Forty Years in Constantinople the Recollections of Sir Edwin Pears 1873-1915 with 16 Illustrations

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Please do not assume that a book's appearance in 'The Builder' library means it can be used in any manner anywhere in the world. Copyright infringement liability can be quite severe. The Webmaster Digitized by tine Internet Arciiive in 2007 witii funding from IVIicrosoft Corporation littp://www.arGliive.org/details/fortyyearsinconsOOpeariala TllK AUTHOR IN I915 FORTY YEARS IN CONSTANTINOPLE THE RECOLLECTIONS OF SIR EDWIN PEARS 1873-1915 WITH 16 ILLUSTRATIONS HERBERT JENKINS LIMITED ARUNDEL PLACE HAYMARKET LONDON S.W. eg eg MCMXVI EXBIELIOTHECA FR.^IIC.BABINGER THIRD EDITION THE ANCUOK PRF.RS. LTD., TIPTBEK, ESSEX. rsl PREFACE writing my reminiscences of Life in Constantinople IN I have been under the disadvantage of depending almost entirely on memory. When I was compelled to leave Turkey in the middle of last December I was unable to bring away memoranda and books which would have enabled me to fix dates, to give correct spelling of names of persons and places, and would have recalled a hundred cir- cumstances, which without such aids I am unable to relate with desirable exactitude. This is all I have to add by way of excuse for any inaccuracies and shortcomings in my book. I could have added many more reminiscences of visitors who have given me the pleasure of seeing them, some of them men and women whom all England delights to honour. Merely to mention their names would lay one open to a charge of sycophancy. To relate conversation with them would be a breach of confidence. If, for example, I should tell the story of one of our legislators who made all haste to get away from the city because he learned that Abdul- Hamid proposed to invite him to dinner, and who gave as his reason for getting away that if invited he could hardly refuse, and that if he accepted he would lose all nonconformist votes, I should have to miss the point of my story unless I men- tioned the name, which I should not be justified in doing. Had space permitted, I should have liked much to speak at length of visits : of that of Miss Isabel Fry, who spent time and money for the benefit of Turkish women ; of the Members of the Balkan Committee, notably Mr. Noel E. Buxton and his brother ; Lady Boyle and Sir Edward ; Sir Arthur Evans, and others whose labours for the benefit of all sections of the community won them the gratitude of 1847S82 vi PREFACE Moslems and Christians alike ; of the veteran Frederic Harrison, who was especially honoured by the best men of the Young Turkey Party ; of Mr. H. W. Massingham, who shewed himself greatly interested in Turkish institutions. These visits were of great value to leading Turks and other members of the community as setting before them ideals of conduct and self-sacrifice. Turkey has long attracted some of our best men and women. The singular devotion of Miss Edith Durham has won general respect in all the Western Balkan States. The massacres at Adana drew Lady Rosalind Northcote and several others to the aid of the victims. Susan, Lady Malmesbury, took great interest in the schools and colleges of the capital. Mr. Edward Clodd wanted to learn every- thing regarding Moslem and Christian education. The late Mr. John Westlake, a friend whom I had known from my Social Science days, always took great interest in the developments of Turkey. Another old and dear friend from the same period was Rev. Brooke Lambert, who stayed with me on three occasions, on one of which during our summer residence he conducted divine service in our sala at Prinkipo. Canon Malcolm McCall paid us two visits, and from the time of the Moslem atrocities in Bulgaria was always keenly aUve to the religious and political questions of the Near East, I have to express my very sincere thanks to Hariot, Lady