Chapter XX

The gipsies—A fearful instrument—The musicians—The
dancers—The chief of the gipsy women—Her
attire—Vankovitch's wife—A glass of raki—The fat
woman—The man with the bagpipes—The dance—The two
girls—The old lady accompanies them—The castanets—What
is the good of dancing?—The Lord Chamberlain, who
is he?—The marriage festivals in a harem—The old
woman dances a _pas seul_—Osman's interview with
Vankovitch—Oh, Osman! thou descendant of a line of
thieves!—What is the meaning of this?—The Effendi's
horses—The people at the Khans—An undulating
country—Mostaphas—Unwillingness to fight their country's
battles—Several inhabitants killed in Servia—Industrious
insects—A country like the Saxon Switzerland—A district
abounding with pine forests—The telegraph wire to
Sivas—Saw-mills—Gogderi Soo—A house with two rooms—The
stable—The fire—The harem—My host and his wives—Two
shots in the air—The ladies—Their legs—The discomfort of
the proprietor 220

CHAPTER XXI.

Sileh Zela—Its position—The old citadel—The soil in the
neighbourhood—A battalion of infantry—The Caimacan—The
audience-chamber—The Cadi—The battalion going to
Samsoun—The local authorities—The Colonel—England
would be neutral—What, desert her old friend of the
Crimea?—An ally in Austria—Andrassy—An Imaum—Propensity
for fighting—A Christian Bishop—The most welcome members
of society—Yakoob Khan of Kashgar—The Russians and
the Chinese—The Khivans, Bokharians, and Turkomans—A
rising of the Poles—The Armenians in Sileh—The ancient
city—A secret passage—My tea and sugar—Osman had a
sweet tooth—My lord's liberality praised—Osman to kneel
on his own coat—Tartars—Lazy husbands—A plain planted
with tobacco—Mountains covered with vines—Many-coloured
sand-hills—A wonderful phenomenon—Bazar—Pacha
Williams—Teesdale—Kars—Is Pacha Williams still alive? 231

CHAPTER XXII.

Tokat—The Caimacan of the town—The battalion is to
march to Samsoun—A naturalized Englishman—The road
from Tokat to Sivas—The population of Tokat—The rich
inhabitants bribe the gendarmes—The want of funds—The
officials' salaries in arrear—Armenian schools in
Tokat—The Greeks; not much reliance to be placed upon
them—Khiva—Tashkent—Samarcand—Mussulmans in India—The
Black Sea and the Russian Fleet—Old soldiers in
Tokat—The Armenians and Greeks to be supplied with
fire-arms—Good governors—Osman Bey—A Circassian
on Russian atrocities—A statement by the Russian
authorities—Seven hundred families near Labinsky—Men,
women, and children at the breast butchered—English
sympathizers with Russia—The Russians sow the seeds of
dissension amongst the Circassians—Yonn Bek—Many gold
imperials offered to him 242

CHAPTER XXIII.

The servant of the house—The Onbashee—Five
piastres—Osman detected—The guilty man—Vankovitch's
remarks—The sentence—May I put Osman in prison?—The
barracks—Two old Khans—The women weeping—Immense
enthusiasm—Numbers of volunteers—Parading for the
march—Men crying—We shall eat the Russians—The
Sergeant—The Major of the battalion—The Dervish—A
Circassian—The Imaum of the regiment—The
Muleteer—Baggage animals required for the regiment—A
bitter cry—The women's wail—The old Major—The soldiers'
hymn—The standard of the battalion—Go in safety—God be
with you! 253

CHAPTER XXIV.

Osman Bey—A Circassian feud—Will there be a rising in
the Caucasus?—If England were to help us—A wonderful
servant—Mohammed—His Captain—An Armenian doctor—Business
is flat—The Christian population to be armed—Visitors
asking favours—Your reward will be in heaven—A
subscription—Promotion through favouritism—A sad story—A
cruel father—A servant arrested for debt—Failure of
justice 264

CHAPTER XXV.

Mohammed's horse—The Effendi's barley—The road from
Tokat to Sivas—A very pretty girl—Tchiflik—Complaints
made against the Circassians—Highly cultivated soil—The
Tchamlay Bel mountain—A Turk killed—A wonderful
gun—Yenihan—The Yeldez Ermak—The Kizil Ermak—Sivas—A
ruined citadel—The importance of Sivas from a military
point of view—My entry into Sivas—The guard—An Italian
engineer—Three American missionaries—A house pillaged 275

CHAPTER XXVI.

The prison in Sivas—Christian prisoners—The gaoler—Kurds
and Circassians—A few Armenians—False statement made
to me by Christians—The old murderer—The firman for
his execution—Kept in suspense—Our Governor dislikes
shedding blood—Issek Pacha—He may die—His residence—The
law in Turkey about murder—Mercenary dealings—Lax
justice 284

CHAPTER XXVII.

The Governor calls—A great honour—The Khedive's
treasurer—The Pacha's carriage—The Turks and
Christians—The Russian Government—The Armenian
subjects of the Porte—The seeds of disaffection—General
Ignatieff—The treasurer—The Italian lady—Erzingan—The
Governor's invitation—The cold in the country—The
Pacha was nearly frozen to death—His march from
Kars to Erzeroum—Deep chasms along the track—The
Conference is over—The Missionaries' home—American
hospitality—The ladies—A Turkish woman in the streets
of New York—A Chinese lad—New Orleans—The Anglo-Indian
telegraph—The Franco-German War—The potato plant—The
Armenians more deceitful than the Turks—The converts to
Protestantism—The Tzar's Government does not tolerate
any religion save its own—The superstitions attached to
the Greek faith 295

CHAPTER XXVIII.

An Armenian Monastery—A large garden—Farms belonging to
the Monks—The Bishop—A fast day—The Turkish finance—The
Armenian merchants in Sivas—The telegraph employed
by them—The rise and fall in _caime_—The breath of
scandal—A former Governor of Sivas—A suspicious case—His
Eminence cannot marry—Are Protestant Bishops allowed
to marry?—The chapels belonging to the Monastery—A
curious altar—A strange tradition—The martyrs of Sivas—A
picture of one of the Kings of Armenia—The Kings and
the Church—Things are very different now—Privileges
of the Monks—The Russian war with Persia—An Armenian
General—Hassan, Khan of Persia—Sugar—How to make a large
fortune 307

CHAPTER XXIX.

The principal mosque—An ostrich egg—Curious custom—The
dancing dervishes—A regiment of cavalry leaves Sivas—The
arms of the men—Appearance of the horses—A short
route to Erzeroum—Dudusa—The Kizil Ermak—Scenery—Glass
replaced by alabaster—A raid on an Armenian village—The
robbers caught—Women said to have been outraged—Kotnu—An
accident—The Zaptiehs out of temper—Mohammed's
appetite—A comparison between Mohammed and Osman 316

CHAPTER XXX.

Snow—The path covered by it—The scenery—Upset in a
snowdrift—Nearly down a chasm—Probing the ground—A
consultation—Teaching my followers manners—May he die
of the plague—A baggage-horse knocked up—Yarbasan—A
dirty village—The farmer committing himself to
Providence—Visiting his friends—The Zaptiehs—Their
remarks—The Giaour threatened to beat us—The Inglis
giaour is different to the Armenian giaour 325