Chapter I: Front Matter

Transcriber's Note:

Inconsistent hyphenation and spelling in the original document have
been preserved. Obvious typographical errors have been corrected.

Italic text is denoted by _underscores_.

The following inconsistent spellings or possible printer's errors
were identified and left as printed:

Mollah and Moullah
Tschorock and Tschoroch
Malattia and Malatia
Djesireh and Djesire
Felujah and Feludjah
Trebizonde and Trebizond
Merdin and Mardin
Soukoum and Soukum
Melaskert and Meleskert
Mahmoud and Mahmod
Beilan and Beylan
Boghaz and Bogaz
Mousch and Moush

ON HORSEBACK THROUGH ASIA MINOR.
VOL. II.

LONDON:
GILBERT AND RIVINGTON, PRINTERS,
ST. JOHN'S SQUARE.

London: Sampson Low, Marston, Searle & Rivington.

Stanford's Geogl Estabt, London.]

ON HORSEBACK THROUGH
ASIA MINOR.

BY
CAPTAIN FRED BURNABY,

AUTHOR OF "A RIDE TO KHIVA."

WITH PORTRAIT AND MAPS.

IN TWO VOLUMES.

VOL. II.

London:
SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON, SEARLE, & RIVINGTON,
CROWN BUILDINGS, 188, FLEET STREET.

1877.

[All rights reserved.]

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

PAGE

My host—A Russian servant—The Crimean war—How the Russian
soldiers were beaten—My father the Tzar—I would sooner be
hanged!—The civilized way of eating a dinner—Knives and
forks of Circassian manufacture—The Caimacan's opinion
of knives and forks—My host's wife—His mother—Your Queen
likes riding—An Armenian lady inquiring about balls—The
barracks—The appearance of Arabkir—The prison—The
inmates—The troops—A nation of soldiers—If Allah wills
it—Capital required 1

CHAPTER II.

The Mohammedan school—The Governor—The Schoolmaster—His
impertinence—An Armenian song—The Russians at
Tiflis—Are the Russians so very degraded?—The Hodja, or
Schoolmaster—He is put in prison—The fanatics amongst the
Turks—A school required for Hodjas—Qualified teachers
wanted—Do the Turks insult your religion?—Malattia—A
cross tied to the tail of a dog—We want newspapers—Even
they contradict each other—The streets are slippery—The
precipices—Shephe—The Kurds—Few Zaptiehs in the
province—Hara Bazar—The village of Ashoot—Arab
horses—Deserters—The Usebashe—God is evidently on our
side 11

CHAPTER III.

Radford—His health—The farmer's house—The high
elevation—My brother will look down the precipices—The
Frat—The scenery—A caravan—How to pass it—The
weather—Turks in Egin—A coracle—Beautiful fish—Sick
soldiers—Twenty-four hours without food—Egin—The
Caimacan—The Cadi—His story—Daniel—Samson—His riches,
his 10,000 wives, all of them fat and lovely—His
treasure-chests—The lovely daughters of the
mountaineers—The officers died; the Pachas died; and last
of all, Samson died—The fate of the Russians 22

CHAPTER IV.

The Armenian church—The devotees—The ladies—The
priest—His toilet—Little boys—A song in honour of
the Queen of England—These Armenians are very dirty—A
hymn sung in English—The inhabitants of Egin—Turkish
doctors—A _post mortem_ examination—Price of meat—Russian
agents—The massacres in Bulgaria—The Hasta Dagh
mountain—The descent of the glacier—I never thought as
how a horse could skate, sir, before! 32

CHAPTER V.

Hasta Khan—The Kurds—Their summer depredations—Our Sultan
ought to be Padishah in his own dominions—The English
Consul—A story about the Kurds—The Delsin—Arresting the
major—The major's dinner with the chief—Acknowledge
the Padishah—A sore back—The mule which is offered
in exchange—The pack-saddle—The Euphrates—Coal in the
neighbourhood—Kemach—The Caimacan—Djerrid—A National
Guard—A miniature Gibraltar—Turkoman horses—Numerous
wells—One of the faithful 41

CHAPTER VI.

Kemach—Its population—Barley is very cheap—An English
traveller—Conversation about the impending war—If we
beat Russia, will England permit us to take back the
Caucasus?—Yakoob Khan—The Poles to be freed—Germany
to have the Baltic Provinces—What about the Crimea?—We
ought to cripple Russia—The Floggers of Women—Crossing
the Euphrates—Radford is poorly—Erzingan—The intendant
of Issek Pacha—Pretty Armenian women—An intelligent
Turk—Iron, silver, gold—Coal—Lead-mines worked by
the Kurds—The peasantry and coal—The Government and
the mines—A relation of the Pacha of Sivas—The old
doctor—Firing a patient for gout 50

CHAPTER VII.

Erzingan—The Mutasarraf Pacha—Widdin—Russian official
documents—Names of high functionaries—General
Ignatieff—Hindostan—The Kurds will be excited to massacre
the Armenians—The probable final result of the war—If
Turkey were to join Russia—The boot manufactory—The
shoemakers being drilled—The gaol—Coiners—A jealous woman
in prison—The unfortunate shopkeeper 59

CHAPTER VIII.