Dufferin, for the excellent photographs of her husband and herself. I possess one signed by Lord Dufferin, but, like another of General Skobeleff and others which it was my intention to use, I have not seen my way to obtain them from Constantinople. My thanks are also due to Lady O'Conor for offering to place at my disposal a series of photographs of her husband ; to Lord Goschen for a photo which carries my memory back to the time when it was taken and the men with whom he had to act ; and to Beatrice, Lady Ellenborough, for permission to reproduce from her photograph the portrait of Jane Digby, Lady Ellenborough. EDWIN PEARS. London, S.W., Sep. 20, 1915. — CONTENTS FAQB PREFACE - . - - - V CHAPTER I I GO TO CONSTANTINOPLE A Chance Remark and the Consequences—The Social Science Associa- tion—Pleasant Relations—I Start for Turkey—First Impres- sions—Bakshish—The Turks' Incurable Malady—The Comedy of the Buoys—The Tragedy of the Bridge—An Ideal Coal for the Navy - - - - - -. I CHAPTER II THE MOSLEM ATROCITIES IN BULGARIA " ' Our Own Correspondent —Robert College—Dr. Washburn and Dr. Long—^The Bulgarian Students—Ugly Rumours—"Allah's Business"—My First Letter—Disraeli's Doubts—I Send Addi- tional Proof—Incomprehensible Scepticism—Macgahan Sent to Investigate—Horrible Discoveries—Mr. Walter Baring Ap- pointed Commissioner—His Report—Disraeli's Strange Conduct —Death of Macgahan—Conference of Powers, Dec-Jan.,— 1877 Its Failure—Salisbury Unpopular in Constantinople " Bravo, " Sir Elliot —Declaration of War by Russia, April 24, 1877 - 12 CHAPTER III THE RUSSO-TURKISH WAR The Russo-Turkish War Begins—Battle of Shenova—British Fleet in Besika Bay—British Colony Still Hostile—British Fleet at Prinkipo—Leaves Turkey—Did Arrival of British Fleet Prevent Russian Occupation ? —Baker Pasha and Suliman—SkobeleflE and the Taking of Constantinople—My Visit to Him in Camp Remarkable Unanswered Telegram to Czar—Personal Remin- iscences—Fellow Correspondents, Galenga, George Augustus Sala—A Correspondent Impostor—Remarkable Solution of a Prize Case - - - - - - 25 |vii —AA viii CONTENTS CHAPTER IV EAST AND WEST PAOB The Anti- Russian British Colony—An Address to Sir Henry Elliot I Protest—Journalism Extraordinary—Mr. Layard Becomes Ambassador—The Marquess of Bath—"A Year Behind the Fair "—Mr. W. E. Forster—A Grand Vizier's Rudeness—Mr. " Hughes's Revenge—" The Only Gentleman in Europe —British Tommies and a Turkish Toll Collector—Gallantry and Death A Strange Court Scene—The Scots at Hasskewi—How a Lawyer - - - Cannot be a Jackass - "43 CHAPTER V THE REVOLUTION OF 1876 Turkey's Finances—Heavy Losses—The Moral Effect—Outcry Against the Sultan's Extravagance—His Passion for Building Abdul Aziz a Prisoner—His Suicide—A Committee of Examina- tion—The Trial of Ministers—The Tradition of the Turkish Palace—Murad Ascends the Throne—He is Deposed and Suc- ceeded by Abdul Hamid—The Question of a Constitution— Revelation of Abuses—The New Form of Government— Blunt Speaker—The Traditional Method—A Question of Right or Wrong - - - - - - 52 CHAPTER VI ARCH.<EOLOGICAL INTERESTS AND LADY ELLENBOROUGH Dr, Paspates and Dr. Schliemann—My First Visit to the Patriarchal Church—An Impressive Ceremony—The Greek Tradition—The Site of Troy—Interesting Discoveries—Visits to Nicaea—A Visit to Damascus—I Meet the Sheik's Wife—A Remarkable Woman —A Queen of the Desert—Life in the Harem—An Arab Invasion - - - - —The Bedouins' Devotion ^ 62 CHAPTER VII THE EGYPTIAN QUESTION The Arrival of Sir Henry Layard—Russophobia—Ideals About the Turk—A Scheme of Reform—Sir Henry Disillusioned—Glad- stone's Greek Letter—A Scandal—The Khedive's Extravagance —Egypt's Finances—Dual Control—The Succession Changed The Khedive Deposed—Turkish Alarm—Saving the Sultan's Face—Mr. Goschen Succeeds Sir Henry Layard—Bismarck's Rudeness—The Sultan Obdurate—Mr.

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