were obliged to abandon the animal; the more so, as from my imprudence in hastening on they found it necessary to come in pursuit of me. The Tartar’s head was at stake, which he would probably have lost had he not fortunately overtaken me. I blamed myself for causing the man so much tribulation, though the occurrence was one of those mere chapters of accidents which now and then are to be found in the history of every man’s life, be he ever so circumspect.