Russia's conduct in Servia—The Hodja—We have a
great many troops—If the Circassians will rise—The
Pacha—Raw cotton—The Mohammedan school—The Hodja's
sum—Three jealous husbands—The mosque—Issek Pacha—A
comparison between Mohammedan Imaums and Christian
priests—Provisions—The old doctor—The road to
Erzeroum—Want of sport—Soldiers frost-bitten 68

CHAPTER IX.

Climbing the mountains—It is bitterly cold—Delan—The
soldiers—Kargan—A bridge over the Euphrates—Mohallata—Our
Padishah is poor now—The Captain of the Zaptiehs—He
wishes to be married—Promotion wanted—The Erzingan
track meets the Trebizond road—Bashi Bazouks—The
Kara Su—Zaptiehs—Erzeroum—The fortifications of
Erzeroum—Ismail Pacha's residence—A pacific speech
made by Lord Derby—A decoration sent by the Tzar
to the Armenian Bishop of Erzeroum—An Armenian
demonstration—Caravan trade—_Timbaki_—Duties
increased—The price of Timbaki—The Kurds—Russian agents—A
massacre of the Christians to be brought about by Russian
agents 76

CHAPTER X.

The Pacha's interpreter—The Russian Consul—The
telegram—_Un ennemi acharné_ of Russia—Mr. Zohrab—The
Russian Government encourages photography—The paternal
Government—Spies—Pregnant women massacred—How to frighten
the mountaineers—Go and complain to the _Kralli_ of the
English.—Ask her to send you an oculist—A blood-stained
placard—A proof of Russian civilization—Two Circassian
chiefs—Their statement—The value of the Caucasus—A Memoir
drawn up by the Emperor Nicholas for the instruction
of the present Emperor Alexander—Our inheritance is the
East—The Circassians must be freed 84

CHAPTER XI.

The European society in Erzeroum—The Russian Consul is
an energetic man—How to depopulate a country—Russian
passports—Consul Taylor—The intrigues of the Russian
Consul—The Armenian upper classes—How corrupt they
are—The soldiers in Erzeroum—Discontent—_Métallique_—The
Military Hospitals—Recruits from the South—The head
surgeon—The wards—A valuable medicine—A bad habit—Wasting
ammunition 94

CHAPTER XII.

A conversation with the Pacha—The English Parliament
opened—What will they say about Turkey?—Can the
people at your Embassy speak Turkish?—The French are
brave soldiers—The fortifications—The roads—The water
supply—The posterns—Important military positions—A dinner
with our Consul—He relates a story—A Kurdish robber—The
Colonel—His young wife—How the Kurd wished to revenge
himself—Many of the Kurds are in Russian pay 104

CHAPTER XIII.

The weather—The number of troops in the town—Wood
is very dear—Tezek—The shape of the town—Trade with
Persia—Ismail Pacha's head servant—Have the Russians
arrived?—No, Effendi, but the Pacha has hanged himself!
that is all—The Pacha's wives—He was gay and handsome—The
Consul's dragoman—An attack of dysentery—Starting
for Van—Major-General Macintosh—His opinion about
the Kurds—The Bazaar at Van—Fezzee Pacha—Kiepert's
map—Erzeroum is very weak—Fezzee Pacha's opinion about
the impending war—The curious Caves 114

CHAPTER XIV.

The Turkish cemetery—Entering the cavern—The narrow
passage—A branch tunnel—A candle went out—The ball of
string—The Garden of Eden—The serpent—A dinner with the
Engineer-general—Mashallah—The evil eye—A whole nation of
Hodjas—You English are a marvellous nation—Some of our
Pachas cannot write—This is a miracle—Start for Van—The
postman—A caravan from Persia—The wives of the Persian
merchant—How to balance a fat wife—Herteff—My host's
wife—Stealing sugar 124

CHAPTER XV.

The Kurd—His bonnet—Mohammed is ill—Radford doctors
him—The mustard plaster—The plaster is cold—Where has
the Frank put the flames?—An old frost-bite—The two
merchants—Bayazid—A Turkish lieutenant—A very dirty
Christian—Crossing the Araxes—Kupri Kui—Yusueri—Deli
Baba—Earthenware jars—How they are made—When the winter
is over—Procrastination 134

CHAPTER XVI.

Low hills—Deep snow—The effect of the sun's rays—Nearly
blind—Daha—The road to Bayazid blocked—The daughter of my
host—Her costume—Soap and water—A surprise—She is very
dirty—If she were well washed—Turkish merchants—Buying
the daughters—A course of Turkish baths—An addition
to the Seraglio—Rich men always get pretty wives—The
Kurd's sons—The Imaum of the village—My host's tooth—It
aches—I have heard of your great skill—Cure my tooth—A
mustard plaster a remedy for toothache—A hakim for the
stomach—Have it out—Champagne nippers—My tooth is better
already 142

CHAPTER XVII.

Clearing the way—Leaving Daha—My father was well
cleaned last night—The wonderful medicine—Charging
the snow-drifts—Turkoman steeds—The Persians—The
lieutenant—Zedhane—Molla Suleiman—Toprak Kale—A
sanguinary drama—The Caimacan—The rivals—An Armenian
peasant—The marriage ceremony—The Circassian Governor—The
Kurd's mother—Revenge—His father's bones—The Circassian's
wives—The Governor in bed—The fight—The feud between the
Kurds and Circassians—Camels in the water—The ice has
broken 151